Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling.She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She’s our go-to performance psych for special operations candidates and active operators, and works one-on-one with many of our clients to help them excel in selection and stay mentally and emotionally resilient throughout their careers. This is part of an ongoing series with KSD, where we’ll be talking with her about the specific tools and concepts that come up regularly in her work with special operators, and how you can apply them in your own life.  Work with KSD: <a href='https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/'>https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/</a> Timestamps:00:23 Introduction to Krista Scott Dixon 01:07 Helping Candidates Assess the &quot;Am I Good Enough&quot; Question 08:03 The Mistake of Only Looking at PT Test Scores 13:34 The Struggle of Getting Stuck in Your Head 21:28 The Way People Quit 29:36 Being Good at Working Through Any Conditions 34:27 Preparing for Anything and Everything in Skills Assessment 42:02 &quot;I&apos;ll Figure it Out&quot; and Fuzzy Trace Theory 47:23 Tolerating Suffering in Crappy Jobs 52:03 Military Barracks Full of Broken Washing Machines 58:17 How to Access the Variables that Matter 1:05:35 Outro

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She’s our go-to performance psych for special operations candidates and active operators, and works one-on-one with many of our clients to help them excel in selection and stay mentally and emotionally resilient throughout their careers. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is part of an ongoing series with KSD, where we’ll be talking with her about the specific tools and concepts that come up regularly in her work with special operators, and how you can apply them in your own life. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Work with KSD: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/'&gt;https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:23 Introduction to Krista Scott Dixon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;01:07 Helping Candidates Assess the &amp;quot;Am I Good Enough&amp;quot; Question&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;08:03 The Mistake of Only Looking at PT Test Scores&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;13:34 The Struggle of Getting Stuck in Your Head&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;21:28 The Way People Quit&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;29:36 Being Good at Working Through Any Conditions&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;34:27 Preparing for Anything and Everything in Skills Assessment&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;42:02 &amp;quot;I&amp;apos;ll Figure it Out&amp;quot; and Fuzzy Trace Theory&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;47:23 Tolerating Suffering in Crappy Jobs&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;52:03 Military Barracks Full of Broken Washing Machines&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;58:17 How to Access the Variables that Matter&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1:05:35 Outro&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling. She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses.  She’s our go-to performance psych for special operations candidates and active operators, and works one-on-one with many of our clients to help them excel in selection and stay men...

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon - Mental Skills: Defining "Good Enough," Ep. 125

Steve House serves as the managing director, coach, and official mascot of Uphill Athlete, which he co-founded in 2016. He lives in a remote and mountainous corner of Austria with his wife and two sons.Steve’s biggest coaching challenge was coaching himself. Which was successful enough for him to be called “The greatest climber of his generation” by none other than Reinhold Messner. He was inspired to write down what he learned and originally recruited two other coaches to help him write Training for the New Alpinism while recovering from a near-life-ending fall in 2010. He then co-authored  Training for the Uphill Athlete (2018) to fulfill his personal mission to “Teach conventional endurance training theory and practice to mountain athletes.” He retired from professional climbing at the end of 2020 to dedicate himself to family and work full-time on Uphill Athlete.Steve’s most famous ascent is the 4,500-meter-high Rupal Face, the world&apos;s biggest mountain wall, which culminates at the summit of the world&apos;s deadliest and 9th-highest mountain: Nanga Parbat. In this episode, we talk with Steve about his career, Uphill Athlete’s approach to coaching, and the overlap between mountain athletes and special operators.  More about Steve and Uphill Athlete:You can learn more about Uphill Athlete at their website, <a href='http://uphillathlete.com'>uphillathlete.com</a>. And you can follow them on social media here:Uphill Athlete Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uphill_athlete/Steve’s Instagram: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/stevehouse10/'>https://www.instagram.com/stevehouse10/</a> Timestamps: 00:00:22 Introduction to Steve House 00:01:47 What is Significant about Nanga Parbat, &quot;The Naked Mountain&quot;00:06:51 Grading the Technical Difficulty of Climbing00:11:18 The &quot;American Certified International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations&quot; Guide 00:15:23 Overlap Between Climbing and Special Operations Communities00:18:00 Similarities and Differences Between the Communities00:30:32 Uphill Athlete Training Mistake 00:40:37 Base Building Meaning and Development00:42:44 Aerobic Threshold to Regulate Training00:51:00 Building Aerobic Volume00:58:59 What to Prioritize During Training01:02:09 Misunderstanding V02 Max in Training01:09:13 Ventilatory Threshold Breakpoint01:15:10 Ten Athletes, Ten Results01:18:03 What&apos;s Next for Uphill Athlete?01:21:23 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received01:23:44 Book Recommendations01:24:59 Outro

