excellence, actually
"excellence, actually" is a podcast from The Growth Equation, hosted by Steve Magness, Brad Stulberg, and Clay Skipper. Drawing on their years of working and corresponding with Olympians, coaches, executives, world-class...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Cal Newport1 ep
- Eric Zimmer1 ep
- David Epstein1 ep
Also: Jim Ryun, Rachel Zoffness, Brian Koppelman, Brent Bookwalter, George Mumford
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · Self-ImprovementHOME#1477.3K to 38K
- 🇧🇷Brazil · Self-Improvement#931.1K to 6.0K
- 🇦🇺Australia · Self-Improvement#88736 to 3.9K
- 🇦🇹AT · Self-Improvement#33651 to 3.4K
- 🇨🇦Canada · Self-Improvement#132411 to 2.2K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
11K to 57K🎙 ~2x weekly·368 episodes·Last published yesterday - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
21K to 113K🇺🇸68%🇧🇷11%🇦🇺7%+5 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
12K to 62K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
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Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/29/26 | How to Care Deeply and Compete Fearlessly | How do you want something very badly and still hold the result loosely? Detaching from the outcome is one of the most important skills in performance. It's also one of the hardest. On today's show, we talk about how to detach before, during, and after a high-stakes performance, discuss why it's better to think of detachment as a slider, not a switch, teach you how to match self-talk styles to the appropriate contexts, explain how to know when to trust the process and when to change it, and try to find the ideal performance sweet spot (90% Zen master, 10% Dog?).- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 33m 01s | ||||||
| 10/22/26 | Is This The Most Underrated Skill in Elite Performance? | One of the hardest and most important questions to answer if you want to do anything at a high level: Do I need to fix this feeling, or can I forget this feeling and perform anyway? For too long as a society, we pushed the "grind it out" mentality, which led to chronic burnout and exhaustion. Now we take feelings more seriously, but have maybe gone too far, increasing fragility and decreasing our collective ability to handle challenge. Today we talk about how to treat your difficult feelings, emotions, and thoughts as messengers, not dictators, and learn what they're saying so you can respond most wisely.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 27m 37s | ||||||
| 10/15/26 | Recovery 101: Listener Questions on Rest, Aging, and Turning Off | We've always been big on recovery. (After all, it is one half of the growth equation: stress + REST = growth.) But knowing how to recover, both physically and mentally, is a skill — and one that needs to be refined as we age and as our world becomes increasingly stimulating. So today we are answering four questions from dear listeners (you!) about how to handle physical changes, cognitive overload, and the sheer velocity of modern life. Plus: some emergency recovery tips for when you're going through a really tough stretch.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 30m 38s | ||||||
| 10/8/26 | A.I., Craft, and the Future of Human Excellence | How we should (and should not) use artificial intelligence is a topic we have been frequently and furiously discussing in our group chat. (You too?) These days, it's impossible to avoid its presence in our lives. Nor would we want to! A.I. brings plenty of advantages. But, as always, a tool is only good if you know how to use it — and what trade-offs you're making when you do. On today's episode, we talk about the technology's benefits and its costs, with a particular eye to how it will affect craft, performance, and the future of excellence. So if you're struggling to figure out how exactly to incorporate it into your life — we are too! — this episode is for you.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 34m 11s | ||||||
| 10/1/26 | How to Have More Agency | "You can just do things" — but should you? The word "agency" has exploded in recent months, but what does it actually mean to be a high-agency person, and when does agency cross the line into recklessness? Today, we're tracing the concept from Aristotle to Nietzsche to Silicon Valley, exploring why agency is core to our humanity in an age of increasing automation. We unpack the tension between people who overthink and never act versus those who act without thinking, share stories of taking big swings (including 25 book rejections), and offer practical tools for building agency as a muscle — whether you need to take more action or learn to pause and reflect before just doing things.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 22m 14s | ||||||
| 9/24/26 | How to Tame Your Demons: Healthy Passion vs. Obsessive Drive | Today, we're fielding a listener question that every high performer eventually faces: where's the line between passion and obsession? The thing that makes you great can also be the thing that destroys you, and making sure that it doesn't is no simple matter. We'll talk about the research on dopamine, temperament, and addiction and chart the path from healthy drive to destructive spiral — useful for any athlete, entrepreneur, or high achiever trying to tame their demons.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 28m 23s | ||||||
| 9/17/26 | Consistency Over Intensity: How to Show Up Again and Again (and Again) | Consistency is one of the fundamental skills of any discipline. But what does it actually look like in practice? Today, we're answering five of the most common questions we get about the challenges of trying to be consistent in everyday life. You'll get a breakdown of how to stack good days both in the short- and long-term (and understand why those require different approaches), Steve's "build vs. maintain" framework, Brad's Sock'em Boppers analogy for beating internal resistance, ways to determine when consistency is actually holding you back, how to know when to take a zero, and learnings from Stephen King and Roger Bannister.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Donate at farmkind.giving/excellence and your monthly donation will get a 50% boost to help factory farmed animals- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 33m 10s | ||||||
| 9/10/26 | Handling Change: "Find the Smallest Dose that Keeps You Sane" | Change happens — sometimes when we expect, often when we don't. So how do we hold onto what matters amidst big shifts (injury, a lay off, moving cities, changing schedules)? That's what we're tackling today. We'll walk you through the process of (to use Steve's words) "finding the smallest dose that keeps you sane," knowing the important difference between adopting a "having" and a "being" mindset, and understanding when to stop fighting change and let it change you. Plus: one all-time story about an injured Steve getting rescued from the ocean by a lifeguard while doing water aerobics in jeans that will almost certainly leave you changed.- Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. | 33m 46s | ||||||
| 9/3/26 | youth sportsparenting+3 | — | — | — | youth sportsparental fears+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 43m 40s | ||
| 8/27/26 | sports psychologymindfulness+3 | George Mumford | Chicago BullsLakers | — | sports psychologymindfulness+5 | — | 39m 08s | ||
| 8/20/26 | peptideshealth+4 | — | The Growth Equation | — | peptideshealth+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 33m 43s | ||
| 8/13/26 | A.I. baby monitorsanti-optimization movement+4 | — | New York Times | — | A.I.baby monitors+6 | LMNTCODE | 34m 08s | ||
| 8/6/26 | focusattention+3 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | focusattention+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 41m 50s | ||
| 7/30/26 | coachingsports+3 | — | The Growth EquationiTunes+4 | — | coachingtransformation+4 | LMNT drink mixdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 45m 44s | ||
| 7/23/26 | world recordconsistency+4 | — | — | Buncombe County, North Carolina | mile world recordJosh Kerr+4 | — | 41m 04s | ||
| 7/16/26 | anxietyperformance+3 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | anxietyperformance+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 38m 16s | ||
| 7/9/26 | endurancecycling+4 | Brent Bookwalter | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | Tour de Francecycling+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 46m 05s | ||
| 7/2/26 | sacrificevalues+3 | — | LMNT drink mix | — | sacrificecareer+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 43m 23s | ||
| 6/25/26 | performancebooks+4 | — | LMNT drink mix | — | performancebooks+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 39m 26s | ||
| 6/18/26 | NBA Championshipcomeback strategies+3 | — | LMNT drink mixNew York Knicks+2 | — | NBAcomeback+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 36m 50s | ||
| 6/11/26 | longevitycreativity+4 | Brian Koppelman | RoundersOcean's Thirteen+2 | — | longevitycreativity+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 43m 47s | ||
| 6/4/26 | excellenceperformance habits+3 | — | Enhanced GamesJim Ryun's running camps+2 | — | excellenceperformance+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 41m 42s | ||
| 5/28/26 | runningmental discipline+3 | Jim Ryun | The Growth Equationryunrunning.com+7 | — | Jim Ryunsub-four-minute mile+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 56m 03s | ||
| 5/21/26 | motivationhigh performance+3 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | bad daysmotivation+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 30m 16s | ||
| 5/14/26 | pain sciencebiopsychosocial model+3 | Rachel Zoffness | The Growth Equation | — | painbiopsychosocial model+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 46m 37s | ||
| 5/7/26 | creativityproductivity+3 | David Epstein | Random HouseThe Growth Equation+2 | — | constraintscreativity+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 56m 40s | ||
| 4/30/26 | marathonbelief+4 | — | LMNT drink mix | — | marathonsub-two-hour+4 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 40m 55s | ||
| 4/23/26 | cognitive healthtechnology impact+3 | Cal Newport | The New York TimesDeep Work+1 | — | concentrationcognition+3 | LMNTCODE | 52m 35s | ||
| 4/16/26 | aerobic trainingelite runners+3 | — | — | — | aerobic trainingelite runners+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 45m 48s | ||
| 4/9/26 | personal developmentcoaching+3 | Eric Zimmer | The One You FeedHow A Little Becomes A Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life | — | addictionrecovery+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 46m 25s | ||
| 4/2/26 | performance under pressurenext-play mindset+3 | — | DukeUConn | — | pressure performancezero-zero reset+3 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 28m 57s | ||
| 3/26/26 | coachingmotivation+4 | — | — | — | coachingmotivation+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 40m 46s | ||
| 3/19/26 | self-sabotageperformance+4 | — | The Inner Game of Tennis | — | self-sabotageperformance problems+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 43m 50s | ||
| 3/12/26 | momentumsuccess+3 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | momentumsuccess+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 34m 53s | ||
| 3/5/26 | elite athletesjoy in suffering+3 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation | — | elite athletesjoy+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 49m 05s | ||
| 2/26/26 | successartificial intelligence+4 | — | LMNT drink mixThe Growth Equation+7 | — | successA.I.+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 29m 56s | ||
| 2/19/26 | Olympicshuman performance+4 | — | — | — | Olympicshuman performance+5 | LMNTdrinkLMNT.com/Clay | 32m 42s | ||
Showing 37 of 368
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Chart history for excellence, actually
Peaked at #21 in IS, currently #21 in IS.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IS | — | #21 | #21 | — |
| AT | — | #33 | #33 | — |
| IS | — | #48 | #48 | — |
| Australia | — | #88 | #88 | — |
| PT | — | #91 | #91 | — |
| Brazil | — | #93 | #93 | — |
| AT | — | #101 | #101 | — |
| SG | — | #115 | #115 | — |
| Ireland | — | #131 | #131 | — |
| Canada | — | #132 | #132 | — |
| United States | — | #147 | #147 | — |
| MY | — | #149 | #149 | — |
| HK | — | #170 | #170 | — |
| GR | — | #181 | #181 | — |
Chart Positions
14 placements across 12 markets.
Chart Positions
14 placements across 12 markets.