Episodes

Each new challenge in life comes with its own set of pressures. As we’ve discussed in past episodes, you do need good stress (eustress) to get into a Zone state. However, too much stress does not produce the desired results. Since the tournament’s inception in 1877, The Championships, Wimbledon has carried extra stress for professional tennis players. The grass court can be unpredictable. The weight of tradition can take a toll as a young player steps into one of sports most hallowed arenas. Pl...

“Where did the summer go?” How many times have you heard that phrase in your life? July, August and September can go one of two ways. In the first scenario, you arrive at October stressed out and wishing for a do-over. In the second scenario, you’ve both accomplished major goals and enjoyed ample amounts of downtime with loved ones and friends. Accomplishing more while playing more isn’t a paradox. It’s how the S.C.O.R.E.® Success System works! If you do nothing but work this summer, your self-...

On this episode of the Jim Fannin Show, I coach (live) three individual call-ins, who I’d never met before. With each “coaching” guest, we dive deep into tactics, tools and tips specific to each arena and goal. Luke is a hockey player immediately weighed down by the past each time he cycles out of the game. Andrew is a salesman and avid golfer overthinking each time he uses his irons or picks up the phone. Haley is a new entrepreneur with a goal to make six figures by the end of 2018 but is unc...

The U.S. Open is one of the most notoriously difficult events in all of pro sports. It’s an event that has caused great mental anguish from the most poised players, ranging from Tiger Woods to Phil Mickelson. Who’s prepared to win this week? Whether it’s a golf tournament, sales presentation or ultra-marathon the average response is to step into the arena and try to figure out how to win. But the True Champion wins first, and then walks into the arena. This episode is all about the mental and p...

When adversity blindsides you, you’re facing a life crossroad or you realize your expectations will not be manifested, three inner voices will simultaneously vie for your attention. The first two are “The Victim” and “The Judge.” These two shameless advisors seek to keep your eyes on the rear view mirror. They hold you back by creating more confusion and chaos. They bring excuses, blame, agitation, frustration and even anger rather than decisive solutions to the challenge at hand. The third advi...

When was the last time you were completely knocked off balance by “bad news?” From the boardroom to the baseball diamond, it’s all too common for a negative piece of information or a careless comment to temporarily derail the Zone. In the last episode of the Jim Fannin Show, we looked at how to eliminate negative stress (not all stress, since that’s impossible and you need some stress to reach peak performance). This week is all about guiding you through turning those negatives into positives wh...

If I walked up to you today and simply said the word “stress,” what would come to your mind? Some would say “Jim, I’m so stressed out, I just don’t know what to do?” Others would reply “I live off stress, along with several gallons of coffee each week.” It is true that cortisol is one natural hormone that attracts the Zone. However, stress left unchecked in one arena (such as at work), can quickly bleed excessive cortisol into your home life, wellness and passionate hobbies. Negative stress hid...

We all have dreams. Some are realized and some are not. Dreams are not just for kids. In fact, it’s never too late to dream of success and especially envision a better life. Do dreams come true? If you know the process of dream realization….. ABSOLUTELY! In this week’s Jim Fannin Show, we showcase interviews from three of my successful clients. Listen and learn how they manifested their abnormal dreams into reality. A young boy tapes cutouts of pro baseball players to his bedroom wall. Through...

How many times in your life have you heard the collective “they” tell that something isn’t possible? I’m talking about the armchair quarterbacks. The peanut gallery who’s sure it’s better to just give up now rather than to keep going. As a kid growing up deep in Coal Country, Kentucky, “They” told me I would never play pro tennis on the tour. (I was too busy on the pro circuit in Europe to ever check to see what “they” thought after I made it!) One particularly critical “they” told me I would n...

This week’s episode of the Jim Fannin Show is ALL about YOU. The “Self” arena of most people’s life is often neglected and placed on a backburner. This life arena contains your thoughts and actions regarding your daily physical and mental wellness, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and spirituality. Once you take care of you, you can more readily take care of others Champions treat themselves like champions. Champions are also prepared to take care of themselves. When Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Timl...

On one hand, Alex Cora has a dream job. As the rookie skipper for one of the most storied teams in all of sports, Alex has led the Boston Red Sox to the best record in baseball so far, and one of the most successful starts in team history. That said, the blessing also comes with sky high expectations, both inside and outside the clubhouse. Boston is one of the most passionate sports cities in the world, and everyone from sports reporters to the fan on the street have an opinion on how the team ...

Imagine walking by one of the best (and highest paid) musicians in the world performing for free, just for your enjoyment. But instead of stopping to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience, you rush on to your destination, tuning out the sweet music played on one of the most expensive instruments in the world. I won’t spoil the whole story, since it’s showcased in this week’s episode of The Jim Fannin Show (aka America’s Most Positive Podcast), but rest assured thousands of people ignored a m...

