High performers are often praised for discipline, work ethic, and grit. Yet many driven entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes eventually hit a wall where effort keeps increasing but results stay flat. In this episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick Francey and Olympic mental performance coach Steffany Hanlen Francey challenge one of the most deeply held performance myths: that pushing harder is always the answer.

Using the parable of a farmer who worked himself to exhaustion while ignoring depleted soil, Patrick and Steffany explain that growth does not break down because of laziness. It breaks down because people unknowingly violate the foundational laws of growth. These are not motivational ideas. They are operating principles that govern how humans adapt, recover, and perform.

Together, they walk through eight ways high performers sabotage progress without realizing it. These include ignoring individuality, falling into constant grind and overload, neglecting restoration, skipping proper progression, underestimating how quickly skills decay, misunderstanding how wins and losses transfer across life domains, failing to adapt to changing conditions, and spreading effort too thin instead of practicing true specificity.

Drawing from decades of experience with NHL athletes, Olympic performers, and business leaders, Steffany highlights how the body and mind stop responding to stale inputs. Patrick connects these principles to entrepreneurship and leadership, showing how business growth follows the same laws as physical training and psychological development.

A central theme emerges: growth happens in the recovery, not just in the effort. Real progress is built through small, consistent steps supported by intentional rest, environmental design, and focused execution.

This conversation reframes burnout, stagnation, and frustration not as personal failures, but as signals that something fundamental is out of alignment. When high performers learn to work with the laws of growth instead of against them, momentum returns, clarity sharpens, and performance becomes sustainable.

In this episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick challenges one of the most popular personal development phrases in the space: “creating a life by design.” While it sounds inspiring, Patrick argues that most people misunderstand what it actually requires. A life by design is not built on affirmations, motivation, or even a perfect plan. It is built on responsibility and a clear understanding of the real costs that come with meaningful outcomes.

Patrick explains that anything truly worthwhile in life has a cost of entry, and that cost is rarely financial. More often, the true price is paid emotionally, mentally, relationally, and internally. Most people, he suggests, do not fail because they lack ability. They fail because they resent the price they must pay, or because they want the outcome without accepting the discomfort required to achieve it.

Throughout the episode, Patrick outlines seven “costs of entry” to a meaningful life. These include uncertainty, which is the cost of achievement. Imposter syndrome, which signals growth rather than inadequacy. Loneliness, which often accompanies personal transformation. Embarrassment, which is the tuition of progress. Courageous conversations, which are essential for deep relationships. Criticism, which comes with visibility and excellence. And boredom, which is the hidden price of consistency and mastery.

Using relatable examples from athletics, business, and personal development, Patrick reinforces a powerful truth: growth lives in discomfort. High performers do not wait for clarity before acting. They act, and clarity follows. They do not avoid struggle. They learn to interpret it as evidence that they are on the right path.

The episode closes with a reflective challenge. Instead of asking “Why is this so hard?” Patrick invites listeners to ask, “Am I willing to pay what this costs?” Because a life by design is not about avoiding struggle. It is about choosing it intentionally in service of who you are becoming.

In this episode of The Everyday Millionaire, Patrick sits down with transformation expert and entrepreneur Keala Kanae to explore the real foundation of high performance: identity, values, and self mastery.

Keala shares his powerful journey from minimum wage barista to building and exiting a company that surpassed $140 million in sales. The turning point came after a devastating breakup that forced him to confront a hard truth: he was the common denominator in every area of struggle. That realization launched a deep dive into psychology, neuroscience, and the science of values, leading to a personal breakthrough that reshaped his business and life.

The heart of the conversation centers on what Keala calls meta values, the unconscious drivers that determine how people invest their time, energy, and money. He challenges conventional thinking with statements like “procrastination is not a problem, it’s a solution” and “lack of discipline doesn’t exist.” When goals are misaligned with values, people experience hesitation, self sabotage, burnout, and imposter syndrome. When values and goals align, focus, clarity, and follow through become natural.

Patrick connects these insights to decades of coaching experience and the influence of Dr John Demartini’s values work. Keala also opens up about the darker side of early financial success, including anxiety and depression after reaching major milestones, and explains how purpose and contribution replaced money as his primary driver.

From identity-based decision making to relationships, purpose-driven business, and the “infinite game” of personal growth, this episode offers a grounded, unfiltered exploration of what it really takes to build success without betraying yourself.

In this solo episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick Francey explores why so many people stay emotionally, relationally, or professionally stuck even when they are smart, self aware, and motivated to move forward. The issue, Patrick suggests, is often not a lack of insight, but the lens through which past experiences are being viewed.

Patrick introduces a powerful distinction between gratitude and appreciation, and how confusing the two can quietly keep people anchored to relationships, partnerships, and life chapters that are already complete. While gratitude is often focused on benefit, relief, or gain, appreciation is oriented toward impact, growth, and formation. Gratitude asks, “What did I receive?” Appreciation asks, “How did this experience shape me?”

Drawing from more than four decades of business partnerships, Patrick reflects on relationships that were meaningful, formative, and at times painful. Some ended without clean resolution and carried emotional and mental weight long after they were over. Through reflection and meditation, the word “appreciation” emerged as his word of the year, not gratitude. This shift opened a new way of integrating the past without rewriting it or forcing emotional closure.

Patrick explains how people often try to force gratitude onto experiences that were costly emotionally, financially, or relationally. That effort can create inner friction and keep old stories alive. Appreciation, on the other hand, allows someone to honor what was learned, acknowledge how they were shaped, and release the need to reconcile what no longer exists.

