The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast

Nobody jumps out of bed wanting to do a bad job. So why does the day fall apart by lunch? In this episode, Dwayne Kerrigan breaks down the actual mechanics of high-performance productivity — not the philosophy, not the mindset pep talk, but the specific rituals, systems, and daily habits that determine whether your week produces results or just burns time.
In this episode:
The Time Management Matrix — originally developed by Franklin Covey, which Dwayne taught for 35 years — and why the only quadrant that actually moves your life forward is Q2: things that are important but not urgent, including planning, training, creative thinking, and relationship building
Why weekly planning and solitude is the single most important hour of the week — what Dwayne looks at during that block, how he structures it, and why if you miss it consistently, everything else breaks down
How Dwayne uses a color-coded identity calendar — each role in his life assigned a color, from Chairman to Love Slave — so that every time block is set with intention, not just task completion
The AI accountability system: Dwayne sends his planned week and his actual week to an AI agent named Jarvis, who measures his efficiency against his seven-year mission and purpose — and tells him when he's gotten sucked into operations
The 30-to-60-second rule for managing in-the-moment interruptions: handle it now if it takes under a minute, or put it on the task list immediately and review every two to three hours
Why perfection is a fool's game — Dwayne's case for defining "good enough" before you start, launching at that standard, and building a continuous improvement process rather than waiting for perfect.

Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Progress Over Perfect
00:28 - Podcast Introduction
01:05 - Productivity Not Time
02:44 - Roles And Identities
03:44 - Mindset State And Why
04:56 - Strategy Culture Habits
06:47 - Health Vitality Long Game
08:32 - Vision Plan Action Framework
11:33 - Weekly Planning Solitude
16:07 - Time Management Matrix
23:18 - Plan Your Week In Practice
24:41 - Daily Planning
29:09 - Handle Interruptions Fast
30:33 - Email Tasks
34:06 - Inbox Overload Fixes
35:39 - Stop Chasing Shiny Objects
36:39 - Eat The Frog First
37:35 - Perfection Blocks Progress
38:56 - Get Resourceful Ask Help
40:09 - Break Tunnel Vision
41:29 - Identity Based Weekly Planning
43:08 - AI Accountability Feedback
45:00 - Guardrails And Honest Feedback
46:42 - Daily Execution Rituals
49:46 - Urgent Versus Important Explained
55:51 - Stop Unneeded Meetings
57:17 - Prioritize Across Roles
59:59 - Why Breaks Feel Hard
01:05:23 - Calendaring To Reduce Stress
01:09:17 - Wrap Up And Disclaimers
Resources mentioned:
FranklinCovey Time Matrix, Plan and software (Dwayne's current task management tool)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — book by Stephen Covey
Exactly What to Say — book by Phil Jones
2 Second Lean — book by Paul Akers
Byron Katie’s four questions framework — "Is it true? Is it absolutely true?"
Video text messaging - Todd Hartley and Paul Akers referenced
Waking Up app — Sam Harris meditation app
Tony Robbins — six human needs framework referenced
Keith Cunningham — "Progress is not only measured by yards gained, but sometimes by yards not lost"

Quotes:
“Don't mistake being busy for producing results” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ Lose two hours of your day out of an eight-hour day, it adds up to a 20% of your day all of a sudden disappears. Well, factor that out over the year, you've got 20% of your year that you've not been working at directing yourself to a target.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“The difference between excitement and fear is just the label that we put on it. Physically and physiologically, it's kind of the same experience in our body, but we put a label on fear versus excitement.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ The biggest problem that we make is we let perfect get in the way of progress. We've gotta identify what is good. And I'm not saying lower your standards, but what I am saying is we can get stuck on perfection or our need for certainty, and we have what I call failure to launch syndrome.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ We often overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and we underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.” - Dwayne Kerrigan

