S4:E42 When the Dream Isn’t Yours – Identity, Courage & Redefining Success with Jordan Fairclough
Jordan has a background in athletics and a unique blend of academic and practical experience, Jordan spent over seven years at Liverpool FC, rising from intern to First Team staff—despite never intending to work in football at all. Jordan is a guide for human potential in elite sport, and has recently stepped away from his prestigious role to pursue alignment, authenticity, and a deeper sense of purpose.
Jordan’s passion has always been rooted in helping others grow—not just as athletes, but as people. Yet, his own journey has been marked by contradiction: loving the role of supporting player development, while feeling increasingly misaligned with the environment of professional football. His decision to leave LFC was born not from failure, but from deep inner clarity—one that required listening to his body, confronting long-held patterns, and choosing self-respect over external status.
Now, Jordan brings a rare voice to the conversation around identity, mental wellbeing, and the realities of working in high-performance sport. He speaks openly about imposter feelings, emotional complexity, and what it means to step away from a “dream job” that never quite felt like his dream. Through his story, he invites others to explore success on their own terms, beyond contracts, club walls, and industry expectations.
This week, Jordan shares what it was like to hand in his notice at one of the biggest clubs in the world, the emotional release that followed, and why he believes the most courageous thing you can do in sport is to stop performing and start being. Get ready for a raw and refreshing conversation on purpose, paradox, and finding freedom beyond the game.
Talking Points:
- From sprinting to football: how Jordan’s journey started in resistance
- Loving the work but not the environment—living with daily contradiction
- The physical and emotional toll of misalignment in elite performance
- The moment he knew: “I’m done. I can’t do it anymore.”
- Why leaving a ‘dream job’ isn’t failure—it’s freedom
- Redefining success from external validation to internal clarity
- Identity beyond sport, and the challenge of rebuilding it
- The courage to feel, not just function, in high-performance roles
- Why performance staff need space to process, breathe, and just be
- Creating environments that value both excellence and emotional truth
If you're enjoying the Untapped Potential Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify, by doing this, you’ll help spread this content to the practitioners who need it most.
Resources:
- Men Behind Sport Support
- The High-Performance Coach’s Guide to Lasting Change
- Gaia Games Summit 2026: Join the Movement!
- Intuitive Psychology Diploma
- Dr Joe Dispenza
