Shows / The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Ready to train your brain like you train your dog? This podcast is for dog handlers who know mindset matters—but don’t always know how to build it. I’m Julie Bacon, The Q Coach, and every week, I’ll bring you real-talk coaching, stories from the ring, and tools you can actually use to build a stronger performance mindset. Whether you’re dealing with ring nerves, inconsistency, fear of leveling up, or just want to feel more confident out there, this podcast is your weekly dose of support…
Episodes
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#172: Are you proofing your mindset? (Yes! We can set up scenarios to proof!)
While so much of our performance mindset can be practiced without our dogs, sometimes we need the real thing - or as close as we can get. Finding ways to mimic…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#171: So you think you’re chasing a goal. (Spoiler alert: you’re not.)
It turns out that going after a feeling is more powerful than pursuing an outcome (blame the researchers). We want a new van not because the seats fold flat…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#170: 7 Olympic-level mindset habits. (Yes, I’m fan-girling over the Olympic trials.)
I love watching elite athletes be elite. Regardless of the sport, watching people be amazing will never get old for me. The Olympic trials have been playing…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#169: What’s comparison telling you? (Define success for yourself.)
We fall into the comparison trap for all sorts of reasons. My latest opinion is that sometimes we compare ourselves to others because we require feedback - we…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#168: Afraid? Do it anyway! (Or don’t - it’s your fear!)
I saw a post that reminded readers to “do it anyway,” and I knew I had to unpack that old adage. In short, I think this adage is skipping a lot of important…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#167: She’s singing our mindset song! (Interview with Cynthia Horner!)
I knew it would be a great conversation, but I had no idea that multiple-Westminster-winning, and podium-loving Cynthia Horner is such a devotee of the…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#166: Are you mentally tough? Gritty? (Should you be??)
I’m all excited to share a preview of my new class, “From good to grit.” This episode will give you an overview of what mental toughness is, how it’s different…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#165: Do your past mistakes haunt you? (Let’s stop fearing your past.)
I posted a reel the other week that got a big reaction. It said that what’s making us nervous is our fear of repeating the past. This hit home with a lot of…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#164: Seven things you learn from trying. (And how to make it a habit.)
Logically, we all know that pushing ourselves to do harder things will make us better handlers, BUT it’s just so cozy in our comfort zones! Today I’m going to…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#163: When the energy goes off the rails. (Get back on track fast.)
The energy we bring when we compete or even pick up a leash is critical to our success. After all, our dogs are brilliant at picking up on our energy! Yet even…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#162: Getting your motivation back. (Or not.)
We think we have to be motivated in order to pursue our goals, but that’s just not true. We need discipline when our motivation inevitably wanes. Motivation is…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#161: Two words: Of Course. (Plus, Moxie does her weaves!)
Thanks to a question submitted, I bring you the full report of how Moxie did her weaves in public and what that meant for me in terms of mindset. Then I give…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#160: The power of simplifying. (Especially when your energy is in the tank.)
Let’s face it, we are not at 100% every single day - including trial days. For those days when you are just not feeling it, it’s okay to push through, but the…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#159: Nervous? Try this shift. (Taking the long view is powerful.)
Often the cause of our performance anxiety is fear of failure - not Qing, messing up in front of others, or even not being seen as “ready.” But what if we saw…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#158: Ever cried in your car? (It could be a stamina thing.)
Of course we all have those days - the ones that make us want to throw in the towel or pick up a new sport. But sometimes, we end up in an emotional puddle…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#157: Resilience IS a handling skill. (I’m kinda passionate about this one.)
This episode is pulled from the Q-Membership: Being able to bounce back, reframe, reset, recover … is critical especially when we have multiple runs in a day…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#156: Getting it up. (Hey! I was talking about your adrenaline - sheesh.)
Running multiple dogs or running a new dog poses different challenges - one of them being figuring out your ideal energy level. Today’s topic comes from a…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#155: What happens after your dream comes true? (Yes, this is a real problem!)
You might be surprised to learn that many Gold Medal winning Olympic athletes struggle with depression once the confetti has been swept up. Their whole lives…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#154: Time to master your self-talk. (Let’s be honest, we all need some help!)
