I really enjoyed this episode with Mark Griffin. His journey from being a bullied school kid to leading the U.S. national rugby team against England, founding a nonprofit that brought rugby to 15,000 students, and being honored by the Queen of England is nothing short of extraordinary.
Mark shares how one childhood moment of standing up for himself changed the trajectory of his life—and how that spark led him to build Play Rugby USA, a nonprofit that uses sport to teach leadership, purpose, and belonging to underserved youth. Later, his passion for human performance evolved into founding PurposeFused, a company that helps leaders and teams unlock their best selves by connecting personal passion to meaningful impact.
Be sure to like and subscribe, and leave a comment to share how you’re showing up with purpose in your work and life. These episodes reveal the untold stories—the childhood moments, quiet breakthroughs, and defining choices that shape CEOs and leaders who care about something bigger than profit. And every episode includes a giveback component.
In this episode, we talk about sales, leadership, and the deeper meaning of performance. Mark explains the difference between role and purpose, the dangers of burnout, and why so many people never access their full potential at work. He also breaks down his framework for helping people reconnect with their “whole self” so they can elevate performance across every sphere of life—self, family, work, community, and beyond.
This one’s for founders, sales leaders, and coaches who want to build high-performing teams rooted in trust, purpose, and aligned energy—and for anyone who believes that living your legacy starts long before your final chapter.

Connect with Mark here -https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgriffinpurposefused/
Give back legacy foundation - PlayRugbyUSA.org - http://playrugbyusa.org/
Connect with me here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgambale/
Website -  https://www.closewith1.com/

#closewithone #podcast #newseries #entrepreneur #livinglegacy #legacy