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan
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Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Kyle Scheele went from 17 TikTok followers to a million in 25 hours — not because he had a strategy, but because he finally stopped waiting for the right time and posted the video. In Part 2, he and Dwayne walk through the five things every idea needs to make it into the world, why AI is a sycophancy machine that will confidently tell you exactly what you want to hear, and why creativity is a team sport — and always has been.
In Part 2 of this episode:
The five things every idea needs — a chance, a home, a time and place, a bodyguard, and a crew — and the specific, practical way each one applies inside a business or organization
Why Kyle went from 17 followers to a million on TikTok in 25 hours: a one-minute video about photoshopping his dad's tilted head in a family portrait, and the James Joyce principle that explains why the most particular stories become the most universal
The chemical company story: a PhD chemist had known for years that her company's product would work perfectly in another industry — and never said anything, because no one asked
Why AI is good at the "I" and the "A" of the idea cycle (inspiration and action) but can't do discovery or evolution — because those require taste, distaste, and skin in the game that no algorithm has
How fear of running out of money drove Kyle's entire entrepreneurial career — and why that fear, managed well, doesn't make you play small, it makes you play smart.

Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Creativity Needs Others
00:32 - Podcast Intro and Setup
01:30 - Give Ideas a Chance
04:44 - Ideas Need a Home
07:20 - Systems That Invite Ideas
11:56 - Launch Now Not Perfect
13:20 - TikTok Breakthrough Story
21:06 - Protect Ideas with Bodyguards
27:23 - Ideas Need a Crew
29:25 - Creativity Needs a Crew
30:50 - Viking Funeral Origin Story
33:03 - Fear of Regret as Fuel
35:05 - Calculated Risks Over Gambling
37:08 - Strategic Projects and Social Media
42:22 - The Idea Cycle Framework
45:35 - Where AI Helps and Misses
51:08 - AI as a Tool and Its Tradeoffs
55:02 - Creativity Beyond Business
56:44 - Applying Creativity Tools to Life
01:01:10 - Final Thanks and Wrap Up
Resources mentioned:
Several books (for adults and childen) referenced written by Kyle, can be found here: https://kylescheele.com/Books
TED Talk: How to Find a Wonderful Idea — OK Go, on creativity and discovery
Vivian Maier — street photographer whose work was discovered posthumously
Tony Robbins — Business Mastery referenced by Dwayne
ChatGPT / AI — referenced throughout

Quotes:
“ I always say creativity is a team sport because life is a team sport. You are not designed to do any of this stuff on your own, and even if you did, what would be the point of it all?” - Kyle Scheele
“ On my third video, I went from 17 followers to a million followers, and that changed the course of my business, my trajectory, my life. It opened so many doors for me, and that all happened off a video that I almost didn't post because I almost didn't post any of them because I was waiting for the right time and the right place. “ - Kyle Scheele
“ Give everyone notebooks on your team. Just give them a pocket notebook and go, "Hey, here's the things I want you to start looking for. This week, here's a focus.” - Kyle Scheele
“ The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw (quoted by Kyle Scheele)
“ If you're not innovating, you're dying, and that is just the truth.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
About Kyle Scheele: Kyle is an author, speaker, and creativity expert known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable results — from hosting a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people to launching the world's first fake marathon. With more than 750 keynotes delivered in all 50 states, Kyle combines humor, sharp insights, and real-world experimentation to help organizations unlock creativity and innovation at scale. He has worked with teams at Walmart, Deloitte, Fidelity, and Chick-fil-A, and his work has been featured in WIRED, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Yahoo!. His books include We Put a Man on the Moon, How to Host a Viking Funeral, A Pizza With Everything On It, and A Sunday With Everything On It.
Connect with Kyle Scheele: https://kylescheele.com/
Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
Website
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Most people think creativity is something you either have or you don't — a gift, a gene, a mysterious lightning bolt that strikes a chosen few. Kyle Scheele has spent his career dismantling that belief, and in this conversation he makes the case that creativity isn't magic at all. It's problem-solving. And everyone already does it, every single day.
In Part 1 of this episode:
Why your brain is not a truth-seeking machine — it's a belief justification machine: give it the belief "I'm not creative" and it will spend the rest of your life finding evidence to prove you right
Kyle's spontaneous ideation theory — the creativity myth he compares to the 17th century scientific belief that dirty rags and wheat kernels spontaneously generated mice, and why most people's understanding of where ideas come from is just as wrong
The coffee shop moment that defined Kyle's career: his friend Isaac told him, "most people come in here, talk about an idea, and the next time you hear about it, it's just an idea again — you come in two days later editing the footage"
How Kyle went from broke high schooler selling "Osteoporosis is bad to the bone" T-shirts out of the school lunch room to getting a line into Urban Outfitters in his first year of college — and what that early experience installed in him about figuring things out
Why 70% of the time, when companies give their teams the bandwidth to explore a challenge internally, the answer is already there — it's just inside the head of someone who hasn't been asked yet (Harvard Business Review, cited on stage)

Content Warning: This episode includes a brief discussion of childhood suicidal ideation. Kyle shares openly about his experience as a child feeling isolated in school and experiencing dark thoughts, before a friendship changed his perspective. The conversation is handled with care and context, but we want our listeners to be prepared.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — available 24/7 in both the US and Canada.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Creativity as Problem Solving
00:36 - Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro
03:24 - Turning Ideas Into Action
06:33 - Early Hustle T Shirt Business
11:40 - Belief Systems Block Creativity
15:27 - Ambition Versus Contentment
20:59 - No Right or Wrong in Ideas
25:06 - AI Limits and Skin in Game
26:46 - School Struggles and Finding Belonging
28:44 - It Only Takes One Person To Make An Impact
29:36 - Creative Kid Origins
30:12 - Student Council Confidence
31:45 - Baby Steps Momentum
32:15 - Window Of Possibility
33:45 - Vision Into Action
35:08 - Fuel Creativity Thrives Within Constraints
36:49 - Recovering Curiosity
39:34 - Questioning Limiting Beliefs
44:15 - Everyone Is Creative
45:41 - Claiming Artist Identity
48:29 - Business Needs Crystal Clear Goals
51:12 - Creativity As Problem Solving
52:39 - Unlocking Team Innovation
57:27 - Closing Remarks and Stay Tuned For Part 2
Resources mentioned:
Several books (for adults and childen) referenced written by Kyle, can be found here: https://kylescheele.com/Books
Harvard Business Review study on internal innovation
Heather Moyse — Olympic athlete referenced by Dwayne re: chunking goals
Spontaneous generation theory / Francesco Redi experiments — referenced in context of the creativity myth
Orbis Medicinae — Jan Baptist van Helmont, referenced in context of spontaneous generation
Steve Jobs interview — paraphrased by Kyle re: everything in the world being made by people no smarter than you
LeanScaper Operations Intensive — conference where Dwayne first saw Kyle speak

Quotes:
“ What you might consider might be right or wrong is really based on what's the possibility of it happening, and then it'll only be judged when you look back on it in history.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ If you don't get clear on that goal, it's hard to know where to go.” - Kyle Scheele
“ Creativity is just problem-solving. Every idea is the solution to some problem.” - Kyle Scheele
"If it never gets any better than this, what a life. But I think it can get better than this." - Kyle Scheele
About Kyle Scheele: Kyle Scheele is an author, speaker, and creativity expert known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable results — from hosting a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people to launching the world's first fake marathon. With more than 750 keynotes delivered in all 50 states, Kyle combines humor, sharp insights, and real-world experimentation to help organizations unlock creativity and innovation at scale. He has worked with teams at Walmart, Deloitte, Fidelity, and Chick-fil-A, and his work has been featured in WIRED, The Washington Post, Fast Company, and Yahoo!. His books include We Put a Man on the Moon, How to Host a Viking Funeral, A Pizza With Everything On It, and A Sunday With Everything On It.
Connect with Kyle Scheele: https://kylescheele.com/
Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
Website
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

