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For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed one of the most recognized, connected, and dynamic executives in the sports and entertainment industry today, Scott O'Neil. In this episode with Scott, he shared most of the valuable lessons in his life that keep him grounded and thriving as a leader, coach, husband, and father. Scott has more than 25 years of experience leading NBA, NHL, and NFL teams and leagues, including the National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Rangers, and New Jersey Devils. His mission to build innovative, inspiring, socially impactful, and high-performing teams and business organizations have earned him a reputation as a “leader of leaders.” A Harvard Business School-educated CEO, O'Neil contends that fostering a corporate culture founded in respect, diversity, employee development and corporate social responsibility is what drives the success of the award-winning sports teams and businesses he oversees. These awards include Fast Company's “Most Innovative Company,” Entrepreneur Magazine's “Top 50 Cultures,” Sports Innovation Lab's “Top 25 Most Innovative Professional Teams in the World” and many others. The “Most Innovative Executive in Sports” (SportTechie) and “Most Admired CEO” (Philadelphia Business Journal) have been named to lists that include the “100 People of Power and Influence” (#37, The Hockey News/Sports Illustrated), multiple “Power 100” lists (NJ Biz, Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Magazine) and more. A decade-long Member of the NBA and NHL Board of Governors, O'Neil's insights on the sports industry's ability to move the global market have made him a prominent, regular voice on Bloomberg, FOX Business, CNBC, CNN, and across global business media. Scott is a man of faith and a father of three. His conviction to lead a perpetually present life as he famously “runs to work” and “runs home,” guides his commitment to helping others realize their full potential. Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. Scott O'Neil Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo
Today, we are going to talk about how we can approach life maybe a bit differently by taking a better perspective on how we interact and connect and communicate with others. We must attempt to assume the best intentions of all those we encounter! It will, at first, seem daunting a task - possibly a bit difficult to even imagine - but of course - and - as always - I ask that you all come on this journey with an open mind and open heart - with a passionate curiosity. So this philosophy of Assuming Positive Intent was introduced to me by author - Scott O'Neill - in his book “Be Where Your Feet Are - Seven Principles to keep you present, grounded and thriving”. Scott asks us “What would happen if you assumed in every interaction - meetings, phone calls, texts, social media posts, and conversations - that the other person was kind, generous and loving regardless of any past experience you've had with them?” Let's find out ways we can practice this - Right Here! Right Now! Be present and be mindful!
Scott O'neill spent eight years as the CEO of the Philadelphia 76'ers and the New Jersey Devils through his role as the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. This alone is incredible, the 76'ers and the Devils were only one of the many organizations Scott directed as the CEO over those eight years. Being the CEO of an organization as established as the 76'ers is a massive achievement in and of itself. Managing multiple teams at that caliber at the same time is truly another level. Scott has moved on from that chapter of his life, becoming an author of the incredible book “Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving.” This amazing book dives into the vulnerable methods Scott has used to find balance being the CEO of the 76'ers and the Devils, a husband, a father, mentor, coach, and leader to thrive in his life. In this episode, we specifically dive into:How to have and build disciplineThe power of strategic sacrifices to achieve successHow to create balance in your lifeThe importance of being where your feet areHow to use transitory periods in your day to do moreThe importance of creating space for quality timeHow do you build a successful team? Team, this man is truly one of the best. He is a huge inspiration to me and I hope you receive as much value from this episode as I have. Follow Scott at the following links. Cheers legends!Scott's TwitterScott's LinkedInScott's Book: Be Where Your Feet Are
Nick Hughes is joined by Scott O'Neil, one of America's most admired sports executives, author and investor. Scott is one of the most recognized, connected and dynamic executives in the sports and entertainment industry today. He has more than 25 years of experience leading NBA, NHL and NFL teams and leagues, including the National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. His mission to build innovative, inspiring, socially impactful and high-performing teams and business organizations has earned him a reputation as a “leader of leaders.” A Harvard Business School-educated CEO, O'Neil contends that fostering a corporate culture founded in respect, diversity, employee development and corporate social responsibility is what drives the success of the award-winning sports teams and businesses he oversees.The episode starts with Scott describing his background and his early journey into the sports industry. We hear about why or why he didn't choose entrepreneurship early on, and why he chose leadership as a lifestyle and profession. Scott shares his biggest take away from his time with the Sixers and New Jersey Devils organizations. Then Nick and Scott dive deeper into what culture and leadership mean to each, sharing insights and thoughts on the ups and downs. They then shift to Scotts book - Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. Nick asks "Why now? Why write this book?" And Scott shares the deep purpose and reason for the book, as well as covers a few of the principles found in the book. The conversation concludes with Scott's lessons and tips for early stage entrepreneurs. This is an incredible conversation with a purpose driven leader who is making impact and helping others maximize their own leadership in the world, we hope it helps you today.Book Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thrivinghttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1250769876?tag=macsupaduinstalpa-20
