Podcast Summary: What Are You Made Of?

Episode: "The Process Over the Podium: Mental Toughness for Athletes and Entrepreneurs with Dr. Patrick Cohn"

Host: Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco
Guest: Dr. Patrick Cohn
Date: December 30, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco sits down with Dr. Patrick Cohn, renowned mental performance coach, to explore the fundamentals of mental toughness, identity, and resilience for both athletes and entrepreneurs. Dr. Cohn discusses his journey as a survivor and entrepreneur, the power of focusing on process over outcomes, and strategies for navigating slumps, identity crises, and the expectation treadmill that often undercuts fulfillment in performance-driven fields. The conversation offers deep insights into high performance, practical mindset shifts, and the importance of simplicity in personal and professional success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Patrick Cohn’s Journey: Survivor & Coach

• Defining What He’s Made Of
  • Entrepreneur, mental performance coach, father, and cancer survivor
  • Survived melanoma and lung cancer, which shifted his personal perspective (01:29–02:21)
    • Quote: “The skills of being able to stay composed and be able to reflect on... your life and your situation... it gives you a different perspective, obviously, when you’ve had cancer and you come through on the other side.” (02:30)

Practicing What You Preach

• Both Mike and Dr. Cohn discuss facing adversity and applying their own principles during tough times:
  • Quote (Mike): “When you’re in the adversity, that’s your time for growth... You should be getting excited because as long as you keep going... things always get brighter... And then I hit adversity and I’m like, oh, this feels like crap... It’s a lot tougher to do it than it is to say it.” (02:55–03:23)

The Roots of a Mental Performance Coach

• Aspirations of becoming a pro athlete, shift to psychology and exercise science, mentored by Ken Revizza (Cal State Fullerton) and Dr. Bob Rotella (University of Virginia)
• Found passion in removing mental barriers for athletes, focusing on individual growth (03:38–05:01).

The Fulfillment of Helping Others Succeed

• Initial experiences with college sports teams, observing transformation in athletes
• Fulfillment is greater when helping others out of slumps than from personal financial success (05:52–06:21)
  • Quote (Dr. Cohn): “I love to see others excel and succeed, especially if they've had challenges, they’re in a slump... and you’re able to help them get to the next level. That’s a lot of fun.” (05:33)

Identity and Its Pitfalls

• Athletes and entrepreneurs often over-attach to roles, equating success with self-worth

• Mike: The “identity crisis” after leaving sports or business successes/failures (07:31–08:31)

  • Quote (Mike): “That sport or that company that they exited from... was too, you know, identifying. We really need to be more proactive in finding out who we are and then understanding what our vehicles are that we can get in.” (07:38–08:21)

• Dr. Cohn:

  • “They tend to focus on the achievement and what they’ve achieved in their life, their role in their life… But really where I should start is I’m a person who happens to be a father. Rather than, oh, I’m a successful entrepreneur…” (06:57–07:31)

Obsession, Perfectionism, and the Limits of Identity

• Success requires dedication, but neither identity nor self-worth should hinge on achievement alone.

  • Quote: “You can be all in, and you could be obsessed about success, but you can still be that person that just happens to be an athlete… Athletics is what you do; it’s not who you are.” (09:24–09:57)

• Risks: Deep identification with achievement leads to emotional volatility and lack of fulfillment after major successes.

The Anticlimax of Achievement

• Many athletes feel underwhelmed after reaching big goals (e.g., Super Bowl champions).

• Achievement feels anticlimactic: “It was supposed to do that. Right. So it's somewhat anticlimactic because they feel like that was their purpose, to get there.” (11:10–11:33)

• Mike: “A.J. Brown [Eagles]... after the Super Bowl, he said it wasn’t what I thought it would feel like...(10:46)

Emphasizing the Process Over the Podium

• Focusing on daily improvement and the process sustains motivation and fulfillment.
• Quote (Dr. Cohn): “We’re all about emphasizing the process in our work...you’re only as good as your process and how well you’re able to stay focused one day at a time, one week at a time...” (11:52–12:53)
• Peak performance is rare (“maybe 10% of the time”), and most of the journey involves grinding and adjusting. (13:03–13:56)

Navigating Slumps & Downturns (for Athletes and Entrepreneurs)

• Mike discusses revenue slowdowns and attaching self-worth to results; Dr. Cohn reframes slumps as opportunities for rest, recalibration, and optimization.
• Quote (Dr. Cohn): “What are the advantages of that slump or that downturn?... What does that afford you?” (15:35–15:56)
• Reframing allows focus on improving systems for future growth, rather than dwelling on temporary decline. (16:45–17:53)

