Why do so many entrepreneurs build and scale successful businesses, but still feel unfulfilled, lost, and misaligned? Today’s episode reveals how building your life and personal values with the same focus, strategy, and intention as building a business will reveal your true mission.

In this episode, entrepreneur and life design coach Steve Davis Jr. talks to Sammy about how viewing your life as a product creates more authenticity, flexibility, and confidence in your decisions. He breaks down how to implement the principles of design thinking into your life and business, the journaling techniques that will help you optimally design your life, and how opening up about your biggest struggles may open the doors you need to take the next steps in your career. 

In this episode, Sammy and Steve will discuss:

(00:56) The NFL Rejection That Changed His Path

(04:19) Approaching Your Life With Design Thinking 

(08:52) Why You Can’t Plan Your Way Out of Uncertainty

(13:19) The Journaling Technique for High Performers

(16:53) Turning Services into Tangible Products

(20:44) Your Guide to Product Development

(22:56) The Power of Authenticity in Networking

(28:06) The SHED Acronym: Striving Higher Every Day

(31:13) The Trait All Young Entrepreneurs Need

Steve Davis Jr. is a former football player, a Master Certified Life Coach, and a Designing Your Life Certified Coach using the Stanford design thinking methodology. He oversaw alumni engagement for over 500,000 people at the University of Minnesota, and he's the founder of Strive Higher After Sports, a coaching service for athletes transitioning out of sports that includes a product line of journals used by high performers across the country. 

Resources Mentioned: 

Strive Higher Journal

Connect with Steve: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

Website

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

While most coaching businesses have jumped into the deep end of social media, digital marketing, and online courses, some industries are still hesitant to take the leap. Today’s episode will show you that building an online coaching business can be highly profitable, regardless of your industry. 

In this episode, global swimming coach and two-time USA Junior National Champion Abbie Fish joins Sammy to talk about how she disrupted the industry of coaching swimming through online courses. She walks through her biggest challenges scaling her business with no business experience and how she leveraged social media to build a trusted brand and an audience that converts without following trends, clickbait, or paid media.

In this episode, Sammy and Abbie will discuss:

(01:59) Launching a Coaching Business With No Business Experience

(05:33) Missing Her Chance at an International Team by 0.11 Seconds

(08:24) Abbie's Innovative Approach to Coaching Swimming in the Digital Age

(10:24) Developing Multiple Revenue Streams for Online Coaching Businesses

(14:14) How Abbie Lands Contracts With Countries and National Organizations

(17:10) Changing Your Coaching Model to Fit Larger Audiences

(18:51) Turning Your Expertise Into a Profitable Coaching Business Without Clickbait

(22:08) Should Everyone Be an Entrepreneur?

(24:30) The Mindset You Need to Become a Coach

Abbie Fish is the founder and head coach of Swim Like A. Fish, a global swim education platform that helps swimmers and coaches better understand the science and technique behind fast swimming. A six-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, NCAA qualifier, SEC finalist, and two-time USA Junior National Champion, Abbie brings more than 25 years of competitive swimming experience and 15+ years of coaching to her work. She has coached and worked with thousands of swimmers worldwide, from developing age-group athletes to more than 140 Olympians and Paralympians. 

Connect with Abbie: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

X

Swim Like A. Fish

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

Why do you keep hitting roadblocks in your personal, financial, and business growth when you have the skills and paycheck you theoretically need to succeed? 

In this episode, NFL veteran and financial educator Jedidiah Collins joins Sammy to discuss why so many professional athletes go broke soon after making millions. He also breaks down why work-life balance is unattainable for entrepreneurs, how to effectively run and scale multiple businesses simultaneously, and the shocking skills that will future-proof entrepreneurs and business leaders in the age of AI. 

In this episode, Sammy and Jedidiah will discuss:

(02:07) The FAIL Acronym You Need to Remember

(06:44) Why You Should Steal From Your Idols

(10:36) Aligning a Visionary Mindset With Daily Habits

(14:46) The $74K Check That Revealed Jedidiah's Purpose

(19:34) Making the Language of Money Accessible

(25:03) Debunking Myths About Running Multiple Businesses

(30:58) This is More Valuable Than Being the Smartest Person

(35:40) What a Car Crash Taught Jedidiah About Business

(39:11) Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn't Chase Work-Life Balance

(43:10) The Unique Value of Journaling in the Age of AI

Jedidiah Collins is an NFL veteran, bestselling author, and entrepreneur. Known as the “Fullback of Finance,” Jedidiah uses his experience as an NFL Fullback and financial planner to teach business athletes how to manage their money mindset and memories. He is also the founder of Money Vehicle, an education technology company providing schools and students with a roadmap to financial freedom through an engaging and accessible financial literacy curriculum. 

