Lauren Murphy, a UFC fighter and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, shares her incredible journey from taking her first MMA fight in Alaska after only 7 months of training, to becoming a top 10 ranked UFC flyweight. Lauren provides raw insights into her mindset stepping into the octagon for the first time, feeling like it was “literally do or die,” to now loving the nerves and energy of a UFC walkout. She explains her perspective shift from seeing nerves as bad to understanding they provide a “power bar for your body” to perform at its peak.
Lauren also stresses the importance of emotional honesty in building mental toughness and processing wins and losses, comparing it to the stages of grief. Whether you want to perform under pressure or simply be more resilient in daily life, this conversation will strengthen your mental skills. Let’s dive in!
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Quotable moments:
"It was like, in my mind, it was literally do or die. That was how I thought about it. That's how I thought about fighting for a long time." - Lauren Murphy
"I've definitely gotten like tougher in some ways over time, but yes." - Lauren Murphy
"The way that you train makes a big difference…talking to people that have been through it and then walking through it yourself, being able to process it, come back, do it again…becomes a process…Stepping into the octagon like the walkout is one of my favorite parts." - Lauren Murphy
"In order to have mental Toughness you need to have a good dose of emotional honesty." - Lauren Murphy

ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST:
The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals.   Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.
On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High-Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete-tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago. He has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.
Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, a health and fitness app that unlocks the power of wearables by providing you with daily personalized recommendations to enhance your mind, body, and recovery.
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