There are stories that dazzle, and there are stories that teach. Ryan Lavarnway’s is both. He walked the razor edge of elite sport—NCAA batting champion, Major League catcher, World Series winner, Olympian—and learned one persistent lesson: resilience is the midgame superpower. On The Midgame Mindset, Ryan talks to host Rich Bishop about the moments that pushed him, the habits that steadied him, and the simple mental shifts any leader can use to break through slumps and seize opportunity.
Why this episode matters for growth leaders
High-growth teams, sales leaders, and founders rarely face linear success. They live in the midgame: the messy, uncertain stretch where mindset, not talent alone, determines whether you lock in gains or devolve into noise. Ryan’s career maps directly onto that experience—frequent setbacks, repeat call-ups and releases, and a single game that became a turning point. He offers actionable tools that translate from the batter’s box to the boardroom.
Key themes and takeaways
- Get the last word. Ryan cites Dr. Nate Zinsser: “You can’t control the first thought, but you can get the last word in your own head.” That last word decides whether doubt owns you—or you harness it.
- Fill your head with good things. Instead of trying not to think about failure, Ryan relied on “three simple positives” to stay present and productive at the plate. For leaders, that translates to named metrics, clear priorities, or three daily wins to drown the noise.
- Swing at the right pitches. Borrowing from Ted Williams’ strike zone wisdom: focus on what makes you effective. Ryan and Rich Bishop make the business parallel explicit—are you chasing any deal, or the right deal? Refocus on the sweet spot where your strengths win.
- Keep it simple in slumps. Over-analysis is a slump’s accomplice. Ryan’s wife would hear his technical fixes and ground him with one reminder: “Take good swings at good pitches.” Simplicity often resets performance faster than complication.
- Reframe setbacks as permission to try. Ryan reframes multiple releases and returns to the majors as evidence of adaptability. His favorite question—“Why not you?”—is a move from limiting belief to pragmatic roadmap. Self-interrogation gives you the how, not only the hope.
“You can’t control the first thought, but you can get the last word in your own head.” – Ryan Lavarnway
Ryan’s story of being released from Triple-A and called up to the Cincinnati Reds the very next day is a midgame moment in miniature. He admits he didn’t earn that call—and he wasn’t ready, emotionally. He prepared anyway: a flight, a physical, a uniform, a scouting report, and an unusual mental hack that day—comedy on his Pandora station. Laughter, he says, loosened him enough to let his best game happen: two home runs, six RBIs, and the kind of joy that made the photos of him smiling among teammates some of his fondest memories.
That anecdote is an operational lesson: small rituals—what you listen to, how you talk to yourself, a short pre-game mantra—are the levers that tip a performance that’s poised but fragile.
Practical playbook for leaders and sellers
- Name your three positives. Before a call or meeting, list three outcomes you want to generate (e.g., open next call, qualify lead, schedule demo). It’s a short, repeatable mindfulness anchor.
- Use self-interrogation. Replace vague affirmations with questions that surface obstacles: “Why not me? What would block this, and how will I remove it?” The answers become your action plan.
- Audit your strike zone. Quarterly, map where you win (customer profiles, deal sizes, channels). Pull resources into that zone and stop swinging at pitches outside it.
- Micro-reset rituals. Ryan used comedy. You can use a 90-second breathing exercise, a quick walk, or a short playlist. Rituals move the body out of panic and into performance.
- Journal with intent. Ryan’s Why Not Journal collects mental skills tools—intention setting, measuring progress, celebrating wins. Regular journaling turns diffuse lessons into measurable habits.
Leadership lessons beyond technique
Ryan’s arc also reframes success. Early in his career he equated self-worth with being the best. Over time the metric shifted: effort earned praise, resilience became identity, and permission—permission to try, to smile, to be authentic—replaced relentless pretense. For leaders, that’s essential: authenticity attracts trust, and trust sustains teams through the midgame.
Why this matters for organizational culture
Resilience is a revenue lever. Ryan puts it plainly: when salespeople fail to pick up the phone five extra times because they’re worn down, the company loses deals. Training resilience—through rituals, coaching, and leadership language—creates measurable upside.
Final thought from Ryan
“Give yourself permission. Why not you? Set big goals. Surround yourself with people that believe in you. Remember all the information in the world without action isn’t any good. So why not start right now?”
Watch Episode 12 – “How To Always Be Ready When You Get ‘Called Up'” with Ryan Lavarnway
Ready to hear the full conversation—baseball stories, the Olympic arc, and practical mental skills you can apply this week? Watch the episode on YouTube Now
More From Ryan:
– https://www.ryanlavarnway.com
– https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lavarnway/
– Why Not Journal: https://a.co/d/9XdzSTC
– The ABCs of Resilience (Coloring book): https://a.co/d/cBXwuQE
If you lead a team, run a sales org, or are building a company, treat this episode as one short coaching session: pick one habit from the playbook, try it for a week, and notice the difference. Midgame moments don’t wait. The question Ryan leaves you with is simple—and dangerous in the best possible way: Why not you?
