The Strength In Numbers Podcast

About The Strength In Numbers Podcast

Coaching is more than just X’s and O’s—it’s about the principles, philosophies, and mindset that shape great leaders. Building on the ideas from the book "Strength In Numbers," this podcast brings together top coaches from across the sports world (and beyond) who are driven to learn, grow, and lead with purpose. Through in-depth conversations, we’ll explore how elite coaches think, operate, and make decisions for long-term success. Whether you’re a coach, leader, or lifelong learner, this podcast is your mentorship playbook—helping you be your best while building a career that lasts.

Publisher

John Bloom

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Apr 2025

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

72 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026

   EP 72: Business of Strength Retreat | Raise the Standard, Outlast Everyone (Burnard, Orr, Chapman, Corrasa)

   Recorded live in Park City, Utah, our first ever in-person episode brings together Blair Orr (LEAD), Blake Burnard (Grindhaus), Chase Chapman (Grindhaus), and Brandon Corrasa (LEAD) right after the Business of Strength Gold Medal Standard Retreat.We break down what was most impactful over the weekend, including how to create story-worthy moments for your clients, raising the standards you hold yourself, your staff, and your athletes to, knowing when to fire staff and how to hire to your values, and training your staff on communication standards.We also dive into takeaways from Bobby Maximus's talk on social media and content, the inflection points that helped their gyms turn pro, the mindset it takes to weather the storm of entrepreneurship when everything feels like it's falling apart, and how to attract members who align with your culture and handle the ones who don't.Stick around after the end credits for a good word we shared once the mics were off.🔗Check out more from the crew 👇 Blair Orr: @lead.blair @leadperformanceBlake Bernard: @blakeburnardcoaching @grindhaus_scChase Chapman: @chase_chapman15Brandon Corrasa: @brandon_corrasaThis podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. (https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H)00:00 Intro02:55 Biggest Takeaways From the Retreat05:44 Professionalism and Follow-Through08:23 Training Staff on Communication Standards11:58 Holding the Standard Every Time21:11 Enforcing Standards and Knowing When to Fire22:50 Attracting Members Who Fit Your Culture28:37 Handling Members Who Don't Fit35:11 Creating Story-Worthy Moments41:59 Bobby Maximus on Social Media and Content46:41 Inflection Points That Helped Them Turn Pro53:51 Weathering the Storm of Entrepreneurship01:05:55 Delegation and Leading With Clarity01:17:23 Bonus: Faith and Business

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   EP 71: Henry Barrera | The Soul of Performance, Curiosity, and Journaling

   Henry Barrera, Strength and Conditioning Coach for Men's Basketball at the University of Alabama, joins the show for a conversation on learning, communication, failure, and purpose. Henry has been part of multiple SEC championships, an Elite Eight run, and the program's first-ever trip to the Final Four, and before Alabama he spent seven years at Liberty winning three conference championships and the school's first NCAA Tournament victory.But this conversation is less about training and more about how Henry thinks. He may be the most curious coach in the profession, and he takes the best notes and journals in the country.We dive deep into his system for actionable learning, how he uses filters and frameworks to cut through information overload, his process for "journal diving" and returning to what he wrote, the power of sticky language, and how coaches develop the ability to command a room.We also get into why creating opportunities for failure matters and how he builds that into the weight room, his vision for a Director of Learning and Development role on a staff, and the "Soul of Performance" idea he's writing about right now: why gifted athletes make it or don't, and what the rest of us can learn from them.🔗Check out more from Henry👇Instagram: @HoopDiariesThis podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. (https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H)Chapters00:00 Intro03:51 Born Curious: What Drives His Learning05:08 Serving Athletes as the Engine for Curiosity07:06 Filters, Frameworks, and Information Overload08:27 Journal Diving and the Analog-Digital System12:48 Learning to Love Reading16:17 The Director of Learning and Development Role19:17 Communication as the Biggest Limiter20:25 What Teaching Taught Him About Coaching22:35 Sticky Language and the Deaf Man and the Blind Man24:21 Building the Ability to Command a Room28:48 Bandwidth, Drip Feed, and When to Use Your Voice29:43 Creating Opportunities for Failure37:11 Data, Feedback, and Pushing Into AI40:29 Perspective Through Loss42:55 Lessons From Fatherhood47:58 What His Own Playing Career Taught Him49:52 The Soul of Performance

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   EP 70: Sean Hayes | Make Yourself Irreplaceable

   Sean Hayes, Director of Athletic Performance for Volleyball, Men’s Tennis, and Men’s Swimming at the University of Georgia, joins the show in his 17th season with the Bulldogs. Coach Hayes spent more than a decade with Men’s Basketball at Georgia, and his path also includes stops with the Buffalo Bills, Clemson, Harvard, and Tulsa.We dive into what he learned running 41 teams by himself as the first Director at Harvard, the wake-up call Mike Boyle delivered to him as an intern, how he kickstarts his own self-discipline after 30 years in the field, and why he set a goal to back squat 315 before his daughter graduated.Coach Hayes also breaks down how he has stayed at Georgia for seventeen years and why he has chosen to stay, what he learned adapting to a coaching change, the importance of letting career progression happen organically, and why you should work to make yourself irreplaceable wherever you are.We also get into laser focused prioritization, why he leans on his staff instead of trying to have all the answers, the changes he has made to his volleyball team's training this season with post-practice lifting, and the honest reflection on what he sacrificed with his oldest daughter along the way.🔗Check out more from Coach Hayes👇Instagram: @coachshayesThis podcast evolved from my book, Strength In Numbers — the ultimate mentorship guide for coaches.Featuring insights from 100+ ELITE coaches across every level and sport, it’s an encyclopedia of coaching wisdom built to help you grow your career, navigate failure, and find long-term coaching success.👉 Grab your copy of Strength In Numbers [by clicking here]. (https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Numbers-Insight-Long-Term-Coaching/dp/B0DPNCVG4H)Chapters00:00 Intro 02:57 Seventeen Years at Georgia and the Path There 04:20 Running 41 Sports Solo at Harvard 09:38 Building a Program From Scratch 12:32 What Hard Early Years Teach You 13:53 The Mike Boyle Wake-Up Call 16:54 Kickstarting Your Own Self-Discipline 18:45 Setting a Back Squat Goal at 52 20:41 Finding a Second Mountain 23:59 Why He Has Stayed at Georgia 25:34 Not Tying Your Identity to the Sport You Work With 26:50 Ingraining Yourself in the Department 28:52 Keeping Ego Out of Career Decisions 31:23 Adapting to a Coaching Change 36:24 Turning Defensiveness Into Growth 39:18 Career Advice for Young Coaches in Today's Landscape 44:42 Make Yourself Irreplaceable 46:09 Goal Setting and Laser Focused Prioritization 49:18 Changing Volleyball Training to Post-Practice Lifting 52:02 Reflection, Vulnerability, and Leaning on Staff 54:41 Isometrics, Plyos, and Getting Uncomfortable 59:59 What Helped His Career but Cost Him at Home 01:03:52 When He Is Closest to His Purpose

Who has been a guest on The Strength In Numbers Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Josh Bray
• Keith Spencer
• Jordan Bush
• Christian LaValle
• Jason Martinez

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

71

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Pitching The Strength In Numbers Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Dave Tate's Table Talk

• 

  Move the Needle: The Human Performance Podcast

• 

  CVASPS The Podcast

• 

  The Tim Dillon Show