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
#52: Are you defining yourself by your challenges? (You might have a fixed mindset.)
We all do it - define ourselves by our problems. When we say things like “I am” or “I have,” we wander into a fixed mindset and are in danger of limiting our…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#51: Did your preparation let you down? (Or was it your expectations?)
Ever come out of a disappointing weekend or run and say, “But I really felt ready! We did everything right! I don’t know what happened!” I have. It happens…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#50: Are your friends distracting you? (Maybe, maybe not.)
Ok, so maybe this is a personal problem … but I can easily get distracted at a trial by visiting with my friends - especially when I haven’t seen them in a…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#49: Are you taking your outside world into the ring? (Some tips for life’s stressors.)
Life is messy. Jobs, relationships, money … general adulting all make for a stressed-out mind sometimes. But when that stress follows us to the line it can…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#48: Are you sabotaging your run? (It’s okay, we’ve all done it.)
There’s a Henry Ford quote that I use often: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right." And nothing is more true when it comes to our…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#47: Can’t remember your course? (I’ve got you)
There are a whole bunch of reasons you may have trouble remembering a course or your course plan. Whether you’re in the agility ring or playing rally or draft…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#46: The power of the pause (I promise it works!)
First, I report-out on how my weekend went when I made FUN my process goal. Next, I share that I was glad I paused and chose my response to someone who…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#45: In pursuit of a feeling (Fun IS a process goal!)
On the heels of a particularly fun lesson I’m asking myself, “Am I chasing the feeling of having fun?” In truth, I’m probably not doing this as much as I could…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#44: Where do ring nerves even come from? (And how you wave goodbye!)
Performance anxiety. Ring nerves. Butterflies on steroids. No matter what you call it - or to what degree it happens to you - we all get a little nervous when…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#43: Do you even know what success looks like? (It’s about time you did!)
In the business world, one of the most common cliches I hear is, “What does success look like?” It’s a fair question when approaching a project and it made me…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#42: Visualization doesn’t work for you? (Time to troubleshoot)
Not everyone is visual in their thinking. Not everyone always has a thought running through their heads. Not everyone makes a plan in the same way. So if…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#41: The power of negative mantras (Yup, negative ones!)
If you’re someone who doesn’t think that mantras work, think again! You say dozens of little mantras to yourself every single day. “I don’t have time.” “I…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#40: Let’s get fit (Mentally & physically!)
While our dogs do most of the work, we need to mentally and physically in shape to do what we do. No, I’m not going to tell you to snag a gym membership, but I…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#39: Orlando bound? (Getting ready for a major event!)
Whether you are heading the events in Orlando or getting ready for a major event of your own, there are some things to keep in mind. Big events have a way of…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#38: Attitude of gratitude (it’s not a cliche)
This podcast drops on the American holiday of Thanksgiving, and while we’ve pretty much ruined the holiday by obsessing over shopping deals, I think we can…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#37: Strike a pose (there’s something to it!)
Obviously, there is a mind-body connection, but did you know your posture can impact your performance in the ring? It’s a thing! Listen and learn how the way…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#36: Singing the seminar blues (but loving every minute!)
I recently had a working spot in a seminar and while I loved every minute, it was a roller coaster of emotions - from the joy of “getting it,” to the defeat of…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon#35: Breathe in with intention (and out with the crap)
We are overdue for a quickie breathing & visualization combo to help you set positive intentions and let go of the junk that no longer serves you! Let’s do…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#34: Make mistakes your fuel (and learn to let go)
It takes some discipline to refocus your brain away from a disappointment and towards improvement. It’s hard, but it’s a skill you can cultivate! Really like…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#33: Trying to change your self image? (Aren’t we all!)
To change our self-image means changing how we see ourselves. We need to believe in the version of ourselves we desire - belief cues the subconscious into…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#32: How’s your sportsmanship? (Let’s straighten those crowns!)
While we may be anthropologically wired to look for the negative, it doesn’t mean we have to find it in other people. Let’s chat about how we can lift each…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#31: Your response is everything (and you control it!)
Life happens, but it’s how we respond that makes all the difference. The same applies to our reaction to ring nerves and performance anxiety. We have to make…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#30: Are we having fun yet? (Hint: you should be!)
Sure knocking down goals is amazing but are you having fun?? Too often we leave fun as an afterthought - for ourselves and for our dogs. Well, doing so is a…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#29: Are you sabotaging yourself? (Clean up your language)
How do we sabotage ourselves? Oh, it’s easy - we just say some really negative stuff to ourselves right before we walk into the ring! Am I the only one who’s…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#28: Do we want to be tough? (Or resilient?)
People talk a lot about mental “toughness” but I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it - certainly not the total picture. Let’s break down the…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#27: Back from a hiatus (Or where’d my brain go?)
