The Sonya Looney Show

How do your expectations affect your mind and body? In this week’s podcast, Sonya speaks with award-winning science writer David Robson about the expectation effect and how your expectations change how you physically and mentally react to various situations. David is the author of two books, the most recent, the main subject of this podcast - The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life. He also authored The Intelligence Trap in 2019.  David graduated with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University and then worked as a features editor at New Scientist. He then moved to BBC Future as a senior journalist. His work has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Men’s Health and more. He’s received awards from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association (MJA) and, in 2022, won Mental Health Story of the Year at the MJA Annual Awards. Key Takeaways: What is the expectation effect? Overcoming negative expectations How mindset relates to ex

Have you thought about what your life could be like if you felt grateful every time you stepped outside? Ryan Van Duzer, a bike adventurer from Colorado, finds himself more grateful every adventure he takes. In this episode, Sonya and Ryan talk about gratitude, stepping outside your comfort zone, the bike community, inspiring others, positivity and more. Ryan grew up in Colorado. He started as a runner and has learned to love the bike. He joined the Peace Corps and worked in Honduras for two years. At the end of his time there, instead of flying home, he opted to ride his bike back to Colorado. This sparked his love for bike adventures around the world, meeting new people and sharing those moments with others on his YouTube channel. Some of his favorite adventures include that 4,000 mile bike ride from Honduras to Boulder, surviving the jungles of Venezuela on the TV show Out of the Wild Venezuela, the Leadville 100 ultramarathon, riding across the United States, and so many more.  He is committed to t

Travis Macy is a 2x author, world-class endurance champion across many disciplines including Adventure Racing, 100-mile trail running races like Leadville and Leadman, Snowshoe champion, ski mountaineering, and even Burro racing. He is the host of The Travis Macy Show Podcast and a sought-after speaker including being a TEDx speaker. Travis is also an endurance sports coach and a dad to 2 children. Travis also happens to be a good friend of mine. You may have heard him on the podcasts we recorded about his book, The Ultra Mindset and more recently, A Mile at a Time. Travis and I have been brainstorming fun ways to collaborate. We both headed to the east coast to do one keynote speech each followed by a group Q&A at a Leadership Conference for some very interesting individuals! We recorded this podcast at the Denver International Airport prior to boarding our flight (and almost missed our flight!) Key Takeaways: My win at Pisgah When preparation isn't perfect Flexibility around your plan How to

What does it mean to be happy? How do you define happiness? What is the difference between awe and gratitude? How do you stay a New York Knicks fans when they’ve given you decades of disappointment?  Sonya sat down with clinical psychologist, author and keynote speaker Jonah Paquette to get answers to all of these questions. Jonah specializes in the science of well-being and emotional fitness. He is the author of four books promoting those topics including Happily Ever After, Awestruck, The Happiness Toolbox and Real Happiness.  He completed his graduate training at PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium in Palo Alto, California. He worked in the healthcare system at Kaiser Permanente before his newer focus on speaking and training.  He’s a native New Yorker, but currently resides in California, where he loves to hike, travel and cook. Key Takeaways: The New York Knicks and the New Yorker identity How do you define happiness? How do you figure out what you need to be happy? Making something a daily prac

Dr. Zurita Ona (Dr. Z) is a licensed clinical psychologist who founded the East Bay Behavior Therapy Center where she runs an outpatient program integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). She is experienced in working with children, adolescents and adults with OCD, trauma, anxiety and emotional regulation problems. Her work is dedicated to helping clients get “unstuck” and living the life they want to live.  She is the author of several books, including her recent publication Acceptance and Commitment Skills for Perfectionism and High-Achieving Behaviors: Do Things Your Way, Be Yourself and Live a Purposeful Life.  In this week’s episode, Sonya and Dr. Z tackled topics such as achievement, perfectionism, overworking, values and much more. Key Takeaways: Healthy high achievement Perfectionistic actions How we tie sense of accomplishment with sense of self Perfectionism and seeking control What to do when you are stuck The optimal amount of hard work

Dr. Matt Smith, DC, CES, is a sports chiropractor, strength coach, and founder of EverAthlete - an online training, recovery, and injury rehabilitation platform for adventure athletes. Matt grew up in San Jose, California and received his doctorate at Palmer West Chiropractic College, graduating valedictorian of his class. He has spent the past 15 years in the fitness and injury rehabilitation field. During that time, he has served as a trusted rehab consultant and coach to professional athletes, Olympians, high school and collegiate athletes, and weekend warriors looking to improve their health and performance. Outside of the athletic realm, Matt has served as a primary fitness and health consultant to some of the largest companies in Silicon Valley. Matt’s diverse professional background has provided a unique vantage point for helping outdoor enthusiasts improve their performance and create longevity to their journey in sport and health. Matt spends his days working with clients 1-on-1 and working with T

