This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Athlete turned mindfulness coach shares winning strategies. Hey friends, hey community, side hustle school listeners, welcome to a new episode, episode 2,749 to be precise. This is Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved considerably since we first featured them. Thank you so much for being out there. I wanna say a big thank you to all of our community, everybody out there all over the world.
I just love making this podcast for you and I've been doing it for a long time and I'm grateful to our listeners who've been there from the beginning or joined in along the way or have just discovered the show, whatever it is. We're all about helping you make extra money without quitting your job. Last week in this segment, we heard from a Detroit food truck owner who expanded their culinary reach by venturing into the mysterious world of ghost kitchens. It's actually not that mysterious of a world, but the name is ghost kitchens. So what are you gonna do?
In that episode, you got to hear how they leverage the power of food delivery apps to haunt taste buds across the motor city. Again, ghost kitchen, what can I say? Today in our latest feature though, we're gonna catch up with a former pro athlete who becomes a sought after mindfulness coach. Discover how they're helping athletes harness the power of the mind to elevate their game. How do they in fact build this coaching business to a pretty good, I believe, a pretty financially sustainable level.
So let's hear this update. I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hey sports fans and side hustlers, or at least one of those two groups. It's Josh, former basketball player turned mindfulness teacher. When we last spoke, I was just beginning to dip my toes into the world of coaching, offering my services to a handful of athletes looking to up their mental game.
So as I dove deeper into the practice of mindfulness, I realized just how transformative it could be for athletes at all levels. I started by creating a four week program tailored specifically to unique challenges and pressures faced by athletes. Now the program included everything from breathing exercises and visualization techniques, the strategies for staying present and focused under pressure. Now one of my first big breakthroughs came when I started working with a talented college tennis player who was struggling with performance anxiety. So she had all the skills and talent in the world, but her nerves were holding her back.
Through our work together, she learned to quiet her inner credit, trust her instincts, and play with a sense of joy and freedom. Seeing her transform not just as an athlete, but as a person who was incredibly rewarding. I then started to work with a diverse range of clients from high school soccer players to professional golfers. I even had an opportunity to work with a few Olympic hopefuls, helping them build the mental resilience and focus needed to compete at the highest level. Of course, the path wasn't always smooth.
I had to learn to adapt my approach to fit the needs and learning styles of each individual athlete. Some responded well to guided meditations, while others preferred more active mindfulness exercises. I also had to navigate the sometimes skeptical world of sports, where the value of mental training isn't always immediately recognized. But through it all, I remained committed to my mission of helping athletes unlock their full potential through the power of mindfulness. Now I expanded my offerings to include team workshops and online courses, allowing me to reach even more athletes around the world.
Looking back, I realized that my own journey as an athlete was what truly prepared me for this work. I know firsthand the pressures and challenges that come with striving for excellence in sports. Now, by combining that understanding with my passion for mindfulness, I've been able to create a truly unique and impactful coaching practice. To any athletes or coaches out there who may be skeptical about the value of mindfulness, well, I invite you to keep an open mind. By learning to master your mental preparation, you open up a whole new world of possibility.
And to anyone considering a career in coaching, my advice is to start by depending on your own practice. The more you embody the principles of mindfulness or whatever your focus is, the more authentically you'll be able to share them with others. Stay curious, be willing to adapt, and always keep the needs of your clients at the center of your work. Now as for me, I'm excited to continue growing and evolving. I've got some big plans in the works, including a retreat specifically for athletes, looking to take their mental game to the next level.
But no matter where this journey takes me, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to combine my two greatest passions, sports and mindfulness, in a way that makes a real difference in people's lives. So thanks for letting me share my story. And remember, the game may be played on the field, but it's one in the mind. - All right, listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories, more than 2,700 total episodes. If you have a question and update for us about your hustle, www.sidehustleschool.com/questions.
I'm also writing a three times a week, three times weekly, I guess, newsletter this year all about mental health. It's completely free, www.yearofmentalhealth.com. Check it out. Today has been episode 2,749. I'll be back again tomorrow with a new episode.
It's always free as well. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." - From the Onward Project.
