Think You're a Big Shot? How to Truly be Memorable

I was speaking recently with two retired NFL players making a name for themselves post-career, and they are doing a super job at leveraging their status as former professionals into public speaking businesses.?

But I wanted them to take things a step further and make a lasting impact on everyone they met and spoke with. I told them the story below, and they are using this advice into their speaking engagements with greater success.

But before I told them this, they were saying, "Mark I'm doing just fine without you." I replied that they could be commanding greater fees, and more importantly, become repeat speakers for those clients, and make themselves more memorable.

I'll tell you how, but first a quick story.

I've been a huge sports fan as long as I can remember, and as I passed through my teenage years into my 20's, I started attending hobby shows and meeting numerous athletes and getting their autographs. I always had a great time, and had plenty of memorable conversations with these players. But one stands out for a very important reason, and I will never forget it.

I was 23 years old, and was at a show that featured several former baseball players, including Hall of Famer’s Frank Robinson, Bob Gibson, Brooks Robinson, and Rod Carew. As Brooks signed my baseball he asked my name. But what followed truly caught me off guard. He looked me straight in the eyes, and asked me, "Mark, what do you do?".

I looked behind me, as I couldn't imagine he was asking me what I did for a living. I answered back by telling him that I had just started as an executive recruiter, and he followed that up with a few questions. When I walked away, I was absolutely amazed that he seemed to actually care about me.

That was nearly 30 years ago, and I have met hundreds of athletes since. But that moment in time stands out, fresh as if it happened yesterday, and I will always hold him at the highest level of respect and esteem for something that clearly took little effort on his part and demonstrated that he saw me as an equal.

For those of you who either sign autographs for fans or happen to be very high on the corporate ladder and enjoy a bit of a celebrity status in your firm, I urge you to consider asking your "fan" something specific about them that does not have to do with your playing career, or your performance in your company.

If you're an athlete, you can ask them, like Brooks did, "What do you do?" or "Do you play any sports?" or even "Where are you from originally?". Anything that makes that person feel the way I did for those few moments will work wonders. If you are a corporate leader, ask that person a bit about what they do, or perhaps what their thoughts are about an industry-related topic.

Show these people that you can be their Brooks Robinson and make a memorable impact that will stay with them for a long time!

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Retired athletes often need a bit of a jump start to shift into the business world, whether working for someone else or starting their own business. If you fall into that group, I'd be happy to give you advice that will be geared towards taking you to a higher level, and if you represent a group, company or organization that would like your fellow members to become more motivated, have a fresh look on how they perform, and be able to improve their productivity and performance, let's have a chat. I’d be thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to them.

Networking in the Win Again Clubroom

The Win Again Clubroom platform is revolutionizing virtual networking because of the “live event” experience it emulates and the ease with which you can meet others and take your businesses and careers to a whole new level!

See why we've had 1000+ impressive athletes, entrepreneurs, business owners and executives attend our Clubroom events which have led to over $1.5 million in deals!

If you haven't been to the Clubroom, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to move table to table, speaking with whoever you want, whenever you want, not being stuck in breakout rooms here!

Develop valuable relationships that become collaborations - it's been such a great way to expand our networks!

For those of you who have, feel free to bring a friend or three who you believe could use an upgrade in their circle of connections!

Read more about it here: https://www.winagainacademy.com/the-clubroom

Sports Wellness Innovation Forum

Tuesday September 26, 1pm ET!

Innovation is happening every moment of every day, and much of it is making our lives easier, healthier, and more efficient, changing the way we compete, recover, replenish and energize ourselves.

Three companies that I have partnered with are leading innovators in their respective spaces, and I'm excited to be able to showcase their products in the Clubroom next week for our first Sports Wellness Innovation Forum on Tuesday September 26th at 1pm ET.

Wait until you hear about them!

Michael Hutchison DDS ,?founder of?PowerPlus Mouthguard LLC , has invented a mouthguard designed to dramatically reduce concussions while at the same time increase performance by 17% (!) simply by changing the physiology of our jaw's position...it's really amazing!

Dr. Susan Kleiner is one of the world's most renowned sports nutrition experts, and has distinguished herself in that space with the work she has done (uh, 8 books? Wow!). Her current focus is on the incredible Electrolyte Boost , the delicious powder you pour directly into your mouth. It dissolves on your tongue, replenishing your body's electrolytes almost immediately.

Kyle Harris is the CEO of BrainLit , and will be showing us the benefits of Biocentric lighting. Inventor and Founder of the company Tord Wingren has come up with an incredible lighting system that copies the outdoors' circadian rhythm and brings it inside, providing the truly healthy light waves that will elevate your cortisol levels throughout the day, and then towards the evening, lower them and increase the melatonin in your body, allowing you to sleep better! I have one of their Alven lights, and can attest to its benefits!

Please join us in the Win Again Clubroom - you won't want to miss this conversation!

Register here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/sportswellnessinnovationsforum7110287755997257728/

30 Seconds with Mark

I had the good fortune of attending the Peter Gabriel concert this week at MSG here in NYC, and he did not disappoint, alternating between recent songs from his I/O collection, and his classics.

Peter is very passionate about the environment, human rights, and many other causes which he tends to inject into his lyrics and music, and it truly stands the test of time.

He ended last night with his poignant "Biko", and these lyrics stood out to me for an interesting reason:

"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire."

My journey as an entrepreneur has not been an easy one at all, and the candle has certainly been blown out many times. But the fire continues to burn, and that in the end is what will lead to great success and fulfillment.

Thanks, Peter, for a great show, and always being so thought-provoking!

Be sure to check out the Win Again YouTube channel for more quick tips!

Win Again Assessments

Are you ready to launch a new chapter in life, and need the guidance, tips and strategies to truly catapult you forward?

Then let's partner up!

I'm certified in offering valuable assessments that feature Axiology, the study of values.

Wait until you see how they highlight not just your strengths and how to leverage them, but also some of the things that you could use some work on.

Ask to see a sample report, you'll be amazed at how thorough and accurate they are!

Whether you are a graduating student, a seasoned professional, a retiring executive or member of our military, or a current or retired athlete, there are assessments that fit your background and future careers and businesses.

Check out a few of the most valuable and insightful assessments here: https://www.winagainacademy.com/assessments

Reach out to me directly at [email protected] .

WIN AGAIN! - The Job Search Playbook

WIN AGAIN! The Job Search Playbook, is filled with over 150 pages of my proven WIN AGAIN methodology, where you’ll discover how to define your true identity outside of being an athlete, plan your path towards an ideal job and business and work towards it. You’ll turn strangers into allies and grow your network as you position yourself for meetings and interviews, negotiate offers, and anticipate your prospective client's or employer’s needs.

WIN AGAIN helps you transition from the playing field to the boardroom. Yes, there’s competition in the corporate world, but you’re used to competing.

You’ve already got an edge!!

You can join the WIN AGAIN social media pages, its LinkedIn Group, Facebook page and follow on Twitter to be able to access exclusive content just for you.

ABOUT ME

Combining my passion for sports and a desire to help others succeed, I founded Win Again, where current and former athletes can discover their identity beyond sports, develop the structure needed to succeed again, and receive the tips, strategies and actionable advice that allows them to WIN AGAIN and be elite in their next great career. Over the past 20 years as a business advisor and career coach, I have guided athletes and executives, holding them accountable during their transition.

The Win Again Clubroom events, "Make Your Mark" podcasts, and MYM Live webinars highlight athletes who are making a positive impact post-playing career, and my book “Win Again!” is a job search playbook for athletes, equipping them with strategies needed to land their ideal job or boost their entrepreneurial ventures.

As a graduate of Colgate University and a longtime Manhattan resident with my wife, kids, and Duke, I enjoy playing ice hockey, softball and golf, along with the guitar and piano.

Reach out to me anytime and let me know how I can be of service!

If you've read this far, many thanks for sharing your time with us at Win Again and have a great rest of your day!

Thanks to our Win Again partners!