The Playbook with Colin Jonov
Formerly The Athletic Fortitude Show.... Colin Jonov’s Athletic Fortitude Show has rebranded to The Playbook with Colin Jonov, evolving from a sports-centric podcast to a universal guide for mastering life’s challenges. While retaining its foundation in mindset and performance excellence, the show now expands its scope to empower everyone—athletes, entrepreneurs, professionals, and beyond—to live life to its fullest potential
Episodes
113 episodes
Jim Malone - The Truth About What Separates Hall of Famers From Everyone Else
I talk with veteran strength coach Jim Malone about why authenticity is the fastest path to trust, buy-in, and better training outcomes in pro sports. We dig into how baseball strength and conditioning changed over the last 30 years, why one-si...
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1:11:27
Jordan Colbert- You Will Never Perform Freely Until You Stop Needing the Outcome
Jordan Colbert and I break down what it really takes to go from small-school football to an NFL locker room where every rep feels like a tryout. Jordan shares how he learned complex defenses fast, handled cut-day stress, and rebuilt his mindset...
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50:33
Jeff Schaefer- Everyone Wants the Big Leagues. Almost Nobody Wants What It Takes to Stay There
Jeff Schaefer and I dig into how a five-year big leaguer turns failure into fuel, why short memory beats loud emotions, and how role clarity plus relentless preparation create staying power. Youth sports culture, parenting, specialization, and ...
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57:42
20 Lessons From 100 Conversations With the Highest Performers in the World
I share the 20 strongest lessons distilled from 100 conversations with world-class performers, from identity and courage to preparation, chaos training, and leadership. The goal is simple: build proof, narrow your worst days, and fall in love w...
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36:20
Michael "The Fort" McKenry- 25 Lessons on Identity, False Labels, and Performing on Your Worst Day
Michael Mckenry and I break down how identity in sport is built by daily actions, not labels, and why chasing “optimal” conditions keeps athletes fragile. Practical tactics show how to perform under chaos, pick fit over hype, and use systems to...
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1:05:11
How To Build ‘Rock’ Athletes- Trent Mongero
National High School Baseball Coach of the Year Trent Mongero and I trace the shared DNA of elite performance across music and sport, then drill into how discipline, intent, and humility turn average days into winning outcomes. Along the way we...
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Episode 105
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51:42
Brian Kight - 14 Hard Truths About Fear, Desire, and Discipline
Brian Kight and I challenge the myth that more information leads to better lives and show how courage, discipline, and clarity turn principles into practice. We map emotions to desires, reframe integrity as wholeness, and break down four identi...
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1:53:01
Steve Springer - How To Compete With Confidence When Everything Is Going Wrong
Steve Springer and I dig into how to play “opening day every day” and why “I don’t give a crap mode” frees players from the weight of stats. The focus shifts to quality at-bats, team-first play, hunting speeds, and building confidence that surv...
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50:10
Matt Farago- How to Make Your Voice Louder Than the Noise
We trace Matt Farago's broadcasting path from calling simulated NBA games to walking away from a dream tour to care for family, and how that choice reshaped his idea of success. Along the way we dig into empathy in media, preparation as an edge...
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1:16:06
10 Lessons on Identity, Obsession, and What It Takes to Be Elite - AJ Shavell
Coach AJ Shavell and I argue that identity beats motivation under pressure and that real confidence is earned through evidence, not affirmations. We share how to raise your floor with small wins, balance gratitude with ambition, and build syste...
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33:22
Dr. Julie Gurner: The Unglamorous Truth About Ultra Success
Dr. Julie Gurner and I weigh mortality against ambition and land on a clear thesis: courage is the keystone habit that lets you live on your terms. From chronic pain to scaling companies, we show how small wins, clear thinking, and the right ki...
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55:27
Dr. Sean Drake: Nervous System Periodization for Elite Performance
Dr. Sean Drake and I challenge the grind-at-all-costs model and show why safety in the nervous system is the true unlock for speed, strength, and durability. Breath-work, emotional clearing, and smart routines turn chronic pain and burnout into...
