The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Episode: Why Inner Excellence Creates Outer Success

Host: John Jantsch
Guest: Jim Murphy – High Performance Coach, Author, Creator of the Inner Excellence Methodology
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, John Jantsch sits down with Jim Murphy, an elite high-performance coach and author of Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life. Murphy shares his unique approach to peak performance, which he’s honed coaching Olympians, world-class athletes, and business leaders. The conversation explores how mastering the “inner game”—through mindset, self-awareness, and presence—leads to sustainable success in both sports and business. Listeners will walk away with deep insights into letting go of outcome obsession, overcoming failure, building inner strength, and actionable routines to create their own outer excellence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Viral AJ Brown Moment (02:29-04:21)

• Jim Murphy recalls the pivotal night NFL wide receiver A.J. Brown sparked a surge of interest in his philosophy:
  • Brown was seen reading Inner Excellence on the bench during a playoff game, gaining national attention.
  • “He said, no, it's a book that I read before, bring to every game, read it before the game to get centered and read it after every drive to get recentered. My teammates call it the recipe.” (Jim Murphy, 02:56)
  • The moment led to a massive increase in book sales and awareness, demonstrating the universal hunger for tools that help people center themselves under pressure.

From Personal Struggle to Breakthrough Coaching Philosophy (05:15-06:46)

• Jim discusses his early dream of sports stardom, professional setbacks due to a vision problem, and subsequent loss of identity.
• Through coaching and a period of solitude, he recognized the key to peace and confidence: focusing on inner contentment rather than external outcomes.
  • “My identity was completely wrapped up in my role as a pro athlete. And when I lost it, I felt like I lost everything.” (Jim Murphy, 05:31)
  • Developed Inner Excellence through five years of intense research and writing in solitude.

Letting Go of the Need to Control Outcomes (06:46-08:27)

• Jim shares an anecdote from coaching a top-10 golfer at the Ryder Cup, using the “lollipop” metaphor to break an obsession with outcomes.
• “Go for the whole candy store. Don't settle for these little... tangible things that you don't even know if will make you happy, let alone fulfilled.” (Jim Murphy, 08:16)

Redefining Success: Freedom to Fail (09:12-10:47)

• Discusses the importance of redefining success for athletes and entrepreneurs:
  • Success should be about “who I want to become, who am I meant to become, and what is my purpose?” (Jim Murphy, 09:32)
• Emphasizes the necessity of joy, excitement, and purpose over short-term results.
• “We need to have freedom to fail to be your best. There needs to be an element of joy and excitement to be your best.” (Jim Murphy, 09:52)

Parallels between Athletes and Business Leaders (10:59-11:37)

• The same mental and emotional mastery applies to both athletes and corporate executives.
• "How do you be fully engaged in the moment when you're performing unattached to what you're trying to do?" (Jim Murphy, 11:05)
• Focus on being present and expanding what you believe is possible.

Daily Practices for Inner Excellence (12:10-12:44)

• Murphy lays out four daily mastery goals, practical for entrepreneurs and marketers:
  • Learn and grow every day
  • Give the best of what you have
  • Be present and grateful
  • Focus on routines and only what you can control

The Spiritual and Present-Moment Approach (13:43-14:30)

• On skepticism from high achievers about “woo” or spiritual elements:
  • “If something is really important to you... then the more important the process of how you live and what you do every day, then it's more important.” (Jim Murphy, 14:06)
  • Inner Excellence is positioned as a process for full engagement—mind, heart, and body.

Embracing Vulnerability and Humility (14:30-16:02)

• Jim emphasizes humility as “an accurate view of self... not overinflated and not underinflated.” (Jim Murphy, 14:44)
• Breakthroughs come from focusing on deeper inner needs—peace, growth, and meaningful impact—over external trophies.
• “Let everything else be added to them. So this is the crucial thing.” (Jim Murphy, 15:55)

Habits, Detachment, and Societal Messages (16:02-17:10)

• Society’s “results-only” mindset can foster anxiety and burnout.
• Inner Excellence counters this with a habits-based, present-moment approach that trains the heart and mind to focus on what’s truly empowering and possible.

First Steps to Mindset Shifts (17:10-18:16)

• Step one: Speak the truth about yourself, your past, and your feelings.
• Inner Excellence includes nine disciplines, with a critical one being: “Speak the truth about the past to create possibilities in the future.” (Jim Murphy, 17:31)
• Real transformation begins at the edge of current beliefs—where discomfort arises.

Validation and Staying Grounded After Viral Success (18:16-20:17)

• Jim reflects on how widespread recognition hasn’t changed his view: the core message is what matters.
• “I’m just a lowly messenger. And so because it's so extraordinary, everything that's happened... At the very most, I've added maybe 1 or 2% to anything good that's happened in the last six months.” (Jim Murphy, 19:16)

Resources and Connection (20:33-21:00)

• Jim invites listeners to learn more at innerexcellence.com and sign up for his newsletter, covering retreats and workshops.
• Social: Instagram (@inExcellence), Inter Excellence, Jim Murphy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On purpose and fulfillment:
  “What you need is to pursue fullness of life and develop yourself in that way which we know is good for you, where you feel fully alive and make that your pursuit.”
  — Jim Murphy (08:14)

• On embracing failure and freedom:
  “We need to have freedom to fail to be your best. There needs to be an element of joy and excitement to be your best.”
  — Jim Murphy (09:52)

• On humility:
  “I define humility as an accurate view of self. Not overinflated and not underinflated.”
  — Jim Murphy (14:44)

• On societal pressure:
  “Society says the only thing that matters is the results. Bottom line, black and white, zero sum score... And I'm saying we live in an unstable, unfair world... We need to have a clear system to make sure we're focusing on who you can become and what's possible in your life.”
  — Jim Murphy (16:26)

• On being a messenger:
  “I don’t think of myself as the originator of this or even author. I'm just a lowly messenger.”
  — Jim Murphy (19:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:29 — The viral AJ Brown moment and the ‘recipe’ for getting centered
• 05:15 — Jim’s early struggles and the birth of Inner Excellence
• 06:46 — Outcomes vs. identity: The lollipop metaphor for letting go
• 09:12 — Redefining success and allowing space for failure
• 10:59 — Parallels between world-class athletes and executives
• 12:10 — Daily mental training for entrepreneurs
• 13:43 — The spiritual and present-moment aspect, addressing skepticism
• 14:30 — Humility and embracing imperfection for breakthroughs
• 16:02 — Balancing hard work with letting go of outcome obsession
• 17:10 — The importance of honest self-reflection
• 18:16 — Leveraging viral success and staying true to the message
• 20:33 — Where to find Jim Murphy and Inner Excellence resources

Takeaways for Listeners

• Inner excellence precedes outer success—developing deep purpose, presence, and joy is foundational to high performance.
• Letting go of results-based self-worth and instead training your mind and heart daily is the ultimate path to fulfillment.
• This philosophy is as critical to entrepreneurs and marketers as it is to world-class athletes.