An introduction to the Inside Edge Podcast with Bhavi Devchand.

"For a number of years, success to me was operating in a really unhealthy manner. I would need to be under significant duress away from the game to then step over that white line and go perform, as it was the only time I would feel like I was in control of my life." This episode is with Nicole Bolton - Australian opening batter and arguably one of the best Western Australian cricketers of all time. Bolts has a fascinating story, battling inner demons for the majority of her career, yet finding a way to be one of the most consistent performers in the best team in the world. 5:10 - Why she stepped away from the game at 18 after being in the Australian set-up10:30 - How younger players get derailed and burnout in the current professional environment and the way to change it13:35 - How she focuses her attention in the middle irrelevant of what is happening off the field 17:45 - The search for perfectionism and how it derailed her mental health to the point where she had to leave the game she loved18:30 - Having an out of body experience due to being under serious distress leading into a WBBL game26:05 - Tools Bolts uses to help manage her wellbeing32:00 - How yoga taught her the basics of performance - simplicity, flow, presence and enjoyment 33:10 - Her batting philosophy and how it is centred on trust, courage and freedom34:40 - What makes batting coach Noddy so good, and how their definition of success has nothing to do with hitting cricket balls36:30 - How she uses playing fast bowling to help face her adversities in life41:15 - The 3 most important cricket shots 43:20 - How returning to club cricket reignited her love of the game47:30 - Why it is so difficult to just let go and trust yourself49:20 - How her positive personal narrative leading into the 2019 Ashes ended up being self-destructive52:10 - Bolts' definition of success52:60 - Who is Nicole Bolton at her bestLinks:Stitch in time article:

This episode is with Viv Paver - cricketer, coach, and one of the best people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Viv had a lot of promise as a young cricketer, he was captain of the WA U17 team and was also part of an All-Australian Universities Championship. A senior playing career spanning 5 professional seasons in the UK & well over 140 Premier cricket games, he has a staggering high score of 257 and best bowling figures of 5/21. He is now coaching the Subiaco-floreat women in the WACA 1st grade competition and runs his own coaching business called Project Rubicon - where his holistic coaching methods have helped many professional cricketers such as Mitch Marsh and Dom Sibley in the Men's game, and Chloe Piparo and Piepa Cleary in the female game. Despite being touted as one of the next big things in cricket, Viv failed to crack the professional set up in Australia. This led him down a path exploring psychology & philosophy - both critical in understanding how we can access our inside edge. Working with Viv completely shifted the way I approach the game, bringing a sense of simplicity and freedom that I didn't have access to for many years prior. I hope you enjoy. 4:10 - Experiencing fear as an 8-year-old before struggling with the rollercoaster of emotions despite having a lot of success as a young cricketer7:50 - How focusing on being recognized and liked as a cricketer ended up ruining his professional career causing a crisis in his mid-20s10:50 - Why it is so hard to not base your self-worth on looking good to others and how to deal with your ego if it has control over you14:30 - What does mastery mean and how does it is the most important component of sustained success22:00 - The effect on your relationships with others and your ability to perform consistently on and off the field27:30 - Routines put into place that allowed Viv to find freedom and consistently score big hundreds including a high score of 257 31:40 - How to get our of your own way and have your performance match your potential35:00 - Growth, Connection & Service: the keys to long term success 43:00 - Managing your mind if you have a lot going on away from the game 49:10 - Optimise your game by focusing on what is relevant and what is not55:00 - Workshops Viv is running with male and female teams to help with the mental and emotional side of the game59:50 - The difference in the mistakes made in the male and female game 1:02:30 - Recommended resources to continue development1:05:20 - The transformation of Viv's definition of success1:06:30 - Who is Viv Paver at his bestReferences in the podcast:Coach Paver Instagram Twitter WebsiteBooks mentioned: The Courage To Be Disliked, The Go-Giver, The 7 Laws of Spiritual SuccessIkigai The Inside Edge: InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Molly Strano is an Australian off-spinner and well known as one of the great characters of the game. She is the reigning domestic player of the year & leading all-time wicket-taker in WBBL. A Self-described raging extrovert, she genuinely believes she was born in the wrong era and has been best on ground at numerous mad-mondays. Behind all the shenanigans off the field, she is a big cricket badger, lover of the game and I hope you enjoy hearing her story. 4:09 - Making her Debut in a star-studded Victorian side as a 16 year old5:30 - Dealing with the pressures of fitness tests and professionalism 6:15 - How she learned about work ethic and enjoyment from leaders in the Victorian team such as Kristen Beams, Kelly Applebee, Catherine Fitzpatrick and Elyse Villani, 10:00 - How comparing yourself to others can be so detrimental12:00 - Experiencing the 'second-year blues' and falling out of love for the game before going to England to play for Staffordshire16:00 - The keys to dealing with the pressure she puts on herself17:50 - Developing from bowling very slow and loopy to flat and into the wicket and one of the best at opening the bowling in t2018:40 - What makes Kristen Beams a great mentor21:10 - How embracing her natural strengths ended up completely changing the direction of her career 25:20 - The keys to preparing to play at her best29:36 - Molly talks us through conceding 17 runs in an over as the Renegades lost a close battle with the Scorchers33:45 - What the best captains do to help Molly perform35:50 - Dealing with injury setbacks including a stress fracture that kept her out of an entire WNCL season39:50 - Going from club cricket to opening the bowling in the t20 world cup41:30 - How the Australian leadership group dealt with being under pressure in the t20 world cup46:00 - How Molly's definition of success has shifted through her career48:00 - Who is Molly at her bestThe Inside Edge:InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Drewe Broughton is a former professional footballer and now a performance coach. As a young man, he was exceptionally talented, representing England U20s alongside a golden generation. He had a deep drive to succeed, however, an inability to control this desire and fall into the trap of the fear led to a continuous rollercoaster, jumping to 22 different clubs in 17 years and eventually ending up alone -  bankrupt, suffering from addiction and contemplating life. As always, the lessons learned from suffering can provide us with the power to really impact the lives of others, and Drewe has certainly been able to do that. He is now a performance coach, working with Premier League Footballers, elite golfers and business leaders to help them navigate performing at their edge while in the arena. He is also a husband and father that really does live the same pearls of wisdom he shares with his clients. Reading his book and following his work has had a deep impact on my journey so far and  I'm sure you will get a lot out of tuning in. Topics discussedWhat caused Drewe to go from 25 goals/season to less than 10 even though he was doing more and in more professional environments Hard work is not a given. What it really means to work hard. How the gift of work ethic can lead to the curse of perfectionism. Where the line is and how push yourself without crossing that line.The missing component of coaching qualifications Why Drewe had a significantly different career path to Cristiano Ronaldo despite having the same work ethic and starting out as a talented playerThe one thing Kobe Bryant, The All Blacks, Cathy Freeman and many more have in commonTools used by Drewe to help the best athletes in the world overcome fearHow spirituality simply means being more of yourself and trusting in something bigger than yourselfThe search leading Drewe to addiction, severe depression and loss of selfLinks:Drewe Broughton websiteInstagramLinkedInThe Inside Edge:InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Our guest this week is the captain of the White Ferns and #1 ranked t20 player, Sophie Devine. She has close to 200 international caps, broken numerous records and is arguably the most sought after player in franchise cricket. To top it off, she has also represented the NZ women's hockey team and was extremely close to playing for them at the Olympics. The list of accolades could go on forever, however, Sophie's story so far is filled with some significant challenges, including getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, giving up cricket to chase an Olympic dream, only to miss out oat the last moment and battling a serious bout of depression. Through her journey she has learned some valuable lessons and continues to use tools such as yoga and meditation to help her both on and off the field. In this podcast:The dangers of early specialization and how playing a wide range of sport make a huge difference to her skillset nowGetting Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes - thinking she was never going to play sport again and the role her support network played in getting her back on trackMaking the decision to step away from cricket to chase an Olympic dreamExperiencing the professionalism of the Balck Sticks and how that had a significant effect on how she operated as an athleteProfessionalism vs perfectionism How Sophie maintains focus on her natural strengths when she is under pressureYoga and mindfulness practice leading to ease and peace at the crease and in lifeDealing with clinical depression and anxiety where Sophie could not get out of bed or go onto the cricket field without breaking downHow the White Ferns are integrating purpose mindset into their cultureHow Sophie has changed how she values herselfWhat Sophie hopes the next generation gets right The Inside Edge:InstagramTwitterLinkedIn

