Turning Retired Pro Athletes into Sucessfull CEOS... Dr. Rollan Roberts II
Do you know what it takes to be at the top of your game?
Do you know what it’s like to be the best in the world? Then
why do so many retired professional athletes make poor
CEOs? I’ve advised numerous professional athletes, retired
or not, on business investments and turning a sports career
into an entrepreneur empire. You’re smart enough to know
you need your money to work for you, but how and where
are the questions?
So if you haven’t built the post-sports business empire you
imagined, here’s my $1 billion advice:
1. FOCUS
The only reason people fail in business (or in life) is broken
focus. You can’t take your eyes off the goal and expect to
win. The biggest challenge you will have is choosing which
opportunities to pursue. The riskiest business or investment
in the world for one person may be the safest for someone
else. Knowing which to pursue and when will either make
you or break you. You must become crystal clear about what
you want, when you want it, and what you’re willing to do
to get it. Just like in sports, you will sacrifice somewhere to
become great. You choose how much sacrifice and effort
your objectives are worth.
2. COUNSEL
Stop taking advice from people who’ve never done or had
what you want. Would you trust an NFL coach that never
played football or didn’t make it past little league? You
became the best in the world by having a coach that had
been there and done that. You won’t build your empire
without counsel from someone that’s done the same. I see so
many retired athletes taking counsel from friends and family
and wonder why they don’t have the portfolio and lifestyle
some of their colleagues have. Stop getting opinions, and
start getting counsel. A wise Proverb says, “In the multitude
of counselors, there is safety.” You are only as good as the
counsel you get, so surround yourself with wise advisors.
One wise advisor is cheaper than a single bad investment or
legal defense.
3. EXECUTE
One of the major reasons professional athletes make bad
businesspeople is that they struggle discerning the difference
in business between a great idea and great execution. It’s
easy to confuse the two. I’ve heard amazing ideas, and the
people presenting them were the wrong people to execute
it. In the NFL, the best designed play is only as good as the
players executing that play. And the absolute best designed
play is one that was structured based on the team you have,
not the team you want. You may construct the mother of all
Hail Mary’s, and if your team can’t execute, it was the wrong
play call.
There is no shortage of great ideas. You’ll be pitched on
businesses all day long that are innovative, disruptive,
growing, and they might not be right for you. Why? Because
the gold isn’t in the idea; it’s in the execution. Look at the
team. Look at the leadership. It may be the right time for
the business, but are they the team to do it? Are you the
leader to champion it? There are many causes I’m passionate
about, but I’m not called to champion them all – neither are
you. There are numerous businesses I love and wish I owned
or started, but I know that’s the recipe for disaster. That’s
not my business. My goal was to become the absolute best
in the world at execution. That has been the secret to my
success, and full and complete execution will be the secret
to yours as well.
4. PASSION
You didn’t win in football because you were lackadaisical.
You won because you were passionate. You loved the
game. You played with heart. The same is true with
entrepreneurship. You don’t win by investing only with your
head. You must think with your head and play with your
heart. Only get involved with busine sses that are of great
personal interest to you. Invest in what you know and care
enough about to learn everything you need to be successful.
I was having dinner with Herschel Walker a few months
back, and he’s an example of a player that did it right. He
has built a huge empire in different, but complimentary,
industries based on his gifts and strengths as a person. As
he recognized what he brought to the table (not money), it
allowed him to invest in enterprises that now do hundreds
of millions of dollars. If you want these kind of results,
text me at the number below. I’ll send you a free
copy of my best-selling book, 90 Day Race: The
Secret to Massive Results.
Dr. Rollan Roberts II is the former CEO of the
Hoverboard Company and is CEO of The
Prompting, Inc., a crisis management
and revenue growth organization for
individuals and companies. He is one
of the “Top 100 Most Influential
Floridians” and was a keynote
speaker at Harvard University.
To receive your free book
copy, text 407.820.5820.
Dr. Roberts is available
for consultation and
on retainer as a
business/life
advisor.
Volume 3 • Issue 4 | 2017 15