In this explosive episode, Sam Portland sits down with Chris Mattice — performance coach, neuroscientist, mentor and business strategist — to unpack the real reasons coaches stay stuck, broke, burnt out, or doubting themselves.
This is not another “programming chat.”
This is the truth behind your identity as a coach, how your brain actually works, and the invisible patterns that run your career, confidence, income, relationships and life.
Whether you’re a speed coach, strength and conditioning coach, athlete development specialist, or coach educator, this conversation will completely change the way you see yourself and your work.
Inside This Episode:
✔ The psychology behind why coaches undervalue themselves
✔ How neurology shapes confidence, career decisions & performance
✔ The 4 A’s framework that rewires your mindset
✔ Why “working harder” keeps coaches broke
✔ How to build real resilience (not Instagram resilience)
✔ Why the S&C industry traps talented coaches
✔ The identity crisis that stops coaches progressing
✔ How to authentically build a business as you
✔ Why storytelling beats programming in 2025 & beyond
✔ How to pivot, evolve and actually grow
✔ Sam & Chris’ real stories from sport, life and business
This is one of the most important conversations you’ll hear this year as a coach.
No fluff. No surface-level advice.
Just the raw truth, tools, and strategies to change your future.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to the episode
00:08 – Can you sub in rugby? Rules, resets & neurology
01:06 – Breathing strategies for athletes & nervous system recovery
01:48 – Sam’s questionable “snatch” definitions 😂
02:05 – Introducing Chris Mati
03:00 – Sam’s new mission as the speed disruptor
04:10 – Mindset → Skillset → Thriving in life
05:03 – How Sam & Chris first met
06:00 – Chris’ background: neuroscience, therapy, performance
07:20 – Why entrepreneurs sabotage themselves
08:55 – How the brain forms negative patterns
10:02 – Why coaches ignore their successes
11:03 – Why traditional coaching fails
12:01 – Field sport speed: the most basic + most advanced skill
13:21 – Why heavy weights don’t make sense in-season
14:05 – Journaling, dyslexia & mindset rewiring
15:29 – The “four A’s” for changing your brain
17:10 – Why coaches can’t skip steps
20:29 – The 4 A’s explained
23:55 – How the brain actually learns
26:56 – Neural tags: why change is hard
28:14 – Why coaches are trapped in “service mode”
29:51 – Identity, ego and why coaches undervalue themselves
31:23 – How to start a coaching business (authentically)
33:02 – Growing by skill-stacking
35:00 – Why marketing is a skill coaches must learn
37:52 – What dyslexics do better than most coaches
39:18 – The real reason athletes hire coaches
40:57 – How to create content that actually converts
42:27 – Hero’s Journey + storytelling
43:34 – Why athletes don’t care who you’ve coached
46:00 – The 93% rule of marketing
48:05 – Rebuilding your identity at every level
49:10 – Where to find Chris Mattice
50:00 – Closing thoughts