In this week’s Jim Fannin Show, we’re going to play two movies on the screen of your mind. In the first movie, look at each area or arena of your life, and imagine what you don’t want. Now, play the movie again, and put exactly what you do want in each area on the movie screen of your mind. If either scenario is projected 5, 10 and 20 years in the future with little to no significant changes, how will your life turn out? This episode is all about focusing your thoughts to travel toward your pos...

In this week’s Jim Fannin Show that airs during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament, I discuss “What and who is a master?” A master is extraordinary. This person is unique. This is a rare artist, performer or player of consummate skill. This individual is an expert at their craft. Typically, it’s a person of the past whose work serves as a model or ideal. A master has spent an inordinate amount of time and effort in honing his or her craft. They excel at the basics of their passiona...

During the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the difference between winning and losing can be a last second three pointer or who gets to a loose ball the fastest. To walk away with the prize, it’s absolutely essential that everyone is pulling in the same direction. On this episode of the Jim Fannin Show, we deconstruct two teams from the NCAA Elite Eight. Our guests are Dr. John Planek of Lewis University (formerly of Loyola and 2017-2018 Under Armor Division II Athletic Director of the Year) and Bru...

Ten days ago, even the most passionate college basketball fans weren’t paying attention to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Then, they achieved the unthinkable. UCMB knocked off Virginia in the NCAA tournament, the first time in history a #16 seed bested a #1. How is something like that possible? Through rock solid belief and maintaining “the constants” in every practice, warmup and game. In a world of increasingly chaotic variables, the individual, the team or the company who hold...

What is blocking your pathway to success? Why haven’t you achieved all you want to accomplish? Why is it taking so long? In this week’s Jim Fannin Show, you will find answers to all of these questions. Be ready to sit-in on two of my “live” private coaching sessions. I promise each will reveal what you need to do to advance to your next level of success. Here goes… What could a Grammy nominated songwriter, who dreams of capturing music’s most coveted award, have in common with a college runner...

There is one thing most Oscar Awards’ viewers weren’t thinking about as the iconic golden statues were handed out Sunday night. It is the massive task to take an idea to the big screen. From “The Shape of Water” to “Get Out,” every movie released to theaters is a report card on whether or not a very large team of actors, producers and crew were able to get into the Zone to create something unforgettable. This episode is all about “How to eat an elephant,” and as the old saying goes, it’s “one b...

From heartbreaking stories in the news to increasing anger and bitterness between business associates in the office and friends on social media, there are a host of factors that threaten to pull the most positive person out of the Zone. In fact, the amount of stress and negativity is so high in March 2018 that I’m focusing on helping you stay positive two weeks in a row. If you’re a long time listener of the Jim Fannin Show, you know that I’ve helped over 2,500 clients wake up happy and go to b...

We all encounter stress. Eustress helps you perform your best at challenging tasks, just as it helps Shaun White, Roger Federer, and LeBron James reach peak performance but what about the other kind of stress, distress? This type of stress will destroy your focus, produce negative physical reactions, and even cause illnesses to be prolonged. This episode is all about concrete, simple tools to bust distress. In the middle of a jam packed schedule around a book release, media appearances and coac...

Over the course of a lifetime, you will have many relationships that you nurture. Hopefully, most will be rewarding and beneficial. Siblings, parents, co-workers, vendors, teammates, friends, teachers, significant other, children and people you conduct regular business, such as a banker, attorney, accountant, doctor, financial advisor, etc. will ALL play a role in YOU living a happy, healthy life. When life is over, the positive relationships you have developed will be your greatest accomplishm...

Most Americans know Dan O’Brien as the decathlon gold medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games and the face of the America’s best hope in the international competition. The decathlon is famously one of the most grueling sporting events on the planet. With ten events spread over two days, it tests even the most mentally and physically fit athletes in the world. On top of that, Olympians often face obstacles like sudden time delays for TV broadcasts, changes in sleep patterns and diet, and the pressure ...

If you tune into any sports coverage between now and the opening play of the Super Bowl, you’ll no doubt hear dozens of sports commentators trying to guess what the “X Factor” will be in the quarterback showdown between the legendary Tom Brady and underdog Nick Foles, as the Patriots and Eagles battle for football’s greatest prize. This week, former NFL All-Pro quarterback Scott Mitchell gives us a rare glimpse inside the mindset of a performer seeking to peak during one of the world’s greatest...

If you’ve ever sat down to watch even one sports event on TV, I bet you’ve played the role of “couch coach.” It’s part of the fun, right? Critiquing what’s going on in competition and imagining what you would say to the athletes when the game is on the line. This week, we go inside a college basketball win streak to examine how the Kansas State Wildcats use the S.C.O.R.E.® System to achieve peak performance in a conversation with head coach Bruce Weber. Coach Weber’s team has not trailed in a g...