Ben Stokes has just announced his retirement from international cricket. And the person who can best explain what that decision truly costs — and what Stokes has meant as a captain and a human being — is Stuart Broad.

Stuart retired in 2023 on his own terms: last ball, The Oval, England versus Australia. In this conversation, he tells the full story of the night he walked down the hotel corridor and knocked on Stokesy's door to tell him it was over. What happened in that room, and how he felt when he woke up the next morning, is something every leader will recognise.

But this conversation goes much deeper than retirement. Stuart opens up about the T20 World Cup in Durban — the day six sixes were hit off one over, and how the humiliation changed everything. He explains the mental frameworks he quietly built over the following 16 years: warrior mode, assassin mode, the daily note-making practice that started as a cricket habit and became a life habit. And he makes a case that the game is not 80% mental — it's closer to 90.

A brilliant episode on performance, legacy, and knowing when to walk away.

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Jake and Damian go deep on one of the most universal struggles in high performance: why so many of us find it almost impossible to say no, and what it's actually costing us when we can't.

Drawing on conversations with promoter Barry Hearn, who walked away from a £30 million deal because he didn't like the people behind it, comedian Katherine Ryan, who voluntarily gave up a career-defining TV slot so other women could have their chance, and leading psychologist Gabor Maté, who traces the roots of people-pleasing all the way back to childhood, Jake and Damian explore why saying yes to everyone else might mean saying no to yourself.

They cover the science of sociotropy, the difference between "I can't" and "I don't", and why the guilt you feel when you say no is usually a sign you've got your values exactly right.

Plus, the audience response to Liam Lawson's recent episode has been extraordinary. Jake and Damian reflect on why it's struck such a nerve.

Listen to the full episodes featured:

Barry Hearn https://pod.fo/e/157c60

Katherine Ryan https://pod.fo/e/1df492

Gabor Maté https://pod.fo/e/273d65

Revolut Business 👉 High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep5-aud and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.

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Do Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au

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Professor Geir Jordet flips everything you think you know about high-stakes performance on its head, revealing that a penalty shootout is won or lost long before the foot ever hits the ball.

In this episode, the world’s leading football psychologist breaks down the meticulous psychological warfare of the 2022 World Cup Final and explains how England transformed from the world’s worst shootout team into the absolute best through structural changes like the "buddy system."

He exposes the hidden mechanics of pressure, from Harry Kane’s unpredictable dual technique and Erling Haaland’s surprising admission of fear, to why overthinking for twelve seconds cost Marcus Rashford at the Euros. Jordet also debunks major football myths, unpacking the subtle manipulation tactics used by players like Emiliano Martínez and explaining why trying to fake a smile under immense pressure will backfire.

This episode offers a sophisticated masterclass in process-over-outcome thinking, delivering powerful lessons on anxiety, team-wide psychological safety, and how to master your mind when the eyes of the world are on you.

Revolut Business 👉 High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep5-aud and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.

AG1 👉Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs

Do Health 👉 Get ahead of your health, don't react to it. Head to https://highpfrmc.com/dohealth-hpp-au to sign up now

Better Help 👉 Join Jake in Saying It Louder with 10% off Betterhelp Therapy. Click here: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-betterhelp-au

Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at gohenry.com/highperformance with £5 FREE to get started!

Postcode Lottery 👉 Discover how Postcode Lottery players are Powering Hope Together. Click here to find out more: https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-postcode-au

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