Shows / From Chad
From Chad
Your thinking is bad. I can help. These quick daily messages aim to upgrade your mental game by helping you tell a better story. The most powerful story in the world is the story you tell yourself. You can download my book at fromchad.gumroad.com. Email me at fromchadsmith@gmail.com or visit www.fromchad.com for episode transcripts.
Episodes
- From Chad
Losing #1232
Dan Gable’s 181-match winning streak ended with a loss in the NCAA tournament final. Despite the crushing defeat, Gable used the loss as motivation to improve…
- From Chad
Scoring #1231
Feeling like a loser, despite an undefeated record stems from focusing on an external scorecard. Instead, prioritize an inner scorecard based on values and…
- From Chad
Waiting #1230
Károly Takács, a Hungarian pistol shooter, lost his shooting hand in a grenade explosion. He practiced shooting left-handed for 10 years, winning Olympic gold…
- From Chad
Persisting #1229
Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons, faced personal tragedy while building his business. Despite the loss of his son and financial challenges, he…
- From Chad
Overestimating #1228
MacArthur Wheeler, a bank robber, believed lemon juice would make him invisible to security cameras, a misconception stemming from his lack of knowledge. The…
- From Chad
Selling #1227
The first sentence is crucial in capturing attention, whether in advertising or personal interactions. While a strong first sentence can promise benefits to…
- From Chad
Finishing #1226
Valentine’s Day 1876, Alexander Graham Bell and Elijah Gray both filed patent applications for the telephone, but only Bell’s was completed and granted. The…
- From Chad
Kicking #1225
Carter Smith, a BYU freshman, was unexpectedly chosen to participate in a kicking contest on College GameDay. Despite not being a trained kicker, he made the…
- From Chad
Mapping #1224
Alfred Korzybski‘s experiment with dog cookies demonstrate how words influence perception, in the stories we tell ourselves can be more powerful than reality…
- From Chad
Overloading #1223
Overloading is the key to changing your story in achieving your goals. By repeatedly telling yourself a new, empowering story, you can rewire your brain and…
- From Chad
Repeating #1222
Louis Vuitton‘s story is a testament to resilience. After losing everything during the war, he rebuilt his business, proving that setbacks are set ups for…
- From Chad
Rising #1221
A loss is not the end, but a natural part of playing. Winners, like the Oklahoma Sooners who lost after a 47 game winning streak, embrace losses as learning…
- From Chad
Surviving #1220
Zoom out to gain perspective and remember you’ll survive difficult times, then zoom back in to take action and grow. The story of a sequoia tree surviving a…
- From Chad
Waiting #1219
Patience is power, not weakness. The story of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 illustrates this, as Mikhail Kutuzov’s strategic retreat and patience…
- From Chad
Reflecting #1218
Rika Matsuda was reminded of a kindness from a stranger when she was seven through a writing assignment. After a bike crash, a man helped her and gave her an…
- From Chad
Experimenting #1217
Curiosity, a powerful motivator, keeps us moving and learning. While children naturally embrace curiosity and experimentation, adults often lose this…
- From Chad
Training #1216
Pals Sudden Service, a drive-through burger chain in Tennessee, prioritizes training over blaming employees for mistakes. Employees receive 120 hours of…
- From Chad
Hiring #1215
Skills can be taught, but attitude must be brought. Pal’s Sudden Service, a successful burger chain out of Tennessee, prioritizes hiring for attitude, and…
- From Chad
Carrying #1214
Matt Starke, a Navy SEAL diagnosed with brain cancer, lived 24 years behind his initial prognosis. His family, particularly his son Gharet, carried him…
- From Chad
Failing #1213
Krystal Niu exemplifies the idea that winners lose more because they show up more. Despite numerous falls and injuries, she consistently returns to her act…
- From Chad
Wondering #1212
Leonardo da Vinci‘s curiosity, not just his talent, drove his groundbreaking work. Curiosity, a trait shared by da Vinci, Einstein, Herb Kelleher, and all the…
- From Chad
Improving #1211
Truitt Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, prioritized getting better over getting bigger, leading to the companies success. Focus on improving your work, and…
- From Chad
Underestimating #1210
A Brazilian photographer, Sabastião Salgado, returned to his family‘s farm devastated after photographing the Rwandan genocide. He and his wife planted a…
- From Chad
Demanding #1209
What is the meaning of life? Viktor Frankl turned the question around. Life is the one asking. Your roles are how it asks. Stop asking life what it means and…
- From Chad
Cooperating #1208
Upgraded thinking recognizes that nothing exists alone; success comes from interdependence, not independence. Ask yourself what your team needs from you, not…
- From Chad
Persisting #1207
Felix Dennis built a publishing empire and became one of the richest men in England. But he had to persist through dire poverty and economic recession. As…
- From Chad
Hibernating #1206
Preparation is the key to success, as demonstrated by Backpack the bear, who won Fat Bear Week 2026 by preparing diligently during the summer. Your “winter” is…
- From Chad
Something #1205
Terry Fox, an 18 year-old cancer survivor, attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Despite not finishing due to cancer, returning…
- From Chad
Flipping #1204
Ozzie Smith, the Hall of Fame shortstop, did a signature back flip when he took the field at the start of baseball games. This act symbolized his appreciation…
- From Chad
Scaffolding #1203
Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane‘s, viewed his temporary jobs as scaffolding to build his dream business. He worked various jobs, including as a…
- From Chad
Adding #1202
There are two types of people: adders and subtractors. Adders believe that sharing ideas, energy, and credit increases them, while subtractors hoard them…
- From Chad
Doing #1201
The “know–do gap“ is the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Knowledge without action is useless, so take action to close the gap…
- From Chad
Owning #1200
General Bill Creach improved the air forces maintenance system by assigning dedicated crew chiefs to each jet, fostering a sense of ownership and…
- From Chad
Filtering #1199
The most important story you hear is the one you tell yourself. Just as we filter our water, we should filter what we feed our minds. Sonya Carson‘s decision…
- From Chad
Painting #1198
A painting by Gertrude Abercrombie, purchased for $30 at an estate sale, was later authenticated and will be auctioned for up to $250,000. The story highlights…
- From Chad
Improving #1197
The most valuable player on a team is the one who makes everyone else better, not the one who scored the most. Bill Russell exemplified this by elevating his…
- From Chad
Focusing #1196
Focus is not just paying attention, but paying attention to the right thing. Instead of focusing on results, focus on effort, as demonstrated by Diana Nyad…
- From Chad
Resuming #1195
Emma Tillman has run marathons in all 50 states despite setbacks like a pulmonary embolism and a chronic gut condition. After a two year hiatus, she completed…
- From Chad
Gaming #1194
Nigel Richards, a New Zealand Scrabble champion, won the French in Spanish world championships without speaking the languages. He focused on learning the rules…
- From Chad
Advising #1193
Poet Ilan Shamir found clarity by sitting quietly beside a tree and listening to his own inner wisdom, which inspired his poem “Advice from a Tree.“ The poem‘s…
- From Chad
Capitalizing #1192
Jason “Jmac” McElwain, a student manager for the Greece Athena Trojans, scored 20 points in three minutes during his only varsity basketball game. Instead of…
- From Chad
Training #1191
Rudy Giuliani observed that firefighters and police officers, trained for dangerous situations, would tremble at press conferences. The Takeaway is that…
- From Chad
Meaning #1190
A study found that hotel room attendance who were told their job was exercise experience, experienced health, benefit, benefits, despite no change in their…
- From Chad
Rescuing #1189
Nicholas Winton, a London stock broker, saved 669 children from Nazi persecution in 1939. His story, largely unknown for decades, highlights, the power of…
- From Chad
Climbing #1188
Fishermen don’t put lids on crab buckets because the crabs will pull each other down if one tries to escape. This story illustrates how conformity and fear of…
- From Chad
Believing #1187
Believing is a skill that can be trained, as illustrated by the story of David and Goliath. Core beliefs, which shape our perception of reality, are built…
- From Chad
Tricking #1186
Juan Pujol Garcia, a double agent for both the British and Germans during World War II, successfully deceived both sides with fabricated stories. This…
- From Chad
Shifting #1185
While technology advances, remember that predictions are not set in stone and the future is always uncertain. Focus on the next right thing you do today rather…
- From Chad
Shouting #1184
Stanley Praimnath was one of four survivors of the World Trade Center on 9/11 on a floor above the impact of where the plane struck. Brian Clark heard…
- From Chad
Meaning #1183
A task may seem menial, but the meaning you bring to it determines its significance. Treat every task with care and dedication, like them, Melanie’s Taylor who…
- From Chad
Noticing #1182
Jasper Steinmetz, an Indiana University graduate, noticed a worn, red IU backpack worn by a stranger, Samson James. Recognizing the backpack, Jasper discovered…
- From Chad
Listening #1181
A 16 year-old Michael Jordan asked a stranger for feedback on his basketball skills, demonstrating his willingness to receive criticism. This openness to…
- From Chad
Pinpointing #1180
Peter Thiel‘s approach at PayPal was to assign each employee one responsibility, prioritizing the most important task. This eliminated competition and internal…
- From Chad
Running #1179
Haruki Murakami quit smoking by replacing it with running, a habit that naturally fit his lifestyle. He didn’t try to quit smoking, but rather focused on…
- From Chad
Rising #1178
Dale Sanders is the oldest person to through-hike, the Appalachian Trail and 91 years old. Despite falling 71 times, including a fall 200 yards from the…
- From Chad
Warning #1177
A massive ice and rock slide in the Himalayas caused a devastating flood, resulting in over 1000 deaths. While explanations for such disasters are common, they…
- From Chad
Recommending #1176
Writer and farmer Wendell Berry died this week. Wendell Berry spent 60 years writing about one imagined county in Kentucky. Readers have been handing his books…
- From Chad
Arguing #1175
Ethel Caterham is the oldest person on earth. She turned 117 last month. What she says is her secret may surprise you.
- From Chad
Sticking #1174
Facts don’t stick but stories do. A story makes people discover the truth themselves instead of just being told. The Bible story of Nathan tricking King David…
- From Chad
Inventing #1173
A new technology developed by science Corp., a company, founded by a NeuroLink cofounder, offers hope to patience with geographic atrophy, an advanced form of…