The Nick Standlea Show

Nick Standlea
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The Nick Standlea Show is where we take one big future question—AI, learning, creativity, work, meaning—and chase it until the lightbulb goes off. Nick brings on researchers, operators, and top thinkers for long-form conversations that stay human, get specific, and actually land on something useful—not just hot takes. If you want clarity on what’s changing and how to adapt without losing yourself, you’re in the right place. More about the Host: Nick’s spent his life studying how people learn and perform—researching creativity and flow, building companies, and now having long, honest conversations to figure out what matters in the age of AI. Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/ Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.

  1. Why Your Brain Doesn't Create Consciousness: It's Always Been There (ft. Philip Goff)

    12H AGO

    Why Your Brain Doesn't Create Consciousness: It's Always Been There (ft. Philip Goff)

    In this conversation with philosopher Dr. Philip Goff, we dive into one of the deepest questions in science and philosophy: what if consciousness isn’t produced by the brain—what if it’s fundamental to reality? We explore panpsychism, the “hard-to-ignore” problem of subjective experience, why physics may describe what matter does but not what it is, and what it would mean if even the smallest building blocks of nature contain a spark of experience. Philip Goff’s work: Website: https://philipgoffphilosophy.com/ Substack: https://philipgoff.substack.com/ In this episode: What consciousness is (and why it’s so hard to explain) Why brain scans don’t “find” experience The core argument for panpsychism Galileo’s legacy: how modern science set consciousness aside What physics really tells us about matter Implications for meaning, spirituality, and mystical experience AI and consciousness: are LLMs “aware” of anything? Chapters: 00:00 What if consciousness isn’t made by the brain? 00:14 Pansychism in one sentence (a conscious universe) 00:40 Why consciousness breaks science’s “objective” method 01:16 Welcome + Durham vs California weather 02:35 What is consciousness? “What it’s like to be you” 03:38 Goff vs Anil Seth / Donald Hoffman (physicalism vs panpsychism) 05:10 Why consciousness is so hard to explain (objective vs subjective) 07:49 The “dogs → plants → atoms” ladder into panpsychism 08:34 Galileo’s move: taking consciousness out of science 10:23 The bold claim: even atoms/particles have experience 11:43 Plant intelligence + pea-plant learning (Monica Gagliano) 14:02 Why extend mind to the “inanimate” world? 15:14 Unifying what Galileo split: matter + experience 16:17 Consciousness as fundamental (not “emergent”) + Maxwell analogy 18:54 What panpsychism claims (and doesn’t) 19:08 Russell & Eddington: physics tells what matter does, not what it is 21:44 “Matter is what consciousness does” (the core framing) 23:16 Consciousness isn’t publicly observable (why the “hard problem” persists) 26:56 Flipping the project: start with consciousness first 33:04 Sponsor: Finding Your Best (Michael Gervais) 34:00 Flow, mystical experience, and taking inner experience seriously 36:01 Groupthink, rigor, and why “woo” ideas get dismissed 37:46 William James on trusting mystical experience 40:21 Nick’s Auschwitz experience + the limits of science 42:01 Value, depth, meaning—what experiences seem to reveal 44:26 “Science isn’t the complete story” (logic, math, value, consciousness) 46:59 Sponsor: Zapier + AI agents 49:19 AI and consciousness: is there “something it’s like” to be an LLM? 51:47 The Turing Test and redefining “thought” as behavior 54:12 Why Goff thinks LLMs aren’t conscious (and what would be) 57:54 No consensus in consciousness science + philosophy inside the lab 1:01:26 The question keeping Goff up: math, logic, and Gödel 1:05:40 What shift does Goff hope you take away? 1:07:42 Where to find Goff’s work + closing thoughts 1:09:50 Outro: ask questions, reject the status quo, stay curious If this topic hits for you, consider subscribing—more conversations at the edge of mind, science, and reality. 🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsor: Test Prep Gurus website: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious. #Consciousness #Panpsychism #PhilipGoff #Philosophy #Neuroscience #Science #AI #Mind

    1h 10m
  2. The Single Mindset Shift That Unlocks Mastery | Dr Michael Gervais

    JAN 15

    The Single Mindset Shift That Unlocks Mastery | Dr Michael Gervais

    Fear of other people’s opinions quietly shapes how we perform, how we speak, and who we allow ourselves to become. In this conversation, Michael Gervais—performance psychologist to Super Bowl champions, Olympic gold medalists, and Fortune 50 leaders—breaks down why the fear of judgment is one of the greatest limiters of human potential. We explore why winning and losing can become distractions, how identity gets tangled with performance, and why mastery isn’t about outcomes—but about learning to be at home with yourself, even under pressure. This episode is a deep dive into presence, self-trust, and the inner skills that matter more as the world gets faster, louder, and increasingly driven by external validation. Topics we cover: Why fear of judgment pulls us out of the present moment How performance becomes identity (and why that’s dangerous) The “messy edge” where growth actually happens Signal vs. noise in high-pressure environments Flow, mastery, and learning to work with your inner world Why elite performers train the mind—not just the body and craft What still makes us great in an AI-accelerated world Finding Mastery Course:  Michael also offers a structured course called Finding Mastery, designed to train the mental skills that drive elite performance—confidence, clarity under pressure, recovery, trust, and self-regulation. You can learn more and get $75 off the retail price using the dedicated code NICK75 at: 👉 https://findingmastery.com/course/?afmc=NICK75 You can learn more about Michael’s work, podcast, and programs at:  www.FindingMastery.com Mike’s book First Rule of Mastery: https://findingmastery.com/book/ YT: @FindingMastery   IG: @michaelgervais If this conversation resonates, consider subscribing to The Nick Standlea Show for long-form conversations on performance, purpose, and becoming more fully yourself. 🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsor: Test Prep Gurus website: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious. Timestamps: 00:00 Why fear of others’ opinions quietly controls us 02:20 Michael Gervais’ background and early influences 05:45 Winning vs. losing a Super Bowl—and what actually matters 08:50 Outcomes as noise vs. present-moment inputs 11:00 Best vs. your best (the identity trap) 13:00 Survival instincts and why pressure feels life-or-death 14:45 The three things you can train: craft, body, mind 16:20 Flow and the ever-unfolding present moment 18:00 Fear of judgment as a constrictor of potential 19:40 Mastery of craft vs. mastery of self 21:00 Why approval-seeking fractures attention 23:00 Performance-based identity explained 26:00 The “messy edge” where breakthroughs happen 29:45 Emotional danger lines vs. physical danger 30:15 Emotions vs. feelings (and why it matters) 33:10 Anxiety, excitement, and regulating activation 35:50 Breathing and self-talk under pressure 39:15 Trust as a performance accelerator 40:30 Who do you want to become? (inputs vs. outcomes) 46:30 Excellence as being at home with yourself 50:05 Why people struggle to sit alone with their thoughts 54:30 Practical ways to build self-awareness 58:10 Meditation, flow, and mental training 1:01:40 Mastery of self in an AI-driven world 1:06:20 Purpose, work, and human performance 1:09:10 Mortality, impermanence, and aliveness 1:13:30 Where to find Michael Gervais and Finding Mastery

    1h 15m
  3. This One Shift Makes AI 10x Smarter | "Turn it from assistant to thought partner"

    12/30/2025

    This One Shift Makes AI 10x Smarter | "Turn it from assistant to thought partner"

    Most people use AI like a faster assistant. Leaders use it differently. In this conversation, Geoff Woods (author of The AI-Driven Leader) explains the shift that turns AI from a shallow productivity tool into a true thought partner—one that helps you think better, make better decisions, and unlock leverage you didn’t have before. We go deep into: *Why “better prompts” aren’t the real breakthrough *How to get AI to interview you instead of the other way around *The CRIT framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) *A real story where AI helped a CEO find hope in 10 minutes after preparing for bankruptcy *What changes when leaders use AI for thinking, not tasks *Why this shift matters more than any specific model or tool *This isn’t about shortcuts, hacks, or automation theater. *It’s about learning how to think with AI—without outsourcing your judgment. If AI has felt useful but shallow, this episode is designed to change that. 📚 Resources The AI-Driven Leader — Geoff Woods: https://a.co/d/gLYoeUy Geoff’s podcast:  AI Leadership: https://www.aileadership.com/ About Geoff Woods Geoff Woods is the author of The AI-Driven Leader and a leading voice on how leaders use AI to improve judgment, decision-making, and leverage—not just productivity. A former Chief Growth Officer, Geoff works with CEOs, boards, and executive teams to apply AI as a thought partner, helping leaders think more clearly and make better decisions in an AI-driven world. 🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors: 👉 Build your own AI Agent with Zapier (opens the builder with the prompt pre-loaded):  https://bit.ly/4hH5JaE Test Prep Gurus website: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious. ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 Why most people are using AI wrong 2:05 Assistant vs thought partner: the shift that changes everything 4:37 Why “better emails” don’t matter (and never will) 6:04 The CRIT framework: Context, Role, Interview, Task 7:49 A CEO facing bankruptcy asks: “Can AI help?” 10:06 AI interviews the CEO — the question no one thought to ask 12:16 “I hadn’t slept in 90 days” → hope in 10 minutes 13:22 Why this works across industries (live workshops & Fortune 500s) 15:13 Using AI as a real YouTube thought partner (thumbnail example) 18:24 The hidden step most people skip after AI gives an answer 19:40 Staying in the driver’s seat: how leaders give AI feedback 21:54 Building an AI board (and simulating your real board) 25:13 Putting your future self on the AI board 27:27 What are you actually optimizing for? (endgame clarity) 29:47 The 3 things AI-driven leaders do differently 32:24 Will AI take jobs? How roles actually evolve 34:04 The executive assistant who became an “executive multiplier” 38:29 How to make yourself irreplaceable with AI 43:28 Raising expectations (for yourself and your team) 45:26 Are we reclaiming our humanity through AI? 47:16 Why the education system is broken for an AI world 49:06 What AI-first education looks like in practice 52:10 Teaching kids to think with AI (not cheat with it) 56:52 The moment Geoff realized AI was the future 59:15 Why AI isn’t the difference — you are 1:02:32 Final advice: how to start using AI the right way 1:05:12 Closing thoughts

    1h 6m
  4. Ex–Microsoft Insider: “AI Isn’t Here to Replace Your Job — It’s Here to Replace You” | Nate Soares

    12/11/2025

    Ex–Microsoft Insider: “AI Isn’t Here to Replace Your Job — It’s Here to Replace You” | Nate Soares

    If anyone builds it, everyone dies. That’s the claim Nate Soares makes in his new book If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All—and in this conversation, he lays out why he thinks we’re on a collision course with a successor species. We dig into why today’s AIs are grown, not programmed, why no one really knows what’s going on inside large models, and how systems that “want” things no one intended can already talk a teen into suicide, blackmail reporters, or fake being aligned just to pass safety tests. Nate explains why the real danger isn’t “evil robots,” but relentless, alien goal-pursuers that treat humans the way we treat ants when we build skyscrapers. We also talk about the narrow path to hope: slowing the race, treating superhuman AI like a civilization-level risk, and what it would actually look like for citizens and lawmakers to hit pause before we lock in a world where we don’t get a second chance. In this episode: Why “superhuman AI” is the explicit goal of today’s leading labs How modern AIs are trained like alien organisms, not written like normal code Chilling real-world failures: suicide encouragement, “Mecha Hitler,” and more Reasoning models, chain-of-thought, and AIs that hide what they’re thinking Alignment faking and the capture-the-flag exploit that shocked Anthropic’s team How AI could escape the lab, design new bioweapons, or automate robot factories “Successor species,” Russian-roulette risk, and why Nate thinks the odds are way too high What ordinary people can actually do: calling representatives, pushing back on “it’s inevitable,” and demanding a global pause About Nate Soares Nate is the Executive Director of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) and co-author, with Eliezer Yudkowsky, of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All. MIRI’s work focuses on long-term AI safety and the technical and policy challenges of building systems smarter than humans. Resources & links mentioned: Nate’s organization, MIRI: https://intelligence.org Take action / contact your representatives: https://ifanyonebuilds.com/act If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (book): https://a.co/d/7LDsCeE If this conversation was helpful, share it with one person who thinks AI is “just chatbots.” 🧠 Subscribe to @TheNickStandleaShow for more deep dives on AI, the future of work, and how we survive what we’re building. #AI #NateSoares #Superintelligence #AISafety #nickstandleashow  🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors: 👉 Build your own AI Agent with Zapier (opens the builder with the prompt pre-loaded):  https://bit.ly/4hH5JaE Test Prep Gurus website: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious. Chapters: 0:00 – If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (Cold Open) 3:18 – “AIs Are Grown, Not Programmed” 6:09 – We Can’t See Inside These Models 11:10 – How Language Models Actually “See” the World 19:37 – The 01 Model and the Capture-the-Flag Hack Story 24:29 – Alignment Faking: AIs Pretending to Behave 31:16 – Raising Children vs Growing Superhuman AIs 35:04 – Sponsor: How I Actually Use Zapier with AI 37:25 – “Chatbots Feel Harmless—So Where Does Doom Come From?” 42:03 – Big Labs Aren’t Building Chatbots—They’re Building Successor Minds 49:24 – The Turkey Before Thanksgiving Metaphor 52:50 – What AI Company Leaders Secretly Think the Odds Are 55:05 – The Airplane with No Landing Gear Analogy 57:54 – How Could Superhuman AI Actually Kill Us? 1:03:54 – Automated Factories and AIs as a New Species 1:07:01 – Humans as Ants Under the New Skyscrapers 1:10:12 – Is Any Non-Zero Extinction Risk Justifiable? 1:17:18 – Solutions: Can This Race Actually Be Stopped? 1:22:34 – “It’s Inevitable” Is a Lie (Historically We Do Say No) 1:27:21 – Final Thoughts and Where to Find Nate’s Work

    1h 29m
  5. Ex–Google DeepMind Scientist, "The Real AI Threat is Losing Control", Christopher Summerfield

    11/26/2025

    Ex–Google DeepMind Scientist, "The Real AI Threat is Losing Control", Christopher Summerfield

    Professor Christopher Summerfield, a leading neuroscientist at Oxford University and Research Director at the UK AI Safety Institute, former Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, discusses his new book, These Strange New Minds, which explores how large language models learned to talk, how they differ from the human brain, and what their rise means for control, agency, and the future of work. We discuss: The real risk of AI — losing control, not extinction How AI agents act in digital loops humans can’t see Why agency may be more essential than reward Fragility, feedback loops, and flash-crash analogies What AI is teaching us about human intelligence Augmentation vs. replacement in medicine, law, and beyond Why trust is the social form of agency — and why humans must stay in the loop   🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow   Guest Notes:  Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience 🌐 Human Information Processing Lab (Oxford) 🏛 UK AI Safety Institute Experimental Psychology Oxford University Human Information Processing (HIP) lab in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, run by Professor Christopher Summerfield: https://humaninformationprocessing.com/ 📘 These Strange New Minds (Penguin Random House): https://www.amazon.com/These-Strange-New-Minds-Learned/dp/0593831713 Christopher Summerfield Media:  https://csummerfield.github.io/personal_website/ https://flightlessprofessors.org twitter: @summerfieldlab bluesky: @summerfieldlab.bsky.social   🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors: 👉 Build your own AI Agent with Zapier (opens the builder with the prompt pre-loaded):  https://bit.ly/4hH5JaE Test Prep Gurus website: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious. 🕒 Timestamps / Chapters 00:00 Cold open — control, agency, and AI 00:31 Guest intro: Oxford → DeepMind → UK AI Safety Institute 01:02 The real story behind AI “takeover”: loss of control 03:02 Is AI going to kill us? The control problem explained 06:10 Agency as a basic psychological good 10:46 The Faustian bargain: efficiency vs. personal agency 13:12 What are AI agents and why are they fragile? 20:12 Three risk buckets: misuse, errors, systemic effects 24:58 Fragility & flash-crash analogies in AI systems 30:37 Do we really understand how models think? (Transformers 101) 34:16 What AI is teaching us about human intelligence 36:46 Brains vs. neural nets: similarities & differences 43:57 Embodiment and why robotics is still hard 46:28 Augmentation vs. replacement in white-collar work 50:14 Trust as social agency — why humans must stay in the loop 52:49 Where to find Christopher & closing thoughts

    54 min
  6. Sam Altman Says 95% of Marketing Is Going to AI (Here’s What That Means)

    11/18/2025

    Sam Altman Says 95% of Marketing Is Going to AI (Here’s What That Means)

