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Ep. 2 - The Champion’s Reframe with Jeff Salzenstein, former top-100 world-ranked tennis player, two-time Stanford All-American, national champion
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What if your biggest moment on the world’s stage was undone by a single thought? In this powerful conversation, tennis pro turned performance coach Jeff Salzenstein sits down with Mariel to unpack the mindset traps that sabotage success, even at the top. From playing Michael Chang in front of 24,000 fans to battling a 15-year-old slump and rewriting his own mental narrative, Jeff shares the turning points that reshaped his career—and life. You’ll hear about the “Champion’s Poem” that kept him grounded, the surprising advice he gives to athletes about failure, and the emotional story of his brother’s transformation and tragic loss. Whether you're an athlete, coach, or parent, this episode is packed with tools to reframe limiting beliefs, lean into growth, and lead with heart.
Jeff's bio and information:
Jeff Salzenstein isn’t just another high-performance coach—he’s lived it.
A former top-100 world-ranked tennis player, two-time Stanford All-American, national champion, and team captain, Jeff spent decades performing under pressure on some of the world’s biggest stages, including the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open.
Today, as an executive performance coach, leadership speaker, and seasoned entrepreneur, Jeff helps high-achieving leaders and teams Own Their Zone™—so they can unlock excellence, thrive under pressure, and build resilience without sacrificing their well-being.
The problem isn’t a lack of talent or ambition. It’s the nonstop pressure to perform at peak levels—day after day, quarter after quarter. Over 55% of leaders report elevated stress that erodes communication, culture, focus, innovation, productivity, and long-term energy.
Most stress management strategies only add more complexity and confusion. But elite performers don’t just grind harder—they train differently. They master the longevity game by expanding their capacity mentally, physically, and emotionally to handle pressure with precision.
Through his transformational Own Your Zone™ framework, Jeff equips leaders to:
Expand mental, emotional, and physical capacity to handle high-stakes pressure
Apply the same fundamentals elite athletes and performers use to stay at the top
Navigate adversity, conflict, and failure with confidence and composure
Balance ambition with strategic recovery and long-term sustainability
Build resilience, sharpen focus, and sustain energy through uncertainty
Jeff’s journey—from elite athlete to executive coach and entrepreneur—has been shaped by reinvention, adversity, and a relentless commitment to growth. He’s battled career-threatening injuries, high expectations, and personal setbacks—not just to survive, but to evolve.
With over 25 years of research and real-world experience in high-stakes performance, Jeff helps leaders model what elite performers do to stay grounded, focused, and at their best—even under relentless pressure.
As the world accelerates and demands intensify, Jeff offers more than inspiration—he delivers a proven path to help leaders perform at their peak, prevent burnout, and create high-performance cultures built to last.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jeffsalzenstein/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffsalzenstein/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jeffsalzenstein
www.jeffsalzenstein.com
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