This episode is pulled from the Q-Membership: The thing about self-talk is that our thoughts become our beliefs which become our actions which become our…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#153: Is your attention subverting your goals? (Alignment is everything.)
I recently heard someone say “If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s because your intention doesn’t match your attention.” Whoa. That one hit me…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#152: Are limiting beliefs getting in your way? (Plus, 5 ways to banish them!)
We all have (multiple) limiting beliefs - those beliefs that affect the actions we take. And many of us have limiting beliefs that get in our way in the ring -…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#151: Are you pushing through when you shouldn’t be? (How to tell when you need some balance)
There are times we should be “pushing through” and times we should be finding some balance. This is true not only for ourselves, but our dogs as well. Knowing…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#150: 5 ways to kick the imposter vibe. (Plus 5 sources of those icky thoughts)
Imposter syndrome hits all of us at some point, making us feel less-than or unworthy. Because I know how you like lists (ha), I’ve got 5 common sources and 5…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#149: Befriending your triggers. (Reinvent them as handling cues!)
Triggers come in all forms. It can be a particular sequence, or a location, or just the right set of circumstances that send you into a bit of a tizzy. These…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#148: Everyone needs boundaries. (Mind your sandbox!)
People tend to think of boundaries as defensive and largely negative. I disagree. I think that deciding what is in and out of your sandbox is not only…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#147: Grief. It’s a b*tch. (Interview with Cara Armour)
Cara and I both lost girls (dogs!) recently and it rocked us as grief can. We both believe that as a community we don’t always talk about grief, and if we do…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#146: Finding flow (It doesn’t have to be an accident!)
Handlers have practically yelled, “BUT HOW DO I GET INTO THAT FLOW AGAIN?! I WANT THAT!!” Getting into the “flow state” is pretty magical yet it’s equally as…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#145: Feel like you’re getting passed by? (Letting comparison fuel you.)
A handler told me in a coaching call that she felt like she was getting passed {by another team}. I felt that to my core. It’s so easy to look around and feel…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#144: Handlers are just built differently (Even in their fitness journey.)
We are kicking off Season FOUR (wow!) and 2024 with a bit of a common resolution: fitness. But as always, we have our own hot take on handler fitness so I…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#143: REMIX: Running alongside pressure (Because it never goes away.)
We want to believe there will come a time when pressure doesn’t exist, but that’s just not true. The good news is we build a tolerance to pressure and other…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#142: REMIX: How are you showing up for your dog? (How energy affects our performance.)
I’m kinda obsessed with our energy. Talking about energy used to be considered “out there,” but there’s enough science now to know that the energy we bring to…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#141: REMIX: 5 Ways to strengthen your mindset. (Everyone loves lists!)
We love lists, don’t we? Probably why this episode was so popular. These aren’t necessarily “hacks,” but this episode talks about five things you can do to…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#140: REMIX: The power of “settling in.” (Seriously, a MUST listen!)
This was my personal favorite this year. I had been wanting to do this interview ever since I read Beth Anstandig’s book, The Human Herd. In the introduction…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#139: REMIX: Stress travels down the leash (AND it travels up!)
This was my most listened to episode in 2023 and with good reason! Fellow podcaster Cara Armour joined to help us link the other side of stress - our dogs…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#138: What’s making you nervous? (A ring nerves refresher.)
Our ring nerves originate from many possible sources - some of which we will uncover. But no matter the origin, ring nerves can get in the way of us performing…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#137: Is pressure the push you need? (Finding reasons to leave your comfort zone)
While it’s cozy in our comfort zones, we don’t get better hanging out there. We need to find reasons - and motivation - to leave our comfort zones in favor of…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#136: The formula for fun (Bringing in a fun expert!)
Since last week had such a big response - and a lot of unanswered questions - I am bringing in a fun expert to help us out! Lizzie Larock is a leader in…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#135: Could you even define “fun?” (A LOT of handlers can’t.)
It may seem crazy, but a LOT of handlers have a very hard time defining “fun” both in their dog lives and their non-dog lives. It turns out, “fun” is a very…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#134: Can a dog bite incident affect your mindset? (Maybe.)
In the wake of an incident that happened at an agility trial, social media is buzzing! But rather than comment on the incident, I’d rather turn our attention…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#133: What do busy-bee and your energy have in common? (More than you think!)
We are really good at seeing how stress and energy shows up in our dogs - often in non-desirable ways - but we are less adept and seeing that behavior in…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#132: Growth is a pain in the butt. (Why deciding to get better is so hard.)
If you’re listening then you are on a journey to improve your performance in the ring. Yet often, when we decide to improve, we seem to have more challenges…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#131: How expectations trigger us. (and make us frustrated as heck.)
Expectations are really outcome goals in disguise. They sneak in all logical and rational but often leave us frustrated and disheartened. We think having…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#130: The baggage of returning to sport. (aka Coming back after injury.)
When we come back to our sport after an injury or rehab, we bring a lot of baggage with us. We doubt our ability to perform and worry that the injury will…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#129: You’re probably lying to yourself. (When it comes to your progress.)
OMG we are so hard on ourselves! But when we get down on ourselves too much, we aren’t honest about our true progress. This month in the membership we’re…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#128: Leaving legs on the table. (When life derails our goals.)
Sometimes life bites us in the butt. Our dogs can’t continue in the sport we both love, an injury derails our plans, or some other unforeseen circumstance…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#127: Why resilience is the most important mindset tool. (And how to get more of it.)
Sure, a solid performance mindset is made of a lot of skills, tools, and experience. But of all of them, I put resilience at the tippy-top. Success is not a…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#126: 5 Ways the ego sneaks in. (And what you can do.)
While I think the ego is generally misunderstood, it is quite tricky in how it sneaks into our mindset - and not in a good way. Whether it’s trading our…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#125: Breaking up is hard to do. (Especially in the dog world!)
If you’ve ever needed to “break up” with an instructor, mentor, or other dog friend then you know the pain it can cause especially in the “small world” of dog…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#124: The power of “settling in.” (Seriously, a MUST listen!)
I’ve been wanting to do this interview ever since I read Beth Anstandig’s book, The Human Herd. In the introduction, Beth talks about how we “settle in” and it…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#123: The power of YET (How one little word can shift your mindset.)
Who hasn’t been frustrated or felt like they will never “get it?” All of us (at least at some point!). But believing we are destined for a future of…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#122: How are you showing up for your dog? (How energy affects our performance.)
Talking about energy used to be considered “out there,” but there’s enough science now to know that the energy we bring to the table really does affect…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#121: Are we giving our dogs soft skills? (And how that relates to our goals.)
Recently something I heard broke my brain. “There’s a time to work on obedience, but there’s also a time to work on trust and confidence.” The reason it got me…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#120: Two main reasons you might be lost on course. (Also applies to messing up the easy part.)
Forgetting the course, getting distracted or not handling the whole course the way you planned may have its roots in one of two issues - mental stamina and…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#119: How to use others. (Wait, that sounded bad - I mean in a good way!)
Having “other people” in our environment is a constant for many of us - certainly true at trials but also classes, appointments … But how do we “use” those…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#118: Who needs a pep talk? (Everyone!)
Strangely, dog sports can be kinda lonely in that we’re all working on our individual “stuff” without anyone to bolster us or cheer us on. Well, I’m here to be…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#117: Running alongside pressure (Because it never goes away.)
We want to believe there will come a time when pressure doesn’t exist, but that’s just not true. The good news is we build a tolerance to pressure and other…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#116: Are you rushing your goals? (Spoiler alert: rushing rarely works.)
The concept of rushing or hurrying through your goals may seem strange, but likely we’ve all done it. It’s that feeling that we just want a particular goal to…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#115: Stress travels down the leash (AND it travels up!)
This is a special episode as I have a guest! Fellow podcaster Cara Armour is on to help us link the other side of stress - our dogs. Understanding our dogs and…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#114: Is your self-talk costing you a Q? (We are what we say we are!)
So often the root of our mindset issues lies in what we believe about ourselves and the ways we spin ourselves up - the stories we tell ourselves hold a LOT of…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#113: Comparison is a sneaky b*tch. (Eyes on your own paper.)
A couple of recent examples have shown me that comparison often shows up wearing sheep’s clothing - that is, dressed as something else. Sometimes we even…