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"Every day you have the mentality of one foot in, one foot out, at least that was my mentality. I always thought of keeping myself on the edge, because you have to be ready to go. The transition (as an athlete) is hard regardless, but if you are not even thinking about it, you're really putting yourself in a bad position."
I'm easily impressed with athlete's accomplishments on the field of play, but not so much once they leave the game, as many tend to wait too long to get their post-career steps going. My guest today, Corey Mays, is quite the opposite, as he immersed himself fully into being prepared for the eventuality of retirement, and has become a role model for current athletes to emulate.
"Monday you feel like a genius and Friday you feel like an idiot, that's the day to day as an entrepreneur. It's an emotional roller coaster - you have to keep your balance and realize it's for the long haul, not the short term."
Corey was fortunate enough to play football at Notre Dame, signed as an undrafted free agent and played four years in the NFL, and prepared himself for his post-playing days by enrolling in business and finance-related classes and working in internships while in college. He launched his angel investment firm, A-Maysing Enterprises LLC in 2013, through which he invests in a variety of businesses, including uStadium (a sports social media app), BuildMyStay (a travel concierge software platform), Vice District Brewing in Chicago, Heritage Link Brands (a wine importer), and Love Cork Screw (a wine brand). Corey also took the step of pursuing his MBA, graduating this past May from Notre Dame once again.
"(As a retired athlete), you have all the skills. It's just building that confidence back up, step by step. One foot at a time and we'll get up this mountain, but it takes patience!"
You'll learn so much from our talk, especially if you are considering jumping into the waters of entrepreneurship, or you are an athlete wondering how to start preparing for your life after the game. Corey has a great personality, is funny and engaging, and offers superb advice throughout. Happy listening!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
Intro- 2:00
What sparked Corey's interest to play football- 2:41
Notre Dame - 5:30
Preparing for all outcomes - 7:21
Corey's next step- 8:10
Something's got to give- 9:21
Realizing your worth as an athlete- 10:30
The point Corey realized he could go pro- 12:30
Playing for Bill Belichick- 14:15
Recognizing the end is near- 15:28
Ready to let go- 16:28
Staying sharp in the corporate/ entrepreneurial space -17:22
Corey's got the energy- 18:34
Smart Cities- 19:36
What's on the horizon for Corey Mays- 22:00
Advice for the Entrepreneur- 24:05
Expenses and Networking- 25:00
Everyone brings something different to the table- 28:00
NFL Players Association- 30:06
Head Trauma in Sports- 33:00
Helping Athletes Win Again- 37:00
How to peak Interest- 40:30
Don't sell yourself, allow yourself to be bought- 42:00
Hit Your Mark- 43:14
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"There is no such thing as normal. We all go through sh*t, and we all face different challenges, so We're all a little bit crazy!"
There's nothing that stops us in our tracks than a sudden illness or injury, but sometimes going through a steady decline without knowing it can be even worse. In today's episode with Eric Kussin, we cover the very serious and increasingly relevant topic of mental health, and how the stigma attached needs to be lifted and tossed aside. Eric is doing wonders in this space, and I'm thrilled to be shining a spotlight on what he's doing.
"No matter how many people of influence speak up, if the message that continues to be delivered is just through the mouth of the media, which just wants the salacious story, we aren't going to get anywhere. We need to connect on a human level of what our actual day to day is like."
As a great benefit to getting to know Theo Fleury, NHL All Star and Olympian, he invited me to attend the official launch last November here in NYC of "We're All a Little Crazy", the global mental health alliance founded by Eric Kussin, bringing together athletes and entertainers from around the world to increase awareness of the mental health struggles that so many people face quietly. In just one year, Eric has made the simple yet powerful sign language for "Same Here" an international symbol, and it's only getting stronger and bigger!
"Same here are two magical words that can change the conversation between two people"
This is an episode you need to hear, especially if you know anyone (including yourself) who has gone through any sort of mental trauma. Eric walks us through his years in the sports industry, his harrowing account of his descent into his depths of mental health, and his subsequent recovery. Please do what you can to support his movement, and take what you can out of this uplifting and inspiring episode!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"I just want to be remembered for being a great human being, we all have different walks we go on, but if I can just be a good person and help others on their journey that's worth it in the end"
It's one thing to make your mark on the field of play, but when you can transition into a venture that can help millions of people globally, now you've got my interest. Today's guest, Gus Frerotte, happened to have a 15 year NFL career as a quarterback, and has a long list of accomplishments. But none may stand out as much as the company he is involved with now, and the work they are doing to make an impact within brain health.