Diana Hill, PhD is a clinical psychologist, international trainer and sought-out speaker on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. I spoke with Diana just over a year ago on my podcast about healthy striving and psychological flexibility. Diana is the host of the podcast Your Life in Process and co- author of ACT Daily Journal and works with organizations and individuals to develop psychological flexibility so that they can take wise action toward fulfilling and impactful lives. Integrating her over 20 years of meditation experience with yoga and psychological training, Diana blogs for Psychology Today, and guest teaches at InsightLA, Blue Spirit Costa Rica, PESI, Praxis Continuing Education, Yoga Soup and Insight Timer Meditation. n In this episode, we talked about how to show up as working moms, the importance of balancing values and strengths, competition and collaboration, values-based eating, and strategies we’ve used in building our friendship. Key Takeaways: Knowing when to do

Jerry Kopack started his career in the corporate world. But at the age of 31, he completely shifted his career and opened a hospice in Colorado with his mom. The perspective-changing experience led him to begin traveling the world and open himself up to new opportunities.  His biking adventures began in Africa and continued on to India, Nepal, Israel and more. He learned about the beauty of the world and of people and wrote about his journey in his new book The World Spins By.  In this week’s episode, Sonya and Jerry talk about his key lessons from working in hospice, his mindset shift that led to traveling the world, the amazing global biking community, and more. Key Takeaways: Making big shifts in life Key lessons from working in hospice Contemplating death The value of time and shifting identity Being open to travel by bike around the world The international bike community What traveling on a bicycle entails in less developed countries How to have more flexibility, control less Vision of su

Here is an excerpt from the audiobook, A Mile At a Time with Travis and Mark Macy. Below is the synopsis from Penguin Random House: In October 2018, Mark “Mace” Macy, sixty-four years old, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Mace had spent thirty years competing in Colorado and around the world in ultra-endurance competitions and is one of the few people who have finished all eight Eco-Challenge events. Once diagnosed, Mace feared losing endurance, strength, and independence.  Mace’s son Travis, also a professional endurance athlete, also struggled to see his father battling the disease. In 2019 they decided to participate in World’s Toughest Race—a seven-day, grueling 400-mile marathon of trekking, climbing, biking, and paddling through the jungle—for one final race together. Weaving excerpts from Mace’s passionate personal journals alongside a first-person narrative by Travis, A Mile at a Time tells the story of this incredible journey and what both father and son learned along the way. A po

Travis Macy is an ultra endurance athlete and coach. He’s the author of The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion’s 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life. I spoke with Travis on my podcast in January about his racing escapades, embracing training, redefining expectations throughout his career and his experience with his dad’s Alzheimers. This week, we brought him back with his dad, Mark “Mace” Macy, a 30-year veteran of ultra endurance competitions, who has continued to thrive since his early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2018. Together, they authored the book A Mile at a Time, which tells the story of how Travis and Mace conquered the World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji and how Mace has tapped into his inner strength to deal with his disease.  Mace is a retired attorney and grandfather. He’s a well-known athlete in the endurance sports world, pioneering ultra running in the 1980s and adventure racing in the ‘90s. In 2020 he became the only person to compete in an Eco-Challenge

The word mastery is thrown around as a part of the vernacular, but have you ever paused to consider the true meaning of the word? What is mastery and what does it mean to pursue mastery? We often hear stories of people who are on the path to mastery. But, what does being on the path to mastery actually mean? Is it something you can attain? Why should you pursue mastery? Key Takeaways: What Is the definition of mastery? Mastery and goal-setting What Is deliberate practice? Mastery and flow states Mastery and well-being theory Mastery and self-esteem Mastery as a mindset Links: Become one of my coaching clients: Health Coaching | Mental Performance Coaching Enroll in my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy Check out my newsletter for productivity, mindset, and mental skills Read my article/podcast Mental Skills for Athletes

Have you ever focused on training your breath? No, I don’t mean cardio, I mean literally how you breathe.  This week, I sat down with Luke Way, CEO of The Breathe Way Isocapnic Respiratory Training System, and Dr. Andrew Sellars, Chief Science Officer and an anesthesiologist, to talk about the respiratory system and its importance for sport.  Luke is an endurance coach, specializing in elite level triathlon, but also working with mountain bikers and CrossFitters. After training for 20 years, he noticed that most athletes were limiting their performance because of the way they breathe, so he started to figure out how to better train the respiratory system. He partnered with his mentor, Dr. Sellars, and another close friend to invent the Isocapnic Breathe Way Better Training System, a three pillared system that consists of the hardware, the software, and the curation of knowledge.  Dr. Sellars is one of the most respected authorities on athletic respiratory performance. His expertise informs the Isocapni

A week's worth of healthy and delicious plant-based food for less than $30 - that's Toni Okamoto's super power. As the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, Toni has done the research and perfected the ways to make your budget line up with healthy eating habits. Plant-Based on a Budget is a popular website and meal plan that provides the information you need to save money by eating vegetables. She’s the author of multiple books including the Plant-Based on a Budget cookbook and The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook. Toni also co-hosts The Plant-Powered People Podcast. In this week's episode, Sonya and Toni talk about her path to plant-based, the necessity that created plant-based on a budget, the secrets to grocery shopping and her recipe inspirations. Key Takeaways: Toni's path to plant based The power of online community First steps to transitioning to plant based Understanding the grocery store How to be plant-based on a budget How to make plant-based meals taste good Time-saving tips for p

How many of you have had to give up on your plastic water bottle because it was impossible to clean? Probably all of us. Carina Hamel, former nordic skier, saw this problem and used her product development expertise to design the first stainless steel bottle with a flow rate fit for cyclists, co-founding the company Bivo.  Carina moved to Norway at age 16 to attend a ski academy, where she learned about her love for new cultures, languages and experiences. Through this experience and a job in product development for Keen Footwear, she realized she wanted to work internationally and began footwear development consulting, setting up new manufacturing partners and facilities globally. She started Bivo, a carbon neutral company, to be the solution to the cycling water bottle problem. She loves to play with her kids, ski, bike, and run. This week, Sonya and Carina spoke about her path to entrepreneurship, her work ethic, becoming a mom and her vision for her company.  Key Takeaways: The courage to go aft

Concussions can happen in sport, but how do you know if you have one and what happens when you do? This week, Sonya sat down with Adam Luu, an orthopedic, concussion and vestibular physiotherapist to talk about what you need to know about concussions. Adam has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from McMaster University, followed by a fellowship with the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physical Therapy. He is a certified concussion therapist - certified in several concussion management protocols like ITPT and Shift. His training in ITPT means he can administer and interpret the ImPACT test, which is a neurocognitive assessment tool that is the standardized assessment tool of North America’s top professional sports leagues. The Shift concussion management system is the Canadian-founded concussion management strategy.  Adam also has a certification in vestibular therapy, instrument-assisted soft tissue release, nervous system assessment and treatment and bracing/proprioceptive taping.  He is

Many people use reasons like, "I'm too old to start" or "I won't be able to learn it" or "I'm too old, I’ll get hurt" to avoid trying something new. But Steven Kotler says it's especially important to continue using mental and physical abilities as we age. Many people think aging is a long, slow rot, but research shows that our physical and mental skills do not have to decline over time. Our mindset towards aging is a key player in peak performance aging. Steven is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of eleven bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance, and he has a new book, Gnar Country, coming out at the end of this month. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 50 languages, and has

Have you ever achieved a goal and felt empty? Therein lies the paradox. We need to have expectations, but how do you set realistic and appropriate expectations that provide enough stimulus for motivation and performance, but also enough space for happiness and life satisfaction? In this week's podcast, Sonya deep dives into: The trajectory of expectations Expectations of ourselves Expectations FROM others Expectations OF others The pressure created from expectations The difference between goals and expectations What to do about it Links Become one of my coaching clients: Health Coaching | Mental Performance Coaching Enroll in my Moxy & Grit Mindset Academy Check out my newsletter for productivity, mindset, and mental skills Read my article/podcast Mental Skills for Athletes

Travis Macy is a professional endurance athlete, having finished over 130 ultra endurance events in 17 countries. He’s an author, coach and speaker. He is the author of The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion’s 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life, and has a new book coming out in March called A Mile at a Time. Travis’s racing resume includes mountain bike races, road runs, adventure racing, snowshoeing, skiing, kayaking and more.  His writing has been published across several publications including UltraRunning Magazine, Backpacker Magazine and Trail Runner Magazine.   In addition to being a sponsored athlete and writer, he is also a coach and founded a successful education consulting firm, Macy College Consulting, with his wife, and works with businesses, executives, and adult endurance athletes. This week, Sonya and Travis tackle his racing escapades, embracing training, his experience with his dad’s Alzheimers, and redefining expectations throughout your career. Key Takea

Yael Schonbrun is an assistant professor at Brown University, a clinical psychologist and an author about parenting, work and relationships. She draws on scientific research, clinical experience and real life experiences with her three kids. Her new book, Work, Parent, Thrive, shares practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these roles.  Yael is also the co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off the Clock. She has a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed her postgraduate training at Brown University. In this week's episode, Sonya and Yael discuss Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, how to develop a work-family enrichment mindset, how to create space for emotions and have realistic expectations, plus much more. Key Takeaways: 6 core processes of ACT Batting overwhelm using flexibility  Role shift

What is positive psychology and more importantly, how can it be applied to work and life? In this week's episode, Sonya sat down with Jordyn Feingold, an MD, Master's in Applied Positive Psychology, and psychiatry resident at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. They talked about positive psychology and how she's applying it to medicine, her REVAMP framework, the importance of positive relationships, and more. REVAMP is defined as a 6-pillar framework consisting of Relationships, Engagement, Vitality, Accomplishment, Meaning, and Positive emotions. Jordyn developed and teaches an elective course called Positive Medicine at Mount Sinai and co-founded a trainee well-being curriculum called PEERS: Practice Enhancement, Engagement, Resilience, and Support. She also co-founded Positive Psychology for Physicians and an online well-being course for clinicians. She co-authored the book “Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear and Self-Doubt” with Scott Barry Kaufman (you ca