Rephonic
Artwork for excellence, actually
Performance
Mental Health
Motivation
Mindfulness
Self-Improvement
Resilience
Running
Productivity
Nutrition
Exercise
Coaching
Fatigue
Mental Resilience
Athletics
Anxiety
Burnout
Endurance Sports
Personal Growth
Behavioral Activation
Performance Psychology

"excellence, actually" is a podcast from The Growth Equation, hosted by Steve Magness, Brad Stulberg, and Clay Skipper. Drawing on their years of working and corresponding with Olympians, coaches, executives, world-class physicians, and other elite-level achievers in their coaching practice and professional careers, they give you the mental and physical tools, practices, habits, and frameworks use... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes357Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Health & FitnessEducationSelf-Improvement

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for excellence, actually

Latest Episodes

Brian Koppelman has been writing great films and shows for 30 years — Rounders, Ocean's Thirteen, and Billions, to name a few. Now 60, he's working with as much energy as ever. He'll be back in the role of "Computer" on the hit show The Bear when it ... more

Today, we discuss three moments from the past week that highlight a few of the key habits of truly excellent performers: what Victor Wenbanyama teaches us about caring deeply and being yourself; how the failed Enhanced Games highlights the importance... more

Jim Ryun couldn't make his junior high basketball team, track team, or even his church baseball team. Two years later, he was the first high schooler to run a sub-four-minute mile. He'd go on to run a world record mile in 3:51, and compete in three O... more

We've all got those days: you can't seem to get started, your motivation is low, or something comes up and throws you off track. It happens to all of us! It only becomes a problem when a bad start to the day becomes a bad day, and then a bad couple o... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Science of Running
Science of RunningSteve Magness
Some Work, All Play
Some Work, All PlayDavid Roche and Megan Roche

Recent Guests

Jim Ryun
Former world-record-holding miler, three-time Olympian, running camps founder
Former World Record Holder; Running Camps founder
Episode: Dream Big, Start Small: Lessons from World Record Miler Jim Ryun
David Epstein
Author of Inside the Box, researcher on constraints and performance
Author, Inside the Box
Episode: The Cost of Keeping Your Options Open (with David Epstein)
Cal Newport
Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown, author of Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, Slow Productivity, etc.
Georgetown University
Episode: How to Save Your Brain (with Cal Newport)
Eric Zimmer
Behavior change expert, author
The One You Feed, How a Little Becomes a Lot
Episode: How to Change, Actually (with Eric Zimmer)
Lilah Fear
Competitive ice dancer representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games
Great Britain Ice Dance Team
Episode: The Olympian's Guide to Handling Pressure, with Lilah Fear
Sasha DiGiulian
World-Champion Climber
Episode: How to Push Your Limits, with World-Champion Climber Sasha DiGiulian
Matt Fitzgerald
Successful run coach, endurance athlete, author, and founder of Dream Run Camp
Episode: "It's Never All Bad:" How to Suffer (with Matt Fitzgerald)
Nick Thompson
CEO of The Atlantic, resilient marathon runner, and author
The Atlantic
Episode: Doing it All: The CEO Who Ran a 2:29 Marathon (with Nick Thompson)
George Mumford
A well-known sports psychologist and performance consultant
Author of 'Unlocked' and 'The Mindful Athlete'
Episode: The Sports Psychologist Who Taught MJ and Kobe How to "Manage the Moment"

Hosts

Clay Skipper
Host of Excellence Actually, affiliated with The Growth Equation and related projects.
Steve Magness
Co-host and frequent co-creator, involved in coaching and research collaborations.
Brad Stulberg
Co-host and co-creator, noted for integrating science with practical coaching frameworks.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 807 ratings
  • What is going on with all the random commercials now?

    I have been listening to this podcast from the beginning and I love the topics and different perspectives that each of the three guys bring. When they announced they would be adding some commercials for certain products, it made sense. Clay has been a great addition and deserves to be paid. However, there seems to be an increase in the number of commercials over the past few weeks for random products, and they pop up in random moments in the show interrupting the flow making it much harder to li... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    ASR77
    United States15 days ago
  • Overall good

    The addition of Clay has made a great improvement on reducing the amount of complaints from Steve - usually complaining and insulting Brad. Now if we could just get Clay to reduce his awkward pauses. Other than that, the content is really good

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Mkebarb
    United Statesa month ago
  • Wonderful!

    Thank you for the podcast. As a solo entrepreneur, your discussion and advice provide the occasional vitamins needed when things are going down. Please keep it up!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    tarot-reader
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • The best!!

    I look forward to a new episode every week. Thought provoking, encouraging and challenging all in one. As a runner and as a human, it always hits. Love love love!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ktxms
    United States2 months ago
  • Sponsor

    Smokey the bear was everywhere in podcast land and is an important message. 😀

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    cocodojo
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insightful, practical, and grounded in coaching experience.
Consistently useful and inspiring for daily life and work.
Chemistry among hosts is strong; guests expand applicability.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Way of Excellence: Inside Brad's New Book
Q: How do you balance interest and impact when deciding where to focus your energy?
There are different seasons for different pursuits, and it is crucial to be self-aware about the trade-offs made along the way.
The Way of Excellence: Inside Brad's New Book
Q: How can someone tell if their pursuit of excellence is a true expression of care versus a disguised form of fear and control?
It's ultimately about the joy and fulfillment they find in the process of their pursuit.
The Way of Excellence: Inside Brad's New Book
Q: What is the easiest way for people to start incorporating excellence into their life?
People should care deeply about aspects of their life and reflect on what gets in the way of that deep caring.
Why Your Routine Might Be Working Against You
Q: What are some ways to simplify routines for someone feeling overwhelmed?
Start with one practice at a time and tie important things to consistent periods in your life to reduce cognitive load.
Why Your Routine Might Be Working Against You
Q: How do you maintain your routines to ensure they serve your needs?
My daily practices are fundamental to my mental and physical health, and I have to constantly reevaluate my weekly and monthly practices a few times a year.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About excellence, actually

What is excellence, actually about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show blends performance science, coaching wisdom, and real-world application to help listeners upgrade daily habits, mindset, and effectiveness. Across episodes, recurring themes include turning setbacks into progress, optimizing under pressure, and practical frameworks for coaching, learning, and personal growth. The trio often translates elite-level insights from athletes and leaders into actionable routines— from energy management and deep work to decision-making under scarcity—making it valuable for professionals seeking sustainable excellence. Noteworthy is the collaborative dynamic among the hosts, the emphasis on evidence-based strategies, and the frequent guest appearances that broaden applicability beyond sports into business ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for excellence, actually?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for excellence, actually. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to excellence, actually and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does excellence, actually get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for excellence, actually, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for excellence, actually?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for excellence, actually, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does excellence, actually have?

To see how many followers or subscribers excellence, actually has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to excellence, actually?

These podcasts share a similar audience with excellence, actually:

1. Science of Running
2. The Strength Running Podcast
3. Some Work, All Play
4. The Rich Roll Podcast
5. Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

How many episodes of excellence, actually are there?

excellence, actually launched 6 years ago and published 357 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact excellence, actually?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for excellence, actually?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for excellence, actually from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for excellence, actually?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of excellence, actually. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on excellence, actually?

Recent guests on excellence, actually include:

1. Jim Ryun
2. David Epstein
3. Cal Newport
4. Eric Zimmer
5. Lilah Fear
6. Sasha DiGiulian
7. Matt Fitzgerald
8. Nick Thompson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days