442 | Derin McMains | How to Have Competitive Freedom

Host Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with Derin McMains, a former professional baseball player turned elite mental performance coach. Derin spent years building mental performance programs for the San Francisco Giants (three-time World Champions), the Seattle Mariners, and the University of Notre Dame, and currently serves as Director of Mental Performance at global cybersecurity company ReliaQuest. In this wide-ranging conversation on The Greatness Machine, Derin and Darius explore what separates good performers from great ones, the psychology of competitive freedom, the role of spirituality in peak performance, and why mastering the fundamentals is the foundation of elite achievement.

In this episode, Darius and Derin will discuss:

  • (00:00) Introduction and Guest Background
  • (01:57) Derin’s Origin Story and Journey
  • (04:47) The Search for Competitive Edge
  • (09:00) Mastery and Normalization in Performance
  • (15:06) Embodiment and Mental Performance
  • (20:10) Paths to Unshakable Belief
  • (24:06) Mental Toughness and Spirituality
  • (31:45) The Game of Life vs. Real Life
  • (32:30) Embodiment and Mental Health
  • (33:57) The Need for Mental Performance Training
  • (35:27) Intentional Relationships and Self-Selection
  • (37:39) The Impact of Surroundings on Behavior
  • (39:19) High Challenge, High Support Dynamics
  • (41:33) Leadership and Capacity Building
  • (43:50) Pushing Past Capacity in a Healthy Way
  • (49:51) Seasons of Life and Intentional Downtime
  • (54:29) Overcoming Perfectionism

Meet Derin:

Derin McMains is a leading Mental Performance Coach who works with elite athletes, business executives, and high-performing teams. A former professional baseball player and manager, he has spent more than 14 years developing mental performance programs for organizations including the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the University of Notre Dame. A three-time World Series champion with the Giants, McMains also serves as a mental performance consultant for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Beyond sports, he leads the Mental Performance team at ReliaQuest, where he coaches leaders across four countries, and hosts the No Show Dogs podcast, recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 5 podcasts for Leadership and Wellness.

Meet Darius: 

Darius is your host of The Greatness Machine. Darius is a mad scientist, high-growth CEO, serial entrepreneur, author, conscious capitalist, speaker, and entertainer. Darius is on a quest to create 1,000,000 Core Value Driven Organization by 2030. He is calling this “The Core Value Revolution.” Darius is an alumni of the Birthing of Giants Entrepreneurial Program at MIT and Stagen Integral Leadership Program. Darius’s accolades include being ranked #9 Top Rated CEO in America on Glassdoor, has won numerous Stevie Awards, and has founded and grown organizations that have been ranked #40 in the Inc. 500 and were ranked #3 Best Places to Work By the San Francisco Business Time. He is all about the P’s: Passion, Pizza, Puzzles, and, especially, Pink Unicorns. His book, The Core Value Equation, is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and is available at www.thecorevalueequation.com.

The Greatness Machine shares lessons on how to framework your drive for results, create limitless space, and win the war on talent.

My team and I are on a mission to help YOU create a cultural revolution. I want to teach you how to build a core value driven organization. 

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Make Greatness Happen!

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