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A deep dive into performance psychology, martial arts mindset, and building confidence when everything is on the line.

Most people avoid pressure.

Today’s guest runs straight into it.

Adam Brashaw is an elite stunt performer working on major Hollywood productions, doubling for actors in high-risk environments where failure isn’t an option. But behind the action is something deeper, a mindset built through years of discipline, martial arts, and relentless personal development.

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, we go far beyond the stunts.

We explore:

• What happens psychologically when the stakes are high
• How to stay calm, focused, and effective under pressure
• The role of discipline, martial arts, and identity in elite performance
• Why confidence isn’t something you’re born with it’s something you train
• How to build resilience in both your personal and professional life

Adam also shares insights from his journey into action design, fight coordination, and building his own brand through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, highlighting how performance isn’t just about what you do, but who you become in the process.

If you’re a leader, business owner, athlete, or someone navigating pressure in your own life this conversation will challenge how you think about fear, growth, and what you’re truly capable of.

🎧 Listen now and start unlocking your potential.

About Adam

Most people run from pressure… today’s guest runs straight at it or jumps over it!.

Adam Brashaw is one of the film industry’s elite stunt performers doubling Ryan Reynolds in The Hitman’s Bodyguard and working on blockbuster productions like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Assassin’s Creed. When the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero… Adam’s the guy they trust.

But this isn’t just about stunts.

He’s a lifelong martial artist with a black belt in Kali plus a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many others….

That depth has taken him beyond performing into becoming an action designer and fight coordinator, shaping the scenes you feel, not just watch.

Away from Hollywood, he’s also the founder of Cuddle Club Jiu Jitsu building discipline, confidence, and connection off the mats as much as on them.

And if you follow his journey on Instagram, you’ll see this isn’t a job… it’s a way of life.

Today, we go beyond the action… into mindset, pressure, and what it really takes to perform when it matters most.

Instagram - Adam Brashaw

Cuddle Club IG

Cuddle Club website

ikigai book

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Dr Mathew Inness on life after sport, redefining success, and what high performers get wrong about resilience.

What happens when the thing that defined you… disappears?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, I sit down with Dr Mathew Inness, former professional cricketer turned performance expert to explore the reality behind high performance.

Not the highlight reels.
Not the medals.
The human side.

We unpack what it really means to transition from elite sport into a new identity, and why so many high performers struggle when the external validation fades.

This is a conversation about pressure, purpose, and rebuilding from the inside out.

In this episode, we explore:

• The hidden psychological cost of high performance
• Why identity becomes your biggest strength… and your biggest trap
• What happens when performance no longer defines you
• The transition from elite sport into business and leadership
• How to build resilience that isn’t dependent on outcomes
• The mindset shift from external success → internal alignment

This isn’t just for athletes.

If you’re a leader, founder, or high performer who’s ever felt:

• Stuck despite success
• Lost in transition
• Or unsure what comes next

This conversation will hit home.

Listen now and start unlocking your next level of potential.

About Mathew

Dr. Mathew Inness is a former professional cricketer who competed at first-class level across Australia and the UK for over a decade, before transitioning into the world of elite performance.

But what makes his journey powerful isn’t just the sport it’s what came next.

With a PhD in sports science, an MBA, a background working with Olympic medal wining athletes as well as World Championships, and over a decade inside elite AFL environments including premiership success.

Mathew has become one of the leading minds in high performance and human development.

With almost 30 years in Professional and Olympic sport, he’s now leading high-performance and medical teams at the very top level of sport, helping individuals and organisations unlock what they’re truly capable of not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

This is a conversation about what it really takes to perform under pressure, build resilient systems, and maximise human potential when it matters most.

Linkedin Profile

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Physiotherapist turned founder on health tech, autism support, wearable technology, leadership, and purpose-driven innovation

What happens when you stop accepting the system… and start building something better?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with Nicki Allen, physiotherapist, innovator, and founder of Haptiv8, a health-tech company redefining how we support children with movement challenges.

After years working in healthcare, Nicki saw first-hand the gaps particularly for children with autism and additional needs where traditional systems weren’t delivering what patients and families truly needed. Instead of accepting it, she chose to act.

Through Haptiv8, she is developing wearable, sensory-driven technology designed to improve movement, enhance rehabilitation, and provide real-time insights for clinicians and families alike.

But this conversation goes far beyond healthcare innovation.

We explore:

• the courage it takes to step outside traditional career paths
• how curiosity can become the foundation of innovation
• the emotional side of leadership and decision-making
• what it means to build something with real human impact
• and how to trust your instincts when something doesn’t feel right

This is a conversation about purpose, leadership, healthcare, innovation, and the human side of building something that matters.

About Nicki

Nicki Allen physiotherapist, innovator, and founder of Haptiv8, a health-tech company redefining how we support children with movement challenges.

Nicki’s work sits at the intersection of clinical practice, technology, and human-centred care.

After years working in healthcare, she saw first-hand the gaps in how we support children with conditions like autism particularly those struggling with mobility and development and decided to do something about it.

Through Haptiv8, she’s developing wearable, sensory-driven technology designed to improve movement, enhance rehabilitation, and give both clinicians and families better insight through real-time data.

But behind the innovation is a much deeper story one of curiosity, courage, and stepping outside traditional pathways to build something that could genuinely change lives.

This is a conversation about more than healthcare or technology.

It’s about seeing a problem, trusting your instincts, and having the courage to create something better.”

@haptiv8

Nicki Allen

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Healthy by Nyla founder on mindset, women’s health, confidence, self-worth, habit change, motherhood, and authentic transformation

What happens when you stop chasing perfection… and start becoming more fully yourself?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with Nyla Whelan, founder of Healthy by Nyla, to explore mindset, confidence, women’s health, self-worth, motherhood, stress, and sustainable transformation. Through her coaching, Nyla helps women build stronger bodies, healthier habits, and more confidence — but behind that work is a deeply human story of self-doubt, people-pleasing, burnout, and growth.

Nyla speaks openly about growing up with insecurity, navigating her parents’ divorce, becoming a mother, raising children with autism, overtraining, stress-related health issues, and the pressure of trying to look like she had everything together while internally feeling very different.

In this conversation, we explore:

• how mindset shapes choices, behaviour, and outcomes
• why perfectionism and external validation can quietly drive burnout
• how stress, sleep, and recovery affect health more than most people realise
• why authenticity is one of the most powerful tools in personal growth
• and how women can rebuild confidence at any age

Nyla also shares practical tools that listeners can use straight away, including walking in nature, positive affirmations, gratitude, and getting honest about what they really want from life.

This episode is for women, parents, coaches, leaders, and anyone interested in mindset, confidence, women’s health, self-development, recovery, and human potential.

About Nyla

Nyla Whelan founder of Healthy by Nyla, online coach, and a passionate advocate for helping women build stronger bodies, healthier habits, and more confidence in themselves. Through her coaching, Nyla supports women in learning how to train with purpose, fuel properly, build lean muscle, and break free from the cycle of extreme dieting.

But behind the coaching is a real story of growth. Nyla’s journey through motherhood, challenge, and self-development has shaped the way she shows up today with honesty, warmth, and a level of authenticity that makes her deeply relatable to the women she supports. This episode explores the lessons she’s learned, the strength she’s built, and how becoming more fully yourself can unlock real transformation”

@Healthy_by-nyla

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Rick Cost a performance leader on sports science, recovery, leadership, environment design, and helping teams perform at the edge of chaos

What does it really take to build a high-performance environment in elite sport?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with Rick Cost human movement scientist, physiotherapist, and high-performance leader working at the top level of world sport to explore the deeper science and philosophy behind performance, leadership, recovery, and team culture.

Rick shares a fascinating perspective on performance through the lens of entropy: the idea that great environments need enough structure to create safety, but enough disorder to spark innovation, growth, and better thinking. He describes strong leadership as helping people operate at the edge of chaos where structure ends, but creativity and ownership begin.

This conversation explores:

• how elite leaders create safe but agile environments
• why values and clarity give people confidence to think for themselves
• how trust, belonging, and shared leadership unlock better ideas
• why leaders should guide people rather than over-control them
• and how performance, recovery, and personal wellbeing must work together over time

Rick also speaks honestly about family, travel, leadership pressure, and the importance of leading by example including sleep, recovery, and not glorifying overwork.

This episode is for coaches, leaders, founders, practitioners, and anyone interested in high performance, sports science, leadership, team culture, recovery, and human potential.

About Rick

Rick Cost, a human movement scientist, physiotherapist, and one of the most respected minds in elite sports performance. With more than 25 years working at the highest level of international sport, Rick has helped shape how teams think about performance, recovery, and the science behind keeping athletes operating at their absolute edge.

Rick’s career has taken him across Olympic sport and elite football, including leading performance environments at Dutch giants Feyenoord, directing high performance for U.S. Soccer, and today overseeing performance at Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1.

He’s known for bringing together sports medicine, strength and conditioning, analytics, and emerging technologies to better understand the balance between training load, recovery, and injury prevention.

But beyond the data and science, Rick’s real mission is helping athletes and teams unlock their potential, pushing the limits of performance while protecting the wellbeing of the people behind it.

So today we explore what it really takes to build high-performance environments in modern sport and also some more about entropy of the sun!

Ricks LinkedIn

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Former professional MMA fighter and author of Fearless by Design shares lessons on stoicism, identity, resilience, and the psychology of performance.

What happens when you reach the top of the mountain… and realise it’s not what you thought it would be?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with former professional MMA fighter, martial artist, and author Tom Blackledge to explore the deeper psychology behind performance, fear, identity, and personal growth.

Tom competed at the highest levels of mixed martial arts, including the UFC and the legendary Wolfslair era of British MMA. But his journey didn’t end when the fighting stopped.

Instead, it became something deeper.

Through coaching, mentoring, and his book Fearless by Design, Tom now helps athletes, leaders, and everyday performers develop mental strength, self-awareness, and the courage to grow through adversity.

In this powerful conversation, we explore:

• why curiosity is the foundation of growth
• the difference between ego identity and true purpose
• how stoic philosophy shapes resilience
• why hardship often becomes the greatest teacher
• how martial arts builds character and perspective

Tom shares what the fight game taught him about fear, discipline, identity, and becoming the person you are capable of being.

