Olympic athletes push relentlessly to be physically and mentally stronger than their competition—Smarter Better Faster Stronger, hosted by GQ writer Clay Skipper, figures out how they do both. Even if you're not gunning for gold, you'll come away with advice on how to build better habits, manage doubt and fear, handle sudden success, and push past your comfort zones. You know: advice we could all use. Subscribe everywhere you listen to podcasts. Apple Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do Beyonce, Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Iovine, and Jack Dorsey all have in common? They've all worked their asses off (duh)—and they’re all connected to Steve Stoute. As a longtime advertising and music executive (and a recently appointed consultant to the New York Knicks), Stoute made a name for himself by working creatively alongside some of the biggest names in sports, music, and business. Here, he addresses the recent Spike Lee-New York Knicks controversy, tells stories from decades spent working with the highly successful, and talks about the powerful self-belief that comes from relentless hustle.  Level Up newsletter sign-up: https://www.gq.com/newsletter/subscribe?newsletterId=248891&utm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shea Serrano became a writer when, as a teacher in need of some extra money, he did a Google search for jobs you can do from home. “I didn't have any journalism experience. I didn't know anybody. All I had was the computer and the internet, and I figured that shit out,” says Serrano, who's now a staff writer at The Ringer. Along the way, he wrote three New York Times bestsellers and has established himself as a perennial Twitter all-star (where, when he’s not firing off extremely funny tweets, he’s leveraging his 330K followers to do things like raise $134,000 dollars for Hurricane Harvey victims). In other words, in a world where careers and work are unpredictable and self-doubt is inescapable, Shea Serrano has some lessons on how to bet on yourself—and win big.  Follow: Shea Serrano — @SheaSerrano Clay Skipper — @SkipperClay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to comedian Joel Kim Booster, a stand-up audience "can smell the blood in the water if you're not confident." Even though, at 31, Joel has been performing jokes for nearly a decade, he says he's only felt confident for part of that time. On this episode, he unpacks how he got comfortable being in front of a crowd, what comedy and humor have done for his confidence offstage, and why, of all the places he performs, cruise ships are the most nerve-wracking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Gervais is a sports psychologist who works with athletes in “high stakes or consequential environments.” The experience with his clients—which range from the Seattle Seahawks (who he helped win a Super Bowl in 2014) to skydiver Felix Baumgartner (who he helped free fall from 130,000 feet as part of the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012)—has shown him that there's one skill that proves more important to success than any other: the ability to respond constructively to the present moment. As proven by his clients' achievements, in Dr. Gervais's hands, fostering presence isn't some B.S. New Age hack. It's the key to increasing mental strength and resiliency, managing your inner world against outside stress, and finding your way to a more confident and capable you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a legendary resume that includes everything from rock climbing to whitewater rafting to marathon mountain biking, Rebecca Rusch isn't just an ultra endurance icon—she has also been dubbed adventure sports' "Queen of Pain." (At 38, she won the first 24-hour bike race she entered, and has since gone on to complete the Ho Chi Minh Trail and part of the Iditarod Trail on a bike.) And yet she's always doubted her abilities and felt like she has more to learn—and cites that sense of self-doubt as the source of her success. Here, she talks the power in pessimism, why good enough is better than perfect, and the lessons pain has taught her.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Barry Michels has spent decades helping his clients in the entertainment industry overcome the self-doubt holding them back from delivering their most compelling performances or writing their most nail-biting scripts. Drawing on years of experience as a psychotherapist, he explains why our society is in need of a radical reimagining of the idea of confidence, and why it all begins with accepting the reality that everyone is insecure. Most importantly, he shares the tools he uses to help Hollywood's A-listers beat that insecurity—yes, they're insecure, too—and unlock their potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a long time, Ari Leff made music that largely went unnoticed. But even after finding mega pop success writing and producing under the name Lauv, he still wrestled with self-doubt and struggled to work or create in the face of depression and anxiety. Now, with a debut album "How I'm Feeling" due out March 6th, he shares how he got his confidence back, how he calms his nerves and quiets negative self-talk, and what he's learned about getting out of the way of his own success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the course of four years at Duke and 14 in the NBA, J.J. Redick has proven himself to be one of basketball’s deadliest sharpshooters. A few hundreds of thousands of jumpers later, he has some thoughts on building the self-belief that will keep you confident under immense pressure and through any slump. Plus: the power of preparation, the joy of exceeding your own expectations, and the key to not psyching yourself out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jill Heinerth’s life story is one of wild adventure, with more than 30 years spent scuba diving beneath glaciers and into dark, underwater caves (once spending 13 consecutive hours on a dive). Not all of those dives have gone well. For our second conversation on confidence, Heinerth explains what we can all learn about managing fear, staying calm, and beating panic from her three decades of surviving underwater.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices