Win More, Live Better

Jaksot

• 
  The Mirror and the Spotlight: How Leaders Handle Success and Failure 16.09.2026 6min

  Leadership requires knowing when to use the mirror and when to use the spotlight. When your team falls short, can you examine your own contribution before pointing elsewhere? When your team succeeds, can you step aside and give others the credit they deserve? Using a story from Tim Cook’s leadership at Apple and a recent leadership workshop, Zach explores why ownership and recognition both require courage and why leaders have to recommit to both again and again. Learn More About Zach: Email Z...
• 
  Give People Evidence They Matter 15.09.2026 9min

  You can hold the retreat, organize the team-building exercise, bring in the guest speaker, and put your values on the wall, but some of your most important culture-building opportunities happen in the ordinary moments in between. In this episode, we use Zach Mercurio’s research on mattering to explore what happens when people feel seen, heard, valued, and needed (and what happens when they don’t). Learn More About Zach: Email Zach -- [email protected] 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Sch...
• 
  Jay Johnson | Head Baseball Coach, LSU | The Standard Starts With You 14.09.2026 59min

  Jay Johnson is the head baseball coach at LSU and one of the most accomplished coaches in college baseball. In five seasons at LSU, Johnson has led the Tigers to two national championships, winning the College World Series in 2023 and 2025. He became the fastest coach to win multiple national titles during his tenure at a single school and has twice earned National Coach of the Year honors. His head-coaching journey began at his alma mater, Point Loma Nazarene, before he spent eight seasons a...
• 
  The Path Forward Isn't Always Straight 13.09.2026 7min

  Human nature is to expect progress to be steady, visible and linear, but most meaningful goals are accompanied by setbacks, course corrections and periods when you have to take a step backward in order to go forward. Through the metaphor of tacking in sailing, this episode offers a better way to understand the inevitable zig-zags of growth and how to adjust your process in pursuit of goals, without having to change the destination. Learn More About Zach: Email Zach -- [email protected]...
• 
  Background Check Your Beliefs 08.09.2026 7min

  We conduct background checks before giving people important responsibilities. So why not do the same with the beliefs we give influence over our lives? In this episode, Zach shares a simple way to examine the evidence behind your assumptions and limiting beliefs, challenge outdated conclusions, and make sure your past isn't unnecessarily dictating your future. Learn More About Zach: Email Zach -- [email protected] 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.Download my fre...
• 
  Paul Goldstein | Head Coach and Director of Men's Tennis, Stanford University | The Weight of Caring, Building Culture & Coaching Under Pressure 07.09.2026 58min

  Paul Goldstein is the Director of Men’s Tennis and Head Coach at Stanford University. Across 12 seasons leading the Cardinal, Goldstein has compiled more than 200 wins, guided Stanford to the NCAA Championships every season, won conference championships in both the Pac-12 and ACC, and earned ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year honors five times. In 2024-25, he led Stanford to 26 wins, an ACC Championship in its first season in the conference, and appearances in the semifinals of both...
• 
  Your Culture Has a Job to Do 03.09.2026 6min

  Culture matters, but not simply for the sake of having a great culture. It matters because of what it enables people and organizations to accomplish. This episode explores how leaders can connect culture to behavior and performance, why there isn't one universally “great” culture, and how working backward from desired outcomes can help create an environment where people can consistently do their best work. Learn More About Zach: Email Zach -- [email protected] 1:1 coaching with Za...
• 
  The Iron Cowboy: Building the Capacity to Handle Hard Things 29.08.2026 10min

  Growth often comes with an uncomfortable period where the demands of what we’re doing exceed our current capacity to handle them. Using the remarkable story of James Lawrence’s 50 Ironman triathlons in 50 states in 50 days, this episode explores the gap between new demands and our current capacity and why we should be careful about deciding too quickly that something isn’t working. Learn More About Zach: Email Zach -- [email protected] 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free cal...
• 
  How Many Other People Would Quit Right Now? 28.08.2026 8min

  The moments when you most want to quit may also be the moments where you have the greatest opportunity to create separation. Inspired by a question Chris Bosh learned from Kobe Bryant, this episode explores how performers can create separation when things aren't easy. Drawing on lessons from Randy Pausch’s famous “brick walls” message in his last lecture and my own experience training for my first marathon, we’ll unpack how to stay resilient, navigate setbacks, and keep going when the path ge...
• 
  The Show Goes On: Performing When You Don’t Feel Your Best 26.08.2026 9min

  Not every great performance starts with feeling great. Last week, two of the world's top music artists, Taylor Swift and Noah Kahan, reminded me of the same key lesson that is relevant for elite performers in any domain. In this episode, we explore why feeling your best isn’t a prerequisite for doing your best and what becomes possible when you stop treating your internal state as a prediction of what you’re capable of. Learn More About Zach: Zach's Email -- [email protected] a se...
• 
  Mark Gottfried | Former D1 Basketball Coach, Speaker, and Author | "Winning is intoxicating, but the relationships established supercede any kind of trophy." 24.08.2026 1t 1min

