Athlete CEO

How confident are you that every decision you are making is the best decision you could make?

What is your confidence based on?

Our human nature, unsurprisingly, has not always served us well in making decisions.

We tend to be emotional, see the world with a specific lens, and are often challenged to make big stakes decisions in limited time regardless of what is happening in life at the the moment.

While we may not be talking about pushing the “Red” Nuclear launch button we are talking about the quality of your life.

A couple of things to listen for in this episode: 

• The barriers we must overcome to effective decision making
• The principles behind effective decision making
• An effective, straightforward process for making high quality decisions

• “The best decision is always the one that meets prioritized objectives.” – Erik Averill
• “A decision can never be better than the best-known alternatives.” – Erik Averill
• “Decision making is a process and if followed it can eliminate much of the potential conflict.”
• “Every piece of financial advice requires a decision.” – Erik Averill

Resources:

• High Performance Academy – Brendon Burchard

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Today is a unique show in both structure and message.

Instead of our typical interview format, I want to address a topic that I’m convinced more than ever will have the greatest impact on your life. Yet, it is rarely addressed with the urgency and intentionality that it deserves.

As a private wealth advisor for professional athletes and founders I’m exposed to some of the most financially successful people in society. 

For many of our clients, they have achieved what most people spend a lifetime chasing, financial independence.

And what I have quickly learned is that having “enough” money doesn’t guarantee happiness. This is probably not earth-shattering news.

Yet, it has been my experience that very few people, regardless of financial circumstance can confidently tell me that chasing “more” money is not what consumes their time and effort.

That’s what I want to address today. 

At the beginning of every meeting, I make the statement that “money is not the end goal, it’s a means to an end.” and then follow with the question, “Why Is Money Important?”

Typical answers I here are:

1. not having to worry about money
2. providing for family.

But those are outcomes not purpose.

So we press deeper, why are those important to you?

And that is where most people get stuck. They can’t articulate why they are doing what they are doing. They lack clarity.

We find ourselves spending our lives pursing more and we don’t truly know “why.” Yet, we are shocked that when we finally “arrive” we are still wanting for more.

I’m on a mission to break this chain of events. 

When you meet with a financial advisor, the advisor usually starts by asking,  ‘what are your financial goals?”

I’m going to argue that while goals can provide us with a general direction to aim at it’s the wrong place to start. 

In his recently released book, “Atomic Habits” James Clear shares five problems of starting with goals

1. Winners and losers have the sane goals
2. Achieving a goal is only a momentary change
3. Goals restrict your happiness
   1. 1. the problem with a goals-first mentality is that you’re continually putting happiness off until the next milestone
4. Goals are at odds with long-term progress

We have to learn how to let go of outcomes we can’t control.

Goals are good for setting direction, but systems are best for making progress and behind every system of actions are a system of beliefs.

The first step is not what or how, but who.

Who we are precedes what we do.

By knowing what I value, I truly know what I want.

Tim Mauer in “Simple Money” shares that, “our values are simply the stuff in life that we want to be about. That which we want to define us. The guideposts we chose to live by. Values are critical in financial planning as anchors for our goals and boundaries for the actions we take to achieve them. But most of all they make the hardest decisions in life much easier by helping us prioritize what truly is the most important. Understanding what you value most will help simplify even the most complex financial decisions.”

The starting point is clarity. 

In his book, “High Performance Habits,” Brendon Buchard shares that the most successful people know the answers to certain fundamental questions:

• Who am I?
• What do I value?
• What are my strengths & weaknesses?
• What’s the stuff that really matters?
• Why is money really important to?

Money is a “means to an end.” What is your end?

I will leave you with an exercise that I found helpful in bringing clarity to who I’m focused on becoming. In Episode 20 I ask athletes to imagine that ESPN was doing a “30 for 30” special on their life. For entrepreneurs, imagine it was a Forbes documentary, what story would they tell?

• What type of spouse were you? Parent, Friend, Teammate, Boss.

• Who were you in social settings with strangers?

• What defines the way you played the game or did business?

How will you be remembered?

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If you’re trying to expand and preserve your wealth, then you probably wondering:

• Who can I trust with my money?
• How can I make sure that fees don’t wipe my profits?
• What type of professional should I work with?
• How can I as close to guarantee a return on my investment?

…and a lot more.

What’s worse is the varying degrees of advice you’ll receive when you go out seeking those answers.

As a Certified Fraud Examiner, David Bryne knows how to navigate the often “dark” space of finance.

David’s company, Bright Lights LLC, was founded in response to the statistics, articles, documentaries, and profiles of athletes cheated out of their money.

On this episode of Athlete CEO David gets into the dirty side of finance with the hops of preparing and protecting you.

A couple of things to listen for in this episode:

• What David is seeing in the pro-sports financial arena
• When calculating returns on your investments: what to look for so that you don’t get ripped off
• Fees on top of fees
• The difference between a “broker” and an “investment advisor” (and a helpful resource)
• Business Managers: what David thinks and how you should handle them
• The #1 thing to look for when it comes to hiring a business manager or agent

• “Finance is complicated for a reason: so people can make money telling you “this isn’t that complicated””. – David Bryne

Resources:

• • David’s Business: Bright Lights LLC
  • David on Twitter
  • Email David: david [at] brightlightsllc [dot] com
  • Chase Carlson From Episode 007
  • Broker Check
  • Finra

Books Mentioned (Amazon links):

• The Big Short

Watch now:

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You have heard it said before, “you are your greatest asset.”

My question is what are you doing today to increase the value of your greatest asset?

It’s time to start thinking like a business owner. The CEO of Athlete, Inc.

I know, you have heard it before. Most likely from your agent or a marketing company trying to convince you to “monetize” yourself.

Yes, making money can be an element of it but it’s far more important than just making money.

The truth is, how successful you are going to be during your career and after depends on it.

On this episode of the Athlete CEO Podcast I layout: 

1. Overcoming the Fears of Thinking About Yourself As a Business
   • I don’t want to be distracted and my performance suffer
   • Social Media is not for me
   • I’ve already made enough money so I don’t need a platform
   • I’m not famous enough
2. Shifting Your Mentality from Amateur to Pro
3. How Shaq, LeBron, A Rod….and Lewis Howes and Devan Kline (who?!) leveraged their careers into success personal brands and companies
4. The Opportunities You Create By Becoming a Business
5. Where To Start

I challenge you to start today. Right now. Listen here to get the Roadmap for creating your Athlete, Inc company.

• Examples of Athletes Who Has Successful Built Brands & Companies
  • Shaquille O”Neil 
  • LeBron James
  • Shaun White
  • Arod Corp
  • Lewis Howes 
  • Devan Kline

• Why Building a Platform Matters
  • Control Messaging
  • Build An Audience to Nurture Relationships
  • Financial Freedom – Create Passive Income
  • Investment Opportunities
  • Philanthropic Impact
  • Post Career Opportunities

Resources:

• Episode 15 – Jeff Piersall
  • John Wood Pyramid of Success
• Episode 19 – Taylor Holiday
  • Common Thread Collective
  • “Who Is More Famous, Clayton Kershaw or Amanda Stanton”
• Episode 16 – Ryan Nece
  • Next Play Capital
• Episode 11 – Kyle Mauch
  • AthletesBrand.com
• Episode 17 – Justin Blaine
  • Athletes Touch
• Gary Vanerchuck
  • Stop Asking Me About Your Personal Brand, and Start Doing Some Work
  • How Athletes Should Use Social Media To Build Their Brands

Books Mentioned (Amazon links):

• High Performance Habits by Brendon Buchard
• Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
• Platform by Michael Hyatt
• Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk

Taylor Holiday knows business.

After avoiding law school (which he calls a stroke of luck) he lived the glorified garage to glory story. Power Balance grew to over 100 employees and a $60 million valuation.

Today, as the managing partner of Common Thread Collective, Taylor’s team empowers eCommerce companies to reach new levels.

