If you want better results, do you simply need to try harder? According to high-performance coach Michael Schiel, pushing harder can actually make it more difficult for your brain to focus, think creatively, and perform effectively.

In this episode, Michael explains the neuroscience behind stress, pressure, mindset, and peak performance. We discuss why some pressure improves performance while too much works against us—and how intentional breaks, realistic optimism, visualization, identity, and a strong sense of purpose can help us perform at a higher level without burning out.

We also discuss:

What stress does to the brain

Why high performers take purposeful breaks

How to reset your nervous system in just a few minutes

The difference between positive thinking and realistic optimism

How visualization prepares us for obstacles

Why mindset can influence performance

How identity, values, and purpose shape our actions

Why focusing on the process can produce better results

If you’ve been pushing yourself harder but still aren’t gaining traction, this conversation will help you understand how to start working with your brain instead of against it.

Learn more about Michael Schiel, his work, his free resources, and his app that helps you live a thriving life:

https://invictus.coach

His podcast: The Art and Science of Thriving.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-and-science-of-thriving/id1659101146

https://open.spotify.com/show/3FodJLyf42ZXtp0tdEjH2Z?si=07d2dd496e844c8e

Michael Schiel is a high performance coach and transformation consultant. He uses neuroscience, sport psychology, and high-performance evidence based tools to help people and teams achieve meaningful goals and reach peak performance—while sustaining balance, well-being, and fulfillment.

Michael has been coaching and consulting for over 26 years, working with community organizations, non-profits and large private sector organizations. He provides 1:1 coaching, leadership development and team coaching. Through practical, evidence-based strategies, he helps leaders and teams gain clarity, take focused action, and achieve meaningful goals while building a life that is both high-performing and deeply fulfilling.

Michael has spent significant time studying the neuroscience and psychology behind mindset and beliefs, and uses that to coach senior teams and leaders to understand how their mindset can make or break their ability to thrive and reach their goals. Michael has a monthly membership helping people of all stages create a thriving life, runs several different leadership courses, and is host of the podcast "The Art and Science of Thriving".

If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe for more discussions about how belief and mindset influence our actions—and lead to real success in every area of life.

Do you believe any client is better than no client?

In this episode, I challenge that mindset and argue that many payment problems can be avoided before the work even begins. I share practical ways to identify reliable clients, recognize warning signs that someone may not pay, trust your intuition, set minimum standards, require deposits, and avoid taking on clients who create stress, conflict, and cash-flow problems.

You'll learn why the right client is worth far more than a difficult one—and how choosing better clients can save you time, money, and frustration. If you're a contractor, consultant, freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this episode will help you build a healthier, more profitable business.

Topics covered:

Why "any client is better than no client" is a dangerous mindset

Creating minimum standards for new clients

How to identify your ideal client

Why deposits matter

Client behaviors that predict payment problems

Red flags during the sales process

When to walk away from a potential client

How better client selection improves cash flow

Subscribe for more episodes on business, mindset, entrepreneurship, and personal success.

Are clients paying late—or not paying at all?

In this episode, I break down practical strategies business owners can use to get paid faster, reduce awkward payment conversations, and create systems that encourage clients to pay on time. We cover everything from setting clear payment expectations and requiring deposits to automating reminders, removing payment friction, following up effectively, and knowing when it's time to escalate a collection issue.

You'll also learn why getting paid has less to do with luck and more to do with making payment easy, expected, and enforced.

If you're a small business owner, contractor, consultant, freelancer, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you protect your cash flow and build a more stable, profitable business.

Topics covered:

Setting payment terms and contracts

Deposits and partial payments

Automated invoice reminders

Late fees and payment consequences

How to follow up professionally

Removing friction from the payment process

Collections and small claims considerations

Building systems that encourage clients to pay

Subscribe for more episodes on business, mindset, success, and entrepreneurship.