Suiting Up with Paul Rabil

He was one of the nation's top-ranked high school football recruits who decided to take his talents to Stanford University where the trajectory of his life took turn when he was cut from the team his senior year. The President of his class was tipped off by one of his professors to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, where Senator Cory Booker tells us, "when God closes one door, he sometimes opens up the side of a building."

The Senator of New Jersey is one of only a few Mayors to be elected directly to the Senate in American history, and 1 of only 11 African Americans who have served in the US Senate.

Among dozens of bills Senator Booker is on the leadership team for, he's currently championing the College Athletes Bill of Rights, legislation that would bring significant changes to the distribution of money in college sports. The positive changes for the student-athlete would create a profit-sharing model for revenue-generating sports (after scholarship deduction), provide lifetime academic scholarships, government oversight of health and safety standards, and alleviate transfer restrictions, among other changes.

To get to college sports, Senator Booker and I discuss the state of youth sports, including ways to help more niche, equipment-based sports like lacrosse, secure better funding for growth across all geographies in the US. 

Senator Booker talks about the importance of unity – from the gridiron to Congress. He's a true leader with a track record of working across the aisle, keeping close relationships with his colleagues in the Senate, like Whitaker, Moran and Scott.

He tells us, "if you want extraordinary results, you must put in extraordinary effort." I can't thank Senator Booker and each of my 15 guests enough for their extraordinary work and willingness to share such fantastic wisdom with us during this Season 3 of Suiting Up Podcast. 

I'm grateful for each of you, the PLL Podcasts team, and our presenting sponsors, Public.com and Outsystems. It was an honor.

Enjoy the show.

10 years ago, Eric LeGrand was a top Division 1 football player at Rutgers University when he made a tackle that caused him to suffer a severe spinal cord injury, leaving him unable to move and breathe. He was paralyzed from the neck down and told he would never be able to come off a ventilator, much less walk again. 

A month later he was off the ventilator, able to breathe on his own, and began physical therapy. 

Eric's story is one that's gripping, motivational and aspiring. Over the last decade he's recognized his influence through sport to engage and educate audiences around the world on the preciousness of life, the value in opportunity to play sports, and how we can improve in our relationships between able-bodied and disabled people. 

Think about the storied sentiment that able-bodied people share when facing adversity...that "it could be worse" often referencing people in wheelchairs or human sense impairing. These comparisons unintentionally denigrate a community of disabled people who actually get along quite well in society -- and in many cases, excel. Eric as evidence alongside 61 million adults in the US living with a disability.

Eric does a wonderful job on the show coaching me on best practices, as well as sharing resources and ways that able-bodied individuals can work with and learn from disabled individuals.

As compassionate of a storyteller and educator Eric is, he too remains motivated to work towards that first doctor's said 0% outcome of being able to walk again. When receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 20th Annual ESPYS, he closed his speech announcing that he in fact will walk again.

A ferocious reader and author, Eric's written two books on leadership and overcoming adversity, dubbing one "The Tackle That Changed My Life." He's also a philanthropist and entrepreneur, recently launching his latest business, a coffee house that serves a "Daily Cup of Believe." You can order your coffee beans here: https://legrandcoffeehouse.com/

I'm excited for you to listen to my conversation with Eric LeGrand on Suiting Up Podcast, presented by Public.com and Outsystems.

Her name titles one of the largest media companies in the world. She's authored 15 books, ran as an Independent candidate for Governor of California, and today is the CEO of Thrive Global. One might think with the output of a major-market city that Arianna Huffington must work around the clock... 

Her advice counters that theory. She tells us, "there is no tradeoff between high performance at work and taking care of ourselves."

The viral Ted Talker and Oprah's Super Soul Sunday extraordinaire has built her companies, raised her children and extended relationships far beyond her sphere of influence because she has prioritized herself -- from improved sleep and morning routines, to abstinence from mobile devices, to dozens of daily small habits, Arianna shares how to become more present and effective.

