After graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in biomolecular engineering, Marissa Pittard went on to become a business analyst at one of the biggest consulting firms in the world. While this job was rewarding in many ways, it didn’t fulfill Marissa’s passion. Instead of staying complacent, Marissa decided to pursue what she loved most. As co-founder of Beaming Health, Marissa is now dedicated to helping families with children that have autism. In today’s episode, host Blake Chapman sits down with Marissa to discuss her transition into investing in herself.

To get her where she is today, Marissa let her passion for healthcare be her navigator. Even though she was typically risk-averse, Marissa found the best thing she could ever do was invest in herself. Rather than becoming discouraged by her failures, Marissa uses them as a catalyst for her success. For anyone considering starting something new, the best way to make it happen is to just start because when we are working on our passions, we can make the world a better place.

Tune into this week’s episode of The G.E.M Series for a conversation with Marissa Pittard about start-ups and entrepreneurship. Learn more about the importance of betting on yourself, goal setting, and pursuing your passions, so you can find meaning and purpose in your career.

Quotes

• “If you go out there and really bet on yourself and try something new, the opportunities are pretty limitless.” (10:20-10:27)

• “If you're not failing every so often, are you really pushing yourself?” (10:43-10:46)

• “A lot of times, it's about taking the time to actually think about what you want and then just make a plan to get it done.” (17:54-18:01)

• “Every choice that you make is casting a vote in favor of an identity.” (18:59-19:01)

• “You don't learn from your mistakes, you learn from reflecting on your mistakes.” (23:23-23:26)

• “ I can't emphasize enough the importance of making sure you're taking the leap with the right person.” (39:06-39:10)

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“Hard work, dedication and sacrifice are the three principles that I apply across everything that I do,” says Jamal Lewis, former NFL running back turned entrepreneur. Ever since he was a child, Jamal understood the importance of planning for the future. While Jamal never imagined that he would play in the NFL, he always knew he had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. After a successful athletic career, Jamal took everything that he had learned from football and applied it to his company, Buyer Connected, Inc. In today’s episode, Jamal sits down with host Blake Chapman to discuss his transition from scoring touchdowns to operating a business.

Understanding that sports and business are strikingly similar, Jamal had a relatively easy time transitioning into the corporate world. His competitive nature provides him the stamina to outwork his competitors. Similar to a football team, every employee has their position. Jamal explains that when everyone focuses on what they are good at, it’s easier to accomplish goals and grow as a team.

Tune into this week’s episode of The G.E.M. Series for a conversation with Jamal Lewis about the parallels between sports and business. Learn more about how sacrifice, goal setting, and mastering his skills have played a significant role in Jamal’s athletic and business success.

Quotes

• “If you're doing what everybody else is doing, guess what? That's going to just make you average.”(11:30-11:35)

• “I learned early on in school that short, medium and long term goals are kind of how you stay on track.” (11:51-11:59)

• “Prepare for everything and expect anything. If you prepare, nobody can throw you curveballs or surprises.” (24:10-24:19)

• “It's all about building opportunities for others.” (27:38-27:41)

• “As long as you have a plan and a vision, I think you can accomplish anything.” (36:09-36:13)

• “I love starting businesses and putting the right people in place and seeing them.” (36:49-36:55)

• “Understand that failure is really just experience.” (52:39-52:42)

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“Working in the SMB (small and medium-sized business) market is one of the quickest ways to get closer to financial freedom,” says host Blake Chapman. As an Ambassador coach at RocketLevel, Blake has encountered many people who have been burned by the corporate world. Between long work hours and low pay, many Americans have started to wonder whether the corporate realm is right for them. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that there are endless alternative ways to make money. In today’s episode, Blake breaks down the benefits of small business marketing and how it is paving the path to financial freedom.

In a digital age, it is crucial that small businesses keep up with their online presence. Unfortunately, though, many entrepreneurs don’t have the expertise to carefully curate their online brand. According to Blake, small business marketing gives people an opportunity to work for themselves while making a difference in their own communities. This gap in the market is perfect for someone who is passionate about others and wants to use their expertise to build a stream of passive income without much overhead.

There’s no better time than now to start investing in yourself and your future. Tune into this week’s episode of The G.E.M. Series to learn what small business marketing is, the importance of digital advertising, and how you can achieve financial success by helping your community.

Quotes

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Do you have a passion project that you’re just itching to pursue? Do you have aspirations of abandoning your day job to follow your daydream? Research shows that you’re not alone in this! In what the New York Times has termed “The Yolo Economy,” more and more people around the world are ditching their cushy and stable 9-5 roles to work in new ways.

Host Blake Chapman explains that after a year of contemplating what we really want out of life during the pandemic, many of us are coming to realize the shortcomings of jobs as we formerly understood them. After all, we all live in the global village called the internet and have access to more digital resources than ever before.

So, should you jump on this world-wide trend and forge your way to financial freedom? Tune into this week’s episode of The G.E.M. Series Powered by RocketLevel to learn more about how you might fit into the Yolo Economy. Join Blake Chapman as he explores our collective tendency towards autonomy, the realities of professional uncertainty, and how to turn your dream into more than just a daydream.

Quotes

• “YOLO stands for you only live once, and that is the very truth that is pounding in the hearts of all of those who feel like their current job is a compromise to what they truly want out of life.” (01:49-02:01)

• “There are a lot of options out there that fit this model of betting completely on yourself and reaping the rewards.” (03:53-03:59)

• “So many people are really beginning to point out that freelancing in some form or another is ultimately a more surefire path to financial freedom than working in a traditional corporate environment.” (07:24-07:35)

References

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