Connect with Jedidiah: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

Website

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/ 

Eric Ravotti has spent his entire career solving the same problem in different arenas: how do you help a team perform at its highest level? First as a Penn State linebacker and Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick, then as an entrepreneur, and now as an executive helping scale companies across the country. From running his own real estate company to helping transform brands like Rue21, GNC, and MacBid, Eric has built a reputation for turning growth into a repeatable system. In this episode, he joins Sammy to discuss leadership, business growth, organizational culture, scaling teams, overcoming adversity, and the principles that have guided him from professional sports to the C-suite.

In this episode, Sammy and Eric will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:21) Building a Second Act Before You Need One 

(06:23) The Hard Truth About Running Your Own Business 

(17:31) The Hiring Philosophy Behind High-Performing Teams

(24:45) The Leadership Skill Most People Get Wrong

(33:22) Why Asking for Help Is a Competitive Advantage  

(37:22) Turning Adversity Into Success

Eric Ravotti is a former Penn State linebacker and Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick who built a successful career in business after football. He has held executive leadership roles across commercial real estate, retail, and operations. He currently serves as COO of MacBid, where he has helped scale the company into one of the fastest-growing players in its industry.

Connect with Eric: 

Eric’s LinkedIn

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

What happens when your five-year plan, ten-year plan, or entire career falls apart unexpectedly? How do you leverage that setback to forge a new path for success? 

When a career-ending shoulder injury detonated Ryan Schachtner's dream of playing professional baseball, he had to rethink everything he thought he knew about success. With no roadmap for what came next, he rebuilt his life from scratch, entering financial services on a commission-only salary and eventually building one of the fastest-growing financial planning firms in the Southeast. Today, Ryan is known as the "Athlete Financial Whisperer," helping athletes, entrepreneurs, and business leaders make better decisions around money, performance, and personal growth. In this episode, Ryan joins Sammy to discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, financial literacy, career transitions, and why resilience may be the most valuable skill for long-term success.

In this episode, Sammy and Ryan will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:09) The Injury That Changed Everything

(11:06) Why Athletes Need a Financial Game Plan

(18:01) From Financial Advisor to Athlete Advocate

(22:49) The Skill Most Leaders Learn Too Late

(30:19) Showing Up When You Don't Feel Like It

(33:21) Turning Current Success Into Lasting Impact

Ryan Schachtner is the founder of Carolina Asset Management, one of the fastest-growing financial planning firms in the Southeast. He is the bestselling author of Foundation for Financial Excellence and the founder of Success Beyond Game Day, where he helps athletes develop the skills, mindset, and self-awareness needed to succeed both during and after sports.

Resources: 

Ryan’s Book, Foundation For Financial Excellence: Lessons From The Pros: A Game Plan For The Collegiate Athlete

Connect with Ryan: 

Ryan’s Instagram 

Ryan’s LinkedIn 

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

Peak performance experts agree that a determined mindset is the key to success. But what are actionable steps we can take to develop unshakable resilience that will make success inevitable?

At 14, when Ephraim Salaam told his guidance counselor he wanted to play in the NFL, she told him to pick something more realistic. He responded with a question that shaped the rest of his life: why couldn’t he be the one who made it? Ephraim went on to become a seventh-round draft pick and start in a Super Bowl at 22, yet he still carried the mindset of someone fighting to prove he belonged. That underdog mentality carried him through a 13-year NFL career and later into Hollywood, where he reinvented himself as a writer, producer, and media personality with no roadmap or industry connections. In this episode, Ephraim joins Sammy to share the mindset that helped him thrive through uncertainty, why reinvention starts before your first career ends, and how resilience and self-belief create opportunities in any industry.

In this episode, Sammy and Ephraim will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:03) The Underdog Mindset That Changed Everything

(06:51) Breaking Into Hollywood Without Connections

(12:09) Turning Your Story Into Opportunity

(18:47) The Career Decision That Changed Everything

(21:52) Helping Athletes Build Their Second Act

(27:35) Becoming the Product of “No”

(29:30) Building a Legacy Beyond Football

Ephraim Salaam is a former NFL offensive tackle who played 13 seasons in the league after being drafted in the seventh round. After retiring from football, he transitioned into media and entertainment, becoming a Hollywood writer, producer, and television personality. He is a writer on Peacock’s Bel Air and co-host of the podcast Done There, Been That. Through Hidden Empire Sports Collective, Ephraim helps current and former athletes understand the entertainment business and prepare for life after sports.

Connect with Ephraim: 

Ephraim’s Instagram

Ephraim’s LinkedIn  

Ephraim’s X  

Resources Mentioned:

Ephraim’s Podcast, Done There, Been That

Peacock, Bel-Air 

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

After going undrafted and missing out on the NFL, Nik Lewis was ready to walk away from football altogether. Attending one last tryout launched a 14-year CFL career, two Grey Cup championships, and a Hall of Fame legacy that included becoming the league's all-time receptions leader. But Nik's biggest lesson wasn't about football; it was about ownership. Today, he's helping athletes build brands, create content, and prepare for life after sports through entrepreneurship, media, and mentorship. In this episode, Nik joins Sammy to share leadership lessons from professional sports, the mindset behind long-term success, how to build a personal brand that lasts beyond your career, and why every entrepreneur needs the right team around them.

Nik Lewis is a CFL Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, media personality, and founder of AO Sports. A two-time Grey Cup champion and the CFL's all-time receptions leader, he now helps athletes build brands, own their content, and create opportunities beyond their playing careers. 

In this episode, Sammy and Nik will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:49) Why Great Performers Refocus Faster

(11:39) Building a Brand That Outlasts Your Career

(17:53) The Deal He Was Willing to Lose 

(20:00) The New Year, New Mountain Mindset 

(28:41) Creating Impact Beyond Yourself 

(33:08) Success Others Can Believe In

Nik Lewis is a CFL Hall of Famer, two-time Grey Cup champion, and the league's all-time leader in receptions. After a 14-year professional football career, he transitioned into entrepreneurship, media, and athlete development, founding AO Sports to help athletes build sustainable brands and businesses beyond sports. Today, Nik is a mentor, speaker, podcast host, and advocate for athlete ownership, financial literacy, and career transition, helping the next generation create success on and off the field.

Connect with Nik: 

Nik’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikel18/ 

Nik’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nik-lewis-321543141/ 

Nik’s X: https://x.com/nikel18  

AO Sports TV: https://aosports.tv/ 

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at https://www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

Hewitt Tomlin saw a problem nobody was solving. As a college quarterback, he watched athletes train from paper packets while smartphones were changing everything else. So he built a software platform to bring strength and conditioning into the digital age. After years of rejected pitches, failed fundraising attempts, and balancing a start-up alongside full-time jobs, Hewitt chose a different path. He built a business that customers would pay for, which helped turn TeamBuildr into one of the leading sports platforms. In this episode, Hewitt joins Sammy to share how the lessons he learned as an athlete helped him as a CEO, why failing to raise money became an advantage, and what it takes to build a company from the ground up.

Hewitt Tomlin is the co-founder and CEO of TeamBuildr, one of the leading strength-and-conditioning platforms in sports. After spotting a problem as a college athlete, he bootstrapped the company from scratch and grew it into a trusted tool for coaches.

In this episode, Sammy and Hewitt will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:20) What Athletes Get Right About Leadership 

(03:55) The Bad Boss That Changed Everything

(05:15) How Bootstrapping Beat Venture Capital

(09:50) The Startup Mistakes That Slowed Growth 

(17:23) The Hardest Part of Leading People

(18:48) The Skill Every Leader Needs Today

(21:38) Building a Product People Love

Hewitt Tomlin is an entrepreneur, former college quarterback, and the co-founder and CEO of TeamBuildr. By focusing on customers over investors, Hewitt built TeamBuildr into a profitable business serving coaches and athletes across every level of competition. He is passionate about leadership, performance, and helping others build sustainable businesses from the ground up.