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Steve House serves as the managing director, coach, and official mascot of Uphill Athlete, which he co-founded in 2016. He lives in a remote and mountainous corner of Austria with his wife and two sons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve’s biggest coaching challenge was coaching himself. Which was successful enough for him to be called “The greatest climber of his generation” by none other than Reinhold Messner. He was inspired to write down what he learned and originally recruited two other coaches to help him write &lt;em&gt;Training for the New Alpinism&lt;/em&gt; while recovering from a near-life-ending fall in 2010. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He then co-authored  &lt;em&gt;Training for the Uphill Athlete&lt;/em&gt; (2018) to fulfill his personal mission to “Teach conventional endurance training theory and practice to mountain athletes.” He retired from professional climbing at the end of 2020 to dedicate himself to family and work full-time on Uphill Athlete.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve’s most famous ascent is the 4,500-meter-high Rupal Face, the world&amp;apos;s biggest mountain wall, which culminates at the summit of the world&amp;apos;s deadliest and 9th-highest mountain: Nanga Parbat. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we talk with Steve about his career, Uphill Athlete’s approach to coaching, and the overlap between mountain athletes and special operators. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;More about Steve and Uphill Athlete:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can learn more about Uphill Athlete at their website, &lt;a href='http://uphillathlete.com'&gt;uphillathlete.com&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And you can follow them on social media here:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Uphill Athlete Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uphill_athlete/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve’s Instagram: &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/stevehouse10/'&gt;https://www.instagram.com/stevehouse10/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/b&gt;00:00:22 Introduction to Steve House &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:01:47 What is Significant about Nanga Parbat, &amp;quot;The Naked Mountain&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:06:51 Grading the Technical Difficulty of Climbing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:11:18 The &amp;quot;American Certified International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations&amp;quot; Guide &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:15:23 Overlap Between Climbing and Special Operations Communities&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:18:00 Similarities and Differences Between the Communities&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:30:32 Uphill Athlete Training Mistake &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:40:37 Base Building Meaning and Development&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:42:44 Aerobic Threshold to Regulate Training&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:51:00 Building Aerobic Volume&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:58:59 What to Prioritize During Training&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:02:09 Misunderstanding V02 Max in Training&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:09:13 Ventilatory Threshold Breakpoint&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:15:10 Ten Athletes, Ten Results&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:18:03 What&amp;apos;s Next for Uphill Athlete?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:21:23 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:23:44 Book Recommendations&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:24:59 Outro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

 Steve House serves as the managing director, coach, and official mascot of Uphill Athlete, which he co-founded in 2016. He lives in a remote and mountainous corner of Austria with his wife and two sons. Steve’s biggest coaching challenge was coaching himself. Which was successful enough for him to be called “The greatest climber of his generation” by none other than Reinhold Messner. He was inspired to write down what he learned and originally recruited two other coaches to help him write Tr...

Steve House - Training Mountain Athletes and Special Operators, Ep. 124

Dr. David “Wally” Walton is a retired Army Special Forces officer with 25 years of experience in the SF community. His career spans service with the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the Special Warfare Center and School.Dr. Walton’s extensive operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and across Latin America. Since retiring in 2013, he has transitioned into academia, teaching National Security Studies and Executive Leadership. His research portfolio covers Security Strategy, Organizational Culture and Dynamics, and Human Performance. He has a deep understanding of security studies, encompassing everything from tactical operations to strategic policy discussions.Currently an instructor at JSOC, Dr. Walton is a Subject Matter Expert in Special Forces Assessment and Selection. He specializes in Land Navigation, runs a prep program designed for SFAS candidates, and is the author of multiple books about preparing for SFAS.  More about Dr. Walton:Website: https://tfvoodoo.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tf_voo_doo/ Timestamps:00:00:23 Introduction to Dr. David Walton 00:01:42 Changes within SFSS and Coaching 00:20:22 Being Trained in Land Navigation 00:30:43 Better Prepared Candidates 00:53:34 The Sandman Event 00:59:29 Selection Rates and Working Through the Stages 01:05:23 No Dependencies in the SFSS Course 01:09:47 The &quot;Awaiting Training&quot; Phase  01:11:33 What has Dr. David Walton Changed in Coaching? 01:17:08 How Many Books has Dr. Walton Written? 01:21:52 Books Everyone Should Read 01:26:32 Outro

