Stay at the Top cover art

Stay at the Top

Stay at the Top

By: Jess Spendlove
Listen for free

This is a podcast tailored for the driven high-performer, seeking growth and success both now and sustainably for future you, as well. Our aim is to guide you from feeling exhausted to energised with ease and enjoyment. Here, we will help you harness the power of nutrition, sleep, mindset, and other high-performance behaviours to achieve your goals, gain more energy, reach the top, and most importantly, stay there.

While success undoubtedly demands dedication, it doesn't have to entail enduring hardship or constant sacrifice. In this podcast, we will help you find the right levers to pull in your life, prioritising ease over friction. We advocate for the path of least resistance and embrace longevity over the all-too-common 'all or nothing' tactics and mindsets.

4f21676dc12aaf85becaa091f73d7905499ccc94

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

Jess Spendlove Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Change your reality by shifting your energy

    Change your reality by shifting your energy
    Jun 29 2026
    What if you could shift the energy of the room by raising your consciousness? Kate Kendall is a yogi and breathwork facilitator who helps people live less frantically.Stillness is the most underutilised tool we have for productivity and fulfilment. It’s often mistaken for weakness or being unproductive, but it is essential for avoiding burnout.Kate explains how to reclaim presence in the body and mind by reframing recovery as a strategy.In this episode Kate sharesWhy breath is one of the most underutilised performance tools availableThe impact of modern life on the way we breatheWhy nose breathing matters and how it influences health and performanceThe difference between formal and informal breathwork practicesWhat nervous system regulation actually meansSimple breathing techniques to become calmer and more focusedWhy leaders can shift the energy of a room through their own presenceThe relationship between breath, intuition and creativityHow to cultivate more stillness in a fast paced worldWhy nature, movement and simple rituals regulate the nervous systemThe role of awareness in making better decisionsWhy the sacred is often found in the ordinary moments of everyday lifeKey Quotes“Awakening is just a series of softenings.”“You can lead by simply shifting your energy in the room.”“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”Timestamps(00:00) Why breath is the most underutilised performance tool(01:36) How modern life changed the way we breathe(04:13) The history and importance of nose breathing(07:32) How to become a better nose breather(10:23) Formal vs informal breathwork practices(12:45) Breathwork journeys and nervous system healing(14:40) What nervous system regulation really means(17:01) Simple breathing techniques for stress and focus(19:20) A practical breathing exercise(22:57) How your breath changes the energy of the room(25:57) Kate's burnout and finding regulation(35:11) Intuition versus ego(39:31) Creating more stillness in everyday life(43:26) Nature, spirituality and reconnecting with yourself(47:08) Finding your own path to stillness(49:23) Why longevity starts with today(53:00) Living your purpose without attachment to outcomes(55:57) The simplest place to start(58:18) Kate's podcast and where to find her(59:28) Kate's three habits for staying at the topKate Kendall 🟩 Website: https://activeyogi.com.au/🟩 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activeyogi🟩 Podcast: Where We Soften🟩 Substack: https://substack.com/@activeyogi 📖 PRE-ORDER For the Long Run by Jess Spendlove 👉https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/n423EaTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Stay At The Top🟩 Speaker Inquiries jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/🟩 Follow Jess on IG https://shorturl.at/s7egp🟩 Follow Jess on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaspendlove/📩 Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min
  • How to reclaim your focus and live less reactive

    How to reclaim your focus and live less reactive
    Jun 22 2026

    When you’re in reactive mode, your environment dictates how you live your day-to-day: eating when hungry, responding to calls and texts immediately, exercising when your body is screaming for it.

    This is extremely cognitively expensive because it’s pulling from the finite pool of your attention and willpower.

    Which is why you need to shift from reactive to proactive as soon as possible.

    In this episode, I help you get honest with yourself about your reactive behaviour so you can create a gap between stimulus and response.

    This isn’t about willpower or requiring a ton of energy, but it will improve your control over your busy life.


