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The Benas Podcast
Benas Matkevicius
87 episodes
1 week ago
My name is Benas and I'm passionate about traveling, sports and coffee. In this podcast I will aim to combine all three of them by 'zooming' around the world and talking to sports professionals and coffee savants around the world while having nuanced conversations about different topics within their profession. If you're interested in hearing the stories and lifestyles of high achievers, the biggest lessons throughout their life, their mindsets within their respective sports then please subscribe to this podcast, buckle up, get your cup of coffee and 'come fly with me'. Thank you :)
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Basketball
Sports
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All content for The Benas Podcast is the property of Benas Matkevicius and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
My name is Benas and I'm passionate about traveling, sports and coffee. In this podcast I will aim to combine all three of them by 'zooming' around the world and talking to sports professionals and coffee savants around the world while having nuanced conversations about different topics within their profession. If you're interested in hearing the stories and lifestyles of high achievers, the biggest lessons throughout their life, their mindsets within their respective sports then please subscribe to this podcast, buckle up, get your cup of coffee and 'come fly with me'. Thank you :)
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Basketball
Sports
Episodes (20/87)
The Benas Podcast
B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius: Daniele Baiesi (Olimpia Milano)

B8 Summit Website:

www.b8summit.com 


If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Baio":


Daniele is a long-time friend of mine and a highly successful basketball front office executive in Europe. Daniele started his career as a journalist and worked his way up to become widely known as the best expert in his field as the sports director in Eurolegue clubs. After working for Brose Bamberg & FC Bayern Munich, he currently started his new venture with Olimpia Milano. Prior to becoming a sports director in Bamberg he was working as international scout for the Detroit Pistons. Most recently he spent his time consulting the Brooklyn Nets with draft prospects and potential free agents from Europe.


Today, we had a wide-ranging conversation of his experiences at different levels and Daniele shared the lessons he learned in his role with the Euroleague clubs as well as learning from the best in Detroit, i.e. Joe Dumars. We spoke about the communication challenges he had to face when he had to juggle the head coach and the president during the season as well as plenty of other situations that arise which required insightful decision-making. A truly unique mind.


Please Share with friends & colleagues...comment & like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!


Topics:

0:00 Intro

2:10 First tasks at Olimpia Milano11:30 Michelangelo Effect

16:50 Biggest sacrifice

20:00 Challenges as a young professional  

26:05 Communication Triangle

35:00 Observing Practices

39:20 Program Development / Impact

44:20 Q&A 


#OlimpiaMilano #Euroleague #Milano #ItalyBasketball #Italy #Bamberg #Munich #FCBayern #SportsDirector #Management #FrontOffice


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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6 days ago
49 minutes 11 seconds

The Benas Podcast
B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius: Vincent Collet (Team France)

Vincent Collet is a house-hold name in the world of European Basketball...especially when it comes to FIBA competitions. Vincent's achievements with the French National Team are second to none! His teams won 4 Eurobasket medals, 2 world cup medals & 2 Olympic medals between 2011 - 2024. His success with the national team is as unique as it gets and rich of experiences of working with stars at the highest level.

Vincent came to Vilnius on July 8th to talk about different topics surround his success as well as the youth system in France when players get developed through the federation's program at INSEP. 


Today's Topics:


0:00 Intro

3:40 Kinexon

6:20 Working with the Cleveland Cavaliers

16:30 INSEP & National Team

28:24 New Generation / Mindset

34:00 Criticism & Communication

40:00 Benching Rudy Gobert

45:00 Q&A


B8 Summit Website:

www.b8summit.com


The Benas Podcast:

www.bmatke.com 


#VincentCollet #fiba #FrenchBasketball #Communication #France #INSEP 

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3 weeks ago
57 minutes 10 seconds

The Benas Podcast
B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius: Kostas Chatzichristos (Head of Performance - Olimpia Milano)

