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In this summer short, Ryan shares his journey from avoiding advanced Sudoku puzzles to embracing them, revealing powerful lessons about growth mindset and the transformative power of adding "yet" to our limitations. What starts as a story about number grids becomes a coaching metaphor about moving from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence.

Key Takeaways

• The difference between "I can't do this" and "I can't do this, yet"
• Understanding the four stages of competence and why the messy middle matters
• How missing vocabulary or skills can masquerade as lack of ability
• The power of curiosity over certainty when facing challenges
• Why every expert was once a beginner who felt completely lost

Questions for Reflection

• What have you decided you "just can't do"?
• What if it's not about talent or ability, but simply about learning the next skill?
• When you hit a wall, what questions are you asking yourself?

Resources Mentioned

• Cracking the Cryptic - YouTube channel featuring Simon Anthony & Mark Goodliffe solving advanced Sudoku puzzles
• Previous Episode: The Pistol Squat - Vic's story about overcoming limiting beliefs through action

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this Summer Shorts episode of Go Coach Yourself! Vic share a personal story about being heckled during a work event and being unable to respond appropriately in the moment.

What this story highlights:

• How reacting without thinking can impact how we see ourselves and how others experience us.
• Pulling on Viktor Frankl's work of creating space between the stimulus and response, Ryan and Vic talk about how to create space to react intentionally.

Reflection questions to consider:

• How much space are you intentionally putting between the stimulus and the response?
• If you had total control of your behavior, what would you do differently?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this Summer Short, Ryan shares a transformative practice that changed how he relates to time and lateness. What started as a simple experiment became a lasting mindset shift that turned everyday frustrations into opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

• Reframe delays and cancellations as "time given back" rather than time stolen
• Track how much time you give versus how much you receive to shift from scarcity to abundance mindset
• Build micro-flexibility muscles that help you respond better when life doesn't go to plan
• Partner with time instead of fighting against it

The Practice: For a few weeks, track time given (helping friends, attending meetings) and time received back (early meeting endings, cancellations, delays). Notice how this shifts your perspective from scarcity to abundance.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this Summer Short, Vic shares a powerful story about how journaling helped her navigate a toxic work situation when her intuition was telling her something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

What You'll Learn:

• How to use journaling as a conversation with yourself to unlock insights
• The difference between talking things out with friends vs. writing without filters
• Key questions to ask when something feels "off" but you can't identify why
• How to move from awareness to action when you discover uncomfortable truths

Questions to Explore:

• What specifically feels off in your current situation?
• Where do you feel this in your body?
• When have you felt this way before?
• What might be happening that's creating this familiar feeling?

Whether you're facing a difficult work situation, relationship challenge, or just feeling stuck, this episode offers practical tools for getting clarity and taking action.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this heartwarming summer short, Vic shares how a surprise pottery class organized by her Nike team in Amsterdam became a life-changing experience that shifted her entire perspective on failure, growth, and untapped potential.

Key Highlights

• The Surprise: Vic's dream team at Nike organized a pottery "leaving do" as her farewell celebration
• The Challenge: Trying something completely new at 40 years old and embracing the discomfort
• The Discovery: Not only did she love pottery, but she was actually really good at it
• The Transformation: Five years of pottery practice led to a fundamental mindset shift about trying new things

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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What if doing something just to prove you can is reason enough?

In this Summer Short, Ryan shares the story of how — with no grand plan, no spiritual quest, and no real justification — he decided to walk the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain.

What started as a personal challenge turned into something bigger: a lesson in trust, a practice of presence, and an invitation to stop needing a reason for everything we do.

Together, Ryan and Vic reflect on:

• The difference between expectations and expectancy
• Why “I want to see if I can” might be a good enough reason
• How following curiosity can open doors to a more aligned life

This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt the pull to try something bold, even if it doesn’t make sense on paper.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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How a 65-foot evergreen helped us break the rules—and make the right choice.

In this Summer Short, Ryan shares a personal story about buying a house that broke every rule on their must-have list—except one. It was the only home that made them feel something.

At the center of this decision? A towering evergreen tree, a surprising emotional compass, and the lesson that sometimes the best choices don’t check the boxes—they shift your perspective entirely.

You’ll hear how:

• An emotional goal shaped a major life decision
• A backyard tree changed everything
• Letting go of “shoulds” led to a sense of peace, creativity, and connection

Plus, Vic and Ryan offer a coaching reflection on how naming the feeling you want can unlock better choices—not just in home buying, but in life.

🎧 Listen in if you’ve ever faced a big decision and wondered: Am I choosing what’s right… or what just looks good on paper?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Vic and Ryan explore how a little bit of woo woo goes a long way. In this Summer Shorts episode Vic talks about how she uses her tarot deck to answer questions and provide guidance on current questions.

This episode highlights how tools like tarot can offer new perspectives and validation. Emphasizing the importance of intentional questions and open-mindedness, the episode encourages listeners to seek different sources of information to gain clarity and empowerment in their lives.

Listen in for a story, a questions and a bit of woo woo.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk