The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon

#160: The power of simplifying. (Especially when your energy is in the tank.)

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s face it, we are not at 100% every single day - including trial days. For those days when you are just not feeling it, it’s okay to push thro...

#159: Nervous? Try this shift. (Taking the long view is powerful.)

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Often the cause of our performance anxiety is fear of failure - not Qing, messing up in front of others, or even not being seen as “ready.” But wh...

#158: Ever cried in your car? (It could be a stamina thing.)

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Of course we all have those days - the ones that make us want to throw in the towel or pick up a new sport. But sometimes, we end up in an emotional p...

#157: Resilience IS a handling skill. (I’m kinda passionate about this one.)

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is pulled from the Q-Membership: Being able to bounce back, reframe, reset, recover … is critical especially when we have multiple runs...

#156: Getting it up. (Hey! I was talking about your adrenaline - sheesh.)

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Running multiple dogs or running a new dog poses different challenges - one of them being figuring out your ideal energy level. Today’s topic comes ...

#155: What happens after your dream comes true? (Yes, this is a real problem!)

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might be surprised to learn that many Gold Medal winning Olympic athletes struggle with depression once the confetti has been swept up. Their whol...

#154: Time to master your self-talk. (Let’s be honest, we all need some help!)

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is pulled from the Q-Membership: The thing about self-talk is that our thoughts become our beliefs which become our actions which become ...

#153: Is your attention subverting your goals? (Alignment is everything.)

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I recently heard someone say “If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s because your intention doesn’t match your attention.” Whoa. T...

#152: Are limiting beliefs getting in your way? (Plus, 5 ways to banish them!)

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all have (multiple) limiting beliefs - those beliefs that affect the actions we take. And many of us have limiting beliefs that get in our way in t...

#151: Are you pushing through when you shouldn’t be? (How to tell when you need some balance)

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are times we should be “pushing through” and times we should be finding some balance. This is true not only for ourselves, but our dogs as w...

#150: 5 ways to kick the imposter vibe. (Plus 5 sources of those icky thoughts)

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imposter syndrome hits all of us at some point, making us feel less-than or unworthy. Because I know how you like lists (ha), I’ve got 5 common sour...

#149: Befriending your triggers. (Reinvent them as handling cues!)

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Triggers come in all forms. It can be a particular sequence, or a location, or just the right set of circumstances that send you into a bit of a tizzy...

#148: Everyone needs boundaries. (Mind your sandbox!)

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

People tend to think of boundaries as defensive and largely negative. I disagree. I think that deciding what is in and out of your sandbox is not only...

#147: Grief. It’s a b*tch. (Interview with Cara Armour)

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cara and I both lost girls (dogs!) recently and it rocked us as grief can. We both believe that as a community we don’t always talk about grief, and...

#146: Finding flow (It doesn’t have to be an accident!)

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Handlers have practically yelled, “BUT HOW DO I GET INTO THAT FLOW AGAIN?! I WANT THAT!!” Getting into the “flow state” is pretty magical yet ...

#145: Feel like you’re getting passed by? (Letting comparison fuel you.)

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A handler told me in a coaching call that she felt like she was getting passed {by another team}. I felt that to my core. It’s so easy to look aroun...

#144: Handlers are just built differently (Even in their fitness journey.)

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are kicking off Season FOUR (wow!) and 2024 with a bit of a common resolution: fitness. But as always, we have our own hot take on handler fitness ...

#143: REMIX: Running alongside pressure (Because it never goes away.)

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We want to believe there will come a time when pressure doesn’t exist, but that’s just not true. The good news is we build a tolerance to pressure...

#142: REMIX: How are you showing up for your dog? (How energy affects our performance.)

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I’m kinda obsessed with our energy. Talking about energy used to be considered “out there,” but there’s enough science now to know that the en...

#141: REMIX: 5 Ways to strengthen your mindset. (Everyone loves lists!)

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We love lists, don’t we? Probably why this episode was so popular. These aren’t necessarily “hacks,” but this episode talks about five things ...

#140: REMIX: The power of “settling in.” (Seriously, a MUST listen!)

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This was my personal favorite this year. I had been wanting to do this interview ever since I read Beth Anstandig’s book, The Human Herd. In the int...

#139: REMIX: Stress travels down the leash (AND it travels up!)

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This was my most listened to episode in 2023 and with good reason! Fellow podcaster Cara Armour joined to help us link the other side of stress - our ...

#138: What’s making you nervous? (A ring nerves refresher.)

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our ring nerves originate from many possible sources - some of which we will uncover. But no matter the origin, ring nerves can get in the way of us p...

#137: Is pressure the push you need? (Finding reasons to leave your comfort zone)

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While it’s cozy in our comfort zones, we don’t get better hanging out there. We need to find reasons - and motivation - to leave our comfort zones...

#136: The formula for fun (Bringing in a fun expert!)

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since last week had such a big response - and a lot of unanswered questions - I am bringing in a fun expert to help us out! Lizzie Larock is a leader ...

#135: Could you even define “fun?” (A LOT of handlers can’t.)

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It may seem crazy, but a LOT of handlers have a very hard time defining “fun” both in their dog lives and their non-dog lives. It turns out, “fu...

#134: Can a dog bite incident affect your mindset? (Maybe.)

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of an incident that happened at an agility trial, social media is buzzing! But rather than comment on the incident, I’d rather turn our ...

#133: What do busy-bee and your energy have in common? (More than you think!)

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are really good at seeing how stress and energy shows up in our dogs - often in non-desirable ways - but we are less adept and seeing that behavior...

#132: Growth is a pain in the butt. (Why deciding to get better is so hard.)

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re listening then you are on a journey to improve your performance in the ring. Yet often, when we decide to improve, we seem to have more ch...

#131: How expectations trigger us. (and make us frustrated as heck.)

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Expectations are really outcome goals in disguise. They sneak in all logical and rational but often leave us frustrated and disheartened. We think hav...

#130: The baggage of returning to sport. (aka Coming back after injury.)

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we come back to our sport after an injury or rehab, we bring a lot of baggage with us. We doubt our ability to perform and worry that the injury ...

#129: You’re probably lying to yourself. (When it comes to your progress.)

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

OMG we are so hard on ourselves! But when we get down on ourselves too much, we aren’t honest about our true progress. This month in the membership ...

#128: Leaving legs on the table. (When life derails our goals.)

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes life bites us in the butt. Our dogs can’t continue in the sport we both love, an injury derails our plans, or some other unforeseen circum...

#127: Why resilience is the most important mindset tool. (And how to get more of it.)

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, a solid performance mindset is made of a lot of skills, tools, and experience. But of all of them, I put resilience at the tippy-top. Success is...

#126: 5 Ways the ego sneaks in. (And what you can do.)

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While I think the ego is generally misunderstood, it is quite tricky in how it sneaks into our mindset - and not in a good way. Whether it’s trading...

#125: Breaking up is hard to do. (Especially in the dog world!)

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever needed to “break up” with an instructor, mentor, or other dog friend then you know the pain it can cause especially in the “sma...

#124: The power of “settling in.” (Seriously, a MUST listen!)

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been wanting to do this interview ever since I read Beth Anstandig’s book, The Human Herd. In the introduction, Beth talks about how we “se...

#123: The power of YET (How one little word can shift your mindset.)

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who hasn’t been frustrated or felt like they will never “get it?” All of us (at least at some point!). But believing we are destined for a futur...

#122: How are you showing up for your dog? (How energy affects our performance.)

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Talking about energy used to be considered “out there,” but there’s enough science now to know that the energy we bring to the table really does...

#121: Are we giving our dogs soft skills? (And how that relates to our goals.)

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recently something I heard broke my brain. “There’s a time to work on obedience, but there’s also a time to work on trust and confidence.” The...

