Pro-to-Joe

A Divine Concept from Bruce Lee

2012-03-10T10:25:00.001-07:00

How many people truly care where they end up in life? Many do but don’t do much about it, and then there are the select few who actually care enough to do something about it.

Listen here Jabroni: Pro-to-Joe Blog does care and is here to give those of you who are fighting through any struggle, obstacle, and or trial to get to your desired destination, a tip. Yeeeh boiee =)

Controlling or unlocking our own destiny is what brings peace of mind to us. “Knowledge is power”, and knowing what you are destined to do, and then actually doing it… I can’t imagine a better feeling than that (besides cuddling with my wife), can you?

The uncertainty of the unknown stresses the crap out of people and prolonged stress has its negative effects on the body. For instance: Grey Hair and other symptoms which I will save for another time.

"Back to life…Back to reality"..... (catchy phrase)

Life can be a snitch, revealing you, to yourself. It can be a great thing if you are reaching your goals. On the other hand you might finally see the bloody mary, in the mirror you have been searching for ever since you were a brave kid, because a loser that is truthful to himself will be haunted by himself (if that’s you, we can fix that=).

If you are fighting to control your destiny whether it be with: weight loss, money, relationships…etc. Then class is in session, because I’ve got a legendary teacher present. Let his wisdom become yours.

This Kung Fu master was the baddest dude on the face of this planet during his time, he even beat up Chuck Norris.

He goes by the name of Bruce Lee. Bruce lee's motto for the type of martial arts that he created was "strike your enemy, before he strikes you." Now if I’m just as normal as you are, I would assume that this motto was created for martial arts purposes only…Or is it? To a competitor: Enemies are often perceived as a challenge…”Challenges” are universal and they can apply to any dream or goal that we have or set.

One of the principles that Bruce Lee’s motto for Jeet Kune Do is based on, I believe we can use for other purposes beside Martial Arts.

Is reducing antagonistic tension- Every major joint in the body has a protagonist and antagonist muscle working for and against movements. For example: to curl your arm as fast as possible when using your bicep muscle to do so, if your triceps muscle is not relaxing enough to stretch for the movement, then it is creating antagonistic tension. See picture below

In order to reduce antagonistic tension there are a few factors that come into play which are: Dynamic movement experience- having gone through a series of dynamic exercises and movements to a point where you are comfortable repeating those movements, and the 2^nd part is Trust. You need to trust the movement so much that there is no hesitation in other words Antagonistic Tension.

Similar to our lives and where we are headed, we must identify what “our” antagonists are: If you want to be a Pro Football player, what is that friend of yours that encourages you to stay up late at night and miss your recovery rest? If you want to lose weight, what is that buddy of yours when he is bringing donuts to you every day =) The answer to both is Antagonistic Tension.

Identify the antagonists in your day, and then put them into relaxation mode to gain speed in a direction you really want to head in. Something usually has to give, just don’t let it be your dream. “Strike your enemies, before they strike you.”

Dynamic Warm-up

2012-02-16T10:36:00.001-07:00

4-way movement:

1. Jog 20 yards,

2. Back Pedal 20yards

3. Shuffle right 20yards

4. Shuffle left 20yards

Seal Jacks 15 reps

Body Weight squats 10-15 reps

Butt Kickers 20yds

Toe Touches (Hamstring Stretch) 20yds

High Knees 15-20 yards

Forward lunges 15-20 yds

Side Lunges (alternate) 10-20 yards

Quad Stretch 15-20 yards or 20-30 seconds each leg standing still(static)

Lunge & Reach 20 yds

Bear Crawl into Mountain Climb 15-30 yards

Iron Cross (lower Back Stretch) 5-10 each leg

A variety of Push-ups 5-15 total

Directions: When doing these exercises for warm-up, do not rest for too long. Most of these exercises are completed back to back with 5-15 seconds in between each exercise.

COPY & PASTE THE WARM -UP FOR YOUR NEXT GYM OUTTING

2009 NFL Combine

2012-02-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

**The video says 2008 NFL Combine, it was really the 2009 NFL Combine.

Combine Results
40 yd Dash: 4.87
Bench: 22 reps
Broad Jump: 9'5"
Vert Jump: 35"
20 yd shuttle: 4.33
3 Cone Drill: 7.36
Wonderlic: 18

I find it Ironic that one of the biggest tests in my life didn’t come from a math or science teacher, but came from a numerous coaches that were hand-picked to conduct a selection of exercises and tests; to determine how much of a fit you would be, in their million and sometimes billion dollar organization.

