Beyond Baseline: Power Moves, Mentorship & Mindset

From Marbella prep to a sold-out event and a story I’ve never told

Author

Ross Anderson
May 02, 2025

Welcome to the Beyond Baseline Newsletter

Your weekly dose of high-performance insights, powerful mindset shifts, and real-world strategies to optimise your health, leadership, and resilience.

This week, we’re celebrating an incredible community event, highlighting powerful takeaways from the BetterMan Retreat prep trip, and revisiting a raw chapter from Ross’s own story.

Let’s dive in.

NOW & NEXT 🗓️

BetterMan Event with Martin Perry: A Powerful Success

Sunday's event was another powerful reminder of why we created this community - to support men's growth across all important domains of life, increase resilience, and facilitate shoulder-to-shoulder transformation.

Some profound takeaways from Martin's journey:

  • The power of people in shaping success
    When Martin's passion for table tennis faced barriers like transportation and costs, his coach stepped in, driving him to training sessions repeatedly. No one achieves greatness alone - mentorship and support are foundational. Many of my own significant shifts have been influenced by someone doing something good for me.

  • Staying the course when everything says quit
    At 28, facing losses and doubting his future, Martin found something within himself to continue. "The world is full of half-dug holes" - Sometimes, success is simply refusing to stop when everyone else would. That determination to push through one more session, one more tournament, makes all the difference.

Read more about the event and the third key takeaway in my full post here. The energy in the room was electric, with attendees ranging from 21–50+ years old.

Thank you to Martin for his candor, humility, and humour, and to David McIntosh for his masterful interviewing.

Marbella Reconnaissance Trip

The team and I flew out to Marbella last Friday for intensive preparations ahead of our BetterMan Retreat (June 10–13). It was a full-on schedule:

  • Early morning flight, arriving at 12 pm

  • Packed itinerary across Friday and Saturday

  • Visiting local markets and restaurants throughout Marbella and Benadavis

  • Building relationships with local partners

  • Inspecting our retreat villa and finalising logistics

What the photos won't show: arriving at the airport at 3 AM on very little sleep, taking a tight flight with no opportunity to rest, and heading straight into the Martin Perry event on Sunday after returning! A tiresome but incredibly fruitful weekend, ensuring the retreat experience will be exceptional.

Mount Mindset Podcast

I recently sat down with Geo for the Mount Mindset podcast, where we discussed all things psychology, my personal journey, fasting, and various work-related topics. The episode, titled “The deeper you go, the more you know” will be available soon - it's a conversation that dives deep into transformation and personal growth.
Hear a snapshot of the discussion here.

IMPACT & INSIGHTS 💡

Congratulations to Our Community Stars!

Marcellus Lindsey
One of our community members has just published his new book! "The Career Trifecta" is now live on Amazon, focusing on mastering purpose and passion for professional change and growth. Created to be a fast read that gives you traction and momentum, it's perfect for Boomers and Gen Xers who want more from work than just money.

Check it out and support a fellow community member!

Marcellus Lindsey

Murray Gracie
A big shout out to Murray who recently stepped into the Octagon (MMA cage) for a charity match! Taking on a challenge that pushes physical and mental boundaries while supporting a good cause shows exactly the kind of mindset we celebrate in our community.

Murray Gracie

Aston Brown
Professional boxer Aston, who attended our Martin Perry event, is looking to go 8-0 in his professional boxing career! Catch him on the undercard of the Josh Taylor event happening May 24th at the OVO Hydro Glasgow, where he'll face Reece Porter. There are still tickets available to watch Josh Taylor and Aston in action - get yours by clicking here!

Aston Brown

FLOURISH & FUNDAMENTALS

Founder’s Insight: How We Respond to Unexpected Challenges

Recently, my PA Jennifer shared a video that perfectly illustrates a principle I often discuss: our response to challenges reveals far more about us than the challenges themselves.

The video showed contrasting reactions to the recent power blackouts across Spain, Portugal, and parts of southwestern France. This unexpected event affected millions, shutting down everything from homes and offices to trains and traffic lights in major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon.

What fascinated me was the stark difference in how people responded:

On one hand, there were scenes of panic buying reminiscent of early COVID days, with shop attendants reportedly in tears due to aggressive customer behaviour. People reacted with fear and scarcity mindsets, convinced that this temporary disruption spelt disaster.

On the other hand, particularly in Barcelona, many people simply adapted. The video showed them reading books by candlelight, connecting with neighbours, and even dancing in the streets. They transformed an inconvenience into an opportunity for human connection.

This reminds me of the ancient wisdom: "One man in a cell sees the bars, another sees the stars." Or as another saying goes, some people notice only the thorns on a rose, while others see only the petals.

The difference lies in that critical space between stimulus and response that Viktor Frankl often referenced - the space where our personal freedom resides. Those who can pause in that space tend to make more rational, poised decisions rather than reactive ones.

I found myself counselling friends and family in the affected regions, reminding them that the situation would resolve itself (which it did within hours). The calm minds always prevail in these situations, and perception truly is everything.

Next time you face an unexpected challenge - whether personal or professional - remember this: you can choose your response. Are you seeing the world through anxiety-tinted lenses or optimistic ones? That choice, more than the challenge itself, will determine your outcome.

SPOTLIGHT: THE STORY YOU HAVEN’T HEARD

Recently, I recorded an interview for the Aptar Party Podcast, and it took me into territory I don’t often share publicly.

People see the 500+ keynotes. The work with Fortune 500s. The resilience sessions. But few know just how far I’ve come, or how low the starting point was. In this conversation, Kieran asked the kind of questions that don’t come up in soundbites.

I opened up about being in deeply challenging environments. Struggling with mental illness. Battling addiction. Being a product of circumstances that could have written a very different ending.

This is the raw, unfiltered story. And if you’ve ever wondered whether transformation is really possible, this one’s for you.

🎧 Podcast dropping soon - keep your eyes on LinkedIn + Instagram

COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES 🤝

Help Us Grow

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Let’s keep building this movement together.

Reminder: Only a few places remain for the BetterMan Retreat in Marbella (June 10-13)!

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This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more updates, insights, and ways to push beyond your baseline every week.

Until next time,
Ross Anderson
Beyond Baseline Founder