#120: Two main reasons you might be lost on course. (Also applies to messing up the easy part.)

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Forgetting the course, getting distracted or not handling the whole course the way you planned may have its roots in one of two issues - mental stamin...

#119: How to use others. (Wait, that sounded bad - I mean in a good way!)

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Having “other people” in our environment is a constant for many of us - certainly true at trials but also classes, appointments … But how do we ...

#118: Who needs a pep talk? (Everyone!)

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Strangely, dog sports can be kinda lonely in that we’re all working on our individual “stuff” without anyone to bolster us or cheer us on. Well,...

#117: Running alongside pressure (Because it never goes away.)

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We want to believe there will come a time when pressure doesn’t exist, but that’s just not true. The good news is we build a tolerance to pressure...

#116: Are you rushing your goals? (Spoiler alert: rushing rarely works.)

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The concept of rushing or hurrying through your goals may seem strange, but likely we’ve all done it. It’s that feeling that we just want a partic...

#115: Stress travels down the leash (AND it travels up!)

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode as I have a guest! Fellow podcaster Cara Armour is on to help us link the other side of stress - our dogs. Understanding our...

#114: Is your self-talk costing you a Q? (We are what we say we are!)

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So often the root of our mindset issues lies in what we believe about ourselves and the ways we spin ourselves up - the stories we tell ourselves hold...

#113: Comparison is a sneaky b*tch. (Eyes on your own paper.)

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A couple of recent examples have shown me that comparison often shows up wearing sheep’s clothing - that is, dressed as something else. Sometimes we...

#112: How would you score your walk-throughs? (Hint: I think we can do better.)

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many sports have a walk-through of some sort. It’s that chance to create a plan and get up close and personal with the obstacles and sequences. But ...

#111: Can ring nerves remind you to breathe? (Let’s build better associations.)

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The fancy term would be neuropathways, but basically we want to have better responses to getting nervous or triggered by a situation. We want to use t...

#110: In defense of superstitions. (And jinxes and lucky shirts.)

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us are superstitious about one thing or another - it’s how we grasp for predictability in an unpredictable world! And while for decades I co...

#109: Trouble bouncing back? (You’re not alone.)

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My Q-Members will recognize this episode from our February lessons :) Everyone has trouble “bouncing back” from setback or disappointment - few of...

#108: 5 Ways to strengthen your mindset. (Everyone loves lists!)

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

These aren’t necessarily “hacks,” but this episode talks about five things you can do to strengthen your mindset and improve your mental game. T...

#107: Is your mental stamina affecting your performance? (Did you say, “What mental stamina?”)

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mental stamina is not a phrase I hear often but I think is crucial to being able to perform both for ourselves and our dogs. Normally we - and our dog...

#106: Could you be confusing excitement for nerves? (Hear me out on this.)

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If ring nerves are an issue for you then you might be nervous you’ll get nervous, which obviously only makes things worse. But it’s possible that ...

#105: Are you giving rockstar vibes? (Why we all need an alter ego.)

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s always a gap between who we are and who we want to be - in life or dog handling! And one fun way to bridge the gap is to image you’re the ...

#104: Need a few hacks for ring nerves? (You’ll still need to practice.)

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I know everyone wants a quick fix when it comes to slaying ring nerves, and while you’ll still need to practice the skills, I’ve got a few things ...

#103: Can you get into The Zone in a snap? (Want to?)

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you call it getting into “flow” or “the zone,” the result is the same - you are fully in the present moment and able to execute your p...

#102: So you say you want “connection,” eh? (What does that mean to you?)

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most clients at one time or another tell me they want to have more/better connection with their dog. Yet, “connection” is really personal and mean...

#101: Ever wonder why some mistakes carry more emotion? (Small-T-triggers are a real thing!)

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever have a surprisingly big reaction to something that happened in the ring? Like a minor mistake that causes a full meltdown? Been there! Sometimes ...

#100: Where are my multi-passionate handlers? (Sometimes it’s hard to be us!)

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Those of us who play multiple sports or venues with our dogs sometimes have issues getting clarity on our priorities - do I enter agility that weekend...

#99: Are you sabotaging your next run? (Time to tell a new story.)

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sabotaging ourselves can take on a lot of different looks - from not eating well to telling ourselves a story that’s just not true. The thing is, we...

#98: Ever been in a slump? (Let’s shift that perspective.)

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Slumps suck. Also, slumps are something we define - we decide what is a slump or even that they exist. This episode is a lesson pulled from the Q-Memb...

#97: Are you hanging on to toxic comments? (It’s not your story.)

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Unfortunately, trial and show environments can be a tad toxic at times. It seems that competition doesn’t always bring out the best in everyone! If ...

#96: Why everyone needs a mantra. (Yes, all of us.)

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While your experience with mantras may be “woo-woo,” I’m here to convince you that a good mantra can improve your confidence, quiet ring nerves,...

#95: But do you love the hard parts? (Fall in love with the work.)

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some handlers, if they’re being honest, don’t love the work. They’d rather skip practice and cut corners on preparation and just walk into the r...

#94: Are you a fellow perfectionist? (Yeah, we’re going to fix that.)

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you evaluating your runs against the stand of “perfect?” I get it, we are so very hard on ourselves and often take our performances - especial...

#93: But do you have an energetic goal? (I do now!)

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! This is a very special episode with guest Dee Montie about how we build connection with our dogs with our energy. Now before you think...

#92: Remix - The power of the pause (I promise it works!)

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

First, I report-out on how my weekend went when I made FUN my process goal. Next, I share that I was glad I paused and chose my response to someone wh...

#91: Remix - How do your failures reflect on you? (Good news, you get to decide.)

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the clear things that separates elite handlers from struggling ones is mindset, of course. Specifically, they have a growth mindset and believe...

#90: Remix - Are you measuring to build confidence? (Well, you will be after this!)

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We can gain a LOT of confidence and clarity by looking backward in the *right* way. This week I challenge you to give yourself a little credit for how...

#89: Remix - Do you even know what success looks like? (It’s about time you did!)

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In business, one of the most common cliches I hear is, “What does success look like?” It’s a fair question when approaching a project and it mad...

#88: Remix - Where do ring nerves even come from? (And how you wave goodbye!)

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Performance anxiety. Ring nerves. Butterflies on steroids. No matter what you call it - or to what degree it happens to you - we all get a little nerv...

#87: Do you have a gratitude practice? (Time to start one!)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It seems appropriate that we spend a little time talking about the power of gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving weekend. Gratitude is one of my favorit...

#86: Trouble focusing or remembering? (Your stamina is showing!)

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Having trouble focusing, or remembering courses, or just generally staying present is a pretty common challenge among my clients. With so many things ...

#85: Is every run “precious?” (Hint: maybe not.)

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we put too much pressure on a single run. Sound familiar? I call these runs “the precious” after the precious ring in the famous tome. S...

#84: Are you your cheese? (Seriously, how’s your relationship?)

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We rely on our reward systems a whole bunch (treats, toys, etc.). Yet when we walk into the ring, it’s just us and our dogs. Is your relationship st...

#83: Ring nerves have their own lifecycle (And you’re further along than you think!)

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do you remember the first time you walked into a ring to compete? Were you doing it for fun? Were you carefree or completely afraid? The thing is, we ...

#82: Has “competitive” gotten a bad rap? (Turns out being competitive is personal.)

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A friend recently told me, “I’m not as competitive as I used to be,” and that got me thinking. Being competitive doesn’t (necessarily) mean yo...

#81: Are you making an alternate plan? (Plan on success but prepare just in case!)

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You know I love to visualize everything going perfectly. But that’s not always how things end up going (understatement!). The best handlers are able...

