710: The Power of Grit: Why Perseverance Beats Talent

In this episode, we dive into the power of grit—the ability to keep showing up, stay committed, and persevere even when things get tough. Grit is more than talent or luck; it’s the number one predictor of long-term success in life, work, and sport. You’ll hear the inspiring story of J.K. Rowling, who overcame rejection and struggle before building one of the most successful book series in history. We’ll explore why grit matters, how it shows up in athletics and everyday life, and most importantly, how you can strengthen your own grit to achieve your long-term vision.  Grit is the difference between giving up and breaking through.    What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why grit matters more than instant success or raw talent How athletes and high performers use grit to overcome setbacks The four things to remember about grit: clarity, purpose, positive emotions, and self-compassion Practical strategies to build grit in your own life Quote of the Week: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill Power Phrase of the Week: “I am gritty. I persevere with passion, purpose, and persistence.” To  Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset podcast, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with Victoria Rennoldson, an award-winning coach, speaker, and facilitator specializing in global leadership, communication, and cultural intelligence. As the CEO and Founder of Culture Cuppa and host of a top-ranked podcast with over 145 episodes, Victoria shares practical wisdom on how leaders can communicate confidently and collaborate effectively across cultures.   Cindra and Victoria explore what it truly means to be a global leader in today’s interconnected world—debunking common myths about cross-cultural communication and discussing how to build cultural agility. Victoria also opens up about the mindset shifts that have shaped her journey as an entrepreneur and offers powerful takeaways for professionals who want to lead and perform with impact on the global stage.   You’ll learn strategies for communicating under pressure, habits that help leaders grow globally, and the critical role self-awareness plays in leadership success. Plus, Victoria gives us a sneak peek at her upcoming book, launching in November 2025, and shares the life lesson that has stayed with her from working across cultures.   Connect with Victoria Rennoldson Website: culturecuppa.com Podcast: Culture Cuppa Podcast Book: culturecuppa.com/book LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson To  Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

In this episode, Dr. Cindra dive into one of the biggest barriers to confidence and high performance: the inner critic. You know that harsh voice that nitpicks, second-guesses, and drains your energy? Learn how to recognize it, challenge it, and replace it with empowering self-talk that fuels your purpose and potential.   Dr. Cindra shares a real coaching story of an NFL kicker who learned to notice, name, and swap his inner critic — transforming his mindset and performance. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to calm your body, reframe your thoughts, and strengthen your belief system.   Key Takeaways: Everyone has an inner critic — it’s human, not a flaw. The three steps to manage it: Notice it, Name it, Normalize it. Use The Truth Meter to test your thoughts: “Is this true? Is it serving me? What’s a more empowering thought?” Small, consistent mental reps create lasting confidence. Remember: your inner critic is loud, not accurate.   Power Phrase of the Week: “My self-talk builds me, not breaks me.”   Quote to Reflect On: “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” — James Allen   To  Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

What separates good teams from great ones? It’s not just talent or IQ—it’s the culture they create together. In this episode of The High Performance Mindset Podcast, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff shares the mental strategies and research that reveal why the best teams think differently. You’ll discover why positivity and psychological safety are essential for high performance and how you can lead yourself and others with a stronger, more confident mindset.   Dr. Cindra unpacks Google’s Project Aristotle and Barbara Fredrickson’s research on the Positivity Ratio, showing that positivity isn’t just a feel-good idea—it’s a practice that fuels resilience, grit, and innovation. High-performing teams and individuals intentionally build trust, recognize effort, and focus more on what’s going right than what’s going wrong. That’s what it means to be mentally strong.   What You’ll Learn in This Episode: In this episode, you’ll learn why your mindset and words directly shape your team’s performance and how the science of positivity fuels resilience, grit, and innovation. Cindra will walk you through strategies to master your thoughts so you can create the conditions for confidence, along with a practical tool—the “five-to-one rule”—to transform your culture and relationships. You’ll also leave with a Power Phrase to help you own the moment and lead with positivity.   This Week’s Power Phrase: "I build my confidence and my team’s success by choosing positivity."   This Week's Quote: "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" - Theodore Roosevelt   Want a breakthrough? Request your free call at freementalbreakthroughcall.com to learn how we can help you or your team build belief and confidence that sticks.

Welcome to The High Performance Mindset Podcast, where we help you master your mindset to gain the high performance edge. My name is Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, and today I am thrilled to share my conversation with Jim Murphy—author of Inner Excellence. You might have heard about Jim’s book on January 12 when AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles was reading his book on the slide lines of a NFL Game. To be honest, I thought to myself, I have read so many performance psychology books, how will this one be different? But after a recommendation from a colleague, I read the book this summer and loved it. Jim provides so much wisdom and tools in the book! It is amazing. Jim has spent decades studying what allows athletes and leaders to thrive under pressure. In this episode, he opens up about his five years of research with Olympic coaches and sport psychologists, and the surprising discoveries that shaped his Inner Excellence model. We talk about his viral moment when AJ Brown was spotted reading his book on the sidelines, and what it was like to see his work inspire so many people. You’ll hear Jim explain his three “Us” framework—being unembarrassable, unoffendable, and unirritable—and how these qualities help you live and perform with freedom. We also discuss the dangers of ego and self-centeredness, the trap of expectations, and how to stay focused on the process rather than outcomes. This is a conversation packed with wisdom you’ll want to revisit again and again. Before we jump in, at the Mentally Strong Institute, we help athletes and leaders achieve their goals quicker, uplevel their confidence, and increase their influence. To learn more about our coaching, I invite you to sign for a free coaching call with me or one of my team members at the Mentally Strong Institute at freementalbreakthoughcall.com. We will help you create a breakthrough –a moment of more clarity and understanding. That’s www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com to sign up for a free mental breakthrough call. Alright…let’s jump into my interview with Jim Murphy. You are going to love this one! 🔹HIGH PERFORMANCE MINDSET SHOWNOTES FOR THIS EPISODE 🔹 Learn more about Jim Murphy and His Work🔹 Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call with Dr. Cindra and/or her team🔹 Learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute Love the show? Rate and review the podcast—and you might hear your name on the next episode!

