• EP 9: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindset
    Jun 25 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic:

    https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join Protocol One:

    https://skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about Jason:

    https://www.midwestcustomengineering.com/

    Connect with Jason:

    https://www.instagram.com/jasonshipleyofficial/

    James sits down with Jason Shipley — engineer, entrepreneur, and relentless self-reinventor — for a conversation on manufacturing, AI, mindset, and why the life you want comes from a better version of you, not a better strategy.

    Jason shares how running an engineering company taught him that the same principles that build world-class machinery also build world-class lives. He breaks down his 8F philosophy — Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Freedom, Friends, Fun, and Fulfillment — and why integration, not balance, is the real key.

    James and Jason discuss:

    • Engineering, AI, and the future of manufacturing

    • Why technology should enhance thinking, not replace it

    • Better questions beat better tools

    • The three shifts transforming everything: AI, robotics, and energy

    • Being a "prodigious noticer" — paying attention to life

    • Purpose beyond the paycheck — why fulfillment outlasts success

    • Why suffering is optional and belief creates reality

    • Living for your future self

    • The 8F philosophy — integration over balance

    • Why 99.5% of success is mindset and only 0.5% is skill

    • You can have anything you want — just not everything

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome and introduction

    00:10 Jason's backstory and Midwest Custom Engineering

    01:08 The nanomagnetic water technology

    02:44 AI and the future of manufacturing

    04:29 Why AI is slower to transform heavy industry

    07:15 Elon, Tesla, and building infrastructure first

    10:08 What are we optimizing for?

    11:53 AI as a thought enhancer, not a replacement

    13:50 The next generation and AI resistance

    16:23 Tony Robbins on thinking

    17:01 LearnSpark and AI-powered education

    18:00 Teaching kids curiosity over content

    21:30 AI and truth

    23:25 Training the mind to train the AI

    25:01 What will still matter in 10 years

    26:03 Optimus, automation, and what's left for humans

    32:38 The three shifts: AI, robotics, and what's next

    34:36 Technology, freedom, and driving

    37:23 Training our minds for abundance

    38:38 Finding purpose when the grind disappears

    41:45 Being a "prodigious noticer"

    43:44 Noticing what you're missing

    48:07 Living for your future self

    50:50 Where your focus goes, energy flows

    53:54 Suffering is optional

    56:49 Healing through belief

    59:48 99.5% mindset

    1:00:44 The 8F philosophy

    1:03:18 Figure out the one thing

    1:04:04 The Protocol One takeaway

    Don't Settle.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • EP 8: Shift Happens, Why Energy Beats Strategy
    Jun 18 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic:
    https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join Protocol One:
    https://skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about Damilare:
    https://joyinsideout.com/

    Connect with Damilare:
    https://www.instagram.com/damilare_adeyeri/

    James Neilson-Watt sits down with Damilare Adeyeri for a conversation on energy, physiology, peak performance, and why strategy alone will never get you where you want to go.

    Damilare shares how his years as a results coach and lead energy activator at Tony Robbins events taught him that state — not strategy — is the real driver of success. He breaks down the state-story-strategy framework, the neuroscience of energy (D.O.S.E.), and why most people stay stuck not because they lack a plan, but because they lack the energy to execute one.

    James and Damilare explore why suffering is often a choice, why the worst person to ask for advice is yourself, and why physiology — not introspection — is the fastest path to clarity and change.

    James and Damilare discuss:

    • Damilare's background with Tony Robbins
    • Being the lead energy activator on stage
    • State, story, and strategy
    • Why energy beats strategy every time
    • The neuroscience of energy — D.O.S.E.
    • Physiology first and shifting your state
    • Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
    • The if-and-when conundrum
    • Impossible goals and building momentum
    • Action brings clarity
    • The six human needs
    • Being your own worst advisor
    • Identity and the five shifts
    • Shift Happens — the book
    • Find Your JAM and group coaching


    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome and introduction
    01:08 Damilare's backstory and Tony Robbins
    05:13 State, story, and strategy explained
    09:03 Why knowing what to do isn't enough
    12:09 The neuroscience of energy — D.O.S.E.
    17:41 Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional
    23:04 Impossible goals and building momentum
    26:25 The if-and-when conundrum
    29:43 Why we seek effortless success
    34:36 Edison, mindset, and learning through action
    36:37 The worst person to ask for advice is yourself
    42:46 Get out of your head into your body
    44:41 Identity, the five shifts, and compelling future
    52:27 Physiology creates clarity to solve problems
    54:18 Shift Happens — the book
    56:17 Speaking, IRONMAN, and Find Your JAM
    58:27 The Protocol One takeaway

    Don't Settle.

