The Threshold Lab
The Threshold Lab is where “aha” moments and insights go to lift weights. Each episode cracks open a fundamental principle from the world of high performance and aims to transform how you think, work, and lead. Think of it like unlocking a door you’ve passed a hundred times, only to find it opens into a whole new way of thinking. If you're into mindset, growth, and the occasional mental mic drop, you're in the right lab.
Zach Brandon is a coach, speaker, and thought leader blending principles from psychology, coaching, and high performance to empower others toward personal and professional excellence.
Episodes
58 episodes
Be the Exception
This episode explores what it means to be the exception, drawing from General Manager Sam Presti’s leadership of the Oklahoma City Thunder. I break down two quotes from him, spoken over five years apart, and you’ll hear why repeating y...
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Episode 58
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6:06
Tara Vanderveer, Hall of Fame Women's Basketball Coach at Stanford University | "As a coach, you can't just wear the sweatshirt, you have to sweat too."
Today's guest is one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball. With 1,216 career wins, Tara Vanderveer ranks second all-time in NCAA basketball history. Over her legendary career at Stanford University, she led her teams to...
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Episode 57
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55:05
Limiting Beliefs
In the final episode of the "Working In" series, we explore the fourth inner block: Limiting beliefs. You’ll learn why we can’t outperform our self-image and how to challenge thinking that hinders the perception we create for ourselves...
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Episode 56
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5:44
Interpretations
Your brain is a storyteller, but not all the stories it tells are true. In this episode, we uncover how interpretations (the stories and opinions we form about other people, events, etc.) can trap us in false realities. We'll discuss why awaren...
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Episode 55
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6:50
Assumptions
Your past doesn’t get to decide your future, but assumptions will try to convince you otherwise. In this episode, we examine how assumptions keep people playing small and living a life that is fear-driven. Whether it’s in leadership or everyday...
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Episode 54
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7:31
Gremlins
Gremlins are our inner voices that whisper “You’re not smart enough” or “You’re not good enough" (or some similar iteration of this). In this episode, we explore how gremlins operate as your Inner Critic and how to start the process of tapping ...
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Episode 53
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5:17
Working In
We train our bodies to get stronger, but what about our minds? In this opening episode of a new 5-part series, we explore the concept of “working in” and why inner work, not tactics, is the key to your next breakthrough. Because most people don...
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Episode 52
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7:35
Scott Brosius, Vice President of Athletics at Linfield University | "You can't ask somebody else to do something you're not willing to do yourself."
Today's guest is a three-time World Series champion, the 1998 World Series MVP, a National Championship-winning head coach, and a Olympic gold medalist.Scott Brosius is currently in his second year as the Vice President of Athletics for ...
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Episode 51
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1:13:47
Win Your Day
Today’s episode wasn’t what I planned, but it’s what I needed to share. I read a beautiful reflection about a father’s legacy and the lessons it can offer to all of us to live better and more fulfilling lives. I hope, like me, it helps you slow...
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Episode 50
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8:31
Borrowing Brilliance
What do a Ferrari pit crew and a pediatric surgery team have in common? More than you’d think. This episode explores the unlikely collision of racing and medicine and what it teaches us about creativity. This episode is a call to expand your le...
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Episode 49
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7:15
Race to the South Pole
In 1911, two explorers set out to conquer the South Pole. One team made it back. The other didn’t. This episode explores the story behind that outcome and how pre-committed standards can be the difference between drifting and finishing.
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Episode 48
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3:56
SNL: The Show Goes On
Performers don't always feel ready, but the top ones still find a way to perform when the lights come on. This episode is inspired by a behind-the-scenes look at Saturday Night Live and what it means to consistently show up under press...
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Episode 47
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3:45
Win in the Mud
High-performing individuals and teams find a way to win even when they're not at their best. In other words, they find a way to win messy. Today's episode is inspired by a quote from Oklahoma City Thunder's Head Coach, Mark Daigneault following...
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Episode 46
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6:16
Sit in the Dark
What if the best way to help someone through discomfort isn’t to eliminate it, but to sit with them in it? In this episode, I share a lesson from a child psychologist that can serve as a useful analogy for how we can lead others through discomf...
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Episode 45
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5:36
Go Down Swinging
J.J. Spaun was ready to quit and retire from golf last year. But this past weekend? He became the 2025 U.S. Open champion. His journey has been marred by personal setbacks (including health issues), but through it all he's developed a mantra to...
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Episode 44
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5:54
The Dash
This episode is a simple pause. A moment to breathe and reflect. I share the poem titled "The Dash" which has meant a lot to me this past year on a personal level. It’s a short, but powerful reminder that the space between our bi...
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Episode 43
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4:45
Growth Follows the Fire
Leadership isn’t about being bulletproof. It’s about being real. In this episode, we use the metaphor of forest fires to explore why growth follows vulnerability. You'll learn to give yourself more grace to be vulnerable with those you lead and...
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Episode 42
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6:17
Resilience Requires Resistance
When scientists designed a "perfect" world inside a glass dome in the Arizona desert, they didn’t expect the trees to fall. But one-by-one the trees began to tip over because there was no wind. In this episode, we explore what Biosphere 2 taugh...
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Episode 41
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5:38
Signal vs. Noise
Most performers don’t need more information. They need help filtering it. In a world flooded with tips, trends, and noise, clarity is a superpower. In this episode, we explore the powerful concept of signal vs. noise and why one of the...
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Episode 40
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7:00
T.J. Oshie's Retirement Message
Today's episode reflects on the final words of NHL veteran, T.J. Oshie's retirement speech on Monday. Rather than focusing on accolades or stats, Oshie concluded his speech with a reference to his childhood and a quote that his dad and coaches ...
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Episode 39
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6:21
Beeple
In this episode, we explore the creative discipline of digital artist Beeple, who posted digital art every single day for over 13 years and how his consistency led to one of the most historic art sales of all time. You'll learn why consistency ...
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Episode 38
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6:37
The Work Is The Reward
After reaching the top of the music industry, Mike Posner walked across America (literally) in search of something more. Through personal reflection and hardship, he discovered that true fulfillment comes from the process, not the praise. This ...
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Episode 37
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6:00
The Story Isn't Finished
Over the course of just a few days, two of the most thrilling comebacks in sports unfolded on the world’s biggest stages. The Indiana Pacers stunned the basketball world in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and Carlos Alcaraz pulled off a near-impossibl...
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Episode 36
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6:46
Six Thinking Hats
Today's episode dives into a decision-making framework that coaches and leaders can use to break free from one-track thinking. Edward de Bono's "Six Thinking Hats" is a mental model that helps you step back and look at problems from all sides s...
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Episode 35
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7:15
What You Can’t Give Away, Owns You
Frank Sinatra famously said, "If you possess something, but you can’t give it away, then you don’t possess it. It possesses you." With this in mind, today's episode explores what it means to live open-handed and how to stop being attached to th...
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Episode 34
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5:43