Life After Sports

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.

My guest today is Blair Berry, the Social Media Manager for the Washington Wizards. Blair graduated from East Carolina in 2018, and since then, she's been racking up credentials in the sports media world. Hard to believe that, at one point, she thought she was getting a late start compared to her peers. Needless to say... she's caught up.   Blair is honest about the challenges of getting into the crowded, super-competitive sports media world. But she also shows us a winning formula for making it happen, one opportunity at a time.   In my conversation with Blair Berry:   Discover why former athletes may be in the perfect position to gain experience in sports media– even without the time for a formal internship. Learn Blair's strategy for building a professional brand through your personal social media presence. Hear how internships, side-hustles, and on-campus opportunities equipped Blair for a big-time job with an NBA team.

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.  

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/          

Former Florida Gator and the nation's best softball player in 2011, Kelsey Brinson talks athlete transition, a winner's mentality and building again.    Watch this episode at: https://blog.parallelplatform.com/kelsey-brinson-being-the-best/   

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

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  

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  

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  

My guest is Bill Mayew, a former UNC-Wilmington basketball standout who is now Professor of Accounting at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Bill's story is especially powerful for two reasons: (1) He did something that most athletes don't do - he pursued an advanced degree and works in the most rigorous academic research; and (2) He says that sports prepared him for that path.   In Today's Episode: See a day in the life of a university professor - see what it's like to get paid to research topics you're passionate about. Discover how to communicate the value of "stress-testedness" to future employers. Learn why former athletes so often make excellent teachers and coaches.   Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/ep8-bill-mayew/   Connect With Us Twitter Instagram   Recommend A Former Athlete Know a former athlete who's doing big things in life after sports? If so, email us at podcast@parallelplatform.com and let's chat about having them on the show.

My guest is Sebastian Little, a former Yale football player who is now an associate with the McChrystal Group, a world-renowned leadership and performance consulting company. Seb found his career niche FAST after college. It can take college athletes years to find careers that they enjoy. Within just a few months of leaving Yale, he had secured an entry-level role in a field he was passionate about. How'd he do it? By focusing on everything but that thing in college. Through intentionally diversifying in college, Seb identified exactly what he wanted to do after college. And it has paid off big time. In Today's Episode: Why sometimes, the best thing for the team is for you to be 100% you. How thinking outside the typical "student-athlete" box multiplied Sebs opportunities at Yale. How to turn LinkedIn contacts requests into interviews, internships and jobs. How to craft compelling interview stories that get you remembered...and hired.   Connect with Seb Twitter  Instagram  Facebook    Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/   Connect With Parallel Twitter  Instagram  

My guest is Chris Spatola, sports writer, commentator, and host of the SiriusXM show, "ACC Today."And that's just the most recent of Chris's transitions to fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Since he graduated from the US Military Academy in 2002, each of his career stops have been more intense than the last-- from serving in Iraq, to serving as an assistant coach on the Duke Men's basketball team... Chris Spatola knows how to transition well when it counts. In Today's Episode: One thing that can save you from alienating everyone around you after a tough transition. Practical tips for landing your first job in broadcasting. The Army Ranger mentality that Chris uses to continue performing at the top level.   Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/ep6-chris-spatola-transitioning-well/   Connect with Chris Twitter   Connect With Parallel Twitter Instagram

In this episode, we talk with Karlie Smith, a former East Carolina softball player who has hit the ground running since graduating in May 2018. In less than a year, she's become a rising star in sports media broadcasting. She's an SEC Digital Network color commentator, and she works in digital production at the University of Georgia.   In today's episode: 1. What it is like to talk sports in front of a live tv audience 2. The formula Karlie used to land internships with local TV, radio and sports media companies 3. How Karlie was able to get broadcasting experience well before she ever went live on TV     Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/las-ep5/      Connect with Karlie https://twitter.com/KarlieSmith_17      Connect with Parallel https://twitter.com/parallelco   https://www.instagram.com/parallelplatform/?hl=en     Connect with Tyler https://twitter.com/tylerwbaker      

