The High Performance Podcast

<p>Global music icon Anastacia has faced breast cancer twice, first diagnosed at just 34 at the height of her career and again ten years later. In this special episode, created in partnership with Postcode Lottery, she joins Jake to share how those experiences shaped her outlook on life.</p><br><p>Anastacia opens up about taking back control, the optimism that has carried her through difficult moments, and why early detection remains so important to her. The conversation also highlights the work of Breast Cancer Now and the difference funding raised by Postcode Lottery players helps make.</p><br><p>Anastacia kicks off her UK and European tour on 15th September, including a show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday 26th September. Tickets available from <a href="http://Anastacia.com/live" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anastacia.com/live</a>.</p><br><p>Postcode Lottery manages lotteries for 20 charities. A minimum of 30% of each ticket price goes to charity. 18+, conditions apply. Not available in Northern Ireland</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>On the morning of 11 September 2001, Sean Windeatt was a 28-year-old in Cantor Fitzgerald's London finance department, fifteen minutes into his usual morning call with a colleague in New York, when the line went dead. That colleague was inside the North Tower. By the end of the day the firm had lost 658 people alongside 61 Euro Brokers employees— around two thirds of its New York workforce, and more than any other company in the tragedy that morning. The next day Sean was called downstairs, offered a job he'd turned down two years earlier, and handed a blank piece of paper. He asked what the job was. "Who knows?"</p><br><p>Twenty-five years on, Sean is co-CEO of BGC Group, and he joins Jake to tell the story from the inside. Why the company chose not to sell when selling was the easy way out. Why pledging 25% of profits to the families only meant anything if there was a business left to earn it, and how a firm rebuilt itself working around the clock, while competitors offered office space and airlines flew its staff across the Atlantic at cost.</p><br><p>It's also a conversation about a false choice Jake puts to him directly: that you can either be ruthless and successful, or kind and unsuccessful. Sean's answer — and a Charity Day that has now raised over $235 million — suggests otherwise. Along the way: what it's actually like to wake up on 11 September every year, why Prince William refused to leave the trading floor, and the two things Sean was told a great CEO does.</p><br><p>If you want information on the BGC Charity Day: <a href="https://www.bgcg.com/charity-day/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.bgcg.com/charity-day/ </a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>England Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio built his career on an extraordinary ability to create belief under pressure. But behind that drive was a deeply personal source of motivation: the loss of his sister Francesca when he was just 16.</p><br><p>Lawrence opens up about turning grief into fuel, finding the family he needed through rugby, and why the mental and emotional side of performance is so often underestimated. He also reveals how great leaders build belief before the biggest moments and find what truly motivates the people around them.</p><br><p>This conversation is a candid exploration of loss, belonging, and the emotions that can shape our drive to succeed.</p><br><p>The 2026 Pho3nix Sport with Purpose Charity Gala takes place at The Peninsula London on 20 November, raising funds to create healthier, happier futures for children through sport.</p><p>Attend the Gala, support the auction or donate at https://pho3nixcharitygala.com</p><br><p>AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Sir Steve Hansen won 93 of 107 Tests as All Blacks head coach — the most successful run in the history of professional rugby. </p><br><p>We re-visit our chat with Steve where he takes it apart: why "culture" is the most overused word on the planet, why he hates rules, why nobody would admit the All Blacks were World Cup chokers, and the two times he got it badly wrong and had to apologise to a whole squad. Plus the question about walking away that he couldn't finish answering.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au&nbsp;</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Why does a weekly to-do list feel so overwhelming on a Sunday night? Jake and Damian argue it's not because of your workload, it's because your capacity . Sleep, energy, confidence, clarity, control: when any of these drop, the same list of tasks stops looking like separate, manageable jobs and starts looking like one overwhelming message — everything, now.</p><br><p>In this episode, Jake and Damian hear from:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Steve Peters on the "chimp" that hijacks you in traffic, and why recognising it isn't you is the first step to managing it.</li><li>Ash Dykes on preparing for the worst before it happens, so it arrives as something expected rather than something that ambushes you.</li><li>Shane Parrish on why you don't need the confidence to reach the destination — just the confidence to take the next step.</li><li>Ali Abdaal on the five-minute rule, and the three-quid hourglass that got him moving on the days motivation didn't show up.