As the new year inspires resolutions, one often-overlooked key to success is mental performance.
At the 2024 Trainual Playbook, Daymond John and Candy Valentino shared insights on scaling operations and boosting team performance. Hosted by Chris and Jonathan Ronzio, founders of Trainual, the event brought together business leaders to discuss growth, efficiency, and system-building strategies. At the event, they announced Trainual is now the official onboarding partner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
Here’s what these powerhouse entrepreneurs shared about how mental discipline, resilience, and intentional routines fuel their success.
Daymond John on Mindset, Adversity, and Work-Life Balance
Daymond John’s journey from a basement startup to global success with FUBU and Shark Tank is nothing short of remarkable. He highlighted the pivotal role of mindset in achieving success, saying, “Mindset is everything—it’s just as crucial in failure as it is in success.”
Reflecting on his early career, he admitted, “I never looked at the performance of my body and mind as part of the process because the information wasn’t widely available. It was later on in my career that I understood the value of it both mentally and physically.”
Daymond emphasized that overcoming adversity begins with clarity of purpose.
“Mental toughness starts with knowing why you’re doing it and what the outcome will be,” he said. “Understand your purpose, evaluate what you’re willing to sacrifice, and stay alert to both the process and the results.”
As such, navigating the balance between personal and professional life requires the same strategic thinking Daymond applies to business.
“I reassess and take inventory to see how it’s working for me,” he explained. “I look at when I’m overextended and think through what’s the plan to reduce this stress? There’s a lot on that personal profit and loss statement.”
The "personal profit and loss statement" shifts work-life integration from a balancing act to a series of intentional choices. Here are 3 key takeaways from our conversation:
- Take Regular Inventory: Periodically evaluate your commitments and assess whether they align with your long-term goals and well-being.
- Reduce Stress by Prioritizing: Identify areas of your life where you’re overextended and create a plan to scale back or delegate.
- Focus on Purpose: Keep your “why” at the forefront of your decisions, ensuring that your energy is directed toward meaningful outcomes.
Candy Valentino on Delegation and the Art of Execution
For Candy Valentino, entrepreneurial success is rooted in decisive action. With over 20 years of experience, she has founded and sold multiple companies, specializing in real estate, marketing, and wealth-building strategies.
“Most people think it’s a personality type or an educational pedigree—but it’s neither. It’s the ability to execute with speed, adapt and change, and deliver,” she shared.
In her latest book, The 9% Edge, she offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, drawing a powerful parallel between professional sports and business success.
“The most fascinating similarity is that the head coach doesn’t jump in and try to run a route,” she said. “So often, the founder tries to juggle 17 things, but they need to find out what they’re good at.”
This emphasis on self-awareness and strategic delegation challenges entrepreneurs to rethink their approach.
“A good entrepreneur will build a great business, but a great entrepreneur builds a great team that’s going to grow a great business.” As such, founders need to step back, evaluate their strengths, and trust their team to handle the rest.
For Candy, delegation is a strategic tool for scaling and impact. Her philosophy: success isn’t about doing everything, but doing the right things exceptionally well. Build the right team, and they’ll execute while you focus on winning. Here are 3 actionable strategies to implement:
- Audit Your Workload: List everything you do in a week and identify tasks that don’t require your unique skill set.
- Prioritize Your Strengths: Focus on areas where you provide the most value, whether it’s strategy, innovation, or leadership.
- Empower Your Team: Delegate the rest to capable team members or trusted partners to free yourself for high-impact decisions.
3 Ways to Build your 2025 Mental Playbook
Time-Block & Prioritize
Schedule specific time blocks for both personal and work activities. Use tools like Google Calendar to visualize your day. Apply the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks, tackling urgent and important ones first. Set boundaries by turning off notifications and communicating availability to avoid distractions. At the start of each week, review your calendar and adjust as needed based on shifting priorities.
Theme Your Workdays
Assigning a theme to each day, like "Marketing Monday," streamlines focus and reduces mental fatigue by batching similar tasks. Time-blocking adds structure and boosts productivity. Chris Ronzio echoes this approach by reserving Mondays and Thursdays for internal meetings, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays for external ones. This intentional routine demonstrates the power of consistency in maintaining focus.
Embrace Growth Through Micro-Failures & Unlearning
Commit to practicing a specific skill daily, even for just 10 minutes, and reflect on each attempt. Track your progress in a “failure log” to pinpoint lessons learned. Challenge limiting beliefs, like “I need to be busy to be productive,” by confronting them weekly through activities that push you out of your comfort zone. End each week with a journaling session for reflection.
Paradise Valley’s Dr. Brook Choulet, founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry® and known as The Performance Psychiatrist™, offers tailored mental health care for high-performing individuals and groups from corporate executives, elite athletes, and celebrities to professional organizations, sports teams, and families. brookchouletmd.com