If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
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If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
“10,000 Hours is a Myth” | “Stress Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Training Partner” | Dr Alex Auerbach on Coaching Mental Skills
The Nick Standlea Show
1 hour 39 minutes
1 week ago
“10,000 Hours is a Myth” | “Stress Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Training Partner” | Dr Alex Auerbach on Coaching Mental Skills
Most people train their bodies. The best train their minds. NFL and NBA psychologist Dr. Alex Auerbach joins Nick Standlea to reveal how elite performers stay calm under pressure, turn nerves into fuel, and master stress instead of fighting it.
Whether you’re an athlete, founder, or coach, this conversation will change the way you think about focus, resilience, and performance.
🎯 What You’ll Learn
How stress can enhance performance instead of killing it
The myth of 10,000 hours — and what actually builds mastery
Why a “fixed” mindset isn’t always bad
How to stop youth sports burnout before it starts
The self-talk rituals that world champions use
🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors:
Zapier: Build Your Own AI Agent Today, Without CodingLink: https://bit.ly/4pI8Su2
Test Prep Gurushttps://www.prepgurus.com
Manta Sleep Mask sleep better, anywhere, anytimeManta Sleep Link: https://tinyurl.com/554xyknpCheck Out Code for 10% Off!: NICK
Watch more interviews on The Nick Standlea Show:🎥 https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
Connect with Alex Auerbach:
Website: https://www.alexauerbach.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexauerbachphd/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AlexAuerbachPhD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexauerbachphd
🕒 Chapters
00:00 Introduction — What separates good from great performers01:15 Meet Dr. Alex Auerbach — NBA, NFL and elite military psychologist03:10 From football coach to sports psychologist07:30 Inside the Toronto Raptors and Jacksonville Jaguars mental programs10:20 How elite athletes train their minds for focus and control14:45 The four levels of mental performance training18:00 Why stress is neither good nor bad — it’s your body preparing to act22:10 Regulating energy — what to do when you’re too amped up or too flat26:25 Individualizing mental skills for different players29:40 How coaches should respond when kids get over-stimulated33:00 Preventing burnout and the truth about early specialization37:20 The myth of 10,000 hours and why it’s a story, not a rule41:35 Turning nerves into excitement — the science of stress mindsets47:00 Team chemistry and connection — why touch and breathing matter51:10 Ronaldo’s self-talk and how pros build confidence on command56:30 The “confidence résumé” — training your brain to remember wins01:01:10 How to coach mistakes without creating shame01:05:45 The case for a fixed mindset — balance, identity and earned belief01:10:30 Closing thoughts — using psychology to thrive under pressure
If you liked this episode, subscribe and rate 5 stars -- thank you in advance!
Connect with The Nick Standlea Show:YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShowPodcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJRSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml
Nick's Socials:Instagram: @nickstandleaX (Twitter): @nickstandleaTikTok: @nickstandleashowFacebook: @nickstandleapodcast
Ask questions, Don't accept the status quo, And be curious.
The Nick Standlea Show
If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