</li><li>James Clear on the two-minute rule, and the heaviest weight in the gym: the front door.</li><li>Jameela Jamil on the power of small, unglamorous no's.</li><li>Alistair Brownlee on breaking an impossible-feeling task down into the next five-minute reason to keep going.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>By the end, Jake and Damian give you a ten-minute reset for the next time life all feels like too much because the goal was never to shame yourself into trying harder. It's to rebalance the equation.</p><br><p>Thanks to our partners:</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Dina Asher-Smith has just made history as the most decorated athlete in European Championships history. An MBE, multiple major titles and four Olympic Games within reach, but at 30, one of Britain's greatest ever sprinters is still asking how much better she can become.</p><br><p>In this episode, Dina opens up about the realities behind those 10 seconds on the track, from how her menstrual cycle affected her performance to competing through grief. She also reflects on leaving her coach of 20 years, rebuilding her career, and why bronze can sometimes mean more than gold.</p><br><p>With the 2027 World Championships and LA 2028 ahead, Dina reveals how her relationship with success has changed, and why the opportunity to keep competing at the highest level now feels less like pressure and more like a privilege.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au&nbsp;</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We revisit our conversation with Fernando Alonso - two-time Formula 1 World Champion, 437 Grand Prix starts, 32 wins - recorded in a rare moment where the visor comes off completely. Jake and Damian get behind the "robot" Alonso becomes the second his helmet goes on, and into the boy who started racing a homemade go-kart at three years old, in a family with no money, no expectations, and no competitive gene to explain where his came from.</p><p>Fernando is disarmingly honest about the cost of that competitiveness: the two championships with Ferrari he came agonisingly close to and still can't fully explain losing; the two titles he did win, in 2005 and 2006, that he now barely remembers because he was already thinking about the next race before the champagne had dried; and the moment, at 13 years old, a mechanic pulled him aside after his best result yet and told him, "second is the first loser." It's a line that shaped the next three decades of his career.</p><p>Moments that will stay with you:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Why his own parents still can't explain where his will to win came from</li><li>The 20% of every race weekend spent planning not for victory, but for everything that could go wrong</li><li>What changed when he left Formula 1 for two years and heard, for the first time, how much people actually missed him</li><li>The advice his father gave him before his first ever Grand Prix, in case it turned out to be his last</li><li><br></li></ul><p>He's unflinching about what elite performance actually costs: that you can spend twenty years being told to fear enjoying it, that humility has to be actively protected once fame tries to take it from you, and that self-confidence isn't the absence of doubt it's simply deciding, in advance, what you're capable of, and then closing the visor.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance </a>with £5 FREE to get started!</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What do you do when every option is on the table and you still end up with the same idea you always have? Jake and Damian tackle one of the quiet traps of creative work, and land somewhere counterintuitive: freedom doesn't make ideas bolder. Constraints do.</p><br><p>Damian unpacks David Epstein's <em>Inside the Box</em> and the psychology behind why unlimited time, unlimited method and unlimited scope send the brain straight to its safest, most familiar answer and the three tools for building a better box: the Fake Deadline, the One Rule, and the Small Box.</p><br><p>Along the way you'll hear Shane Parrish on the Henry Kissinger question that outed a staffer's "best work" as anything but; René Meulensteen on the Federer clips he used to teach Man Utd players to stay one point wide; Sarina Wiegman on the training session she deliberately ran with a terrible referee, just to see what her players would do with it; and Lewis Morgan on what he'd actually do with a spare £1,000 and a Facebook Marketplace login.</p><br><p>The idea doesn't need better conditions. It needs a smaller box.</p><p>Listen to the full episodes:</p><p>Sarina Wiegman: https://shows.acast.com/the-high-performance-podcast/episodes/sarina-wiegman-the-leadership-secrets-powering-england-lione</p><p>Lewis Morgan: https://shows.acast.com/3d30295e-f7fb-5af1-b618-30a8763cc75a/625c41bcfa71dd0012e7f614</p><p>René Meulensteen: https://shows.acast.com/3d30295e-f7fb-5af1-b618-30a8763cc75a/67e02799511f1304b0d74225</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance </a>with £5 FREE to get started!</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen became one of the world's best footballers by developing an extraordinary ability to turn doubt, mistakes, and setbacks into self-belief. He joins Jake and Damian to reveal how that mindset was built, and why it eventually became one of his greatest challenges.