"If you're good at what you do and have a lot of passion, they're going to find you no matter where you are. I came from a town of 4,000 people and ended up playing 15 years in the NFL."
Brain health? How on earth can we measure that? Just ask Gus, and he'll show you how RC21X, and the "Roberto" app will transform how athletes and anyone else who is going through brain trauma or cognitive decline, or are simply curious to know how healthy their brain truly is, can simply spend just a few minutes on the app on your phone or laptop/ desktop, play a few games that measure a variety of data points, and after just a few days you now have a benchmark that you can use going forward, instrumental in showing any doctor where you stand.
"RC21X is a Consumer friendly tool- to gain measurement and knowledge of our brain that can better our health for the future- there is one thing I have never been able to check and thats my brain performance until now. We can impact our children and the world of sports with this tool. We can be proactive."
In this episode you will be amazed at the level of excitement, interest and passion Gus has for this cause, as he has personally seen the after-effects of a contact sport on the brain, and he can't wait to get this into the hands of his NFL brethren, and so many other athletes and non-athletes too. Gus and I discuss ways to get more of the word out, and yes, we do talk some football along the way. You'll enjoy this episode, give it a listen!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"When you have this big moment of failure - when you don't accomplish what you were going after, you have to take time to re-evaluate your strategy for the next time!"
I am so impressed with Olympians, and it doesn't matter if they medal or not. The amount of time and dedication needed to compete once every four years, often for just a few seconds, is an extraordinary example of perseverance, determination and grit. My guest on the Make Your Mark podcast today, Grace Luczak, is a prime example of a high achiever who adopted a new sport, set a world record, and has transitioned into the corporate world.
"The simple gestures in life when doing something good and selfless for somebody else without expecting anything in return can be the most impactful moments."
As a young teen I dreamed of competing for the Egyptian Ski Team (not a typo, and a story for another time!), but happily for all, I went a different direction. Grace had heard that many schools were looking at young ladies with her physical and mental skills to become rowers on collegiate crew teams. Both during and after her time at Stanford University, and years of hard work, Grace set a new world record, and qualified for the Rio Olympics! But best of all, she understood that she needed to be prepared for her post-Olympic life, and was able to land an impressive job where she is today.
"Sometimes your biggest weakness can be your greatest strength"
You will truly enjoy this episode, as Grace is such an easy-going person to speak with. We talk about all the training she went through, the successes that started to pile up, the ups and downs of being an Olympian, and how grit plays a big part in life. You will also appreciate Grace's volunteer work with an organization that brings rowing to kids coming from neighborhoods that would never see any sort of rowing. Sit back and listen to an uplifting and inspiring episode!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"For me it was about the entertainment value; but with that comes the responsibility to tell it honestly, truthfully, and with energy. And when you can do all of those things, it's something that people want to listen to."
Having the guts to make a complete transition isn't easy, and Rudy Reyes, host of The Rudedog Show radio show, can tell you all about it, and much more. And I really mean much more, as Rudy has recorded several hundred episodes, interviewing a wide array of sports and entertainment celebrities, including Jerome Bettis, Nadia Comaneci, Michael Phelps and Sinbad too!
"This is not something that I learned overnight. It's taken me a long time, and many free hours and free time to really put the hammer to the nail in order to get me to where I am right now. It's not easy, it's time consuming, but it's very rewarding."
Most of us do not realize the amount of time, energy, effort and real world education it takes to be in front of a camera or microphone, and how many things you need to have going through your brain along with what you are trying to say, all happening at once! What we hear and see is a polished finished product, and Rudy's is very impressive, as you will see when you tune into his show!
"You have to stay driven, stay focused, you have to have an endgame. If you don't have an endgame, in other words, the end answers to everything you're trying to accomplish, you're wasting your time."
In this episode you will learn from Rudy what it takes to get a truly successful radio show / podcast up and running smoothly, how networking is essential in getting top guests, and we share a ton of laughs throughout, including the lifestyle change from the shiny lights of LA to the early snow in Cheyenne. This episode will fly by, you'll love it, including the Hit Your Mark segment. Happy Listening!
"I want to be able to inspire others who are struggling. I understand wanting to be noticed. To take a look at the hard work you've been doing and let others comprehend there is an end to this despite the "no's."
