18: From SUPER BOWL Champion to Champion of EQUALITY with Brendon Ayanbadejo

Born into an interracial family, Brendon Ayanbadejo's early first years were spent in Lagos, Nigeria. After his parents had decided to go their separate ways, he and his siblings moved back to the U.S. with their mom.

"Growing up with a brother only 18 months older than me gave me my competitive edge or a bit of a 'chip on my shoulder' sort-of-speak. I felt like I always had something to prove. I had a little bit of talent with a whole lot of hard work."

Speaking with someone as driven and as disciplined as Brendon today gave me immense inspiration and motivation to continue bettering myself from the inside out.

"I knew by the age of 10 years old that I wanted to be a professional athlete so my body was going to be that vessel along with my discipline and mentality of sacrifice and hard work."

Taking us back down memory lane to where it all began for him, Brendon shares a tragic story of his childhood best friend, which was one of his earliest reasons behind staying drug-free and 100% focused for his future pro-athlete years that were to come. He mentions how his upbringing in a very open household allowed him to be free with both his thinking and his actions, instead of feeling the need to sneak around and "experiment." This also led him to his decision to remain focused on his long-term goals.

"I think it's a mixture of nature and nurture that got both my brother and I to the professional level. It started with nature, the DNA to run fast, build muscle mass and the durability, but it's like having a beautiful piece of wood that you must carve into something special with nurture. That's the discipline, handwork and strategizing."

From a professional athlete to a franchise owner and huge advocate of serving his community and giving back, Brendon's interview today covers all angles. He is proof that being unapologetically wealthy doesn't equal greed. With his hands in helping those with diabetes, The American Heart Association, and helping feed the hungry, it's safe to say that the world needs more Brendon Ayanbadejo's.

"It's not about how much money you make – do what you love. If your love turns into dollars and cents than that's even more amazing."

In This Episode You Will Hear About:

• Helping
• Community
• Serving
• Impact
• Entrepreneurship
• Giving back
• Success
• Wealth
• Business
• Self-help
• Interracial
• Relationships
• Drive
• Discipline
• Pro-Athletes

Resources:

• Orange Theory Fitness Brentwood, Los Angeles Location
• Instagram @brendon310