</p><br><p>Michael reflects on the injuries that took away the explosive pace that defined him, and the painful eight-year gap between the player he believed he was and what his body could still deliver. He also opens up about retiring at 33, losing his sense of purpose, the strain it placed on his marriage, and how he eventually found a new competitive outlet beyond football.</p><br><p>This is an honest exploration of self-belief, identity, and what happens when the mindset that drives success becomes difficult to switch off.</p><br><p>Meet the Owens, a six-part docuseries in the UK and Ireland, is available on Prime Video from the 28th August.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="gohenry.com/highperformance " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance </a>with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au&nbsp;</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We re-visit one of the most emotional and gripping conversations we have ever recorded. Eight Olympic medals, five of them gold, and the first Briton ever to win the Tour de France. For one summer in 2012, Sir Bradley Wiggins was the most famous man in Britain — sideburns, gold medal, sat on a throne at Hampton Court. He couldn't bring himself to put the medal on.</p><p>Bradley takes us right back to the beginning: a council estate in Kilburn, a father who left when he was eighteen months old and came back only once his son was successful, and a coach who sexually abused him between the ages of thirteen and sixteen — something he didn't say out loud for thirty years. Then he traces, with total honesty, how that damage became the fuel that made him great, and how the same fuel nearly destroyed him when the racing stopped.</p><br><p>Moments that will stay with you:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Why Bradley laid his Olympic gold medal on the sofa rather than put it round his neck</li><li>Smashing his trophies off the mantelpiece, and throwing out his knighthood</li><li>His father's line, a week after they finally met: <em>"Don't forget, you'll never be as good as your old man was"</em></li><li>Realising the voice screaming at him up every climb of the Tour was his stepfather's</li><li>Lance Armstrong offering to pay for his treatment, and what Bradley said back</li><li>The hotel room his son had to come and find him in</li></ul><p><br></p><p>He's unflinching on what drove him: that greatness often grows out of a dark place, and that isn't something to romanticise. That you don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your habits. That fulfilment carries you further than happiness ever will. And his hardest-won lesson — not everyone who helps you is your friend, and not everyone who hurts you is your enemy. The answer isn't to forget the past. It's to change your relationship with it.</p><br><p><em>Contains discussion of the sexual abuse of children and of addiction. Please listen with care.</em></p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.&nbsp;</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Eight Sleep 👉If you want to discover deeper sleep. Use code HPP to get £360 off your Pod 5 Ultra here: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/eightsleep_au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/eightsleep_au</a></p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What do you do when the people around you don't believe you can do it? Jake and Damian tackle one of the things listeners struggle with most — being doubted — and land somewhere they didn't expect: the doubt that really holds you back is usually your own.</p><br><p>Damian unpacks Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory and why the two ways to build belief are evidence and self-talk, Alison Brooks' research on reframing nerves as readiness rather than fear, and self-determination theory — why being doubted by others can become the most durable fuel there is.</p><br><p>Along the way you'll hear Rugby League legend Jamie Peacock on the day he stayed on the bus and rode past his trial at Bradford Bulls, and the mantra he repeated the second time to get off; Karl Lokko on where he found the confidence to walk into rooms that weren't built for him and Mel Robbins on the morning in her bathroom that changed how she talks to herself.</p><br><p>Plus, Jake and Damian are joined by High Performance listener Claire, who spent 31 years in policing, to hear what all this means from the other side of the microphone.</p><p>The belief doesn't have to come first. The action does — and the evidence follows.</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au&nbsp;</p><br><p>Listen to the full episodes:</p><p>Jamie Peacock:</p><p>Mel Robbins:</p><p>Karl Locco:</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Guenther Steiner is one of Formula 1’s most recognisable team bosses, building Haas from nothing and becoming known for his straight-talking approach to leadership. He joins us to reflect on ambition, pressure, and knowing when it’s time to walk away, as well as discuss his new position as CEO of MotoGP team Red Bull KTM Tech3.</p><br><p>Guenther opens up about his final years at Haas, admitting he stayed around two years too long, and how he knew the belief was gone when he could no longer see a path to a podium. He also reveals the moment he discovered he’d been sacked, and why it brought an unexpected sense of relief.