If you spent today hunting for deals, here's the question Baylor wants you to ask yourself: Are you offering yourself at a discount too?

In this Black Friday episode of Shark Theory, Baylor uses the madness of holiday sales to illustrate a deeper, more personal problem: many of us treat ourselves like bargain-bin items.

We discount our value.
We lower our standards.
We let people get the "full version" of us for clearance-rack pricing—then wonder why they don't respect our worth.

Baylor breaks down how this pattern forms, why it sticks, and most importantly, how to stop selling yourself short in relationships, careers, opportunities, and identity.

You'll also hear a surprising lesson from REI—one that proves you don't have to follow the trends, rush the process, or participate in the chaos just because the world tells you to.

This episode will challenge you to raise your value, slow down your decisions, and step into the version of yourself that isn't on sale—because quality costs what it costs.

• Why people expect less from you once you teach them to

• How discounting yourself makes others undervalue your time, skills, and energy

• The difference between humility and self-sabotage

• Why rushing decisions rarely benefits you

• The importance of setting full-price standards in business and relationships

• How REI's Black Friday philosophy can reshape your approach to life

• Why the right people will pay your worth—and the wrong people shouldn't have access to you

• How maintaining your value attracts higher-quality opportunities

"When you discount yourself, people get used to paying less—and they'll never want to pay full price for you again."

Thankfulness isn't just a feeling—it's a responsibility. And when you treat it like one, gratitude becomes a growth strategy, not just a holiday emotion.

In today's Thanksgiving episode, Baylor breaks down the real meaning behind the word "thankful," rooted in its Latin origin: "I will forever remember what you've done for me."

Rather than treating gratitude as a quick "thanks," he challenges us to turn it into action—because true gratitude has three parts:

1. Say it,

2. Show it, and

3. Be better because of it.

Baylor shares why expressing genuine appreciation builds deeper relationships, why showing gratitude (even months later) opens doors you didn't expect, and why the best "thank you" you can ever give someone is leveling up your life in a way that honors what they poured into you.

This episode will remind you that success doesn't happen alone—and that the people who helped you get where you are deserve more than a holiday mention. They deserve to feel your appreciation through your growth.

• The deeper etymology behind the word "thankful"

• Why saying "thank you" and meaning it sets you apart

• How handwritten cards and thoughtful follow-ups create long-term allies

• Why gratitude and reciprocity go hand in hand

• How to turn opportunities into wins that honor the people who believed in you

• Why being better is the highest form of appreciation

• How gratitude strengthens your network, your confidence, and your character

"The best way to thank someone is to become better because of what they did for you."

You don't stumble into a meaningful year—you design one. And your calendar is one of the most powerful confidence tools you have.

In this episode, Baylor shares how—even in the middle of soreness, recovery, and new training cycles—he's already mapping out 2026. Not because every plan will happen exactly as written, but because putting intentions on the calendar forces momentum.

Most people live in "one day." Baylor breaks down why "one day" never arrives unless you schedule it, and why three types of commitments must appear on your calendar if you want next year to look different than last year:

1. Something to train for

2. Something to enjoy

3. Something to grow toward

He explains why training for anything (not just races) gives your life structure, why scheduling enjoyment prevents burnout, and why growth goals require dates—not wishes.

This framework helps eliminate wasted years, align your priorities, and build synergy across every part of your life. Whether it's fitness, finances, personal milestones, travel, or long-term dreams—your calendar will either be your compass or your constraint. You get to choose which.

• Why planning your year in advance increases the odds of achievement

• The difference between "working out" and "training"—and why it matters

• Why you MUST have joy on the calendar (or burnout wins)

• How travel gives you energy, perspective, and renewed creativity

• Why growth goals need dates, not dreams

• How scheduling prevents wasted years

• How aligning training, enjoyment, and growth creates momentum

• The mindset shift that turns your calendar into a confidence strategy

"Putting something on your calendar doesn't guarantee you'll get it done—
but it guarantees you'll get more done than if you planned nothing."

Winning feels great—until the adrenaline fades, the soreness hits, and you find yourself asking the question no one prepares you for: Now what?

In this episode, Baylor dives into the lesser-discussed side of achievement: the post-performance blues. After completing his first HYROX race, day two soreness hits hard—and with it comes the emotional crash that often follows big accomplishments.

Whether it's a race, a promotion, a financial milestone, or a personal win, the "after" phase leaves many of us feeling deflated, directionless, or comparing ourselves to others. Baylor breaks down why this happens, how to recognize the difference between perception vs. reality, and how to stabilize mentally when you feel like your identity has been wrapped in a goal that suddenly… is gone.

He also shares a powerful reminder given to him mid-race by a stranger: "Your race, your pace." A simple line that becomes a blueprint for how to step into your next season with confidence, clarity, and calm.

This episode is for anyone who's hit a high… and unexpectedly crashed afterward.

• Why day-two "post-effort soreness" hits so much harder

• What post-race or post-goal depression actually is (and why it's normal)

• The double-edged sword of success: the highlight reel vs. the hidden cost

• Why comparing your real life to someone else's curated wins is self-sabotage

• How to adopt the mindset: "Your race, your pace"

• Why giving 100% of what you have today builds real confidence

• How to answer the "Now what?" question after hitting a milestone

• The importance of putting your next meaningful goal on the calendar

"You can't compare your real life to someone else's best six photos.
Run your race—at your pace."

When you step into something new, the adrenaline spikes, the fear kicks in, and the unknown gets loud—but that's also where your real strengths finally get a voice.

Baylor breaks down the full experience of completing his first HYROX race after 13 weeks of training—and the life lessons that shook loose along the way.

From realizing the arena was nothing like he imagined, to understanding how adrenaline can sabotage clarity, to discovering which stations were surprisingly hard (or surprisingly easy), Baylor uses the race as a blueprint for how we should approach challenges, pain, and personal ceilings in everyday life.

He explains why leaning into your strengths matters more than obsessively "fixing" your weaknesses, why support systems change everything, and why the worst parts of a race—or your life—will not last forever.

The episode wraps with a powerful truth: celebrate your victories, yes, but don't stay there too long. Growth comes from putting the next challenge on the calendar.

• Why adrenaline isn't always your friend in new environments

• How to identify and lean into your natural strengths

• Why trying to turn weaknesses into "average" isn't a great use of your time

• The power of community support during difficult seasons

• How reminding yourself "this will end" is a survival tool

• Why pain is temporary—but the finish line payoff is permanent

• The importance of celebrating victories and moving quickly to the next goal

• How to build momentum through continuous forward motion

"You don't win in life by raising your weaknesses to average—you win by raising your strengths to excellence."

The moment you whisper "I've never done this" is the moment fear tries to take over—unless you learn to anchor your thoughts first.

In this episode, Baylor talks about the pre-race jitters he's feeling heading into his first-ever HYROX competition—and what those nerves teach us about stepping into any new challenge. Whether it's a race, an interview, a job change, a business launch, or a new relationship, the unfamiliar always opens the door for fear to walk in.

But instead of letting "I've never done this" become a gateway for negative what-ifs, Baylor breaks down how to stabilize your thoughts, anchor your mindset, and reframe the experience so your brain recognizes it as something you can handle.

He walks through the power of reminding yourself of past victories, past adversity, and past moments where you were also a rookie—and still found a way to win. You'll hear how anchoring your thoughts creates mental stability the same way dropping an anchor keeps a boat steady in a storm.

Baylor also shares how scouting your target—getting as close to the upcoming experience as possible through visualization or physical proximity—helps your brain accept the unfamiliar as something you've already lived. When the real moment arrives, it feels familiar instead of frightening.

And finally, he explores the importance of embracing "rookie joy"—the excitement, curiosity, and freedom of doing something for the very first time without expectations or pressure.

• Why "I've never done this" triggers fear—and how to shut that door immediately

• How to stabilize racing thoughts with mental anchors

• How reframing nervousness through past experiences builds confidence

• Why your brain can't tell the difference between real and imagined preparation

• How to visualize or physically scout an upcoming experience

• Why embracing beginner energy leads to better performance

• How childlike curiosity reduces pressure and unlocks joy

• The mindset shift that turns jitters into fuel instead of fear

"Most of your life will be spent doing things you've never done—so stop letting that be the reason you don't do them."

Before you tell yourself you're having a bad day, ask a more important question: Is it really the day… or is it your mind?

In this episode, Baylor breaks down one of the most underrated skills in personal performance: knowing the difference between a bad day and a bad mental day. Most people lump every negative feeling, foggy moment, or frustrating hour into the same bucket—but the solutions are completely different.

Baylor explains why mental fog, indecision, and that "nothing's firing right" feeling have nothing to do with your external circumstances… and everything to do with your mental energy reserves. He introduces the Dutch concept of Niksen—the intentional art of doing nothing—and shows how scheduling even a few moments of mental stillness can lower cortisol, reset your emotions, and restore clarity.

He also explores the psychological research behind mental fatigue, including studies showing how decision-making degrades over time, and why switching brain hemispheres (from analytical tasks to creative ones, or vice versa) can instantly recharge your mind.

Whether you're dealing with a genuinely chaotic day or just a drained brain, Baylor gives you a simple framework to determine which one you're facing—and how to turn it around before the entire day collapses with it.

• The difference between a bad day and a bad mental day

• Why your mind gets foggy even when nothing "bad" is happening

• How cortisol blocks decision-making—and how Niksen lowers it

• Why doing nothing is sometimes the most productive thing you can do

• How to schedule mental timeouts without guilt

• Why your brain burns fuel like a car—and how to refuel it properly

• How switching to the opposite type of task (creative ↔ analytical) can reset your clarity

• How to protect your day before mental overload snowballs

"If you don't stop to reset your mind, your mind will stop you."

When life punches you in the gut—a lost wallet, bad news, a broken relationship—it's not the event that defines you, it's what you do in the next 90 seconds.

In this episode, Baylor shares a recent "gut punch" moment: realizing his wallet was gone and feeling that instant wave of panic and what-if scenarios. Instead of spiraling, he walks through how he used praxis—moving from theory to action—to keep his mind from running wild and to take back control of the situation.

Drawing on a Marcus Aurelius quote, "This doesn't have to be something. This doesn't have to hurt you," Baylor breaks down how to intercept that first emotional hit, why the first 90 seconds after bad news are crucial, and how action can stop your brain from marinating in worst-case scenarios.

He also reframes loss by separating what can be replaced (money, cards, IDs) from what can't (people, time, health), and challenges you to stop giving "thing-level" problems life-level power.

• Why what you do immediately after bad news determines how hard it hits you

• What praxis really is—and how to use it when your emotions are screaming

• How Marcus Aurelius' line "This doesn't have to be something" can become a mental reset button

• The 90-second rule of thoughts and why acting fast keeps your mind from spiraling

• How to shift your focus from panic to a checklist: cancel cards, protect your identity, secure what you can

• The difference between losing things and losing what truly matters—and how that perspective can calm you down fast

Featured Quote:

"You can't always control what you lose, but you can control whether that loss owns the rest of your day."