On the show, Taylor talks about three of the hottest topics on professional athletes and business persons minds:

1. Startups & venture capital
2. Balancing life & work
3. Influencer marketing & networking

Some highlights from today’s episode:

• The strike of luck that kept Taylor from attending law school and ended up with him founding a company
• How Taylor took Power Balance from 3 people in a garage, to a $60 million dollar company (and Kobe Bryant wearing their gear)
• The secret sauce behind the success of Common Thread Collective
• Balance: Is it a real thing? Taylor shares how he manages business, family, and health.
• What marketing strategy is more powerful? Influencers? Or actual users of the product?
• Should athletes reach out to brands they want to work with directly?
• The most powerful platforms for influencers
• How to get the attention of any brand or business you’d like to work with
• The investments that have been most impactful for Taylor

• “The best influencers are actually power users of the product more than they are famous people.” – Taylor Holiday
• “If you’re an influencer, follow the advertising dollars and spend your time there.” – Taylor Holiday
• If you really like the product you’re promoting, it’s going to be more meaningful.”
• “Audit the things you’re deeply passionate about and figure out a way to tell people about it.” – Taylor Holiday
• “The relationships with influencers and brands that work best are the ones that are connected to your true passion.”  – Taylor Holiday

Resources:

• Power Balance
• Common Thread Collective
• Lean Luck
• 2plm
• Crunchbase
• Ryan Nece from Episode 16
• How I Built This

• The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Watch now:

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Ever feel like this?..

You’re trying to find your purpose, but you keep jumping from shiney idea to shiney idea.

So did today’s guest – until he found helicopters.

Neil Jones had a tough upbringing that required a lot of work and challenges that shaped him into a modern day entrepreneur.

In the chase of his passion and purpose, he went on to found Quantum Helicopters where he offers helicopter flight training.

Regardless of the perceived obstacles and lack of resources, Neil created his own path and learned what it took to be successful.

Professional sports isn’t much different…

Some people will doubt you, some will support. But, it’s the ones that work hard day in and day out that see the long-term results.

A couple of things to listen for in this episode:

• The story of how Neil fell in love with helicopters
• What series of events happened to Neil that shaped his views and work ethics
• The best piece of advice Neil ever received (that applies to athletes and entrepreneurs alike)
• Advice for anyone looking to start a business
• The reality of the word “mentor”
• Neil’s favorite business resources
• What success means to Neil

Quotes:

• “If you want to be successful, you have to show up to work everyday.” - Neil Jones
• “Work to learn, not so much to earn.”  - Neil Jones

Resources Mentioned:

• Neil’s Company: Quantum Helicopters

• Fred Claire Interview on Athlete CEO

Books Mentioned (Amazon links):

• Robert Kiyosaki - Rich Dad, Poor Dad
• Lean Start Up

He used to pitch baseballs, now he’s pitching companies.

Justin Blaine embodies what it means to be an Athlete CEO.

Justin is the Managing Director of The Mentor Group, Inc. a full service, national investment banking, financial advisory, valuation, and appraisal firm.

He’s the Founder of AthletesTouch, an organization of former college and professional athletes working together to grow and succeed in the business world. Members range from being fresh out of a sports career to others with decades of business experience. Members ages may vary between 25-65, but the mindset is the same. Their members include Fortune 500 advisors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and professionals in real estate, finance, accounting, marketing, and tech.

A couple of things to look for in this episode:

• Justin’s transition from minor leagues into the majors
• A powerful (yet easy) mindset you can adapt to network with powerful people
• What to do if you’re interested in real estate as an investment
• Should you fake it until you make it?
• Tips for powerful elevator pitches
• Advice for entrepreneurs and athletes starting to experiment with investments
• Benefits of avoiding negativity
• How to look at investing in real estate

• “If we help enough people it’s going to boomerang.”
• “It’s not about chasing the dollar and becoming a millionaire overnight.”
• “Do things that others aren’t.”
• “You don’t need to be the smartest to be successful, to help clients, and to be an advocate.”
• “Nobody does it without luck. Nobody does it without work.”
• “If you want to learn and get better there’s nothing stopping you.”
• “In order to ensure that your next 30-50 years, you need to take an active approach to it.”
• “Invest in people who are positive and lift you up.”

