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161: The Truth About Life After Sport That No One Tells You, with Stewart McCully
Manage episode 501418046 series 3336799
Stewart McCully has spent his life around high performers, from elite athletes to engineers, from corporate execs to sheep shearers.
In this episode, he joins Ryan to talk about what it means to guide people through high-pressure environments and major transitions. A former SANFL footballer and teacher, Stewart now helps athletes and professionals develop the mental skills they often don’t get taught: managing overthinking, building self-awareness, recovering from mistakes, and finding clarity on what’s next.
He also shares what led him to start his own mentoring business, how sponsorships should be a two-way street, and what the shearing world has taught him about mindset, focus, and preparation.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why overthinking is the most common barrier for elite performers
- How mentoring athletes goes beyond sport and why trust is everything
- What routines and reset tools help in sport, business, and life
- How confidence and curiosity beat fear and perfectionism
- The mindset behind a good sponsor relationship (for both sides)
- Why shearers are some of the most focused performers Stewart has worked with
- How self-talk and focus are the keys to confidence under pressure
- Why "imagine if" is one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself
- The value of experimentation when figuring out life after sport
💎 GOLDEN NUGGET:
"They’re not coming to me because I played footy at Glenelg. They’re coming because I listen, and I help them see what they couldn’t before."
Resources & Links:
- Book: The “What If” Trap: Free Your Mind From Overthinking
- Website: https://www.nextlevelelite.com.au/
Connect with Ryan and Second Wind Academy:
- Website: https://www.2ndwind.io/
- Instagram: @secondwindacademy
Chapters
1. Sponsorship Value Beyond Free Stuff (00:00:00)
2. Introduction to Second Wind Academy (00:01:37)
3. Stuart's Journey Into Athlete Mentoring (00:02:08)
4. Building Trust Outside the Inner Circle (00:08:49)
5. Helping Athletes Overcome Overthinking (00:16:14)
6. Supporting Career Transitions in Corporate Settings (00:24:19)
7. The Power of Experimentation and New Perspectives (00:32:45)
8. Mental Skills Training for Sheep Shearers (00:40:09)
9. Managing the "What If" Trap (00:52:54)
10. Closing Thoughts and Contact Information (00:57:24)
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