Kostas is a long time friend of mine and a 3x Euroleague champion in his own right as the Head of Performance. He last worked at Fenerbahce since 2022 under Dimitris Itoudis and later Sarunas Jasikevicus and recently signed with Ettore Messina's team, Olimpia Milano! He started his career in Europe at Olympiacos in 2006 and has been rolling through Europe ever since!Kostas is the best expert in his field of athletic performance and conditioning for athletes, he also worked with athletes such as Theo Papaloukas and Sofoklis Schortsanitis in the past. He came to Vilnius on July 8th to talk at the B8 Summit 2025 about his field and covered a variety of topics from his field. We talked about the general problematic in all clubs when it comes to communication after injuries occur as well as the mechanics of an achilles injury and much more, check it out!Today's Topics:0:00 Intro1:10 ESCCA Summit2:50 Sacrifice for Achievement9:20 Decision-making process / Information18:30 Load Managment during season24:30 Injury Peak-times / Summer Load32:30 Achilles Injury / Mechanics36:45 Chain of commands after injury44:30 Q&AFind Kostas Chatzichristos here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/kostas_chatzichristos/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/kostas.chatzichristos.2025 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kostas-chatzichristos-a85ab53/ X: https://x.com/kostaschatz Website: https://kostaschatzichristos.com/ ESCCA: https://escca.net/about-us/ B8 Summit Website:www.b8summit.comThe Benas Podcast:www.bmatke.com #KostasChatzichristos #b8summit #basketballsummit #Vilnius #Lithuania #Basketball #podcast #conference #Growth #learning #conversations #ArmaniMilano #Euroleague #EuroleagueChampion

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4 weeks ago
51 minutes 11 seconds

The Benas Podcast
B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius: Ibon Navarro (Unicaja Malaga)

Ibon Navarro:


Ibon Navarro is a highly accomplished Head Coach in Europe and today he came to our summit in Vilnius to talk about the culture he created in Malaga, Spain! The two time King's Cup & back to back BCL championship coach has a lot of experience already and today we spoke about his practice habits as well as the habits he expects from his players. How the team culture is supposed to impact and help new players adapt easier and much more.


Today's Topics:


0:00 Intro

2:10 Sleep & Off Season

5:00 BCL Back to back process

12:00 Alex Ferguson Quote

14:20 James Clear Quote / Habits

19:30 Information gathering / Recruitment

22:50 Impact of culture

25:15 Unconventional Practices

32:00 Lessons from the past

35:30 Substitution pattern

42:00 Q&A


Find Ibon Navarro here: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ibon.navarro76/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ibontxun 


B8 Summit Website:

www.b8summit.com


The Benas Podcast:

www.bmatke.com 


#b8summit #basketballsummit #Vilnius #Lithuania #Basketball #podcast #conference #Growth #learning #conversations #Unicaja #Malaga #BCL #Champion 

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1 month ago
51 minutes 27 seconds

The Benas Podcast
EP#78 Sani Becirovic - From the hardest time of his life to Euroleague champion

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsor:  
www.proballers.com


"Sani Boy":


Sani is a well-known former player as well as highly respected personality because of his positive attitude and mindset. Sani was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and played an incredible 20years as a professional, winning his first Euroleague title in 2007 with Panathinaikos. After numerious domestic titles and junior MVPs and All Star appointments he decided to go into the front office after a short stint as an Assistant at PAO...and ends up winning another Euroleague titles with Panathinaikos in 2024.

Today, we talked about Sani's trials and tribulations with his 13 knee surgeries that he had to go through, what he had to live through after almost not being able to walk and his path out of the dark places. Sani also talked about his daily life and work structure, what he looks for in players as well as politics and communication behind the scenes.

This episode was very emotional for Sani and a rather unique and rare conversation about the struggles of a pro-athlete who has to recover from his injuries.


Topics:

0:00 Intro & Lithuania
2:45 Knee surgeries & mindset
9:40 Draft & Stash
14:00 Influence of a father
21:40 Coaching & Agent Experience
27:15 Learning curve as an executive
35:06 ProBallers.com
39:30 Communication
48:50 Evaluating practices / arguments
54:00 Changes
57:30 Qualities of players
1:00:40 ATOs  


#SaniBecirovic #Panathinaikos #FrontOffice #Champion #Athens #Euroleague #Greece


You can Find "Sani" here:


X: https://x.com/SaniBecirovic


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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2 months ago
1 hour 11 minutes 48 seconds

The Benas Podcast
EP#77 Guillaume Vizade - French system, 'effort oriented' culture, sincere coaching & the 'tag up' system

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsor:  
www.proballers.com

"Guillaume":

Guillaume is making a name for himself in France and this is just the beginning. After being the Head Coach at Vichy for numerous years he won the Leader's Cup of the ProB in 2024 and was appointed the head coach of LeMans the following season where he also managed to the Leader's Cup of the ProA in his first season. Meanwhile, Guillaume also won 2 gold medals in a row with the French u20 team in the FIBA u20 Eurobasket in 2023 & 2024.

Today, we talked about a variety of topics that involved his experiences with the French u20 team as well as his style of leadership. I addressed the improvement of the English language within the French basketball community as well as the culturally diverse French ProA. Guillaume also talked about the importance of terminology and how to incorporate young talents into the pros. Also some tactical nuances like the 'tagging up' system and more.

