Episode 313 of the Tom Rowland Podcast is my conversation with Brad McLeod, a former Navy SEAL, Kokoro instructor, and the founder of SealGrinderPT. His website is a training resource for everyone from someone running their first five-kilometer race to people preparing for the hardest programs on earth like GoRuck selection or SEALFIT Kokoro. I first connected with Brad around 2012 or 2013 while I was preparing for Kokoro myself, and his approach to building mental and physical resilience immediately resonated with me. This conversation is full of practical mindset tools.
Brad McLeod is a former Navy SEAL, a Kokoro instructor, and the founder of SealGrinderPT. He specializes in helping athletes prepare for demanding physical and mental challenges through his training programs and coaching, drawing on his own experience in military special operations. I first connected with Brad around 2012 or 2013 while preparing for Kokoro training.
SealGrinderPT is a fitness website founded by former Navy SEAL Brad McLeod that provides training resources for people at every fitness level. Whether you are training to run your first five-kilometer race or preparing for elite programs like GoRuck selection or SEALFIT Kokoro, the site offers structured programs and guidance built from real special-operations experience.
The one percent daily improvement philosophy is about making small, consistent progress every single day rather than chasing dramatic overnight transformation. Brad builds his training around it because it removes the pressure of perfection while keeping you moving forward, and those small gains compound powerfully over time. It applies to training, business, and everyday life alike.
Brad makes the case that gratitude is not just a feel-good idea but an actual performance tool. He explains how your mental state directly affects your physical output when you are pushed to your limits, and how cultivating gratitude can be the difference in whether you keep going during the hardest moments of elite training. It is practical mindset work that produces measurable results.
Kokoro is an elite training program affiliated with SEALFIT that tests participants' physical and mental endurance over a grueling multi-day crucible modeled on aspects of Navy SEAL training. Brad McLeod serves as a Kokoro instructor, and I first connected with him while preparing for Kokoro myself around 2012 or 2013.
Brad argues that warrior culture is not reserved for active-duty military or elite athletes. Principles like discipline, resilience, incremental improvement, and gratitude can be adopted by anyone and applied to daily life, business, and athletic pursuits. He breaks down the specific elements that translate most effectively to civilian life and why the warrior mindset matters whether you are fishing offshore, running a company, or training for a hard event.
I had wanted to have Brad on for a long time. I first connected with him back when I was preparing for Kokoro, probably 2012 or 2013, and his approach to training immediately clicked for me. SealGrinderPT is not just another fitness website — it is a complete resource built by someone who has actually been through the hardest training programs in the world and knows what it takes to prepare both mentally and physically. What I love about Brad is how practical he is. He does not deal in motivational platitudes; he gives you frameworks you can use today.
One of the core ideas Brad has built his training around is improving just one percent every single day. It is not about overnight transformation or dramatic breakthroughs — it is about consistent, incremental progress that compounds over time. Brad explains how that mindset changes the way you approach both training and life, removing the pressure of perfection while keeping forward momentum. He breaks down exactly how he implements it with the athletes he works with. Press play to hear how he applies it.
Gratitude is not the first thing most people associate with Navy SEAL training, but Brad makes a compelling case that it is essential. In our conversation he unpacks how gratitude functions as an actual performance tool rather than a feel-good concept — how your mental state directly affects physical output when you are pushed to your absolute limit. He shares examples from his work with athletes preparing for Kokoro and other elite programs. Hear how he puts it into practice in the episode.
▶ Watch the full conversation on YouTube
Brad's view is that warrior culture is available to anyone, not just operators and elite athletes. He explains how the principles and mindsets that define it can be applied to your everyday life for greater success — how you approach challenges, structure your day, and maintain discipline when motivation fades. We talk about what it means to train with purpose and why the warrior mindset matters whether you are fishing offshore, running a business, or preparing for your next physical challenge. Listen to how he frames it.
The day after this conversation, what stayed with me is how concrete Brad is. So much of the mental-toughness world is abstraction and slogans. Brad hands you specific tools — the one percent rule, gratitude as a lever, the daily disciplines — and tells you exactly how to use them.
The connection between warrior culture and everyday success is something I think about constantly, especially as it relates to fishing and the outdoors. Brad articulates it better than almost anyone I know, and he has lived it at the highest level.
Listen to the whole thing. Whether you are training for something specific or just trying to be a little better every day, you will walk away with something you can use immediately.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Brad McLeod is a former Navy SEAL, a Kokoro instructor, and the founder of SealGrinderPT, a comprehensive fitness website that provides training resources for athletes at all levels. Whether someone is preparing to run their first five-kilometer race or training for elite programs like GoRuck selection or SEALFIT Kokoro, Brad's programs offer structured guidance drawn from his experience in military special operations. His approach emphasizes incremental improvement — the idea of getting one percent better every day — warrior-culture principles, and the integration of mental resilience training with physical preparation. Tom Rowland first connected with Brad around 2012 or 2013 while preparing for Kokoro training.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.