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    59 mins
  • EP 7: Turning Relationships Into Leverage
    Jun 11 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join Protocol One:
    https://skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about Charles:
    https://charlesbyrd.com/

    Connect with Charles:
    https://www.instagram.com/charles_byrd_/

    James Neilson-Watt sits down with Charles Byrd for a conversation on relationship-driven growth, joint ventures, entrepreneurship, parenting, courage, AI, future skills, and building a life around what matters.

    Charles shares how his mother's illness became a wake-up call about the temporary nature of life and pushed him to leave corporate Silicon Valley, burn the boats, and build a business around impact, freedom, and relationships. He explains how a low-ticket productivity course evolved into PureJV, the Deal Flow System, and FLOW, his mastermind for entrepreneurs who want to grow through warm traffic, referrals, speaking, and trust-based partnerships.

    James and Charles explore why AI can compress execution but cannot replace clear thinking, strong offers, or real connection, and why the next era belongs to people who define outcomes, build relationships, and use tools in service of mission.

    James and Charles discuss:

    • Charles's Silicon Valley background
    • Leaving corporate after a wake-up call
    • The Deal Flow System and FLOW mastermind
    • Warm traffic, referrals, and joint ventures
    • Burning the boats and figuring it out
    • Courage, skydiving, and hard things
    • Parenting, resilience, and self-leadership
    • The six vectors and finding the real gap
    • Fundamentals, health, psychology, and control
    • AI, automation, and business leverage
    • Why bad offers are not fixed by AI
    • RAG databases and relationship intelligence
    • Future skills for kids and entrepreneurs
    • Why social skills become more valuable
    • Communities, events, and connection
    • Building for where technology is going

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome and reconnecting
    00:40 Charles's story and current work
    01:30 From events to warm traffic
    02:30 PureJV, Deal Flow, and FLOW
    03:40 Skydiving, bungee jumping, and fear
    06:50 Charles's mother's diagnosis
    08:40 I can, I will, end of story
    10:20 Teaching kids to do hard things
    13:30 Fundamentals and control
    15:00 AI tools and fast execution
    17:00 The six vectors and the real gap
    18:40 AI-centric operations
    20:20 Why pointless AI is still pointless
    23:40 AI, offers, and client work
    25:50 Training AI on proven frameworks
    27:50 RAG databases and context
    31:50 Building custom internal systems
    33:50 Kids, math, and learning to think
    36:50 Entrepreneurs waking up to AI
    42:00 Claude Cowork and OpenClaw
    45:00 Automated meeting workflows
    48:20 From APIs to computer control
    51:20 Outcome thinking and automation
    54:30 Kids, social skills, and rapport
    57:40 Relationships are everything
    59:30 Events, trust, and connection
    1:01:00 Technology serving human experience
    1:05:10 Robots and the future home
    1:09:30 Tesla, autopilot, and time leverage
    1:11:30 Build for where tech is going
    1:14:40 GPT wrappers and fading moats
    1:18:30 Learn more about Charles

    Don't Settle.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • EP 6: Learning To Trust The Mission
    Jun 4 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join Protocol One:
    https://skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about Adam:
    https://adamjablin.com/

    Connect with Adam:
    https://instagram.com/adamjablin/

    Listen to Adam's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hero-project-podcast/id1800764307

    James Neilson-Watt sits down with Adam Jablin for a conversation on recovery, surrender, faith, entrepreneurship, purpose, parenting, AI, and trusting life's timing.

    Adam shares how getting clean and sober forced him to let go of his old identity, and how the last five years challenged him to surrender deeper. He opens up about comparison, social media, losing trust, reconnecting with God, and learning not to rush the process but to trust it.

    James and Adam explore how meaning shapes experience, why the outside world distracts us from inner work, and how purpose is found not only through pain, but through joy.

