Skull Sessions Podcast: The Art and Science of Kickin' A$s Between the Ears

In this powerful episode of Skull Sessions, Andy Riise and Nate Last sit down with Patty de Vries (“Oma”), founder of Living Well USA, to explore what it really means to master your mindset and create a life aligned with who you truly are.Patty shares her deeply personal journey—from high-level athletics at Stanford to transformational breakthroughs in mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and self-awareness. Together, they unpack one of the biggest barriers to performance and fulfillment: judgment—of ourselves and others.This conversation goes beyond theory. You’ll learn practical tools to move from being “below the line” (stuck in fear, frustration, and negativity) to “above the line” (calm, creative, and aligned).Key Takeaways:Why judgment is the hidden performance killer in life and sportHow your brain creates “doom loops” vs. positive momentum (the flywheel)The difference between accepting emotions vs. getting stuck in themA simple framework to clarify what you truly want: Want / Don’t Want / Nice-to-HaveHow gratitude and awareness can instantly reset your stateWhy authenticity—not external success—drives fulfillment and performanceThe role of mindfulness and neuroplasticity in becoming your best selfPatty also shares powerful stories from her athletic career, her work with organizations like Stanford Medicine, and the philosophy behind Living Well USA—a growing movement focused on helping people reconnect with themselves and live with intention.If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from who you really are, this episode gives you a roadmap to get out of your own way and start living fully aligned.Listen now and learn the art and science of kickin' ass between the ears. Follow us on social: https://linktr.ee/skullsessionspodcast

In this episode, host Andy Riise sits down with Theresa Larson, a Marine Corps officer turned physical therapist, entrepreneur, and leadership wellness expert.Dr. Larson shares her powerful story of overcoming trauma, battling an eating disorder during deployment, and learning how true resilience comes from self-leadership, vulnerability, and choosing your hard. The conversation explores mental toughness, leadership under pressure, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and the connection between physical and mental health.You’ll learn practical strategies for building resilience, leading with empathy, slowing down to gain clarity, and creating sustainable high performance in work and life.Follow Skull Sessions for conversations with experts, high performers, and everyday heroes training their minds to lead, grow, and win from within.Follow us on social: https://linktr.ee/skullsessionspodcast

In this episode of Skull Sessions, Ryan Johnson, founder of Bugle, shares how mental toughness, self-talk, leadership, and scalable processes helped him move from wrestling mats and West Point boxing to Special Forces and startup leadership.Andy and Nate unpack founder burnout, confidence under pressure, sustainable performance, and the mission to make volunteering easier across America. If you care about entrepreneurship, resilience, service, leadership, and the mental game of high performance, this episode delivers practical strategies you can use right away.

In this episode of Skull Sessions, Andy Riise and the team sit down with Jay Long, a West Point graduate and Army officer-turned FinTech startup co-founder (Parlay), and deep thinker on leadership, performance, and innovation, to explore what it really takes to go from zero to one.Jay breaks down why mental skills are foundational for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone navigating uncertainty. From building confidence as a trained skill, to accelerating your learning rate, to creating the right environment of mentors, peers, and feedback, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for high performers.They also dive into the overlooked role of recovery, expectation management, self-reflection, deliberate practice, and resilience in both business and life. If you’re building something new, leading through ambiguity, transitioning careers, or trying to strengthen your mindset, this episode will give you actionable tools to help you kick ass between the ears.

Skull Sessions kicks off with coach, entrepreneur, and dad of five, Sean Stringham. We dig into building Olympus Aquatics from scratch, launching Game On Live Studio in a pandemic, high-performance parenting, and the mental skills—grit, self-talk, and belief—that help athletes, leaders, and families kick ass between the ears.