Transcript

The transcript below has been lightly edited for readability and clarity. Click any starting timestamp to jump to that exact point in the YouTube video.

Podcast Introduction

[00:00] Don Costante:

Welcome to the Rundown Podcast, hosted by Don Costante, a nationally recognized event presentation expert with over 30 years of experience and author of Beyond the Scoreboard. This podcast takes you behind the scenes with industry leaders to unpack the insights, strategies, and creative tactics that drive unforgettable live experiences. Let’s get started.

The Mental Side of Live Events

[00:27] Don Costante:

Anyone who has worked in sports event presentation or live events knows that the job can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be mentally demanding. Long hours, pressure, quick decisions, and constant problem-solving all come with the territory. We spend a lot of time in this industry talking about execution and performance, but not nearly enough time talking about the mental side of the job and how mindset impacts the way we lead, communicate, perform, and handle stress both professionally and personally. My guest today is Ricky Kalmon, mindset expert, motivational speaker, celebrity hypnotist, and the author of the Leverage Your Mindset series. Ricky works with executives, athletes, sales teams, and high performers to help improve focus, confidence, stress management, and overall mental performance. In this episode, we’re going to talk about performing under pressure, handling stress during live events, mentally resetting after mistakes have been made, building confidence in high-pressure environments, avoiding burnout, and much more. I think this is a conversation a lot of people working in live events will really relate to and benefit from. I’m ready to get started. Let’s meet Ricky Kalmon. Hi, Ricky. Thanks for joining me on The Rundown.

Meet Ricky Kalmon

[02:00] Ricky Kalmon:

Don, it’s an absolute pleasure. Super excited to talk to you.

Ricky Kalmon’s Career Journey

[02:04] Don Costante:

Ricky, today’s topic just might be the most important conversation we can have for the people working out there in event presentation and live events. But before we get to that, I’d love for you to start with your own journey. So, Ricky, talk about your career path and how you got into the work you’re doing today.

[02:23] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah, Don, thanks. It’s kind of crazy, you know. How does somebody become a hypnotist or a mindset expert? I’ve always been an entrepreneur, Don, even since I was a little kid, trying to figure out how to make a buck. I remember eight years old. How do I have a lemonade stand and sell pencils at the same time? I grew up literally as a childhood magician, fascinated with the entertainment business. Still fascinated to this day. I still have all my magic since I was a kid.

From Childhood Magician to Hypnotist

[02:48] Don Costante:

Wow.

[02:48] Ricky Kalmon:

I still keep all that stuff. And do it for, you know, family and friends. But I don’t really do it to the public. But the funny thing is, is that magic itself is such a great vehicle of engaging an audience. And it captures people in a way that’s not only entertaining, it gets people talking. It’s an experience. And you see where I’m leaving with this. Because I believe truly that we remember more things in life by experiences than we do about the actual stale or end product. We talk about the experience. And as a young kid, I saw this vision. And then along the way, and I’ll fast forward without all the other junk, I met a hypnotist. And we became great friends. And I was a teenager. And I pretty much realized this is something I want to do because it was also another vehicle of experience. In the short end of the story is, I took an old concept, the old mystical, magical look at hypnosis, dispelled all of it, and made it fun, entertaining, engaging, and thought-provoking. And that’s where my career began. But, you know, it goes back to kind of what your whole brand is about, is about creating an experience. Maybe that’s why we connected, because we see the same vision. Who knows?

[04:01] Don Costante:

Absolutely. I never realized you knew magic tricks. I’ll have to have you show me a few of those. At what point, Ricky, did you realize that mindset wasn’t just for athletes, but something that really impacts performance in every profession in everyday life?

Why Mindset Matters in Every Profession

[04:17] Ricky Kalmon:

Well, Don, mindset matters in everything we do. You’re a parent, coach, next-door neighbor, sales professional, service leader, and hospitality. You’re a professional athlete on any course in the world. Mindset is usually the hidden adversary or best friend.

[04:34] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[04:35] Ricky Kalmon:

And when you start to realize that our decisions, our actions, our conclusions, our resolutions, our happiness, our sadness is usually a programming that we’ve instilled, that we own, then you start to realize that you can reprogram that thought process. And it’s not as hard as people think.

[04:54] Don Costante:

Yeah. Let’s talk about pressure and performance. What really separates people who can stay calm and perform well during high-pressure events from those that become overwhelmed?

