The Vertue Podcast

What happens in your head before your body has even started performing?
In this special episode in partnership with Nike Mind, I explore the psychology of preparation and performance through two very different perspectives: the athlete experiencing pressure in real time, and the performance experts helping athletes prepare for it.
I am beyond honoured to have had two amazing guests join me for this episode: Nike athlete and rugby league star Millie Elliott, and Socceroos Head of Performance Leigh Egger. They come from very different sports and perspectives, but they have so much wisdom to share.
We get into pre-game rituals and why relying on them can sometimes tip into superstition, what happens psychologically during high-pressure moments like penalty shootouts, and why elite teams rehearse far more than just the physical skill.
We also explore priming, nerves, confidence, perceived effort, attention, and how athletes learn to interpret discomfort without immediately seeing it as a reason to stop.
Because performance doesn’t begin when the whistle blows.
Your brain has already started.

I promise you will walk away from this episode feeling empowered to achieve your fitness goals, even while under financial pressure.
Gym memberships, expensive equipment and fitness subscriptions can make exercise feel financially out of reach. In this episode, we explore practical ways to build strength, improve fitness and stay consistent without spending a fortune.

"I don't have time to exercise."
It's one of the most common barriers to exercise, but is finding more time really the solution?
In the first episode of my Barriers to Exercise series, we explore the psychology of competing priorities, the gap between intentions and action, and what research on minimum effective doses of strength training tells us about doing less without giving up on progress.

Research referenced
Spiering, B. A., Mujika, I., Sharp, M. A., & Foulis, S. A. (2021). Maintaining physical performance: The minimal dose of exercise needed to preserve endurance and strength over time. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(5), 1449–1458.
https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003964
Nuzzo, J. L., Pinto, M. D., Kirk, B. J. C., & Nosaka, K. (2024). Resistance exercise minimal dose strategies for increasing muscle strength in the general population: An overview. Sports Medicine, 54, 1139–1162.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02009-0

We’re pretty good at deciding what we want. The harder part is working out why we want it, whether the goal actually belongs to us, and what we need to do today to move towards it.
In this episode, I break down my approach to values, goals, strategy and action, exploring the psychology of self-concordance, behavioural activation and motivation, and how I use this framework to create a realistic morning routine when life is already full.
I also introduce Weekly Friction, where this week I’m questioning when social media stops being work and starts becoming scrolling.

Research:
Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: The Self-Concordance Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(3), 482–497.
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.76.3.482
Sezer, B., et al. (2025). Goal motives, goal-regulatory processes, psychological needs, and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Motivation Science, 11(3), 259–276.
DOI: 10.1037/mot0000366

The reason misinformation, and disinformation (false information spread deliberately to deceive), travels so easily may be hiding in plain sight.
It hides in simplicity.
And it's amplified by the very algorithms that reward content that is easy to consume, easy to remember, and easy to share.
Yet despite how profoundly this shapes the way we think, most of us have never been taught the psychology behind it. Processing fluency is one of the most powerful cognitive phenomena you've probably never heard of, and given the speed at which information now spreads online, it's remarkable that it isn't common knowledge.
If you've ever wondered why misinformation spreads so easily, why simple answers are so seductive, or why the loudest voices often sound the most convincing, this episode is for you.
Because sometimes, the greatest trick our brain plays on us isn't believing a lie.
It's confusing easy to process with true.
This episode sits very close to my heart because I think most of us have an aunt, mum, uncle, friend, or someone we love who has been influenced by misinformation. Someone who has spent their hard-earned money, changed their health behaviours, or lived with unnecessary fear because something simply sounded convincing.
The truth is, none of us are immune to it. Understanding how our brains work isn't about becoming cynical. It's about becoming better equipped to recognise when we're mistaking something that feels easy to understand for something that's actually true.