</p><br><p>He shares the thinking that built Haas and how he’s applying the same principles to his new chapter in MotoGP with Tech3. This is a candid conversation about ambition, identity, and knowing when to let go.</p><br><p>Learn more about Red Bull KTM Tech3: <a href="https://motogp.tech3racing.fr/index.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://motogp.tech3racing.fr/index.php</a></p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.&nbsp;</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Eight Sleep 👉If you want to discover deeper sleep. Use code HPP to get £360 off your Pod 5 Ultra here: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/eightsleep_au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/eightsleep_au</a></p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We're revisiting this conversation with James Blunt because it's among the most disarming things we've recorded about belief, ridicule, and where confidence actually comes from.</p><br><p>James made his first album on nothing but belief. He'd burnt his bridges with every record label in Britain and was playing to about twenty people on the twentieth floor of a Ramada hotel — and he was still completely certain the whole world was going to hear it. Understanding the real odds, he says, would have taken the wind out of his sails entirely.</p><br><p>James tells Jake and Damian why you keep your powder dry until you're genuinely equipped, because you only get one shot with the people who matter. Why he never answers criticism on the day it lands — the sting always comes out overnight. Why the only opinions worth weighing come from the people who'll take the mickey out of you to your face. And the three things he carried out of commanding soldiers in Kosovo and into running the same band for twenty years: a good team, real respect for that team, and the conviction to make the call.</p><br><p>Then there's what it cost him... the orchestrated press campaign that turned James into a national punchline and how he dealt with it. Being held back in a dressing room so that Damon Albarn didn't have to stand near him. The hug from Keith Flint he never forgot. And the night in Carrie Fisher's bathroom that produced <em>Goodbye My Lover</em> in a single, unrepeatable take.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Jake and Damian tackle the question underneath almost every High Performance conversation: what do the best actually do differently, day to day?</p><p>Not the big moments. The small, repeatable ones. Because across hundreds of conversations on this show, the pattern is rarely talent or luck. It's that high performers have built a handful of habits they hold onto when nobody is watching, and they keep doing them long after most of us would have forgotten about them.</p><br><p>In this episode, Jake and Damian hear from:</p><br><p><br></p><ul><li>Jamie Peacock on why a life of hard decisions becomes an easier life, and the moment on a training pitch in Australia when Damian was on the receiving end of one.</li><li>James Clear on why grit is really about fit, and the question to ask before you commit to any new habit.</li><li>Emily Maitlis on the five minutes of golden time she takes before every interview, including the one at Buckingham Palace.</li><li>Mel Robbins on why she still needs the five second rule to get out of bed, thirteen years after inventing it.</li><li>Dan Carter on earning your weekend, and why drifting through the week is the opposite of high performance.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>If there's a habit you keep meaning to start, pick one of these five and begin there.</p><br><p>Thanks to our partners:</p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.&nbsp;</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to<a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Premier League icon Ashley Young joins us for a masterclass in longevity, self-belief, and turning rejection into an unstoppable competitive edge.</p><br><p>At 15, Watford told Ashley he was too small for a scholarship, a disappointment that became the operational system for his entire 20-year career. He explains why every manager's doubt or dropped selection became fuel to prove them wrong, from Antonio Conte's brutal pre-season at Inter Milan to winning Serie A at 35 and feeling fitter at 37 than at 27.</p><br><p>He also breaks down what it means to know your value in high-stakes environments, his return to the England squad for a World Cup semi-final, walking away from Manchester United on his own terms, and playing over 750 games at the highest level.</p><br><p>This is an essential conversation about resilience, self-worth, and proving that nobody gets to define your limits except you.</p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.&nbsp;</p><br><p>AG1 👉 head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Eddie Howe has stepped away from Newcastle United after nearly five years in charge — his own decision, following what he called "a period of personal reflection." He leaves having delivered the club's first major trophy in 70 years and two Champions League campaigns.</p><br><p>So we're going back to the conversation we had with him in 2022, right as that chapter began. Eddie had just taken the Newcastle job — but before it, he'd left Bournemouth after relegation, and described the exit almost exactly as he'd describe this one: "I think it was time... I just knew." He told us it felt like grief. That the pressure he carried was never external — it was entirely his own. And he told us about the cost no one sees: missing his mum in her final months because he was too busy managing a football club.