| Episode Type | Expert Insight Interview |
| Guest | Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Strategist & Board Advisor; Creator of Ultra States; Founder, Freedom Founders |
| Guest Website | https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestrategyman/ |
| Listen | View on Sales POP! Podcast Page |
Key Takeaways
- Deri Llewellyn-Davies argues peak performance is a state problem, not a motivation problem, driven by brainwaves, neurochemicals, physiology, and psychology.
- Deri Llewellyn-Davies says checking your phone before getting out of bed spikes cortisol and high beta brainwaves, blocking flow state all day.
- Flow research cited by Deri Llewellyn-Davies shows 500% productivity gains and 300% more creativity when you reach flow in the first two hours.
- Deri Llewellyn-Davies traces most burnout to values misalignment and missing recognition, not workload, citing the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
Episode Overview
Why does working harder fail to lift sales performance? Deri Llewellyn-Davies, advisor to more than 330 boards and creator of the Ultra States methodology, argues peak performance is a state problem, not a motivation problem. He shows how technology hijacks neurochemistry before breakfast, and how salespeople can deliberately choose flow, focus, peak, recovery, and connect states, starting with 90 seconds of breathwork and a clear purpose.Why is peak performance a state problem, not a motivation problem?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies explains that every performance state — flow, focus, peak, recovery, and connect — runs on a distinct pattern of brainwaves, neurochemicals, physiology, and psychology. Positive thinking only changes psychology; if you never shift the underlying biology, you stay flat. Most professionals operate in an accidental state all day instead of deliberately choosing one.How does morning phone use destroy flow state?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies says that scrolling before you get out of bed drives up cortisol and beta brainwaves, setting a stress pattern for the entire day. When he asked a forum of a thousand senior leaders who opened their phones before getting up, the whole room raised their hands. Once that pattern locks in, flow becomes nearly impossible.What can salespeople gain from accessing flow state early in the day?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies cites flow research showing 500% productivity gains and 300% more creativity, so two protected morning hours can equal a full day’s output. Because most people reach flow only 10–20% of the time, he advises prepping the night before and avoiding the phone so primed morning cognition flows into deep work.How do you connect with prospects when you feel stressed?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies states that connection is neurochemically impossible under high cortisol and high beta — buyers feel the disconnect instantly. He recommends 90 seconds to two minutes of breathwork before meetings, a reset he measures daily in his Freedom Founders tribes: brainwave patterns drop, resting heart rate falls, and a calm state entrains the whole room.What really causes burnout, according to the Maslach Burnout Inventory?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies points to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which defined burnout 30 years ago as far more than workload: misalignment of values, lack of reward and recognition, and feeling unsafe drive it. A holiday cannot cure those root causes. Salespeople who smash targets yet feel nothing show purpose misalignment — and purpose, he argues, rules the show.Pull Quotes
“The technology distraction and the social distraction has hijacked our neurochemistry.” — Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Founder, Freedom Founders
“If you can access flow state first in one of two hours, science shows 500% productivity gains, 300% creativity.” — Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Founder, Freedom Founders
“If you can control your state, you have the ability to bring the entire organization with you and the entrainment, it’s contagious.” — Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Founder, Freedom Founders
“Purpose rules the show. Without the purpose, nothing matters.” — Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Founder, Freedom Founders
Peak Performance States: Key Statistics from Ultra States
| Statistic | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 330+ | Boards and leadership teams Deri Llewellyn-Davies has guided through complexity. | Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Sales POP! interview, 2026 |
| 500% | Productivity gain from accessing flow state in the first two hours of the day. | Flow research cited by Deri Llewellyn-Davies, 2026 |
| 300% | Creativity increases when working in a flow state. | Flow research cited by Deri Llewellyn-Davies, 2026 |
| 10–20% | The maximum share of time most people spend in the flow state. | Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Sales POP! interview, 2026 |
| ~200 | White papers verifying the science behind the Ultra States book. | Deri Llewellyn-Davies, Ultra States, 2026 |
| 90 sec–2 min | Breathwork that drops brainwave patterns and resting heart rate before a meeting. | Deri Llewellyn-Davies, measured in Freedom Founders sessions |
Related Resources
- Connect with Deri Llewellyn-Davies on LinkedIn (free access to the Ultra States book, scorecards, and masterclass)
- Sales POP! Podcast: salespop.net/media/podcast/
- Coevera: coevera.com
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Coevera. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.What is flow state, and why does it matter for sales performance?
Flow state is a state of full immersion in which you lose track of time and self. Deri Llewellyn-Davies cites research showing 500% productivity gains and 300% more creativity in flow, calling it the human superpower AI does not have.
How long does it take to reset your nervous system before a sales call?
Deri Llewellyn-Davies says 90 seconds to two minutes of breathwork measurably drops brainwave patterns and resting heart rate, replacing cortisol-driven stress with a calm, connected state before important meetings.
Is burnout caused by working too hard?
No. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, cited by Deri Llewellyn-Davies, shows that burnout stems from values misalignment, a lack of reward and recognition, and feeling unsafe, not workload alone. People who love their work rarely burn out from effort itself.
What is the Ultra States methodology?
Ultra States, created by Deri Llewellyn-Davies, defines five performance states: flow, focus, peak, recovery, and connect, each with distinct brainwave and neurochemical patterns, all underpinned by purpose. The book is verified by roughly 200 white papers.
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