I’m a HUGE fan of extended breaks - both for ourselves and our dogs. We not only renew physically but mentally, too - I see it in my dogs’ renewed enthusiasm…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#26: Making progress & new habits (Or how to break a bad habit)
The thing is, we really can’t just stop doing something - we have to start doing something else. And that something else may include creating a new habit. No…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#25: Are you hearing voices? (You’re perfectly sane!)
Ever have a thought roll through and you wonder where it came from? Or wish you didn’t have the thought at all? Our thoughts - or the voices in our heads - can…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon#24: Let’s show a little gratitude (get your mind right for the day)
Every once in a while, I’m going to sneak one in - a meditation that is. Feel free to do this as a walking meditation or in your car before a trial or even in…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#23 More NQs than Qs? (Getting to the bottom of your disappointment)
We live in a “coin-operated” world: put something in, get something out. So when we put in the work but don’t see the results it gets frustrating fast! This…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#22: Your "big event" is no biggie (assuming you're ready - ha)
The most common mistake people make with “big events” is to put them on a pedestal and make them somehow more important. While this may be kinda true, it…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon#21: Mind your own biscuits (the trap of comparison)
It’s almost too easy these days to judge your own happiness by someone else’s social-media-curated successes. Both our dogs are three so my dog is obviously…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
#20: Stuck in the couch? Been there!
It’s true, competing with dogs is like having another job. From all the training to the many appointments to trialing, it can all seem like a lot - especially…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Can you imagine befriending pressure?
As this episode airs, I’m putting the finishing touches on a new Masterclass all about how we perform under pressure. What I’ve come to believe is that we…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Squirrel! Err, Taming distractions
Distractions can hit at some really inopportune times! But before we can tame them, it helps to uncover why they are popping up like whack-a-moles in the first…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie BaconOn deck? Get present FAST!
This week I’m giving you a shiny new tool you can use anytime you’re feeling unfocused or like you’re getting “carried away.” Do this on the way to a trial or…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Hey, “control freaks,” this one’s for you!
I’ve often referred to myself as a control freak - after all, I like everything the way I like it. And I’ve also done a lot of coaching around understanding…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Got Ring Nerves? (or why the Lizard doesn’t get to drive)
Whether you call it ring nerves, performance anxiety, or butterflies gone wild, we’ve all felt anxiety before we walk into the ring. Knowing what’s happening…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Feel like an imposter? (Spoiler alert: you aren't!)
As high-achieving, goal-oriented types, it's likely you've felt like an imposter a time or two. Heck, I felt like an imposter in starting this podcast! So this…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Reasons we choke (and how not to!)
“Choking” is kind of an old concept, most often applied to the kicker who misses the last-second field goal, or the batter who strikes out with bases loaded…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Getting into the coveted "zone" isn't just for Olympians
As the summer Olympics near, there are more spotlights on our elite athletes. Soon there will be interviews with Team USA which inevitably lead to questions…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Specialty recap (or take-aways from a BIG event!)
After a week away at my national specialty (Bernese Mountain Dogs), I am sharing my experiences. From what I learned to what went right to how we all rolled…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Meltdowns happen (and how to come back)
Just because I'm a mindset coach, doesn't mean I don't have my own moments! What may surprise you is that I don't always try to get out of them - at least not…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
An new twist on outcome goals
Have you ever been afraid to REALLY want something? Or have you ever said, "Don't jinx me!" to someone? You may actually be trying to focus on your process…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie BaconCord Cutting Visualization
Do you have a toxic relationship that you need a clean break from? Or maybe it's an old event or incident that you want to move on from? Too often we still…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
The role of our emotions & tone in our handling
We often consider how we are talking to our dogs, or what commands we are giving, but how often do we consider the tone in which we are communicating? This…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
The importance of rituals
Rituals - or our sacred routines - don't have to be special, but they do matter. Learn what I mean by rituals and how important they can be to your performance…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Protecting your bubble (and dealing with toxic people!)
The dog world is unique, to say the least. One minute someone is helping you carry crates into the building and the next minute that same person is saying…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
My favorite subjects: Growth mindset & Process goals
Someone once asked me what my philosophy was. I'm not sure I answered the question, but I know it comes down to two things: our ability to stay in a growth…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie BaconQuickie Breathing Exercise
Ever need a quick exercise to ground you? This short breathing exercise - also known as “triangle breathing,” is perfect when you need to retake control and…
The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie BaconVisualization Exercise for Setting Intentions
Carrie-Anne Moss might be best known for her role in The Matrix movies, but she is also a beautiful spiritual teacher. Definitely check out her work and…
- The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon
Welcome and About this Podcast
Welcome to my pod and to all things mindset for dog handlers who have goals to achieve! As a mindset coach for dog handlers, I help handlers achieve their…