"I've had a trillion "No's" in my lifetime and received the generic email of denial but you have to realize you can persist. You must stay passionate, aggressive and never take NO for an answer."
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"Athletes are figuring out how to leverage who they are, where they came from, what they're known for, and then how to make money off of that for the rest of their lives."
Professional athletes are faced with countless decisions, both on and off the field, and many struggle with the weight of making the right choices. My guest today, Lauren Walsh, is making a name for herself in a male-dominated industry, adding her secret sauce to directly help athletes with much of what happens off the field, especially regarding their branding, social impact, and how they are seen to the public.
"It's nothing to do with that he's not intelligent or he didn't have the schooling. The reality was that he had spent so much of his life focused on football, and some of the general life skills that we take for granted he just didn't have."
We have all seen and read what happens to the reputations of some athletes when they are left unchecked and they unleash on social media, ruining their images and enormous earning potential. Lauren urges athletes to start managing their brand as early as possible, controlling how they are viewed, and setting themselves up for decades of continued financial rewards.
"It's not about the sales pitch, it's not about me saying 'Oh, I'm so good about this or I can do that', it's showing. Especially in the world of professional sports, show them where you add the value and everything else falls into place."
Throughout my chat with Lauren, you will be impressed with how poised, confident and knowledgeable she truly is within the branding and marketing space as it pertains to athletes, We talk about the importance of sending the right message, how your sales pitch is virtually irrelevant as long as you produce results, and how she was even tasked with getting an NFL star blinds for his new apartment once he was traded, just a small example of her versatility! You'll enjoy this episode, give it a listen!
"I encourage our clients to be who they are on social media- there's nothing worse than when you see an inauthentic post- you know when someone else wrote it. However, if something happens, you have an idea or you make someone laugh, chances are there are over 1000 people on Twitter who are going to laugh with you too. Be yourself and understand there is going to be a market for that."
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"You really have to develop stamina. There will be times where you are constantly exhausted and you have to learn to keep going and push those boundaries (just like a muscle) because it really will make you better with any business you have."
Our nation's veterans have sacrificed so much for us, and a growing number are becoming entrepreneurs, looking to continue the spirit of giving once they leave the service. Today's guest on the #MakeYourMark podcast, Chelsea Mandello, is a shining example of this, as she has taken an idea borne deep inside a warship, and created a company that is directly lifting the morale of our soldiers globally.
"Seek a mentor. Mentors have been through the pitfalls that you're already going through, they've already made the mistakes...the business community of entrepreneurs love to share their experiences and help you. Do this to bypass the heartache."
Chelsea created Troopster four years ago after seeing hundreds of packages meant for her fellow sailors arrive damaged, or so late that the contents had gone bad. She was determined to change that, and is now offering through her website the ability for anyone looking to support the troops a pre-packaged box with personalized messages, photos, and snacks for a fraction of what it would cost someone doing it on their own.
"If you don't know anyone in the military, but you still really want to support the troops, we have 1000s of soldiers who don't have any friends or family members - they don't have anyone taking care of them, so we are also that bridge for the community to take care of our troops."
You will hear us talk about some of the challenges to starting and bootstrapping your own company, the tremendous rewards when things start falling your way, and several stories from Chelsea's time overseas that will shine a light on what happens when the bullets aren't flying. You will be excited to hear her story, and you will want to pitch in with her efforts, and get the word out about Troopster! I'm always thrilled to feature a member of our nation's armed services in my podcast, and this is an episode you'll truly enjoy. Happy listening!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"I knew my life was in the balance… I promised myself if I lived, life would be different and I would stop chasing happiness."
We will all likely face a life-altering moment when it is least expected. Michael O'Brien was cycling when his happened, and what followed became the cornerstone of his life's mission today. Michael was nearly killed over 17 years ago, and what he has done since then to turn things around, and become the positive influence he is now is the basis for my episode today. That and a six pack of PBRs!
"The message I preach is resilience and a lot of gratitude. Gratitude for what we still have and can do, and resilience is just get back up again."
Resilience. Tenacity. Optimism in the face of being in a really bad place. Michael has been there, and emerged a much stronger man than he was pre-crash. This episode will resonate with you, as you will hear us talk about recovery, and how to change how we all look at life, and family, friends and work.