    In This Episode I share

    • Why living reactively is costing you energy and performance
    • The difference between relying on feelings and relying on systems
    • What a personal operating system actually is
    • Why high performers need structure, not more motivation
    • How consistent nutrition creates better energy and focus
    • The importance of eating proactively rather than reactively
    • Why a regular bedtime is one of the highest leverage habits you can build
    • How a go to bed alarm can transform your sleep routine
    • Creating a simple sleep landing protocol that works in real life
    • Why movement should be flexible but non-negotiable
    • The power of domino habits and anchor behaviours
    • How to adapt your operating system for travel, holidays and busy seasons
    • Why consistency beats perfection every time


    Key Quotes

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

    “The habits that look simple are often the ones that move the needle the most.”


    Timestamps

    (00:00) Why most people live reactively

    (01:36) What a personal operating system is

    (02:27) The problem with relying on feelings

    (05:05) Why systems outperform motivation

    (08:18) Building proactive nutrition habits

    (10:13) The power of a go to bed alarm

    (12:25) Creating a sleep landing protocol

    (15:08) Why movement needs flexibility

    (18:22) Building an operating system that works in real life

    (20:40) Domino habits that create momentum

    (24:08) Adapting your operating system for different seasons

    (28:01) Thinking strategically about recovery and energy


    📖 PRE-ORDER For the Long Run by Jess Spendlove 👉https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/n423Ea


    Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz

    https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/


    Stay At The Top

    🟩 Speaker Inquiries jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/

    🟩 Follow Jess on IG https://shorturl.at/s7egp

    🟩 Follow Jess on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaspendlove/

    📩 Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • The happiness trap no one warned you about with Declan Edwards

    The happiness trap no one warned you about with Declan Edwards
    Jun 15 2026
    There is a right way and a wrong way to finding happiness.Unfortunately, most of us are only familiar with the wrong way: pursuing happiness.Paradoxically, our greatest pain comes from trying to pursue happiness. “I’ll be happy when”.Declan Edwards is a world-renowned Happiness Expert, a leader in positive psychology (the non-toxic kind), who has transformed the lives of high performers all across the world.Declan walks through the art of finding happiness and meaning that aren’t reliant on external factors like getting that promotion, a nice car, or a house.If you are someone who feels like your cup is always half full, then this episode is for youIn This Episode Declan ShareWhy happiness is a skill that can be learned and practisedThe relationship between happiness and successWhy high performers often fall victim to the moving goalposts phenomenonThe science behind the hedonic treadmill and hedonic adaptationWhy happiness needs a PR makeoverThe difference between joy, connection, meaning and purposeWhy emotions are not inconveniences to be avoidedPractical ways to build emotional intelligence and self-awarenessHow to reconnect with your body and understand what emotions are telling youThe parenting paradox and what it teaches us about happinessWhy connection is one of the strongest predictors of long-term wellbeingThe five foundational skills for cultivating happinessHow journaling can help you identify life's early warning signsDeclan's top habits for staying at the topKey Quotes“Success at the cost of happiness is one of the most common forms of failure.”“Our brains have this funny tendency to always be moving the goalposts for happiness.”“We get too caught up being human doings and forget to be human beings.”Timestamps(00:00) Success versus happiness(02:31) Is happiness what we should be aiming for?(05:17) Declan's journey into happiness research(08:30) Why high performers keep moving the goalposts(09:19) The hedonic treadmill explained(12:51) Why happiness needs a PR makeover(16:37) The role of emotions in a happy life(19:03) Getting out of your head and back into your body(19:55) Building emotional literacy and awareness(23:28) How becoming a parent changed Declan's perspective(29:58) Internal stability versus external stability(33:02) The five foundational happiness skills(37:31) Gratitude, journaling and retraining the brain(41:05) Life gives us a poke, then a push, then a punch(42:04) Connection, belonging and the Harvard Study(46:39) Declan's new book, How to Be Happy(49:12) Three habits that help Declan stay at the topDeclan Edwards🟩 More about Declan Edwards: https://www.rorywarnock.com/Jess Spendlove📖 PRE-ORDER For the Long Run by Jess Spendlove 👉https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/n423EaTake the High-Performance Profile Quizhttps://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/Stay At The Top🟩 Speaker Inquiries jessicaspendlove.com/speaking/🟩 Follow Jess on IG https://shorturl.at/s7egp🟩 Follow Jess on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaspendlove/📩 Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet