In this episode of Stay at the Top, I unpack why relying on motivation, feelings, or willpower is one of the biggest traps high performers fall into and why creating your personal operating system is the real unlock for sustainable energy and performance.

Whether you’re leading a team, running a business, pushing your athletic limits, or simply trying to get more out of your days, having a framework that supports you is non-negotiable. This isn’t about being rigid or robotic. It’s about intentionally designing the structure, rhythm, and habits that allow you to perform at your best, across seasons of life

In this episode, I cover:

- What a personal operating system is and why every high performer needs one

- Why relying on how you “feel” leads to inconsistency and burnout

- The five key pillars your system should address: nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, and recovery

- Four common reactive habits that keep people stuck (and how to replace them with proactive frameworks)

- How to build your own system through a simple life audit and focus on the “big rocks”

- Real client examples of how a few anchor habits created massive shifts in energy, performance, and recovery

- How to zoom out, plan for different seasons, and bring periodisation into your life the way elite performers do

Key Quotes:

“If you’re relying on how you feel to decide when to eat, sleep or move, you’re already behind.”

“This isn’t about being a robot. It’s about having a structure that supports your life, not rules that restrict it.”

“You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” – James Clear

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m joined by Claire Richardson, an Advanced Pain Management Osteopath and pain clinician with more than 15 years of experience. Claire leads a team of seven practitioners across two private practices in Melbourne and runs Wayfinder Pain Consulting, her online clinic dedicated to helping people improve their quality of life while living with chronic pain.

We explore why chronic pain is different from acute pain and why it requires a completely different approach. Claire breaks down the science behind pain processing and the role of the nervous system, explains why “resting it out” or “pushing through” both backfire, and shares practical strategies to help people find their Goldilocks zone for movement, recovery, and everyday life.

With one in five Australians experiencing chronic pain at some point in their lives, this is a powerful conversation that will benefit you directly or someone you know.

In this episode, we cover:

- The difference between acute and chronic pain, and why the terms are often misunderstood

- Why chronic pain is primarily a nervous system issue and how that changes treatment

- The boom-bust cycle and why neither extreme rest nor overexertion works

- Practical examples of finding the “Goldilocks zone” to stay active safely

- How the brain decides how much pain to produce, and why context matters

- The concept of “pain pizza” and how everyone’s contributors are unique

- Simple, evidence-based strategies to support neuroplasticity and reduce nervous system load

- Why social connection, sleep, and daily habits play a bigger role than most people realise

Key Quotes:

“You can’t rest your way out of chronic pain, and you can’t push through it either.”

“Pain doesn’t exist until the brain decides it exists.”

“Everyone’s pain pizza looks different. You need to figure out what your biggest slices are.”

“Small, consistent behaviours are what support nervous system change.”

More About Clare:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/claire-richardson1

Website: www.wayfinderpain.com.au

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I introduce a powerful mindset shift that high performers know well in business but rarely apply to their health: A/B testing.

In marketing and business, A/B testing is second nature. You compare two strategies side by side, measure the results, and double down on what works. But when it comes to health and performance, most people take a “set and forget” approach. They hear a new strategy, protocol, or trend, adopt it, and stick with it without ever testing whether it is truly working for them in both the short and long term.

I share how bringing an experimental mindset to your health can help you stop guessing and start leading yourself like the high performer you are. From nutrition and training to sleep and recovery, this episode will show you how to build your own personal playbook instead of relying on one-size-fits-all advice.

In this episode, I cover:

- Why high performers need to apply A/B testing principles to health, not just business

- The risks of blindly following trends without testing whether they work for you

- A client case study on fasting: why short-term gains sometimes hide long-term costs

- How objective measures like DEXA scans and wearables can give you visibility under the hood

- Practical examples of what to test, from pre-training fuelling to sleep routines and hydration

- How to combine subjective data (energy, mood, focus) with objective data (body composition, HRV, recovery scores)

Key Quotes:

“If you are not testing and measuring your health strategies, you are guessing.”

“What works in the short term does not always translate to long-term success.”

“High performance starts with personalisation.”

“This is how you stop guessing and start leading yourself like the high performer you are.”

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m joined by performance psychologist Dr Jo Lukins, who brings decades of experience working across elite sport, the military, and corporate leadership.

We explore the mindset shifts that sustain long-term success, why belief comes before competition, and how resilience is more than just bouncing back. Dr Jo shares wisdom from her 26 years with the North Queensland Cowboys, her work with the Australian Defence Force, and the high performers she supports in business today.

If you have ever struggled with limiting beliefs, the all or nothing mindset, or balancing relentless drive with wellbeing, this conversation is full of practical insights you can apply straight away.

In this episode, we cover:

- How Dr Jo found her way into psychology and became one of Australia’s most respected performance psychologists.

- The common thread between elite athletes, defence personnel, and corporate leaders, and why mindset is the key.

- What a “performance mindset” really is, and how it sustains growth at every level.

- Why limiting beliefs hold us back and how to reframe them.

- The all or nothing mindset, why high performers are drawn to it and how to move towards excellence instead of perfection.

- Resilience redefined, why it is not just about bouncing back but learning, growing, and bouncing forward.

- Practical tools to build self-awareness, values in action, and sustainable high performance.

Key Quotes:

“Resilience isn’t just bouncing back, it’s bouncing forward.” – Dr Jo Lukins

“Success leaves clues, and disappointments offer lessons.” – Dr Jo Lukins

“Excellence looks like getting most things done well most of the time.” – Dr Jo Lukins

More about Dr Jo Lukins

Get the Debrief Insight Guide by Dr Jo Lukins sent straight to your inbox, just click: LINK. As a Stay at the Top podcast listener, enjoy 10% off all books plus free shipping at drjolukins.com with code DEBRIEF10.

Instagram: @dr_jo_lukins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJoLukins/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjolukins/

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m breaking down six simple ways you can upgrade your nutrition without overhauls, restrictions, or complicated protocols.

Nutrition is one of the four behaviours every single person does daily (alongside sleeping, breathing, and thinking). It’s not about what you cut out, it’s about what you add in and how small, consistent upgrades can fuel more energy, sharper focus, better recovery, and long-term health.

These six strategies are practical, evidence-based, and designed to create leverage in your day-to-day life as a high performer.

In this episode, I share:

- Why high performers often overcomplicate nutrition and miss the basics.

- The critical role nutrition plays in energy, focus, recovery, and longevity.

- Six simple upgrades you can implement today

Key Quotes:

“Nutrition isn’t about restriction. It’s about optimisation.”

“If a meal or snack is brown and white, it’s not complete.”

“Recovery isn’t a single shake or meal, it’s a 24/7 process.”

“Sustainable high performance comes from small, consistent upgrades not overhauls.”

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m making a bold call: every high performer should be using a wearable.

For years, I sat on the fence. But after seeing the impact on myself, my clients, and the leaders and athletes I work with, I now believe wearables are one of the most valuable tools for sustainable high performance. Not because of the numbers alone but because of how they help you connect how you feel (subjective measures) with what’s really happening in your body (objective data).

I’ll take you inside why blending both matters, and share real-world examples of how wearables like the Oura Ring and Whoop Band can help you protect your energy, recover smarter, and perform at your best.

In this episode, I share:

- Why subjective (energy, mood, focus) and objective (HRV, resting heart rate, sleep) data together create your “daily dashboard.”

- Why wearables aren’t about obsessing over numbers, they’re about spotting trends and acting early.

- My personal story of how wearable data helped me avoid disaster before delivering an international keynote.

- How one CEO client used a wearable to break the cycle of constant illness by improving sleep and recovery.

- How another client, a business owner and father, used data to balance heavy training with work and family demands.

- Practical takeaways for how you can use wearables without becoming obsessed with the data.

Key Quotes:

“Why would anybody run their health and performance without a dashboard?”

“The real magic isn’t in the numbers, it’s in connecting how you feel with what the data says.”

“A wearable gives you visibility under the hood, helping you act before things break down.”

“High performers don’t just push harder. They adapt faster, and wearables help you do that.”

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m diving into an important question: Are your habits actually aligned to the season you’re in right now?

It’s a trap so many high performers fall into—benchmarking themselves against their “best ever” version. Whether that’s training six days a week, working 12-hour days, or surviving on minimal sleep in your 20s, we often use that peak as our standard. But true high performance isn’t about repeating an old benchmark, it’s about adapting to the demands of your current season.

From early parenthood, to heavy travel, to high growth work seasons, I unpack why our brains love “all or nothing” behaviour, why chasing your best-ever can backfire, and how to reframe success by aligning habits with where you are right now.

In this episode, I share:

- Why high performers often reference their best-ever as the baseline—and why that creates frustration.

- What neuroscience tells us about the all-or-nothing mindset (prefrontal cortex, dopamine spikes, and the amygdala).

- How my own back injury and return to swimming exposed the loud voice of “old benchmarks.”

- Why true high performance means evolving your habits to fit your current season.

- Practical examples of aligning habits in different seasons

- Reflection questions to help you identify which habits no longer serve you and what needs to shift now.

Key Quotes:

“Your previous best isn’t irrelevant, but it’s not always relevant either.”

“True high performance isn’t about repeating old benchmarks—it’s about adapting to your current season.”

“It’s not about doing the most, it’s about doing what matters most for the season you’re in right now.”

“The people who sustain high performance aren’t those who push the hardest, but those who adapt the fastest.”

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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

After what was meant to be a short break turned into nine months, Stay at the Top is finally back. In this episode, I share a personal update on life, motherhood, business, and why it’s time to stop procrastinating and get the show on the road again.

This episode is more reflective than usual. It’s about pulling back the curtain on what the last season has looked like for me: navigating the delicate dance of being a mum and running a business, finding new rhythms, and confronting procrastination head on. I also share why procrastination isn’t laziness, what it’s really signalling, and how taking messy action can move you forward in any area of life.

In this episode, I share:

- What the past nine months have looked like, from becoming a mum to returning to work and speaking.

- How I’ve redefined boundaries and guardrails to protect sleep, energy, and focus in this new season.

- Lessons from juggling motherhood and business ownership and why it’s a delicate but rewarding balance.

- Why procrastination is often about confidence, clarity, or capacity not laziness.

- Practical ways to reframe procrastination and start imperfectly.

- The simple mantra that can help you take your next step forward.

Key Quotes:

“Procrastination isn’t laziness. Often it’s a lack of confidence, clarity, or capacity.”

“If you wait for the stars to align, you’ll be waiting forever.”

“Taking messy action is better than waiting for perfect timing.”

Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/

Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com

If you’re interested in having me as a speaker you can find out more here: https://jessicaspendlove.com/speaker-kit/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_spendlove_dietitian/?hl=en

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-spendlove-64173bb8/

Want to contact me directly?

Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com

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