This episode invites listeners to consider whether they are stuck because they have not healed, or because they are using the wrong frame. By choosing appreciation over forced gratitude, it becomes possible to keep the lesson, release the story, and move forward with greater clarity, integration, and momentum. As Patrick shares, clarity comes from understanding what mattered and allowing it to be complete, and that clarity is what creates velocity.

In this powerful throwback episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick and Steffany explore a topic most people underestimate but almost everyone participates in: gossip. What begins as a discussion about energy leaks quickly evolves into a deeper conversation about trust, values, emotional safety, and the unseen impact our conversations have on our lives, relationships, and leadership.

Patrick and Steffany challenge the common belief that gossip is harmless. They explain that anytime we speak about someone who is not present, we are sharing our interpretation, not the truth. Even when comments seem neutral or positive, they can distort reality, weaken trust, and quietly create toxic environments. Over time, this erodes relationships, damages cultures, and pulls people away from meaningful connection.

Steffany brings forward the idea that gossip often replaces courage. Instead of facing our own emotions, setting boundaries, or having direct conversations, we vent sideways. This may offer temporary emotional release, but it does nothing to create growth, healing, or clarity. Patrick reflects on how gossip can sometimes act as a subtle form of self elevation, positioning the speaker as important, informed, or “in the know,” while slowly compromising integrity.

Throughout the episode, they share personal stories from business, sport, and life that highlight the long term cost of gossip, and the power of taking a stand for higher standards of communication. They invite listeners to examine the conversations they participate in and ask a simple question: does this elevate someone, or diminish them?

This episode ultimately reframes gossip not as a social habit, but as a mindset issue. One tied directly to leadership, emotional maturity, and the quality of environments we create around us. When gossip leaves, clarity, trust, and real connection have room to grow.

In this episode, entrepreneur and radio host Jim Beach joins Patrick to challenge the usual “doom and blame” tone of climate and environmental conversations. Jim argues that real progress comes from capitalists and small businesses that build practical, profitable solutions. Instead of waiting for government or NGOs to fix complex problems, he believes entrepreneurs can reduce risk, start small, and solve issues one step at a time.

Jim shares the origin story behind his book, The Real Environmentalists, inspired by Wayne Elliott, a hands-on ship and battery recycling leader. That relationship sparked a deeper search into for profit environmental companies that are actively tackling problems like microplastics, clean water, and reef restoration. Jim’s central message is optimistic: solutions are already being built by people who work daily in the real world, not by those performing for attention.

The conversation also explores what separates dreamers from doers. Jim and Patrick discuss motivation, the “chip on the shoulder,” and why most people never execute even when the path is clear. Jim emphasizes bootstrapping, testing a business under $5,000, and proving the model before scaling. He also critiques traditional education and argues that individualized learning and practical skill building matter more than theory.

Finally, they unpack AI and productivity. Jim sees AI as an economic opportunity that can create jobs and accelerate output, while still requiring human guidance and critical thinking. The episode ends with Jim’s call to action: get off the sofa, reduce risk, build something real, and leave the world cleaner than you found it.

In this powerful episode of the Mindset Matters podcast, Patrick and Steffany kick off the new year with a deep conversation about why so many people feel stuck and why real change rarely comes from external circumstances. It is not the economy, politics, or lack of motivation holding most people back. It is the hidden programming in the brain that filters reality and blocks opportunity. Patrick explains how the Reticular Activating System, often called the RAS, works like an internal airport control tower, choosing what gets seen, noticed, or completely erased before it reaches conscious awareness.

Together, Patrick and Steffany explore how this mental filter is driven by identity, hidden beliefs, and emotional safety. They unpack the importance of upgrading your personal “Operating System of Identity” so your RAS stops filtering life from fear and limitation, and starts recognizing opportunity, possibility, and growth.

Listeners are guided into the deeper role of meta values, agency, and personal responsibility. Instead of letting emotions like fear or comfort dictate decisions, Patrick and Steffany show how anchoring to higher values such as truth, ownership, accountability, and integrity can expand perspective and reduce paralysis.

They also stress the power of trusted counsel, clean feedback, and community support to challenge blind spots without attacking identity. Finally, they reinforce one of the most life changing truths. Clarity does not come first. Action does. When you move, your RAS updates, your confidence builds, and your brain realigns toward possibility and progress.

This episode is a powerful invitation to step into the new year with courage, self awareness, upgraded identity, and intentional action. It is a must listen for anyone ready to stop feeling stuck and finally create meaningful forward momentum in life, relationships, business, and personal growth.

In this episode of the Mindset Matters podcast, Patrick and Steffany take listeners deep into the foundation of personal growth by exploring hidden beliefs and the operating system of identity that shapes how we see ourselves. They unpack how early childhood experiences, attachment, and perceived safety influence adult self concept, resilience, and self esteem. Drawing on research and decades of coaching experience, they help listeners understand how deeply rooted beliefs about safety, love, worth, and effort silently drive behavior and limit potential.

Patrick reflects on empirical studies showing that childhood environments strongly predict adult identity patterns, while Steffany offers practical insight into how automatic negative thoughts can become mental “ants” that sabotage performance and peace. Together, they explore the transformational power of self examination and self mastery, emphasizing that identity is not fixed but chosen.

Through personal stories, coaching examples, and their signature blend of humor and honesty, they reveal how identity, relationships, values, trauma, and self belief interact to create a person’s operating system. They encourage listeners to challenge inherited beliefs, choose new role models, and update old mental software that no longer serves them. The episode also highlights the importance of authenticity, consistency of values, and the courage to grow even when it disrupts old patterns.

At its core, this conversation is a reminder that real happiness and meaningful change start from within. The journey of self mastery is ongoing, intentional, and available to anyone willing to examine their beliefs and consciously choose who they want to become.