    James and Adam discuss:

    • Recovery and surrender
    • Comparison, chase energy, and entrepreneurship
    • Faith, trust, and divine timing
    • Meaning, identity, and inner language
    • Parenting, responsibility, and self-awareness
    • The hero's journey and answering the call
    • Purpose, mission, and service
    • Joy in the solution
    • Ideas, courage, and timing
    • Distraction, social media, and lower needs
    • Health, family, and future self
    • AI, education, and capable kids
    • Connection and presence

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Protocol One
    00:40 Adam reconnects
    01:00 Surrender and sobriety
    02:40 Noise, comparison, and chasing
    04:10 Lessons repeated until learned
    05:20 Knowing, doing, and staying open
    06:30 Being wrong and changing your mind
    07:20 Meaning, language, and stories
    09:20 Creating space from old filters
    10:30 Parenting, identity, and growth
    13:50 Responsibility and accountability
    14:40 Adam's upbringing
    16:20 Outside validation
    17:50 Alcohol, drugs, and what they fixed
    18:40 Getting clean and inside work
    19:20 Entrepreneurship and helping people
    20:10 Tony Robbins and pressure
    21:00 Surrendering Superman
    21:50 Trust, God, and the process
    24:20 Divine timing
    26:40 Comparing paths and seasons
    28:40 Mission vs. job energy
    30:00 The cost of rushing goals
    31:50 Goals and becoming
    33:50 LearnSpark, impact, and kids
    36:40 The hero's journey
    38:00 Finding mission when stuck
    39:40 Pain, joy, and the solution
    41:10 Creativity and ideas
    43:00 Ideas are in the field
    44:40 Courage, timing, and ownership
    47:10 Grab the idea and run
    49:30 Struggle, stories, and experience
    51:20 News cycles and distraction
    52:40 Quieting noise to find purpose
    54:00 Heart, state, and presence
    55:20 Needs, movements, and contribution
    56:40 Sports and identity
    58:40 Future self and rocking chair test
    1:01:20 Staying healthy and on mission
    1:02:00 Longevity and what matters
    1:05:00 AI education and future skills
    1:07:00 Social skills and kids
    1:09:00 Final reflections

    Don't Settle

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • EP 5: Rebuilding Yourself One Choice At A Time
    May 28 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join Protocol One:
    https://skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about Matt:

    https://mattscoletti.com/

    Connect with Matt:

    https://instagram.com/mattscoletti/

    Listen to Matt's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/challenges-build-champions-with-matt-scoletti/id1486256327

    In this episode, James Neilson-Watt sits down with Matt Scoletti for a conversation on sobriety, identity, discipline, endurance, speaking, AI, connection, and rebuilding yourself one choice at a time.

    Matt shares how alcohol took hold of his life, the moment that forced him to face who he was becoming, and how one 15-minute commitment became 10 years of sobriety. He opens up about blame, accountability, health, running over 100 marathons, and celebrating the choices that shape identity.

    Together, James and Matt explore how small wins reinforce identity and why human connection matters more in an AI-driven world.

    James and Matt discuss:

    • Sobriety, accountability, and change
    • Identity through daily choices
    • The 15-minute rule
    • Staying the same vs. changing
    • Celebrating small wins
    • Resistance from old environments
    • Health, wealth, time, and living fully
    • Balancing contentment with drive
    • Speaking, race MCing, YouTube, and value
    • AI, curiosity, and education
    • Parenting, social skills, and rapport

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Protocol One
    00:40 Matt's background: Pittsburgh, basketball, college, alcohol
    02:00 The moment Matt had to change
    02:40 Addiction, health, and ultra running
    03:00 Addictive personalities
    05:00 Blame, accountability, and truth
    06:00 The future if nothing changes
    07:20 Tony Robbins, energy, action, and change
    08:40 The 15-minute rule
    09:20 Identity, votes, and health
    10:00 Why strategy fails without identity
    13:20 Breaking change into small actions
    15:20 Health, energy, and longevity
    17:20 Taking pressure off achievement
    18:00 Celebrating small wins
    20:40 Love, fear, and reinforcement
    22:00 15 minutes to nearly 10 years sober
    23:00 Becoming your best is not selfish
    24:00 Responsibility, values, and who relies on you
    26:00 Encouragement and gratitude
    30:00 Resistance when you change
    31:20 Staying true to who you are becoming
    33:00 Choosing identity before life chooses for you
    34:20 Speaking goals and intentional living
    36:00 Contentment and drive
    40:00 Health, wealth, and time
    43:20 Matt's fake gravestone reminder
    45:20 Enjoying today while building tomorrow
    48:20 Build it, love it, and value the journey
    52:00 Two lives and the death calendar
    55:20 Memories, AI, and documenting life
    59:20 Speaking, race MCing, and YouTube
    1:01:40 AI, creativity, and what to make
    1:05:20 AI tutors, education, and interaction
    1:07:20 Why real-world experiences matter
    1:11:20 Curiosity and learning from everyone
    1:12:40 Raising socially confident kids
    1:15:20 Building rapport quickly
    1:18:00 Matt's resources and Challenges Build Champions
    1:19:00 Final reflections and Six Vector

    Don't Settle.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 19 mins
  • EP 4: Becoming The Man Your Relationship Needs
    May 21 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic.
    Visit: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join the Protocol One community.
    Visit: https://www.skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about John and Annie Meng at LoveJAAM.
    Visit: https://lovejaam.com/events

    In this episode, James Neilson-Watt sits down with John Meng for a deep conversation on relationships, responsibility, fatherhood, endurance, masculine leadership, and what it takes to build a love that lasts.

    John shares how his background in engineering, motocross, tennis, and Ironman racing shaped his understanding of discipline, pressure, and emotional control. He opens up about the performance standards he grew up with, the relationship struggles that forced him to grow, and the path that led him into helping couples create stronger, more connected partnerships.

    Together, James and John explore the difference between fault and responsibility, why relationships often break down when partners expect each other to meet unmet needs, and how commitment, compassion, and chemistry shape the seasons of a relationship.

    In this episode, James and John discuss:

    • Fatherhood, sons, daughters, and masculine development
    • The pressure of high standards and performance-based identity
    • Motocross, tennis, Ironman, and endurance as self-discovery
    • The difference between fault and responsibility
    • Why relationships break down when needs become expectations
    • The four seasons of a relationship
    • Commitment, compassion, chemistry, and lasting love
    • The men’s tunnel, rites of passage, and masculine growth
    • Mission, submission, admiration, and leadership in relationships

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Protocol One with John Meng
    00:40 John’s background: engineering, motocross, tennis, and family
    01:40 Raising sons and daughters
    04:40 Guiding boys’ energy and masculine development
    05:50 Fatherhood, high standards, and performance pressure
    08:40 From sports to relationships and Ironman
    11:20 Marriage, divorce, and learning to lead in relationship
    13:00 Tony Robbins, David Goggins, and the Ironman path
    16:00 Fully committing to the Ironman journey
    17:00 Heart-rate training, calm, and emotional stability
    18:00 Responsibility vs. fault
    22:40 Loving the spouse you have
    23:00 Relationship needs and breakdown patterns
    26:00 The four seasons of a relationship
    27:20 Spring, commitment, and the power struggle
    28:40 Summer, self-discovery, and compassion
    30:00 Fall, partnership, and reigniting chemistry
    31:20 Winter and the fully developed relationship
    33:40 The men’s tunnel and rites of passage
    39:20 Who am I really?
    48:40 Compassion as the core relationship lesson
    54:40 Mortality, health scares, and living fully
    58:20 Making your relationship the top priority
    1:05:00 Who do I need to be for my partner?
    1:06:00 Mission, submission, and masculine leadership
    1:10:40 John’s resources and LoveJAAM
    1:12:20 Final reflections and the Six Vector Assessment

    Don’t Settle.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • EP 3: Turning Pressure Into Leverage
    May 17 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic.
    Visit: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join the Protocol One community.
    Visit: https://www.skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about what Philippe is building with Oneka Elements.
    Visit: https://www.onekaelements.com

    In this episode, James Neilson-Watt sits down with Philippe for a wide-ranging conversation on discipline, business, resilience, AI, and the personal growth required to build something that lasts.

