Positivity isn’t necessary because life is easy, it’s necessary because life can be hard.

I believe positivity can change the world if we first change ourselves.

Coach Brendan McGoldrick

My name is Coach McGoldrick- I am a high school history teacher, cross country/track and field coach, and a certified Jon Gordon speaker/trainer. I began coaching runners in 2009 at a Catholic grammar school, and in 2010 I took a job coaching at a local New Jersey high school where I have been ever since. My focus in coaching has been distance running, but for the past three years I have been on a mission to master all events that make up track and field.

Prior to my time as a teacher, I worked in a number of different fields, starting out as a paper boy almost 30 years ago, doing odd jobs to pay for school and church field trips, working as a farm hand and eventually in food sales and management, and then selling specialty running products before becoming the sales manager. I spent my undergraduate and graduate years at Monmouth University where I ran for the legendary Coach Joe Compagni who taught me more about life and positivity than I ever thought possible.

The Positivity Coach

  • During the tumultuous 2019-2020 school year, I picked up a copy of “You Win In The Locker Room First” by Jon Gordon and Mike Smith and my life as a coach was forever changed. Becoming quickly infatuated with learning how to be a better coach, teacher, and in turn person, I began quickly devouring Jon Gordon’s content- The Energy Bus, The Power of a Positive Team, and The Power of Positive Leadership being three of the many books from his library of work being among the most impactful.

    In December 2023 I was fortunate enough to attend Jon Gordon’s “Day of Development” along with the Tri-Certification training where I became certified as a trainer in Jon Gordon’s positive mindset training. Having seen the difference in my life, and the lives of my family, my students, and my student-athletes, I believe I have been witness to the difference positivity can make in an organization, and I look forward to working with you to coach positivity into you organization!

FAQs

  • My name is Brendan McGoldrick, I am a veteran teacher, coach, and a former competitive athlete. Throughout my career I have learned the value of maintaining a positive attitude in a negative world. In December 2023, I was fortunate enough to train under NYT best selling author Jon Gordon on his positive mindset techniques and am one of the only Tri-Certified Trainers by the Jon Gordon Company in the state of New Jersey.

  • This is a great question! I see my role as a positivity coach as a few different things: First of all, I am here to help elevate your organization! I've experienced life as a negative 'energy vampire', and I've been a positive warrior, and I've seen how more effective fighting for positivity can be on those around me, so I am here to help teach those lessons to you and your organization!

    Second, I'm here to help you and those in your organization reach their own versions of success, whatever that looks like for you! The beauty of these programs is that they are universally applicable and empowering for people in all fields and at all ages!

  • I've been working in different fields ever since I was 9 years old and I shared my first paper route. I've worked in agriculture, retail food sales, specialty running sales, sales management, as well as my main focuses in education and athletic coaching. That being said, I am prepared to work in schools with faculty, students, and athletes, or private businesses to assist with sales, customer service, and management level positions to help your group leverage the powers of positivity and leadership training to maximize your potential.

  • There are currently three separate programs available with a fourth program being created and ready to be rolled out in early 2025.

    1. The Energy Bus training is a positive psychology mindset training perfect for any and all groups.

    2. The Power of Positive Leaders is a more targeted program to empower people in leadership positions to leverage mindset training to improve leadership skills and interactions.

    3. The Power of Positive Teams is another mindset program that addresses the needs of teams- whether they are athletic teams, sales teams, or C-suite level teams.

  • There are a number of different program set ups that I can offer. The first is a keynote style address that is usually around 60 minutes. The keynote covers the entire program material and comes with a packet of worksheets that individuals and teams can utilize to learn how to put the lessons into practice. The keynote also includes short interactive demonstrations to drive home the points in a meaningful way.

    The second and more comprehensive program is a half day training which dives deeper into the material. This is a great way to offer interactive and exciting professional development for entire staffs of people, or small groups.

  • Yes! Legally I operate under the business name Thumbs Up Coaching LLC. The name is a nod to my days of being a triathlete competing for my former employer when I was a sales manager for a running specialty shop. All payments will be made out to Thumbs Up Coaching LLC.

  • The different programs all have various costs associated with them. That being said, as a public school employee and coach I understand the difficulties some organizations may have in finding funds for these programs. I can work with your organization on a custom program that would suit your needs and fit your budgets.

  • Yes! Schools absolutely can use grant money for programs like these to assist staff and students.