Shows
3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayWhat’s Your Joy Yield?If your hard work results in high output but zero joy, you might be operating at a loss.Following the devastating loss of his daughter, Audrey Jo, Cameron realized he had been living a life of "grit without joy." This week, we reframe joy not as a reward for hard work, but as the fuel for it. Learn how to calculate your Joy Yield to ensure that your "hard stuff" is actually feeding your soul rather than withering your spirit.Subscribe: 3-Minute Reframe.Show Notes & Resources:Tim Ferriss Show: Martha...
2026-02-2602 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayPam Bondi and the Courage to Turn TowardDuring the House Judiciary Committee hearing on February 11, 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi sat just feet away from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein—and refused to turn and look them in the eye. While it is easy to label such behavior as soulless, this episode explores a more difficult question: What does it take for us to find the courage to face the parts of ourselves we’d rather ignore?Cameron Conaway reframes this moment of public cowardice as an invitation to personal growth, examining how we can move past "righteous finger-pointing" to nurture a more conscious and...
2026-02-1903 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayThe Illusion of Separateness“We are here to awaken from the illusion of separateness.” — Ram DassIn an individualistic culture that promotes the myth of the "self-made millionaire," it is easy to lose sight of the interconnections of all things. Drawing on the teachings of Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh’s concept of "interbeing," this episode reframes social anxiety and loneliness as a "Comparing Mind" that separates us from the unit. Recognize that what feels like a solo act is actually the result of a thousand helping hands.Show Notes & Resources:Podcast: The Way Out Is InBoo...
2026-02-1202 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayAction Observation as FeedbackStop guessing how you're doing and start seeing what you're doing.We usually think of feedback as a verbal exchange, but there is a silent, more flexible path to improvement that bypasses words entirely: Action Observation. By intentionally watching high-level performers, you activate your brain's mirror neuron system—the neurological equivalent of a dress rehearsal. Whether you are a business leader or an athlete, using the "Observational On-Ramp" ensures you aren't starting from zero, but from a place of neurological readiness.Explore more about effective feedback and how feedback training can transform your pe...
2026-02-0502 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayThe Cost of Calendar Conformity"The mere consciousness of an engagement will sometimes worry a whole day." — Charles DickensIn 2009, Paul Graham identified the conflict between the "Manager's Schedule" (hourly blocks) and the "Maker's Schedule" (long, uninterrupted runways). In this episode, Cameron explores the concept of "Calendar Conformity"—the dangerous organizational habit of forcing creatives into a grid that destroys their flow.Whether you are a leader or a creator, this episode invites you to protect the spaciousness required for deep work.Resources:Read the original essay: Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by P...
2026-01-2903 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayFinding Your Purple Cow"That weirdness? That could be your Purple Cow."Inspired by Seth Godin, this episode challenges the pressure to fit into a box—whether in business school or the corporate world. We explore the radical courage required to embrace the unique, "weird" parts of your story that actually help you stand out.Show notes:Get the book: Purple Cow by Seth GodinSubscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2026-01-2202 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayWhat's Under Your Rug?We sweep things away so quickly, we often forget we even have a rug.It is easier than ever to distract ourselves from grief, discomfort, or tough conversations. But eventually, the rug gets lumpy. This week’s reframe isn't about judging yourself for hiding things—it's an invitation to get curious about what is waiting underneath.Resources:Subscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2026-01-1502 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayWhen the Cage Door ShutsKnowing the feedback isn't enough. You have to embody it.Twenty years ago, Cameron was a professional mixed martial artist. In this episode, he shares the lesson he learned the moment the cage door shut: Intellectual knowledge dissolves under pressure. True leadership requires integrating feedback into your body through repetition, so you are ready when you step into your own arena.Resources:Caged: Memoirs of a Cage-Fighting PoetSubscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2026-01-0802 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayJiro Ono and Slow ExcellenceIn a world of "Fast Averageness," dare to choose Slow Excellence.Jiro Ono is considered the world's greatest sushi chef. His secret? A relentless, decades-long curiosity about the same craft. Today, we look at how resisting the urge to "hack" your way to the top can lead to a deeper, more sustainable form of mastery.Resources:Watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi on NetflixSubscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2026-01-0102 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayNo Mud, No Lotus"My most painful experiences have been my greatest teachers."Inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, this episode explores the necessity of "mud" in our lives. We discuss how to reframe suffering not as a defect, but as the fertilizer required for the lotus to bloom—provided we have the psychological safety to process it.Resources:Read Cameron's article in Lion’s Roar MagazineSubscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2025-12-2601 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayThe Brachistochrone CurveStraight lines aren't always the fastest way to get where we want to go.In physics, the Brachistochrone curve proves that the fastest path between two points is actually a curve, not a straight line. In this episode, we explore how this law of physics applies to Steph Curry’s jump shot, workplace feedback, and nonlinear career paths.Sometimes, we have to be willing to get worse to get better.Resources:Subscribe to the 3-Minute Reframe Newsletter
2025-12-1802 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayKurt Lewin's Model of ChangePerhaps nothing brings more joy and suffering to our lives than change.In this episode, Cameron explores Kurt Lewin’s 3-Stage Model of Change: Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze. While often used in organizational strategy, this model can offer a profound reframe for personal growth.Cameron shares a personal story about navigating social anxiety as a professor—moving away from the "sledgehammer" approach of forcing change, and toward the gentler, more effective process of "thawing" our fears piece by piece.The Resource:For a deep dive into Lewin’s model and other change manage...
2025-12-1103 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayTo My Stillborn DaughterOn October 19, 2025, my wife gave birth to our precious daughter Audrey Jo.AJ, as we call her, had died in utero a few days prior. Due to complications including sepsis and blood clots, my wife nearly died as well.In this special, raw episode of 3-Minute Reframe, I share a letter I wrote to AJ on what would have been our induction day. It is an attempt to move through, rather than bypass, my grief.Note: This episode deviates from our standard format. There is no resource link or inquiry this week—just a...
2025-12-0403 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayDarkness as Bell TowerThe poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a line that reframes suffering: “Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength.”In this personal episode, Cameron shares how this line helped him move from trying to physically fight his past trauma (as an MMA fighter) to breathing through it. We explore the idea that darkness isn't a comprehensive cage, but a context—a structure where you can build resiliency and "ring your bell."The Resource:Read the full poem, Let This Darkness be a Bell T...
2025-11-2502 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayBring Me The ProblemsWe’ve all heard the corporate mantra: "Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions." While the intention is to avoid complaining, this mindset is actually one of the most efficient ways to inhibit a healthy feedback culture.In this episode, we dismantle the "solutions-only" mandate. Identifying problems can be a solo sport, but finding solutions rarely is. We discuss why leaders should swap those seven words for an eight-word alternative that completely reframes accountability: Bring me problems, and we will seek solutions.The Resource:Read the full blog post here: Don't Just Come to Me...
2025-11-2502 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayThe Value of Partial FeelingsThe Japanese sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi, taught a crucial lesson: "Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling." In the heat of battle, hesitation meant death.But does this apply to modern leadership and relationships? In this episode, Cameron explores when "partial feelings" are dangerous inhibitors to authenticity, and conversely, when they are actually vital signals to pause and gather more context before reacting.The Resource:This insight is drawn from Musashi’s Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone). You can buy a copy here: Musashi's Dokkodo on Bookshop.orgTh...
2025-11-2502 min3-Minute Reframe with Cameron ConawayComfort Zone ComplexitiesThe dominant narrative suggests we must always "crush" our comfort zones. But let's reframe that: Comfort zones are actually vital, dynamic places we enter for good reason.In this episode, we explore the "Comfort Zone" not as a place of weakness, but as a potential strategic retreat. We look at some research on stress and performance, and why living in a constant state of "dis-ease" isn't the answer. The danger isn't the comfort zone itself—it's letting it expand unchecked like an invasive plant.The Inquiry:What is your true relationship with your primary co...