Expectations vs. Goals

• Differentiating unhealthy expectations (“shoulds”) from process-oriented goals.
  • Quote: “It’s the unwritten rules in the back of your mind that you have to... We call them the shoulds and shouldn’ts... creates havoc for traders, for business people and athletes alike.” (17:53–18:52)
• Dr. Cohn outlines the process: Identify “shoulds,” create a plan to focus on in-the-moment actions (19:51–19:57)

The Power (and Necessity) of Gratitude

• Both acknowledge that relentless focus on the next achievement undermines appreciation of past progress.
  • Quote: “There is very little gratitude as you climb the ladder and you achieve more and more.” (20:10–20:47)

Entrepreneurial Lessons & Building a Niche Practice

• Dr. Cohn’s toughest period was building his business: Lacked know-how for running a niche practice (21:01–22:39)
• Networking and support from an early client (E.J. Pfister) was the breakthrough

Battling Perfectionism and Ineffective Belief Systems

• Athletes/clients arrive with entrenched beliefs and self-labels, often perfectionistic, which inhibit performance.
  • Quote (Dr. Cohn): “Biggest challenge for us is helping change the belief system for athletes... identifying what are those self labels: I’m a slow starter, I’m a poor closer… It comes from perfectionists having strict belief systems about how things should be done…” (24:49–26:03)

Simplicity vs. Novelty: The Fundamentals Always Win

• Many clients look for novel “hacks” or secret solutions but overlook the fundamentals.
  • Quote (Dr. Cohn): “Our value for athletes is we’re simplifiers. We want to oversimplify things… For us it’s as simple as... think about where the target is, trust your body to hit it there. You have the muscle memory…” (27:06–28:11)
• Simplicity is often resisted by those who crave complexity as proof of expertise or advancement (28:11–29:55)

The Assessment & Coaching Process

• Every client begins with an assessment to identify core challenges; the coaching always returns to four basic mental skills: confidence, composure, trust, and focus on the process. (28:28–29:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Surviving Cancer:
  “The skills of being able to stay composed and...reflect on your life and your situation...gives you a different perspective, obviously, when you've had cancer.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (02:30)

• Adversity in Real Time:
  “Then I hit adversity and I’m like, oh, this feels like crap. I hate this feeling, but let me get excited, you know?...It’s a lot tougher to do it than it is to say it.” — Mike C-Roc (02:55)

• On Perfectionism:
  “You can be all in, and you could be obsessed about success, but you can still be that person that just happens to be an athlete.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (09:24)

• After the Podium:
  “So it’s somewhat anticlimactic because they feel like that was their purpose, to get there.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (11:33)

• Process Over Outcome:
  “Anybody can set a goal…That’s the easy part...It’s the things that you have to do in order to get there. That, I think, separates the good from the great.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (12:53)

• Productivity Slowdowns:
  “What are the advantages of that slump or that downturn? What does that additional time...afford you?” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (15:54)

• The Problem with ‘Shoulds’:
  “It’s a lot of those shoulds that creates havoc for traders, for business people and athletes alike.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (18:52)

• On Simplicity:
  “We want to oversimplify things...Let’s get out of your own way.” — Dr. Patrick Cohn (27:06)

Segment Timestamps

• 01:29 — Dr. Cohn defines what he’s made of: survivor, coach, mental toughness
• 03:38 — Athletic childhood, transition to psychology, influence of mentors
• 05:14 — Early experiences creating results for athletes
• 06:57–09:57 — Identity, role attachment, and fulfillment for athletes and entrepreneurs
• 10:46–11:33 — The anticlimax after major achievements (A.J. Brown anecdote)
• 11:52–13:56 — Focusing on process, the grind, misconceptions about “being in the zone”
• 14:10–17:53 — Navigating slumps and reframing low periods for growth and optimization
• 17:53–19:57 — Expectations versus process goals, reducing outcome obsession
• 20:10–20:47 — The struggle for gratitude as you advance
• 21:01–22:39 — Dr. Cohn’s early business struggles; breaking through via networking
• 24:49–26:03 — Perfectionism, belief systems, and client resistance
• 27:06–29:55 — The crucial role of simplifying and reinforcing fundamentals
• 29:55 — Dr. Cohn’s coaching approach: assessment & core mental skills

How to Connect with Dr. Patrick Cohn

• peaksports.com — Resources, articles, videos, podcasts, and coaching info
• Instagram: @sportspsychcoach (30:17–30:23)

Summary

This episode is a masterclass in the mental side of high performance—on and off the field. Dr. Patrick Cohn shares hard-earned wisdom about navigating adversity, detaching self-worth from outcomes, and relentlessly focusing on process over podium moments. With practical examples and a firm commitment to simplicity, he and Mike dismantle the myths of overnight success and show how true resilience is built, refined, and lived—one day at a time. The lessons are equally powerful for athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone striving for self-improvement.