Performing Under Pressure

[05:06] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, we’re not perfect. Nobody is. I’m far from perfect. Ask my family. But I think it’s when we understand how to control the noise.

[05:15] Don Costante:

Yeah.

Learning to Control the Noise

[05:15] Ricky Kalmon:

So as an event professional, producer, director, the decision maker, I think the successful people understand that there’s always going to be noise. It’s how you control that noise that’s so valuable. And so you talk about the live events in the sports world or any world, and this is no different from the athlete. It’s how to control that noise.

[05:37] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[05:37] Ricky Kalmon:

While we can’t control everything in the world, we can’t. That’s an important thing too, because I’ve seen people feel like they have to micromanage everything. They have to control everybody else’s outcome. If you have the right team and you collaborate with that team and create a culture that understands the collaboration and accountability. And I use those words, but I don’t use them lightly because everybody uses the word accountability. We’ve heard it before, Don. What does that mean? What does that mean to you and the culture that we’re driving? So I think that going back to your question is what’s the difference is when a leader understands how to lead themselves and lead their team the right way.

Can Mental Performance Be Developed?

[06:13] Don Costante:

Do you think that ability to control the noise is something that people just naturally have or can it be developed over time?

[06:21] Ricky Kalmon:

I think that’s a programming.

[06:23] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[06:23] Ricky Kalmon:

Here, let me ask you a question. If your software is corrupt, can you update the software?

[06:27] Don Costante:

Sure.

[06:28] Ricky Kalmon:

Exactly. There are people that are fearful of changing the software.

[06:32] Don Costante:

Fair enough. Mm-hmm.

[06:33] Ricky Kalmon:

What if I push that button and it messes everything up, right?

[06:36] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[06:37] Ricky Kalmon:

How many people do you know, Don, have old phones? Really old phones?

[06:42] Don Costante:

A few. Maybe one or two. Yeah.

[06:44] Ricky Kalmon:

If you’ve got a few people, without calling them out and telling me their name, would you categorize those people as fearful of change?

[06:50] Don Costante:

Probably. They’re comfortable. They get comfortable with something and they stick with it.

[06:55] Ricky Kalmon:

Okay. See? That’s exactly where I was going to go. You’re reading my mind, Don. They’re fearful of change because they’re comfortable with the status quo. And I’m going to tell you, and I think that you could probably relate to this. If you don’t embrace change as an opportunity to grow, you will become irrelevant.

Embracing Change and Avoiding the Status Quo

[07:13] Don Costante:

Yeah. That’s so powerful. So, Ricky, what can someone do mentally before an event to put themselves in the best position for success once the event begins?

Preparing Mentally Before an Event

[07:24] Ricky Kalmon:

I think it goes back to learning how to be more present.

[07:28] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[07:28] Ricky Kalmon:

It’s an understanding of clearing your mind before anything important. We all know that, listen, you take a power nap, you feel great. You have a clear head, you feel great. You go on vacation, you feel great until you come home and say, I need a vacation for my vacation. But the point is, maybe before the big event, before everything comes together, before the doors open and the crowds come in, you take five minutes, five minutes, and just shut down the world around you. Invest in yourself to close your eyes, take a couple deep breaths of air, set your boundaries, set your intentions, set your goals, envision what’s about to happen, and go make it happen. Because if your mind believes it before you walk into it, you will achieve it.

[08:11] Don Costante:

You know, I love that because that’s something that I do as well. For every event, I’ll take time mentally just to walk through all the different parts of the event beforehand. And I do this because it helps me both in preparation as well as execution once the event begins. So, great advice. Highly recommend it. Ricky, when handling stress, what are some signs that stress is starting to negatively affect somebody’s decision-making or communication during an event?

Recognizing When Stress Is Affecting Performance

[08:40] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, we’ve all felt it. You know, that feeling inside where the little voice starts to talk to you.

[08:44] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[08:45] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, that voice, it’s nobody else hears, but you hear it. You’re in a conversation with somebody, five people are talking to you. Something’s going on. You have that little voice inside your head that’s starting to create doubt, starting to talk to you negatively. And it’s weird because it almost sounds like there’s a second person in the room in your ear. Well, I think that’s the telltale sign. I mean, it literally is. I can’t tell you what that is for you, but we all know that moment from the hesitation to the nervousness to the body starting to, you know, feel overwhelmed. Anybody could have this and everybody’s signs are different. Here’s the deal. We’re human. Things are going to happen. So, what are you going to do when it happens? Because if you keep repeating the same thing, guess what? The outcome’s going to be the same. And there’s a difference between somebody saying, hey, listen, you need to relax. You need to calm down. You need to slow down. Those, to me, are commands. They’re not techniques.