</p><br><p>Heard now, it plays like he told us how this would end.</p><br><p>AG1 👉 Head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs</p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Following the heartbreaking death of Nims Purja... Jake and Damian reflect on one of the most inspiring conversations in High Performance history.</p><p>Before <em>14 Peaks</em> made him a global icon, Nims joined High Performance to share the mindset that took him from a childhood of poverty in Nepal, to the Gurkhas, the British Special Forces, and ultimately to rewriting mountaineering history.</p><br><p>In this special tribute episode, Jake and Damian revisit the lessons that left a lasting impact on them:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Why hope is the greatest source of strength.</li><li>How to reframe adversity into opportunity.</li><li>The importance of living for something bigger than yourself.</li><li>Why excuses never create extraordinary lives.</li><li>The mindset behind proving that "nothing is impossible."</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Nims' energy, humility and optimism changed the way we think about life and performance. This episode celebrates the remarkable legacy he leaves behind and the lessons that will continue to inspire millions</p><br><p>Listen to our full episode with Nims: https://pod.fo/e/ac5aa</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien has built his career on resilience, determination, and an unwavering belief that hard work can outlast natural talent.. He joins Jake and Damian to reflect on the setbacks that shaped him, from being overlooked early in his career to leading his club back to the Premier League.</p><br><p>Luke explains why he no longer relies on confidence to perform, how embracing discomfort became his greatest strength, and the simple mindset shifts that help him stay present under pressure. He also shares the habits and systems that have enabled him to keep improving throughout his career.</p><br><p>This is an insight into why great performance is built on systems, not feelings, and why resilience is forged long before the biggest moments.</p><br><p>Away from the pitch, Luke runs Elite XI, a mental performance programme for professional footballers. Head over to <a href="www.elitexiapply.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.elitexiapply.com</a> to find out more.&nbsp;</p><br><p>AG1 👉 Head to <a href="http://drinkag1.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://drinkag1.com/highperformance</a> to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs</p><br><p>Revolut Business 👉&nbsp;High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at <a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud</a> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.</p><br><p>Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at <a href="gohenry.com/highperformance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gohenry.com/highperformance</a> with £5 FREE to get started!</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>For more than 30 years, Adrian Gore has been challenging conventional thinking about health, leadership, and human behaviour. As the founder of Discovery and CEO of Vitality, he's built a global business by asking a simple question: what if we designed systems that helped people become the best version of themselves?</p><br><p>Adrian joins Jake to share the leadership principles behind that philosophy, revealing why optimism is a discipline, why ambitious goals matter, and how embracing discomfort creates meaningful change.</p><br><p>This is a thoughtful conversation about leadership, behaviour, and unlocking long-term performance.</p><br><p>Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au</a></p><br><p>Get your copy of 'The Four Principles' by Adrian Gore here: <a href="https://highpfrmc.com/Vitality_Book" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highpfrmc.com/Vitality_Book</a></p><br><p>Adrian Gore LinkedIn: <a href="https://za.linkedin.com/in/adrian-gore" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://za.linkedin.com/in/adrian-gore</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Como 1907 has become one of Europe's fastest-rising football clubs, transformed by bold leadership and long-term thinking. In partnership with Revolut Business, Chief Business Officer Ryan Shelton joins Jake to reveal how the club has redefined what's possible on and off the pitch.</p><br><p>Ryan shares how Cesc Fàbregas has helped shape a high-performance culture, why the club embraces unconventional thinking, and how partnering with Revolut is helping the organisation move faster and think differently.</p><br><p>This is an insight into the leadership, innovation and ambition behind one of football's most remarkable transformations.</p><br><p><em>Revolut Business&nbsp; </em>👉 <em>High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at</em><a href="https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/ryanshelton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em> https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/ryanshelton</em></a><em> and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.&nbsp;</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>