If you are a leader, athlete, entrepreneur, or someone navigating personal growth, this episode will challenge how you think about performance and purpose.

Toms Book: Fearless By Design – How to overcome fear, removes anxiety and create the life your desire.

https://www.tomblackledge.com/

https://www.fighterblueprintacademy.com/

About Tom

Some people talk about resilience. Others earn it one hard lesson at a time.

Today’s guest is Tom Blackledge, a former professional mixed martial artist who competed on some of the biggest stages in the sport, including the UFC, and trained as part of the legendary Wolfslair team during the rise of British MMA. But Tom’s story didn’t end when the fighting stopped.

In recent years, Tom has channelled everything he learned from the intensity of the fight game discipline, resilience, pressure and self-belief into coaching, mentoring and writing.

He’s the author of a powerful book: Fearless By Design – How to overcome fear, removes anxiety and create the life your desire.

The book explores the deeper mindset behind performance, sharing the lessons that fighting taught him about identity, growth and what it really takes to keep moving forward when life gets tough.

Through his work with Fighter Blueprint Academy and his speaking, Tom now helps fighters, athletes and everyday high performers develop the mental strength and clarity required to perform under pressure and stay true to who they are.

So today we’re going to explore the mindset behind the fighter the psychology of resilience, the lessons behind Tom’s book, and what the fight game can teach all of us about unlocking human potential.

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Former international rugby player reveals how discipline, reflection, and self-awareness build better leaders, performers, and humans.

What if the key to performing at your best wasn’t working harder… but understanding yourself better?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with former professional rugby league player and wellbeing leader Bob Beswick to explore the habits, mindset, and life lessons that shape high performers both on and off the field.

Across a career spanning more than 400 professional games and 26 international caps, Bob learned that optimising performance starts with mastering the fundamentals: sleep, nutrition, training, and surrounding yourself with the right people.

But his journey didn’t stop when his playing career ended.

After experiencing a pivotal mental health struggle following a career-defining match, Bob began a personal transformation that reshaped how he approaches leadership, coaching, and life.

In this conversation, he shares:

• why self-awareness is the foundation of growth
• how discipline builds resilience
• why great coaches care about people first
• how reflection accelerates improvement
• and the mindset shift that changed his life

This episode is for leaders, athletes, founders, coaches, and anyone who wants to improve performance, mindset, and wellbeing.

@bobbeswick_

@rugbyleaguecares

www.rugbyleaguecares.org

About Bob

Bob Beswick, former professional rugby league player, Ireland international, and now one of the leading voices using sport to change lives off the field.

Across a career spanning more than 400 professional appearances, Bob played for clubs including Wigan, Widnes, Halifax, Leigh, Toronto, and Newcastle, while also earning over 25 international caps for Ireland.

But Bob’s story didn’t stop when the final whistle blew.

Today, he’s the Wellbeing Programmes Manager at Rugby League Cares, an independent charity dedicated to enhancing lives through the power of sport, delivering support, mental fitness programmes, and education to players, communities, and organisations across the UK.

From helping young people build mental resilience, to supporting NHS staff and professional athletes, Bob now channels his elite sporting experience into helping others unlock their potential.

His journey is a masterclass in leadership, service, and what happens when performance meets purpose.

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Former UFC fighter and coach reveals how discipline, hardship, and relentless focus build elite performers in sport, business, and life.

What does it really take to stay focused on a goal when everything around you says quit?

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, Andy sits down with former UFC fighter and coach Mike Grundy to unpack the mindset behind elite performance and why discipline, hardship, and vision separate those who succeed from those who stop.

Mike shares how once he locked onto a goal, nothing could alter his mindset or distract him from where he wanted to go.

From training since childhood to competing internationally, building a gym, raising a family, and coaching the next generation of fighters, Mike reveals the principles that shaped his journey including:

• why clarity of goals changes everything
• how hardship strengthens mindset
• why asking “Does this move me closer to my goal?” can transform decisions
• the truth about mental toughness
• and what leaders can learn from combat athletes

He also shares powerful stories including the moment he had just £5 in his pocket but still refused to abandon his dream.

This episode is for leaders, athletes, founders, and anyone ready to develop relentless focus and unlock their potential.

About Mike

Mike Grundy former UFC featherweight, elite grappler, and one of Britain’s toughest competitors to ever step into a cage.

Born in Wigan, Mike is a professional mixed martial artist with a reputation for relentless pressure and a submission-heavy style that’s earned him wins against high-level opposition.

Before the UFC spotlight, he represented England internationally as a freestyle wrestler, earning a Commonwealth Games bronze medal proof that his foundations were built on discipline, resilience, and years of elite competition.

Today, Mike channels that experience into developing the next generation of athletes through his own coaching environment at Grundy Academy, while continuing to embody the mindset that carried him from international mats to the world stage.

He holds elite grappling credentials, including a black belt in Luta Livre and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and his journey is a masterclass in what it really takes to perform under pressure and unlock human potential.”

@mike_grundy

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