Fear of other people’s opinions quietly shapes how we perform, how we speak, and who we allow ourselves to become.
In this conversation, Michael Gervais—performance psychologist to Super Bowl champions, Olympic gold medalists, and Fortune 50 leaders—breaks down why the fear of judgment is one of the greatest limiters of human potential.
We explore why winning and losing can become distractions, how identity gets tangled with performance, and why mastery isn’t about outcomes—but about learning to be at home with yourself, even under pressure.
This episode is a deep dive into presence, self-trust, and the inner skills that matter more as the world gets faster, louder, and increasingly driven by external validation.
Topics we cover:
Why fear of judgment pulls us out of the present moment
How performance becomes identity (and why that’s dangerous)
The “messy edge” where growth actually happens
Signal vs. noise in high-pressure environments
Flow, mastery, and learning to work with your inner world
Why elite performers train the mind—not just the body and craft
What still makes us great in an AI-accelerated world
Finding Mastery Course:
Michael also offers a structured course called Finding Mastery, designed to train the mental skills that drive elite performance—confidence, clarity under pressure, recovery, trust, and self-regulation.
You can learn more and get $75 off the retail price using the dedicated code NICK75 at:
👉 https://findingmastery.com/course/?afmc=NICK75
You can learn more about Michael’s work, podcast, and programs at:
www.FindingMastery.com
Mike’s book First Rule of Mastery: https://findingmastery.com/book/
YT: @FindingMastery
IG: @michaelgervais
If this conversation resonates, consider subscribing to The Nick Standlea Show for long-form conversations on performance, purpose, and becoming more fully yourself.
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Ask questions,
Don't accept the status quo,
And be curious.
Timestamps:
00:00 Why fear of others’ opinions quietly controls us
02:20 Michael Gervais’ background and early influences
05:45 Winning vs. losing a Super Bowl—and what actually matters
08:50 Outcomes as noise vs. present-moment inputs
11:00 Best vs. your best (the identity trap)
13:00 Survival instincts and why pressure feels life-or-death
14:45 The three things you can train: craft, body, mind
16:20 Flow and the ever-unfolding present moment
18:00 Fear of judgment as a constrictor of potential
19:40 Mastery of craft vs. mastery of self
21:00 Why approval-seeking fractures attention
23:00 Performance-based identity explained
26:00 The “messy edge” where breakthroughs happen
29:45 Emotional danger lines vs. physical danger
30:15 Emotions vs. feelings (and why it matters)
33:10 Anxiety, excitement, and regulating activation
35:50 Breathing and self-talk under pressure
39:15 Trust as a performance accelerator
40:30 Who do you want to become? (inputs vs. outcomes)
46:30 Excellence as being at home with yourself
50:05 Why people struggle to sit alone with their thoughts
54:30 Practical ways to build self-awareness
58:10 Meditation, flow, and mental training
1:01:40 Mastery of self in an AI-driven world
1:06:20 Purpose, work, and human performance
1:09:10 Mortality, impermanence, and aliveness
1:13:30 Where to find Michael Gervais and Finding Mastery
