Personal Development for High Performers: My Top 3 Podcasts
You know that feeling when you’re just stuck in your head… too tired to enjoy life but too wired to actually rest? I’ve been there. What has often worked for me are personal development podcasts, allowing me to reset. Not the fluff-filled fantasy or fiction kind, but the stories and perspectives that makes you pause, take stock, and do better.
These three have helped me in very different ways. Whether I was navigating the post-Olympic dip, plotting a future beyond diving, or figuring out how to connect identity and performance, they offered insight, perspective and the occasional laugh. Here's how they helped—and how they might help you too.
1. The Diary of a CEO – When I Needed Solitude With Substance
You’ve probably already heard of this one. Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO became a Sunday morning ritual for me during a weird but pivotal chapter. Not long after the rescheduled Tokyo 2021 Olympics, I went through a breakup from a 3-year relationship. Training resumed as normal, life should have just continued—but it wasn’t as easy as I hoped.
I got so comfortable being alone that weekends in my Edinburgh flat became the norm. After I finished training on Saturday, I sometimes wouldn’t leave until it was time to go back to the pool on Monday morning. I wasn’t recovering. I was retreating.
That’s when I started taking a walk at Portobello Beach every Sunday morning. Phone on airplane mode, and DOAC in my ears. It wasn’t just escapism. It was connection. Bartlett’s mix of business brilliance and emotional honesty gave me clarity, ideas, and accountability.
Takeaways from DOAC:
Stepping outside (literally) changed how I showed up in training come Monday.
Listening to vulnerability made it easier to embrace my own.
Reflection became part of my life routine, not just something I did after a bad dive.
2. The GaryVee Audio Experience – When I Needed Energy & Brutal Honesty
Back in the early days of my move to Edinburgh, my weekends often meant a long drive down to Leeds. And trust me, nothing keeps you awake better than Gary Vaynerchuk shouting in your ear, with his distinctive New York accent, about patience and hard work.
His energy is chaotic—in the best way. I didn’t even have a business idea yet, but I knew I wanted to explore entrepreneurship eventually. And Gary’s transparency about the journey—what it really takes to build something from scratch—was the opposite of discouraging. It fired me up.
Even when diving was all-consuming, this podcast helped me think long-term.
Takeaways from GaryVee:
You don’t have to “arrive” right here right now—just stay in the game, stay learning.
Entrepreneurship is less about flashy ideas and more about steady persistent graft.
Passion doesn’t always come first—sometimes it grows while you work.
3. DIVE Beyond Sport – Creating the missing Conversations
Okay, shameless plug incoming… but it’s my blog, I can do what I want. After a few months of planning and preparation, later on this week, my good mate Freddie Woodward OLY and I will be launching a new podcast: DIVE Beyond Sport.
Why? I hear you ask… aren’t you doing enough, Yona?
Well, we’ve lived the transition. We both went from Rio 2016 Olympians, to Tokyo and Paris for me, and the cruise ships of the Caribbean for Freddie (or pirate ships, who knows), to now navigating life beyond the boards. We realised that not enough people talk about who you become once the spotlight fades. Or how sport shapes your identity far beyond the medals.
DIVE stands for Discovering Identity, Value, and Excellence—and it’s not just for athletes to hear. It’s for anyone trying to find alignment between what they do and who they are.
Takeaways from DIVE:
You’re more than your performance. Always. Good or bad.
Identity and excellence can coexist—you don’t have to choose.
Talking openly (and listening deeply) is a form of strength, not weakness.
Conclusion: Plug In, Tune Up, Level Up
In the noise of high performance—whether in sport, business or life—it’s easy to get stuck in your own head. But that’s why personal development podcasts are more than just background noise. They’re powerful tools for reflection, direction, and sometimes even protection.
I’ve used them to reset, refocus, and remind myself that I’m not alone in the pursuit of growth. And if I’m honest, they’ve helped me believe more deeply in my own ability to evolve.
That’s the core of self-belief: not just thinking you can, but proving to yourself that you do.
So here’s your challenge—find that one podcast that speaks to you right now. Make it a habit. Reflect. Then act.
🎧 Share this with someone who needs a mindset shift.
🧠 Drop your go-to personal development podcast in the comments.
💬 And let me know what topic you’d like me to dive into next.