Evolution would be the word that comes to mind most after this conversation with Scott. I had the opportunity to work as an intern a while back at Madison Square Garden Sports (NY Knicks, Rangers, etc.) when Scott was running the organization. I didn't know him that well, but my view of him was similar to most people who had only heard of him through the news and other public info. He was super successful, worked really hard, was very competitive, and enjoyed "winning" (e.g., closing the big deals, getting the big promotions, etc.). As Scott puts it sometimes, that was the "warrior" phase of his life. I don't disparage that at all and in many ways I can very much relate to it. What makes Scott so interesting though is, although he has been super successful (started his own company, was an executive with the NBA, was President of Madison Square Garden Sports, CEO of the 76ers/Devils, etc.), he has evolved as a person and redefined what "success" means for him. He seems to find a deeper sense of purpose and happiness from the things he now values most, "faith, family, and love of people." He is the first to acknowledge though that every one has a different path in life, so he is not preachy or judgmental. The big message he is trying to share (especially through his book "Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving") is it is about the process. We can never know for sure how things will work out; we can't control all the variables. But we can be self reflective, we can be honest with ourselves, and we can be intentional about what matters most. If we can do that, the odds of us finding true happiness in life goes up significantly. Scott made this very real too because he was open about the failures and bumps he has had along the way. The journey is messy and is not always easy. He's been broke, he's been fired, and he's had his best friend commit suicide. Despite how dark life can get though, he's learned that there are things we can do for our own mental, spiritual, and physical well being that allow us to still find joy. It was really insightful to talk through all of this with him and get a deeper understanding of his approach to life.
Scott O'Neil is an author and the former CEO of both the Philadelphia 76ers NBA Team and the New Jersey Devils NHL Team. He is cofounder of Elevate Sports Ventures, Board Advisor at Myota, and is on the Board of Directors at Zooi, Inc. Scott's recent book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving, is a practical guide filled with actionable lessons and candid stories of his own struggles and successes. He is Marcel Schwantes' guest this week on Love In Action. “You have to love each other but you don't have to like each other,” Scott says. In a family, you may not always like your relatives, but you always love them. If you can create that type of connection and teamwork at your workplace, life gets “pretty good, pretty quickly.” Leaders demonstrate love through action, he adds. It's less about the telling and more about the showing. [3:47] Marcel asks Scott to talk about his motivation for writing his book. “I wrote this book after my best friend unfortunately took his own life… I spiraled into a really bad place… I would just tuck myself in my little office and write on my iPad. A lot of it was nonsense, but the stuff that did make sense was about lessons I learned… from asking friends about their experiences,” he shares. “My wife brought her friend [in my office]... he gave me some wonderful counseling advice and asked to see what I had written… he said ‘Scott, can you imagine if you publish this and influence one person?'” [9:21] Scott's book is the kind of raw and vulnerable honesty that's true to life. “The world is wobbly and life is messy,” he claims. “The more we can talk about [that] and get comfortable, the better off we'll be.” [12:57] Practicing gratitude is an important part of living your best life. Scott implores listeners to do a 30 day gratitude challenge: each morning, send a message to a different person expressing how grateful you are for their impact in your life. “The world will send you people that need to hear from you and you'll get a response [that says] ‘Wow, I really needed to hear this today.' And for me being in a dark place at one time, I needed to hear it, and so I will tell you there are people in your life that need to hear it,” he remarks. [16:32] Marcel asks Scott to define a leadership constitution. “[It's] who you are at your core,” he responds. “Not what you aspire to be.” Scott explains how leaders commit to creating their own leadership constitution, and shares his own. [24:12] There is an epidemic of loneliness in the workplace, Marcel comments. “Isolation is today's kryptonite.” He and Scott discuss how fostering a sense of community can cut through the transactional atmosphere of the virtual workplace and get rid of the disconnect. [27: 41] What's most important will be different for every person, but as a leader who prioritizes a healthy work culture, you should think about how to create environments for connection and community, Scott says. “I wanted to be intentional about my WMI, about the way I spend my time, about who I am and how I show up, about the relationships,” he adds. [37:31] Scott advises listeners to think about being their authentic self. “Find out who you are, and surround yourself with people to fill your gaps,” he shares. “If your glass is full and you're doing wonderful, I encourage you to reach out and help others who don't have their video on in the next Zoom, whose voice mailbox is full, who's not responding to texts… the world is better when love is in action.” [39:47] Resources Scott O'Neil on LinkedIn | Twitter Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving
This episode features industry legend Scott O'Neil. In his most recent role, Scott was the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, overseeing the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to that, he held positions of Senior Vice President of the NBA's Team Marketing and Business Operations division and President of Madison Square Garden Sports. Throughout the podcast, Scott charmed us with stories as he and David dive into a number of insights that influenced his career and became the foundation for his new book, “Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving.” Show Notes3:23 Putting Life in Perspective from Mozambique7:31 Scott's Favorite Insight - “Assume Positive Intent”10:11 Instilling Positive Intent into Your Culture17:06 Balancing Accountability and “The Best Work Environment” 18:58 How to Fire Someone Gracefully21:28 Millennials' Social Contract24:25 Creating a Hybrid Work Environment26:19 Building Culture and Connections in a Hybrid Work Environment29:01 Defining the “Greatest Place to Work”30:14 The Thin Line Between Work and Home34:38 Developing Staff Personally and Professionally39:01 You Can't Manage for the Masses40:25 Maintaining An Attitude of Gratitude When the Team Isn't Winning48:54 Parting Advice----For More on Topics Referenced in This Episode:For more insights on being present, passionate and intentional, grab Scott's book: Be Where Your Feet AreTed Lasso | Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso -----Connect with Scott on LinkedIn or Twitter-----Want more from EngageMint? Subscribe to our newsletter
Check out the book mentioned in the show: Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving by Scott O'Neil
Scott O'Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), a global sports and entertainment company that includes some of the most iconic and innovative teams and brands in the world, including the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils (NHL). His book is "Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving." https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-o-neil-057203/
CEO of HBSE Scott O'Neil chats with Matt Loughlin and Chris Wescott about his new book: Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. He also discusses the the Devils' future.
On the Friday edition, Howard Beck welcomes 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil, to discuss Philly's playoff collapse and what comes next. They also discuss the life lessons and inspirational stories in Scott's new book, “Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With the shocking news of his best friend's suicide, Philadelphia 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil found himself spiraling as he experienced the true meaning of grief. It was during this time that Scott started to focus on his own mortality and the fragility of life. As part of his healing, Scott started to write about his friend and the many lessons he'd learned in their nearly 3 decades of friendship. The writing was not only healing in the grieving process, but it also helped Scott resolve two sides of himself that were in conflict: his heart and his hard-driving professional life as a competitive Harvard Business School trained sports CEO. In his new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving, Scott shares a lineup of lessons he's learned the hard way to offer readers relatable, actionable changes they can make in their lives to create a life of purpose and presence. “Failure is the best teacher. It's just not a fun teacher.”I'm so excited for you to get to know Scott in today's episode of “Courtney, Beyond the Cake” - and not just because he's lived a life on the basketball court and we all know my love of basketball! More importantly, Scott reminds us how important our role as parents and leaders is to developing the productive, positive habits of the younger generation. I think you'll also appreciate the framework, anecdotes, and exercises Scott offers to guide us toward self-discovery. We had the opportunity to talk via Zoom, which usually runs beautifully, but we did have a few moments here and there in today's episode where you'll hear a few glitches. You won't miss much of what Scott says, but I just wanted to give you a little heads up. Enjoy the episode. Purchase Scott's Bookhttps://www.amazon.com/Where-Your-Feet-Are-Principles/dp/1250769876/ref=asc_df_1250769876/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=508977995883&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11773966153892088138&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029671&hvtargid=pla-1215822589812&psc=1Sponsors:Save $15 off your first visit with a board-certified dermatologist at Apostrophe.com/beyondcake when you use the code BEYONDCAKEGet 10% off your fist month by visiting BetterHelp.com/beyondcake
Hey everyone! Today's episode is from my Friday morning Office Hours session with Scott O'Neil, the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and The Prudential Center. Joining me with Scott are my two co-hosts and business partners, Mike Mumola and David Moreno. The four of us are going to discuss Trusting the Process and you are going to learn about illumination because I made a big mistake to start off the conversation. We also are going to talk about Scott's new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving.Tweet me @davidmeltzer your favorite takeaway from today's episode and come ask me questions live every Friday at 11:00 am PST / 2:00 pm EST. Text me at (949) 298-2905 or email me at david@dmeltzer.com to join!
Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And" on WGN Plus
Kelly connects with legendary sports executive Scott O’Neil, who runs the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils about his new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving.
Featuring CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils, and one of the NBA's most storied franchises, the Philadelphia 76ers; he has a new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving: Scott O'Neil (1:59) We have a conversation about skill and talent, and how the two work together. Scott offers up some advice on how to be a successful professional. (11:34) Following that discussion, we have a conversation about converting failure to success. Scott shares from his personal experience, and how we should embrace the lessons we learn from failing in order to succeed. (20:18) During the interview, Scott shares what inspired him to write his book. Scott shares what work-life balance means to him and what it actually looks like in his life. We learn about Scott's four step process to become more present and being where our feet are. Lastly, Scott shares what he hopes his book will inspire amongst readers. Link to Scott's book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving
The Favorites Sports Betting Podcast - Part of The Action Network
One of the most admired executives in professional sports enters the Thunderdome this week as Scott O'Neil, CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, tests his skills against pro gambler Simon Hunter and Action Network NBA writer Matt Moore. Host Chad Millman leads our weekly test of wagers and wits, and together they discuss deviled eggs, Moses Malone, pooping your pants, and so much more. O'Neil, who serves as CEO of both the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, is also author of the new book "Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving," available now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers
Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. Over the last year, I, like many others, have spent time contemplating my own preconceived notions and unconscious biases in every walk of my life. We all have them, it is a part of the human condition, but where do they come from, and why are they allowed to stay? This question has perplexed me as I've tried to open up my lens and question myself every time an instinctive thought comes into my psyche. While the social justice issues of 2020 may have sparked my internal curiosity, it would be naïve to think bias only comes into issues of race, gender and culture. When you pay attention to it, and the way your mind processes information, unconscious bias and preconceived determinations are everywhere. I did some digging, and studies indicate that many children by five years of age have entrenched stereotypes about various social groups. The world we are exposed to forms our foundational beliefs and hen becomes a tool to make snap judgements and conclusions on sight. Kind of spooky right? It's like our brain is hardwired by societal influence. We watch Saturday morning cartoons and don't see any black or asian children, OK, white people hold more important statuses, got it. We don't see women in positions of power, OK, men are more powerful, got it. But it can even be simpler and more pervasive than race and gender, we see a hard charging, demanding CEO on TV and start to lump information together, OK, CEO's are smart, but mean and cutthroat, got it. We see sales people represented in pop culture as in your face buy, buy, buy, and we think, OK, that's not me. Our belief structures become formed, not out of some nefarious agenda, but because we as children are trying to make sense out of our world and the easiest way to do that is draw conclusions from what we see and hear. As children we have no choice, we lack the cognitive ability to evaluate the validity of our assumptions. As adults we do, if we pay attention to their existence. I'll use a personal example. A couple of weeks back I had on Dr. Bill Sutton, one of the absolute best people in our industry. After our interview was complete we chatted a bit, and he suggested today's guest Scott O'Neil CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment as someone he could connect me with. My instantaneous reaction was hell yes, but my subconscious notion was – he's the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, he's going to be tough, he's not going to have time to really do this, I'm going to get canned answers that aren't authentic, he's not going to be all that interested to talk to me, and this may very well sound better than it is in practice. This is what ran through my head immediately! Within a day the session was booked. Dr. Sutton came through. Scott and his team were kind, gracious, courteous and attentive. He sent me over a copy of his new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving...and I was blown away. I really like meditation, being intentional, paying attention to your mind and the energy you throw off to others around you – but to learn Scott, this Harvard educated, top of class, wildly successful guy was contemplating true happiness alongside me? I was blown away and read his book from beginning to end. And there it is, preconceived notions, drawing unfair conclusions about people or evens before you KNOW a damn thing. It's all I've been able to think about since I concluded the interview with Scott. I've read his book, it is insightful, so introspective, vulnerable, it is authentic, and I'm not just saying this, I'm not selling books for Scott. His book impacted...