In this episode of the High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff shares how belief is the catalyst for breaking through limitations, using the inspiring story of Mankato East’s first win in the Jug Game over Mankato West in 19 years. Despite a long losing streak, the team showed up believing in a new outcome—and they made it happen. Dr. Cindra connects this story to everyday challenges we all face—whether in sports, work, or life—emphasizing that our past doesn’t define our future. She introduces the “POP the Pressure” tool to help listeners pause, see opportunity, and focus on the process when the pressure mounts. The takeaway? Change begins the moment you start believing again.   Quote of the Week: “The only thing stronger than fear is belief.” — Anonymous Power Phrase of the Week: “I don’t let the past define me—I believe in what’s possible and play like it.”   Want a breakthrough? Request your free call at freementalbreakthroughcall.com to learn how we can help you or your team build belief and confidence that sticks.

This episode explores how to receive feedback without letting it shake your confidence. Feedback is often hard to hear because we take it personally, treating it like a judgment rather than data. A key mindset shift is recognizing that feedback says more about the giver—their values, priorities, and perspective—than it does about you.   The feedback that stings most is usually the one that confirms our own hidden doubts. To move forward, Dr. Cindra introduces the Learn – Burn – Return strategy. The big takeaway: feedback is information, not identity. Protect your confidence by reframing criticism and choosing growth over guilt.   Power Phrase of the Week: “I choose growth over guilt when I receive feedback.”   Quote of the Week: “Feedback is a gift. But you decide what to unwrap, and what to return.” — Unknown   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

What you believe about yourself determines what you’re capable of becoming. In this episode, Dr. Cindra shares how high performers—from athletes to entrepreneurs—use the power of belief as a foundation for confidence and success. Drawing on the inspiring story of Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, Cindra shows how speaking your vision out loud and believing in your potential—even before there’s any proof—can fuel massive results. Blakely had no business background, faced constant rejection, and yet declared daily that she was going to help millions of women feel confident.  That belief pulled her forward and shaped her actions. Dr. Cindra offers practical tools to help you apply this mindset by using “I am” identity statements to rewire your thinking and align with your future self. Whether you're building a business, preparing for a big opportunity, or simply growing into your next level, it all starts with belief.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I speak to myself like the person I’m becoming—because I’m already on my way.”   This Week’s Quote of the Week: “You are not what you think you are. But what you think—you are.” — Norman Vincent Peale   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

Craig Siegel is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Cultivate Lasting Symphony. After leaving a thriving career on Wall Street, he dedicated his life to helping people reinvent themselves from the inside out. His energy, purpose, and belief in human potential have made him a sought-after coach and entrepreneur, guiding others to align with their vision and overcome self-doubt. In this episode, Craig shares the powerful mindset shift that transformed his life and how you can apply the same principles to your own journey. We talk about his leap from finance to purpose-driven work, the role of energy in leadership, and how to protect it as a high performer. He also unpacks practical lessons from his bestselling book The Reinvention Formula—a step-by-step playbook for creating clarity, moving past fear, and building a life that lights you up. In this conversation, you will learn: The mindset shift that sparked Craig’s reinvention How to move through fear and self-doubt with intention and belief Why energy management is critical for leaders and high performers Practical tools from The Reinvention Formula to create clarity and overcome obstacles Craig’s story proves that reinvention isn’t reserved for a few—it’s available to anyone ready to commit to growth, purpose, and possibility. Learn more about craig here: https://www.cultivatelastingsymphony.com/ Apply for the certification here: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/certification 

Drawing on powerful examples from Olympian Brenda Martinez and legendary coach Nick Saban, Dr. Cindra explains how shifting your attention from results to daily actions can boost performance, reduce anxiety, and help you show up more consistently under pressure.   Martinez’s story—recovering from a heartbreaking stumble to qualify for the Olympics just days later—illustrates the power of trusting your routine and staying present. And Saban’s “don’t look at the scoreboard” mindset reminds us that success is built by dominating the little things over time.   Dr. Cindra breaks down how to apply this mindset to your own life—whether you're chasing a championship, growing a business, or working on personal goals—by identifying controllable daily actions and committing to them with discipline.   This Week’s Power Phrase: “I trust my process, dominate the controllables, and let the results take care of themselves.”   This Week’s Quote of the Week: “You win a national championship by focusing on what it takes to get there, and not on getting there.” — Nick Saban   REQUEST A FREE MENTAL BREAKTHROUGH CALL WITH DR. CINDRA AND/OR HER TEAM: https://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/   TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTALLY STRONG INSTITUTE: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/