Topics DiscussedDealing with limited prep and COVID lockdowns leading into WBBL Trying to find the balance between being attacking and recklessDealing with being in and out of formComparing herself to others and falling in to the trap of searching for answers external to herHow Junior moved through the 3 stages of the Heroes journey to find fulfillmentAdvice received from Rachel Haynes to help deal with being dropped over and over againThe common traits in the best team culturesWhat makes her coach Dulip Samaraweera so goodManaging being in a cricket bubble when personal performances aren't going well The pressure Junior put on herself during WBB05 by looking too far aheadDealing with missing out on the squad for the T20 world cup at her home groundHow she is managing her mind and planning for the upcoming WBBLhttp://instagram.com/insideedgeproject

Huss does not need much of an introduction, a legend of the aussie game and one of my heros growing up. He was widely regarded as one of the and hardest workers in world cricket and a very intense man. Along with this came many internal battles, he was constantly battling low self-belief and openly admits he crossed the line of pushing things too far. After getting dropped from the WA team he found a new sense of balance and freedom which then catapulted his career to playing for Australia and scoring thousands of runs across all 3 formats. He goes into great detail around his training strategies and mental routines and I'm sure you will all get a lot out of this one. Being too intense and working too hard having a detrimental effect on his performanceHow comparing himself to others led to inconsistency and getting droppedThe basics of his batting mechanics and how he trained thatHuss' 4 step batting routine that helped him navigate high pressure environmentsManaging his emotions during his test debut The importance of celebrating success in being able to maintain a high intensity when on the field How the Chennai Super Kings have maintained a strong team culture and sustained performance in the IPLHow he helped the Sydney Thunder go from being at the bottom of the league to winning the BBLHow he approaches coaching in the IPL with players such as MS Dhoni, Faf Du Plessis, Rayudu

Welcome to Ep 8 of the Inside Edge Podcast. Our guest this week is world renown leadership and mental skills coach Paddy Upton. Paddy has redefined coaching and performance in both cricket and the business world and I can't recommend his book, 'The Barefoot Coach' enough.Some of his accomplishments include:Helping the Indian Cricket team win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and become the no1 test team for the first time, As performance director helped SA cricket to #1 in all 3 formats,The head coach of 5 different t20 teams in 12 tournaments despite not having a strong professional playing backgroundHe also has 4 degrees from 4 different universities including a professor of practice at Deakin UniversityHe has been the personal mental coach to over 100 pro athletes from 11 different sport codes and delivered over 250 keynote speeches. Topics discussed include:The missing piece of high performance and how {addy leveraged true leadership to maximize successHow learning from the business world has had a big impact on sport What it means to leverage the art of high performance How to create cultures through being rather than doingHarnessing eh collective intelligence of the group to co-create the culture you want to buildDealing with big ego's and how to harness them to collaborate in a team environment The difference between inner-knowing, self-belief and operating from a place of egoHow to actually let go and trust your instincts in a high-pressure environmentIntegrating spirituality into performance and how it can accelerate resultsLinks:Paddy Uptonhttp://instagram.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://twitter.com/insideedgeprojhttp://linkedin.com/insideedgeproject

The first episode of season 2 is with professional cricketer Naomi Dattani. Naomi is the captain of Middlesex in the UK, has played and won the KIA superleague with the Western Storm and is contracted with the London Spirit in The Hundred.  We first met in Perth when she was playing grade cricket for MGCC and I was immediately struck by how incrediblly hard she worked, especially for someone relatively young and having not had the privilege of growing up in a professional environment. She has had many battles, but as you'll learn, each one has inspired her to keep working hard and developing her mindset to eventually achieve her dream of being a fully professional sportswoman, when so many people around her were telling her to give up and get a real job.

"I remember being at third man, I'd bowled an over and it didn't go very well. I put my sunglasses on and I had tears in my eyes. I remember thinking, I'm so out of my depth; I don't know what I'm doing here"Welcome to this episode of the IEP with Kate Cross. Crossy has Represented England in all 3 formats of the game, as well as playing for both the Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers in the WBBL. I first met Crossy when she came to play in WA and she is hands down one of the best people I've ever met. She always has a smile on her face and made a huge contribution to shifting the culture of our team. At the time, I had no idea that she had been suffering from significant mental health problems to the point where she had to step away from the game in her prime and rediscover why she played and how to manage her mind in the process. She is brilliant in this podcast, opening up on how she worked with a psychologist, her family and coaches to not only get back to being healthy, but also to be able to thrive from the lessons she has learnt through her journey. Topics discussed in this episode:Embracing the expectation that came with being born into a sporting family and the first female to enter the Lancashire Academy Getting dropped from the England Academy Understanding why she played the game and the worth ethic required to reach the topExperiencing a significant mental health breakdown Missing out on the 2017 home world cup Working with a psychologist, coaches and family to work through mental health and performance anxiety issuesPost-traumatic growth and FOPOCrossy's definition of success & high performance http://instagram.com/insideedgeproject

Our guest this week is Yogesh Golwalkar, first-class leg spinner who has represented, India A, Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, Middlesex CCC and was part of the Kings XI Punjab squad in the IPL. Yogesh is a genius when it comes to the art of leg-spin bowling. Although not a big name, his knowledge gained from competing in the most competitive leagues in India is incredible. His thoughts on finding your mental rhythm and avoiding getting too analytical were game changers for me and I'm sure you'll get a lot out of this one. I truly believe the best coaches are usually the ones that have had to grind their way to the top and this is certainly the case for Yogesh.Topic DiscussedBattling through the system in India to play first class cricket Power of mentors and what made them goodHow focusing on being your best helps to deal with the elements of sport you can't controlHow combining the theory of marginal gains and growth mindset are the keys to progressing as a leg spinnerThe key elements to include in your bowling routine Relying on hunger and passion rather than numbers and analysis How lessons from his cricket career have helped his career in business http://instagram.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://linkedin.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://twitter.com/insideedgeproj

Welcome to this episode of the IEP with Jodie Hawkins. Jodie is currently the General Manager of the Sydney Sixers and has been part of the team that has helped the club been one of the most successful in WBBL and BBL history. The reason I wanted to get her on is that the culture built at the sixers is one that prioritizes giving back - whether it's pride rounds or supporting cancer patients, Jodie has helped build a brand that clearly prioritises building a legacy beyond the cricket pitch, a big difference to the traditional model that is based on sponsorship deals with companies with big platforms, paying big money. The sixers also prioritize good characters in their recruitment, seeing the human before the athlete has helped unlock performance both on and off the field. A lot of what we talk about in the performance space is about shifting perspective.  Shifting away from finding purpose in being individually successful, to finding purpose in helping others. It's also about making sure we don't get caught up in the crazy world of professional sport and maintain our perspective on what is really important. Topics DiscussedThe importance of social impact in creating a successful sports business How to get the best out of people through allowing them to be authentic and create a feeling of belongingHow the Sixers go about recruitment by prioritizing character traitsThe importance of values and how the Sixers go about developing them to actually have an impact What makes Greg Shepperd one of the most successful coaches in T20 cricketHow to go about delisting playershe growth of the WBBL and how the Sixers have learnt from mistakes made early in the competitionHow Jodie deals with failure as someone who is extremely passionateHow standing still is dangerousLinkshttp://linkedin.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://instagram.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://twitter.com/insideedgeproj

Welcome to episode 13 of the Inside Edge Podcast. This week's guest is Dr. Fraser Carson - a sport psychologist who received his PhD from the University of Hull and a Masters in Coaching Education from Ohio University. Over the years he has worked with a a range of elite individual athletes, coaches and sports organizations such as Melbourne Football Club and is also lecturing at various universities around the world. Dr Carson is also a former professional rugby league player and his current passion is triathloth where he has completed an incredible 9 Ironman events  in Australia.  I have worked with a few psychologiests over the years, but Fraser was different in that he offered hypnotherapy as a method of overcoming limiting beliefs and increasing confidence. It's been a fascinating journey working with him and I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing from an expert in the field of performance psychology. Topics covered:How pressure affects our thought processesWhere our limiting beliefs come from and how to overcome them How to deal with perfectionism mindsets  Creating cultures by focusing on individual needsEffective goal setting - going away from setting outcome goals to setting performance and process goalsTools to implement to help out mental game wihtout the need to sepnd lots of money on psychologists or training programsHow sports hypnotherapy has helped a range of athletes with their confidence and feelings of controlI was getting better and quicker results doing it this way than more traditional sports psychologyOptimal performance states and how to reach them

Our guest this week is Fast bowling coach Anthony Stubbs. Known as 'The Fast Bowler' on Instagram, Stubbzy has helped many cricketers improve on and off the field through his 4 pillars of technical, tactical, mental and physical skills. He is one of the most holistic coaches I've seen in the cricket world and we connected over our shared philosophies of incorporating body, mind and spirit into performance coaching. Stubbzy is certainly a free spirit and that's what makes him so good to work with. This podcast is more of an informal chat where we hit record halfway through as we found the conversation we were having might useful for many cricketers and coaches alike. We definitely go on a few tangents, however, it ended up being one of those conversations that seemed to get better and better as we went on.  I also talk a fair bit about my own journey and the reason why I started the Inside Edge Project in the first place. As always, if you think anyone might benefit from some of this content, please feel free to share it around. I hope you enjoy!Topics CoveredStubbzy's pillars of performance The importance of considering the holistic athlete - body, mind, and spiritHow to find long-term mentors that you truly connect with The importance of having mentors and coaches outside a high-performance program How you need to maintain your perspective when entering a high-performance programBeing comfortable with reality as a way of pursuing your dreamsHow to deal with technical issues in season Links:Instagram - The Fast BowlerWebsite Inside Edge Project InstagramBhavi Devchand LinkedIn

Welcome to episode 15 of the IEP. Our guest this week is Australian, QLD and Melbourne Stars fast bowler Holly Ferling. Holly didn't follow the normal path of a cricketer working through the ranks of state cricket to play for Australia, instead, she found herself playing for Aus at the young age of 17. She has since battled a number of injuries, constantly in and out of teams and fighting her way back to bowling at her best for QLD and the Melbourne Stars. She is honestly one of the most genuine and kind people I've ever, however behind that big smile is a gritty character who works incredibly hard. A self-confessed perfectionist, Holly has battled with the dark sides of her identity being wrapped up in being a high achiever,  however, through the journey she has learned so much about herself, what she values, and the way she wants to go about life on and off the field. She has done some of the work that we talk about so much here at the Inside Edge Project and is starting to see some really cool benefits in her wellbeing and performance. As always feel free to reach out to Holly or myself if you have any questions or feedback. I hope you enjoy it!Topics covered:Having consistent injuries for 5+ years and how she was worked through them"When you're just about getting up to perform, you start to struggle to believe you can do it. You almost lower your expectations, what will be will be…it is not lowering your standards, but lowering your expectations."Debuting for Australia so easy and managing the expectations that come with that"That expectation has hindered me in those following years. In what you deem to be good enough."Dealing with the expectation that comes with being a high achiever"You constantly feel this weight over you the whole time, and really, all that was expectation" "There was a while there I was chasing performance at the detriment of who I really was"The impact on focusing on her values of Love, Impact, and Improvement. How they have transformed her performance and wellbeingHow she deals with missing out  on squads. The perfect example of post-traumatic growth!IEP LinksTwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Our guest this week is Corey Rocchiccioli,  contracted cricketer with WA, the Perth scorchers and University CC. Although not a household name yet, he has an unbelievable journey that includes going from 3rd grade to state cricket in 5 years.  Corey is one of the most incredible young men I've ever met. He is only 23, works harder than anyone I have seen, yet does it from a place of authenticity. Most people who work at that level do so from a place of fear, of some need that they have to excel or they will be a failure. Corey is special, in that he genuinely loves the journey and leads from the inside out. He has developed a framework to live his life around 4 pillars and a range of values beneath them. These have come from adversity as well as drinking deeply from good books listening to podcasts and surrounding himself with good people. Most importantly he attributes his incredible growth to the courage to be himself, to be present to each moment, and bring that best self to the task at hand. Easy to say, not always easy to do, but Corey goes a long way to living this way and the external results are there to show for it. I hope you enjoy it. Topics CoveredThe framework he lives his life by - pillars & values to live from the inside-out Sit still: the importance of not chasing the external success, being present to what is in front of you N77: The foundation for Corey's drive, the perspective gained from a difficult period in his life Depth over distance: go deep in the weeds of relationships, career, personal growthOff-beat: embrace your weird, own your story and find your tribeHow Corey coped with entering a WA and Perth Scorchers environment full of very big names in Australian CricketThriving through non-selection, using it as leverage to simply get better Body - MInd - Spirit in actionHis definition of success, failure, and high performanceLinks:TwitterInstagramLinkedIn

Season 3 kicks off with the captain of the Australian Cricket team and one of the best batters of all time, Meg Lanning. 5 world cups, 3 Belinda Clark medals, 3 domestic titles & 16 international hundreds and so many more achievements.  She is clearly very talented, however, in this podcast we dive deep into how she has sustained such a high level of performance over a long period - without losing a sense of who she is. Empathy, Instinct, Trust & Growth are common topics both on and off the field, all crucial when living from the inside out. For Meg, It's not about over-training, living up to the expectations of others, or even trying to be the best in the world. It's about trust, channeling her natural drive to discipline, and winning the game for the team, knowing that it's the process of going after a goal that brings that deep satisfaction. If you do get something out of this podcast, I'd love it if you can pass it on and keep the conversation going.  Thanks for tuning in, I hope you enjoy it.

This week's episode is with Steve Dent, coach and expert in all things leadership and culture. Steve was my coach at Gloucestershire back in 2016 and he completely shifted the way I thought about performance. I remember completely nerding out on one of the books he gave me called Ahead of the Game by Jeremy Lazarus. Little did I know that some of these concepts really were ahead of where the game was. Steve has spent over 25 years working in leadership and development and his insights into how to create psychological safety through a shared purpose are incredible. I'd recommend grabbing a pen and paper for this one as there are so many actionable tools to implement into your culture straight away. For more episodes and bonus content check us out on:Insideedgeproject.comInstagramLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening, Bhavi Devchand - Inside Edge Project

Welcome to the inside edge podcast with Bhavi Devchand. Our guest this week is Australian cricketer, Perth scorcher and proud Queenslander, Beth Mooney. Beth is one of the most sought after and dominant batters in world cricket, having hit #1 in the world following the Women's World cup in 2020 and topped batting charts for 3 years prior to that. Her story of getting there is a fascinating one, where she found herself leveraging her dark side in some grueling fitness regimes, that by her own admission crossed the line into an unhealthy obsession. Beth is someone who can hit thousands of balls and is still able to flick a switch to let go and trust the skills she has developed. This has not always been the case, but as she discusses, leading with deep humility and deep gratitude has helped her perform in huge games like the WT20 final in front of 87000 people. I'll go into these concepts and how they are relevant to performance at the end of the podcast, so be sure to hang around until the end. insideedgeproject.comhttp://linkedin.com/insideedgeprojecthttp://twitter.com/insideedgeprojhttp://instagram.com/insideedgeproject