The BAD Podcast: Behaviours for Achievement through Discipline

Most people think that the 0.1%, rich and successful people like Elon Musk, are happy, healthy and fulfilled, but they don't understand the true cost of success.Burnout, dopamine traps, addiction, mental health issues, and unhappiness are on the rise as the obsession for success grows stronger. In this episode of THE BAD PODCAST, I sit down with Dr Kevin Fleming, a renowned neuroscientist and expert advisor to CEOs and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, who exposes what's happening in the mind of the 0.1%.What's more, he unveils how his firm's neuro-tech is helping CEOs & UHNW with wellness strategies and better decision-making.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN WATCHING THIS EPISODE🧠 Billionaire money mindset & habits: vision, risk for wealth-building.💰 Smart Minds VS. Dumb Money: Ultra-Rich Paradoxes Sabotaging Wealth🤯 Was Elon Musk’s self-destruction behaviour, like the infamous “I'm taking Tesla private”, a signal of overworking, pressure and burnout?How unexpected wins, big bonuses, exits, and luxury experiences potentiate risk‑taking, overconfidence, and chasing the next hit, much like addictive behavior.💔 Why Many Wealthy, Successful People Are Unhappy?🔥 CEO Burnout and Bad Financial DecisionsSome 52% of more than 2,000 global CEOs and other C-suite execs told HR advisory firm LHH in 2024 that they currently feel overworked and burned out. 🚸 How to teach young children healthy money behaviour for financial successTIMESTAMPS00:00 Teaser Trailer00:34 My Guest In THE BAD PODCAST Is Dr Fleming01:35 How Grey Matters International Helps UHNW & CEOs03:11 Neurotechnnology Solutions for Top Athletes, CEOs & HNW05:47 Neuroscience Behind Irrational Behaviour & Change Strategies06:54 Research Findings on Addiction & Behaviour Change09:50 The Hedonic Treadmill: The Trap for the Wealthy10:26 Grey Matters' Approach to Wealth & Happiness11:33 Why Do UHNW Struggle with Irrational Money Behaviours?12:40 Is Elon Musk's Self-Destruction a Signal of CEO Burnout?13:26 Dopamine Bombs Sabotaging Us14:40 Addiction15:30 Neurophysiology & Personality Disorders17:49 Why Mental Health Issues & Addiction Are Rising In Corporate Leadership24:30 The Double-Edge Sword of Dopaminergic Reward Circuitry24:54 CEO Wellness at Board-Level: A Holistic Approach28:14 Why Many Wealthy & Successful People Are Unhappy34:30 Mistakes High-Performers Do Fueling Their Self-Destruction38:35 Succession Challenges & What The Rich Teach Their Children42:52 The Hidden Costs of Wealth in a World Obsessed with Success44:56 Final Thoughts on Burnout Prognosis & Wellness45:37 End credits, Feedback, Next EpisodeABOUT DR KEVIN FLEMINGDr Kevin Fleming (BA, MA, PhD from the University of Notre Dame) is Founder of Grey Matters International, Inc, a one-of-a-kind neuroscience-oriented behavior change firm that leverages the most salient fMRI-based research around decision making, mental health and self-regulation shifts that uniquely influence the UHNW client. With distinctive successes that include published work inside a NY Times/Wall Street bestselling book and endorsements from both Harvard Medical and Business School faculty, Dr. Fleming’s work spans the globe with wide array of executive clients, as well as former NFL players, Washington DC politicians, a Rock n Roll Hall of Famer, and an invite to speak to cabinet members for the King of Jordan around his thought leadership.👉 Follow Dr Fleming herehttps://kevinflemingphd.com/www.greymattersintl.com   / greymattersintl  🎙️THE BAD PODCAST with Georgios StathousisListen to unfiltered conversations with scientists, athletes, founders and leaders to understand the science, habits, and mindset behind discipline and high performance. You’ll gain real-world knowledge and easy-to-follow blueprints to become your best, smartest, fulfilled self. 👇 New episodes on self-improvement, business, smart personal finance & wellness every Wednesday.