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51:06
Nick Raquet: The Pitcher Who Quit Baseball, Joined Wall Street, Then Fought His Way Back to the MLB
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Nick Raquet and I dig into the mindset that turns overthinking into action, why conviction beats a “perfect” plan, and how a three-year break from baseball led to a sharper return to the show. The call-up, the debut,...
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53:14
Coach Evan Burk: Delusional Confidence, 450 Letters, and a Job With the Miami Dolphins
We unpack how Coach Evan Burk without pedigree built his own path into the NFL by handwriting 450 letters, reverse-engineering relationships, and turning tiny moments at the Senior Bowl into real opportunities. The conversation blends tactics a...
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50:28
BEST OF THE PLAYBOOK: Yogi Roth- Finding Balance, Curiosity, and the Future of College Athletics
Yogi Roth and I dig into how clarity, confidence, and discipline help us choose family, protect mental health, and still compete at a high level. Yogi shares hard career calls, coaching frameworks, and why seekers—curious, coachable people—win ...
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49:18
Grief, Grit, and Grace: How Hannah Mears Found Her Voice in Sports Media
We trace the arc from unpaid reps to a trusted role in pro sports with Hannah Mears, then go deeper into grief, faith, and the boundaries that keep a public life humane. The heart of the conversation is perspective: preparing harder, saying no,...
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1:27:46
Jessica Rose Hood: How She Built 4 Businesses While Training For 100K Races
We explore the mindset behind a 100K ultra, the joy of race day, and how flexible training beats rigid plans. The same approach fuels a move from corporate to entrepreneurship, where feedback, periodization and service define success.• ...
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54:30
AJ Shavell- Six Lessons That Build Real Mental Fitness
We map six sub-skills that make confidence, mental toughness, and leadership real: ownership, self-awareness, presence, character, intention, and growth. We share tools like meditation, journaling, and deliberate practice to build alignment, ad...
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33:34
Dr. Mitch Abrams - Why Anger Is Actually a Performance-Enhancing Drug (And How to Control It)
What if anger isn’t a problem to erase but a resource to master? I sit down with Dr. Mitch Abrams, Author of "I'm Not F*cking Angry," for a candid, no‑evasion conversation about relationships, performance, and the messy middle where emotions li...
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2:32:07
Tim Cortazzo- Why Young Athletes Need Failure More Than They Need Trophies
Tim Cortazzo and I dig into raising daughters and sons with different instincts, why toughness is really confidence, and how to coach kids without breaking their spirit. The weight room becomes a tool, not a religion, as we push for specificity...
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1:12:01
How To Silence Your Inner Critic- Luke Falk and AJ Shavell
We unpack how to quiet the inner critic, channel ownership, and build confidence through controllables, forgiveness, and identity-driven habits. Luke Falk shares the exact tools that turned “not clutch” into Cool Hand Luke and how simple applic...
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1:18:43
Dave Kline- How To Become an Unstoppable Leader
Dave Kline Founder @ MGMT | CEO Coach | Advisor | Speaker | and I pull apart modern recruiting and leadership through the lens of college sports and business, weighing culture-building against transfer-portal efficiency and mapping a practical ...
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1:00:41
Terry Grossetti- The Lost Art of Athletic Development: How We Are Failing Our Youth Athletes
Remember when a ball, a wall, and an hour in the basement could change your game? We dig into why that kind of free play—and the chaos that comes with it—still beats the most polished drills for building real skill, creativity, and confidence. ...
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1:31:40
Justin Su'a- Why Success Feels Empty & How To Engineer Your Identity Beyond Achievement
We explore the curse of competence, the quiet emptiness that creeps in when winning becomes the minimum, and map how elite performers reclaim joy through systems, identity work, and productive self-talk. We define process receipts, pre-mortems,...
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1:23:36
Cal Adomitis- NFL Long Snapper On Faith & Resilience
Cal Adomitis shares an intimate look at NFL life through the eyes of a long snapper, revealing how faith and mental discipline guide his approach to football and life.• Joe Burrow operates on a different wavelength, showing laser focus ...
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1:13:23