John Brenkus: Creator of Sports Science

12/12/17 • 47 min

“Successful people are really stubborn. They won’t take no for an answer. They keep going, and going, and going.” Want to know the science -- check that, odds -- around Ben Roethlisberger's pass that landed in the hands of Santonio Holmes with only seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII? How about the torque and bend that occurs after Alex Ovechkin hits a slap shot? Sports Science will tell you why after making contact with the ball, Giancarlo Stanton’s follow through doesn’t actually matter. I always wanted to know what it felt like to get tackled by Ray Lewis. Sports Science has it covered. John Brenkus is a producer, director, and television personality. He co-founded BASE productions, which specializes in creating television programming for channels such as ESPN, National Geographic, and Spike TV. He’s the creator of Sports Science, and currently hosts his own podcast, The Brink of Midnight. Here’s more about my fascinating friend. He attended UVA and created his own major, Film Rhetoric Communication Studies, graduating with honors in 3 years. When it all began, he told his mother he wanted to do two of the hardest things he could think of: write a novel and make a movie. He did both. He tell us that sports and science are his "two greatest passions." Suiting Up Podcast is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entertainment and business. My job is to navigate the conversation. The guests bring the originality.

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Torey Pudwill: Pro Skateboarder and Entrepreneur

“Skating is about putting all of your energy into something that keeps you creative.” This week’s guest is one of the world's top skateboarders, industry entrepreneur, and social media influencer. Torey Pudwill began skating in California when he was 4 years old. At 14, he edited his first video series, "How To Go Pro", and began his trek to stardom. Since then, he's filmed 10 video parts, amassed dozens of sponsors, won X-Games medals and Street League competitions. In 2011, Pudwill won Street Skater of the Year. Professional skateboarder and entrepreneur Jeron Wilson said, "I don't think you can say anything bad about Torey. He's one of those guys that's just one of the greatest skateboarders." On the show, Pudwill and I discuss the world of skateboarding, competitions, preparation, and more. At the start of the show, Pudwill discloses, for the first time publicly, that he has narcolepsy. I’m your host Paul Rabil and welcome to Suiting Up Podcast, a show where I delve into the stories of some of today’s leading athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers, interviewing them and unpacking the psychology of their success.

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Ryan Holiday: Author, Marketer, Entrepreneur

When Ryan Holiday was 19 years old, he dropped out of college to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. Next, he went on to become the director of marketing for American Apparel (where you might have seen some of the controversial campaigns he produced). Holiday then opened his own creative agency, called Brass Check, where he’s advised clients like Google and Complex, as well as prominent bestselling authors like Neil Strauss, Tony Robbins, James Altucher and Tim Ferriss (he was also Tim’s 4th ever podcast guest). Holiday's the author of six bestselling books, including The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic and Perennial Seller. The Obstacle Is the Way has been translated into more than twenty languages and has developed a loyal following among NFL coaches like Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, world-class athletes, TV personalities, political leaders, and many more. Holiday and I sat together in our NYC recording studios to discuss life, business, sports, and the practice of stoicism. I’m your host Paul Rabil and welcome to “Suiting Up Podcast”, a show where I delve into the stories of some of today’s leading athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and authors, interviewing them, unpacking the psychology of their success, revealing skill sets we can uniquely adopt to improve ourselves.