In this episode of The Paul Taylor Podcast, I sit down with Performance Psychologist, author, facilitator, and coach, Graham Winter. We explore the fascinating intersection of athletic and corporate excellence, uncovering why the principles that drive gold medal performances can transform business leadership—and why some approaches that work in sports could actually derail your corporate team. From managing strong personalities and building unshakeable team cohesion to achieving sustainable peak performance without burnout, this conversation delivers practical insights for anyone leading high-stakes teams. Whether you're a corporate leader looking to enhance team dynamics, an athlete seeking to optimise your mental game, or simply someone interested in the psychology of excellence, you'll discover evidence-based strategies for creating environments where both psychological safety and accountability can flourish.

Key Topics:

• Career Path: Moving between sports and business psychology

• Sport vs Business: The key differences in coaching athletes versus corporate professionals.

• Managing Egos: How to work with high-achieving individuals who have strong personalities.

• Team Unity: What it takes to get different people working together effectively as one team.

• Human Connection: Why relationships and shared purpose are crucial for team success.

• Safe Communication: How to create an environment where people feel safe to speak up while maintaining high standards.

• Sustainable Success: Ways to maintain peak performance without burning out over time.

Key Takeaways:

• Build consistent daily habits rather than chasing quick wins to achieve sustained high performance.

• Create team alignment by establishing a clear mission statement, defining each person's role, and scheduling regular social connection time.

• Set boundaries around your perfectionist tendencies by scheduling mandatory recovery periods after intense work phases.

• Foster psychological safety by explicitly rewarding constructive criticism while still holding people accountable to high standards.

• Protect your energy by tracking your daily energy levels and scheduling high-stakes work during your peak performance hours.

• When leading high performers, validate their confidence while gently guiding them to develop self-awareness through regular feedback sessions.

• Start each project by clearly defining both its purpose and how it will strengthen key relationships in your network.

Connect with Graham Winter:
Graham Winter on LinkedIn
Learn more about Graham Winter
Check Graham Winter's Blog

Connect with Paul Taylor:
Learn more about Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor on LinkedIn
Paul Taylor on Instagram
Paul Taylor on YouTube

Support the Podcast:
If you found this episode valuable, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more people with important conversations like this one.

Share this episode with someone who might benefit from hearing it—emotional eating is more common than we think, and this conversation could make a difference in someone's life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Mojo Monday, Carly dives into a powerful skill we can all cultivate to help us persevere when life gets tough and our minds tell us to give up. Discover how to build inner resilience and keep moving forward, no matter the challenges.

Carly Taylor is a Mental Fitness Coach and speaker passionate about helping people tame their mind so they can live a rich, meaningful and fulfilled life. She is trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Japanese Psychology, is an IIN qualified Health Coach and is currently undergoing a Masters of Counselling.

For more information, go to carlytaylorcoaching.com.au or follow her on Instagram: carly_taylor_coaching.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Paul Taylor Podcast, I sit down with Megan Flamer, an entrepreneur and mindfulness, compassion and resilience trainer, for a fascinating exploration of how ancient wisdom meets modern workplace challenges. We delve into why traditional mindfulness approaches sometimes fall short, especially for those who've experienced trauma, and discover how integrating multiple therapeutic modalities—from psychedelic therapy to EMDR—can create more effective healing pathways. Megan shares her unique insights from Silicon Valley and reveals how organisations can move beyond basic mindfulness programming to create lasting cultural change. Whether you're battling workplace burnout, seeking practical tools for self-awareness, or curious about how philosophical traditions like Stoicism can transform modern leadership, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on bringing contemplative practices into the 21st-century workplace.

Key Topics:

• Professional Background and Silicon Valley Experience

• Limitations of Traditional Mindfulness Approaches

• Psychedelic Therapy and Mindfulness Integration

• Innovation and Contemplative Studies in Business

• Modern Applications of Ancient Wisdom

• Practical Burnout Prevention and Workplace Wellness

• Beyond Traditional Mindfulness Programming

• Organisational Implementation and Resources

Key Takeaways:

• Supplement traditional mindfulness practices with other therapeutic approaches (like EMDR or tapping) to build a more comprehensive personal wellness strategy.

• Study both ancient wisdom traditions and modern research to create a personalized practice that combines time-tested principles with contemporary scientific insights.

• Set up regular self-check-ins to catch signs of burnout before they escalate by tracking your energy levels, sleep quality, and emotional state.

• Transform meditation concepts into concrete daily habits by identifying specific moments in your workday where you can apply mindful practices.

• Track and measure the business impact of your mindfulness practice by noting improvements in productivity, decision-making, and team relationships.

• Keep a daily log of your triggers, reactions, and interaction patterns to build greater self-awareness and improve workplace relationships.

• Help normalize mindfulness in your workplace by sharing specific examples of how contemplative practices have improved your work performance.

• Read one classic philosophical text (particularly from Stoicism) each quarter and extract practical applications for your current work challenges.

Connect with Megan Flamer:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganflamer/
Website - http://www.meganflamer.com/

Connect with Paul Taylor:
Learn more about Paul Taylor - https://www.paultaylor.biz/
Paul Taylor on LinkedIn -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultaylor1971/
Paul Taylor on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paultaylor.biz/
Paul Taylor on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thepaultaylorpodcast

Support the Podcast:
If you found this episode valuable, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more people with important conversations like this one.

Share this episode with someone who might benefit from hearing it—emotional eating is more common than we think, and this conversation could make a difference in someone's life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drawing from the wisdom of Morita Therapy and Dr Brian Ogawa;s book A River to Live by: 12 Principles of Morita Therapy, Carly explores the crucial balance between setting goals and intentions for 2025 and accepting and living fully in each moment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Paul Taylor Podcast, I sit down with Jason Silver, author of "Your Grass is Greener," for a masterclass in building thriving workplaces and meaningful careers. Drawing from his extensive startup experience and behavioural science background, Jason challenges conventional wisdom about leadership, revealing why hiring for character trumps skills and how excessive consensus-seeking can paralyse organisations. We explore fascinating personal experiments in mindfulness and productivity, dissect the subtle ways workplace decisions go wrong, and uncover how giving people true autonomy can transform both results and job satisfaction. Whether you're leading a team, building a company, or seeking more fulfilment in your career, this conversation offers evidence-based insights and practical strategies for creating better outcomes at work and in life.

Key Topics:

• Start-up Wisdom: What works and what doesn't in growing companies

• Character-Based Leadership: Why values matter more than skills

• Personal Development Experiments: Learning from personal experiments and failures

• Mindfulness Practices: Making meditation and journaling work for you

• Workplace Decision-Making: Moving past endless meetings and consensus

• Professional Autonomy: Letting people choose how they work best

• Behavioural Science in the Workplace: How our brain affects workplace choices

Key Takeaways:

• Choose people based on who they are, not just what they can do. Remove those who don't match your values quickly.

• Don't wait for everyone to agree. Have healthy debates, make clear choices, and move forward.

• Write down your goals each morning and reflect on your day each evening.

• Look out for people who say they support decisions but don't follow through with actions.

• Give your team freedom to choose how they complete tasks, rather than controlling every step.

• Try to find information that challenges what you think you know, rather than just confirming it.

• Make people and culture your top priority, not just an afterthought.

Connect with Jason Silver:
Learn more about Jason Silver
Jason Silver on LinkedIn
Jason Silver on Substack
Jason Silver's Book

Connect with Paul Taylor:
Learn more about Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor on LinkedIn
Paul Taylor on Instagram
Paul Taylor on YouTube

Support the Podcast:
If you found this episode valuable, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more people with important conversations like this one.

Share this episode with someone who might benefit from hearing it—emotional eating is more common than we think, and this conversation could make a difference in someone's life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mojo Monday, Carly shares how you can move through the fear and build that confidence that is holding you back.

Loving the podcast? Consider leaving a review as it helps us keep the podcast going.

Carly Taylor is a Mental Fitness Coach passionate about helping people tame their mind so they can live a rich, meaningful and fulfilled life. She is trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Japanese Psychology, is an IIN qualified Health Coach and is currently undergoing a Masters of Counselling.

For more information, go to carlytaylorcoaching.com.au or follow her on Instagram: carly_taylor_coaching.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.