It's very important for this podcast to continue to grow and your activity is very important in all this. Please share, like and comment so the YT algorithm will be prompted to help us too :)

Topics:

0:00 Intro  
2:00 English language in France
3:30 Culturally diverse French league
10:00 Effort oriented culture
16:00 Back to back gold with France u20
23:15 Terminology & Transition to pro
27:30 Personal growth & Coaching staff
36:45 ProBallers.com
38:00 "Tagging Up" system
44:00 Scouting vs Self-scouting
46:10 Sources for scouting players
54:00 Decompressing
55:50 Vincent Collet specialties
1:00:25 ATOs

#GuillaumeVizade #FrenchBasketball #Franceu20 #FIBA #LeadersCup #LeMans #ProA


You can Find "Guillaume" here:


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guillaume_vizade/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guillermo.bill.william 

X: https://x.com/GuillaumeVIZADE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaume-vizade-b054a446/ 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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3 months ago
1 hour 8 minutes 27 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#76 Linas Kleiza (LT) - apie pasitikėjimą savimi, NBA naujoko gyvenimą, traumas, vaikus ir naujus iššūkius jų tėvams

Bilietai į B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius renginį:
www.b8summit.com

Mano podcasto palaikymas (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Rėmėjas:  
www.proballers.com

Svetainė:

www.bmatke.com


"Linse":

Šio epizodo svečias yra Linas Kleiza - jo ilgai pristatinėti nereikia. Be šešių sezonų, praleistų NBA, Linas gali pasigirti medaliais, iškovotais su Lietuvos vyrų rinktine 2007ais, 2010ais ir 2013ais metais! Linui teko žaisti ir trijuose Eurolygos klubuose - Olympiacos, Fenerbahce ir Milane.

Šiandien mes su Linu kalbėjom apie jo profesinę kelionę, kokie iššūkiai jo laukė atsidūrus NBA lygoje, ką jam reiškia darbo etika ir kaip išgyventi NBA naujokui. Taip pat aptarėm naują augančią kartą ir kokie iššūkiai laukia tėvų, auginančių jaunus sportininkus naujomis aplinkybėmis - kaip pasikeitusios gyvenimo sąlygos keičia ir žaidėjo mentalitetą, norą nugalėti bei kovoti už būvį.Linas pasidalino asmeninėmis istorijomis iš “savo laikų” ir palygino juos su dabartine situacija krepšinio pasaulyje! Kalbėjom ir apie aistrą motociklams, Lino patirtis būnant sporto direktoriumi Ryto komandoje ir dar daug įdomių istorijų.

Šis epizodas yra unikalus ir labai svarbus išgirsti šiuolaikiniam sportininkui bei jo tėvams. Tėvai išgirs, į ką reikia atkreipti dėmesį auginant vaiką be lepinimo, nors tam galimybių yra kasdien!Labai svarbu dalintis šiuo epizodu ir prenumeruoti mano kanalą tam, kad galėtume pasikviesti daugiau svečių kaip Linas Kleiza! Komentuok bei paspausk 'like' mygtuką, kad algoritmas šį kanalą siūlytų ir kitiems, kam tai aktualu! :)


Topics:

0:00 Intro  4:40 Savęs suvokimas8:30 Pasitikejimas savimi ir branda16:50 NBA naujoko gyvenimas ir darbas19:00 Gyvenimas su traumom ir identitetas28:10 B8 Summit 2025 Vilnius29:20 Motociklas ir adrenalinas32:00 Kaip auginti vaikus ir naują sportininkų kartą46:40 ProBallers.com48:50 Direktoriaus pareigos ir skautingas1:03:40 ATOs

#LinasKleiza #DenverNuggets #TorontoRaptors #NBA #Eurolyga #Krepsinis #Lietuva #NaujaKarta


"Linse" rasite čia:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linaskleiza/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lkleiza 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast

…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3

www.bmatke.com

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3 months ago
1 hour 9 minutes 1 second

The Benas Podcast
#75 Petteri Koponen - Draft & Stash mindset, Finland Basketball & Coaching in New Zealand


If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsor:  www.proballers.com


"Petteri":

Petteri is a well-known basketball player who was drafted in 2007 by Philadelphia but his rights ended up being traded several times during his career and he never made the final jump. On the contrary, Petteri had an illustrious career in Europe where he played for several high level teams throughout his career (Bologna, Khimki, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and more) and ended up winning several meaningful domestic titles in Germany & Spain. Petteri was known as one of the most accurate shooters in Europe and was twice a member of the unique "50-40-90 club" in Euroleague.


Today, we talked about how he handled being drafted and spending his career in waiting to make it to the NBA, the mindset behind being a draft&stash player, his career challenges, hip issues that lead to retirement, the enjoyment of coaching kids and lessons learned from transferring knowledge to young guys vs coaching pros.


This episode marks my third guest from Finland, after Hanno Mottola and Lassi Touvi have been my guests before. It's another unique episode that talks about the path of a former player to becoming a head coach.


Please share with all players or former players looking to go into coaching...comment, like & share on all social media and audio platforms.


Topics:

0:00 Intro  
2:00 Health issues7:00 Draft & Stash life11:50 Preparation for games14:30 Ending Career19:30 Finnish Basketball Culture27:50 ProBallers.com33:30 Early Coaching Lessons38:00 Coaching Juniors vs Pros43:20 Head Coach mentorship50:00 NBL vs Europe & Next Star Program59:30 New Zealand & Family Life1:11:50 ATOs

#PetteriKoponen #Finland #FinlandBasketball #FCBarcelona #FCBayern #Adidas #NextGeneration #NZBreakers #NewZealandBasketball


You can Find "Petteri" here:


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petteri.koponen2 

X: https://x.com/KoponenPetteri


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 20 minutes 47 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#74 Mikko Riipinen - Swedish NT, BG Göttingen Head Coach & Low-hanging fruit

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsor:  
www.proballers.com

"Mikko":

Mikko is the Head Coach of the Swedish Basketball NT and recently qualified with Sweden for the Eurobasket in 2025. He's also the Head Coach of BG Göttingen in the German BBL and is managing both positions at once. Before he joined Göttingen midway through this season, he was the Head Coach of the Swedish top club in Norrköping and won every domestic title there is to win in Sweden. Being only 37years old, it's safe to say that Mikko has a bright future ahead of him.

Today, we talked about how he handles sitting on two high pressure chairs at the same time and how he manages to balance these two jobs and his family time. We also talked about how he handles his staff and the importance of delefation. Also, communication with players during the season as well as recruiting NT players. We also talked about Sweden's basketball system as a whole and much more.

This episode is a premiere episode with a professional from Sweden and is useful on so many levels for so many young coaches. Please share, subscribe, comment & like this episode all over social media. It helps us grow tremendously.

Topics:

0:00 Intro  5:40 History & Balancing Work+Life8:50 Priorities in the Job10:40 Importance of delegating work17:00 Scouting23:30 Handling Staff27:20 Routines & Preparation34:40 ProBallers.com41:00 Sweden Basketball System47:40 Handling two Head Coaching Jobs54:00 Recruiting NT Players58:20 Low-hanging fruit & Purpose1:10:04 ATOs

#MikkoRippinen #Sweden #BGGoettingen #BBL #Eurobasket #FIBA #HeadCoach

You can Find "Mikko" here:


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikkoriipinen/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikko.riipinen.9 

X: https://x.com/mikkoriipinen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikko-riipinen-729a89166/ 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 17 minutes 55 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#73 Jamion Christian (Trieste) - Do you have the capacity to reach your full capacity?

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

You can Find "Jamion" here:


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamion_christian/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamion.christian 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamion-christian-683b54208/ 

X: https://x.com/JamionChristian 


Sponsor:  
www.proballers.com

"Jamion":

Jamion Christian is an experienced coach with 280+ games as a Head Coach at the NCAA level as well as the pros. Jamion has been a Head Coach at Mount St Mary's, Siena & George Washington. Last year he joined Pallacanestro Trieste as their Head Coach in the 2nd division of the Italian league and he managed to promote the team right during his first season in Italy. This year he already took the team to the Italian Cup semi-finals and I'm sure there is a lot more success ahead of him.

Today, we talked about Jamion's story of how he got from the NCAA to becoming a pro coach in Italy. Find out how his podcast guest eventually become his GM in Italy as well as what shaped Jamion in his past for him to become a successful Head Coach going forward. We also talked about the early challenges of adapting to a new culture and some early mistakes that he had to learn the hard way.
This podcast episode is special because we never met in person before and vibed right from the beginning. You can hear the competitive spirit in Jamion's blood and how he had to overcome early criticism before proving everyone wrong along the way. Beautiful story that people need to hear!

Please comment & like this episode and share it with friends & colleagues across the globe, it helps this pod to grow even faster.

Topics:

0:00 Intro
2:50 Who is Jamion Christian?
5:40 Importance of parents? 12:30 Cultural communication differences21:00 Value of the visa in LegaDue25:20 How did you want to coach?28:20 Cultural Coaching & Leadership35:00 Do you have the capacity?41:30 Endurance for the battle45:55 ProBallers.com52:40 Early challenges as a coach59:00 Negative Self-Talk & Challenges1:09:00 Using "Pain" & Podcasting1:18:00 ATOs
#JamionChristian #TriesteBasketball #LegaBasket #Italy #HeadCoach #Basketball


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Website: https://www.drcherimah.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

Show more...
5 months ago
1 hour 26 minutes 51 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#72 Dr. Cheri Mah - How to minimize jet-lag & sleep like a pro!

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):  https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


You can Find "Dr. Mah" here:


Website: https://www.drcherimah.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcherimah/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcherimah 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcherimah/ 

X: https://x.com/drcherimah


Sponsor:  www.proballers.com


"Dr. Cheri Mah":

Dr. Mah is a highly respected sleep physician and n Adjungt Lecturer at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. Amongst high level athletes and sports franchises she's regarded as a sleep expert with a focus on benefits of sleep for Athletes in particular. Some of the clients she worked with in the past are Andre Iguodala, the Golden State Warriors from the NBA, San Francisco Giants from the MLB, Pittsburgh Steelers & Philadelphia Eagles from the NFL, San Jose Sharks from the NHL and many more.She's also currently a sleep expert for Under Armour and served on the performance council at Nike in the past and worked with companies such as ESPN, Gatorade & many more.

Today, we talked about all things sleep. Dr Mah gave extensive examples on the benefits of sleep as well as the dangers of under-slept athletes. We talked about the small things athletes can do in order to prepare themselves for journeys across timezones. Certain things you can do before, during and after your sleep. 

Did you know that bringing your own pillow from home already helps getting a better night of sleep? Did you know that the snooze button is not good? Did you know that your FT percentage, reaction time & speed in general suffers if you are under-slept? Do you know what "Sleep Debt" means? What is a "Nappuccino"? These topics and many more we discussed in this very unique and insightful episode!

Topics:

0:00 Intro5:20 Sleep Window & Sleep Debt16:05 Nappuccino   24:06 Timezones & Jetlag31:53 First night in new bed35:53 "NBA Schedule Alert" Project42:00 What can coaches do?49:15 Gaining player's trust52:00 Andre Iguodala's sleep journey56:30 Calm down routine after games1:04:15 Does supplementation help?1:07:45 "Napspressos"#DrCheriMah #DrMah #SleepDoctor #SleepPhysician #Sleep #Benefitsofsleep


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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6 months ago
1 hour 16 minutes 16 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#71 Luigi "Gigi" Datome - Mentality Of A Shooter & Love For Books

If you want to support my podcast (Ačiū!!):   https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsor:   www.proballers.com


"Gigi":

Gigi Datome is a household name in Italian basketball and his journey is a phenomenal one. Coming from a small island (Sardinia) in Italy to playing in the NBA, winning the Euroleague (2017) and being the captain of the national team of Italy.
After winning countless domestic leagues and cups in Italy & Turkey he finally decided to hang up his shoes and move into a new role with the National Team behind the scenes.

Today, we talked about his journey as a player and the challenges he went through before going to the NBA as well as during his NBA career, his exciting times in Boston with the Celtics as well as his glorious years with Fenerbahce. We touched on how he dealt with going through slumps, his routines as well as his interests off the court.

This episode is another instant classic especially for the players approaching retirement and the ones that just retired and are looking for directions.


Topics:

0:00 Intro   2:00 Being Open Minded, Books & Locker-room 10:00 Retirement Preparation 17:40 Learning Curve With New Role 24:00 Important Coaching Ingredients
29:40 ProBallers.com
33:25 Celtics Memories
36:50 Dealing with a "Slump"
41:00 Role Transfer 
49:00 Preparation & Routine
53:20 ATOs 


#GigiDatome #Gigi #NBA #BostonCeltics #Fenerbahce #Milano #ItalyBasketball 

You can Find "Gigi" here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gigidatome/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GigiDatome

X: https://x.com/GigiDatome 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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7 months ago
1 hour 2 minutes 23 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#70 Giedrius Žibėnas - Italija mane pakeite kaip žmogu ir treneri!

Jeigu norite paremti mano podkastą (Ačiū!!):  
https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Rėmėjas:  
www.proballers.com


"Giedrius":

Trenerio Žibėno kelias iki dvieju LKL čempiono titulu nera iprastas - del to šios dienos epizodas vertas demesio. 


Mes kalbejom apie jo kelia ir kaip jo asmenybe keitesi keliaujant po skirtingas šalis. Mes aptarem koks jis buvo gyvenant ir dirbant Lietuvoje ir koks jis tapo po išskirtiniu patirčiu užsienije. Kodel Italija butent turejo didziausia itaka ir kaip merginu komandu treniravimas skiriasi nuo vyru. 

