Podcast
The High Performance Life
Hosted by Scott Danner · EN
As High-Performers, we're all after three things: to do it all, have it all, and feel good about it, too.
Some will say, "it's all about "balance", but I've got a different story to share with you….
This podcast is going to take you into the minds of some of the world's Top Performers in Business, Relationships, Health, and Mindset, and
give you hands-on methods to move from feeling you're merely managing your High Performance Life, to MASTERING it.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Power of Breath, Surrender & Finding Peace in Uncertainty | Anthony Abbagnano
Jan 1301:07:57Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, I am joined by Anthony Abbagnano! Anthony is the founder of Alchemy of Breath, a globally recognized breathwork community that has helped thousands of people reclaim their power through the transformative practice of conscious breathing. His personal journey, shared in his book, details how he overcame profound challenges through breathwork and mindfulness, ultimately leading him to create a life rooted in purpose, balance, and service. A pioneer in the digital breathwork space, Anthony was the first to bring breathwork online. He serves as curator for online breathwork on the board of the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA) and holds a faculty position with the Shift Network. His Breathe the World online breathwork sessions draw hundreds of participants each week and support a growing global community of more than 170,000 people. Anthony has spoken alongside leading voices in personal growth and wellness, including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Bruce Lipton, Peter Levine, Alex Howard, Wim Hof, and Fleet Maull, further solidifying his role as a trusted guide in the global breathwork movement. Key Points • One breath studied equals a lifetime learned • Inner calm is attainable in outer chaos • Mastery vs. Mystery in life's journey • The transforming power of acknowledgment • Survival instincts can reside with success Best Quotes 02:31 - 02:50 • "I contracted an illness and I'd already left behind my work. I had a very successful company in Italy where I was working with architecture and had about 300 people working for me, restoring buildings and finding beautiful old buildings for English and American people." 03:07 - 03:17 • "So I spent time in Asia. I left the company to run on its own, had it kind of sorted and went to Asia." 08:07 - 08:16 • "And so I didn't know it was gonna be a breakthrough. I thought this was the end in all the forms it could possibly show itself." 39:12 - 39:26 • "We use control to tell you what to do, to tell each other better ways to criticize each other, to make people more like us, to, to, to feel better by pointing out someone else's problem problems." 50:10 - 50:16 • "So there's something about restoring choice that needs to happen for someone to get traction."
Transcribe →The Hidden Cost of Compliance, Why Saying Yes Is The Biggest Risk of Your Life | Dr. Sunita Sah
Jan 600:52:08Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I am joined by Dr. Sunita Sah! Sunita is a Cornell professor, former physician, and one of the world's leading experts on compliance and defiance. Dr. Sunita Sah is a national bestselling author, award-winning professor at Cornell University, and expert in organizational psychology. She is a former physician and management consultant whose research focuses on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American, among others. Her book, Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, explores how to reclaim agency and speak up when it matters. The paperback edition, How to Speak Up When It Matters, releases February 24, 2026. Key Takeaways Why we've misunderstood the word defy The hidden cost of always saying yes Compliance vs. true consent What "false defiance" looks like The five elements of a true yes or no How to teach kids (and ourselves) to say no without confrontation
Transcribe →I Quit Alcohol for 365 Days... Here's What Happened | Clifford Stephan
Dec 3000:42:26Tap to summarizeClifford Stephan is the founder of Booze Vacation, a health and wellness company created for high-performing men who want to elevate their lives and careers by leveraging the benefits of taking a strategic break from alcohol. He is also the founder of OneCompensation, a successful Bay Area compensation consulting firm that has helped Silicon Valley companies—including Google, LinkedIn, Kaiser Permanente, and Motorola Mobility—attract, engage, and retain top talent. In his mid-40s, Clifford realized that his regular, "semi-responsible" drinking was quietly undermining his health and long-term potential. He chose to take a year-long break from alcohol—what he called a "booze vacation." That decision reset both his body and his relationship with drinking, ultimately inspiring him to create Booze Vacation so other men could take a structured break, reclaim their health, and expand their professional capacity. Clifford holds a B.S. in Nutritional Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has completed more than a dozen long-course triathlons, and is determined to "kick ass and take names" well into his 80s and beyond. Key Points • Booze breaks can upgrade your baseline • Wearables expose alcohol's impact on health • Breaks from alcohol can recalibrate cravings • Sleep, fitness, and mood improve sans alcohol • Life clarity and enhanced performance without alcohol • Clifford's Booze Vacation concept explained Best Quotes 01:45 - 01:58 • "Yeah, in short, scratching my own itch and yeah, I don't like the term cutting. It sounds kind of, you know, negative, harsh, we, we use in term taking an extended vacation from drinking." 02:54 - 03:03 • "I had, I had got sleep apnea, which was a pretty, pretty bad about that. And yeah, just wasn't feeling my best." 05:30 - 05:49 • "I think that when I started wearing the whoop in 2019, it was probably one of the most eye-opening things that I had done because I, I've worn it consecutively for many years now, and you can tell really quickly what alcohol does to your body." 07:58 - 08:06 • "It's a kind of a lifetime lifestyle experiment. And especially men of success. I think it's important that if you make it to the mountain top, you wanna stay there and enjoy it as long as possible." 10:41 - 10:51 • "You're gonna need more, it's gonna be harder on your aging body and you're gonna find yourself continually in lowered and lower states and, and, and kicking the crap outta yourself a lot faster."
Transcribe →Trauma Expert: How Trauma Affects Your Relationships, Career, and Your Daily Life | Dr. Don Wood
Feb 25, 202501:08:03Tap to summarizeIn this week’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Don Wood! Dr. Don Wood, PhD, is the visionary behind TIPP and a leading expert in trauma resolution. With years of research in neuroscience, he has helped thousands of people overcome their trauma-rooted challenges, empowering them to transform their lives. As the author of “You Must Be Out of Your Mind” and “Emotional Concussions”, Dr. Wood’s groundbreaking work has gained international recognition. His program has been featured in numerous media outlets and has profoundly impacted high performers, trauma survivors, and anyone seeking peace, clarity, and a more inspired life. Key Points • Overcoming trauma to unleash potential • Emotional concussions impact behaviors • Addiction as a symptom, not a disease • Corporate culture transformed by healing • Enhanced performance through mental fitness Best Quotes • “She realized that she didn't marry me because she loved me. She married me because I was secure, and she never had security and safety.” • “I believe sexual abuse is the number one pandemic in the world. It's everywhere.” • “Once people go through the program, we reset the system, we resolve the trauma, their traumas resolved, inflammation comes down, immune system comes up.” • “So through the research, what I discovered is this unresolved trauma that keeps running. And so that's going to create inflammation.” • "The genes that regulate inflammation upregulate, the genes that regulate the immune system downregulate." • "If we're in a danger situation, a fight or flight or threatening situation, our system is protecting us." For more information about Dr. Don Wood: https://www.inspiredperformanceinstitute.comute.com/
Transcribe →Change Your Life FOREVER By Discovering The Power of Relationships | Laysha Ward
Feb 18, 202500:49:09Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, I am joined by Laysha Ward! Laysha Ward is an accomplished C-suite executive with 32 years of leadership experience at Target Corporation. She most recently served as the retailer’s Executive Vice President, Chief External Engagement Officer, overseeing its enterprise-wide approach to stakeholder relations. Laysha grew up in a small town in rural Indiana with a population of 700. She began her educational journey at a program for low-income children and families. From first grade through senior year, she was the only Black girl in her class. She began her career as a frontline team member on the salesfloor at Marshall Field’s in Chicago. Today, she is one of the nation’s top black female C-suite executives who teaches how to lead with meaning. In her groundbreaking, inspiring, and holistic approach to leadership, Laysha breaks down the skills and self-work required for fulfilling a life with purpose, leading others, and living out a life of meaning at any and every stage. Laysha believes that when you lead with meaning, you are taking a holistic approach that blends your life and career. Her new book, “Lead Like You Mean It; Lessons on Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite” launches on Feb 18, 2025! Key Points • Purpose-driven leadership keys • Integrity's role in career success • Value of authentic relationships • Balancing work and personal life • Embracing life's imperfections Best Quotes 01:58 - 02:03 • "But I also have an amazing lived experience as a girl from small town rural America." 02:04 - 02:10 • "And everything that I've done in between really has given me a unique vantage point on leadership." 03:12 - 03:24 • "The book really becomes a platform for me to offer up more of those lessons, more of a roadmap, to share more broadly with people." 03:40 - 03:47 • "Because that's what's at the core of lead, like you mean it, right? Those are the four guiding principles of lead. Like you mean it." 09:53 - 10:07 • "And so the book talks about flourishing together, and I use examples of not only my husband Bill, who is quite the character and very lovable, so I really encourage folks to read that, that portion of the book." 15:59 - 16:11 • "And so if we just make that foundational and understood, we can begin to work openly, candidly, honestly, towards making sure that every day we have the support that we need to do our best and be our best." 23:46 - 23:56 • "We are all human. That we are all worthy, that we are all a student and a teacher and have something to give and are worthy of also receiving." 45:53 - 45:59 • "I call it strategic serendipity. Things may not happen when you want 'em, but they're always right on time."