In Part 2, Kyle and Brent Pease go beyond the race course and into the harder terrain — the screaming match in a New York City taxi after a broken wheelchair nearly ended their marathon, the board member who called every morning during school drop-off, and what it actually takes to build an organization that can run without you.
This is where the mission meets the mechanics, and where two brothers figure out how to grow up together in public.
In this episode:
How Kyle and Brent built the Kyle Pease Foundation from scratch — including the nine months it took to help their very first family, the decision to race at least once a month to create visibility, and how they've grown from six events in 2013 to 64 events across 14 states last year
The New York City Marathon story: the wheelchair broke mid-race, Brent spent an hour trying to fix it with help from the NYPD, and eventually told Kyle he was done — and what Kyle said back that got them across the finish line
Brent's framework for hiring in a nonprofit: passion for the mission matters more than fit for the role, and for every non-disabled hire, he wants to add another employee with a disability doing real work — not stuffing envelopes
The Dick Hoyt lesson — the father behind the famous push-assist duo called Brent before the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship and gave him these words of advice: "just keep pushing the pedals"
How Kyle became the athlete-coach he is today: years of sitting on the sidelines, listening to adults talk, and watching his brother compete gave him an observer's precision that most coaches never develop

Support the Kyle Pease Foundation Dwayne is matching donations — up to $5,000 total. Every dollar counts twice right now: 👉 Donate here: https://kyle-pease-foundation-inc.networkforgood.com/events/99987-the-dwayne-kerrigan-podcast

Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Purpose Meets Passion
00:22 - Podcast Intro And Setup
01:25 - Priorities And Time Juggling
03:13 - Scaling A Mission Nonprofit
05:52 - Mentors And Running It Like Business
08:51 - Spreading The Mission Through Racing
12:42 - Measuring Impact And Growth
14:25 - Adaptive Equipment And Inclusion
19:00 - Speaking And Education Programs
21:58 - Kona Gear Innovation
24:46 - When Things Break And Tempers Flare
28:26 - Brotherhood Evolved
29:00 - Humanity in Relationships
30:44 - Keep Pushing Pedals
33:47 - Fiercely Experience It
34:12 - Hawaii Cutoff Heartbreak
35:51 - Still Growing Forward
37:33 - Family Balance and Kids
39:17 - Twin Brother Dynamics
41:16 - Parenting and Inclusion
44:43 - Kyle as Coach
49:20 - Scaling Beyond Racing
53:06 - Volunteer and Donation Match
55:51 - Closing Thanks and Disclaimers
Resources mentioned:
Beyond the Finish — Kyle and Brent Pease’s book
The Kyle Pease Foundation — kylepeasefoundation.org
TED Talk: The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong — Dan Pallotta
The Hoyt family — Dick and Rick Hoyt, pioneer push-assist racing duo
Field of Dreams — film referenced by Kyle and Brent
Tony Robbins — referenced by Dwayne: "emotion is motion"
Alvin Law — thalidomide survivor and speaker referenced by Dwayne
IRONMAN World Championship, Kona, Hawaii

Quotes:
“ It does not have to be something that we fiercely protect. You know, it's something that we can all fiercely experience.” - Brent Pease
“ I think that we're still growing. We're still evolving. When you stop growing, that's when you need to walk away from whatever you’re doing.” - Kyle Pease
“It got the point where I basically just looked at him. I was like, dude, I'm done. I'm out. This isn't us. I dunno what we're doing. And Kyle said, well, you can quit, but I'm gonna finish.” - Brent Pease
"These small lessons inside of our relationships that teach us about humanity — a lot of times what's missing in the world, and you guys are sharing it through stories like that, which I think is supremely powerful.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ Because finding people who love what the mission is, like, that's more critical to me than finding the person who fits the exact role. Because if you have somebody who loves what you do and believes in it - a true believer if you will - then they're gonna be able to lean into whatever the task is and grow because they're willing to do it for the people that we serve.” - Brent Pease