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dr. David “Wally” Walton is a retired Army Special Forces officer with 25 years of experience in the SF community. His career spans service with the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the Special Warfare Center and School.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dr. Walton’s extensive operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and across Latin America. Since retiring in 2013, he has transitioned into academia, teaching National Security Studies and Executive Leadership. His research portfolio covers Security Strategy, Organizational Culture and Dynamics, and Human Performance. He has a deep understanding of security studies, encompassing everything from tactical operations to strategic policy discussions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Currently an instructor at JSOC, Dr. Walton is a Subject Matter Expert in Special Forces Assessment and Selection. He specializes in Land Navigation, runs a prep program designed for SFAS candidates, and is the author of multiple books about preparing for SFAS. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;More about Dr. Walton:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Website: https://tfvoodoo.com/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tf_voo_doo/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00:23 Introduction to Dr. David Walton&lt;br/&gt;00:01:42 Changes within SFSS and Coaching&lt;br/&gt;00:20:22 Being Trained in Land Navigation&lt;br/&gt;00:30:43 Better Prepared Candidates&lt;br/&gt;00:53:34 The Sandman Event&lt;br/&gt;00:59:29 Selection Rates and Working Through the Stages&lt;br/&gt;01:05:23 No Dependencies in the SFSS Course&lt;br/&gt;01:09:47 The &amp;quot;Awaiting Training&amp;quot; Phase &lt;br/&gt;01:11:33 What has Dr. David Walton Changed in Coaching?&lt;br/&gt;01:17:08 How Many Books has Dr. Walton Written?&lt;br/&gt;01:21:52 Books Everyone Should Read&lt;br/&gt;01:26:32 Outro&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Dr. David “Wally” Walton is a retired Army Special Forces officer with 25 years of experience in the SF community. His career spans service with the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the Special Warfare Center and School. Dr. Walton’s extensive operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and across Latin America. Since retiring in 2013, he has transitioned into academia, teaching National Security Studies and Executive Leadership. His...

Dr. David Walton: SFAS Guidance for 2026 - Ep. 123

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author of the new book The Way of Excellence, a performance coach, faculty member at the University of Michigan, and a husband and father.The Way of Excellence comes out tomorrow, and you can pick up a copy at any major bookseller like <a href='https://amzn.to/4jP7BPD'>Amazon</a>, <a href='https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-way-of-excellence-brad-stulberg/1147348477?ean=9780063385948&amp;st'>Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href='https://amzn.to/4jXh1IW'>Audible.com</a>, or <a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-way-of-excellence-a-guide-to-true-greatness-and-deep-satisfaction-in-a-chaotic-world-brad-stulberg/c232ef06c0d7edd5?ean=9780063385948&amp;next=t&amp;'>Bookshop.org</a>. You can learn more about Brad and follow his work at his website, (<a href='https://www.bradstulberg.com/'>https://www.bradstulberg.com/</a>) and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradstulberg/

<description>&lt;p&gt;Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author of the new book &lt;em&gt;The Way of Excellence&lt;/em&gt;, a performance coach, faculty member at the University of Michigan, and a husband and father.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Way of Excellence comes out tomorrow, and you can pick up a copy at any major bookseller like &lt;a href='https://amzn.to/4jP7BPD'&gt;Amazon&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href='https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-way-of-excellence-brad-stulberg/1147348477?ean=9780063385948&amp;amp;st'&gt;Barnes and Noble&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href='https://amzn.to/4jXh1IW'&gt;Audible.com&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href='https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-way-of-excellence-a-guide-to-true-greatness-and-deep-satisfaction-in-a-chaotic-world-brad-stulberg/c232ef06c0d7edd5?ean=9780063385948&amp;amp;next=t&amp;amp;'&gt;Bookshop.org&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can learn more about Brad and follow his work at his website, (&lt;a href='https://www.bradstulberg.com/'&gt;https://www.bradstulberg.com/&lt;/a&gt;) and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradstulberg/&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author of the new book The Way of Excellence, a performance coach, faculty member at the University of Michigan, and a husband and father. The Way of Excellence comes out tomorrow, and you can pick up a copy at any major bookseller like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Audible.com, or Bookshop.org.  You can learn more about Brad and follow his work at his website, (https://www.bradstulberg.com/) and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradstulberg/ 

Brad Stulberg: The Way of Excellence - Ep. 122

Nick has over 12 years of military experience, including 4 years as an Australian Commando and 6 years as an SAS operator. His operational service included deployments throughout the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Iraq and East Timor.Since leaving the Army, Nick has established two companies as a founding Director, The Mill Gym and Omni GeoX; as well as a new fitness competition, the Tier 1 Games.Nick has provided risk management, leadership, and elite-level performance consulting in austere environments worldwide, including with professional sports teams, multinational corporations, government, and non-governmental organisations.Nick&apos;s charter is to build real-world resilience within individuals and foster a no-compromise culture of excellence. He’s driven by a deep passion for building elite-level soldiers and athletes through an uncompromising culture, mindset, and mental toughness. His philosophy is simple: hard work beats talent, and resilience is the decisive advantage in high-pressure environments. By drawing from years of operational experience and an 18-year coaching career, Nick develops training systems that forge discipline, sharpen decision-making under stress, and cultivate the mental edge required to excel when it matters most. Learn more about Nick and The Mill Gym:Email: nick@themillgym.comInstagram: @themillgymLinkedIn: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-caldwell-5a114730/'>@nickcaldwell</a>Website: <a href='http://themillgym.com/'>themillgym.com</a> Timestamps:0:00:22 Introduction to Nick Caldwell 0:01:45 Career in the Aussie Special Air Service  0:05:32 Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 0:07:10 Gaining the Confidence to Enlist 0:14:49 Nick&apos;s Goals that Pushed His Career Forward 0:17:50 Recovering from Burnout 0:21:23 Helping Someone Understand Their Recovery and Readiness 0:26:48 Training with HRP and Other Monitoring Devices 0:38:28 What Camps Does Nick Caldwell Run? 0:44:43 Not a 36 Hour Exercise Competition 0:49:55 Standard Pre-Screening 0:57:50 Woman in Courses of Self-Defense 1:02:11 &quot;Keeping Yourself Safe in a Parking Garage&quot; Scenario  1:10:04 Books that Nick Believes Everyone Should Read 1:18:37 Outro

<description>&lt;p&gt;Nick has over 12 years of military experience, including 4 years as an Australian Commando and 6 years as an SAS operator. His operational service included deployments throughout the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Iraq and East Timor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Since leaving the Army, Nick has established two companies as a founding Director, The Mill Gym and Omni GeoX; as well as a new fitness competition, the Tier 1 Games.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nick has provided risk management, leadership, and elite-level performance consulting in austere environments worldwide, including with professional sports teams, multinational corporations, government, and non-governmental organisations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nick&amp;apos;s charter is to build real-world resilience within individuals and foster a no-compromise culture of excellence. He’s driven by a deep passion for building elite-level soldiers and athletes through an uncompromising culture, mindset, and mental toughness. His philosophy is simple: hard work beats talent, and resilience is the decisive advantage in high-pressure environments. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;By drawing from years of operational experience and an 18-year coaching career, Nick develops training systems that forge discipline, sharpen decision-making under stress, and cultivate the mental edge required to excel when it matters most.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn more about Nick and The Mill Gym:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email: nick@themillgym.com&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: @themillgym&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LinkedIn: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-caldwell-5a114730/'&gt;@nickcaldwell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Website: &lt;a href='http://themillgym.com/'&gt;themillgym.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;0:00:22 Introduction to Nick Caldwell&lt;br/&gt;0:01:45 Career in the Aussie Special Air Service &lt;br/&gt;0:05:32 Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu&lt;br/&gt;0:07:10 Gaining the Confidence to Enlist&lt;br/&gt;0:14:49 Nick&amp;apos;s Goals that Pushed His Career Forward&lt;br/&gt;0:17:50 Recovering from Burnout&lt;br/&gt;0:21:23 Helping Someone Understand Their Recovery and Readiness&lt;br/&gt;0:26:48 Training with HRP and Other Monitoring Devices&lt;br/&gt;0:38:28 What Camps Does Nick Caldwell Run?&lt;br/&gt;0:44:43 Not a 36 Hour Exercise Competition&lt;br/&gt;0:49:55 Standard Pre-Screening&lt;br/&gt;0:57:50 Woman in Courses of Self-Defense&lt;br/&gt;1:02:11 &amp;quot;Keeping Yourself Safe in a Parking Garage&amp;quot; Scenario &lt;br/&gt;1:10:04 Books that Nick Believes Everyone Should Read&lt;br/&gt;1:18:37 Outro&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Nick has over 12 years of military experience, including 4 years as an Australian Commando and 6 years as an SAS operator. His operational service included deployments throughout the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Iraq and East Timor. Since leaving the Army, Nick has established two companies as a founding Director, The Mill Gym and Omni GeoX; as well as a new fitness competition, the Tier 1 Games. Nick has provided risk management, leadership, and elite-level performance consultin...

Nick Caldwell: The Mill Gym - Preparing the Next Generation of Special Operators

The Building the Elite (BTE) podcast discusses all facets of human performance - from physical training to the mental and emotional factors of resilience. Each episode looks at principles drawn from the world of special operations. These concepts help people succeed in the toughest military training courses in the world and can help anyone thrive in chaotic and challenging environments.&nbsp;

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