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Choose the Hard Road (ft. Sam Caucci, Founder, 1Huddle)
Choose the Hard Road: Leaders aren’t made in success; they’re crafted by crisis. They go for the extra inch when even that inch is a battle.
QUOTE:
“You’ve got to be real with yourself when you get to a point that it’s time to be challenged again. As a competitor, I wanted to be challenged again.” - Sam Caucci
GUEST BIO:
Sam Caucci is the founder of 1Huddle, a platform that’s transforming the way leaders train their teams by drawing inspiration from Sam’s experience with sports’ highest performers. He’s a proven leader, a culture champion, and true inspiration that’s chosen the hard road again and again to incredible results.
Learn more about Sam:
- 1Huddle
OPENING MONOLOGUE:
How do we wake up with a focus on impact and presence, so that we can all have purpose as a dominant driver? How do we respond when we encounter a true leadership crisis? We don’t complain about it. We follow a series of powerful insights that help us all lock arms as leaders and be part of the solution. This week, it’s all about choosing the hard road and going the extra inch.
CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:
[10:07]
Performing Beyond Our Capabilities
Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones that will push our limits
When Sam Caucci was living in a comfortable job in sunny Miami, he saw an opportunity in cold, cutthroat New York City that he knew would challenge and teach him. What did he do? He got on a plane. That decision to take the hard road transformed the path of his life.
[15:09]
Focus on the Moment
It’s a short show. Focus on the role you’re playing in it.
Wake up every day and focus on living in the present and facing the situation you’re in now. Whatever you’re doing now, perform as if nothing else matters. Your growth and progress will naturally emerge from that mindset.
[19:53]
Find the ‘Why’ In Your Schedule
Are you spending your time doing things that are true to your purpose?
Look at the last four weeks in your calendar. As yourself: What percentage of your time, in all those meetings and conversations would you say brought you closer to your ultimate purpose? If you’re not happy with the number, it’s time to start adjusting.
[35:14]
People, Not Organizations
Where you put your focus is where you’ll make an impact
Sam doesn’t focus on organizations, brands, or companies. You won’t find the word ‘company’ anywhere in his mission statements. People drive everything, and he focused on powering people above all else. That’s his ‘why,’ and it’s taken him to where he is now.
[41:30]
Make the Tent Bigger
Connection is the fuel that powers success
To bring about change, you have to let in more perspectives and ideas. The goal isn’t just to squeeze more people into your existing space, it’s about making the space bigger and more inviting to more kinds of people.
[47:06]
A 5-Minute Call That Took All Morning
When disaster strikes, how do you respond?
Sam shares the story of the day he gathered his company on a Zoom call to announce they were shutting the office down due to COVID. What was supposed to be a short call turned into a long conversation with no business purpose— it was just about people sharing what was on their minds and in their hearts. It transcended business and became something more.
RESOURCES:
- [00:28]: Purpose Labs
- [1:10]: 1Huddle
- [4:42]: Not Our Job, by Sam Caucci
- [42:29]: New Jersey Reentry Corporation
MAKE A PLAY:
If all of your responsibilities were taken care of financially, and you had a blank canvas in life ahead of you, what would you like to spend the rest of your time working toward?
Send Paul your answer via a DM on your social media platform of choice, or email [email protected]. Paul will respond with his own response to the same question, and you can engage and level up together.
- Want to keep making the right plays? Subscribe to Playmakers now.
- Check out more episodes and content on the Playmaker’s website.
Follow Sam:
- 1Huddle
Follow Paul:
- Playmakers Podcast
- The Power of Playing Offense
- Youtube
SHOW SPONSOR:
Audible: Interested in leveling up and lifelong learning? Then what’s better than a free audio book and 30-day free trial when you visit audible.playmakerspod.com? With over 200,000 titles to choose from, there’s no limit to what you can explore and learn on Audible.
TRY AUDIBLE TODAY
ABOUT PLAYMAKERS: IMPACT UNLEASHED:
Playmakers: Impact Unleashed is an all-access pass to the game-changers of today and the history makers of tomorrow. The show looks past the trophy cabinet and features a no-BS, inside look into the world of comeback, transformation, and impact unearthing practical tools and mindsets that we can all leverage to make a play in our own lives and careers.
Take a seat at the table with leadership expert, sports industry veteran, personal transformation coach, purpose igniter, and your host Paul Epstein in this inspiring, yet immediately actionable podcast. From stories of total defeat to the thrills of unimaginable achievement to the practices of mastering the inside game, each show will share a high-energy, prescriptive blueprint to unleash impact and drive success, significance, and purpose no matter your starting point. Meet Paul at the 50 and make a play together!
Learn more at: PlaymakersPod.com
ABOUT MOTOWN PODCAST STUDIOS:
In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
As a nod to the past, Motown Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Motown Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Motown Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. Here’s to making (podcast) history together.
Learn more at: MotownPodcastStudios.com
ABOUT THE HOST:
Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.
Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He’s opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.
He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.
Now, as Founder of Purpose Labs, keynote speaker and host of the Playmakers: Impact Unleashed podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.
- Learn more about Paul at PaulEpsteinSpeaks.com
- Order Paul’s new book The Power of Playing Offense
CREDITS:
- Paul Epstein: Host | [email protected]
- Connor Trombley: Executive Producer | [email protected]
View all episodes
By Paul Epstein
5
3131 ratings
Choose the Hard Road: Leaders aren’t made in success; they’re crafted by crisis. They go for the extra inch when even that inch is a battle.
