Career Insights with Ambition Episode 11 Paul McCormack "Rewiring Habits, Building Resilience & Unlocking Potential"
Episode Summary:
In this insightful episode of Career Insights with Ambition, host Chris Crolla is joined by Paul McCormack, founder of in10tion performance and former corporate marketer, for a candid conversation about mindset, habits, and what it really takes to perform at your best. Paul shares his inspiring journey from corporate marketing to performance coaching, emphasising the transformative power of lifestyle changes like giving up alcohol. He also dives into practical strategies to help you think, feel, and perform at your best, especially within the recruitment industry.
Paul's career took an unexpected turn after 15 years in corporate marketing. During the 2020 lockdown, he decided to take a short break from drinking - a decision that started as a simple 30-day reset and eventually became 6 years alcohol-free. Along the way, he shares the role his new puppy played in that decision, the "middle lane drinker" habits that were holding him back, and the research deep-dive that made the change stick for good.
He goes on to reflect on why willpower alone was never enough, and how reframing his relationship with drinking, rather than relying on discipline, is what made the shift sustainable. That experience became the foundation for in10tion performance, a coaching practice built around 3 pillars: how people think, how they feel, and how they perform.
The conversation also digs into the recruitment industry specifically, and why resilience matters more there than almost anywhere else. Paul explains how consultants can depend on their accountability to stay consistent even when motivation runs out, why the unglamorous, repetitive work of showing up daily is what actually drives results over time. He walks through a future-pacing exercise he uses with clients: a role-playing activity that helps people get clear on what success looks like a year from now.
Ultimately, Paul's journey is about how a personal turning point can reshape an entire career, and how the same principles that helped him regain clarity can help recruiters and candidates alike perform at their best.
Why willpower runs out, and reframing is what creates lasting change.
The "think, feel, perform" framework for reaching your potential.
Why recruitment demands a different kind of resilience than most industries.
How accountability keeps you consistent when motivation doesn't show up.
Why coaching doesn't stop at the offer stage, and how it supports new hires after they start.
A future-pacing exercise to get clear on your next 12 months.
Why consistency, not motivation, is the real driver of long-term results.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Paul McCormack and in10tion performance
03:11 The journey to becoming a performance coach
06:05 Catalyst for change: the alcohol-free lifestyle
08:57 Exploring lifestyle changes beyond alcohol
12:14 The impact of alcohol on performance
14:47 Understanding the recruitment industry
18:01 Building better futures in recruitment
21:13 The moment of truth: deciding to change
23:51 Transforming personal experience into a business
26:53 Proud moments in coaching
29:53 The importance of consistency in performance
32:54 Conclusion and future aspirations
Watch the full video of the podcast:
Paul’s Moment of Truth:
Paul reflects on the moment 3 months into his alcohol-free journey when everything clicked. After watching over 100 videos on the physical and mental impact of drinking, and hearing from others who'd made the same change, he realised this wasn't just a temporary reset. It was a shift he wanted to build a life, and eventually a business, around.
"If I'm someone who's had a drink pretty much every weekend from when I was 17 to 35, if I can make this change and understand the reframe, I want to be able to make sure that other people understand that if they are that way inclined, there is actually a method to do it." - Paul McCormack
Want to follow in Paul’s footsteps? Are you asking yourself how do I become Performance Coach?
Paul’s Words of Wisdom:
Drawing from his own journey and his work coaching recruitment consultants, Paul shares four key principles for performing at your best:
1. Reframe, don't reply on willpower. Willpower runs out. Lasting change comes from genuinely shifting how you see a habit, not from gritting your teeth through it.
2. Consistency beats motivation. The unsexy, repetitive work of showing up daily, especially when you don't feel like it, is what actually builds results over time.
3. Use accountability to your advantage. Telling someone else what you plan to do taps into a natural human drive to follow through, and it's one of the simplest tools for staying on track.
4. Get clear on what success actually looks like. Taking the time to define what a great year ahead looks like makes it far easier to recognise, and work toward, the actions that get you there.
Building resilience isn't about being at your best all the time. It's about recognising when you're not, and knowing what to do about it.
If you’re looking to grow your career in coaching or aspiring to become a leader in your field, contact one of our expert recruiters to find out more.
Career Insights with Ambition is hosted by Chris Crolla, Director of Ambition, Sydney. Chris started his recruitment career as a resourcer in internal audit back in 2011 and has worked his way up. Chris now leads the Sydney teams including accounting support, qualified finance, and technology & transformation. Chris provides unequivocal support, guidance, coaching, and direction. A keen sports fan, and proud husband and father, he’s passionate about building better futures for the leaders of tomorrow.
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