Mindset Matters: Elite Performance Lessons for Founders with Pete Cohen

Peak performance isn’t about talent. It’s about mindset. In this Festival of Entrepreneurs keynote, leading mindset strategist Pete Cohen shares the tools founders need to stay balanced, focused and resilient while scaling a business.

Drawing on years of work with Arsenal FC, seven-time Snooker World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, and high-performance teams across sport and business, Pete breaks down the psychology behind sustained success. He explores the nature of the human mind, the Buddhist concept of Dukkha, and how entrepreneurs can stop operating from fear and start operating from clarity, intention and inner peace.

This session is a practical roadmap for founders who want to lead with calm, make better decisions and avoid the burnout cycle. Pete introduces strategies such as observing the mind, balancing the nervous system, and coaching yourself with the future version of you — an approach proven to improve long-term execution.

If you are building, scaling or resetting your business, these mindset principles offer a genuine competitive edge.

What You Will Learn:
• Why mindset determines long-term performance in business
• How elite athletes manage pressure, fear and internal expectations
• The psychology behind over-pushing and burnout
• How to balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
• How trauma, validation and drive shape founder behaviour
• The concept of Dukkha and how to apply it to everyday leadership
• How to coach yourself using your future identity
• Practical mindset habits that improve execution and resilience

Speakers:
Pete Cohen, Mindset Strategist and Coach

Hosted by James Burtt, Founder, Phonic Media

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
02:43 Pete’s Journey and Work with Elite Athletes
03:51 Understanding the Mind: Dukkha and Human Nature
10:36 Observing Thoughts and Creating Mental Space
15:49 Pushing vs Pushing Too Far
20:18 Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Journey to Inner Peace
24:19 Faith, Intentionality and the Founder’s Drive
26:58 Daily Habits and Coaching Your Future Self
33:11 Personal Insights and Final Thoughts