Connect with Hewitt: 

Hewitt’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/htomlin1/ 

Hewitt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hewitttomlin/ 

TeamBuildr’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teambuildr-llc/  

Connect With Sammy: 

Instagram⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠YouTube

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com/

One call ended Jack Oujo's dream of reaching the major leagues. After spending eight years as a professional baseball umpire, he was released just short of the top level. Instead of letting rejection define him, he used it as fuel to reinvent himself, eventually building one of the nation's leading tax-focused wealth management firms with more than $800 million in assets. In this episode, Jack joins Sammy to share the lessons baseball taught him about pressure, decision-making, mentorship, customer experience, and why doing the right thing consistently became the foundation of both his business success and personal fulfillment.

In this episode, Sammy and Jack will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:19) The Umpire Lessons That Built a Business

(05:59) Why Every Athlete Needs a Second Plan

(10:34) The Risk Strategy That Grew an $800M Business

(16:48) The Hardest Decision Every Founder Faces

(21:03) The Reinvention Formula For Life After Rejection 

(27:36) Giving Back to the Game That Cut Him

Jack Oujo is the founder of Oujo Wealth Strategies, a nationally recognized wealth management firm overseeing more than $800 million in assets. A former professional baseball umpire and author of Too Smart to Be an Umpire!, he is known for helping clients build wealth through disciplined planning, risk management, and long-term thinking.

Resources Mentioned:

Jack’s Book, Too Smart to Be an Umpire!:

The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach to Achieving Positive Results by Bob Knight with Bob Hammel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/054402771X 

Connect with Jack: 

Jack’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackoujo/ 

Jack’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-oujo-cpa-cfp-ms-tax-97906810/ 

Too Smart to be an Umpire! Website: https://toosmarttobeanumpire.com

Oujo Wealth Strategies: https://www.oujowealthstrategies.com

Connect With Sammy: 

⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

⁠⁠YouTube⁠

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com

Marques Ogden’s life after the NFL looked like a textbook success story. He built an eight-figure business that earned him industry-wide recognition. Then, one award, a growing ego, and a series of poor decisions brought everything crashing down. Within 90 days, the business was gone, and Marques found himself broke, unemployed, and questioning everything. Instead of staying there, he rebuilt from scratch, transforming his biggest failure into the foundation for a new career as a keynote speaker, author, and business advisor. In this episode, Marques joins Sammy to share the dangers of unchecked ego, the lessons hidden inside rock bottom, and why discipline, ownership, and resilience are the keys to any comeback.

Marques Ogden is a former NFL offensive lineman, three-time bestselling author, keynote speaker, and host of the Get Authentic with Marques Ogden podcast. After losing an eight-figure construction business, he rebuilt his life and career by helping leaders and organizations navigate adversity, culture, and growth.

In this episode, Sammy and Marques will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:02) The Power of Betting on Yourself

(03:10) Turning an NFL Exit Into an 8 Figure Business

(06:03) When Success Turns Dangerous

(11:59) Rebuilding After Rock Bottom

(17:40) The Mistake He Refused to Repeat

(21:00) Staying in the Game When Things Fall Apart

(23:05) How to Bounce Back From Failure

(25:00) The Simple Habit That Builds Trust

(27:01) Why Clients Are Your Real MVPs

Marques Ogden is a former NFL offensive lineman, three-time bestselling author, keynote speaker, and host of the Get Authentic with Marques Ogden podcast. Following his football career, he built an eight-figure construction business before losing it all and rebuilding from the ground up. Today, he is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, and leadership teams, known for his work on resilience, culture, leadership, and peak performance.

Connect with Marques: 

Marques’ Website: https://marquesogden.com 

Marques’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marquesogden/  

Marques’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquesogden/  

Marques’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarquesOgdenSpeaker/ 

Resources Mentioned: 

Marques’ Podcast, Get Authentic with Marques Ogden: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-authentic-with-marques-ogden/id1633323257

Mel Robbins’ Book, Kick Ass with Mel Robbins: Life-Changing Advice from the Author of “The 5 Second Rule”: https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Ass-with-Mel-Robbins-audiobook/dp/B07BZVL8PJ

Connect With Sammy: 

⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

⁠⁠YouTube⁠

Become a Business MVP:

Ready to level up the way you lead, build, and grow? The Entrepreneur’s Boardroom is where ambitious business owners come together to sharpen their next move, unlock bigger opportunities, and become the MVP of their business.

Join Sammy Peterson today at www.theentrepreneursboardroom.com