118: Are you playing with a Fighter’s Mindset? with Charlie Brenneman aka “The Spaniard”

Today I am very excited to announce our guest, Charlie Brenneman, aka “The Spaniard.” If you’re a mixed martial arts or UFC fan, you may recognize Charlie from his time in the octagon, but these days you’re more likely to find Charlie at a book signing of his best-selling book Driven: My Unlikely Story from Classroom to Cage or speaking to/coaching athletes and business professionals.

And while it seems a little strange to have a UFC fighter on a golf podcast (especially a fighter that doesn’t really golf!), Charlie’s story and his message resonates across all athletic endeavors, especially the mental side of golf.

In 2007, Charlie left the comfort of his hometown and full-time job as a Spanish teacher to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. What started out as a dream soon turned into reality. After upsetting #6 ranked Rick Story in 2011, his life changed as he skyrocketed into the world rankings and went head-to-head with the best fighters in the world, such as UFC Champion Johnny Hendricks and current top-ranked light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

The key ingredient in his climb to the top is hard work.

While illustrating specific principles and examples that helped propel him to the top of the fighting world, Charlie provides a very real, authentic look at what it takes to succeed in life. With over two decades of winning and losing on center stage, his mission is to share his insight and perspective with practical and relatable examples to help assist you in your journey.

Subscribe to the 18STRONG Podcast on iTunes and stitcher by clicking the button below:

Charlie Brenneman’s Background

Charlie has fought at every level of the industry, including an 11-fight UFC career.
He has transitioned his experiences as a professional fighter into professional speaking and mentoring.
Charlie has been knocked out cold on live television, and has lived out his own “Rocky” story in front of a million people.

Highlights from this Episode

We talk about the parallels and differences of being on the tee box vs getting in the ring, staring down the guy across the mat who is looking to tear your head off
Charlie shares the mental processes he goes through before each fight, noting that he is at his best when he’s ‘not thinking’.
How Charlie gets his confidence. He wasn’t born with it and had to work hard for it. Charlie takes the approach of doing your absolute best at whatever it is you do, and believe that you can do anything.
The advice Charlie would give to the golfer when things don’t go as planned. Whether you lose a fight or have a bad round of golf, there are things you can do mentally to pick yourself back up and get into a positive mindset again. The key is to set a time frame that you allow yourself to feel bad, and once that time is up, move on. (eg the “10-day rule”)
How Charlie learns new skills – it comes down to hard work, and modelling other people who have the skills you want to learn.
Charlie’s real life ‘Rocky’ story.