Her new book, Your Time to Thrive is a wonderful guide to redefining our lives. On the show, we breakdown these microstep concepts:

- Tapping into gratitude

- Putting your own oxygen mask on first

- Sleep and self-reflection strategies

- Addressing burnout

- Small habits that lead to big change

- Much more

Hope you enjoy!

The 13x Stanley Cup Champion Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the original six clubs in the NHL, carrying with them a legacy only matched by few teams around the world. Their captain was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft and is considered one of the best players in the world, having shattered dozens of scoring records along the way. Though more than his ability to perform on the ice, John Tavares is a singular leader with an unconventional set of skills, extreme doggedness and emotional intelligence. Accepting the role of captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs comes with a lot of pressure – internally and externally. And he's up for every bit of that challenge.

On the show we talk about JT's love for hockey, imagination he brings to the ice in practice, the importance of having a great offseason, resilience of fighting through injury, lessons learned from greats like Wayne Gretzky, and why growing up playing lacrosse had a big impact on where he is today.

The Maple Leafs are currently atop the North Division with 12 points in-hand, eyeing the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs scheduled to begin on May 11th. Tavares has been here before. When everything's on the line. He's one of very few athletes who can keep the high intensity needed to perform at the highest level, while also balancing the locker room with perspective and wisdom.

Through its first 5 years of existence, Major League Soccer lost roughly $250M and the 6 original owners were on the brink of folding the league. Cue first time commissioner, Don Garber -- an executive without any soccer experience, with a vision to change the industry forever. That was in 1999. Today, franchises are selling for $325M each, MLS has major media partnerships with ESPN, Fox and Univision, and national sponsorships with Adidas, AT&T, AllState, Audi and Home Depot, to name a few.

It's been a long, rough and windy road, and on the show Commissioner Garber and I discuss how he got here. From changing material rules on the pitch, to creating designated player exemptions that led to the acquisition of global superstars like David Beckham and Zlatan, to coalescing North American soccer properties to form Soccer United Marketing, to investing in ground-up stadium builds...we cover it all. 

This is one of those shows...if you're a young professional or major industry executive, listening to Don Garber will provide you with tips and insights on how to build or shape your career into one that's both effective and fulfilling.

She's won at the World Cup, Olympics, in the Pros, and at the NCAA level. Few athletes in any sport have ever matched this feat. This is Abby Wambach, one of the greatest goal scorers and clutch players of all-time.

Abby is far more than what she's accomplished on the pitch. She's a best-selling author, motivational speaker and activist. Her autobiography, Forward, released in 2016, became a New York Times bestseller. And her second book, Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power and Change the Game, based on her viral commencement speech at Barnard College, was also a New York Times bestseller in 2019.

On the show we talk about how she was able to transcend sports into a new career, how she confronted her struggles with addiction, how she rediscovered love and communication in relationships with her partner (and bestselling author) Glennon Doyle, and last but not least, the lessons from the biggest moments in her athletic career that thread through each of her steps in life today.

I can't think of a better advocate for sports, gender equality, a more empathetic, confident yet humble human being, and a true leader through thick and thin. I hope you enjoy my next episode with Abby Wambach.

Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time, Paul Levesque – known to most as Triple H – joins us on Suiting Up. What makes his story even more compelling than a 14-time world title reign over his 30 year in-ring career? He's also the WWE's Executive Vice President of Global Talent, Strategy and Development. What he's accomplishing as a sports executive is quickly becoming what he'll be more known for. He's taking the business to new heights, and when I ask him how he's been able to do both so well for so long, he delivers no shortage of anecdotes, and cites a ton of grit, grind, sacrifice, and family support. 

His wardrobe looks like Clark Kent's – pristine business suits with his elbow and knee pads underneath, ready to go.

Here’s what we cover on the pod:

1. Paul’s unique path to become a pro wrestler…her had a ton of work ethic, but no access – so he began to body build…

2. We talk about his eye for talent – how Paul has led a developmental program called NXT that’s made pro wrestling a career choice for young athletes around the world

3. His evolving training regimen. He's 51 years old and still a beast. Though he's no longer training like a bodybuilder. Rather, he focuses on function and mobility, famously doing his midnight workouts with his wife and WWE owner, Stephanie McMahon. Also, lookout for a gross and eerily comedic story about Paul tearing his bicep so he could get relief in his shoulder...