Being around all the top college players you see promoted on TV and espn, was definitely an experience. I will never forget the time I saw Ray Maualuga and nodded was sup to him during one of the meals like I knew him, and he nodded back without hesitation. Then I realized that I only knew him from the TV screen yet I felt like he was one of my boys instinctively. I still laugh at myself for that but it’s always one love with the polys in my mind.

Another moment was when I was eating lunch in a generally close area with about 6 other players, who I didn’t know specifically but I did know their schools (Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State…) and everyone was wearing ID cards on their necks otherwise we’d get ID’d by security every 5 minutes to see if we belonged in that hotel. Well on the back of the ID cards there were times, followed by 2 letters. Everyone was checking there’s and most the guys in our area had one if not any, my roommate had two times and letters by them. As soon as I caught on to what was going on, my roommate asked me how many I had. I said “how many what?” He said, “How many private meetings with teams do you have?” Super nervous because I didn’t think I would have any, I slowly looked down tilting my card, terrified of having to lie, until I saw print. I had 5 time slots.

4:30 SD = Chargers

5:00 AR = Cardinal

6:00 JG = Jaguars

7:30 CB =Bengal

8:00 BB = Bills

I went from being nervous to being shy, I remember not wanting others to know how many I had because I didn’t want to see any grown man jealous, its just awkward. So I told my roommate I only had 2 like him.

The meetings were intense, you walk into a room and you see 8-12 people meeting them all at once hearing titles like owner, head coach, Offensive Coordinator, team psychologist, general manager…etc.

The first night over there flu symptoms had hit me hard, I must have stressed out way too much before going to have gotten sick. I ended walking the halls from midnight-2am because my coughing was keeping up my roommate. I ended walking and talking to my wife on my cell phone, telling her all about the cool things I was experiencing. A DR. gave me a z-pack and I was on my way to health once again.

Gaining Trust Within Seconds

2012-02-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

In football there are 3 main phases of the game, Offense - they try and score, Defense- they try and stop the offense from scoring, and Special Teams - both sides compete to optimize field position whether it be for their offense or defense. One of the most dynamic and demanding sub phases of special teams is called Punt Team.

The objective of the Punt Team is to protect the Punter so he or she will punt the ball (hopefully) back into the opponents territory. Then after the ball is punted they go and tackle whoever is returning the punt, before they get any closer to the punt teams defending end zone. The only dilemma the Punt Team has is the…Punt Return Team; those guys are the ones in charge of stopping us from getting to their punt returner. The transitioning from blocking to chasing the Punter require team work to be effective.

Now let me tell you about one of my experiences.

In one particular punt during a pre-season game with the Eagles, I played alongside a Veteran and gifted Special Teams player, Tank Daniels. When the ball was snapped(hiked) I had a huge defender sprinting towards me, Tank didn’t have anyone to block so he blindsided the opponent that was headed towards me, just before he blindsided my opponent he said, in the calmest voice I’ve ever heard on the field, “Go, I got him.” I released on the outside of him and while sprinting in the open I felt so ambitious that there was a possibility of me making the play. I was so grateful for the work he did that put me in that position.

Torrence "Tank" Daniels

The next week had come and they had moved the veteran Tank down to second string because another rookie was doing well at his same defensive position. This rookie named Moses was so ambitious about making the team that he stressed out about others alongside him messing things up for him. All week he was splitting hairs on my spacing on the Punt Team and was always coaching me up. I did what I could to make him feel comfortable playing alongside of me because I was confident that I was going to get the job done at the end of the day. When game time came, I waited for the opportunity to apply the same technique that Tank had done for me. When the ball was hiked, I saw a guy sprinting towards Mo. I saw I had no one to block so I knew it was perfect timing to blind side the opponent and I did just that. Blasting the opposing player from the side and taming him with my kung fu grip, in a very calm voice I said “Go, I got him.” Mo continued to chase the ball without a problem and I knew that I had replicated something great.

The next morning you would have thought that we were longtime friends because he came up to me like never before and said “Marcus my dog, how you feeling?” Inside I felt great. It was the shift in his attitude I noticed in him, which was similar to how I had felt after my first game punt experience with Tank.

I could tell that Mo knew at that moment during the game, I had potentially sacrificed myself to help him out. I knew that if we were ever to play side by side again, we would work together more efficiently and leave any possibility of distrust out of the equation. Based on his actions, I knew he had felt very similar to how I felt when I received help from a teammate. The veteran who helped me on a single play earned a lifetime of respect from me and taught me a lesson I will not soon forget. When you make the right sacrifice for your fellow man, it makes it easier for them to trust you and it can happen in a matter of seconds.

The Effects of Alcohol on Athletes and Performance

2012-01-14T09:46:00.004-07:00

Athletes, Ladies, Gentlemen and alcoholics…While you are sober, I would like to scare the crap out of you with; “The negative effects of Alcohol on your athletic dreams.”

Playcall: "Lose right, dizzy down,On three, ready break !!"

1. “Alcohol will impair reaction time and mental acuity for up to several days after consumption.” (acuity: Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing.)

2. Can cause severe hydration which increases your risk of musculoskeletal injuries including: cramps, muscle pulls and strains.

3. Alcohol disturbs or interrupts the sequence of paradoxical sleep. Sleep for an athlete is directly related to many aspects of wellness.

Cheers !!

4. It increases your fat storage.

5. It decreases muscle recovery.

6. It decreases energy.

7. For guys: It can cause testicular shrinkage, breast enlargement, and decreased sperm development. For Girls: May increase risk of breast cancer.

**See References for further detail.

That’s scary but I ain’t done yet, even though that’s impossible because “ain’t” ain’t a word. Keep reading if you wanna know something real.

On practice squad in the NFL we received a payment of about 3k every week we were on the team.

A fellow practice squad member of the Eagles by the name of…(in “the rocks” epic voice) It doesn’t matter what his name is! All that mattered in this case: was that he had a shot to make it big and he was doing great! Making great catches, running great routes.

On the first day of practice, week 3, this dude was a whole different player. He was constantly gasping for air, dropping numerous passes, and running poor routes. He was struggling so much physically that trainers were often prompted to check on him.

Word coming through the boys was that he was partying hard that weekend. He payed off all of his “settling in” bills and had just enough to party.

He got cut the next day and didn’t even have enough money to ship his car back home so he took the free flight and abandoned his car in Philadelphia. And that’s the End of that.

Of course I couldn’t leave ya’ll with that ending because you alcoholics might have nightmares. So I did my research and found some guidelines for those of you knuckle heads who are going to drink anyway. Just remember ... Be Responsible.

1. Avoid excessive drinking.

2. Agree to a limit before drinking.

3. Avoid drinking games.

4. Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

5. Choose low alcoholic beverages.

6. For every serving of alcohol, drink 8-12oz of water, juice, or non-alcoholic beverage.

7. Continue to drink non-alcoholic beverages well after consuming alcohol. ~24-72oz of water if hydrated between each drink.

8. Avoid social drinking at least 72 hours before a practice/event.

9. After practice/event re-hydrate properly before consuming any alcohol. For every one pound lost consume 20-24oz of fluids with 300-400mg sodium (i.e. V8 Juice & water, 2oz pretzels with water, Gatorade).

10. Before drinking any alcohol after a workout/event, consume at least 6-10g protein and 30-60g of carbohydrates (Yogurt & fruit, bagel with 2 T natural peanut butter)within the first 30 minutes followed by a well-balanced meal in the next 1 ½ hours.

11. Avoid drinking alcohol at least 24-36 hours after experiencing extreme soreness/aches/pains, noticeable bruising or injury.

12. Do not drink alcohol while taking anti-inflammatory drugs. This includes Tylenol and ibuprofen.

13. Keep bi-monthly records of body fat to muscle mass rations.

14. As part of the sports physical ask questions about alcohol abuse. Athletic Trainers, Strength Trainers, Coaches, Physicians and Athletic Administrators can all address this issue. (Please do not exclude high school athletes).

If you are or aren't trying to go Pro here is one fact I can tell you about alcohol:

It will NOT help your performance!!

Olympic Women's Ice Hockey celebrating their Gold Medal.

References:

http://www.nmnathletics.com/attachments1/507.htm?DB_OEM_ID=5800

http://athletics.macalester.edu/custompages/Deno_Videos/nutrition/nutrition_affects_of_alcohol.pdf

Let the Questions Begin ....

2012-01-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Readers,

I like to make myself available to help people, so I've decided to add a Q&A tab onto the Blog. I would like to provide at least one person a week with an answer to a question that can be answered with my knowledge, experience and opinion.

Leave a comment on the Q&A page or email me with your question at pro2joe.marcus@gmail.com and I will get answering ....

Are YOU Drinking Enough H20?

2012-01-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

For all my people making healthy changes this year: Drink 1/2 ounce (of water) per pound of body weight if you're not active or 2/3 ounces per pound if you're athletic. Call it the "2012 Water Vow." Do it every day to increase your chances of weight loss, relieve your low back pain and mental irritation, and overall well being.

Example: Calculation for 200lbs

Non-athletes: 200/2=100 --> 100/8 =12.5 cups of water.

athletes: 200 x .666 = 133.2oz --> 133.2/8= 16.65 cups of water

H20 Duties within our Bodies:

Regulates Body Temperature.
Composes 75% of Brain.
Helps carry Nutrients and Oxygen to cells.
Moistens Oxygen for Breathing.
Helps Convert Food into Energy.
Protects and Cushions Vital Organs.
Helps Body Absorb Nutrients.
Makes up 75% of Muscles.
Cushions Joints.
Accounts for 22% of Bones.
Removes Waste.
Makes up 83% of Blood.

If you want to read more check out this site ----> www.naturodoc.com

Crotchety Coach uncovers S-P-E-E-D

2012-01-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Johnny: Kind sir, what have you been up to? I have a project on speed that I need to complete and I've interviewed "Sparq" trainers because their program seems like one of the hottest ones on the market. And let me tell you, I think I've got some great content. Any thoughts ?

Crotchety Coach: First of all Johnny if all you are looking for are the hottest programs around, I have a real itchin' to scratch you right off of this forum! What do you really want kid, information on real speed training or false promises from Muscle and Fiction magazine? If it is speed then Johnny you are one lucky kid: This morning while I was on my throne for my morning glory, I was reading up on speed (going above and beyond in my research like I always do).

Here is an article that should be required reading for all the "wannabe" athletes, trainers, and self-proclaimed experts out there! Before I go any further Johnny, get your highlighting pen out, a note pad and a vice to keep your head locked in place while you thoroughly read about the essence of speed training! After you've thoroughly read and reread this information, come back and ask me a question worthy of a Crotchety Coach answer! Have a blessed day Johnny!!

http://www.strengthpowerspeed.com/speed-strength-training-basics-tips-for-all-athletes-from-all-sports/

Catch What You See

2012-01-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

After a long practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, there were many dropped passes that were addressed after practice that day. A respected coach from the Eagles said “Fellas! You have to catch with your eyes!”

Many of the guys would shrug it off at the time knowing that they already knew how to catch and that it was simply a mistake at the time. However, the saying stuck with me because I didn’t quite understand why he would put it like that. It was so vague yet so absolute. I soon came to a simple conclusion, the ball simply needed to be caught no matter what. I also figured it had something to do with making “the play”, since every play counts.

Everyone wants to be the X-factor when it comes to winning a game or competition. Proud to say I have made a game breaking play in the NFL and am alive to share the story, better yet, share the secret ingredient to my success with catching. It all began with the presence of Donavan Mcnabb.

All throughout Jr. High and High School I was a big fan of Donavan Mcnabb. I vividly remember when the Philadelphia Eagle’s made it to the Superbowl and Donavan McNabb was the starting quarterback. My eyes were glued to the T.V. that Sunday, and my dad would say, like he would say every Super bowl Sunday, “Son…this is the best right here, the greatest players.” If you saw his face you would think he was talking about angels from the heavens. I would reply in disinterest, “I know dad.” But inside my head I was always in Awww. These guys were the best and more importantly Donavan Mcnabb was amongst them.

Fast forwarding to the present, I found myself in a position I had only dreamt of being in. I was in a 3 point stance on Philadelphia’s 3-yard line headed into the Endzone (meaning we were 3 yards from scoring). The play call was “Strong Right Goal Line Fk 35 Boot Right”, which indicates that the ball can very well be thrown to me in the flats. I hear McNabb yelling the cadence “Blue 80, Blue 80…” and the whole time I was thinking, man this is really about to happen. I’m playing side by side with one of the best NFL quarterbacks working together to win this game. I was starting to get nervous about catching the key pass. When he hiked the ball, I took my counter steps to the left then headed back to the right. When I turned I saw McNabb and his action to throw….just before he released the ball I told myself, “It’s just a ball, It’s just a ball.” While it was in the air, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve seen a ball many times in my life like that, twirling and whirling towards me.’ I caught it like I would to any and finished the play with a dive into the end zone ----It was a dream come true!

I had scored my first NFL touchdown. I could not have done it, if I did not simplify the task upon its arrival. As an athlete, awareness grows with experience, sometimes to a fault.

When looking into a bowl of lucky charms as an adolescent, I kid you not (haha); the only objects that appealed to me in the bowl were the colorful marshmallows. Those colorful marshmallows to me were “thee lucky charms” and the rest were just charms.

Similar to catching the football, a lot of the commotions in a football (crowd, defenders, fear…etc.) are like normal charms and seem to be a distraction of what really mattered. There are many cases where we athletes tend to focus on more then what we ultimately want. Some of us get too excited to make the big play before a catch and focus on the upcoming move, rather than focusing on the necessary catch. Some of us freeze up out of fear- causing a late reaction to catch the ball, and some of us find ourselves in awww, due to extraordinary circumstances. More or less we do need to catch the ball.

Similar to how I saw what I wanted the most in my bowl of Lucky Charms.

We can do the same on the field! Make the ball your “lucky charm”. Then CATCH WHAT YOU SEE!

The Crotchety Coach speaks out on Training

2012-01-03T23:49:00.003-07:00

Q: From Johnny

Hi Crotchety Coach! My name is Johnny and I have heard that you are the Super Guru of all training knowledge and I feel honored to ask and hopefully get my question answered by you kind Sir! I have been reading on the Internet about a secret program that could transform me from a 6 ft, 160 pound bean pole into a Brad Pitt look-alike with a bit more muscle. Have you heard about the Russian/Bulgarian Hybrid, Biosequential, Double-periodized, plyo-isometric protocol? And while I have you here, what are your thoughts on “Insanity”, P-90X and Cross-Fit?? Thank you in advance Coach, looking forward to your response!

A: CC

Whoa Johnny, whoa! If I were to charge by the question, you’d be indebted to me for life kid! But, since you heard correctly about the Crotchety Coach, I’ll humor you and the rest of the readers with the answer of all answers! My short answer is a resounding “NO”, I haven’t heard of this program! The first thing that comes to mind though is what a good colleague of mine said recently so I’ll quote him here, “It seems to me that we are now in the age of the over-educated, under-trained strength coach and trainer. This new breed owns and studies everything they can find on training to the point it has become too much for their brain to handle. They have totally fried their ability to think for themselves and use common sense in the development of strength programs. They have also developed the ability to take these concepts and package them into articles and seminars to make themselves appear as experts in the field, but the program still sucks!” You still with me Johnny? Hang in there kid, I’m just getting warmed up! Since when did the Russians and the Bulgarians ever get along so well that they would dare to put a program together and attach their names in the same sentence? These nations have competed against each other on the world platform for decades to prove outright who the strongest weightlifters on the planet are! I just pulled out my Colt 45 and shot a hole through this secret program Johnny, but I ain’t done yet kid! The rest of the jargon in this so-called secret program sounds like what a good friend of mine likes to call the “Fitness Guru Kit”. This is when some self-proclaimed fitness “gurus” and their “guru-speak”try to impress or confuse with the use of obscure terminology that probably has no valid meaning or relevance but sure goes a long way in hood-winking people into purchasing their secret programs for the low cost of $599 + free shipping! So Johnny, now that I’ve pulled out my Desert Eagle hand cannon, dismantled, disintegrated and utterly destroyed the very essence of this so-called secret program, let me get you on the right track kiddo! Forget about secret programs, forget about purchasing programs on the Internet and for God’s sake forget about Brad Pitt! And although finding a good coach these days is kind of like the secret program I just shredded (they all suck), there are sources out there that will go a long way to helping you achieve your goals kid! If you promise to pull your head out, I’ll let you contact me off line for more details. As for the other programs, good hell, the first one says it all, it’s “INSANE”! The second one sounds like the name of an experimental gun and should shoot itself! And finally the last one, sounds like a cult to me, stay away from cults Johnny!

Crotchety Coach signing off for now!

Oh and Johnny, when you are training for speed, make sure you get enough rest in between sprints. You can't train for speed when your running slow from being too tired. Give yourself at least one minute when you sprint past 10-yards. Chew on that for now kid!

2012-01-03T23:49:00.001-07:00

Lessons from a Clean Locker Room

Once upon a time, I was sitting in a computer lab…A long seen friend of mine was there on the phone, and I was sitting next to him. Everything he said sounded like white noise except for these words… "Stop living off of my success." Then like a vortex to my mind’s eye I found myself analyzing this statement, I then came to realize that we all in many ways live off the success of others.

In 2009 I was signed to a 3 year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. (You need to know that when you sign an NFL contract whether it be for 1 year or 10 years, with the exception of your signing bonus, there is no future employment or amount of money that will be guaranteed to you by that organization.) So Just because I signed didn’t mean I was going to make the team.

On top of that stressor was the constant competition for transportation. You’d think we’d have personal limos, just add that along with all of the other myths about NFL players. Instead there were two shuttles that were transporting us. One was known as the "early bus" and the other was the "later bus." It was Ideal to be on the early bus. However, that meant that waking up early and waiting on the curb in order to get a spot.

One morning I was pretty much at my breaking point. My body was beat, my conscience was stressed (from constant competition…), I was missing my family and my spirits were down. I literally felt like quitting.

I was at rock bottom, but that’s when it all hit me. I was looking at the ground by my locker (my locker had wheels, which meant it could be rolled away at any given time). What I was seeing wasn’t matching how I was feeling: I felt like the world was crumbling, but the floor was perfectly clean for a locker room, It looked like it had been shampooed it was so clean. I then glance up at my locker and noticed how neatly everything was placed and organized, and that’s when my attitude changed. It was the work of the Janitor who made me realize how fortunate I was to be working in a facility where my workout clothes were treated like gold and the Locker Room was cleaner than my bedroom ever was while growing up.

I then also realized how lucky I was to have a teammate like Santiago; Santiago being the Janitor for the Eagles. Often times in the workplace, people become so consumed with either their problems or their success that it leads to a cancerous case of egotism. Every office has their door mat, and every office has their egotistical co-worker or boss. It is essential to find that balance of appreciation for everyone’s position in the workplace, to eliminate any energy leakage aka drama in a company. It is important to know where you stand, especially if it’s on the success of others.

For Example: You may be the best break dancing B-boy on the block, but your back spin wouldn't amount to what it is, if it weren't for the sweat shop employee that produced that flattened cardboard box you're spinning on, or the windbreaker your wearing. Ya feel me?

To Be Continued …..

About Me

2012-01-03T23:48:00.002-07:00

Since I was 8 years of age, I had embraced a game that brought me friendship, happiness, an escape from tough circumstances, and most importantly life lessons. The game I speak of is football, and I have played it for 17 years.

I was fortunate enough to have reached the status of Pro. When making it to the NFL in 2009. Signing with the Eagles out of free agency and later that same season getting signed off Eagles practice squad by the New Orleans Saint: I was able to be a part of the first Super Bowl Championship team in the History of The New Orleans Saints Organization. The next season I re-injured myself during the first game of Pre-season and haven’t played since.

Although there are many things in my life that I consider special and unique, I envisioned this blog as way reach those who share an appreciation for any major transitions in life because of the growth that springs forth as a result.

Tis why I named my Blog: Pro-to-Joe, “Joe” representing the term used in the context “Average Joe.” As I make my transition along with hundreds of other former NFL players, into the real world, this is my attempt to share an exceptional transition.

Meeting for M$LL$ONS

2011-12-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yes Please !!!!!!

My meetings with a Business Guru who I call rain man because he can make it rain if you know what I mean. If you don’t know what that term means click on the link-> http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=make%20it%20rain

While the first football season in my history was passing by with me not playing in a single football game for 17 years, it was time to feel out the real world.

Working hard at http://conditioningforoptimumresults.com every day and playing with my family for the remainder of the day is a dream come true, however that dream had an hour glass and time was ticking.

