Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2014 | Page 71

change in direction began some years ago
when an up-and-coming 20-year-old athlete with a fat contract told him, “I need
a million dollars—now—in a duffel bag,
tax-free. No one needs to know.” Bernstein
refused, but the request set off a personal
and professional crisis for him.
Searching for a new direction, he was at
home one day watching a game of cricket
on TV when he had what he calls his “Eureka!” moment. Seeing young Indian men
throwing (bowling) the ball at 100 mph
triggered the inspiration that led him in a
new direction. Six months later, he was on
a plane putting together a reality TV contest in India to find the first MLB pitching
prospects from that country.
“All the experts told me it was the absolute worst idea they ever heard,” he said.
Today, however, as the co-founder and
managing director of Seven Figures Management, a sports marketing and athlete
representation firm, Bernstein says those
same “experts” are asking themselves why
they didn’t think of it first.
In India, after 6 months and 38,000
tryouts, accompanied by some hilarious
misunderstandings and misadventures,

Bernstein managed to find 30 young men
worth their pitching rosin. He chose three
winners, but only two were able to come to
the U.S. Seven more months of hard work
and cultural adjustment ensued before the
two were signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The contest has grown, and the third season is expected to attract 500,000 people
in 100 cities in India.
Bernstein used his story to share his
blueprint for executing a revolutionary,
game-changing idea and the methods for
creating success for anyone who wants to
turn their dream into the next big idea.
Throughout his keynote address, Bernstein spun a riveting story of failure, struggle, and ultimately, redemption. And it was
evident from his story that Bernstein struck
up a life-changing relationship with the two
young Indian men he brought to the U.S.
One final thought: “Some of us have
the luck to get involved in a business that
changes your life fundamentally forever.”
In his case, for the better… much better!
More learning

After the general session and keynote address, it was time to return to the classroom