QUOTE:
“You’ve got to be real with yourself when you get to a point that it’s time to be challenged again. As a competitor, I wanted to be challenged again.” - Sam Caucci
GUEST BIO:
Sam Caucci is the founder of 1Huddle, a platform that’s transforming the way leaders train their teams by drawing inspiration from Sam’s experience with sports’ highest performers. He’s a proven leader, a culture champion, and true inspiration that’s chosen the hard road again and again to incredible results.
Learn more about Sam:
- 1Huddle
OPENING MONOLOGUE:
How do we wake up with a focus on impact and presence, so that we can all have purpose as a dominant driver? How do we respond when we encounter a true leadership crisis? We don’t complain about it. We follow a series of powerful insights that help us all lock arms as leaders and be part of the solution. This week, it’s all about choosing the hard road and going the extra inch.
CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:
[10:07]
Performing Beyond Our Capabilities
Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones that will push our limits
When Sam Caucci was living in a comfortable job in sunny Miami, he saw an opportunity in cold, cutthroat New York City that he knew would challenge and teach him. What did he do? He got on a plane. That decision to take the hard road transformed the path of his life.
[15:09]
Focus on the Moment
It’s a short show. Focus on the role you’re playing in it.
Wake up every day and focus on living in the present and facing the situation you’re in now. Whatever you’re doing now, perform as if nothing else matters. Your growth and progress will naturally emerge from that mindset.
[19:53]
Find the ‘Why’ In Your Schedule
Are you spending your time doing things that are true to your purpose?
Look at the last four weeks in your calendar. As yourself: What percentage of your time, in all those meetings and conversations would you say brought you closer to your ultimate purpose? If you’re not happy with the number, it’s time to start adjusting.
[35:14]
People, Not Organizations
Where you put your focus is where you’ll make an impact
Sam doesn’t focus on organizations, brands, or companies. You won’t find the word ‘company’ anywhere in his mission statements. People drive everything, and he focused on powering people above all else. That’s his ‘why,’ and it’s taken him to where he is now.
[41:30]
Make the Tent Bigger
Connection is the fuel that powers success
To bring about change, you have to let in more perspectives and ideas. The goal isn’t just to squeeze more people into your existing space, it’s about making the space bigger and more inviting to more kinds of people.
[47:06]
A 5-Minute Call That Took All Morning
When disaster strikes, how do you respond?
Sam shares the story of the day he gathered his company on a Zoom call to announce they were shutting the office down due to COVID. What was supposed to be a short call turned into a long conversation with no business purpose— it was just about people sharing what was on their minds and in their hearts. It transcended business and became something more.
RESOURCES:
- [00:28]: Purpose Labs
- [1:10]: 1Huddle
- [4:42]: Not Our Job, by Sam Caucci
- [42:29]: New Jersey Reentry Corporation
MAKE A PLAY:
If all of your responsibilities were taken care of financially, and you had a blank canvas in life ahead of you, what would you like to spend the rest of your time working toward?
Send Paul your answer via a DM on your social media platform of choice, or email [email protected]. Paul will respond with his own response to the same question, and you can engage and level up together.
- Want to keep making the right plays? Subscribe to Playmakers now.
- Check out more episodes and content on the Playmaker’s website.
Follow Sam:
- 1Huddle
Follow Paul:
- Playmakers Podcast
- The Power of Playing Offense
- Youtube
SHOW SPONSOR:
Audible: Interested in leveling up and lifelong learning? Then what’s better than a free audio book and 30-day free trial when you visit audible.playmakerspod.com? With over 200,000 titles to choose from, there’s no limit to what you can explore and learn on Audible.
TRY AUDIBLE TODAY
ABOUT PLAYMAKERS: IMPACT UNLEASHED:
Playmakers: Impact Unleashed is an all-access pass to the game-changers of today and the history makers of tomorrow. The show looks past the trophy cabinet and features a no-BS, inside look into the world of comeback, transformation, and impact unearthing practical tools and mindsets that we can all leverage to make a play in our own lives and careers.
Take a seat at the table with leadership expert, sports industry veteran, personal transformation coach, purpose igniter, and your host Paul Epstein in this inspiring, yet immediately actionable podcast. From stories of total defeat to the thrills of unimaginable achievement to the practices of mastering the inside game, each show will share a high-energy, prescriptive blueprint to unleash impact and drive success, significance, and purpose no matter your starting point. Meet Paul at the 50 and make a play together!
Learn more at: PlaymakersPod.com
ABOUT MOTOWN PODCAST STUDIOS:
In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
As a nod to the past, Motown Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Motown Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Motown Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits. Here’s to making (podcast) history together.
Learn more at: MotownPodcastStudios.com
ABOUT THE HOST:
Paul Epstein may not be a hard charging running back on the actual football field, but his list of high-profile wins in the world of sports will have you thinking that he could be.
Paul has spent nearly 15 years as a pro sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office. He’s transformed numerous NBA teams from the absolute bottom in league revenue to top-two in financial performance. He’s broken every premium revenue metric in Super Bowl history as the NFL’s sales leader. He’s opened a billion-dollar stadium, helped save the New Orleans NBA franchise, and founded the San Francisco 49ers Talent Academy.
He's since installed his leadership and high-performance playbook with Fortune 500 leaders, Founders and CEOs, MBAs, and professional athletes.
Now, as Founder of Purpose Labs, keynote speaker and host of the Playmakers: Impact Unleashed podcast, Paul explores how living and working with a focus on leadership, culture, and purpose can transform organizations and individuals anywhere to unleash their full potential.
- Learn more about Paul at PaulEpsteinSpeaks.com
- Order Paul’s new book The Power of Playing Offense
CREDITS:
- Paul Epstein: Host | [email protected]
- Connor Trombley: Executive Producer | [email protected]