This episode of THE BAD PODCAST helps you push your limits and find purpose without burnout by understanding the psychological and physiological aspects of extreme challenges.Georgios Stathousis interviews JD Tremblay, who shares his extraordinary journey as an ultra triathlete, including 10 Ironmans in 10 days, ex-military, and coaching Olympic athletes.JD discusses the science behind pushing the mental and physical limits of human performance, and explains his system for breaking boundaries, overcoming mental struggles, achieving success and finding purpose.Who is this episode for?✓ Are you stuck? Do you want to change your life and find purpose? ✓ Do you want to realise your full potential and achieve peak performance without burnout, obsession or even super-discipline?Then this episode is for you!What You'll Learn Watching This Episode✓ Why doing HARD things is NOT just about fitness & high performance. It's about YOUR purpose.✓ Why you need to expose yourself to discomfort to change your life, but be true to yourself so that you don't harm yourself.✓ The mistake even high-performers make is that they think discipline is about pushing harder, and they suffer from pursuing the wrong direction, not aligned with their why. ✓ The science of pushing human limits and the mental and physical challenges of peak performance, like ultra triathlons✓ Building systems for success and resilience: The NEXT System, because results matter more than motivation or hype✓ The role of environment and neuroscience in performance and success. JD Tremblay emphasises that success is not about motivation but about having a daily structure that makes failure difficult. He explains that even Olympian athletes are not always motivated to wake up early and follow their rigorous training schedules. Instead, their structured environment and routine help them succeed despite the challenges.✓ Finding purpose through extreme challengesTimestamps00:00 Teaser00:42 Intro: Change Your Life, Push Your Limits & Find Purpose01:14 10 Ironmans In 10 Days: Motivation & Truth Behind Mental Resilience03:08 Hungry For More: Push Your Limits To Find Purpose05:47 The Harsh Truth About Extreme Performance & Mental Health 06:53 Overcoming addiction with Extreme Challenges10:20 How to Push Your Limits Without Self-Destruction & Burnout11:52 Lessons From the EpicDeca: 10 Ironmans in 10 Days14:17 Transforming Mental Health Issues Into Good19:16 The NEXT System to Change Your Life & Reach Peak Performance19:36 How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs: The Role of the Environment24:47 NEXT System To Change Your Life25:41 N - Nervous System Reset29:02 E - Environment for Success Over Willpower31:49 X - Exposure to Discomfort34:07 The Difference Between Real And Synthetic Stress34:37 T - Truth, Ownership47:54 People Want Results: How to Really Change Your Life53:10 Finding Purpose01:05:01 The Big Mistake Leading to Self-Destruction01:11:09 Where to Learn More About the Hungry Warrior Academy & JD TremblayJD Tremblay is an ultra triathlete, ex-military, engineer and Director of High Performance & Mental Resilience Advisor at Hungry Warrior Academy. He specialises in helping high-performing men maintain clarity, discipline, resilience under pressure and longevity.He is one of only three people in the world to complete the EpicDeca, a nearly unimaginable feat involving ten iron-distance triathlons in ten days across all six Hawaiian islands.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jd-tremblay-2b6215256/https://hungrywarrioracademy.comTHE BAD PODCAST helps you build Behaviours that drive Achievement through Discipline.Listen to unfiltered conversations with scientists, athletes, founders and leaders to understand the science, habits, and mindset behind discipline and high performance. You’ll gain real-world knowledge and easy-to-follow blueprints to become your best, smartest, fulfilled self. New episodes on Wednesday