"We all have the voices in our head that hold us back… when that happens, what I do is grab a PBR… Pause. Breathe. Reflect on the story we tell ourselves. Then try to reverse engineer the result that we want."
OK, we didn't actually drink a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbons (insert product placement residual here). What Michael did instead was to teach us all how to take a break from our stressful and hectic lives, and do a PBR, (Pause, Breathe, Reflect) which you will learn how to do. We talk about leadership, empathy, business success, along with a gratuitous book promo! Make sure to hear about this and much more! Happy Listening!
"If folks could lead with a bit more empathy, we would solve a lot more problems in the corporate world."
"Great cultures, whether at work or personal, start with great relationships... a great relationship is born out of great conversation."
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"Great business is team driven, it's about getting the right people around you, just like with football."
Everyone is drawn to stories of success and perseverance by athletes on the field, but I appreciate them even more if they continue that success off the field once an athlete has left his or her game. My guest today is J.R. Tolver, former NFL wide receiver and entrepreneur, who prepared himself for his life after football while he was still playing, and is a fantastic role model for athletes and non-athletes.
"I think the thing that prevents athletes from being successful in their next step is not being aware of all of the things that go into making them successful where they are now."
J.R.'s path to where he is now has winded through a variety of places, including San Diego, Miami, Dallas, and Calgary, and through a few ventures, including companies he started within waste management and owning his own insurance practice, and he has cultivated many lessons along the way. We share many of those with you, including guidance for athletes still playing, and some clear pointers on a basic money management you need to follow!
"Business gives me a chance to leverage my background and some of my big wins and big losses, not only in business but in life in general, and to stop people from making some mistakes that I made... or some things that they don't see coming that I can see coming."
Many thanks to J.R. for being on my podcast, as we covered such a wide array of topics surrounding starting a business, making smart decisions, and how to position yourself for success for years to come, and this episode is for anyone at a crossroads, trying to decide if you should take the plunge into the often turbulent waters of entrepreneurship. I am sure this will be an episode you'll want to listen to until the very end. Happy listening!
"Business is all about your experiences, how you bring your experiences to a product or to a service. At the end of the day a business is just a group of people chasing a purpose. "
"Money will come and go if you let it, it will stay and grow if you systematize it."
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
Introduction - 0:56
Tolver's Athletic Beginnings - 3:41
Tolver's Professional Football Career - 9:33
Transition out of Football - 15:42
Three Pieces of Advice for Current Players - 19:28
Personal Lessons Learned in Business - 20:58
Challenges in Growing a Business - 27:02
Tolver's Big Picture Goals - 32:06
Insurance Tips for Athletes - 33:56
Actionable Business Strategies - 37:32
"Hit Your Mark" - 41:00
Wrap-up and Takeaways - 44:34
How to get involved
Be sure to connect with me on Social Media @MarkMoyerCoach and go to my website, www.markmoyer.com to get access to the tips and strategies that my coaching clients get directly.
If you're looking for ways to Make Your Mark, send me an email [email protected] and I'll get you going right away.
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
"As a leader, your job is to make yourself redundant. So if your team is doing really well, they should be self-sufficient. And once they've gotten themselves to a place where they are self-sufficient, they don't need you anymore."
What impresses me the most about Cody Royle, my guest on today's podcast, is how clearly he sees through all the BS in the corporate world, and is able to pinpoint what truly drives great leaders, what makes them compete and win, and how they continue to produce a winning team, whether it be on the field or in the boardroom.
"We get obsessed with winning very easily, but really, winning, whether it's in business or in sport is a byproduct. The process of learning how to win is more important than winning itself."
Cody has been an elite athlete for most of his life, starting with Australian Rules Football, which he describes as a much more exciting sport than rugby, American football, and soccer combined. (ok, I may have embellished, but it truly is an exciting sport!). He is also an extreme sports fanatic, as evidenced by his company which he co-founded, NTSQ Sports Group, and he coaches the Canadian national team for Aussie Rules Football.
"I would like my legacy to be, that I was someone who was willing to look differently at the world, and not just go along with the herd."
In this podcast, you will learn about best practices for recruiting, both for sports and business, how going against the flow will lead to success, and as much as we each share tons of advice for you, I was happy to learn that doing squats while standing at my desk will give me six-pack abs faster and easier than doing 100s of sit ups. Thanks Cody! Make sure you tune into this episode, you will jump ahead of your competition with these tips!
Some Topics we talk about in this episode:
How to get involved
If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!
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