The High Performance Podcast

<p>Martin Lewis will tell you himself - he's not an entrepreneur, not a celebrity, not a website owner. He's a campaigning journalist. One who happened to build MoneySavingExpert into the most powerful consumer platform in the country, recover billions of pounds for ordinary people, and become the most trusted voice in Britain in the process.</p><br><p>We're revisiting one of the most powerful conversations we've ever had on High Performance and we think it's more relevant now than when we first recorded it.</p><br><p>This conversation is about what drives a person to dedicate their life to fighting for strangers. Where that fire comes from. What it costs to carry the weight of millions of people's trust. And what Martin Lewis has had to go through to get here.</p><br><p>You'll hear Martin on why trust cannot be marketed, only earned. On the moment that shifted his entire philosophy from beating the system to protecting the people the system exploits. And on why success, however hard won, is never the whole story.</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>Mo Salah is leaving Liverpool as a legend. Trent Alexander-Arnold left to boos and a painted-over mural. What made the difference — and what does it tell us about legacy, loyalty, and how we all choose to move on?</p><br><p>Jake and Damian dig into the psychology of the exit: why the ultimatum game explains fan reaction, how Salah's struggles at Chelsea made him a better player at Liverpool, and what Roy Hodgson returning to management at 78 says about purpose and passion.</p><br><p>Plus: Georgia Hunter Bell's remarkable comeback from telesales to World Indoor champion, Kimi Antonelli's back-to-back Formula One wins and what one victory does to the mind, and Josh Kerr's pursuit of the world mile record. Damian's High Performer of the Week will stop you in your tracks.</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>Brené Brown is a world-renowned researcher and author, known for her work on vulnerability, courage, and what makes truly effective leaders. She has spent decades studying human behaviour, uncovering how fear, connection, and self-awareness shape performance at the highest level.</p><br><p>In this episode, Brené sits down with Jake and Damian to explore the difference between safe and unsafe leadership, and how fear quietly drives decisions at work and at home. She explains why the best leaders don’t avoid vulnerability, but use it to build trust, clarity, and stronger teams.</p><br><p>They cover why your greatest strength might secretly be your armour, the formula every elite performer needs to understand (performance = potential minus interference), why organisational leaders are the only high-performers in the world where coaching isn't expected, and what England's penalty curse and Liverpool's current struggles really tell us about the psychology of winning.</p><br><p>Plus — a special surprise message from Steven Gerrard leaves Brené lost for words!</p><br><p>Subscribe to Brené’s podcast ‘The Curiosity Shop’ on YouTube or your favorite app for new episodes every Thursday.</p><br><p>Brené’s latest book ‘Strong Ground’ is available now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strong-Ground-Leadership-Tenacity-Vermilion/dp/178504320X</p><br><p>Links referenced in podcast: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0hxl03JoA0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The lethality of loneliness: John Cacioppo TED TALK</a></p><br><p>Our partners in this episode: </p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Shane Parrish is the founder of Farnam Street and one of the world's most respected voices on decision-making and clear thinking.</p><br><p>In this episode we re-visit with Shane, he introduces the concept of positioning — the small daily choices that put you on easy mode or hard mode before a single big decision is made. He breaks down the four defaults that hijack your thinking (emotion, ego, social pressure, and inertia), explains why fear of success holds people back just as much as fear of failure, and shares the Kissinger test that reveals whether you're truly doing your best work.</p><br><p>If you're tired of making life harder than it needs to be, this one's for you.</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>Louis Theroux's Manosphere documentary has got everyone talking - but Jake and Damian think we might be asking the wrong questions. Is shining a light on extreme influencers actually making them more attractive? And is the phrase 'toxic masculinity' doing more harm than good to the young men it's supposed to help?</p><br><p>Jake shares research from the Centre for Male Psychology suggesting the term may be damaging to boys, while Damian breaks down why labels drive identity, and why that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. </p><br><p>Also this week...</p><ul><li>The treatment of Liam Rosenior </li><li>Head coach Johann van Graan's transformation of Bath Rugby</li><li>LeBron James broke the NBA all-time games played record </li><li>And Norwich is officially the best place to live in the UK (Jake has thoughts)</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>When global instability dominates the headlines, it can be hard to know what to think...or how to lead. This week, Jake and Damian sit down with General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, to cut through the noise.</p><br><p>With 37 years commanding British soldiers, Richard has led through some of the most complex and high-stakes environments imaginable - from the streets of Basra to the corridors of NATO headquarters. And his lessons aren't just for generals.</p><br><p>In this episode, he breaks down the war-gaming mindset that every great leader needs, explains why the best decisions are built on intuition as much as information, and shares Field Marshal Slim's three components of morale — a framework as relevant in business as it is on the battlefield.</p><br><p>Richard also makes the case for thinking the unthinkable - conscription, and challenges the narrative that younger generations lack resilience, and ends with a genuinely optimistic vision for what great leadership could unlock.</p><br><p>This is a conversation about courage, preparation, and the kind of bold decision-making the world needs more of right now.</p><br><p>Our partners on this episode: </p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Mark Webber came from a small town in rural Australia with no money, no connections, and a body the wrong size for a Formula One car. He made it to the very top anyway, achieving nine Grand Prix wins, 42 podiums and World Endurance Champion - becoming one of the most respected drivers of his generation.</p><br><p>We re-visit this conversation with Mark, where he opens up about the years at Red Bull when he believed his own team was favouring Sebastian Vettel at every turn. Engines allegedly turned down when he was catching his teammate. A new front wing arriving at the track and going to the other car. A World Championship slipping away in the final race of the season. It got so bad that Mark did something almost unheard of in Formula One — he wrote a private letter directly to the man who owned the entire operation.</p><br><p>Our partners for this episode: </p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>What happens inside a dressing room when a team loses faith in itself? Jake and Damian go beyond the results and the headlines to examine the psychology of collective belief failure — using Tottenham's historic 12-game winless run as the defining case study.</p><br><p>Joined by goalkeeper Tim Krul, who has experienced relegation with both Newcastle and Luton, they explore what fear actually looks like on a pitch, why managers can lose a dressing room in 10 minutes, and what the Kinski substitution really said about Tudor's state of mind.</p><br><p>Damian draws on his work with West Brom during a similar crisis to explain why the answer is almost never about fitness or tactics — and Jake reveals what Norwich City's sporting director said to Philippe Clement that convinced a Premier League-level manager to take on a Championship relegation battle.</p><br><p>Plus: why Kimi Antonelli could be this season's Formula One world champion, lessons from the Gordon Ramsay Netflix documentary on the cost of relentless high performance, and what Paul McCartney's decade after The Beatles teaches us about identity and reinvention.</p><br><p>Our partners on this episode: </p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Kumar Sangakkara is one of cricket's greatest legends, known for his unparalleled skill, leadership, and transformative philosophy. In this episode, Kumar joins Jake and Damian to share the key moments and philosophies that shaped his career both on and off the field, offering a profound perspective on performance, identity, and resilience.</p><br><p>Kumar explains how this philosophy shaped his approach to coaching and his own career, emphasising that separating who you are from what you do allows for greater perspective, freedom, and calm. He also discusses the dark side of excellence, revealing the personal sacrifices athletes make and how maintaining balance and relationships outside of performance is crucial for staying human.</p><br><p>He shares the powerful lessons he learned during the 2009 Lahore attack, where he witnessed violence firsthand but emerged with a newfound perspective on gratitude. Kumar also reflects on his country’s unity through cricket, especially during the controversial Murali incident, and how that moment played a key role in shaping Sri Lanka’s identity. </p><br><p>This episode offers a rare and deeply personal look at what it truly means to be a world-class performer while remaining grounded in your humanity, showing how gratitude, balance, and perspective can guide us through even the toughest challenges.</p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3 </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Johann Hari has spent years doing what most of us don't have time to do — travelling the world, interviewing the world's leading neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and Silicon Valley insiders to find out why depression, anxiety, and loneliness are rising every single year. What he found will change how you see your phone, your mind, and your daily life.</p><br><p>Today we re-visit this impactful conversation with Johann, but it's not all doom and gloom! Johann is one of the most solution-focused thinkers we've had on the show, and he leaves you with concrete, practical steps you can take today.</p><br><p>You'll hear Johann on: what the people who built Instagram and TikTok privately think about what they've created; the three things every parent should do right now about their child's phone use; and the leaded petrol analogy that explains exactly how we fix the attention crisis.</p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au3</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 go inside the 2026 Australian Grand Prix — not with lap times and race analysis, but with something rarer: direct messages from the people who were actually there.</p><br><p>Jake shares a WhatsApp from Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu on leading through complete uncertainty. A message from Fernando Alonso's number one mechanic on why culture beats performance when nothing is certain. And a voice note from former Williams team principal Claire Williams on what COVID taught her about navigating the unknown.</p><br><p>With cars failing on the grid, drivers feeling mixed emotions in the cockpit, and an entirely new era of Formula One rewriting the rulebook overnight, Jake and Damian use the chaos of Australia to ask a question that matters well beyond the paddock: how do you lead, perform and stay steady when everything changes at once?</p><br><p>Listen to our full episodes with guests mentioned in this episode: </p><br><p>Adrian Newey: https://pod.fo/e/267f99</p><p>Ayao Komatsu: https://pod.fo/e/37b872</p><p>Ollie Bearman: https://pod.fo/e/39acad</p><p>Claire Williams: https://pod.fo/e/2b956b</p><p>George Russell: https://pod.fo/e/1527c9</p><p>Fernando Alonso: https://pod.fo/e/1e5849</p><br><p>Thanks to our partners:</p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au2</p><br><p>Randox 👉 Book a test today and save 20% on all health checks with the code HP20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/HPP_Randoxhealth_au  </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>David Dein is one of the most influential figures in modern football, the visionary former vice-chairman of Arsenal F.C. who helped reshape the English game. In this episode, David sits down with Jake to reveal the decisions, relationships, and moments that defined one of football’s most transformative eras.</p><br><p>He tells the inside story of discovering Arsène Wenger, a seven-year belief that would eventually change Arsenal forever. From quiet dinners and long conversations to fighting a sceptical board, David explains how that partnership built a culture capable of producing legendary teams, a squad bonded not just by talent, but by rituals and belief.</p><br><p>David also shares the human side of football leadership: convincing Sol Campbell to make one of the bravest transfers in Premier League history, the painful loss of Ashley Cole, and the emotional shock of being suddenly dismissed from the club after 24 years of service.</p><br><p>This episode explores the leadership, belief, and defining moments that helped shape one of football’s most successful eras.</p><br><p>To find out more information about the Twinning Project, visit: https://www.twinningproject.org</p><br><p>Heights 👉 Get 20% off your subscription by using Code: HP20 here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp_heights_au2</p><br><p>Randox 👉 Book a test today and save 20% on all health checks with the code HP20 at: https://highpfrmc.com/HPP_Randoxhealth_au  </p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Mo Gawdat rose to become Chief Business Officer of Google X, the moonshot factory tasked with solving the world's biggest problems. He had 16 cars in his garage, a nine-bedroom house, and by every conventional measure, had won. And then, in four hours, a preventable surgical mistake took his 21-year-old son Ali. What happened next changed everything.</p><br><p>In this episode, Mo shares the promise he made to Ali, to make him "everywhere and part of everyone", and how that mission became the foundation of his life's real work: making a billion people happy.</p><br><p>This is not a conversation about toxic positivity or blind optimism. It's a masterclass in what happiness actually is (and isn't), why it's your duty — not your reward — and the practical tools Mo uses to bounce back from pain in under seven seconds.</p><br><p>You'll hear Mo on: the 90-second anger rule that will change how you handle every difficult moment; his three-question flowchart for navigating anything life throws at you; why success doesn't lead to happiness — but happiness almost always leads to success; what his son Ali taught him about fixing the world by fixing yourself first; and why the most high-performance path through life is learning to play.</p><br><p>Whether you're chasing the next milestone or questioning whether the chase is even worth it — this one will stay with you.</p><br><p>Our partners in this episode: </p><br><p>EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal 👉 https://nordvpn.com/highperformance Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee</p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>Alex Iwobi is one of the Premier League's most creative midfielders, known for his flair, expressiveness and ability to unlock defences. After coming through the Arsenal academy under Arsène Wenger, he has gone on to represent Everton, Fulham and Nigeria at the highest level, becoming one of football's most distinctive personalities both on and off the pitch.</p><br><p>In this episode, Alex sits down with Jake and Damian for a candid and revealing conversation about his journey from nearly being released at 16 to becoming an established Premier League player. He opens up about the loneliness of leaving Arsenal, the moment the club sent his medical documents to Everton while he was on holiday without asking him, and how Frank Lampard's trust quite literally resurrected his career.</p><br><p>Alex also shares rare insight into the aura of Arsène Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti — the only two managers he's ever seen silence a room just by walking in — and what that taught him about elite leadership. He discusses how being given the freedom to be himself, both on the pitch and through his music, has unlocked the best version of his performance.</p><br><p>This episode offers a fascinating look at the mindset, identity and trust required to perform at the highest level in professional football.</p><br><p><strong>Alex's new EP More to Life is out on April 9th.</strong></p><br><p>Our Partners: </p><p>EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal 👉 https://nordvpn.com/highperformance Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee</p><br><p>Visit Seattle 👉 Start planning your perfect summer of football by searching Visit Seattle on social media, or discover more at: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-visitseattle-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>