Are you present? Are you learning from your journey, especially when you stumble? Scott O'Neil recognizes we all struggle and need gentle reminders to be present, whether this is professionally or personally. Scott joins Kevin to discuss his book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep you Present, Grounded and Thriving. As the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which includes the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils (NHL), he knows you win some you lose some. If you recognize where you are at, you have the opportunity to grow, go outside of your comfort zone, and be more prepared. We are about instant gratification, and we choose to take a long view and ask ourselves what we want to be and who we want to serve; it will change the way we work (for the better). This episode is brought to you by… From Manager to Remarkable Leader, Kevin's Flagship workshop based on his proven leadership model. Additional Leadership Resources Book Recommendations: The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel Be Where Your Feet Are:Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving by Scott O'Neil Connect with Scott O'Neil: Twitter | LinkedIn Related Podcast Episodes: The Mindsets and Habitsets of Leadership with Darrin Gray. Understanding Power with Deborah Gruenfeld. Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat with Bruce Daisley. What it Takes to Be in Awe with John O'Leary. Follow the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Follow this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher TuneIn Soundcloud RSS Or your favorite podcast app.
CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Warning: The episode does contain a brief mention of a death by suicide. If you are struggling, help is available Speak with someone today by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. My guest for Episode #72 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Scott O'Neil. He's the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a global sports and entertainment company that includes some of the most iconic and innovative teams and brands in the world, including the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils (NHL). With more than 20 years of experience in the NBA, NHL and NFL, Scott has worked in the NBA league office, was formerly the President of Madison Square Garden Sports and he's now the author of Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded and Thriving – which is available TODAY! Scott was also featured recently in this fantastic Wall St. Journal article: “For Sports Executive Scott O'Neil, Failure Is the Best Teacher.” Questions and topics include: Scott's “favorite mistake” when working for the NBA league office Why trying to reach teenage girls through NSYNC, as an attempt to grow the WBNA audience, was a mistake and why it “failed miserably” The mistake of not being more hands on Why relationships matter and how Scott came to appreciate this Have to be able to fail… the Sixers were in first place when we recorded this and they lose one third of the time The Sixers are famous for “the process” — were there ever times when you thought the process was a mistake? “Trust the process” — no short cuts to the top, short term pain for long-term gain How do you know when to stick with “the process” vs. adjusting to a new plan or approach --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/favorite-mistake/support
My guest today is Scott O'Neil, one of the most recognized, connected and dynamic executives in the sports and entertainment industry today. He has more than 25 years of experience leading NBA, NHL and NFL teams and leagues, including the National Basketball Association, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. The topic is his book Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Sports Business Sports Executive Career Be Where Your Feet Are Business Internal Management NBA Teams Work-Life Balance Have a Big Vision Success in Life Jump in! --- I'm MICHAEL COVEL, the host of TREND FOLLOWING RADIO, and I'm proud to have delivered 10+ million podcast listens since 2012. Investments, economics, psychology, politics, decision-making, human behavior, entrepreneurship and trend following are all passionately explored and debated on my show. To start? I'd like to give you a great piece of advice you can use in your life and trading journey… cut your losses! You will find much more about that philosophy here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/trend/ You can watch a free video here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/video/ Can't get enough of this episode? You can choose from my thousand plus episodes here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/podcast My social media platforms: Twitter: @covel Facebook: @trendfollowing LinkedIn: @covel Instagram: @mikecovel Hope you enjoy my never-ending podcast conversation!