2025-11-2502 min
Women at WorkThe Essentials: Getting the Feedback You NeedWhat do you do when no one will give you actionable and useful feedback? That’s the situation our guest, an aerospace engineer, has been in for years. And while she’s managed to move up within her company, she feels like she’s missing out on information that would clarify her standing there and secure her future success.
Ella Bell, an expert on interpersonal communication and organizational behavior, shares creative ways to draw out people’s perceptions of your performance and potential. She also offers advice on how to make sense of the feedback you do receive...
2023-01-2343 min
TW SmithTKF 28 Bring Mindfulness into Your TrainingCameron Conaway shares an essay with us on 5 ways steps to how mindfulness is part of your KungFu.
2022-02-2018 min
The Secular BuddhistEpisode 306 :: Cameron Conaway :: Unplugged -- Emotional Trauma, Anger, and Transformation
2019-03-2300 min
The Secular BuddhistEpisode 306 :: Cameron Conaway :: Unplugged -- Emotional Trauma, Anger, and TransformationCameron Conaway joins us to speak about how Buddhist practice has helped the healing process of childhood trauma.
2019-03-2300 min
Real Men Feel with Andy GrantBusting Out of The Man BoxWorld-renowned journalist, poet, and speaker, Cameron Conaway, drops by for a discussion around modern masculinity, art, and his path from mixed martial arts to poetry. Cameron's sixth book, Man Box: Poems, is available now. #RealMenFeelEpisode 95, recorded May 29, 2018RealMenFeel.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2018-05-301h 00Accumulating Qi : Martial Art Energy : TKF 29Episode 29
Feeling Good:
Several people of various styles have contacted me to let me know that taking some of the concepts is helping them re-look at their karate, judo and other systems.
Connections:
Cameron Conaway’s essay in last episode, “5 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Your Martial Arts” stimulated many excellent comments.
Cameron sent me a note saying that he has become a listener. He is also posted on his...
2014-12-2300 minBring Mindfulness into Your Martial Arts
In the : Bring Mindfulness into Your Martial Arts Podcast
Original Essay by Cameron Conaway
Acknowledgements:
I was working out on multiple assailant strategies. While I was sucking
wind and recovering, Lynn took the time to tell me that Episode 27,
"Talk on Qi gave her a lot to think about".
Jean told posted that she had "attended our Harmonizing Sex Drive
Workshop and it was the perfect reminder of taking care...
2014-12-1700 min
Inside Social InnovationCameron Conaway: Knowing When to “Tap Out” of the FightWhat insights does a former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, now poet, activist and thought leader, have to teach social entrepreneurs? As it turns out, a lot more than you might imagine. MMA fighters understand what failure is–not the “I failed… now let me put my badge on” rhetoric that has become an essential, but increasingly superficial, part of any budding entrepreneur’s story. MMA fighters understand failure, and the pain that accompanies it. They get knocked down. They get knocked out. And they have to truly examine the lessons of defeat in order to perfect...
2014-02-1020 min
Verbal Sub 84: Cameron Conaway, Matt Manzanares, Rich HansenJoin us for our 84th episode of The Verbal Submission on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 as hosts Brian Hemminger, Ben Thapa and Gerry Rodriguez discuss the latest happenings in the world of mixed martial arts. We'll be talking last night's UFC on FOX 3 event as well as the Bellator 67 show from Friday night.
Our special guests for the evening will be undefeated bantamweight Matt Manzanares, MMA author of 'Caged' Cameron Conaway and Rich Hansen of MMA Torch. Make sure to tune in!
2012-05-072h 00
My Take RadioMy Take Radio Reborn-Episode 105-Cameron Conaway
On this weeks episode of MTR I had the pleasure of speaking to mixed martial artist and author Cameron Conaway. Cameron stopped by to discuss his upcoming memoir Caged: Memoirs of a Cage-Fighting Poet which will be available in September. In speaking with Cameron we learned about his upbringing and how certain instances in his life shaped the nature of his memoir. Besides talking about the book we got some insight into the training in Thailand and how it differs from the more structured setting here in the states. I felt a kinship with Cameron due to some of...
2011-09-022h 54