When I moved into a quiet neighborhood in a city called Layton, a long seen acquaintance had showed up at our doorstep on the day we were moving in. We hit it off as neighbors and he later introduced me to his multi-millionaire, successful business guru friend who, had a job for me, and in return the guru would help me with his experience.

I’ve heard of and seen people pay thousands of dollars to attend seminars, workshops, to inherit: Keys to success, tips of high trades, routes to glory, highly effective habits...etc.

I have received my own set of exclusive “millionaire seminars” from an elite business man that I wanted to share with my followers for free, in purpose to promote greatness and to help my peepers out. Ha-ha

Let’s go! Session # 1

Our meetings took place in a pimped out office that measured out to be 50 sq. ft. The walls were lined with authentic signed football jerseys that were framed to perfection; a 50+ inch hi-def. flat screen mounted on the wall, and one set of windows facing the east that gave a great spectacular view of the Wasatch Mountains. Rain Man sat behind a U-shaped desk and I facing him, with the east window to my back.

Sitting in his office, prepared with a notepad and a pen to record any gems on paper, I was ready to receive any form of success he had to offer. After some small talk, rain man engaged me and the quest for success was in progress:

Rain Man: So what do you want out of business?

Me: I want to make good money.

Rain Man: Let me tell you a story. 2 business guys vacationing on an island wanted to fish one day. They saw a native relaxing under a Palm tree and asked if he knew of any good spots to fish. The native’s eyes lit up in joy as he laughed and said, “Are you ready to catch the more fish than you ever have.” The two business men laughed in skepticism and said “yes.” So they all went out fishing and the two business men came back with more fish then they imagined catching. So impressed with the Native’s fishing skills, the two business men went home and returned to the island with a group of investors. They located the Native, who was relaxing under the same tree and proposed to him that they would make him rich if he could command ten boats to catch as much fish as he did with the two business men. The Native said, “I don’t need to be rich to relax under a tree, and to fish when I want to, so…no I won’t do it.”

Rain Man: (continuing): I’ll tell you myself, I won’t be able to spend all my millions before I die. Is that what you want to spend your time chasing; Money you won’t spend? Or do you need 21 million to relax as a coach, teacher, strength coach…etc.?

Me: Those are really good questions. (Thinking to myself, “My plan was to get rich playing football, then be a high school football coach. Do I really need to be rich to coach high school football?”) I realized needed to figure out what I would be happiest doing in life and how much money I needed to support that.

Rain Man: So how much money are you eyeing to make?

Me: 21 million will do.

Rain Man: Never put a number it, in football that’s like worrying about catching the touchdown pass when you should be worried about the snap count, and you’re first and 2^nd steps and the progression from there. Don’t put a number on it because you will set yourself up to trip and fall many times. Start by deciding if you are going to do what it takes and begin from there. It all starts with the simple things. Don’t be the guy that walks by a piece of trash lying around in the office, because that where it begins kid, with the small things. I myself leave opportunities in forms of trash to see what kind of people I’ve got working for me. The person that picks up that piece of trash is usually successful in life and in my company. It’s a simple test and it tells me every time.

Me: Wow that makes so much sense. My wife would pass every single one of these tests, especially if it were clothes that were lying on the ground. Ha-ha (I interpreted it to myself as: “Don’t let the ‘WHAT’ as in the end result come before the ‘WHY’. Similar to the saying ‘don’t put the cart in front of the horse.’

I realized that this one great tip is valuable to all aspects of life such as: football and….and…hmmm. That’s all I can think of right now besides business.

The meeting continues, but I don’t want to give you a brain cramp so I’ll pick up where we left off, in a few days.

So just like Ice cube says to Smokey in the movie “FRIDAY” which I am now saying to you, “Aye...come baack!”

P.S. If you seek greatness, and a higher understanding of the “why” and how important it is as the core of your actions click on dis video baby-> .

Wine and Dined, Without the Wine

2011-12-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

For the past three years on November 29th I have never really satisfied my wife until 2011, and I’m not talking about in the sack (for all you sickos), I’m talking about her anniversary expectations. 1st anniversary I was out of town playing football for weber, 2nd anniversary we (my wife and I) spent it playing cards with my cousins in New Jersey (they came to watch our game against the Redskins), 3rd anniversary was a dinner date, but this time I made up for all the past ones and set the bar high (warning disclosure: what is high for me, may not be high for you and vice versa).

