Winning Minds With Wilkinson

David Wilkinson

Winning Minds With Wilkinson is the podcast for athletes, coaches, and business leaders who want to master the inner game and consistently perform at their best. Hosted by performance coach and budding sports psychologist David Wilkinson, this show goes into the mental skills, mindset shifts, and psychological tools that enable consistent, peak performance in the world of sport, business and coaching. From solo episodes packed with practical strategies to real, no-fluff conversations with elite performers, industry leaders, and consultants, you'll learn how to develop your mental skills and put them into practice. Areas such as resilience, focus, self-awareness, anxiety, confidence, leadership and clarity under pressure, to name a few.  If you’re serious about high performance, mastering your craft, and building a winning mindset — you’re in the right place.

  1. 12/08/2025

    #20 Inside the Mind of a Modern Footballer - Coleby Shephard.

    In this episode, I sit down with professional footballer and coach Coleby Shepherd, someone I’ve known since he was a teenager, when I used to train him at my gym.  From never touching alcohol to investing almost half his wages in training at 16, Coleby’s discipline and mindset are rare. He opens up about his disappointment of being released from Sunderland Academy, to overcoming that and what it really takes to become a professional athlete, and the mental toughness required to compete day in and day out. Coleby shares his insights on Leeds United star Sam Greenwood and what he learned from him during their time at the academy.  We discuss confidence, failure, and the psychology of high performance, exploring how lessons from elite mentors, such as Manchester United’s former S&C coach Mick Clegg (The man Ronaldo credited for this increase in performance), have shaped his life. We also explore how he’s channelled that same mindset into business, launching his own gym and football academy to pass on the lessons to the next generation. If you want to know what true commitment looks like — and the mindset behind elite performance — this one’s unmissable. Key talking points: Getting released from Sunderland at 15 — and how rejection fuelled his drive. Training with men at 16 — and the mindset shift it demanded. Never drank, smoked, or partied — full commitment to the game. Confidence vs competency — why skill trumps self-belief under pressure. Behind the scenes of pro football — no off days, constant competition. How to handle setbacks and stay match-ready, mentally and physically. Lessons from elite mentor Mick Clegg — the man who trained Ronaldo. Bringing the athlete mindset into business — and coaching the next generation. To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidwilkinsoncoach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

    1h 23m
  2. 22/06/2025

    #18 From Surviving to Performing: Helenlee’s Story of Inner Work, Creativity & Building a Business with Purpose

    In this powerful and personal episode, I sit down with my wife, Helenlee — a high-performing woman, mother, wife, and business owner — who shares her story with honesty.  We go into her story of survival: losing her Mam at 12, being homeless at 17, navigating estranged relationships, and how all of that eventually caught up with her, forcing her to stop, look inward, and begin to truly heal. Through therapy, she reconnected with a long-buried creative side and stepped into her creativity, which had been suppressed, resulting in her launching her own business, Style Code. We talk about the transition from survival to self-expression, the motivation to keep showing up after 15 years in business, and the mental tools she leans on to stay aligned to her goals. If you're going through a personal challenge, navigating a transition, or just feeling stuck this episode will speak to you. 🧠 In this episode, we dive into: Starting a business from one Facebook post and building it from the ground upHow grief, trauma, and survival mode shut down her creativityThe moment everything changed — therapy, healing, and looking withinReconnecting with her creative side and building a business from self-expressionNavigating a relationship breakdown while running a gymHow trauma patterns can quietly shape your business decisionsStaying motivated, aligned, and self-aware after 15 years in businessTo connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidwilkinsoncoach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

    1h 29m
  3. #14 Nick Williams From Burned Out Stockbroker to Successful Entrepreneur

    26/09/2024

    #14 Nick Williams From Burned Out Stockbroker to Successful Entrepreneur

    My intention for my interview-style sessions is to invite my clients as guests so they can share their stories. They will share their business journey, their highs and lows, and how coaching has supported them in the pursuit of their potential.  In this unique interview-style episode, I spoke with my client, Nick Williams, Co-Founder and joint CEO of Growth Provision.  Nick has been a client of mine since late 2019, and we have worked together religiously every month since then.  Nick shares his story of being a stockbroker and the highs and lows of that world. He also discusses the breakdown of his marriage, being in a career that wasn't serving him, and how he used alcohol to cope.  Nick talks openly about how he knew he had more inside of him and had a deep feeling he could live at a high level in life but didn`t know how to access that from the low point he was in.  We discuss Nick's coaching journey, what got him to reach out for help, and the difference it has made to him as a man and now as a business owner with his own company.  Nick has turned his life around in all areas, and this truly is an inspirational story, and I know anyone who gives this interview time can resonate with Nick and be inspired by his breakthroughs for their own life.  To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidwilkinsoncoach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

    1h 36m
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Winning Minds With Wilkinson is the podcast for athletes, coaches, and business leaders who want to master the inner game and consistently perform at their best. Hosted by performance coach and budding sports psychologist David Wilkinson, this show goes into the mental skills, mindset shifts, and psychological tools that enable consistent, peak performance in the world of sport, business and coaching. From solo episodes packed with practical strategies to real, no-fluff conversations with elite performers, industry leaders, and consultants, you'll learn how to develop your mental skills and put them into practice. Areas such as resilience, focus, self-awareness, anxiety, confidence, leadership and clarity under pressure, to name a few.  If you’re serious about high performance, mastering your craft, and building a winning mindset — you’re in the right place.