    Philippe shares how growing up on a family farm, playing professional hockey, and transitioning into entrepreneurship shaped his view of work, pressure, and persistence. He opens up about the identity shift of leaving hockey behind, building Oneka Elements into a natural personal care brand, and facing a major production crisis that nearly broke the business.

    Together, James and Philippe explore how problems can become gifts when they force clarity, stronger systems, better leadership, and real profitability. They also dig into the role of AI in modern business, why operators need to rethink outdated software and manual processes, and how entrepreneurs can use technology as leverage instead of noise.

    The episode lands on a simple but powerful personal protocol: use a daily hard practice, like an ice bath, to train state, discipline, and the ability to choose discomfort before life chooses it for you.

    In this episode, James and Philippe discuss:

    • Turning pressure into leverage
    • The discipline learned from professional hockey
    • Leaving an old identity and building a new one
    • Why business problems can become gifts
    • Profitability, systems, and stronger leadership
    • Building teams that create real leverage
    • Using AI to replace manual work and outdated systems
    • Why people skills matter more as technology gets stronger
    • The ice bath as a daily protocol for state and discipline

    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Protocol One with Philippe
    00:40 Growing up on a family farm
    01:20 Hockey, discipline, and early lessons
    02:20 From professional hockey to sustainable business
    05:00 State management, passion, and success
    13:00 Leaving the hockey identity behind
    17:00 Hockey, connection, and leadership
    20:00 Handling failure and setbacks
    24:20 The production crisis that changed the business
    26:00 Profitability as the only way forward
    29:00 Choosing a story of victory
    36:20 Building a stronger team
    38:40 Why clarity changes everything
    40:20 Raising capital, discomfort, and growth
    47:00 Strong people, better systems, and real leverage
    52:00 AI as a thinking partner
    54:40 Rethinking outdated software and manual work
    1:00:00 Using AI to remove waste
    1:04:20 Technology, kids, and people skills
    1:13:20 Oneka Elements and the ice bath protocol
    1:16:00 Closing thoughts

    Don’t Settle.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • EP 2: Building A Life Worth Following
    May 17 2026

    Complete the Six Vector Diagnostic.
    Visit: https://sixvectorassessment.com/

    Join the Protocol One community.
    Visit: https://www.skool.com/protocol-one

    Learn more about what Dr. Austin Lake is building with Wholly Health.
    Visit: https://wholly.health

    In this episode, James Neilson-Watt sits down with Dr. Austin Lake for a deep conversation on faith, entrepreneurship, health, family, and what it really means to build a life with purpose.

    Austin shares how his journey from physical therapy and functional medicine into online health education grew into a mission-driven business reaching millions. Together, they explore the tension between growth and family, the role of faith in decision-making, the danger of chasing money without meaning, and why success only matters when it serves something bigger than yourself.

    The episode also lands on a simple but powerful Protocol One: create a consistent bedtime. Austin explains why sleep is often the first domino for better health, clearer thinking, stronger leadership, and deeper alignment with your mission.

    In this episode, James and Austin discuss:

    • Faith, family, and entrepreneurship
    • Building success without losing what matters most
    • Why mission matters more than money
    • Health as the foundation for clearer thinking
    • Marriage, parenting, and leadership inside the home
    • Travel, homeschooling, and creating meaningful memories
    • The simple protocol of setting a consistent bedtime


    Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to Protocol One with Dr. Austin Lake
    00:54 From physical therapy to functional medicine
    04:22 Why mission matters more than money
    06:00 Faith, entrepreneurship, and serving others
    11:40 Faith, provision, and breaking scarcity
    17:00 Building a life with meaning
    21:00 The rocking chair test and choosing adventure
    23:45 Travel, family freedom, and creating new dreams
    26:00 Homeschooling, flexibility, and online work
    28:40 Fatherhood, leadership, and family roles
    30:40 Women’s health, stress, and household balance
    41:40 Resourcefulness, risk, and family alignment
    46:20 Family as the first mission field
    53:40 The Protocol One framework and six vectors
    55:20 The first domino: a consistent bedtime
    57:25 Challenging limiting beliefs
    1:00:50 Simple protocols that create big change
    1:04:40 Austin’s next mission and Wholly Health
    1:10:07 Final reflections: build what matters

    Don’t Settle.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins