The Book A.J. Brown Read On The Sideline | Jim Murphy, Inner Excellence

Send us Fan Mail In January 2025, cameras caught Eagles receiver A.J. Brown reading Inner Excellence on the sideline during a playoff game. The book went to #1 on the New York Times list. What nobody saw was what was happening to the author that same week. Jim Murphy’s mother was dying. Business was slow, and for the first time in years he couldn’t pay off his credit cards. That Sunday, he was walking around downtown Dallas, looked up at a skyscraper, and asked himself whether he’d rather own it outright or have written his newest book. He decided he wouldn’t trade the book for $100 million. Then he got back to his hotel room, saw a pile of texts, and thought his mom had died. The texts said to turn on the Eagles-Packers game. It was a 15-year overnight success. Jim was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, played five years in the minors, quit a job with the Texas Rangers after six months, gave away most of what he owned, and moved to the desert. He spent five years writing one book and ended up $90,000 in debt. Then a homeless harpist named Zoe changed everything. In this episode of Spartan Leadership, Josh Kosnick and Jim talk about: • Why “nobody wants a million dollars” • The homeless harpist named Zoe and what the name means • How Henrik Stenson, Hunter Mahan, and the CEO of Yum! Brands found him after reading the book • Why Jim says he isn’t good at Inner Excellence yet, and what a bad day looks like • “Selfless is fearless,” and why fear is inherently self-centered • What elite hitters do against a 100 mph fastball • The three obstacles to peak performance: overthinking, judgment, and self-consciousness • Ego, defined as “the part of the mind that’s always threatened, always comparing, never satisfied” • The one daily habit he’d tell every leader to start • “I lack nothing, I expect nothing,” plus a breathing tool you can use before your next big moment • The vortex: why talent, money, and status make you more likely to get trapped • Why writing a check isn’t compassion FOLLOW JIM MURPHY Website and newsletter: https://innerexcellence.com Inner Excellence Freedom Project: https://innerexcellencefreedomproject.org SUBSCRIBE TO SPARTAN LEADERSHIP https://www.youtube.com/@spartanleadershippodcast?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW JOSH KOSNICK Website: https://joshkosnick.com/connect The Kairos Code (book + audiobook): https://joshkosnick.com/thekairoscode Rate and review the Spartan Leadership Podcast wherever you listen. It’s how the next leader finds the show. Remember, the good and great are the enemies of possible. Lead like a Spartan today. #InnerExcellence #JimMurphy #AJBrown #SpartanLeadership #Mindset #FaithAndBusiness #PeakPerformance CONNECT WITH ME HERE: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter TikTok YouTube SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube