The High Performance Podcast

On the morning of 11 September 2001, Sean Windeatt was a 28-year-old in Cantor Fitzgerald's London finance department, fifteen minutes into his usual morning call with a colleague in New York, when the line went dead. That colleague was inside the North Tower. By the end of the day the firm had lost 658 people alongside 61 Euro Brokers employees— around two thirds of its New York workforce, and more than any other company in the tragedy that morning. The next day Sean was called downstairs, offered a job he'd turned down two years earlier, and handed a blank piece of paper. He asked what the job was. "Who knows?"

Twenty-five years on, Sean is co-CEO of BGC Group, and he joins Jake to tell the story from the inside. Why the company chose not to sell when selling was the easy way out. Why pledging 25% of profits to the families only meant anything if there was a business left to earn it, and how a firm rebuilt itself working around the clock, while competitors offered office space and airlines flew its staff across the Atlantic at cost.

It's also a conversation about a false choice Jake puts to him directly: that you can either be ruthless and successful, or kind and unsuccessful. Sean's answer — and a Charity Day that has now raised over $235 million — suggests otherwise. Along the way: what it's actually like to wake up on 11 September every year, why Prince William refused to leave the trading floor, and the two things Sean was told a great CEO does.

If you want information on the BGC Charity Day: https://www.bgcg.com/charity-day/

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England Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio built his career on an extraordinary ability to create belief under pressure. But behind that drive was a deeply personal source of motivation: the loss of his sister Francesca when he was just 16.

Lawrence opens up about turning grief into fuel, finding the family he needed through rugby, and why the mental and emotional side of performance is so often underestimated. He also reveals how great leaders build belief before the biggest moments and find what truly motivates the people around them.

This conversation is a candid exploration of loss, belonging, and the emotions that can shape our drive to succeed.

The 2026 Pho3nix Sport with Purpose Charity Gala takes place at The Peninsula London on 20 November, raising funds to create healthier, happier futures for children through sport.
Attend the Gala, support the auction or donate at https://pho3nixcharitygala.com

AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Steve Hansen won 93 of 107 Tests as All Blacks head coach — the most successful run in the history of professional rugby.

We re-visit our chat with Steve where he takes it apart: why "culture" is the most overused word on the planet, why he hates rules, why nobody would admit the All Blacks were World Cup chokers, and the two times he got it badly wrong and had to apologise to a whole squad. Plus the question about walking away that he couldn't finish answering.

AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does a weekly to-do list feel so overwhelming on a Sunday night? Jake and Damian argue it's not because of your workload, it's because your capacity . Sleep, energy, confidence, clarity, control: when any of these drop, the same list of tasks stops looking like separate, manageable jobs and starts looking like one overwhelming message — everything, now.

In this episode, Jake and Damian hear from:

Steve Peters on the "chimp" that hijacks you in traffic, and why recognising it isn't you is the first step to managing it.
Ash Dykes on preparing for the worst before it happens, so it arrives as something expected rather than something that ambushes you.
Shane Parrish on why you don't need the confidence to reach the destination — just the confidence to take the next step.
Ali Abdaal on the five-minute rule, and the three-quid hourglass that got him moving on the days motivation didn't show up.
James Clear on the two-minute rule, and the heaviest weight in the gym: the front door.
Jameela Jamil on the power of small, unglamorous no's.
Alistair Brownlee on breaking an impossible-feeling task down into the next five-minute reason to keep going.

By the end, Jake and Damian give you a ten-minute reset for the next time life all feels like too much because the goal was never to shame yourself into trying harder. It's to rebalance the equation.

Thanks to our partners:

AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dina Asher-Smith has just made history as the most decorated athlete in European Championships history. An MBE, multiple major titles and four Olympic Games within reach, but at 30, one of Britain's greatest ever sprinters is still asking how much better she can become.

In this episode, Dina opens up about the realities behind those 10 seconds on the track, from how her menstrual cycle affected her performance to competing through grief. She also reflects on leaving her coach of 20 years, rebuilding her career, and why bronze can sometimes mean more than gold.

With the 2027 World Championships and LA 2028 ahead, Dina reveals how her relationship with success has changed, and why the opportunity to keep competing at the highest level now feels less like pressure and more like a privilege.

AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs

Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.