Transcribe →How To Build Authentic Connections In A Disconnected World | John R. Miles
Feb 11, 202500:44:16Tap to summarizeIn this week’s episode, I am joined by John R. Miles! John R. Miles is a globally recognized authority on leadership, intentional behavior change, and unlocking human potential. A Navy veteran, senior executive, and CEO turned thought leader, John’s journey bridges the worlds of Fortune 50 leadership, entrepreneurial innovation, and personal transformation. As a former senior executive at Dell and Lowe’s, John spearheaded transformational initiatives in leadership development, technology, and culture, impacting millions of employees and customers worldwide. His C-level expertise uniquely positions him to speak directly to the challenges and opportunities faced by leaders navigating today’s fast-changing landscape. John is the creator and host of the award-winning Passion Struck Podcast, which has surpassed 55 million downloads and was named the #1 Alternative Health Podcast in over 70 countries. Recognized with the Davey Award for Social Impact, the podcast inspires a global audience of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and changemakers with its actionable insights and bold ideas. As the best-selling author of Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life, John offers a groundbreaking guide for leaders and individuals to bridge the gap between potential and action. Drawing on decades of leadership experience and deep research into behavioral science, he provides practical strategies to achieve clarity, purpose, and transformational results. Each week on Passion Struck, John engages with the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders, including Gary Vaynerchuk, Susan Cain, Dr. BJ Fogg, Jamie Kern Lima, Gretchen Rubin, Admiral Stavridis, and Dr. Mark Hyman. John’s mission is to empower leaders to cultivate thriving cultures, inspire their teams, and lead with purpose! Key Points • The shift from village to global village • Significance: The essence of existence • The epidemic of disconnection in society • Gardner leadership versus servant leadership • Reinvention: Key to passion-struck living Best Quotes 03:57 - 04:09 • "It's this profound sense that your life and your existence have purpose, that your actions hold weight, and that one's presence makes a meaningful difference in the world." 16:08 - 16:24 • "It was this opposite that I talk about with mattering. It was this, this i, this individualistic look at it that look at what I can build, look at how I can do something, look at what I control." 23:19 - 23:29 • "So to me, what this culture of mattering really comes down to is creating this environment where others feel valued, trusted, and empowered to excel." 30:45 - 30:59 • "LinkedIn did this survey in 2022, and they said they found that 94% of employees would've stayed longer at a company if they invested more in a person's development in and outside of work." 33:29 - 33:35 • "One of the things that I highlight early on in the book is the need for reinvention." 35:00 - 35:05 • "Passion struck really is all about how do you le lead a life of significance." 42:21 - 42:29 • "Because when you feel, when you make people feel valued, you create a ripple effect that strengthens families, workplaces, and communities."
Transcribe →Relationship Expert: The Secret To Making Any Marriage Work | Dr. Rachel Glik
Feb 4, 202500:52:05Tap to summarizeIn this week’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Rachel Glik! Dr. Glik is a licensed professional counselor with 30+ years as a couples and individual therapist in private practice. Since 2014, she has been a regular feature on the Fox 2 AM show in St. Louis as a relationship and mental health expert. The show’s executive producer summed up her role on the show this way, “Dr. Glik gets to the heart of what we deal with every day—our relationship with ourselves and each other.” Rachel is a featured author for MindBodyGreen, an online magazine reaching over 10 million readers each month. Rachel has taught and created workshops for organizations such as: YPO, Onevillage, University of Missouri, The Kabbalah Centre International, and Psychotherapy Saint Louis. She is a featured guest of podcasts such as Weekly Energy Boost and SageAdvice with Melissa. As many are goal setting for the new year, couples therapist Dr. Rachel Glik (EdD, LPC) encourages us to think beyond our personal goals to shared relationships as well. Whether you are looking to expand an already strong connection or heal old wounds that stay persistently fresh, Dr. Glik draws from over 30 years of hands-on experience to discuss the proven techniques for growth in her upcoming book, A SOULFUL MARRIAGE: Healing Your Relationship With Responsibility, Growth, Priority, and Purpose (Morehouse Publishing) February 4th, 2025. Key Points - Importance of energy investment in relationships - The four pillars of a successful marriage - Significance of prioritizing your partner - Embracing the dynamic nature of family life - Finding purpose in your relationship journey Best Quotes 02:23 - 02:27 • "I had to start really reflecting within and being more authentic and true to myself." 03:01 - 03:09 • "The soul searching is really where the life model for me came from. And it came from the fact that life is always imbalanced." 33:00 - 33:07 • "And really trusting the process that whatever challenge is happening, it's for the good, it's for the benefit to really embrace it so that you can grow." 36:42 - 36:46 • "To be happy, we have to also sometimes go against what we feel like doing." 39:19 - 39:27 • "But you started out by saying, you know, I'm the writer and I'm the therapist, but my husband was the spine as we pulled this project together."