Commands vs. Techniques for Managing Stress

[09:37] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[09:37] Ricky Kalmon:

And so, it’s easy for us in our society to tell somebody to go do something or we tell ourselves, but we don’t actually act on it. We don’t change and disrupt the pattern that’s happening. So, in my teaching and my programs and everything I do, it’s not, I have this philosophy, Don. Listen, we all love motivation. I love motivation. Who doesn’t like motivation, right? But my theory is motivation fades. You know, it happens. But mindset sticks. Yeah. And when it comes down to it, you have to teach yourself techniques because whatever you’re working on or whatever you’re doing, if you’re still having the same frustration and if it still happens to you, you’ve got to break that pattern.

Motivation Fades, Mindset Sticks

[10:13] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[10:13] Ricky Kalmon:

You’ve got to break it. You’ve got to be disruptive to your thoughts. And you’ve got to teach your thoughts that you own them and not it owns you.

[10:19] Don Costante:

Wow. I love that. And that’s kind of where I was going to go with next is just resetting yourself after mistakes. Like you talk about, mistakes are going to happen, right? So, you’ve got to move on. Think about a professional golfer. What differentiates these professionals from amateurs is they make a mistake, they move on. They don’t dwell on it. Amateurs, we kind of sit there and complain about the last shot we made and it continues to bother us throughout the round and it ruins our performance for the rest of the game.

Resetting After Mistakes

What Athletes Teach Us About Mental Performance

[10:43] Ricky Kalmon:

You’re spot on. And sorry, I’m going to plug it. In my book, Leverage Your Mindset for Golfers, we talk about that.

[10:48] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[10:48] Ricky Kalmon:

And here’s the thing. It’s funny because people will ask me, what is the difference between these winning athletes and the guy next door that I’ve seen go on the driving range and literally magnificently drive the ball farther, faster, straighter than anybody else I’ve ever known. But then when it comes to competition, they falter.

[11:08] Don Costante:

Right.

[11:09] Ricky Kalmon:

And I think what you just said, Don, validates everything. It’s they know how to control the noise.

How to Mentally Reset After Something Goes Wrong

[11:15] Don Costante:

So, dive a little bit deeper. I mean, what is the best way for somebody to mentally reset after something goes wrong during an event?

[11:22] Ricky Kalmon:

It’s interesting. You know, we talk about athletes for a second. Let’s go back to a golfer.

[11:26] Don Costante:

Yep.

[11:26] Ricky Kalmon:

That sits on the driving range every week and hits a thousand practice balls. We look at the basketball player that sits there and does free throw shots just over and over again. The football player that’s catching, that’s throwing. I mean, they spend hours and days and weeks and years training their muscles to create muscle memory.

[11:45] Don Costante:

Fair enough? Yeah, fair.

Mental Conditioning Is a Hard Skill

[11:46] Ricky Kalmon:

But I think that a truly successful person in these fields, and this goes back to even the event professionals or the corporate leader that’s leading a team, they understand that mental conditioning is just as important. Yet, how often do we spend time on that? You gave a great example. You’ve done that before.

[12:04] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[12:04] Ricky Kalmon:

But a lot of people that don’t, they dismiss it. They look at it as a fluffy, soft skill. So it’s a hard skill. And if you embrace that, then change happens. So going back to your question, what can you do? Whether you like my philosophy or you dive into somebody else’s, it doesn’t make a difference. As long as you’re successful and it sparks a conversation. Part of my training is teaching people to shut down, learning how to breathe and relax and calm their mind, and learning how to rewrite that script. And one of the things that I’m going to share with you here is, you know, you have a goal in mind to relax. When was the last time you actually set that on paper?

Breathing, Relaxation, and Rewriting the Script

[12:38] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[12:39] Ricky Kalmon:

Now, we all have great intentions. But when was the last time you actually wrote down a goal on paper and made a contract with yourself to do it?

[12:48] Don Costante:

Yeah, so true.

Writing Down Your Mental Goals

[12:49] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, we make a grocery list all the time. People, there are a lot of people that make grocery lists. Why do they make a grocery list? It’s to remember, to engrave, to commit, to make a promise to give these things. So, why not make a subconscious grocery list of an action that you’re about to take?

[13:04] Don Costante:

That’s really good advice. That’s really good advice. So, Ricky, you know, confidence is important in any role, any job, but particularly like with event managers, event directors who are calling shows. My question for you is, why do you think high performers out there still struggle with confidence at times, even when they have the experience and they’re successful?

Why High Performers Still Struggle With Confidence

[13:24] Ricky Kalmon:

It’s interesting. You know that feeling you get when you do something and you’re successful?

[13:29] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[13:29] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, you’re happy with an event, you’re thrilled, you got that great feeling of pride when it’s over.

[13:34] Don Costante:

Sure.

[13:35] Ricky Kalmon:

You’ve experienced it. You’ve been in this business a long time.

[13:36] Don Costante:

A long time.

[13:37] Ricky Kalmon:

I’m going to tell your listeners right now, I have seen Don in action. We’ve done events together. I’ve seen this man after an event and the smile on his face with accomplishment and pride. So, I’m going to grandstand for a second. So, that’s a great feeling that we all have at times of our life. Celebrations, accomplishments, you know, personal and professional. We bank those feelings and we strive for those feelings. But I think that there’s also people out there that look for those opportunities and then they say, well, when I get that, then I’m going to be successful. In other words, they’re waiting for something big to happen to have the confidence to move forward. And unfortunately, if you wait to build the confidence based on the success that you hope is going to happen, you’ve missed the opportunity and you don’t understand. And I’m sorry if I’m being a little too direct here.

[14:30] Don Costante:

No.

[14:30] Ricky Kalmon:

I’m not going to sugarcoat it.

[14:31] Don Costante:

Good.

Confidence Comes From Small Wins

[14:32] Ricky Kalmon:

Confidence comes every day with small little changes that we make in our life. The way you walk, the way people perceive you, the way that people talk about you when you’re not in the room, all builds confidence in your ability. And I believe confidence comes from small little wins all the time, not waiting for the big moment to have the confidence. It’s the constant self-talk. And if they’re just going, well, okay, self-talk is great, but action is everything.

[15:01] Don Costante:

You’re right.

[15:02] Ricky Kalmon:

But, you know, life is so much better when you’re more positive. It doesn’t make you richer, but it makes it easier. It doesn’t make you more successful, but it makes it easier to become more successful.

[15:12] Don Costante:

Yeah. No, that’s a good point. So, yeah, I mean, it’s one of those things that happens over time and nothing happens overnight. No, I love that. So, Ricky, let’s talk preparation. I tell people in this industry preparation leads to confidence. And so my question for you is how much does preparation, in your opinion, impact on somebody’s confidence and mental performance during high-pressure events?

Preparation Leads to Confidence

[15:36] Ricky Kalmon:

You know, it’s funny. I was sharing a story with a friend of mine that’s a former Blue Angel.

The Blue Angels and Mental Rehearsal

[15:39] Don Costante:

Oh, cool.

[15:40] Ricky Kalmon:

We talk about mindset. We talk about how that contributes to them flying.

[15:44] Don Costante:

Yep.

[15:44] Ricky Kalmon:

And one day he shared a story with me because, Ricky, every time we’re doing a flight air show, we all meet in a boardroom or any kind of a room before the flight. And we were first the flight sitting in a boardroom.

[15:55] Don Costante:

Yeah, I’ve seen that. That’s pretty cool. Yeah.

[15:57] Ricky Kalmon:

And I actually, it’s funny enough because I have seen that on social media now. And this is years ago when we had that conversation. And they literally fly twice that day. Once in a room, virtually in their head. And then once in the air. And I think that goes back to preparation. As many times as they do that, day in and day out, they have to rely on each other, rely on themselves, they have to rely on their team. So rehearsal, I think, is important.

Does Preparation Reduce Anxiety?

[16:23] Don Costante:

Do you think that preparation reduces anxiety and stress more than people realize?

