The High Performance Life

Scott Danner
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As High-Performers, we're all after three things: to do it all, have it all, and feel good about it, too. Some will say, "it's all about "balance", but I've got a different story to share with you…. This podcast is going to take you into the minds of some of the world's Top Performers in Business, Relationships, Health, and Mindset, and give you hands-on methods to move from feeling you're merely managing your High Performance Life, to MASTERING it.

  1. 3D AGO

    Expert Psychologist: This Is Why You Keep Repeating The Same Mistakes

    After 45 years of helping families, couples, and individuals, Dr. Larry Waldman has seen the same patterns repeat themselves again and again. Fear of failure. Avoiding help. Self-sabotage. And the powerful ways childhood shapes the adults we become. In this conversation, Dr. Waldman shares lessons from nearly half a century in clinical psychology, working with marriages on the brink, struggling parents, high performers battling imposter syndrome, and individuals trying to break free from the stories they tell themselves. We talk about why people resist getting help even when they desperately need it, how early childhood experiences quietly shape our mindset for decades, and why fear of failure keeps so many people stuck in careers, relationships, and situations they know aren't right. Dr. Waldman also shares deeply personal reflections about his own upbringing, his father's struggles in business, and the lessons that shaped his life and career. This episode is full of practical wisdom about parenting, relationships, personal responsibility, and the mindset shifts that allow people to move forward, even when life feels uncertain. About Dr. Larry Waldman Dr. Larry F. Waldman, Ph.D., ABPP is a Phoenix, Arizona licensed clinical and forensic psychologist who recently became semi-retired after a 45-year private practice. Over the course of his career, he worked with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults, and consulted with attorneys in areas including family law, personal injury, immigration, and estate planning—all while navigating the life of a successful entrepreneur and raising two sons. He earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, completed his Ph.D. at Arizona State University, and received Diplomate status (ABPP) in 2003. Dr. Waldman has served in leadership and advisory roles across the profession, including: Past President of the Maricopa Psychological Society Director of Psychological Services at Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale Adjunct graduate professor in counseling He is also certified as an ACE senior fitness specialist and a certified yoga instructor. Dr. Waldman is the author of eight books and a seasoned speaker who brings practical, engaging "edutainment" to topics like parenting, marriage, stress, business psychology, and personal development. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why many people still avoid seeking mental health help—even when they clearly need it The stigma around mental health and how it prevents people from improving their lives The fine line between coaching and therapy—and why having someone to talk to is critical for growth Why imposter syndrome and fear of failure often hold people back in their careers How childhood experiences and parenting styles shape confidence, resilience, and independence The powerful role parents play in shaping their children through everyday behavior—not just words Why trying—even when you fail—is always better than staying stuck in fear

    58 min

  2. MAR 3

    "Life Begins When You Find Yourself (Why I Started Questioning Everything)"

    In this week's episode, I am joined by Light Watkins! Light Watkins is a bestselling author, speaker, podcast host, and mindfulness expert focused on helping people create presence and fulfillment "from the inside out." He's the author of five books, including Bliss More, Travel Light, and his newest, The Year You Transform, which introduces his "Tortoise Approach to Change"—building lasting change through small, 7-day commitments. He also leads an online community called The Happiness Insiders, has spoken for Fortune 500 companies, and has led workshops around the world.  Key Takeaways Why success without inner work leads to emptiness The difference between being "on" vs being your authentic self How discomfort is the gateway to presence and growth Why most people sabotage fulfillment by chasing big changes The "No Complaining" challengeand why it's harder than you think The Tortoise Approach: small, consistent habits that actually transform your life Best Moments  02:46 – What it really means to be your "true self" "Being your true self is who you would be if you didn't care so much about what other people thought about you… and if you were focused on making a difference." 05:57 – The real goal: presence, not success "Most people ultimately want to feel connected… fulfilled… like their life matters. And the umbrella term for all of that is presence."  06:30 – Why discomfort is necessary "In order to get to that state of presence, we need to inoculate ourselves with some discomfort."  "A lot of the most uncomfortable moments in your life were actually the most profound ones."  08:24 – Why we resist growth in our own lives "We love the drama and growth in movies… but we reject it when it happens in our own life."  11:54 – You don't need to change your environment "You don't need to go across the world to have that experience—you can bring that experience to where you are." 13:48 – The moment success didn't fulfill him "I saw myself on a billboard in Times Square… and I realized, it didn't really make me feel that different inside."  16:34 – The lie we're sold about success "The sense of fulfillment that I thought was going to come from that… didn't come."  18:47 – Where fulfillment actually comes from "The goodness we're looking for… is really in the small moments."  30:33 – The power of shifting from frustration to gratitude "I went from frustration to appreciation… and that moment stayed with me for years."  34:44 – The hardest habit: no complaining "Seven days without complaining… almost everyone takes longer than seven days to do it."  "What you realize is—you're surrounded by complainers, because it's how we bond."  36:40 – The 3 paths to change "The first path is 'Eat, Pray, Love'—blow your life up… and that rarely works the way people think."  38:36 – Why people break under pressure "That breaking point didn't happen in two seconds—it was building for years." 40:25 – The Tortoise Approach to transformation "You want to optimize for consistency… not intensity."  "There's no graduation date—you just keep showing up."  44:52 – Success vs fulfillment "You're not going to be more fulfilled just because you get to the money faster."  47:36 – The uncomfortable truth "Here's how you know you're the problem… you think they're the problem."  49:37 – Where change actually starts "If you're the problem… you also have the solution.

