Hardiness with Dr Paul Taylor

In this episode, Dr Paul Taylor speaks with Damon Lembi about the lessons that shaped his approach to leadership, from college baseball and business setbacks to living with a progressive eye condition. Damon reflects on resilience, the value of showing up and doing the work, and why confidence often follows action rather than arriving before it. They also discuss how AI is changing the workplace and why leaders need to model curiosity and adaptability. Damon shares the difference between a “know-it-all” and a “learn-it-all” mindset, and offers a practical four-step approach to imposter syndrome: name the fear, take the leap, practise deliberately, then let go and learn from the outcome. The conversation is a reminder that growth comes not just from gathering knowledge, but from putting it into practice and staying open to what each experience can teach us.
Key Takeaways
Sport can teach teamwork, discipline and how to keep going after setbacks.
A challenge doesn’t have to become your identity; focus on what you can do next.
Leaders help teams adapt by staying curious, learning themselves and modelling change, especially with AI.
Learning sticks when you put it into practice, step outside your comfort zone and reflect on the result.
Confidence grows from preparation and action, not just from waiting to feel ready.
Treat experience as a chance to improve: you can succeed, or take a lesson forward
Time Stamps
0:45 Why college sports hold such a big place in American culture
6:07 Lessons from Damon’s athletic career: teamwork, discipline and perseverance
8:04 How sport can help young people build resilience
13:02 Learning through business setbacks and personal challenges
14:30 Damon’s experience with a progressive eye condition
18:33 Responding to adversity without letting it define you
25:39 How organisations’ learning needs have changed
26:00 Adapting to AI at work—and the importance of leaders setting the example
31:42 A “learn-it-all” mindset versus a “know-it-all” mindset
34:02 Curiosity, openness and putting learning into practice
40:06 Imposter syndrome and building authentic confidence
42:14 Damon’s four-step approach: label the fear, leap in, practise deliberately, then let go and learn
47:43 Why Damon wrote a children’s book about learning and leadership

Resources
Podcast: The Learn-It-All™
Website: https://www.thelearnitallleader.com/ Learnit: https://www.Learnit.com
The Learn-It-All Leader: https://a.co/d/5oebQ6a
The Learn-It-All Leader for Kids: https://a.co/d/eQ5D2nl
Instagram: @damonlembi Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/damonlembi Youtube: @thelearnitallpodcast X: @damonlembi

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We all want our kids to be resilient, but the word is used so widely that it’s hard to know what it is, or how you get it. In this Mojo Monday, Carly looks at what drives resilience: hardiness.
What's covered:
Why resilience is an outcome, a label we give after we’ve seen how someone handles a challenge
Where hardiness research began, with Suzanne Kobasa and Salvatore Maddi
The 3Cs of commitment, control and challenge, with examples for parents and young people
The fourth C, connection, and how to help kids through friendship conflict
The one question that can change how we respond to stress.
The questions Carly uses herself when life hits hard
Paul’s research shows hardiness can be developed at any age, and the people who start lowest often improve the most.
Want to dive deeper? Check ou The Hardiness Effect by Dr Paul Taylor (Wiley)

Carly is a counsellor and coach who specialises in building psychological hardiness, which is the ability to navigate challenge, stay engaged, and take meaningful action under pressure. Her work integrates modern psychology with Eastern and Stoic approaches, helping people build resilience, live with purpose, and respond to life’s challenges with greater clarity, courage and steadiness.
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Dr Greg Eckel joins Dr Paul Taylor to discuss brain health, neurodegeneration and the possibility of brain repair. Greg shares how his wife’s rapid decline from dementia shaped his work and led him to develop the ECHO protocol. They explore potential contributors to brain health, including metabolic and gut health, inflammation, trauma and environmental factors, as well as emerging approaches involving light, sound and other therapies. They also discuss practical foundations such as exercise, sleep, nutrition and blood-sugar balance.
Key takeaways
Look beyond symptoms to possible drivers. Greg describes a “detect, then correct” approach, considering factors such as infections, environmental exposures and physical or emotional trauma. He emphasises that care should be tailored to the individual.
Brain health is connected to whole-body health. The conversation highlights the gut–brain connection, sleep, blood flow, metabolic health and inflammation as areas worth discussing with a qualified clinician.
Build the basics first. Regular exercise, restorative and consistent sleep, hydration, time outdoors and nutritious food are presented as foundations—not extras to skip in search of a quick fix.
Movement may support brain function. They discuss exercise, coordination and fast-twitch activity in relation to neuroplasticity and brain-derived growth factors.
Personalise nutrition and supplements. Paul discuss blood-sugar responses, omega-3s, magnesium, glutathione, plasmalogens and creatine, while stressing the value of individual assessment and medical guidance.
Emerging therapies need careful context. Light-based therapies, sound and CO₂-tolerance training come up as areas of interest; the episode distinguishes these discussions from established, universal recommendations.
A diagnosis or genetic risk isn’t the whole story. Greg’s perspective is that risk factors don’t necessarily determine an individual’s future, and it’s worth seeking appropriate assessment and support rather than giving up hope.

Time Stamps
1:18 The personal experience that redirected Eckel’s work
8:42 Misfolded proteins and the questions behind his neuroregeneration work
11:13 Mitochondria, sound and light
18:15 Photobiomodulation and the gut–brain connection in Parkinson’s
24:17 A “detect, then correct” approach and possible contributing factors
27:28 The ECHO protocol and combining different therapies
34:05 Neuroplasticity and neurogenesis
37:32 Exercise, brain-derived growth factors and fast-twitch muscle fibres
42:22 CO₂-tolerance breathing and brain circulation
44:38 Everyday foundations: blood-sugar balance, sleep, hydration and exercise
50:01 Trauma and its possible role in health
52:44 Hormones, genetic testing and personalised care
55:12 Omega-3s, magnesium, glutathione and plasmalogens
58:19 Post-viral effects and a discussion of the evidence
1:01:04 Glutathione and laser therapy
1:04:41 Creatine and brain health
1:06:08 Eckel’s view on whether the brain can regenerate

Resources
Books: Defying Parkinson’s
Shake It Off
Website: https://brainregen.com/
Website: https://bvital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgregeckel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgreckel/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrainregen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT2WJiLU_4BcbAKy-Z-4Epg

This episode is for general information, not personal medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment or starting supplements.
Support the Podcast
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