Adrian Newey: Greatest Formula 1 race car designer ever
Release Date: 07/29/2024
Aimee Boorman: Coaching Simone Biles beyond medals and perfection
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Amy Boorman is a decorated and globally respected gymnastics coach, whose career included twelve years coaching the sport’s all-time greatest, Simone Biles. She was named USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year four times and US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year in 2016. She was head coach of the US Women’s Gymnastics Team at the Rio Olympic Games and coached for the Dutch Gymnastics Federation in 2021, including at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Her book is titled: The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles. Summary In this conversation, Aimee Boorman reflects on her evolution from a...
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Elizabeth Rowe: Former Principal Flutist on Redefining Excellence Beyond the Spotlight
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General Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general and former commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he led the nation’s most elite counterterrorism efforts. With 34 years of military service, he’s recognized for reshaping modern warfare and pioneering team-based leadership approaches in high-stakes environments. Today, he is the founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group, a leadership advisory firm that helps organizations adapt and thrive in complex, fast-changing environments. He is the author of multiple...
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Dr. Kwane Stewart: CNN Hero of the Year and Founder of Project Street Vet
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Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian and the co-founder of Project Street Vet, a non-profit that provides free veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness in cities across the country. His work earned him CNN Hero of the Year in 2023. His book is titled: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope. Summary In this conversation, Dr. Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian and co-founder of Project Street Vet, shares his journey from a successful veterinary career to providing free care for pets of the unhoused. He discusses the...
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Michael Grab: Rock Balancing Artist on Making the Impossible Possible
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Michael Grab is one of the world’s premier rock balancing artists. He has created rock art all over the world and has inspired a global movement for stone balancing art. Summary In this conversation, Michael Grab, a renowned rock balancing artist, shares insights into his creative process, the philosophy behind his art, and the technical aspects of balancing rocks. He discusses how he finds inspiration in nature, the evolution of his hobby into a professional pursuit, and the meditative state he enters while creating his sculptures. The conversation also touches on the...
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Dean Koontz: 500 million books sold and counting
The Art of Excellence
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James Lawrence “aka” Iron Cowboy: 100 full distance triathlons in 100 days
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Adam Galinsky: Unlocking the formula to inspiring leadership
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Diane Boyd: Wildlife biologist and wolf conservationist
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Laurie is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. Her Yale course, , teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class became Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years. The online version of the class— on Coursera—has attracted more than 4 million students. She...
info_outlineAdrian Newey is Chief Technical Officer for Red Bull Racing. He has won 13 drivers' championships and 12 constructors' championships across three teams in his career. He is widely regarded as the greatest Formula 1 race car designer in the history of the sport.
Some interesting insights from this episode:
· Racing teams have three departments: aerodynamics, vehicle design, and vehicle dynamics/simulation. Because Adrian had worked in each of those disciplines, it provided a more holistic perspective when designing racing cars.
· A good design engineer must be both left brained and right brained - that is, combining the artistic imaginative left side with the analytical and practical right side.
· He is still old school in that he prefers a drawing board and pencil over CAD (computer aided design) systems.
· No matter how successful you are, you’ve got to keep pushing and you’ve got to stay sharp or you’ll lose your edge.
· If you can learn to manage the pressure, your subconscious brain will spend more time focused on the problem and can come up with a solution when you least expect it.
· Curiosity can be advantageous to the creative design process. You can often get inspiration looking at how things are done outside of your own domain.
· “Excellence is doing something to the ultimate. To the best of one’s ability at that time.”