High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset

In May 2023, Leah Bridger's life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disease. Just three months later, she found herself in the ICU, unable to breathe on her own.
Before her diagnosis, Leah was a highly independent wife, mother of two, and human resources leader. Suddenly, she had to learn how to ask for help, navigate uncertainty, and find strength in ways she never expected.
In this episode of the High Performance Mindset Podcast, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff talks with Leah about her journey through illness and recovery, the power of mindset, and how to find joy even when life doesn't go as planned.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why finding joy in small, everyday moments can change your perspective.

How to shift your inner critic into a voice that reminds you, "I can do hard things."

Why asking for help and accepting support is a sign of strength.

How to stay hopeful when progress is slow and the future is uncertain.

The importance of showing up for others during difficult times.

Leah reminds us that our circumstances don't have to define us. Through gratitude, faith, connection, and a willingness to focus on what she can do, she has learned that even the hardest chapters of life can hold moments of joy.
About Leah Bridger
Leah is a wife, mother of two sons, and human resources leader passionate about building strong cultures and helping others thrive. Since her MG diagnosis in 2023, she has learned to navigate life with resilience, gratitude, and a focus on finding joy in the everyday moments.
Follow along with Leah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-bridger-6293043/
Learn about the Women's Confidence Academy: womensconfidenceacademy.com

Your emotions are powerful, but they don't have to control your actions. The most confident people still experience fear, frustration, anxiety, and self-doubt. What sets them apart is how they respond when those emotions show up.
In this episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff shares insights from her new book, The Confidence Habit, and explains how emotional mastery helps you respond with intention, especially when you're under pressure.
You'll learn a simple three-step process to manage difficult emotions:
Notice It: Recognize what you're feeling without letting the emotion define you.

Name It: Identify the emotion and understand what it's trying to tell you.

Choose It: Decide how you want to respond based on who you want to be in that moment.

Cindra also shares how practicing emotional mastery builds self-trust, strengthens confidence, and helps you navigate challenging situations in leadership, sports, and everyday life.
Remember, emotions are information, not instructions. You can acknowledge how you feel and still choose how you move forward.
This Week's Power Phrase: "I can feel my emotions without letting them lead me."
To buy Cindra's new book: confidencetools.com
To download our full study report, visit: confidencestudy.com
To request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: freementalbreakthroughcall.com
To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: mentallystronginstitute.com
To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: cindrakamphoff.com
To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: @cindrakamphoff

What do you do when everyone says you're too small, not ready or not enough?
Former NFL wide receiver JJ Birden was 5 feet 10 inches and 157 pounds. In one five-day stretch, four NFL teams turned him away, and Jimmy Johnson told him the NFL wasn't for him. He went on to play nine seasons and catch touchdown passes from Joe Montana.
In this episode, JJ walks through the six steps of his Beat the Coverage framework, shares what he learned watching Joe Montana prepare, and explains why confidence comes from preparation. You'll also learn the "one snap and clear" reset he still uses today.
In this episode you'll learn:
How a strong "why" fuels you through doubt and rejection

What "coverage" is and the six steps to beat it: know the field, find the holes, play to your strengths, draw up the game plan, put in the reps, and execute and adjust

What Joe Montana did differently after four Super Bowl wins

How JJ kept rejection from becoming his identity

Why preparation builds confidence, not the other way around

The "one snap and clear" reset for moving past mistakes

What to do when you feel underestimated

About JJ Birden
JJ Birden is a former NFL wide receiver who played nine seasons in the league, catching touchdown passes from Hall of Famer Joe Montana despite being told he was too small to succeed. Today he is a keynote speaker, performance strategist and creator of the Beat the Coverage Framework, helping leaders, sales teams and organizations perform at their best under pressure. He is the author of Beat the Coverage: 6 Strategic Steps to Win in Business and in Life.
Resources mentioned
JJ's book and speaking

Beat the Coverage: 6 Strategic Steps to Win in Business and in Life, on Amazon

Order The Confidence Habit

Have you ever noticed how something that happened years ago can still affect your confidence today?
Maybe it was a mistake you made, an opportunity you missed, or something someone said that made you question your worth. While you can't change what happened, you can change the story you tell yourself about it.
In this episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff shares how regret, resentment, and limiting beliefs can hold us back from becoming our best. Drawing from her book The Confidence Habit, she explains three practical strategies to help you let go of the past and move forward with greater confidence.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why past experiences can continue to influence your confidence today.

The three things we carry from our past that hold us back.

How to reflect, reframe, and release beliefs that no longer serve you.

Why you don't have to believe every thought that enters your mind.

How to develop a more compassionate and empowering inner voice.

This week's Power Phrase: "My past shaped me, but it doesn't define me."
Your past is a chapter of your story. It doesn't have to determine what comes next.
To buy Cindra's new book: confidencetools.com
To download our full study report, visit: confidencestudy.com
To request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: freementalbreakthroughcall.com
To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: mentallystronginstitute.com
To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: cindrakamphoff.com
To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: @cindrakamphoff

What is fear telling you that you can't do? World record pro skydiver Melanie Curtis has made more than 12,000 jumps over 30 years, and she still feels fear. In this episode she shares how her first jump at 18 rewired how she relates to fear. She explains why the fear of humiliation is so powerful in modern life, and she tells the story of getting hypoxic on a world record jump at 200 miles per hour. You'll learn practical tools for facing your fears, and why confidence is the result of action, not the requirement for it.
 
In this episode you'll learn:
Why fear and anxiety don't mean you're not ready
What type two fun is and why the hardest things in life are worth it
A simple breathing tool for when fear shows up: make your exhale longer than your inhale
How to spot the hidden ways fear shows up in your body
Why confidence is the result of action, not the requirement
How to find the goal-setting sweet spot between bored and paralyzed
Why the fear of humiliation feels so mortal
Four ways to keep facing your fears: support, intuition, habits and deeper healing
How to identify as a brave person
 
About Melanie Curtis
Melanie Curtis is a keynote speaker, world record pro skydiver and peak performance coach with more than 12,000 jumps and 30 years of experience leading and coaching worldwide. She has appeared on Good Morning America and is the author of How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver. Melanie teaches clients and audiences to take intentional risks so they can reach the far edges of their potential, personally and professionally.
 
Resources mentioned:
Melanie's website: melaniecurtis.com
The How to Fly Challenge, a chapter of her book a day for 132 days, and the 31-day Gratitude Challenge: melaniecurtis.com
Melanie's books: melaniecurtis.com/store
Melanie on Instagram: @melaniecurtis11
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Steven Kotler's work on flow state
 
Links:
Learn more about Melanie https://melaniecurtis.com/
Mentally Strong Institute: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/
Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call: https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/
Download the National Confidence Research Study: https://confidencestudy.com/
Order Cindra's new Book: https://www.confidencetools.com/