My guest is Zach Maurides, who is the founder and CEO of Teamworks, the leading software provider of operations software to athletic organizations world wide.  The phrase "a glutton for punishment" comes to mind when listening to Zach explain his football career. When Zach talks about his 9 orthopedic surgeries during his college football career at Duke, there isn't the slightest invitation for sympathy. Instead, he tells the story with a sense of genuine accomplishment. After all, not quitting after your 2nd surgery is impressive, but 9 is just insane. And that pain tolerance (i.e. perseverance) is what Zach attributes as the primary reason for his success with Teamworks. In this episode, Zach shares what he's learned in growing a software startup from 4 guys with a dream to the 100 person machine it is today. If you're an athlete, you'll especially appreciate the unique perspective that Zach provides on how to get started in life after sports.   Show Notes Website   Connect with Parallel ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/parallelco ► Blog: https://blog.parallelplatform.com/ ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parallelpla   Connect with Zach ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/zmaurides   Connect with Tyler ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/tylerwbaker      

There is a lot of talk about the transferable skills athletes develop while playing sports. Society praises the work ethic, teamwork, and perseverance it takes to compete at the highest levels in sports. However, the talk is often nothing more than general platitudes lacking specificity on how these transferable skills play out in the real world. In this episode, former Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, Thomas Sanders, takes us step by step through the ups and downs of his pro basketball career. He shares how his experiences as an athlete prepared him to start and grow a thriving Photo Booth company that is currently worth over one million dollars. He shares how pro basketball shaped his perspective and prepared him for life after sports.   Show Notes ► Web: https://blog.parallelplatform.com/ep3-pro-basketball-to-business-owner-thomas-sanders/   Connect with Parallel ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parallelpla ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/parallelco   Connect with Tyler ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/tylerwbaker  

To some degree, we are all a product of our environment. But it's the choices we make that ultimately determine where we end up. Fortunately for Johnny, he was able to escape the troubling environment of his youth and choose basketball as a path towards a much brighter future. Today, Johnny is widely known by his Instagram handle @dribble2much and is the founder of HandleLife, a lifestyle brand with over 1.5 million followers across platforms. Creativity, skill and perhaps perfect timing propelled his personal brand into one of the most recognizable names in professional basketball training. Johnny has trained a number of NBA superstars such as Glibert Arenas, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Demar Derozan. He shares is perspective on why following your passion is actually good advice. -- Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/johnny-stephene/     Connect with Parallel Twitter @parallelco Instagram @parallelplatform   Connect with Johnny Instagram @dribble2much Find HandleLife on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HandleLife  Visit HandleLife on the web: https://handlelife.com/    Connect with Tyler Twitter: https://twitter.com/tylerwbaker  

Tim is the lead developer and co-founder at Parallel, a software company that helps athletic departments build community for career. He played basketball at Colorado State before transferring to finish his playing career at Liberty University.    Like many classic technology stories, Tim's ventures outside of basketball started in a college dorm room. However, it's probably not what you're thinking. In 2008, Tim started playing online poker and quickly worked his way to earning over $100,000 a year. Realizing poker isn't what he wanted for his life, he gives it up and accepts a tech support role at Liberty University. It's here, Tim's curiosity and drive shifts to computer programming and a new journey begins. In a few years, Tim goes from complete novice to full stack developer. During this time, he and co-founder Tyler Baker, grow a software company called TeamSynced from zero to over 350 customers in the college and pro athletic space until ultimately exiting for multiple seven figures. Tim shares his perspective on why the "programming culture" needs the "athletic culture" and how anyone with determination and patience can learn to code.   Show Notes https://blog.parallelplatform.com/tim-layer/   Connect with Tim Twitter   Connect with Parallel Twitter Instagram   Connect with Tyler Twitter