Learn how to beat stress and burnout, break bad habits and perform better under pressure with neuroscience-based strategies, not hustle. In this episode of The BAD Podcast, Georgios Stathousis sits down with neuroscientist Jon Wegener to break down what really drives performance under pressure: your nervous system, not just your muscles or your brain.You’ll learn how to train your brain and regulate your nervous system with wearable tech like Garmin or Whoop, use brain breaks and mindfulness, deal with self-doubt, negative emotions and burnout to get better results, build good habits and protect your long-term health and wellbeing.If you’re an ambitious person who wants to get better or an athlete, executive, founder or professional who feels stressed or burned out, this conversation gives you a science-based blueprint to perform better under pressure.What You Will Learn✓ Learn why performance under pressure is not about “true character” but how well you regulate your nervous system✓ See how wearables synced with your calendar reveal hidden pressure moments in your day✓ Discover your brain desperately needs regular “brakes” to avoid burnout.✓ Understand the optimal brain state for high performance and why chasing hype and adrenaline quietly destroys your focus.✓ Use AI and tech the right way: from de‑stressing and breaking email “freeze”✓ Hear how chronic stress and hustle culture damage health, immunity and decision-making—especially for CEOs and high achievers—and what to do instead.✓ Find out why you must decouple your identity from results to stay resilient long term, with examples like Elon Musk’s mission-driven focus.✓ Explore gender differences in stress and decision-makingTimestamps00:00 Teaser01:41 Performance Under Pressure With Jon Wegener02:21 Learning to perform Better Under Pressure is Relevant to Everybody, not just Athletes03:49 Pressure Doesn't Reveal Character, It Shows A Well Regulated Nervous System05:35 Practical Tips to Regulate Your Nervous System To Perform Better Under Pressure & Improve Your Well-Being06:48 How To Do A Pressure Audit Using Wearables like Garmin or Whoop09:55 Mindfulness, Meditation vs. Mindlessness For Stress Management11:18 Why Your Brain Needs Breaks & How to Do It13:14 Measuring Your Recovery Is a Goldmine To Unlock Performance14:07 Pressure Audit in Everyday Life: Moments, people, environment16:43 Are Health Wearables Becoming Medical Devices?17:12 Is the Battle for Data Privacy & Security Lost?17:49 Why Men & Women Feel Pressure Differently & How It Affects Their Performance21:40 Chronic Stress, Health and Longevity22:55 Corporate Wellness, Burnout & Bad Financial Decisions24:23 The Detrimental Impact of Enforced Corporate Gender Diversity27:06 Do Successful Women Feel Less Happy?32:03 The Paralysis & Freeze Response Sabotaging Your Performance33:53 How Tech & AI Can Help You Decompress35:14 Don't Let Fear Ruin Your Performance36:54 Discussing "Free Solo": Analysing Fear vs. Focus, Habits40:32 What is the Optimal Brain State for Focus and Performance?43:16 How To Build Neural Synchrony44:24 Brain Plasticity & Learning Through Repetition & Habits48:29 The A-Player Blueprint for High Performance50:11 How to Harness Your Emotions For Better Performance55:10 Redesign & Protect Your Environment56:20 Habit Formation & The Myth of Building Habits in X Days59:15 Why Tying Your Identity To Your Success is Dangerous01:02:33 Handling Success & The Case of Elon MuskAbout Jon WegenerJon Wegener is a neuroeconomist, author, and lecturer who studies how emotions, attention, and the brain shape financial decisions. He co-authored The Caffe Latte Rule (in Danish), focusing on practical ways to design better money habits, avoid emotional traps, and build long-term wealth through realistic, brain-based strategies.https://www.jonwegener.dk/www.linkedin.com/in/jonwegener/www.instagram.com/wegenerjonwww.facebook.com/jon.wegener/

Georgios talks to neuroeconomist Jon Wegener, who explains why emotions, not logic, control your financial decisions and reveals practical science-backed systems to rewire your brain for smarter spending, saving, and investing.Why You Should WatchIf you:✓ Doom-scroll financial apps or news constantly and feel worse even when you're making money✓ Fall victim to FOMO when everyone's talking about AI, Tesla, or crypto✓ Use shopping as therapy, without understanding if it's good or bad✓ Struggle with impulse investing, revenge spending, or money anxiety✓ Tie your self-worth to your net worth✓ Wonder why intelligent, successful people still make terrible financial decisionsThen this episode is for you. What You'll Learn✓ Loss aversion explained — Why losing €100 hurts 2x more than gaining €100 feels good; and it's impact on investing and wellbeing✓ Jon will show you how to use small emotional expenses as fuel for investing, drawing on his research in neuroeconomics and his investing book, The Cafe Latte Rule.✓ Why your trading app is destroying your returns — And how to fix it✓ Why are news deregulating you, not informing you✓Break myths and misconceptions about money behaviours and transform them into our assets, backed by neuroscience✓ Turning bad money habits into assets — Revenge spending, shopping therapy, FOMO trades✓ How to make calm money decisions — The 24-hour rule, friction, and the power of boredom✓ AI in investing — Friend or foe? When to use ChatGPT for money decisions (and when not to)✓ Why wealthy people still struggle — The paradox of money and happinessAbout Jon WegenerJon Wegener is a neuroeconomist, author, and lecturer who studies how emotions, attention, and the brain shape financial decisions. He co-authored The Caffe Latte Rule (in Danish), focusing on practical ways to design better money habits, avoid emotional traps, and build long-term wealth through realistic, brain-based strategies.Follow Jon Wegener https://www.jonwegener.dk/www.linkedin.com/in/jonwegener/www.instagram.com/wegenerjonwww.facebook.com/jon.wegener/Follow Georgios herewww.instagram.com/georgios.stathousis/Chapters00:00 Neuro-economics Behind Financial Decisions (Teaser)01:49 Your Brain, Emotions & Attention Are Sabotaging Your Money Decisions03:25 In Pursuit Of Understanding How Our Brain Makes Economic Decisions04:29 Why Neuro-Economics Really Matters (vs. Rational Investor theory)08:38 Why Emotions Drive Investment Decisions09:04 Neuro-economist Explains Why "Loss Aversion" Is Hard-Wired In Our Brain and Ruling Our Decisions10:47 How Jon Applies Neuroscience To Improve Wealth and Wellbeing12:36 Neuro-economist On Whether More Money Makes You Happier15:02 Investing With Neuro-Economics: The Cafe Latte Rule21:25 The Psychological Effects of Trading Apps23:25 Why News Deregulates You, Not Informing You24:56 How Unexpected Wins Fuel Riskier Action: Dopamine-Reward Circuitry26:14 Why Adding Friction Is Good, Not Bad, to Reduce Impulsivity27:09 The Role of Time Delay & Calm Brain In Controlling Impulsesan 29:12 AI in Investing: A Double-Edged Sword34:34 Debunking Extravagant Spending Based On Neuroscience36:27 The Psychology Behind Shopping Therapy40:08 Why Overpaying Hurts42:11 The Importance of Teaching About Money at Early Age45:02 Creating a Money Mindset Blueprint: Practical Steps for Disciplined Money Behaviour50:45 Differences in Financial Decision-Making Between Men and Women53:22 The EU's Gender Equality Regulation for Boards----The BAD Podcast helps you build Behaviours that drive Achievement through Discipline.Listen to unfiltered conversations with scientists, athletes, founders and leaders to understand the science, habits, and mindset behind discipline and high performance. You’ll gain real-world knowledge and easy-to-follow blueprints to become your best, smartest, fulfilled self. New episodes on Wednesdays.