Resources:

• AthletesTouch
• The Mentor Group
• How I Built This Podcast

• Never Eat Alone
• Give And Take
• The Art Of Storytelling

Today’s guest, Ryan Nece, played 7 years in the NFL and went on to win a Super Bowl in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Following his NFL career, he went on to co-found Straight Cast – a mobile app that allowed athletes to create their own HD content. He then sold that company in 2014 to Fox Sports.

These days Ryan is the Managing Director of Next Play Capital, a venture capital fund that sits at the intersection of tech and sports.

He’s the epitome of what we think about here on the Athlete CEO Podcast, and we can’t wait for you to hear his wisdom.

A couple of things to listen for in this episode:

• What Ryan’s transition from NCAA Football to the NFL was like (considering he broke his leg during the last game of his college career)
• How to make sense of the business side of professional sports
• Ryan’s advice for today’s professional athletes
• Why information and technology is powerful (and the role it plays today in sports)
• What you should NEVER do in business
• How many deals you need to look at before you write a single check
• What Ryan looks for in partnerships and ventures
• Ryan’s take on Bitcoin, eSports, and artificial intelligence: Which are the future? Which are flops?

• “Information is power. Information gives you leverage.” – Ryan Nece
• “To much is given, much is required.” – Ryan Nece
• “The great part about numbers and data is that it provides the truth.” – Ryan Nece
• “Winning is acknowledged by performance.” – Ryan Nece
• “It’s one thing to learn, it’s another thing to learn the best thing from the right people.” – Ryan Nece
• “It’s hard to wait, but it’s even harder to wish you would have.” – Ryan Nece
• “The best investor is failing 70% of the time.” – Ryan Nece

Resources:

• Straight Cast
• Next Play Capital
• Ryan Nece Foundation

• Never Eat Alone
• Zero To One
• Give And Take
• Wild At Heart

Doing what’s right and making money are not mutually exclusive.

Is this even possible in today’s world? Or is it a pipe dream?

Jeff Piersall, is convinced it’s not only possible it’s inevitable.

Jeff, a former award-winning collegiate basketball coach, is the CEO and founder of SpaceCoast Living & SCB Marketing. He's the co-founder of the TREP Summit, and Author of “Dogs Don’t Bark at Parked Cars” which has quickly become on the books I gift the most.

His entrepreneurial pursuits have been recognized as Business of the Year by Brevard County, INC. 500 Fastest Growth Companies and Grow FL “Top 50 Companies to Watch.”

Jeff believes successful entrepreneurialism is based on personal responsibility, a “sky’s the limit” optimism and, above all, value-based ethical decisions.

A couple of things to listen for in this episode:

• What “stage addiction” is, what it means to athletes, and how to overcome it
• How to build a culture of performance and trust in sports and business
• Why you should allow your kids to FAIL
• What advice Jeff would give you if you’re facing tough situations in life
• Raising a wealthy child vs. a poor child (and which is harder)
• Ethical Capitalism: your key to serving your customers, employees, family, self, and community.
• What “real wealth” is, and how Jeff has created it in his life

• “In business, the clock always keeps running.” – Jeff Piersall
• “It’s the 1 or 2 percent that separates the greatness.” – Jeff Piersall
• “You either learn or win in every situation.” – Jeff Piersall
• “Faith is the ability to act in spite of fear.” – Jeff Piersall
• “All the fortune is in the follow through.” – Jeff Piersall

Resources:

• Jeff’s Website
• TREP Summit
• DISC Personality Profile
• Kolbe Score
• Gallup Strengthsfinder

• Jeff’s Book: Dogs Don’t Bark
• Extreme Ownership
• The Brower Quadrant
• Compassionate Capitalism
• Wooden On Leadership