Transcribe →How To Persevere In Tough Times | Stephan Kesting
Jan 28, 202500:52:08Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The High Performance Life podcast, I sit down with Stephan Kesting—firefighter, adventurer, martial artist, and author—to explore his life-changing battle with kidney disease and the incredible journey of survival and self-discovery that followed. Stephan has spent over 40 years traversing the Canadian North, both solo and as a guide. A Masters graduate in biology from McGill University, he combines his deep appreciation for nature with his extensive experience in high-risk environments, including 25 years as a firefighter, where he was awarded the Canadian National Medal for Bravery. When faced with the physical and mental challenges of a kidney transplant, Stephan knew he had to push past his limits. To reclaim his strength, he embarked on a six-week solo expedition in the unforgiving Canadian sub-arctic, navigating polar bears, arctic storms, forest fires, and treacherous rapids—all while battling self-doubt and the ever-present risk of a single fatal mistake. We dive into his new book, Perseverance, and unpack the themes of resilience, risk-taking, and how nature serves as a powerful tool for healing and self-reflection. Whether you're looking for inspiration, a new perspective on overcoming adversity, or a deeper appreciation for the wilderness, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Key Takeaways: - Pushing past physical and mental limits creates true resilience. - The wilderness offers clarity, healing, and a unique space for introspection. - In both adventure and life, risk can be managed through planning and adaptability. - Taking action in the face of fear leads to growth. - Self-doubt is a constant battle - Legacy is about how you live, not what you leave behind. True impact comes from the way you face life’s challenges.
Transcribe →Shattering Limiting Beliefs: A New Narrative For Success | Rene Rodriguez
Jan 21, 202500:53:21Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, I am joined by Rene Rodriguez! We break down the Amplify methodology, the power of storytelling, and why movement—not confidence—fuels progress. Rene shares powerful insights on the narrative gap in leadership, how our brains fill in missing pieces with assumptions, and why leaders must reclaim their stories to guide their teams effectively. We also explore the importance of self-awareness, overcoming a victim mentality, and the role of psychological safety in strong organizations. René is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and transformational speaker coach. For the last 27 years, René has been researching and applying behavioral neuroscience to solve some of the toughest challenges in leadership, sales, and change. As an entrepreneur and CEO of multiple companies, René integrates a practical business approach that inspires his audiences to take action. Through his keynote, boot camps, workshops and proprietary AMPLIFII™ course, he helps us own our backstory to build the frame for not only our unique value propositions but also a beautiful picture of life. He is the author of WSJ Best Selling Book, Amplify Your Influence, which was selected as a Best Business Book 2022 by Summary.com. René has also shared the stage with Ed Mylett, Tony Robbins, Jon Gordon, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ryan Holiday, and many more. Key Points Influence is everywhere Movement creates confidence The brain fills narrative gaps with assumptions Psychological safety is key Reframing changes reality Self-awareness fuels growth To learn more about Rene: https://www.meetrene.com/
Transcribe →It Really Is That Damn Phone.
Jan 14, 202500:14:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I dive into the double-edged sword that is our phones. On one hand, they offer incredible convenience, but on the other, they can harm our personal connections and relationships. I talk about how phones can become addictive, distract us from real-life interactions, and even affect the quality of our relationships—especially for younger generations. I share my thoughts on the importance of being present, fostering deeper connections, and finding balance between embracing technology and nurturing the people around us. Let’s explore how we can create more meaningful interactions and bring creativity back into our lives. Key Points • Overuse of phones hinders connections. • Presence lost to smartphone screens. • Social scrolling can numb the soul. • Phones vs. personal goals for youth. • Intimacy matters more than screentime. Best Quotes 01:57 - 02:01 • "The number one thing the phone takes away from in our lives is personal connection." 03:19 - 03:29 • "The trap of social media scrolling is, is deadening. I mean, our souls just leave our body during this experience." 04:11 - 04:18 • "But if I'm learning incessantly, I'm not taking a break to think, I'm not taking you a break to actually be present where I'm at." 09:43 - 09:49 • "There's nothing lonelier than than sitting with this phone because it's just you and it." 12:55 - 13:03 • "Nothing can replace the connection we feel between each other. Nothing can replace how we feel when we're laughing with friends in person."
Transcribe →