Giedrius atsivere apie savo emocini kelia ir kiek reikejo jam pačiam prisipažinti, kad reikia keistis ir dirbti su savimi. Išsamiai kalbejome apie komunikacija su štabu ir kokia svarba turi korektiška ir atvira komunikacija tarpusavyje.

Labai reikalingas epizodas visiems jauniems treneriams ir busimiems vadovams!


Temos:


0:00 Intro  
2:45 Sveikata 4:00 Buvau senamadiskas 13:00 Jaunu treneriu klaidos 15:45 Kitu kulturu itaka 19:30 Italijoj atradau save 23:30 Indonezijos klubo vadovybe 29:40 Dvigubi standartai 35:00 Merginu Treniravimas 38:00 ProBallers.com 42:30 Treneriu štabo niuansai 57:50 ATOs


#GiedriusZibenas #Vilnius #VilniusRytas #Treneris


Rasit Giedriu Žibena čia:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghibbi_z/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giedrius.zibenas 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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8 months ago
1 hour 9 minutes 31 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#69 Aron Baynes - Career lessons, Injury, Negative Self-Talk & Garden(ing)

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Baynesie":


Aron Baynes is a household name not only in Australia but also in the NBA as well as in Europe. Has been around the globe playing in Europe, NBA, GLeague, NBL & Australia National Team. He's a 3 time Olympian and a NBA World Champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. 

Aron went through his fair share of challenges in his life and today we talked about all of them. We talked about his freak injury in Tokyo and the gruesome period he experienced throughout his recovery period, going into a deep depression. We touched on topics like 'negative self talk' and the effect it had on his children, rekindling the love for the game by going a step down to Greece, memories from the cold weather periods in Vilnius, Detroit & Boston and went down memory lane from his time with Brad Stevens.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!


Also, rate this podcast on all audio platforms, it helps for promotion and helps people with similar interests to see what you like to see!


Topics:

0:00 Intro

2:15 Aussie Memories

4:10 Decision for Family Reasons

15:00 Timing of Decision 

20:00 Hobbies & New Pursuits 

27:00 Memories of the TD Garden

29:50 Memories from Rytas

31:45 3pt Shooting Evolution

38:00 ProBallers.com

41:03 Emotional Control On&Off the court

46:00 Black & White thinking on vs off the court

50:45 Negative Self Talk

56:45 Mental & Physical Road to Recovery

1:02:40 ATOs

 

#AronBaynes #Boomers #Celtics #NBAChampion #Spurs #Olympian #RoadToRecovery #Retirement 


Finding "Baynesie":

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseobayne/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaynesAron 

X: https://x.com/aronbaynes 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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9 months ago
1 hour 11 minutes 1 second

The Benas Podcast
#68 Kyle Hines - Process of Retirement

#68 Kyle Hines - Process of Retirement


If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Kyle":


My first repeat guest, Kyle Hines, came back to my podcast after being my #2 episode to talk about his process of retirement, being in peace with it and entering the next stage of his life. 

This conversation was very sincere and transparent, talking about the difficulties of sending out the final decision to the world, when he actually decided to make it his last season, the memories that still sting and the next stage of his life. A very unique and actually fresh conversation where you can see Kyle's emotions and thought process clearly.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!

Also, rate this podcast on all audio platforms, it helps for promotion and helps people with similar interests to see what you like to see!


Topics:

0:00 Intro

1:15 Small Talk

7:40 Reflection & Regrets

9:15 Anticipating Retirement & Family Component

21:30 ProBallers.com

26:40 Most emotional moment

34:50 Home & Next Stage

39:00 Hobbies & Nutrition

43:44 Retirement Advice

 

#KyleHines #Retirement #EuroleagueLegend #Champion #BasketballLife


Finding "Kyle Hines":


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sirhines42/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-hines-12414332/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyle.hines.5496 

X: https://x.com/SirHines 

Homepage: https://www.teamhinesbasketball.com/ 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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10 months ago
52 minutes 34 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#67 Gytis Vilius (LT) - Teisėjo Profesija

Jeigu norite paremti mano podkastą (Ačiū!!):  https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Rėmėjas:  www.proballers.com


"Gytis":

Gytis yra labai žinomas krepšinio teisėjas ne tik Lietuvoje, bet ir Eurolygoje. Jis buvo išrinktas geriausiu Lietuvos teisėju 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 metais! 2021, 2022, 2023 metais buvo išrinktas teisėjauti Eurolygos 'Final Four' ir visus 3 kartus teisėjavo Eurolygos finalą.

