Dr. T.M. Robinson-Mosley on Sports Psychology, Building The Playbook, and Why Ready Is Not a Feeling | How I Got Here

Description

Counseling psychologist Dr. T.M. Robinson-Mosley shares how she went from growing up in a home where psychology and sports were inseparable to founding The Playbook, an award-winning mental health performance platform trusted by the NBA, NCAA, NWSL, and the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Mosley talks about her mother and twin aunt being among the only Black psychologists in Alabama, her uncle catching the last out of the 1969 World Series, boxing and rugby as an athlete, building a consulting practice she never planned, and scaling 36 providers across pro sports during COVID. This episode covers the mental health crisis in elite sports, quantifying wellness the way a Fitbit tracks physical health, building winning team cultures, and why ready is not a feeling but a decision.

Key Takeaways

Ready is not a feeling, it is a decision. Waiting to feel ready may mean never starting.

More than 50% of elite athletes report depression and anxiety severe enough to affect their ability to function. The crisis is now.

You cannot fight tall. Lean into your actual strengths, even the ones that feel like weaknesses.

Building a winning team culture is everybody's everyday work.

Seeing people who looked like her doing the work gave Dr. Mosley the belief that nothing was unattainable.

Who Should Listen

Women building at the intersection of multiple industries. Founders moving from consulting to scalable tech. Sports professionals and clinicians exploring athlete mental health. Anyone who has waited to feel ready before making a move.

Learn more about Dr. Mosley and The Playbook at playbookperformance.co

Host: Dreena Whitfield, WhitPR 

Executive Producer, Writer, and Creative Director: Keena, Struxa

Music: Kinita G, "How I Got Here (Official Podcast Theme)"

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(00:00) - Meet Dr. T.M. Robinson-Mosley: From Boxing Rings to the NBA and Building The Playbook
(01:26) - What was it like growing up in a home where psychology and sports lived in the same space?
(03:48) - What parts of that early world make the most sense in who Dr. Mosley became?
(04:57) - What did years of rugby, boxing, and competing show Dr. Mosley about strength and pressure?
(07:27) - How did Dr. Mosley build a consulting practice with a private practice inside it?
(08:43) - What happens when you become an entrepreneur you never planned to be?
(09:42) - How did watching her mother earn a PhD at age six shape Dr. Mosley's entire career?
(11:09) - Why does Dr. Mosley say ready is not a feeling but a decision?
(11:22) - What is The Playbook and how does it track athlete mental health like a wearable device?
(12:20) - Why are more than 50% of elite athletes battling depression and anxiety?
(14:10) - How did a mentor at the NCAA give Dr. Mosley her first break in professional sports?
(15:53) - How did The Playbook scale to 36 providers across the NBA, NFL, and MLB during COVID?
(16:17) - Why is building a winning team culture everybody's everyday work?
(17:19) - What does Dr. Mosley want people to say about her legacy?
(17:58) - Quick-fire questions