Ryan Lavarnway spent ten seasons in Major League Baseball and was called up and sent back down to the minors 26 times over 12 years. He was the slowest player on his high school team, never started a single varsity game at his natural position, and read in old newspaper clippings that every coach he ever had called him both the hardest worker they had seen and an unlikely success. At 17, desperate to be seen, Ryan raised his hand when his high school coach wondered aloud who would bat fourth. The coach didn't laugh. He asked, "Why not you?" Ryan didn't have an answer, and the doubts that had been running his head suddenly had nowhere to go. That question carried him to Yale, the majors, a World Series ring, and the Olympics with Team Israel. In this conversation, Ryan tells Lori how he trained the mental side of a career built on uncertainty: controlling what he could control each day, raising the floor instead of the ceiling, refusing to call any goal "unrealistic," and deliberately drafting the people he needs around him. He also shares the one thing he misses now that he has retired: waking up and knowing exactly what a win looks like. What You'll Take Away Why the question "Why not you?" can turn self-doubt into a roadmap of hurdles to clearHow to raise the floor, not the ceiling: give 100% of what you have on the days you don't feel your bestWhy calling a goal "unrealistic" is the first step toward not reaching it, and what to call it insteadThe six roles worth drafting onto your team: a coach, a peer, a gambler, an analyst, a cheerleader, and a BS meterWhy life after a scoreboard requires you to decide for yourself what a win looks like today, this month, and this year Guest Bio Ryan Lavarnway played ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher after starring at Yale, and is a World Series champion and an Olympian who represented Team Israel at the Tokyo Olympics. Over 12 years he was added to and removed from Major League rosters 26 times, a career he describes as proof that resilience, adaptability, and self-belief can beat the odds. Today he is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and leadership coach who helps teams and individuals unlock their potential. He is also an Ironman, a 90s music fan, a coffee addict, and a proud girl dad. Chapters & Key Timestamps 00:00 Cold open: 26 call-ups and the question "Why not you?" 01:21 Meeting at the Warrior Defined men's retreat 02:24 How "do your best" became "be the best" in a young athlete's mind 03:45 A father who coached by asking Ryan to teach him 05:00 From catcher to the slowest outfielder, and back again 07:03 Every coach called him the hardest worker, and an unlikely success 08:40 The mental side of being sent down 26 times 10:01 Control what you can control today 11:43 Raise the floor, not the ceiling 12:29 The high school coach who asked, "Why not you?" 15:04 Keep the goal audacious, make the next step small 16:59 Why you should never call your goal unrealistic 18:56 Draft your team: coach, peer, gambler, analyst, cheerleader, BS meter 21:42 Letting people be who they naturally are for you 25:16 Going after the Olympic opportunity instead of waiting for it 26:31 New North Stars: husband, father, and life after baseball 27:17 What he misses most: knowing what a win is 28:51 A career's worth of walk-up songs 30:15 Where to find Ryan 30:46 Lori's five takeaways Resources Mentioned Book: The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World by Brad Stulberg - https://www.bradstulberg.org/p/the-way-of-excellenceBook: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (mentioned by Lori)Research: Goal-setting research by Locke, Shaw, Saari, and Latham (see Research & Sources)Walk-up Songs: "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison and "Head & Heart" by Joel Corry featuring MNEK (his two most frequent); others over the years included "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas, "What It's Like" by Everlast, "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder Connect With Ryan Lavarnway Website: https://ryanlavarnway.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lavarnway/ Ryan is available for keynote speaking, workshops, and leadership coaching. Reach out through his website or LinkedIn. Continue With Lori Website: https://zenrabbit.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisaitz/ Email: Lori@ZenRabbit.com Invitation From Lori Zen Rabbit This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit. Trust is the foundation of all great workplaces, and in today's hybrid, fast-moving work culture, it's built through consistent, clear, human communication. Quarterly town halls, Slack messages, or team-building events are rarely enough to create the connection employees need. That's why forward-thinking companies are hiring Lori to create internal and private podcasts that bring leaders and employees together through authentic stories and real conversations. Think of it as the old-school company newsletter reinvented for the modern workplace. If your company wants to strengthen communication, connection, community, and culture, connect with Lori at Lori@ZenRabbit.com or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisaitz/ Related Conversation Episode 243: The Fire Pit Confession That Rebuilt His Life with Henry Tolbert Another conversation about resilience, rebuilding after a setback, and the people who help you get back up. About FINE is a 4-Letter Word FINE is a 4-Letter Word is the show for leaders who are tired of pretending everything is fine. We explore what it takes to lead with empathy, vulnerability, gratitude, and courage, especially during the seasons when life and leadership feel anything but fine. Listen for honest conversations about how human connection influences innovation, retention, leadership, and real impact. New episodes every week. Follow FINE is a 4-Letter Word Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. If this conversation gave you something useful to think about, leave a review. Reviews help more people discover the show and join the conversation. Research & Sources Ryan cites a "Harvard Business Review study" showing that people with a high, specific goal "perform 90% better" than those with a vague intention. The figure most often cited comes from a review of goal-setting research by Locke, Shaw, Saari, and Latham (1981), which found that specific, challenging goals led to higher performance than easy or "do your best" goals in roughly 90% of the studies reviewed. The 90% refers to how consistently the effect appeared, not to the size of the improvement. Source: Locke, E. A., Shaw, K. N., Saari, L. M., & Latham, G. P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance: 1969-1980. Psychological Bulletin, 90(1), 125-152. Summary: https://www.mindtools.com/azazlu3/lockes-goal-setting-theory/"Raise the floor" is a concept Ryan attributes to Brad Stulberg's book The Way of Excellence.Career facts (Yale; MLB 2011 to 2021; Team Israel at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021) checked against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Lavarnway
