FEATURE STORY CONT .
2 . DON ’ T LET FEAR CRIPPLE YOU .
As entrepreneurs , we all experience fear , especially the first time something happens . Don ’ t let it paralyze you . Get back up IMMEDIATELY , be courageous , and meet your fear head on . Emmitt recalled one time when he was 10 , during his first day of practice , playing with kids who were two years older than him . The kids were bigger , faster , and stronger , and hit a lot harder . During his first drill , he was hit so hard by a kid named Billy that he was in pain and afraid to continue . He said to his coach , “ No , Coach . I don ’ t want to do it again . I ’ m thinking about quitting .” But his coach wouldn ’ t allow him to sit in fear , telling him to do it again . By immediately getting back in the saddle , he was able to make a course correction , which allowed him to have a better experience the next time and avoid getting hit .
“ I reluctantly got back in line , and over there , Billy is smiling at me ,” Emmitt recalled . “ My lips started to quiver a little bit . Fear overcame me for the first time in my life . I ’ d never been hit that hard before . As young entrepreneurs , sometimes we step into things we ’ ve never experienced before , and if we don ’ t have that type of experience or know someone who has that experience , guess what ? We ’ re still on the sideline . We find ourselves at the back of the line trying to avoid Billy because he hits very hard instead of facing Billy and facing your fears . Don ’ t ever let fear paralyze you .
“ The beautiful thing about getting back up and getting back in line right then and there [ was ] I didn ’ t have a whole lot of time to think about it , and so I was able to learn a valuable lesson — to avoid all contact .”
3 . ADAPT AND CHANGE .
During his career , Emmitt had to overcome adversity and learn to adapt . As a kid , everything he saw on television was about the quarterback , so he wanted to be a quarterback , but his coaches thought differently . Recalls Emmitt , “ I went out for football when I turned 8 years old . My very first day of practice , I come out , and the coach says , ‘ What position do you want to play ?’ I said , ‘ I want to play quarterback .’ He said , ‘ Why ?’ I said , ‘ I want to be just like Roger Staubach . I want to wear number 12 . A quarterback touches the ball more than everybody on the football field . He gets paid more than everybody on the football field , and all the ladies love the quarterback .’ The next year , another coach asked me the same question . I answered it the same way . He asked me this one thing . He said , ‘ Have you ever thought about playing another position ?’ I said , ‘ No , why would I even think about playing another position ? Did you not see me play quarterback last year ?’ He said , ‘ Yes , that ’ s the reason why I want to put you back here and let you run the football , because you cannot throw .’ I learned the word change . Change is going to happen in everybody ’ s life . That was my first time being introduced to change . I could have resisted the change , but I was
focused on just playing the game . I had my whole life ahead of me , so my mind was open to the possibility of something else .”
4 . BUILD A TEAM OF ROLE MODELS , MENTORS , AND COACHES .
Never be afraid to seek guidance . Find people who are a level up from where you are now to help you through challenges . And seek out coaches to help you see what you can ’ t see yourself . One of Emmitt ’ s mentors is Roger Staubach , former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys , who started a real estate company during the off-season . Emmitt received guidance from Staubach about starting a business . “ We want things to be natural and as easy as possible , but when faced with a challenge head-on , surround yourself with people who have experience of where you want to go ,” he said . Emmitt credits his coach for helping him realize he was better suited to play running back . “ I absolutely love coaches ,” Emmitt said . “ They see the best in all of us , even when we don ’ t see it in ourselves . When you have great coaches , they bring out the best in you .”
5 . SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES THAT LINE UP WITH YOUR PASSIONS AND PRINCIPLES .
When it comes to deciding which new business challenges to put his energy into , Emmitt said his main criteria are whether he ’ s passionate about it and whether there is an opportunity for him to effect change in the most positive way . “ For me , it ’ s about what I ’ ve been called to do ,” Emmitt said . “ If there ’ s an opportunity to effect change in an area that ’ s lacking , that I ’ m passionate about , I absolutely go all-in on it . Because when you go all-in on something you ’ re passionate about , that means you go at it relentlessly , and at the first bit of challenge , you ’ re not going to let it push you down . You ’ re going to keep fighting . If I have the resources around me to address it , then I would attack it . If I don ’ t , then I ’ m going to wait and be patient until I do run across the resources . That ’ s why I say you just keep moving instead of being on the sideline . You keep doing what you ’ re doing and keep your eyes open and ears open to those types of opportunities .”
6 . TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND STAY SHARP .
To manage the intense pressure of having people depending on him , Emmitt focuses on creating quality habits . “ To earn the trust of your teammates and your peers , that ’ s when it ’ s truly rewarding ,” Emmitt said . “ And the work you ’ re putting in pays off . You don ’ t stay out all night knowing others are counting on you . You make those personal sacrifices of yourself for the benefit of the entire team . That ’ s why the quarterbacks get the credit . When they win games , they get the credit . The bad part of it is when they don ’ t win , they also get the credit . Quarterbacks take on that responsibility . It is my job to do the
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