I kicked off the date by presenting my wife with the newest iPhone. She was pretty excited and wouldn’t allow it out of the box (for the entire night and next morning) unless it had a protective case, which it didn’t, so she kept it in the box while she was texting or talking on the phone. I snapped a few photos while she wasn't looking. See below .....

I then took her to the Temple. With all the craziness going on in our lives: me starting a business, she is back in school, balancing 2 kids, while I’m also coaching high school football…etc. I thought that with all the hustle, grind and hype going on in our lives, that on this night, more so than others, that we would realize the difference between what was urgent in our lives and what was really important. Basically a celebration/reminder of our eternal marriage, ya feel me?

After our temple session, we walked over to the Joseph Smith Memorial building and dined at “The Roof” restaurant. They had 23 different types of deserts and some great prime rib. The view was on point (meaning it was just right). The vibe was great, and they had a live pianist playing smooth jams. It really was a very special time. If there was one thing I learned from eating with my wife that night at the roof restaurant, it was to never go to a restaurant before knowing how much it was going to cost. I mean c’mon $88.44 for a buffet? Any other day I would have rolled up my sleeves. After desert my wife struck a serious convo with me by acting really sad and awkward, she said:

Kristen: “It sucks this is going to be our last anniversary we celebrate together.”
Me: “Huh”
Kristen: “Ya…Now that you aren’t in the NFL anymore, we can’t be together.”

I almost slapped her for that joke…. but I don’t hit the ladies. With all the “gold diggers” out there my wife likes to tease me with jokes like this one because she knows that I know, she has never been with me for the money. If she was, then it was a cheap buy because I didn’t have much. Mentally it took me back to my high school days, when we could only see each other every 3rd day because my dad gave me two bucks for lunch and I would save it up so I could at least pay my
own way when going on lunch dates. I just thought to myself: A true gentleman would have starved himself and paid for his gal. I guess I was still in the process of becoming one. lol

Feeling like stuffed pigs we proceeded to the next part of our date, which was a couple’s massage at the Kura Door in “the Avenues” of Utah. The massages were a win. We then took a drive up to Park city to stay at the Mountain Side Marriot (thanks to my bro Lolo and his wife- Lynn’s connection we got the Friends and Family rate). The master bedroom had a huge garden tub, which is where we ended our night soaking and watched “storage wars” at the same time.

We finished our night with a happiness that never ends, and it went on and on my friends.

Dinner with the (S)Mailei’s

2011-11-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

My mother who works two jobs had offered to work one of the most important jobs that I know of, which is babysitting some of her grandchildren. I gladly accepted because my wife and I needed the time alone.

My parents showed up and I immediately showed my dad how to work a PS3 to navigate Netflix. His eyes lit up and I knew it was going to be an easy night for my parents when I answered “yes” to the question he asked, “you mean I can watch all of these movies for free?”

The wife and I trickled out the door not knowing what or when we were going to do what we were going to do, until I had an original and spontaneous thought to go to the movies.

We chose to buy popcorn and M&Ms to eat while watching the Jack & Jill. When we were greeted by the cashier, he asked, “is there anything else I can get for you guys?” I said, “Well…can you get her (nodding my head towards my wife) a sense of humor?” the kid turned red, embarrassed for my wife and the female worker behind the kid, laughed then quickly straightened out her face after making eye contact with my embarrassed wife who was laughing as well. I have to admit, I enjoy embarrassing my wife in good faith because it just loosens her up some how.

The movie was hilarious, my wife and I decided to laugh 2x louder than we normally would. I’m not sure where she got the idea from but I figured on my own that it’s better to annoy then to be annoyed in the theatres. Because we all know how tough it is to deal with wacky movie watchers, I guess it’s just a dog eat dog world in theaters.

Dinner at this point could have been served to us in a holding cell, our jokes and stunts were limitless for a married couple with two kids. The thought of pushing my wife down to the floor unexpectantly and kicking her like the WWE pros do in front of the young ihop staff and small party in the restaurant had passed swiftly through my head. However the thought of actually getting arrested would have definitely killed the buzz, and then being on the “Busted Magazine” would have probably ruined my holidays. Haha

When we made it home, my mom asked if she and my dad could just continue their movie night and then sleep over. My dad ended up watching 5 movies within a 16 hour period. I guess they didn’t have Netflix in Tonga.