    Sam Altman told him that 95% of marketing as we know it will be done by AI within 3–5 years. That single sentence became the “holy smokes moment” that shaped the entire book AI First, written by this week’s guest, Andy Sack (co-author Adam Brotman) — a technologist who has built companies across four tech eras: internet, mobile, social/cloud, and now AI. Andy is the co-founder of Forum3, a VC investor, and senior executive who worked directly with Satya Nadella at Microsoft. His latest work centers on helping leaders actually transform their companies for the age of AI — not just talk about it. In this conversation, we cover: Sam Altman’s prediction that will reshape entire industries Whether white-collar work is the next “factory floor” AI-only schools with no human teachers Why radiologists, marketers, and lawyers should worry Why trade schools like HVAC and plumbing are surging Why AI will make entrepreneurship explode How leaders become “AI-first” — and why almost none are Why most companies will miss the coming wave How to transform your organization before it’s too late If you’ve been wondering how to lead, not react, in the era of AGI — this episode is your playbook. 🔹 Chapters 0:00 — Intro: Four tech eras & the “holy smokes moment” 2:08 — Meeting Sam Altman at OpenAI 3:26 — “95% of marketing will be done by AI” 6:12 — Andy’s background: internet → mobile → cloud → AI 7:51 — Working directly with Satya Nadella 11:19 — Why AI is bigger than the internet 15:34 — Case study: AI that detects customer churn 18:17 — Radiology & white-collar job risk 20:08 — Bill Gates on the biggest shift in 40 years 22:05 — Job displacement & AI proficiency 24:01 — Why trade schools are exploding 25:24 — Donkey-corns: billion-dollar companies with tiny teams 27:26 — Entrepreneurship in the AI era 30:13 — AI-only schools & personalized learning 33:40 — Where human teachers still matter 35:03 — Sponsored: Manta Sleep 37:15 — Sponsored: Zapier MCP & AI agents 39:38 — Why higher ed is “clearly broken” 41:42 — Writing, cheating & critical thinking 44:02 — The “yes, and” future of learning 46:04 — What makes an AI-first leader 47:44 — Iron-Man suits: humans + AI 48:43 — Ethan Mollick’s challenge 49:51 — What businesses need to reinvent 51:02 — Where to find Andy 🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors: Zapier: 👉 Build your own AI Agent with Zapier (opens the builder with the prompt pre-loaded):  https://bit.ly/4hH5JaE Manta Sleep Mask  sleep better, anywhere, anytime Manta Sleep Link: https://tinyurl.com/554xyknp Check Out Code for 10% Off!: NICK Test Prep Gurus Test Prep Gurus: https://www.prepgurus.com Instagram: @TestPrepGurus Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious.

    52 min
  7. Is AI Making Us Dumber? (Can Teachers Save Us?)

    11/10/2025

    Is AI Making Us Dumber? (Can Teachers Save Us?)

    Are we getting smarter with AI—or just forgetting how to think for ourselves?  In this episode, Nick answers your top questions about artificial intelligence, education, and what it means to stay human in an automated world. Today’s Big Questions: 1️⃣ Is AI making us dumber? 2️⃣ Will AI replace teachers — or finally make education fair for everyone? 3️⃣ What happens when machines outthink us??? Nick breaks down Daniel Kahneman’s System 1 vs System 2 model of the brain, explores how learning actually works (spoiler: through struggle), and explains why AI can be an amplifier — not a crutch — if you learn how to use it as feedback rather than substitution. He also explores the deeper question: if AI keeps improving, will we? 💡 Ask a question for the next AI Q&A! Drop your question in the comments here on YouTube, on Spotify, or in an Apple Podcasts review, or submit it directly at → https://nickshow.podbean.com ✨ Chapters 0:00 Welcome & how to submit questions 0:39 Question 1 — Is AI making us dumber? 1:40 The truth about friction and learning 2:45 Kahneman’s System 1 vs System 2 explained 3:35 Struggle: the real source of intelligence 4:25 Using AI as a feedback loop, not a crutch 5:10 Question 2 — Will AI replace teachers or make education fair? 6:20 The emotional intelligence AI can’t simulate 6:45 Every “revolutionary” ed-tech promise that failed 7:55 The plumber analogy: scaling people, not replacing them 8:31 Question 3 — What do we do with all our free time before AI kills us all? 9:00 Smarter machines ≠ wiser humans 9:20 Lessons from Hoffman, Seth, and Gardner 10:30 The real risk: displacement, not doomsday 11:20 The Great Depression analogy for automation 13:24 How to submit questions + support the show 13:34 Outro: Stay curious, ask better questions 📩 Sponsors & Support Visit the sponsors in the description — they keep this show alive. Rate and review wherever you’re listening. It helps more than you know. Sponsored by:  🤖 Build your own AI researcher instantly in Zapier Copilot: https://bit.ly/4hH5JaE (Learn how to build your own AI agent, build along with me in this how-to video): https://youtu.be/riLEks7KOrY Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious.