4. Lastly, we discuss the media rights business at the WWE. Paul’s been on the front line of those negotiations, with the latest announcement that the WWE is tucking it's OTT platform, the "WWE Network", into peacock for a reportedly $205M – taking their total media rights package through the entirety of their term to $705M (including the RAW and Smackdown bundles)

Enjoy the show.

He's one of the greatest players in baseball history. His 22-year on-field career included multiple MVP's, a World Series trophy, countless home runs, RBI's and stolen bases...yet his retirement from baseball was only the beginning. A-Rod just completed a $500M SPAC, as SLAM Corp's CEO. We're used to hearing stories about great athletes struggling to find their footing in their post-careers. Not Alex. He's been a guest judge on Shark Tank, a regular MLB commentator and analyst, investor, business owner, major financier of the Boys & Girls Clubs in the US, and what he says is the most important, a family man.

This show's packed with reflections, tips and advice to both athletes and entrepreneurs. Alex is a seasoned communicator, clearly articulating the do's and don'ts while parlaying his recommendations with anecdotes from his career. Which mind you, didn't lack controversy, and for me, is part of what's most impressive about him. His experience in crisis management, both small and large, starts with acknowledging the problem, taking ownership in it, then overcorrecting. People and brands around the world take note. 

“I tried to build a certain image while I was playing,” Alex says, “and that plan failed miserably.” Now he explains, “I have more clarity.”

He began his practices as a young buck at 4:30 in the morning. He continues to take that work ethic with him through each of his endeavors today.

After 5 college internships and 20 years of sports reporting in Raleigh, Detroit and Orlando, Jemele Hill decided to give up her dream job as a SportsCenter anchor to start her own network. Why? Her goal is to elevate the voices of Black women, and she's trailblazing a future she would've never thought possible from the beginning.

When she took her first job as a columnist in Orlando, she was the only Black female sports columnist in North America.

Today, Jemele's a contributing writer for the Atlantic, covering mostly American politics. She hosts a weekly show with Cari Champion on VICE TV, another show with Van Lathan at the Ringer, and her bi-weekly podcast called "Jemele Hill is Unbothered" – spanning sports, politics and culture.

With her millions of followers and wall-to-wall opportunities covering politics and pop culture, she's often asked by her colleagues why she continues to cover sports. She told me “Sports is the one thing in this country that brings us together.”

I met Jemele several years ago after she reported on a Native American team in South Dakota that faced racial slurs and were expelled from the league they played in. She uncovered those truths behind the incidents. After I reached out, she connected me with one of her interviewees, Angelo Ruiz from the 7 Flames lacrosse team, and I've been closely following her career ever since.

Among many topics, Jemele and I discuss her career, the rise and threat of uncredible news across social media, her biggest stories throughout the 2020 election, a learning moment with Kobe Bryant, and the best ways athletes and sports leagues can continue to advocate in the national spotlight and throughout their local communities.

In a sport where one mistake can lead to fatality, Lindsey Vonn didn't just win the Olympics, take home 82 World Cup wins, earn 2 ESPYS for Best Female Athlete, but she's done so with dozens of bone fractures, ligament tears and reconstructive surgeries on her knee. What makes Lindsey the greatest alpine ski racer of all time? Her willingness to repeatedly put it all on the line.

Talk about risk-reward, competitive spirit, discipline, responsibility, courage and grit. Throughout the show we discuss the tactics she's used to develop her mental toughness and physical resilience. How her training and rehabilitation evolved -- remember seeing those weighted physio ball training sessions that showed her concentration and superhuman balance? As dynamic of an athlete we've seen over the last decade, Lindsey was celebrated on major network television studios and giant publications everywhere, she grew a social media audience that surpassed her sport's viewership averages, and was an igniter for greater participation for women in sports around the world.

Her career has only just begun.