  Mark Gottfried has experienced college basketball from nearly every angle including as a player, assistant coach, head coach, broadcaster, and now as a speaker, mentor, and podcast host. Mark began his coaching career at UCLA, where he spent seven seasons as an assistant and helped the Bruins capture the 1995 national championship. He went on to serve as a Division I head coach for more than two decades at various programs such as Murray State, Alabama, NC State, and Cal State Northridge. Acr...
• 
  Make the Invisible Visible: How Great Leaders Make Progress Visible 23.08.2026 9min

  In 1943, Edwin Land’s three-year-old daughter asked him a simple question after he took her picture: Why couldn’t she see it right away? Her question helped activate an idea that had been developing in Land’s mind for years and ultimately contributed to the invention of the Polaroid camera. In this episode, Zach uses that story to explore why meaningful growth frequently occurs before it becomes visible and why great leaders help people see the progress they may not yet recognize in themselve...
• 
  The Conversation You're Avoiding 18.08.2026 16min

  What conversation are you currently talking yourself out of? Difficult conversations rarely become easier simply because we avoid them. More often, the frustration, assumptions, and tension continue to build beneath the surface. In this episode, Zach shares some practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations and becoming more skilled at them. Learn More About Zach: Zach's Email -- [email protected] a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.Explore...
• 
  John O'Sullivan | Author, Coach, & Speaker | "Stop treating leadership as a character trait and start treating it as a skill." 17.08.2026 1t 4min

  John O’Sullivan is a former collegiate and professional soccer player, longtime coach, author, speaker, and the founder of the Changing the Game Project—an organization dedicated to creating better experiences for athletes by transforming the way we coach, lead, and develop people through sport. John is also the host of the Way of Champions Podcast, where he and Dr. Jerry Lynch have had nearly 500 conversations with some of the world’s top coaches, leaders, researchers, and performers. He is ...
• 
  Your Attention Goes Everywhere You Go: Why Elite Performance Starts With Focus 16.08.2026 13min

  Wherever you go, your attention goes with you. So why wouldn’t you deliberately train it? In this episode, Zach explores how training attention can strengthen other mental skills, why calm isn’t necessarily the goal of meditation, and what it means to develop greater stability in the moments that matter most. Learn More About Zach: Zach's Email -- [email protected] a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call...
• 
  Play the Piano You Have: How to Adapt When Things Don’t Go as Planned 13.08.2026 12min

  How do you respond and adapt when you confront conditions you didn't prepare for? In this episode, Zach shares the remarkable story of a world-renowned pianist who was forced to perform on an instrument that was far from what he expected and created something extraordinary by adjusting the way he played. Through lessons from music, Roger Clemens, and a professional hitting coach, Zach explores why adaptability begins with accepting reality, focusing on what remains available, and trusting you...
• 
  Josh Steinbach | Head Volleyball Coach, Villanova University | Coaches Are Human Beings Too 12.08.2026 1t 3min

  Josh Steinbach is the head volleyball coach at Villanova University, where he is entering his 20th season and has become the winningest coach in program history with more than 300 career victories. Before arriving at Villanova in 2007, Josh's coaching journey included stops at San Diego Mesa College, Penn State, University of Cincinnati, and Wright State. During his time at Villanova, Josh has earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year honors while building a pro...
• 
  Emotion is the Currency for Learning 09.08.2026 10min

  Why do some lessons stick with us for years while others disappear almost immediately? In this After the Whistle segment, Zach builds on a lesson from his conversation with Maryland Basketball's Josh Chambers about the role emotion plays in learning. Zach discusses why information alone isn't always enough to create engagement or change and how emotion influences what captures our attention. Learn More About Zach: Subscribe to my free newsletter here and stay up-to-date on upcoming in-person ...
• 
  From the Other Side of the Mic: Winning Without Losing What Matters Most 03.08.2026 1t 13min

  In this From the Other Side of the Mic episode, Zach joins Colin Jonov on The Playbook podcast to discuss the paradoxes of leadership, the role of identity and values in decision-making, and how preparing for adversity, not avoiding it, helps people sustain excellence over time. They also discuss the hidden costs of ambition, balancing professional success with the responsibilities of family, and why the best leaders don't simply chase results, they model the behaviors and character they hope...
• 
  The Recognition Most Leaders Forget to Give 31.07.2026 10min

  The words leaders choose to recognize often become the behaviors people repeat. In this episode, Zach distinguishes between the three types of recognition: Compliments, praise, and feed-forward. He explores how great leaders not only acknowledge success, but also provide the clarity people need to continue growing. Learn More About Zach: Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.