The Path Distilled Podcast Kevin Harris & Lauren S. Tashman

Jake Kelfer, Founder of Professional Basketball Combine and Bestselling Author



Is “no” better than “maybe”? Kevin and Lauren chat with Jake Kelfer about his path to creating a secondary combine for the NBA and becoming a bestselling author. He shares what it was like using his own money to fund his startup, the pitfalls of trying to please everyone, and the art of asking the right questions. His episode is full of great advice for everyone.



Learn more about Jake: Twitter, Instagram



Learn more about Professional Basketball Combine: Twitter

Gentry Estes, Sports Columnist



Do you want it enough to withstand the challenges? Kevin and Lauren chat with Gentry Estes about his path from a 16 year-old sports reporter to well-known sports columnist. He discusses the challenges he has faced, how work ethic separates performers at the highest levels, and the need to honor the opportunities one is given. Gentry also discusses his philosophy of digging deeper into a story with the goal of giving the audience something they don’t already know.



Learn more about Gentry: Twitter

Emily Teti, Ph.D. Candidate, Researcher, and Woman in STEM



How will you challenge yourself? Kevin and Lauren chat with Emily Teti about her path from a small school in North Carolina to finding her place in STEM. She discusses her father giving her scientific experiments to conduct at six years of age, the importance of learning with no fear of being wrong, and the lessons her parents taught her about not quitting in the middle of things. Emily also shares how she was able to combine her love of mathematics with psychological science, and her experiences with impostor syndrome as a woman in STEM.



Learn more about Emily: Instagram

BONUS: Hosts Drs. Kevin Harris and Lauren S. Tashman discuss their conversation with World Champion Powerlifter, Blaine Sumner. Highlights include their discussion of the importance of a combination of good planning and mental strength, the different varieties of intrinsic motivation, and the pros and cons of basing your identity on your pursuits. They also discuss how some guests have achieved success doing it “by the book” while others have pulled only what they need from different approaches, and the risks of putting yourself out there either too early or too late.

Blaine Sumner, World Powerlifting Champion



Do observers recognize the grind or just see the glory? Kevin and Lauren chat with Blaine Sumner about his path from a very lean kid to becoming the World Powerlifting Champion. He discusses the importance of reaching incremental goals, overcoming injuries, and being incorrectly viewed as a “genetic freak.” Blaine also shares his view on the importance of a systemic approach to tackling goals, the mental aspect of reaching the top, and what it is like to lift over 1000 lbs. Check this one out to hear how the self-described “skinny kid” became a world champion powerlifter.



Learn more about Blaine: Instagram, Twitter  

BONUS: Hosts Drs. Kevin Harris and Lauren S. Tashman discuss their conversation with a sport and performance psychology expert (Dr. Adam Naylor) and an Olympic Gold Medalist (Joe Jacobi). Highlights include their discussion of  how goals can be counterproductive, how everything that gets popularized is at risk of being oversimplified, and the importance of contextual intelligence. They also discuss the approaches of focusing on what you have to lose versus have to gain, and assessing whether a goal is helping or hindering you.