    53 min

  3. FEB 24

    The Modern Crisis That Is Keeping You Stuck, Sick, & Unhappy | Michael Easter

    In this week's episode, I am joined by Michael Easter! Michael Easter is a bestselling author, journalist, and professor whose work explores the intersection of performance, health, and modern life. He is the author of The Comfort Crisis, a New York Times bestseller credited with helping popularize rucking—walking with added weight—as a powerful tool for physical and mental resilience. His latest book, WALK WITH WEIGHT: The Definitive Guide to Rucking (Feb 2026), blends science, evolutionary history, and practical guidance to show how one of the most fundamental human movements can dramatically improve strength, endurance, mood, and longevity. Named  "The Workout of 2024" by GQ, rucking has been embraced by leading voices in health and performance. Michael's work challenges the modern obsession with comfort and aesthetics, advocating instead for sustainable, functional habits that build real resilience—physically and mentally.   Key Takeaways -Most people don't struggle from lack of knowledge—they struggle from choosing comfort over action - The "2% mindset": why only a small percentage choose the harder (but better) path - Simple, ancient behaviors (like walking, being outdoors, and community) still outperform complex routines - Why "perfect" health optimization often backfires—and what actually works long-term - How small daily decisions (like taking the stairs) compound into massive life changes - Why rucking (walking with weight) may be the highest ROI habit for strength, endurance, and longevity    Best Moments 00:00 – Why modern life is engineered for comfort (and why that's a problem) 03:00 – We've never had more health information… so why are we worse off? 07:03 – "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough" 08:58 – How comfort is quietly damaging our relationships 10:14 – The 2% mindset: choosing discomfort for long-term gain 18:58 – Why small habits (like stairs) create massive long-term change 21:03 – The real secret to building consistency (just start) 23:21 – Why rucking is one of the highest ROI habits you can do 27:41 – How to stack habits into your daily life without extra time

    45 min

  4. FEB 17

    Being A Workaholic Can Cost You Your Life | Amy Leneker

    Amy Leneker is an optimistic, joy-seeking, recovering workaholic—and a leadership consultant with more than 25 years of experience, including a decade in the C-suite. Over the course of her career, she has helped more than 100,000 leaders, teams, and organizations—from Fortune 100 companies to the public sector—thrive at work through keynotes, coaching, and training centered on less stress and more joy. A first-generation college student, Amy earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees while working full-time and later raising a family. She has studied leadership at Yale, neuroscience through the NeuroLeadership Institute, and stress resilience at Harvard Medical School. Her work and insights have been featured in outlets such as Fast Company, Inc., and CEOWORLD Magazine. Amy is the author of Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy (Wiley, March 24, 2026). In her work, she helps leaders understand what real joy actually is—defining it as the intersection of meaning at work, feeling that we matter in relationships, and purpose in what we do. Key Points • Burnout signs often overlooked • Why work addiction gets rewarded • The journey from stress to joy • The importance of self-care • Resetting work-life balance   Best Quotes 03:29 - 03:42 • "It was awful, and it was, I often say that I burnt out in a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad way. It was the worst, one of the worst experiences of my life." 05:32 - 05:46 • "I started my own company thinking I was gonna be a, a, a modern CEOA burnout free CEO. And two years later, I found myself in the exact same spot. So that's when the real reckoning began, which is what is driving this." 05:46 - 05:50 • "This isn't about external forces, this is about me." 23:00 - 23:23 • "The problem was me. So I, I took myself wherever I went, and it was such a, a wild awakening and not in a great way. So I had been looking at this wellness retreat for years... So I just took it. I didn't even check with my husband because I knew that anything that made me less, like I was in that moment, he was gonna say, I'm in. I'm all in." 24:30 - 24:38 • "It wasn't an external demand that was causing me so much pain, it wasn't an external demand that was making me a workaholic." 25:26 - 25:31 • "The number one shame trigger at work is the fear of irrelevance."

    59 min

  5. FEB 10

    Why Corporate Culture Is Broken (It's Not What You Think) | Ashley Herd

    In this week's episode, I am joined by Ashley Herd! Ashley Herd is a former Chief People Officer and General Counsel, leadership speaker, and podcast host who has trained more than 250,000 managers through LinkedIn Learning and live corporate programs. Throughout her career, she has helped professionals navigate leadership challenges with greater clarity and confidence, translating complex workplace dynamics into practical tools leaders can actually use. After leading HR and Legal teams at McKinsey, Yum! Brands, and Modern Luxury, Ashley founded Manager Method to bring better management training to organizations of all sizes. She is a top LinkedIn Learning instructor and co-host of the HR Besties podcast. As CEO of Manager Method, Ashley equips managers with proven frameworks that strengthen accountability, communication, and team performance—because better managers build better workplaces. Her forthcoming book, The Manager Method (Feb 10, 2026), delivers a simple, repeatable approach for real-world leadership moments—hiring, feedback, conflict, and leading through change—grounded in her signature Pause–Consider–Act framework. Key Points • Culture is shaped by direct managers. • High performers can face accidental punishment. • Leadership involves feedback, conflict, and change. • "Pause, consider, act" enhances management. • A 60-second reset makes tough conversations easier. Best Quotes 03:15 - 03:25 • "I say to people often, it's hard to have this company culture. There's often manager cultures. If you're gonna look at Glassdoor for example, I mean, I've done this at places I've worked, and I will look at Glassdoor and I will see comments." 04:43 - 05:00 • "Well, you know, what's, what's kind of funny to that point? Such a great point. And what I, what I find is the bigger an organization gets, the harder culture becomes at a, at a grander scale. The the, and to your point, the more micro it becomes, who is, who is directly responsible for you?" 07:58 - 08:10 • "I remember my first day of my corporate job or my first week I was, I was doing in sales, I did this before I went to law school. I was cold calling chief financial officers for the like fortune 1000 Chief financial officers." 18:21 - 18:36 • "Because one thing I say is, as a leader, something that's important to know is nobody on your team should feel like they have to share things about them, especially personal things. But too often people feel afraid to share the real parts of, of themselves and their lives outside of work." Learn more about Ashley's book "Manager Method", click here: https://www.managermethod.com/book

    55 min

  6. FEB 3

    7 Truths About the Mind That Hold Us Back | Tim Packer

    In this week's episode, I am joined by Tim Packer! Tim is a celebrated Canadian artist and former police detective who walked away from a stable career to pursue a lifelong creative calling. Since making that leap, he has built a thriving, multi-million-dollar art business—selling original works, self-publishing prints, and running a top-tier online art academy that has helped thousands of artists grow both creatively and professionally. Through the Tim Packer Art Academy and his upcoming book, You Can Sell Your Art, Tim teaches artists how to master not only the creative side of their craft, but also the business fundamentals required for long-term success. Passionate about demystifying the art world, he challenges the myth that success is reserved for the "naturally talented," breaking down what actually works, what doesn't, and how artists can build sustainable careers doing what they love. Key Points • Growth mindset unlocked art career success. • Talent grows; it's not just bestowed. • Overcome fear and step into uncertainty. • Your potential talent is virtually limitless. • Impactful art goes beyond "good enough." Best Quotes 03:46 - 03:53 • "And as soon as I kind of came across the idea of the growth mindset, I thought, first of all, I thought, I don't really believe this." 04:48  • "And then January of 2000, I quit my job, walked away from my pension, and started my life as a full-time artist." 06:30 - 06:47 • "The very first thing you have to change is your mindset and the idea that you are not limited by the skills, competencies, whatever you have now, that you can improve on anything and that your potential talent is really unlimited." 09:17 - 09:27 • "It takes courage because you have to be okay with the uncertainty that comes about. Because a lot of the times, the choices you're making, they're not the logical, safe choices." 10:02 - 10:09 • "I mean, for me, I was, I was making my best year ever. I made like $280,000 from the sale of my art." 11:26 - 11:36 • "You have to have the courage that things might fail, but you also need to be smart about taking risks where failure's not gonna take you out of the game." 19:44 - 19:49 • "Once you have enough money to live the life you're comfortable with, well more money is just zeros in your Bank account." 23:18 - 23:29 • "If the more people that love your work and love it to the degree they actually make poor choices financially when they shouldn't be buying your work and they actually spend money on it. 'Cause they just have to have it." 40:08 - 40:13 • "Frustration comes about when the, what happens in reality doesn't meet our expectations."

    1h 9m

  7. JAN 27

    Why You Have Love & Relationships All Wrong | Baya Voce

    Baya Voce is a relationship repair expert who helps couples rebuild connection when communication has broken down and loneliness has taken hold. With a Master of Social Work from Columbia University and advanced training in Relational Life Therapy under Terry Real, she combines evidence-based therapeutic approaches with the clarity, practicality, and directness of coaching. In addition to her clinical and coaching work, Baya collaborates with Rick Doblin and MAPS, alongside Columbia University, on research exploring MDMA-assisted couples therapy and its potential to deepen relational connection. Her TEDx talk on loneliness—viewed more than five million times—highlights the often-unspoken emotional cost of disconnection in modern relationships. Based in Austin, Texas, Baya works with couples seeking reconnection, greater clarity, or even a respectful separation, grounded in her core belief that genuine repair is the most powerful antidote to loneliness. Key Points • Impact of phones on relationship intimacy • Translation of complaints to growth opportunities • Relational loneliness vs. solitary loneliness • Enlightened self-interest in partnerships • Shifting from "fixing" to self-evolving within conflict Best Quotes 17:34 - 17:42 • "What are the understanding, what are the relationship needs, which are gonna be very different than your individual preferences." 22:03 - 22:10 • "Maybe I wanna be more independent. I wanna feel actually like I can handle the tension of differentiation." 23:34 - 23:43 • "But how, how I look back on the giving is that I'm so all on all the time that as I've gotten older..." 48:46 - 48:50 • "When two people can come into couples therapy and be like, here's the thing that's really hard for me." 51:18 - 51:23 • "We have a culture where phones are a, are a, they're like a third pillar in our relationships."

    1h 1m

  8. JAN 20

    How To Reclaim Your Health In 2026 | Dr. Aaron Hartman

    Dr. Aaron Hartman, MD is a board-certified Family Medicine physician, an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP), and the founder of Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine (RIFM). A Virginia native, he completed his medical training at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Medical College of Virginia, finishing his Family Medicine residency at MCV. He later earned advanced credentials in Integrative, Holistic, and Functional Medicine through the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine, the American Board of Physician Specialties, and the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Hartman also served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force, holding leadership roles including Clinic Director and Medical Director, with assignments that included Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. In addition to founding the Virginia Research Center, he has participated in numerous clinical trials—contributing to research published in The Lancet—and has served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the VCU School of Medicine since 2011. He is the author of UnCurable, a deeply personal account of his adopted daughter Anna, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and given a bleak prognosis. Through her story, Dr. Hartman introduces what he describes as a "hidden revolution" in functional medicine, challenging conventional assumptions about what is possible in health and healing. Key Points • Healthcare's blind spots exposed • The impact of diet on health discussed • Personal stories of medical defiance • The role of self-advocacy in health • Importance of foundational health practices Best Quotes 03:52 - 04:00 • "You'll get referred to five specialists to get five different diagnoses, six different medications, three surgery recommendations, and leave, having no idea what's going on." 08:53 - 08:56 • "The experts don't know and they don't know what they don't know." 09:07 - 09:11 • "I call these blind spots. These are things that, that we think to be true though just aren't true." 20:00 - 20:06 • "My journey with my family was I'm this typical doctor, academic minded, you know, above average intelligence, hard worker."   24:45 - 24:52 • "The book, we talked about this, but my, my admonition is the people is don't accept the standard of care, don't accept status quo."

    55 min
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As High-Performers, we're all after three things: to do it all, have it all, and feel good about it, too. Some will say, "it's all about "balance", but I've got a different story to share with you…. This podcast is going to take you into the minds of some of the world's Top Performers in Business, Relationships, Health, and Mindset, and give you hands-on methods to move from feeling you're merely managing your High Performance Life, to MASTERING it.

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