Scott O'Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a global sports, and entertainment company that includes some of the most iconic teams and brands in the world, including the NBA Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL New Jersey Devils. He’s also the former President of Madison Square Garden Sports. Scott is known for his leadership and ability to establish culture that changes lives. He wrote a book that releases this week called Be Where Your Feet Are – a mantra he lives by and teaches everywhere he goes. In today’s interview, Scott shares with me his theories on balance, being present, priorities, and making the most important connections in life. I could not put Scott’s book down as soon as I started reading it, and this interview was way too short to cover everything I was dying to ask him, so I hope you’ll not only enjoy this incredibly inspiring chat but also buy his book that releases on June 1: Be Where Your Feet Are. In this episode, you will hear: The definition of success is different for everyone and you have to figure out what it means to you. Life is not about balance but trade-offs. You can accomplish anything you want as long as you're willing to understand what the trade offs are because we have a limited amount of time. You need to be where your feet are and be present where you are. The phone out of reach rule is something you can do at home or at work where everyone can't have it within arm's reach so you can focus more on human connection. Scott’s five-point plan for health and wellness that you need to do every day: Do something for your mind, something for your body, something for your soul, sleep, and gratitude. Take care of the person in the mirror first then you have an opportunity to care for your family. And if you take care of your family, you have an opportunity to be extraordinary at whatever your success goals are. The power of mantra: You can manipulate your conscious and subconscious by speaking. Speak it into existence. You can train yourself to do good things and be better and be good and set some aspirational levels for yourself. The Leadership Constitution forces you to answer two questions – “I declare that I am…” and “You can count on me to be…” – These are great guideposts to keep you centered. Scott shares his beautiful experience of conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Always assume positive intent (API) and your life will be better. Go through your life giving people the benefit of the doubt and clean the slate. Supporting Resources: Scott’s O’neil’s new book “Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving” https://amzn.to/3wgk0SA Follow along with Scott: Twitter @scottoneil Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-o-neil Book Mentions: The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Lifetime-Lessons-Learned-Company/dp/0399592091 The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton Christensen https://www.amazon.com/Power-Everyday-Missionaries-Sharing-Gospel/dp/1609073150 Subscribe and Review Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits Produced by Emerald City Productions
In this episode of Follow Your Different, we continue our run of legendary authors with today’s guest, Scott O’ Neil. He is the author of a hot new book called Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. Scott O’Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. Which makes Scott the CEO of: The Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA The New Jersey Devils of the NHL The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Dignitas, a pioneer in eSports A number of minor league teams A Venture Fund Real Estate developer / investor An Innovation Lab Today, we get to hear what it takes to manage not one, but two of North America’s elite professional sports teams, and how they have dealt with COVID and its effect on the category. We also dig in to Scott’s view on what sports role is in society, and how leaders should deal with social change and justice. Of course, we’ll have Scott pop the hood on how they turned the 76ers around and make them a winning team again. So if you love taking the long term in business and trying to figure out how business can make a difference as well as be successful, you're going to love everything about this episode. The Role of Sports in Society Scott talks about his enthusiasm on work, and being able to do so in areas that could use the work generated by his businesses. Though at the end of the day, he says that he is more of a “run to work, run home” type of guy. He also shares his thoughts on the role of sports in a society. While there are some that argue that it shouldn’t have that much of an impact and influence, it is undeniable that it’s there. The question now is, how do you use that influence to make the world a bit better than before. “The argument is, sports shouldn't have this kind of influence and impact. And I say, great, it does. I actually have an opportunity to help people and drive change in communities and bring people together and create community. Coming off a pandemic, where we've had a year of being isolated, I don't think there's a better platform to build and deliver what we need more than anything else in the world right now, which is connection, and a bit of escapism, and community. And to do that where I get to do it every day is quite a blessing.” - Scott O’Neil The New Roaring 20’s When asked about how some companies are already gearing up for the end of the pandemic, Scott thinks that we are on the verge of a new Roaring 20s, much like what happened in the 1900s. He is not far off the mark on this. Wall Street Journal has reported that companies today have more cash on hand than at any point in history, and the US consumer is wealthier now than at any point in US history. Which sounds so insane in the heels of this pandemic. As the desire of people to reconnect and the mental health strain of being isolated escalates, there will be a huge demand for the category that builds up community and togetherness in the future, as everything opens up again. “So you can imagine to watch an NBA game and be the only fan which I was at the game. I had this incredible boost of mental health, which I think is going to be the next great challenge over the decade. I think all this isolation and separation and anxiety that that we are feeling is going to put quite a bit of strain on us as leaders, as dads and moms, and people in the community. As we've set out to define what that new normal is, I just felt the boost of of kind of happiness and energy and connection. I will say that I think these roaring 20s are going to be coming at us just like they were in the 1900s.” - Scott O’Neil Being Role Models Scott then shares his insights on players and executives as role models for the future. While he thinks that our Frontliners make for better role models, players should not disparage themselves in this regard. Being in a sport that has a massive reach, whether you are an NBA player or an eSport star,
In this episode of Follow Your Different, we continue our run of legendary authors with today’s guest, Scott O’ Neil. He is the author of a hot new book called Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving. Scott O’Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. Which makes Scott the CEO of: The Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA The New Jersey Devils of the NHL The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Dignitas, a pioneer in eSports A number of minor league teams A Venture Fund Real Estate developer / investor An Innovation Lab Today, we get to hear what it takes to manage not one, but two of North America’s elite professional sports teams, and how they have dealt with COVID and its effect on the category. We also dig in to Scott’s view on what sports role is in society, and how leaders should deal with social change and justice. Of course, we’ll have Scott pop the hood on how they turned the 76ers around and make them a winning team again. So if you love taking the long term in business and trying to figure out how business can make a difference as well as be successful, you're going to love everything about this episode. The Role of Sports in Society Scott talks about his enthusiasm on work, and being able to do so in areas that could use the work generated by his businesses. Though at the end of the day, he says that he is more of a “run to work, run home” type of guy. He also shares his thoughts on the role of sports in a society. While there are some that argue that it shouldn’t have that much of an impact and influence, it is undeniable that it’s there. The question now is, how do you use that influence to make the world a bit better than before. “The argument is, sports shouldn't have this kind of influence and impact. And I say, great, it does. I actually have an opportunity to help people and drive change in communities and bring people together and create community. Coming off a pandemic, where we've had a year of being isolated, I don't think there's a better platform to build and deliver what we need more than anything else in the world right now, which is connection, and a bit of escapism, and community. And to do that where I get to do it every day is quite a blessing.” - Scott O’Neil The New Roaring 20’s When asked about how some companies are already gearing up for the end of the pandemic, Scott thinks that we are on the verge of a new Roaring 20s, much like what happened in the 1900s. He is not far off the mark on this. Wall Street Journal has reported that companies today have more cash on hand than at any point in history, and the US consumer is wealthier now than at any point in US history. Which sounds so insane in the heels of this pandemic. As the desire of people to reconnect and the mental health strain of being isolated escalates, there will be a huge demand for the category that builds up community and togetherness in the future, as everything opens up again. “So you can imagine to watch an NBA game and be the only fan which I was at the game. I had this incredible boost of mental health, which I think is going to be the next great challenge over the decade. I think all this isolation and separation and anxiety that that we are feeling is going to put quite a bit of strain on us as leaders, as dads and moms, and people in the community. As we've set out to define what that new normal is, I just felt the boost of of kind of happiness and energy and connection. I will say that I think these roaring 20s are going to be coming at us just like they were in the 1900s.” - Scott O’Neil Being Role Models Scott then shares his insights on players and executives as role models for the future. While he thinks that our Frontliners make for better role models, players should not disparage themselves in this regard. Being in a sport that has a massive reach, whether you are an NBA player or an eSport star,