Performance Intelligence

When you turn your TV on in the morning, you see a reporter live on air. Calm voice. Clear sentences. Perfect composure. What you don’t see is the environment surrounding it: Breaking news. Conflicting information. A producer counting down in your ear. Millions watching while the story is still unfolding.
For more than 16 years, Ali Piotrowski has operated inside that pressure. Reporting from the Gaza border after the October 7 attacks. Covering Donald Trump’s trials in the United States. Broadcasting through hurricanes, political crises, and breaking global events.

Live television is a performance environment. There is no pause button.
The real skill isn’t avoiding nerves. It’s converting adrenaline into clarity - thinking clearly, recalling facts quickly and staying composed while everything around you moves fast.
Because composure under pressure rarely happens by accident. It’s trained.
In this episode Andrew and Ali discuss:
2:30 How to stay calm and composed on live tv and Ali’s biggest journalist inspirations.
6:35 Ali’s biggest stumbles on camera and getting back on the bike ASAP when you do make a mistake.
12:20 Being authentic is the key to being a good presenter and preparing yourself for the shift into presenting.
16:00 Andrew’s experience working with the ABC News Breakfast Team and why the first few minutes of a presentation are important.
20:30 Taking inspiration from Amelia Adams on being calm and what it looks like when you can feel the calmness slipping away.
23:55 The skills Ali has used to keep on top of her emotions in the moment and some of her daily rituals and routines.
29:50 Living and breathing current events and Ali’s backstory getting into news presenting.
34:15 Be prepared to throw out all your notes and learning to switch between very different news stories.
40:00 You don’t control when news breaks and once you’ve been a correspondent normal life can seem dull at times.
44:30 being resilient when presenting on tough stories and transitioning home from work every day.
48:30 being an athlete gives you a discipline not everyone has and mentoring the next generation of professionals at Channel 9.
52:15 The importance of having a supportive partner when you travel a lot and you can start a conversation with 1 question.
55:20 Growing a better working memory through experience and using the adrenaline rush in breaking news to help bring energy to a segment.
1:00:30 How Andrew is able to get inside an athlete’s head and Ali’s advice to Andrew on how to conduct a better interview.
1:08:00 Pattern interrupting during an interview to change the flow of a conversation and making sure to watch yourself back when recording a presentation.
You can find Ali at her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonpiotrowski/
Or at her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alipiotrowski/

Use Code "PQPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/
Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at [email protected] today with your story and contact details.
Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/
Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/
Watch the Performance Intelligence Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast
If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

From the outside, elite sport can look like glory, podiums and big moments. What most people don’t see is the relentless daily grind behind it.
For champion ironman Ali Day, staying at the top isn’t built on occasional big efforts - it’s built on showing up every day when the body is tired and the mind is tested.
The training is demanding. The pressure is constant. And the recovery has to be intentional. One of the tools he relies on is wearable technology to track sleep and recovery, ensuring his body can absorb the workload required to stay elite.
This Bite Size offers a powerful reminder: high performance isn’t just about how hard you push - it’s about how well you recover so you can keep going tomorrow.

Follow Ali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alastairday/?hl=en
Find out more about ACTV Strength Co: https://actvstrengthco.com/

Use Code "PQPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/
Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at [email protected] today with your story and contact details.
Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/
Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/
Watch the Performance Intelligence Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast
If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Most people don’t have a time problem. They have an energy problem.

You wake up tired, grab coffee, check your phone, push through meetings, and crash by the end of the day wondering where your focus went. Sound familiar?
Mental Skills and Leadership Coach Andrew May has spent decades working with elite athletes, CEOs and world-class teams. His biggest insight: the people who perform best aren’t the ones who push harder: they’re the ones who manage energy better.
From the simple morning reset that recalibrates your body clock, to the overlooked recovery rhythms that athletes use to stay sharp under pressure, Andrew explains how small daily decisions compound into long-term performance, health and longevity.
If you want more clarity, sustained energy, and the ability to perform at your best for decades - not just today - this will challenge the way you structure your day.
In this episode Andrew talks about:
1:15 His experience and background working with high performing teams and the life shakeup that put him on his current path.
6:00 Why your brain is defaulting to bad far outweighing good and why traditional education doesn’t always prepare you for life.
9:30 Rolling through the decades and staying healthy into your later years.
16:30 Blue zones around the world where lifespan is higher than average and why managing your energy is the key to high performance.
20:45 Starting your day with the circadian reset for a natural energy boost and getting cold and hot temperature exposure.
28:15 How Andrew is helping the Wallabies rugby team manage their energy.
35:15 Pulsing energy throughout the day and the physiology of stress.
44:00 The 3x3x3 downregulation format and ending on a quote from the great Dr. Seuss.

Use Code "PQPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/
Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at [email protected] today with your story and contact details.
Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/
Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/
Watch the Performance Intelligence Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast
If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

Most people assume high performance is complicated. More systems, more strategies, more information.
But what if it actually came down to just three things?
Performance psychologist Dan Abrahams believes the foundation of elite performance is built on three simple pillars: attention, intensity, and intent.
When those three elements align, focus sharpens, energy rises, and performance lifts — whether you’re on the field, in the boardroom, or navigating a demanding day.
The challenge is that most people drift through their work without consciously training any of them.
This Bite Size explores how these three pillars emerged from years of working with elite athletes and teams, and why they remain one of the simplest frameworks for lifting your performance every single day.
A short, powerful reminder that performing well often comes back to mastering the fundamentals.

Listen to Dan's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sport-psych-show/id1434313037
You can find Dan at his website: https://danabrahams.com/
Buy a copy of Dan's books: https://danabrahams.com/books/
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abrahams-b72a306/

Use Code "PQPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/
Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at [email protected] today with your story and contact details.
Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/
Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/
Watch the Performance Intelligence Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast
If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.

You snack all day. A quick scroll between meetings. Emails between tasks. A podcast in the car. Life now happens in fragments - small moments squeezed between everything else. Yet when it comes to fitness, most people still believe it requires a full hour, a gym, and a perfectly clear schedule.
What if that idea is wrong?
After more than 50 years in the fitness industry, Dr Paul Batman began to question the model he had spent decades teaching. The result was a powerful shift in thinking: health doesn’t need more time...it needs better use of the moments we already have.
The concept is simple: fitness snacks. For busy professionals wanting to perform well now and age well later, this might completely change how you think about exercise.
1:55 Training for mountain treks by vacuuming and the moment Dr Paul questioned decades of fitness advice.
6:45 Why countries with more gyms often have more inactive people.
16:30 The new science of movement tracking and why staying active protects body and mind as you age.
25:30 Over 55 and inactive? The hidden health risk most people don’t realise.
32:00 Simple ways to move more each day and what METs actually mean for your health.
37:30 The surprising link between movement, dementia prevention, and everyday activities like shopping.
45:30 Why moving with others might be the secret to staying active for life.

You can find Dr Paul at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paul-batman-9092a052/

Use Code "PQPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/
Interested in sharing your story? Email Producer Shannon at [email protected] today with your story and contact details.
Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/
Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/
Watch the Performance Intelligence Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@performanceintelligencepodcast
If you enjoy the podcast, we would really appreciate you leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. It takes less than 60 seconds and really helps us build our audience and continue to provide high quality guests.