February 9, 2020
On today's show, I welcome Harris Fanaroff. He is a former Lehigh University baseball player who now helps businesses, leaders, and athletes have difficult conversations. As a leadership and business development coach, Harris has a gift for helping people uncover the deep issues that hold them back from excellence in business and in life. But he's had to fight for that skill. He's had to wrestle his own demons, to confront the pain of his own transition from baseball. He's had to learn how to re-tell his athlete story... and that's at the heart of success in life after sports.
In today's episode, you will:
- Hear how Harris reframed– and overcame– a debilitating condition that virtually ended his baseball career overnight.
- Learn the differences between mentorship, counseling, and coaching... and why athletes can benefit from some of each.
- Discover how introverts and extroverts alike can leverage the power of conversation to tap into new opportunities in life after sports.
December 5, 2019
My guest this week is former East Carolina baseball pitcher West Covington, who reminds us that, just because you leave college athletics, doesn't mean you can't be part of a high-performing, satisfying team.
West is a financial adviser with Plancentric Financial Group, a financial services provider within Northwestern Mutual. West took his business degree and pursued a path that a lot of athletes try: sales. But life as a solo financial rep was lonely, and West missed the camaraderie, accountability, and shared wins of being on a team. And so he made a change and found a group that would support him in the same way his baseball team had.
West was honest with me about the challenges that face athletes going into sales... but he's also a huge believer in the skills athletes have to be successful in this challenging field.
In my conversation with West Covington:
- Hear the one piece of advice West has for his younger self that might have accelerated his sales career.
- Learn West's breakthrough strategy for professional networking (I'll give you a hint... it's not on LinkedIn.)
- Bonus: hear me reminisce about my own experiences in Northwestern Mutual's grueling internship program... seriously one of the hardest things I've done.
November 18, 2019
My guest this week is former Duke Baseball player Brett Bartles, who's now the Commercial VP and GM at Kavo Kerr, a Danaher company.
In my conversation with Brett, I've found him to be one of the most self aware individuals I've met. You'll see what I mean when you listen to our conversation.
We discuss his many transitions from baseball to teaching to business school. Along the way, you'll learn how Brett made decisive decisions to pursue what made sense. In hindsight, his decisions are shaping up to be quite the career.
This was one of my favorite conversations to date because of how much I learned during our conversation.
For more episodes go to:
https://blog.parallelplatform.com/
August 28, 2019
🎉 We're 12 episodes old! Party time! 🎉
In honor of 12 successful episodes, we decided to do something special for #13: a highlight reel of our guests' answers to one question: "What is the one skill that you learned as an athlete that has been most valuable to you in life after sports?"
If you've missed an episode, this is a great chance to preview our early shows. If you're new to Life After Sports, this is a great place to start! Here are a few of the high points of this Greatest Hits episode:
- How to make yourself unforgettable in interviews and internships...and then get the job!
- How spending time on hobbies and the arts can actually unlock your career interests.
- Why athletes make some of the best entrepreneurs, computer programmers, and broadcasters.
Plus, we've got some exciting news about what's next for the Life After Sports podcast. Stick around to the end for that. 😉
August 13, 2019
My guest is Devan Kline, former CMU and SF Giants baseball, and current CEO and founder of a fitness community sweeping the nation, Burn Boot Camp. Devan is all about helping the members of his gyms discover the values, passions, and causes that will motivate them to health, wealth, and peak performance. But like Devan says, in order to inspire people, you've gotta be inspired. So I grilled Devan on how to find that inspiration and how to connect the dots between a career as an athlete and whatever's next. Along the way, Devan spills some great insights for athletes in transition:
In today's show, you'll hear:
- The 1 key skill that Devan learned pitching with the San Francisco Giants that has shaped his business aspirations.
- The moment Devon knew that he couldn't work for someone else and had to start his own company.
- How to align your career plans with your built-in, unique-to-you standards.
- Why you have to love yourself now in order to pursue a better life tomorrow.
Check out the full show notes at blog.parallelplatform.com
July 30, 2019
Court Whitman has spent most of his professional life leading– in his career in the Army's elite Special Forces, in companies, and now in his own leadership coaching company. And in today's episode, Court shares how playing football in many ways prepared him for a career in leadership. Court and I have an in-depth, no-holds-barred conversation about goals and what makes elite performers elite. Truly inspiring.
In today's episode:
- Ever question the value of setting goals when you don't know what you want to do? Me, too. Court clears the air.
- Discover how Court uses "deliberate discomfort" to grow trust in teams and companies.
- Absorb the tactic court uses to pitch athletes' value to employers – no internships required.
Show Notes
https://blog.parallelplatform.com/las-ep11/
Connect with Us:
https://twitter.com/parallelco
https://www.instagram.com/parallelplatform/?hl=en
July 16, 2019
My guest is Kovi Konowiecki, a professional photographer who is also a former Wake Forest University and professional soccer player. At one point in this episode, we joke about starting a club for former athletes that are now artists... and how small that club might be. It's true! But in today's episode, Kovi presents a truly compelling argument for athletes in the arts. Essentially, intentionally challenging ourselves to be creative and to explore hobbies can help us unlock our deepest professional interests and passions.
In today's episode:
- Learn how creatives like Kovi balance their passion projects with the need for, um, food.
- Discover how to sharpen your internal intuition to help you make difficult decisions.
- See how "distractions" from your sport may actually propel you toward a career.
Connect with Kovi
Instagram @kovi.konowiecki
Connect with Us
Twitter @Parallelco
Instagram @ParallelPlatform
July 1, 2019
My guest is Jack McNamara, a former Colgate University and professional hockey player who is the founder of a growing energy drink company, DrinkTru. It is rare you can get an entrepreneur to speak so honestly about the struggles of building a business...as they're going through it. But as you'll see: honesty is not just central to Jack's success and drive, it's essential to the DrinkTru brand. A rare, behind the scenes look at the day-to-day life of a company on the brink of being the next big thing.
In Today's Episode:
- Learn how Jack creates viral video content that authentically propel's his companies brand
- See why Jack quit a job just after two weeks...and why he thinks it's one of the wisest business decisions he's ever made
- Discover Jack's reliable strategy for leveraging your "celebrity" as an athlete to find internships, mentorships and career opportunities
Connect with Jack
- Twitter: @drinktru and @_jackmcnamara
- Instaram: @drinktru
- YouTube: DrinkTru
Connect with Us:
- Twitter: @parallelco
- Instagram: @parallelplatform