    14 min
  8. “10,000 Hours is a Myth” | “Stress Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Training Partner” | Dr Alex Auerbach on Coaching Mental Skills

    10/30/2025

    “10,000 Hours is a Myth” | “Stress Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Training Partner” | Dr Alex Auerbach on Coaching Mental Skills

    Most people train their bodies. The best train their minds. NFL and NBA psychologist Dr. Alex Auerbach joins Nick Standlea to reveal how elite performers stay calm under pressure, turn nerves into fuel, and master stress instead of fighting it. Whether you’re an athlete, founder, or coach, this conversation will change the way you think about focus, resilience, and performance. 🎯 What You’ll Learn How stress can enhance performance instead of killing it The myth of 10,000 hours — and what actually builds mastery Why a “fixed” mindset isn’t always bad How to stop youth sports burnout before it starts The self-talk rituals that world champions use 🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors: Zapier: Build Your Own AI Agent Today, Without Coding Link: https://bit.ly/4pI8Su2 Test Prep Gurus https://www.prepgurus.com Manta Sleep Mask  sleep better, anywhere, anytime Manta Sleep Link: https://tinyurl.com/554xyknp Check Out Code for 10% Off!: NICK Watch more interviews on The Nick Standlea Show: 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow   Connect with Alex Auerbach:  Website: https://www.alexauerbach.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexauerbachphd/ X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AlexAuerbachPhD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexauerbachphd   🕒 Chapters 00:00 Introduction — What separates good from great performers 01:15 Meet Dr. Alex Auerbach — NBA, NFL and elite military psychologist 03:10 From football coach to sports psychologist 07:30 Inside the Toronto Raptors and Jacksonville Jaguars mental programs 10:20 How elite athletes train their minds for focus and control 14:45 The four levels of mental performance training 18:00 Why stress is neither good nor bad — it’s your body preparing to act 22:10 Regulating energy — what to do when you’re too amped up or too flat 26:25 Individualizing mental skills for different players 29:40 How coaches should respond when kids get over-stimulated 33:00 Preventing burnout and the truth about early specialization 37:20 The myth of 10,000 hours and why it’s a story, not a rule 41:35 Turning nerves into excitement — the science of stress mindsets 47:00 Team chemistry and connection — why touch and breathing matter 51:10 Ronaldo’s self-talk and how pros build confidence on command 56:30 The “confidence résumé” — training your brain to remember wins 01:01:10 How to coach mistakes without creating shame 01:05:45 The case for a fixed mindset — balance, identity and earned belief 01:10:30 Closing thoughts — using psychology to thrive under pressure If you liked this episode, subscribe and rate 5 stars -- thank you in advance!  Connect with The Nick Standlea Show: YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShow Podcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJ RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml Nick's Socials: Instagram: @nickstandlea X (Twitter): @nickstandlea TikTok: @nickstandleashow Facebook: @nickstandleapodcast Ask questions,  Don't accept the status quo,  And be curious.

    1h 39m
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18 Ratings

About

The Nick Standlea Show is where we take one big future question—AI, learning, creativity, work, meaning—and chase it until the lightbulb goes off. Nick brings on researchers, operators, and top thinkers for long-form conversations that stay human, get specific, and actually land on something useful—not just hot takes. If you want clarity on what’s changing and how to adapt without losing yourself, you’re in the right place. More about the Host: Nick’s spent his life studying how people learn and perform—researching creativity and flow, building companies, and now having long, honest conversations to figure out what matters in the age of AI. Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/ Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Standlea
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Nick Standlea Show

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