You’re Doing The Physical Work
Now It’s Time Your Mind Gets The Same Support
Smart Mind’s Pillars of Success
Built from the ground up to support elite and professional athletes in managing what matters.
Brand Management & Sponsorship
Performance Strategy
Contract Negotiation & Representation
Mental Development & Welfare
The Performance Breakthrough You've Been Looking For
Picture this:Â
You're gearing up hours before competition. Your chest is tight. You're breathing like you're already in the arena. You keep telling yourself you're ready, yet one stray thought keeps creeping in – what if I choke?
You've sacrificed sleep, parties, and time with friends to chase this dream. But on the day it matters most, the pressure builds. Not just from coaches or family – but from yourself. It feels like one fumble could erase years of dedication.
In fact, research indicates that less than 10% of the world’s top 1% (0.001%) of performers are actually the most talented in their field. This means that talent alone is unlikely to propel you to your goals, let alone help you maintain your position as the best.
We know this feeling first-hand – and we've sat with athletes minutes before game-time, seeing their focus unravel with self-doubt, niggling injury, or the weight of expectation. Then what happens?
- You overtrain, desperate for an edge, and sustain an injury that could jeopardise your performance, or worse, your season.
- You convince yourself you should 'tough it out' alone and ignore warning signs of mental fatigue, but end up tired and tense during competition.
- You swing between confidence one day and anxiety the next, unsure which version of you will show up on game day in front of the coaches, selectors and potential sponsors.
The worst part? These efforts often push you further from your peak.
It’s not your fault. Most athletes are taught to train hard but not how to perform effectively under pressure.
The system is fixated on game-day technical performance, never acknowledging what’s happening inside your head. Most coaching is guided by drills and stats. It’s rarely built to address what’s keeping you up at night: Am I good enough? What if I blow my chance?
We’ve crafted what we believe are the pillars every elite athlete needs to succeed because we’ve seen too many talented athletes fall short – not from lack of skill – but due to psychology and missing the support where it actually counts.
Join Us >What if the pressure became your fuel, instead of your fear?
It’s not that you’re broken. The system around you is.Â
Imagine waking up the week of selection and not being consumed by anxiety. Instead, you feel calm. In control. Unshakable. You walk in steady, knowing exactly how to execute, because you’ve trained both physically and mentally.
You know how to control your pre-game nerves. You know how to reset mid-match. You can let go of mistakes fast, and stay locked in.
No overthinking. Just consistent execution.
Thinking about you in your sport, imagine what would happen if:
- You lose the fear of being overlooked because your consistent progress gets noticed – on the leaderboard and in the room.
- Your mental prep becomes part of your daily routine – not just a scramble when things aren’t working.
- You have guidance navigating sponsorship talks, branding moves, and post-championship strategies so you’re building a career, not just chasing one win at a time with no strategy.
- You feel grounded. Whether it’s family expectations, academic balance, or future decisions ahead of you – you’ve got clarity and support.
- Opportunities don’t slip past anymore – you’re prepared when they come.
No luck required. It’s what happens when you stop relying only on working harder – and start working smarter.
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What if competing felt like flow?
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We built a system we wish existed when we watched elite athletes – some of the best of their generation – crack because nobody supported them in how to manage what really mattered.
The Pillars of Success is our response to years of seeing potential wasted by burnout, missed opportunities, and avoidable mistakes. Developed as a framework to give elite athletes structure around performance, mindset, visibility, and career longevity.
Smart Mind’s Pillars of Success:
Foundation: Structure
Physical and Mental Development & Welfare
The base of all elite performance. Without structured support for physical conditioning and mental wellbeing, consistency cannot be built. This pillar ensures long-term development is safe, smart, and strategic.
Performance: Consistency
Sustainable High-Level Performance Frameworks
Peak performance must be repeatable. This pillar provides the tools, systems, and routines that turn momentary excellence into reliable execution under pressure.
Resilience: Mental Performance
Mental and Psychological Performance Inner mastery
This pillar strengthens focus, confidence, and adaptability – essential qualities for thriving in high-stakes, high-pressure environments.
Direction: Strategy
Strategy Development (Pathways)
Success isn’t accidental. This pillar helps define the way forward – with clear goals, specifically customised plans, and objectives that align with long-term outcomes.
Identity: Brand
Brand Management
A clear, authentic identity builds influence and opportunity. This pillar helps athletes articulate who they are, what they stand for, and how they’re perceived – on and off the field.
Leverage: Sponsorship
Sustainability through Strategic Partnerships
Resources fuel progress. This pillar equips athletes to build long-term, values-aligned partnerships that sustain and amplify their career journey, without compromise.
Protection: Representation
Contracts Negotiation and Advocacy
This pillar ensures athletes are well represented, fairly compensated, and protected through strategic negotiation and career advocacy.
This isn’t just high performance coaching. It’s your entourage – your inner circle – that allows you to compete with clarity, consistency, and protection.
Dave Diggle
Smart Mind Founder and OwnerÂ
Human Performance Strategist, Performance Psychology Consultant, Corporate Team Development, University Lecturer, Speaker, and Author
As a former International athlete, Dave represented Great Britain with distinction as both a junior and senior international gymnast, competing at the highest levels domestically and internationally under BG (formerly BAGA) and EG (formerly ESGA) from 1980 to 1988. His remarkable career saw him excel at European and World-level events.
Upon retiring from competitive gymnastics, Dave transitioned into coaching, starting at the club level in the UK before advancing to the USA as a High-Performance coach. His journey continued to Australia, where he played a pivotal role in the 2000 Olympic Games development program.
Leveraging his expertise in Mental Performance, Performance Psychology, extensive sporting experience and military training Dave has propelled Smart Mind to the pinnacle of the High-Performance industry. And since 2000, he has been the visionary Founder and Director of Diggle de Doo Productions, the parent company of Smart Mind Mental Performance Specialists. This boutique consultancy is renowned for its work in challenging high-performance environments, both sporting and corporate settings.
Additionally, Dave shares his knowledge as an Academic Lecturer at the University of Sydney, where he teaches the sport and performance psychology component of the postgraduate Sports Coaching degree.
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Danny Faulkner
Head of Talent Acquisition and Sponsorship Â
Danny soared to heights as a remarkable British Trampolinist in the 1980s, clinching the title of British Champion and proudly representing Great Britain on multiple occasions. Upon retiring from competitive sports, Danny channeled his knowledge into training and education, collaborating with schools, teachers, clubs, and organisations to instil the same discipline and determination across the broader sporting community.
“Trampolining is one of those sports that demands a high degree of training, precision, dedication, and bravery,” Danny once said. He masterfully applied these unique skills to his professional career, becoming a trailblazing sales executive for some of the UK’s leading providers. Danny revolutionised the sales landscape by identifying and overcoming challenges with his precise and trusted strategies, forging relationships that continue to grow today.
After years of dominating his field, Danny embarked on a new chapter, returning to his roots and passion for sporting excellence. He joined forces with his childhood friend and fellow competitive British athlete, Dave Diggle, the founder of Smart Mind. Together, they focus on talent acquisition, marketing, and branding, particularly for young athletes at the cusp of greatness, helping them find their path to the top and their big break.
Join Us >You weren’t meant to do this alone
Don’t let lack of long-term guidance hold your high performance career back.
The Pillars of Success help you align every piece – mental preparation, career direction, brand identity, structural balance – so you can walk into competitions resourced, supported, clear-headed and confident.
It’s time to train smarter and prepare reliably and replicably, to allow you to show up not just physically ready – but mentally unbeatable.