[16:27] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah. You know, does the brain really know the difference between rehearsal and live? I mean, it knows the difference when there’s a live audience. I get that part. What I’m saying is that when rehearsing in your brain, the visualization of the action of what you’re about to do. And it sees it, believes it, without the audience or the live part, does it really know the difference? Yeah. I don’t know the answer to that, but I guess I don’t want to take a chance on it. Yeah. And I know that I’m drawing a fine line there because you’re like, well, of course it knows the difference. Because live is going to bring on your anxiety. There’s going to be fans. There’s going to be, you know, technical. There’s going to be screaming and yelling and energy. That’s live.

[17:05] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[17:05] Ricky Kalmon:

Well, but in your head, does it really know the difference if you’re acting it out in your head? Who knows?

Going All In on Visualization

[17:11] Don Costante:

Well, I think if you go all in, like what they do before a flight, I mean, they are all in. They are living, breathing, and talking and going through it. If somebody’s going to do it nonchalant and just kind of half-ass it, yeah, it’s probably not going to have the meaning or the effect that’s going to help them to reduce that anxiety and stress. But those people that are intentional with it, those people that are focused on every detail as you talk through, and that’s what we do with going through the run of show and visualizing it as we’re talking about it. That’s where that type of preparation, I think, leads to confidence for the entire group and then hopefully a good outcome.

[17:49] Ricky Kalmon:

I totally agree. I totally agree. I mean, this is a much deeper conversation. We can even dive in maybe more, maybe for another conversation. But because I think you’re on to something that’s very powerful, right? That’s a coaching.

[18:00] Don Costante:

Right. So let’s talk focus for a minute. What are some simple ways people who are listening right now can improve focus and mental clarity during long event days?

Improving Focus During Long Event Days

[18:10] Ricky Kalmon:

Okay. You’re an event producer.

[18:11] Don Costante:

Yes, sir.

[18:12] Ricky Kalmon:

Lots riding on. Actually, if I looked at your event production calendar and I’m talking to Don and I’m talking to everybody listening here, okay, your calendar probably has every hour on it allocated.

[18:25] Don Costante:

Fair enough? Fair enough.

[18:27] Ricky Kalmon:

Because you put an invite on your calendar.

[18:30] Don Costante:

Fair enough. Yeah.

[18:31] Ricky Kalmon:

Fair enough. When was the last time you actually put an invite for yourself?

Schedule Time for Yourself

[18:35] Don Costante:

Yeah, that’s key.

[18:36] Ricky Kalmon:

In a live event, every hour is called for. And so why don’t you, before you start the day, and Don, you do that, I think that’s awesome. Start the day with 10 minutes in the morning before the event or 10 minutes before the event or before you have to go on. Just put it on your calendar. We talked about that earlier about closing your eyes. But the point is, is it on your calendar? Is it literally physically blocked on your calendar? That’s where I would say is the next step.

[19:02] Don Costante:

Okay. Are there habits or routines, Ricky, that you’ve seen outside of maybe taking time for yourself that will help people stay mentally sharp under pressure?

Consistency and Mental Sharpness

[19:13] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah. I would say consistency is everything.

[19:16] Don Costante:

Yeah. In what way?

[19:17] Ricky Kalmon:

In whatever you do. If it’s a positive habit, whether it’s organization, whether it’s personal time, whether it’s happiness, whether it’s gratitude, attitude, whether it’s being a better leader, be consistent every day. Because I think that consistency or that planet consistency every single day creates growth, creates resilience, and creates fortitude.

[19:44] Don Costante:

I love that. I have a question pertaining to leadership and team performance. How can leaders like event directors create a culture where mindset positively affects team performance?

Leadership and Team Mindset

Lead Within First

[19:54] Ricky Kalmon:

I think it starts with two things. One is advice to the leader, and that is lead within first. First, lead yourself first in first. I think you have to lead within first because you will lead by example. So if you’re stressed, if you’re a high-performing person, if you are too much of a control freak, you are any of the personalities that we dislike, you know, that maybe other people might dislike.

[20:20] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[20:21] Ricky Kalmon:

How is that going to create your culture?

[20:23] Don Costante:

Okay.

Creating a Culture People Want to Work In

[20:23] Ricky Kalmon:

So I’m going to be honest with you. I was on an event and great producer, but hard to work with. Now, who wants to hear that?

[20:30] Don Costante:

Nobody.

[20:30] Ricky Kalmon:

That doesn’t sound good, right?