In this episode of The BAD Podcast, Georgios hosts performance neuroscientist Sabina Funk to debunk myths and misconceptions about bad habits and help transform them into our assets with science and learnings from high performers.Georgios and Sabina discuss the importance of the environment and social connections in shaping behaviour, good or bad, the role of context and what traits entrepreneurs, scientists and other top performers share with psychopaths.Sabina explains how our brain actually builds discipline and habits and what to avoid when making behavioural change.She unveils how top performers intentionally structure their time by leveraging the power of less to maximise performance. and shares a blueprint anyone can actually use to build discipline, habits and drive lasting change.Follow Sabina here: www.linkedin.com/in/sabina-funk1Follow Georgios here: https://www.instagram.com/georgios.stathousis/Sabina is a neuroscientist specialising in cognitive enhancement, productivity and wellbeing. She translates cutting-edge research into actionable strategies that transform how people work, lead, and thrive. Her current research focuses on time – not time management, but something more fundamental: how our relationship with time quietly, yet profoundly, shapes our lives and the people we turn out to be.Timestaps0:00 The BAD Podcast | Self-Discipline Behind Transformation02:31 Sabina Funk's Journey into Neuroscience03:10 Questioning What's Real - Naive Realism04:14 Why Focusing on Time-Management is Wrong05:25 My Goal: Transform Bad Habits into Assets05:50 How To Re-Wire Psychopathic Traits for Good07:05 Entrepreneurs, Surgeons & Other Elite Performers Have This in Common With Psychopaths09:10 The Role of Environment in Shaping Behavior and Re-Wiring The Brain For Change10:40 Neuroscience Behind Discipline: How Our Brain Builds Habits12:05 You Don't Lack Discipline, You Don't Have Systems12:37 High Performers Understand the Power of "Less"13:41 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Change14:49 Hustle Culture vs. Disciplined Work15:09 How A Players Cut Through Complexity for Better Performance15:29 Your Friends & Environment Are Literally Rewiring Your Brain17:14 Perfectionism Is Sabotaging Your Discipline17:25 The Myth of Perfectionism17:55 The Real Reason Why Your Goals Fail Based on Neuroscience18:35 Stop Adding More (Additive Bias) - Start Subtracting19:00 Puritan Work Ethic Exhausts Our Mental Capacity To Change19:27 Are You Procrastinating, or Are You Burned Out19:56 Experimenting With Subtraction For Peak Performance21:50 How Emotion Shapes Behavioral Change: Fuel or Saboteur?22:56 Overcoming The Craving Monster of Addiction (Brewer)23:54 Neuroplasticity - The Magic Of Believing & Creating Yourself24:55 Discipline Starts With Visualizing Who You Decide To Be25:29 Creating an A-Player Blueprint For Discipline & Performance26:18 Focus On Subtraction26:39 Patience is Your Most Underrated Performance Booster28:21 High Performers Don't Have Super-Discipline; They Have Systems29:53 The Power of Experimentation To Boost PerformanceThe BAD Podcast helps you build Behaviours that drive Achievement through Discipline.Listen to unfiltered conversations with scientists, athletes, founders and leaders to understand the science, habits, and mindset behind discipline and high performance. You’ll gain real-world knowledge and easy-to-follow blueprints to become your best, smartest, fulfilled self. New episodes on Wednesdays.

Discipline as Your Operating System to Achieve Your GoalsToo often, we listen to podcasts and watch videos that offer incredible advice and motivate us to make a change, but they don’t provide clear steps to turn advice into action. What’s more, motivation is temporary. You need discipline to turn action into habits and temporary results into lasting change. That’s where the BAD Podcast steps in.The BAD Podcast helps you become more disciplined with your time, money, health, and well-being, with systems backed by science (neuroscience, behavioural psychology, neuro-economics)and High-Performers in business (CEOs, Founders), sports, science, and art.Why Listen?This podcast isn’t just about listening; it’s about building the muscle of self-discipline within a community, which is great for accountability and the personal connection!We bust myths & misconceptions about “bad” habits with science & expert insights. We flip what you think is bad into your best asset.We break down a real-world case study or an achiever’s strategy, from triggers and behaviours to the feedback loops that drive lasting change. We invite listeners to share daily check‑ins on a specific platform.Build powerful behaviour. Achieve more. Live with discipline. That’s the BAD Podcast.👉