Šiandien su Gyčiu aptarėm labai daug temų, susijusių su šia profesija, daug dėmėsio skyrėm pasiruošimui ir komunikacijai rungtynių metu. Kalbėjom apie konfliktus, apie emocinį balansą ir apie labai svarbią tėvų įtaką teisėjo karjeros pradžioje. Podkaste išgirsite daug įdomių faktų apie teisėjavimo užkulisius.

Kviečiu jus visus paklausyti šio išskirtinio pokalbio ir būsiu dėkingas, jeigu pasidalinsite juo su krepšinio profesijos ekspertais ir draugais.


**Temos:**

0:00 Intro  2:45 Kelionės & Balansas  11:00 Kodėl pasirinkti teisėjo karjerą?  16:20 Tėvų įtaka jaunam teisėjui  26:30 Fizinis pasiruošimas / Forma  29:45 Skautinti komandas  35:20 Komunikacija ir Konfliktai rungtynių metu  44:40 Peržiūrų taisyklė  50:50 Sunkiausias švilpukas  59:50 Procesas po rungtynių  1:01:35 ProBallers.com  1:06:30 Gero teisėjo charakteristika  1:13:50 Greiti švilpuka


#GytisVilius #Teisejas #Krepsinis #Eurolyga #LKL #Svilpukas


Kaip rasti "Gyti Viliu":


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gytis_v/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gytis.vilius 


“The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Soc Medijos:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3

Svetaine: www.bmatke.com 

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10 months ago
1 hour 18 minutes 50 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#66 Tim Fanning (BYU Basketball) - Coaching in New Zealand, Spain, Israel, OTE & NCAA while being a life-long learner!

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke

Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Tim":


Tim has been a long-time friend of mine, we go way back to 2014 and ended up celebrating our 10year anniversary of our friendship in Colombia together, where this podcast was recorded. Tim has had experiences as a coach early on in his life as a 22 year old in Spain in the lower divisions, learned his ways without speaking much Spanish at the time. Tim has since coached at an elite level in Euroleague for Maccabi Tel Aviv as well as New Zealand National Team as an Assistant Coach and New Zealand domestic league as a Head Coach. He also was the G-League assistant at Delaware as well as the Head Coach at OTE before joining the BYU Basketball program this season.


Today, Tim told us all about his journey, from finding his way to the GLeague via email application to coaching at the World Cup in Spain in 2014 as an Assistant of the New Zealand National Team. He also shared the lessons he learned working under great Head Coaches such as Giannis Sfairopoulos at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Tim also shared his unique perspective on the rookie adjustment issues in Europe and many more topics that we talked about.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!


Topics:

  • New Zealand Culture & Leadership
  • Basketball Philosophy 
  • Lessons From Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • Head Coach in Spain at 22
  • Learning to haggle
  • Online Platform Projects
  • Coaching & Keeping it Simple
  • Rookies in Europe 
  • OTE
  • ATOs


#TimFanning #BYU #Israel #Spain #OTE #NewZealand #NCAABasketball #MaccabiTelAviv


Finding "Tim Fanning":


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timfanning510/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELTim 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-fanning-6025b8b/ 

X: https://x.com/coach_team 


Website: www.hoopsenglish.com 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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11 months ago
1 hour 15 minutes 40 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#65 Damjan Rudež - Psychology of Shooters, Frustrations after the NBA, Retirement & Business

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Damjan":

Damjan Rudež is a highly accomplished basketball player who played at all possible levels of basketball and has now ventured into the business side of things with the "Sunset Sports Festival". Damjan started his professional career in Belgium before returning to Croatia to play for Split and later various other teams in the Balkans before moving on to Zaragoza, Spain. Damjan was picked up by the Indiana Pacers in 2014 and played three years for three different teams before returning to Europe when signing with Valencia. 

Damjan also represented his Croatian flag in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.


Today, Damjan opened up about his struggles early on in his career in Oostende as well as his sliding door moment in his workout in front of all the Indiana Pacers staff. Damjan also talked about the struggles of retirement, creating his new identity as well as how him and his business partners started the Sunset Sports Festival, which has become a household event during the summer in Zadar, Croatia.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!


