I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast · SandyBoy Productions

Episode 659: Wrapping Up the Wellness Series with Brad Stulberg on Excellence, Care, and Meaningful Goals

·55 min·4 clips

“It is not cringe to care. What’s cringe is being too cool to care.”

1. I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein closes a 10-part wellness series with Brad Stolberg and his book The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World. 2. Lindsey Hein hosts the episode, and Brad Stolberg returns as a writer, coach, author of The Practice of Groundedness, Master of Change, Peak Performance, and The Passion Paradox. 3. The episode asks what excellence looks like when it is tied to care, curiosity, and meaningful goals instead of robotic optimization. 4. Lindsey says reading Brad’s book before interviewing Gabby Thomas helped her bring the right mindset into a high-pressure conversation at TRE. 5. Brad points to the chapter on curiosity and says new challenges can feel like a “brave new world” rather than a threat. 6. He connects that idea to the start line of a marathon, a heavy deadlift, a first kid, a second kid, and a new interview. 7. Brad says curiosity and fear compete in the brain, so shifting to curiosity changes both how people feel and how they perform. 8. He explains that the phrase “brave new world” came from a deadlift attempt at the gym with his training partner Justin. 9. The lift became a repeating mantra for writing projects, parenthood, and moments when he is facing a blank page or a heavy barbell. 10. Brad contrasts that mindset with false confidence, saying “I got this” can be a lie when the evidence is not there yet. 11. He says children naturally explore the world with curiosity, while adults often lose that edge because they become more protective of ego and less willing to risk failure. 12. Brad cites Kobe Bryant, who said he played to “figure things out,” not simply to win or to avoid losing. 13. He uses that quote to argue that curiosity helps athletes and non-athletes lose themselves in the task and learn from the process. 14. Lindsey and Brad connect that idea to Gabrielle Thomas and to the reality that an Olympic medal reflects years of training, not one moment on the podium. 15. Brad says a gold medal, a first 5K, or a marathon result matters because of the people, discipline, and lessons attached to it. 16. He argues that if someone never fails, they probably are not pushing far enough, and that failure becomes less final when it is treated as part of the path. 17. The tone is conversational and reflective, with Lindsey using personal examples from running, interviewing, and parenting to keep the discussion grounded. 18. Brad’s style is direct and framework-driven, with repeated metaphors such as the mountain, the house, and the deadlift bar. 19. Runners, parents, and goal-driven listeners who care about identity and failure. 20. Listeners looking for celebrity news, race results, or quick training tips.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about excellence, failure, and the work of staying in the arena.

Brad Stulberg makes excellence feel less like a trophy case and more like a practiced habit, grounded in steady effort, care, and the willingness to keep moving after failure.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play when you want a calmer way to think about big goals and keep going after failure.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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