About Kyle and Brent Pease: Kyle Pease is a six-time IRONMAN finisher and co-founder of The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF), born with cerebral palsy and widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices on disability inclusion in the country. Brent Pease is an endurance athlete, coach, and Executive Director of KPF, who has raced alongside Kyle in over 100 events including six IRONMAN triathlons.
Together they made history as the first push-assist brother team to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2018, and have since helped raise well over $10 million in support of athletes with disabilities.
Connect with the Kyle Pease Foundation: https://kylepeasefoundation.org/
Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan:
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
Website
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Kyle and Brent Pease have completed more than 100 races together — including two IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii — and in 2024 they broke the push-assist course record with a finish time of 14 hours, 8 minutes, and 3 seconds.
Kyle, born with cerebral palsy, is the coach, the motivator, and the athlete who has to be the most positive force in the world for 15 hours straight while his brother, Brent, pushes him across 140.6 miles. What looks like a sports story from the outside is something much harder to categorize: a 15-year study in resilience, gratitude, and what it actually means to show up when both of you want to quit.
In Part 1 of their conversation:
How Brent and Kyle broke the push-assist course record at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii — and what 15 years of racing together has taught them
Why Brent says true balance is an illusion — and how he and Kyle define "all in" as the real unit of energy management, shifting fully between Ironman training, family, and the foundation depending on the season
Kyle's framework for getting out of dark moments: prayer, music, visualization, and the discipline of reducing the time between a hard moment and a shift in perspective
What the foundation's inclusive employment program looks like on the ground
How racing together has taught both brothers to say "I'm not okay" — and why that vulnerability has become one of their greatest competitive and leadership advantages

Support the Kyle Pease Foundation Dwayne is matching donations — up to $5,000 total. Every dollar counts twice right now - Donate here 👉 https://kyle-pease-foundation-inc.networkforgood.com/events/99987-the-dwayne-kerrigan-podcast

Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Get Out Your Own Way
00:39 - Podcast Welcome
02:29 - Meet Kyle and Brent
04:00 - Ironman Explained
05:50 - Why They Race - Mindset
08:45 - Kyle Positivity Tools
10:12 - Show Up Anyway
13:29 - Dark Days Tools
17:34 - Brent One Step Focus
21:25 - Gratitude in the Body
24:36 - Process Over Outcome
27:44 - Kyle Coaching Brent
31:32 - Brotherhood and Empathy
34:02 - Vulnerability and Faith
41:13 - Business vs Ironman
44:26 - Closing and Subscribe
Resources mentioned:
Beyond the Finish — Kyle and Brent Pease's book
The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF) — kylepeasefoundation.org
IRONMAN World Championship
Kennesaw State University — Kyle's alma mater
Florida State University — Brent's alma mater
Tony Robbins — referenced by Dwayne in context of emotional states and the "figure eight"

Quotes:
“ Although you don't know what I go through on a daily basis, it is a struggle, right? I choose to look at my life as I get to do this, I don’t have to do this.” - Kyle Pease
“ I would say the hardest thing is that real balance is an illusion. You know, people talk about balance all the time. True balance is knowing when to be all in and what to be all in on.” - Brent Pease
“Ironman isn't for everybody. I mean, less than 1% of triathletes set foot on the Ironman in Hawaii. Kyle's done it twice.” - Brent Pease
"I look at it as an opportunity to showcase my ability rather than my disability." - Kyle Pease
“ I’ve gotten better and better over the years to say, I'm not okay. This doesn't feel good. You know, this is hard.” - Brent Pease
“The mind leaves the relationship before, you know, the physical body leaves the relationship.” - Dwayne Kerrigan
“ Can you get in the water and just start swimming? Can you do that much? Because you might feel better if you start.” - Brent Pease

About Kyle and Brent Pease: Kyle Pease is a six-time IRONMAN finisher and co-founder of The Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF), born with cerebral palsy and widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices on disability inclusion in the country. Brent Pease is an endurance athlete, coach, and Executive Director of KPF, who has raced alongside Kyle in over 100 events including six IRONMAN triathlons.
Together they made history as the first push-assist brother team to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2018, and have since helped raise well over $10 million in support of athletes with disabilities.
Connect with the Kyle Pease Foundation: https://kylepeasefoundation.org/

Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
Website
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.