Win More, Live Better

Zach Brandon

Win More, Live Better is a podcast for sport coaches and high-performing leaders who care deeply about results, but refuse to compromise their well-being, joy, or relationships in the process. This show explores what it really means to win more and live better on your terms. Through stories, conversations, and practical frameworks, each episode helps you sharpen your leadership, strengthen your inner game, and build systems that support sustainable performance for you and those you lead. Hosted by Zach Brandon, a nationally recognized performance and leadership advisor who partners with elite sport coaches, executives, and high performers to help them thrive using practical tools, systems, and mindset frameworks.

  1. 3 days ago

    John O'Sullivan | Author, Coach, & Speaker | "Stop treating leadership as a character trait and start treating it as a skill."

    John O’Sullivan is a former collegiate and professional soccer player, longtime coach, author, speaker, and the founder of the Changing the Game Project—an organization dedicated to creating better experiences for athletes by transforming the way we coach, lead, and develop people through sport. John is also the host of the Way of Champions Podcast, where he and Dr. Jerry Lynch have had nearly 500 conversations with some of the world’s top coaches, leaders, researchers, and performers. He is the author of several books on coaching, culture, and athlete development, including Changing the Game, Every Moment Matters, and The Champion Teammate. His newest book, co-authored with Jerry Lynch, is Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader. In this conversation, John and I explore why leadership should be treated as a skill that can be taught and developed, what exceptional captains do differently, and how coaches can create more opportunities for athletes to actually practice leadership. We also discuss the difference between being liked and respected, how to prepare athletes for difficult conversations, why great leaders sometimes lead from behind, and the two qualities John has seen consistently show up across hundreds of conversations with elite coaches. Here's some notable highlights from our conversation: [6:00] — Would You Want to Play for You? [8:06] — Leadership Is a Skill, Not a Character Trait [11:45] — Where Have All the Leaders Gone? [15:10] — You Are Always Leading [20:41] — The Qualities of Exceptional Captains [24:17] — Leadership is a Way of Being [29:40] — Great Leaders Are Thermostats [37:30] — Preparing Athletes for the Challenges of Leadership [40:30] — Being Liked Vs. Respected [46:28] — Who Are People Gravitating Toward in Your Culture? [52:36] — You Can't Develop Leaders Without Giving Them The Reps [56:37] — Two Common Traits of Great Coaches [59:27] — Captain + Leadership Development Curriculum Learn More About John O'Sullivan: Purchase John's new book Captain hereExplore The Changing the Game Project hereLearn More About Zach: Zach's Email -- Zbrandon1022@gmail.comReserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

  2. 12 Aug

    Josh Steinbach | Head Volleyball Coach, Villanova University | Coaches Are Human Beings Too

    Josh Steinbach is the head volleyball coach at Villanova University, where he is entering his 20th season and has become the winningest coach in program history with more than 300 career victories. Before arriving at Villanova in 2007, Josh's coaching journey included stops at San Diego Mesa College, Penn State, University of Cincinnati, and Wright State. During his time at Villanova, Josh has earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year honors while building a program that has consistently competed at a high level on the court and in the classroom. In this conversation, Josh reflects on his shift as a leader from controlling to trusting, why relationships ultimately matter more than X's and O's, the importance of empowering and mentoring other coaches, and why he wants his players to leave Villanova saying, “I wish I could do that again.” Josh also opens up about navigating adversity away from volleyball, modeling vulnerability as a leader, rediscovering the joy in coaching, and his recent “learning renaissance” that has shifted him from entering the gym with all the answers to showing up with better questions. Here's some notable highlights from our conversation: [7:40] — Why Experience Made Him Less Controlling as a Coach [11:03] — The Assistant Coach Who Taught Him to Let Go [15:16] — Developing Future Head Coaches [21:18] — Finding Your Own Coaching Voice [26:40] — The North Star for Villanova Volleyball [31:49] — Coaching From Joy Instead of Relief [37:40] — Being Vulnerable With Your Players [46:34] — Why Leadership Has to Be Adaptive [48:41] — Inside His "Learning Renaissance" [55:06] — Why Mentoring Others Makes You Better [58:41] — What Josh Is Most Proud Of Learn More About Zach: Zach's Email -- Zbrandon1022@gmail.comReserve a seat at the Game Changer's Advantage Event on Sept. 4th here.Explore 1:1 coaching with Zach -- Schedule a free call here.Download my free Win More, Live Better Leadership Playbook here.You can watch the video recordings of the podcast on YouTube here.

About

Win More, Live Better is a podcast for sport coaches and high-performing leaders who care deeply about results, but refuse to compromise their well-being, joy, or relationships in the process. This show explores what it really means to win more and live better on your terms. Through stories, conversations, and practical frameworks, each episode helps you sharpen your leadership, strengthen your inner game, and build systems that support sustainable performance for you and those you lead. Hosted by Zach Brandon, a nationally recognized performance and leadership advisor who partners with elite sport coaches, executives, and high performers to help them thrive using practical tools, systems, and mindset frameworks.

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