#80: Do you have the right support system? (It could be time to level up.)

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They say we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with. While I’m still not sure about that, I do agree that we should be choosy abo...

#79: Shutting down in the ring? (Maybe that’s not the right question.)

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you asked me a few months ago, I would have told you that yes, my dog shuts down in the ring. But I’ve had a bit of a “ah-ha!” moment and now...

#78: Work on your handling without your dog (Yes, it’s possible!)

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I get it, sometimes it’s hard to motivate to practice. Heck, even I need group classes to hold myself accountable! And sometimes the reason we don’...

#77: Setting goals for confidence (Yes, confidence IS a skill!)

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People seem to think that some just HAS or IS confident. Nope. They developed confidence over time and through a series of experiences. That means you...

#76: A self-talk intervention (Stop being the mean girl!)

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Without question, one of the most common issues clients bring me is their self-talk. They will say it’s because they’re just hard on themselves, a...

#75: Riding the strugglebus? (Here’s your reason to jump off.)

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling repeatedly with your performance is NOT fun (understatement!). But unless you understand WHY you feel this way, you will continue to ride t...

#74: How do your failures reflect on you? (Good news, you get to decide.)

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the clear things that separate elite handlers from struggling ones is mindset, of course. Specifically, they have a growth mindset and believe ...

#73: Are your beliefs helping or hurting your Q rate? (Both, maybe)

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Beliefs are powerful stuff. Like hidden-superpower-level. What we believe about ourselves we create in our lives, so we need to be careful what we thi...

#72: Want to help your dog’s soft tissue? (Interview with canine massage therapist Kim Bennett!)

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So excited to talk to my friend, Kim Bennett of Stablemate Massage for this episode! Kim launched the Canine Bodywork Membership to help all of us be ...

#71: A refresher on rituals (Have yours gotten away from you?)

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Call them rituals or habits, just make sure you are protecting those things you do that help set the tone for your day. Most of us have things we do w...

#70: Don’t let the bullies win! (Why are we still talking about them?!)

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’m kinda fired up about this one. I hear WAY too many stories about people being bullied in the dog world. Are we still in high school? Mean girls....

#69: Why the negative stuff is so darn sticky (And how to get that goo gone!)

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There’s actually science to explain why it’s easier for us to believe the negative things easier than the positive (in short, scanning our environ...

#68: I realized my post-run ritual sucked (But I’m fixing it now!)

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The concept of our “post-run rituals” came up in a recent member workshop, and after giving it some thought I realized that mine sucked. Now, I LO...

#67: Stress might actually be helping your performance (Yes, that includes your ring nerves!)

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last month in the Q-Membership we had a special event in the form of a workshop led by special guest Lizzie Larock. Lizzie walked us through the ways ...

#66: Getting in the zone means staying in the present (I’ve got a practice for ya!)

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It may sound cliche, but the present moment is the only one we can do anything about. Elite athletes and handlers know this - it’s the key to gettin...

#65: Ever need a pep talk? (Don’t we all?!)

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dog sports can be a surprisingly lonely endeavor in that we often are the ones who have to pick ourselves up on tough days. Well, this week I give you...

#64: Dealing with unsolicited advice (and how not to be that person!)

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever walk out of the ring and directly into some unsolicited “observations?” While the person giving the advice probably means well, timing is eve...

#63: Feeling down? In a funk? (My 2 favorite ways to get back into positivity.)

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to get into a funk: take a less-than-stellar weekend, add a bad night’s sleep, and top it off with a sobering news story and it’s a wo...

#62: Got performance jitters? (I’ll bet one of these 5 sources is to blame.)

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Call it ring nerves or performance anxiety or a case of the jitters … whatever your name for your nervousness, it’s likely based in one of five co...

#61: Is your self-worth measured by Qs? (We’re going to look at that.)

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not uncommon for people to measure their self-worth by their external successes - be those from the dog ring, career, or home. But when we tie ...