The Hitstreak

Nick Hiter
  • 5.0 (21)
  • Entrepreneurship

“The Hitstreak” is a podcast hosted by the one and only Nick Hiter. Former professional athlete and serial entrepreneur, Nick has also recently been featured by CBS, NBC, FOX, The New York Times, and others. This show allows Nick the chance to meet, collaborate, and feature other successful individuals that have great stories to tell; whether it be personal or professional. This world is filled with too many people who are doing amazing things that haven't been talked about enough. This podcast is here to shed some light on some of those untold stories from some incredible people.

  1. 2d ago

    Why You Freeze When It Counts (And How to Fix It)

    The Nick Hiter Show — Why You Freeze When It Counts (And How to Fix It) In this one, I take you inside a high stakes call and break down what it actually takes to perform when the pressure is real. Comfort isn't a personality trait, it's a skill, and I walk through how I build it: eliminate the environment, lock in on the purpose of the meeting, and prepare until the moment can't shake you. I share the story of my first pro game, when I was so nervous I could barely throw the ball back to the pitcher, and what that taught me about how much the environment matters. From there we get into time management and the truth that we all get the same 24 hours, the Arnold Schwarzenegger "sleep faster" story, why anything holding you back is knowledge based, and how proximity, including the six to eight hours a day you give your screen, is quietly shaping your beliefs. Key Takeaways: If you're prepared, you're comfortable. Comfort is a skill you build, not a feeling you wait for. Eliminate the environment. Strip every meeting down to its purpose and the outcome it has to produce. If you've earned the right to be in the room, you'll stay in the room long enough to get another shot. When you pray for something, you don't get it. You get the opportunity to do it. Most of us are prepared for the work. The environment is what we've never felt before. We all get the same 24 hours. Some people build empires with them, some build nothing. The heavier the lift, the more intentional and consistent your time investment has to be. What it takes is what it takes. You just get to choose whether you're willing to pay it. Anything holding you back is knowledge based. If you want to change your beliefs, get new information. Proximity is everything you consume, including your screen. Remove the temptation and only give yourself options that serve you. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    Why You Freeze When It Counts (And How to Fix It)

  2. Aug 21

    You'll Never Outlive Your Self-Image

    The Nick Hiter Show — You'll Never Outlive Your Self-Image In this one, I get into what really separates the people who perform under pressure from the people who fold — and it starts with pace. I break down why pace is the ultimate KPI, how streamlining communication turns weeks of work into minutes, and why the way you talk to yourself sets the ceiling on everything you do in public. I open up about a wild stretch of work across time zones, a massive faith-and-film project, and the lesson that keeps proving itself: you have to go first, stay calm, and remove the emotion so the message stays clear. We get into the Parable of the Talents and capacity-based trust, why comfort can quietly become a trap, and how studying the leaders I've been around — Troy, Brad, and others — taught me that nobody wins on accident. Key Takeaways: - Pace is the real KPI — but the right pace depends on the size of the deal. - Enrich communication first: clarity and speed beat volume every time. - To play at that level, you have to pay at that level. - Go first — you can't ask people to do what you haven't done yourself. - Emotion is a tool; the moment it overrides the message, you've lost the point. - Respond, don't react — process the emotion privately, then say the clean version. - You'll never outlive your own self-image, so talk to yourself like a hero. - The Parable of the Talents: burying opportunity out of fear is the real failure. - Comfort can be a calling — or a trap; know which season you're in. - Replicating yourself means building someone who can do it better than you. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    You'll Never Outlive Your Self-Image

  3. Aug 21

    Episode 253: TikTok Fame, American Idol & His Genre-Bending Debut Album w/ Bryant Thomas

    Episode 253 of The Hitstreak, a podcast where we talk about anything and everything! This week we are joined by Southern crossover artist and American Idol Top 30 Bryant Thomas! Episode in a Glance: In this episode of The Hitstreak, I sit down with Bryant Thomas, a Southern crossover artist and American Idol Top 30 who is in Nashville recording his debut album. Bryant was a fire protection inspector in Alabama with no friends his own age and no drive, posting Christmas music in June and playing seven hour TikTok Lives for four viewers, when Alyona Palhof, the woman who would become his wife, found him and believed in him more than anyone ever had. We get into the leap of faith that ended his party band days, how Big Vinnie sent his picture straight to Luke Bryan, the audition where producers had to ask him to act excited, and the moment he got down on one knee on the American Idol stage and forgot to actually ask the question. Plus the album with no genre, nine instruments and a trombone on stage, the Blues Tavern jam family that shaped his sound, his sister beating a thirty percent survival rate as a little girl, and the prayer that took him from 20,000 to 275,000 monthly listeners in one month. Key Points: - TikTok Live takes the gatekeeping out of the industry. It connects you straight to the people. - Somebody believing in you can be the reason you start believing in yourself. - The dice do not work if you do not roll them. - Golden ticket or not, you can walk out of the room a winner. - Nobody can make your art better than you. - Serve the song. The genre is not the point. - You are a songwriter when you are writing songs, so always be writing. - There is no way to succeed following in someone else's footsteps. You will always be behind them. - Everything you learn in life applies to music, and everything you learn in music applies to life. - God does not give you things you are not ready for. About our guest: Bryant Thomas is a Southern crossover artist and American Idol Top 30 from the Gulf Coast, raised on Mobile Bay. Classically trained in music from middle school through college and in jazz band from sixth grade on, he plays nine instruments, including the trombone he brings on stage to set his shows apart. He spent his Monday nights jamming with the old heads of the Blues Tavern, a historic stop on the Gulf Coast blues circuit, and it taught him the thing his music still runs on: it does not have to be perfect, it has to be real. After high school he worked as a fire protection inspector in Alabama, and a TikTok account he started almost as a joke turned into the whole road: a viral Taylor Swift cover led American Idol to reach out, the auditions led to the Top 30, and at his audition he got down on one knee and proposed to Alyona Palhof, the woman who found him on TikTok when he was, in his words, nobody. Now based in Florida and recording his debut album Rock Bottom in Nashville, he has Shoulda Known, Drinking Again and Drunken Denial out now, with the big ballads still to come. Follow and contact: Instagram: @Bryant.Thomas.Band Website: BryantThomasMusic.com Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

  4. Aug 14

    Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek "DY" Young)

    The Nick Hiter Show — Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek Young) In this one, I sit down with Derek Young — DY — for one of the most honest, layered conversations we've had on the show. Derek's a leadership and executive coach who's guided well over a thousand leaders, and he brings a rare mix of wisdom, faith, and hard-earned perspective. We get into his concept of "honest positivity" — how the way you speak to yourself literally reshapes your outcomes — and why insecurity quietly kills creativity, productivity, and growth. Derek opens up about raising his daughter Kristianna, who has Down syndrome, and how she reshaped his worldview, his leadership, and his sense of purpose. We talk about treating everyone like they have special needs, leadership as service instead of status, the "Joseph season" where hardship forges you for what's next, and the mantra that's stuck with me — give people their flowers before they die. Key Takeaways: - Honest positivity: what you think, frame, say, and hear, you plant — so speak to yourself in the affirmative. - Insecurity kills creativity, productivity, and growth — in you and in the people you lead. - Don't let labels — yours or anyone else's — limit who you can become. - Treat everyone like they have special needs, because everyone is carrying something. - Leadership isn't about your title or status; it's about what the people become. - Hardship is a "Joseph season" — it forges you for responsibility you aren't ready for yet. - Give people their flowers before they die: make appreciation specific, intentional, and on time. - If it doesn't come to you naturally, schedule it until it becomes muscle memory. Chapters: 00:00 Opening Reflections and Personal Presence 02:50 "Do It Now" and Acting With Urgency 06:11 Insecurity and How It Blocks Growth 08:02 Honest Positivity Explained 15:35 Kristianna's Diagnosis and Its Impact 18:57 The Perspective Shift on Down Syndrome 31:25 The Joseph Story: Hardship as Preparation 37:44 "What Doesn't Kill You Might Just Kill You" 42:03 "I May Not Be Cute, But I'm Compassionate and Confidential" 44:29 "Give People Their Flowers Before They Die" About Derek Young: Derek Young — known as DY — is a motivational speaker and culture and career strategist who helps individuals, keynote audiences, and C-suite leaders rapidly transform their culture with real, practical solutions. His insight is born from decades in serious work situations: he conducted systems, financial, and operational audits for the Federal Reserve System in the mid-'80s, helped establish communication protocols for the collections division at Sprint's global headquarters, and strengthened the first diversity pipelines for Fortune 1000 companies in Middle Tennessee through INROADS. He went on to serve as Dollar General's first head of corporate social responsibility and first head of continuous process improvement, and as Cracker Barrel's first leader of diversity, inclusion, and community outreach. Raised by his mother and grandmother in the Blumeyer housing project in St. Louis, DY entered high school at 12, college at 16, and corporate America at 20. Above everything, he leads with his faith and his family — he and his wife Allyson are the proud parents of Kayla, Kelton, Kendall, and Kristianna — guided by his life motto: "God First, Others Second, Dreams Third." Follow and contact: Derek Young (DY): @dyspeaks | derekyoungspeaks.com Instagram: @nickhiter Nickhiter.com Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek "DY" Young)

  5. Aug 7

    You Can Help Anybody, But You Shouldn't Help Everybody

    The Nick Hiter Show — Who You Help Matters In this one, I get into a lesson that's reshaped how I lead: who you help matters — and helping the right people, in the right way, changes everything. I talk about the difference between a handout and a hand up, and why "helping" the wrong person often just builds dependency instead of real progress. We get into the pace of high-level operators, what it looks like to surround yourself with people who move fast and pull you forward, and the discernment it takes to know when to give, when to hold back, and when to go get what's yours. I also open up about building the right team — the right seats at the right time — and why real growth comes from choosing people who are actually ready to level up. Key Takeaways: - Big ideas only matter if you can act on them and bring them to life. - Success is almost always built through the help, guidance, and investment of others. - Not everyone wants the same kind of help — and not all help is actually helpful. - "Helping" the wrong people creates dependency instead of progress. - Wisdom is knowing when to give, when to hold back, and when to push forward. - Growth requires choosing people who are ready to level up. - Leadership is building the right team, the right seats, and the right structure at the right time. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    You Can Help Anybody, But You Shouldn't Help Everybody

  6. Aug 7

    Episode 252: Best Playing Surfaces in the SEC? Inside Vanderbilt's Athletic Fields w/ Adam Adkins.

    This week we are joined by the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University, Adam Adkins! Episode in a Glance: In this episode of The Hitstreak, I sit down with Adam Adkins, the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University and a guy I have known for 30 years. Adam and a team of five or six are responsible for nearly every varsity athletic surface on campus, roughly 24 acres with 11 and a half of that natural turf, and the standard never moves no matter what the weather does. We get into how my own dad taught a five foot twelve year old left hander to pitch, the summer Adam grew from five foot four to six foot two, the wake up call of an SEC locker room, and the phone call that talked him into an Augusta National internship he was ready to turn down. Plus what he looks for on a resume, why most people stop evolving the day school ends, the morning someone sprayed weedkiller on greens worth millions, and why you will never outlive your own self image. Key Points: - Trust the process only works once you have stacked enough wins that you would be a fool not to. - Somebody has to see it in you first, and then have the patience to stay with you. - Consistency is the whole job. The weather changes, the surface does not. - Culture starts at recruiting. Hire like minded people and it stops being a job. - You can plan for a year and something will still go wrong, so hire for how people adapt. - Personal development stops being automatic the day you leave school. After that it is a choice. - A degree without a way to apply it is a skill you cannot monetize. - Getting out of your comfort zone is how you find out what you actually love. - The more you learn, the faster you admit somebody else knows more than you. - Attention to detail can be explained to you, but you do not understand it until it is yours to own. About our guest: Adam Adkins is the Sports Field Manager at Vanderbilt University, where he and his team look after nearly every varsity athletic surface on campus, roughly 24 acres of playing surface with 11 and a half acres of natural turf. Raised in middle Tennessee, he learned to pitch as a five foot twelve year old left hander under Mickey Hiter, Travis Copley and Lin Pilgrim, grew from five foot four to six foot two the summer before his junior year, and capped his high school career with a state championship before heading to the University of Tennessee, where he pitched and studied turf grass management. An internship at Augusta National that he nearly declined pulled him toward golf, and he spent 14 years as a golf course superintendent across middle Tennessee, starting at Vanderbilt Legends out of college. He returned to the sports side at Vanderbilt roughly two years ago. He credits Hall of Fame superintendent Joe Kennedy with giving him his start, and says being around coaches like Tim Corbin and Clark Lea is the part of the job he would never trade. Follow and contact: Instagram: @Adkins31 Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

  7. Jul 31

    The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life

    The Nick Hiter Show — The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life In this one, I get real about the difference between having a title and actually being the leader that title demands. I open up about the moment I realized I had "CEO" on paper but wasn't operating like one — and why that recognition is the actual starting line. We get into leading yourself before your family or team will ever follow, the discipline of fasting from your old life to step into the new one, and why your proximity — the people you keep closest — either propels you forward or drags you back. I talk about seasons, sacrifice, delayed gratification, learning your real role on a team, and how the smallest intentional moments with family end up mattering most. It's an honest look at leveling up when it's uncomfortable — and choosing to trade the old life for the one you actually want. Key Takeaways: - A title isn't leadership — recognizing the gap between the two is where real leadership starts. - You don't get promoted and then perform; you do the work first, then earn the role. - The cost of your new life is your old life — you have to be willing to trade it. - Leadership leaks, so you have to keep casting the vision to your team and family, over and over. - Your proximity decides your progress — protect who and what you keep closest. - Change starts with you; lead yourself first and the people around you follow. - Fasting — from food, habits, distractions, the old life — is how you accelerate change. - Know your real role; the best performer isn't always the best coach — play the position that fits. - Intentional time beats time spent — name the moment and it counts. Follow and contact: Instagram: @nickhiter Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

    The Cost of Your New Life Is Your Old Life

  8. Jul 31

    Episode 251: The Pat McAfee of Baseball? Inside the SwagNShades Takeover w/ Alex Hale

    Episode 251 of The Hitstreak, a podcast where we talk about anything and everything! This week we are joined by the Founder and Owner of CHIPS Performance Training and the voice behind SwagnShades, Alex Hale! Episode in a Glance: In this episode of The Hitstreak, I get to sit down with Alex Hale — better known across social media as SwagnShades — founder of CHIPS Performance Training, to break down how storytelling, relentless consistency, and a strong culture can completely transform a youth sports business. Alex shares his journey from pro baseball to social media mastery, including the decision to post three videos a day for a full year that changed everything. We get into intentional branding and how his SwagnShades persona became one of the most recognizable voices in youth baseball, the discipline of building a business from a barn into a 12,000-square-foot facility, and why protecting your culture matters more as you scale. We also look at the future of baseball media — live events, immersive branded experiences, and community-driven content — and Alex's belief that if you trust your purpose, you owe it to yourself to shoot your shot. Key Points: - Storytelling is everything in athlete and brand development. - Consistency wins — three videos a day for a year changed the whole business. - Culture is built and protected through clear standards. - Intentional branding — the persona, the sunglasses — is what makes you memorable. - Content should serve the audience, not your own ego. - Authenticity and self-awareness drive real growth. - Protect the relationships and community inside youth sports. - Events like home run derbies and tournaments are exposure engines. - The future of baseball media is live, immersive, and community-driven. About our guest: Alex Hale — known across social media as SwagnShades — is the founder and owner of CHIPS Performance Training, a private baseball training facility built on a simple belief: confident, competitive athletes are built through positive culture and relentless preparation. Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Alex was a standout catcher at Creighton Prep, winning two state championships and earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors before playing Division I baseball at the University of Richmond as a two-way player, where he finished ranked eighth all-time in strikeouts and tenth in wins. After competing in the prestigious Cape Cod League, Alex was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 2007 and again by the Boston Red Sox in 2008, signing with Boston to begin his professional career. Since hanging up his spikes, Alex has spent more than 15 years coaching and developing youth, high school, college, and professional players, growing CHIPS Performance Training into one of the Midwest's premier training facilities with more than 500 college commits and locations in Omaha, Lincoln, and Phoenix. Along the way, he has built the SwagnShades brand into a community of more than 737,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, where his mix of coaching insight, humor, and straight talk — along with partnerships with brands like Warstic, Bruce Bolt, and Baseballism — has made him one of the most recognizable voices in youth baseball. His mission has never changed: building a positive, competitive, and confident baseball culture for athletes, coaches, and families. Follow and contact: Instagram: @chipsperformance | @swagnshades chipsperformance.com Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

“The Hitstreak” is a podcast hosted by the one and only Nick Hiter. Former professional athlete and serial entrepreneur, Nick has also recently been featured by CBS, NBC, FOX, The New York Times, and others. This show allows Nick the chance to meet, collaborate, and feature other successful individuals that have great stories to tell; whether it be personal or professional. This world is filled with too many people who are doing amazing things that haven't been talked about enough. This podcast is here to shed some light on some of those untold stories from some incredible people.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Hiter
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    262
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Hitstreak
  • Show Website
    The Hitstreak

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