[20:32] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[20:32] Ricky Kalmon:

They’re not in the room right now, and I just gave you an end result of an event producer that’s a great producer but hard to work with. So that means my job’s going to be harder to do because they’re harder to work with. What if they were a great event producer and great to work with?

[20:49] Don Costante:

Yep.

[20:49] Ricky Kalmon:

Now, I’m more comfortable as talent going into this to do my job that I know to do, and that’s why they hired me because of my reputation and my end results. But if I know they’re hard to work with, I have to work harder because of the environment that I’m in.

[21:07] Don Costante:

Right.

[21:07] Ricky Kalmon:

Now, some people might say, well, that just makes it better work and the pressure is good for people. I’m like, is it? Do you really create a culture of other people wanting to be there if I’m saying something negative about the person? And here’s the second half of that. If you’re an event producer, does this help if you put yourself in the audience of your team? In other words, visualize yourself sitting there listening to yourself as a leader. Is this helpful? Do I understand? Do I feel welcome? Do I feel valued? Do I contribute? If you put yourself in the mindset of your team listening to you, would you want to be in the audience?

Viewing Yourself From Your Team’s Perspective

[21:48] Don Costante:

Yep.

[21:49] Ricky Kalmon:

And I’ll give you an example to that really quick. Great leaders know how to raise in public and correct in private.

Praise in Public and Correct in Private

[21:58] Don Costante:

I love that. Ricky, what are some things beyond what you’ve already discussed for strong leaders? What can they do to help their staff stay calm and stay confident during stressful situations?

Helping Staff Stay Calm Under Pressure

[22:09] Ricky Kalmon:

I’m not the guy that says, okay, this is exactly what you should do because for everybody’s different. I think you set yourself up for success, but you can also set yourself up for, failure if you let stress take over, you know, when it starts to feed in the room. So what I always tell people is if you start to see stress comes in, put it in the metaphoric corner in the room, acknowledge it. So see it, acknowledge it, but say, okay, I see you. But you almost have to laugh at it and go, go sit in the corner. You can sit and watch, but you’re not part of this party. I know that seems a little coy.

Putting Stress in the Corner

[22:44] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[22:45] Ricky Kalmon:

But try that. When stress comes in, you’re calling a show and something happens and you can’t control the noise because it’s going to happen, but you can control how you perceive and react to the noise.

[22:55] Don Costante:

Right. And that’s great advice because I think when it comes to, for me, how do I get my team to remain calm and confident in those stressful situations? I think that goes back to preparation and the visualization process of running it through your mind after the preparation period. So, you know, people learn in three different ways, auditory, visual, and kinesthetically and taking people through all three stages and rehearsing it to a point where it becomes muscle memory. And they’re like, all right, Don, I got it. I got it. You don’t have to tell me anymore. It becomes a reaction versus a thought in the moment when it gets stressful. And I think for me, that’s how I’ve tried to take it with trying to get my team to remain calm and reduce the stress during those stressful situations is to just over-prepare, over-communicate so they understand what they need to do and what plan B will be. And it seems to, in most cases, makes them a little bit more calm. Every live event is real and it’s different.

Preparation, Communication, and Plan B

[23:52] Ricky Kalmon:

It is.

[23:53] Don Costante:

And, you know, I’m under that old philosophy, you’re only as good as your last show. No question. Let’s finish this up with long-term mental health. My question is, how do people stay consistent professionally when motivation starts fading? You talked about it earlier, motivation fades. You know, we all have great intentions like New Year’s resolutions.

Long-Term Mental Health and Consistency

[24:15] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah, right. And there are people that are successful with their New Year’s resolution. But to me, they’re an excuse to fail before you begin. You’re going to lose. Most people lose. I’m not saying everybody because there are people that are successful. Don’t put off what you should be doing today. Don’t say, I’ll wait to the weekend to relax. Don’t wait to say that when the big project is over, I’m going to reduce some stress. I’m going to go on vacation. If you did a little something every single day, you build a habit of doing it. It becomes part of who you are. You develop programming to do it. And then people start to gravitate to you because they see it in you. We’ve all met people that are like, why are you so calm all the time? Why are you so cool and collected in the live performance? How does your voice show no inflection of stress when the pressure is high? Practice, practice, practice. And then when you’re done, practice some more.

Building Daily Habits Instead of Waiting

Practice, Practice, Practice

[25:06] Don Costante:

Wow. I was going to ask you, what role do routines and habits play when motivation isn’t enough? But you just kind of stated that. So, well said. Now, I do have some rapid fire questions for you. I’ve never done this before. Are you okay with that?

