In this Mindset Matters episode, Patrick Francey challenges a common belief about why people feel stuck. The obstacle is rarely a lack of talent, intelligence, or opportunity. More often, it is a price they are unwilling or unconscious about paying. Patrick reframes pressure, discomfort, and uncertainty as proof of growth rather than signals of failure, drawing on powerful examples from elite Olympic athletes who expect fear, doubt, and strain because they trained for them.

At the heart of the conversation is self mastery and what Patrick calls the true cost of entry to meaningful goals. He explains that outcomes are limited not by ability but by tolerance for discomfort, restraint, discipline, and honesty. Using both high performance sport and everyday life as reference points, Patrick outlines seven costs of entry that show up for anyone pursuing growth. These include uncertainty, imposter syndrome, loneliness, embarrassment, hard conversations, criticism, and boredom.

Rather than presenting these costs as problems to eliminate, Patrick argues they are unavoidable gates that must be passed through. Pressure is not the enemy. It is evidence that you are playing at a higher level. Imposter syndrome is not a sign you are unqualified. It signals that your identity is expanding faster than your comfort zone. Loneliness and solitude are framed as transition phases, where old patterns fall away before new ones take shape.

Patrick also addresses why so many people stall. They avoid embarrassment, delay courageous conversations, seek universal approval, or quit when the process becomes repetitive. In doing so, they trade long term fulfillment for short term comfort. The episode ends with a grounded reminder that life by design does not come free. The real question is not whether there is a cost, but whether the goal is worth paying it willingly and consistently.

In this episode of The Everyday Millionaire, Patrick Francey sits down with physician and healthcare executive Dr. Nasim Afsar to explore what it really takes to lead and build in complex systems. The conversation opens with a clear premise: clarity creates velocity, and confusion is expensive. Nassim traces her throughline of impact at scale, from bedside medicine to executive leadership, and shares why she has always been drawn to connecting fragmented pieces into functioning systems.

A pivotal theme is discomfort as a growth signal. Nassim explains that she gets energy from stepping into unfamiliar territory, and she shares real-world examples, including leading through COVID-era uncertainty and building capacity fast by trusting domain experts and asking better questions. Patrick digs into leadership culture, where Nassim emphasizes teams that outlive any one leader, and practical tools that keep trust high. Her “pissed off rule” is a standout: if something bothers you, address it within 24 hours so friction does not calcify into resentment.

The discussion then shifts to Nassim’s upcoming book, Intelligent Health, which proposes a three-part blueprint for the future of health: unify health data, apply intelligence (including AI), and make the system consumer-owned so incentives align around real human goals, not just clinical targets. She argues that we currently make healthcare decisions with only a fraction of the data that shapes outcomes, and technology can reduce the cognitive load of healthy living while still preserving choice.

They close with a grounded view of AI as a powerful tool that must be used responsibly, plus a candid look at healthcare economics: no money, no mission. The result is a wide-ranging, practical conversation about systems change, leadership, and building a healthier future at scale.

High performers are often praised for discipline, work ethic, and grit. Yet many driven entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes eventually hit a wall where effort keeps increasing but results stay flat. In this episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick Francey and Olympic mental performance coach Steffany Hanlen Francey challenge one of the most deeply held performance myths: that pushing harder is always the answer.

Using the parable of a farmer who worked himself to exhaustion while ignoring depleted soil, Patrick and Steffany explain that growth does not break down because of laziness. It breaks down because people unknowingly violate the foundational laws of growth. These are not motivational ideas. They are operating principles that govern how humans adapt, recover, and perform.

Together, they walk through eight ways high performers sabotage progress without realizing it. These include ignoring individuality, falling into constant grind and overload, neglecting restoration, skipping proper progression, underestimating how quickly skills decay, misunderstanding how wins and losses transfer across life domains, failing to adapt to changing conditions, and spreading effort too thin instead of practicing true specificity.

Drawing from decades of experience with NHL athletes, Olympic performers, and business leaders, Steffany highlights how the body and mind stop responding to stale inputs. Patrick connects these principles to entrepreneurship and leadership, showing how business growth follows the same laws as physical training and psychological development.

A central theme emerges: growth happens in the recovery, not just in the effort. Real progress is built through small, consistent steps supported by intentional rest, environmental design, and focused execution.

This conversation reframes burnout, stagnation, and frustration not as personal failures, but as signals that something fundamental is out of alignment. When high performers learn to work with the laws of growth instead of against them, momentum returns, clarity sharpens, and performance becomes sustainable.