Topics:

  • Championship Mindset
  • Paris Olympics
  • Saturation & Retirement 
  • Shooting Slumps
  • Frustrations after NBA
  • Post Career Life
  • ProBallers.com
  • Finding your Niche/Role
  • Sunset Sports Festival
  • ATOs


#DamjanRudez #Retirement #Shooter #SunsetSportsFestival #Mindset 


Finding "Damjan Rudež":


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damorudez9/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damjan-rude%C5%BE-b1456b235/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damjanrudez86 

X: https://x.com/Damjan_Rudez 


Event Website: https://sunsetsportsmedia.com/ 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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1 year ago
1 hour 20 minutes 55 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#64 Simon Cote - The Other Side Of Coaching & Career Transition

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke


Sponsors:

www.proballers.com


"Sye":


My good friend Simon Cote is not only a long time friend but also used to be a long time colleague in the world of coaching. After serving as an Assistant at SMU & University of Tennessee in the late 90s he decided to start his coaching career in Europe and worked with current World Champion Gordon Herbert in Frankfurt. He was part of the championship team there before becoming a Head Coach himself in Giessen. Simon has also a wealth of experience as an Assistant coach in different countries as well as being a NBA scout for the Denver Nuggets in the early 2000s.


Today we talked about the darker side of coaching, the part where you get fired and have to search for new opportunities in the world of basketball coaching. Simon talked about loss of identity and eventually about his transition out of the sport and into a completely new avenue, finance. 

Lots of valuable lessons in here for everyone on how to re-define yourself, finding new motivation in a completely new area of life and overcoming challenges that come with that. Leaving behind the sport you love is never easy, today you will hear Simon's story.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!


Topics:

  • Simon's Coaching Path
  • Adapting from NCAA to Europe
  • NBA Scout Experience
  • Giessen Job
  • Self-Doubt after getting fired
  • Role of an Assistant Coach
  • New Identity as a Head Coach
  • Sense of Self & Dealing with Pressure
  • Mentorship & Gratification
  • ProBallers.com
  • Leaving Basketball & Transitioning
  • Lessons from Basketball
  • ATOs


#SimonCote #HeadCoach #Basketball #GettingFired #NewIdentity

Finding Simon Cote:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syeco777/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncote/ 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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1 year ago
1 hour 20 minutes 56 seconds

The Benas Podcast
#63 Sophia Young-Malcolm (Baylor WBB): Journey from Exchange-Student to NCAA Champion & WNBA Player

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

https://www.patreon.com/bmatke 


Sponsors:

www.ProBallers.com


"So":

Sophia started her basketball journey together with me in Shreveport, Louisiana as an exchange student before she became a superstar at Baylor University. She took the Lady Bears to a National Championship and became the MVP of the Final Four before getting drafted by the San Antonio SilverStars and continuing her journey in the WNBA and later in various countries around Europe as well as in China! Sophia is currently an Assistant Coach with the Lady Bears program and is continuing her mentorship of young ladies in college as well as developing their on-court skills at the same time.

Today, "So" and me talked about her journey and the challenges along the way that she encountered while reaching her potential. We talked about the straining journey of a WNBA player and how to juggle playing all year around between WNBA & overseas, which at some point ended up in exhaustion and an ACL tear during her time in China. We also went into depth of her journey of retirement and trying to rediscover herself, building a new identity outside the court and finding new passions that she can pursue, including podcasting with her husband. 

Sophia is also a proud mother of two and enjoying life all together in Texas.


Please Share, Comment & Like this episode on YouTube as well as all audio platforms!!!


Topics:

(0:00) Intro

(2:25) 1st date with Sophia

(5:40) "Relationship & Reason" Podcast

(12:00) Foreign Exchange Student Life

(15:45) Difference between Confidence & Cockiness

(23:10) WNBA & Overseas Workload 

(32:00) Dealing with retirement

(41:20) Starting the coaching career

(45:00) Balancing Stress & Joy

(51:20) Unlearning old behaviors

(55:05) ATOs


#SophiaYoungMalcolm #SophiaYoung #NationalChampion #Baylor #WNBA #WomensBasketball

Finding "Sophia":

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiayoungmalcolm/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophia.young.1466 

Twitter: https://x.com/sophiayoung33 

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ukVy0rgM8P6wAHx3UbbRO?si=632943f0287c459f 


Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast


…or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info.


Comment, Like & Share here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3


www.bmatke.com 

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1 year ago
1 hour 2 minutes 23 seconds

The Benas Podcast
My name is Benas and I'm passionate about traveling, sports and coffee. In this podcast I will aim to combine all three of them by 'zooming' around the world and talking to sports professionals and coffee savants around the world while having nuanced conversations about different topics within their profession. If you're interested in hearing the stories and lifestyles of high achievers, the biggest lessons throughout their life, their mindsets within their respective sports then please subscribe to this podcast, buckle up, get your cup of coffee and 'come fly with me'. Thank you :)