Rapid-Fire Mindset Questions

[25:19] Ricky Kalmon:

Bring it. Let’s go.

[25:20] Don Costante:

Here comes the first one. Name one habit that hurts performance the most.

The Habit That Hurts Performance Most

[25:24] Ricky Kalmon:

Ego.

[25:26] Don Costante:

Ricky, what’s the best way to improve focus quickly?

[25:30] Ricky Kalmon:

Acknowledge that you can grow and change.

Advice for Burnout

[25:32] Don Costante:

One piece of advice for people dealing with burnout.

[25:36] Ricky Kalmon:

Ooh. Hit the pause button. I mean, hit that imaginary pause button. When you start to feel burnout and reassess why you’re burnt out versus saying I’m burnt out.

The Most Underrated Part of Mental Performance

[25:50] Don Costante:

Most underrated part of mental performance.

[25:53] Ricky Kalmon:

I didn’t have enough time. What people say to themselves. I’ll get to it later.

[25:57] Don Costante:

Yep.

[25:58] Ricky Kalmon:

Complacency. You know, it’s being comfortable. Here’s another part of it. Thinking it’s hard to change.

[26:05] Don Costante:

I love that. And this is my last one for you, Ricky. What’s something people should stop doing immediately for better mental health?

What to Stop Doing for Better Mental Health

[26:13] Ricky Kalmon:

Boy, that’s a really, really good question. This is advice, not command.

[26:19] Don Costante:

Yep.

Limit Your Phone Use

[26:20] Ricky Kalmon:

Limit the use of your phone.

[26:22] Don Costante:

Oh, I love that.

[26:23] Ricky Kalmon:

I know that there’s a lot of people going, ah, but I love the phone. I think the device is phenomenal. It’s the coolest thing ever. Can you imagine not having it? Do you remember back in the day when we didn’t?

[26:34] Don Costante:

Yeah, no, I can imagine it because it was when I was a kid and I have this conversation with my daughter all the time. And I have a rule when you’re in my car, no phone. I mean, you’re actually going to have to talk to me. I love the technology, but I hate the phone for what it’s doing in terms of hurting relationships, hurting communication. This texting with somebody who’s in the same room with you versus talking to them directly. It just blows my mind. So I love what you said. I think we need to limit it throughout the day, not just once a day. I think in the morning, don’t look at your phone for 30 minutes.

Creating Phone-Free Moments

[27:09] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah.

[27:09] Don Costante:

In the evening, don’t look at your phone. During lunchtime, don’t look at your phone. Become so addicted to scrolling.

[27:17] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah. Put your phone in a totally different place when you’re going to bed. Don’t put it on your nightstand.

[27:22] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[27:22] Ricky Kalmon:

You end up going to it and start scrolling. You wonder why you can’t sleep.

[27:25] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[27:25] Ricky Kalmon:

Because your mind’s getting filled up with all of this crap.

[27:28] Don Costante:

Too much stimulus.

[27:29] Ricky Kalmon:

Yeah. And by the way, we scroll versus learn.

Scroll Less, Learn More

[27:33] Don Costante:

Yes.

[27:33] Ricky Kalmon:

You can use the phone, read a new article, look up something that you can read, feed your mind. Don’t entertain it.

[27:39] Don Costante:

Yeah. So Ricky, this has just been a great conversation. And I want to tell you, I really do appreciate you taking the time today to share your perspective and your insight. I really do think that a lot of people out there that are listening to this specifically in the live events and the high-pressure environments, they’re really going to be able to relate to this. And I think that they’ll definitely be able to pull something valuable away from this conversation. So Ricky Kelman, thank you so much for joining me on The Rundown.

Final Thoughts With Ricky Kalmon

[28:08] Ricky Kalmon:

Don, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Phenomenal questions. Great conversation. I forgot that we were actually recording and we were just talking. So thank you very much.

Podcast Closing

[28:19] Don Costante:

That’s a wrap on this episode of The Rundown. Have a question or want to share your thoughts? We’d love to hear from you. Just email [email protected]Email The Rundown. Also, be sure to subscribe, share the podcast and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. On behalf of Don Costante, thanks for listening. Until the next time, this is The Rundown Podcast.