What really separates good performance from elite performance, and how much happens beyond the physical? In this episode, John Dams sits with Tarek Michael-Chouja and Jay Hedley to explore the human side of high performance. Drawing on his journey through Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, the Waratahs, and global performance strategy, John shares how failure, mental skills, data, AI, culture, self-awareness, and shared understanding shape elite performance. You’ll learn why data only becomes powerful when people know how to use it, how AI is changing sport, and why curiosity, discomfort, adaptability, and joy matter. Listen now and get ready to rethink what it really takes to perform at your best.

If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a review on this listening platform!

Our favourite quotable moments:

“By failing, that's kind of how you get to understand these different areas of what you do.” - John Dams

“The best teams are the teams that have a shared understanding of where they're going.” - John Dams

“Be okay to be uncomfortable, that's everything.” - John Dams

Resources:

Kitman Labs Website: https://www.kitmanlabs.com/

The Game Changer Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2beKBNPaezzi3KeTu1l2Bv?si=6e069c3f596440ad

- Get 15% off our Mental Skills Training course. Simply go to Functional Training Institute and input 'PDM15' at the cart checkout: https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/mental-skills-training-for-coaches/
- Check out our best selling book Purpose Driven Movement by host Tarek Michael-Chouja and Dan Henderson: https://amzn.to/499x6nO
- Join Our Mailing List: https://sa319.infusionsoft.app/app/form/vowsignup

About Our Guest: John Dams is a high-performance coach and performance strategist with extensive experience across elite rugby and global sport. His career includes roles with Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, and the Waratahs, before moving into performance strategy and data with Kitman Labs. John brings a holistic approach to performance, combining physical preparation, mental skills, data, technology, and human connection to help athletes and teams perform at their best.

Podcast production by Jamie Brooke.

We sometimes include links to products and services we find interesting. These may or may not be affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This podcast is sponsored by ZIVA. Discover more at www.ziva.com.

How do you market your fitness business in an era where AI can write your captions, generate your ideas, and flood the internet with content in seconds? In this episode, Tarek Michael Chouja and Jay Hedley sit down with fitness business strategist Richard Toutounji to explore how AI is changing the marketing landscape for fitness professionals and why authentic messaging matters more than ever.

Together, they unpack how coaches and business owners can use AI to speed up content creation, clarify their message, and improve efficiency without losing the human connection that builds trust. You’ll learn why so many great fitness professionals remain the world’s best-kept secret, how client “hero videos” can become one of your most effective marketing tools, and why the real challenge of AI may be distraction rather than technology itself. Listen now and get ready to market with more clarity, use AI more wisely, and share your message with greater purpose.

If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a review on this listening platform!

Resources:
Connect with Richard Toutounji
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardtoutounji/
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richard.toutounji.2025

Richard’s Resources
· COM Marketing: https://www.commarketing.com.au/
· Marketing Muscle Up Show: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/richard-toutounji/
· Richard’s One-Page Content Planner + AI Prompts: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WBfmCIWvtw6ILtsJEU1X85QN03bS39FnA338LsfSdLw/edit?usp=sharing

Get 15% off our Mental Skills Training course. Simply go to Functional Training Institute and input 'PDM15' at the cart checkout: https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/mental-skills-training-for-coaches/

Check out our best selling book Purpose Driven Movement by host Tarek Michael Chouja and Dan Henderson: https://amzn.to/499x6nO

Join Our Mailing List: https://sa319.infusionsoft.app/app/form/vowsignup

About Our Guest: For over two decades, Richard Toutounji has been driven by a passion for the health and fitness industry. From owning Australia’s first private fitness studio to founding Lifestyles Corporate Wellness, Meet Your Personal Trainer, and COM Marketing, Richard has consistently built and scaled businesses within the industry. Alongside his wife Joey, Richard co-founded COM Marketing, helping fitness and wellness businesses across Australia and New Zealand grow through clear marketing systems and strategies. Richard is a bestselling author, international speaker, and business owner focused on helping fitness professionals grow with practical systems that work.

Tarek is the co-founder of the functional training institute and FitWell Education lab. Tarek is an international educator and speaker who has presented numerous times at the biggest conventions in Australia, Asia and the US. In addition, Tarek has presented courses to thousands of trainers throughout Australia, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Tarek is also a best-selling author of ‘Purpose Driven Movement.

Jay Hedley is a high-performance coach and creator of the Integral+ methodology, a whole-person approach to elite development. With over 20 years of experience, he has supported Olympic gold and silver medallists, Rugby World Cup competitors, professional boxers, and Formula 1 teams including Red Bull Racing and Williams F1. His work goes beyond traditional mental skills training, developing athletes across mindset, physiology, personality structure, and leadership. A Meta Coaching Foundation Certified Coach, NLP Master Trainer, and Neuro-Semantics Specialist, Jay helps performers elevate both results and consciousness.

Podcast Production by Jamie Brooke

We sometimes include links to products and services we find interesting. These may or may not be affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

This podcast is sponsored by ZIVA. Discover more at www.ziva.com.