

Success for the Athletic-Minded Man
Jim Harshaw, Jr.
Clarity. Focus. Consistency. Hallmarks of championship athletes. And hallmarks of the most successful men in business and life. How can you claim those traits in your life now? You want to make lots of money, have a great marriage, and be a dedicated father while crushing fitness goals along the way but maybe you feel like you're always shortchanging at least one area. Or maybe you feel like you want to be more consistent. More focuses. Maybe you just need a clear vision for what your future looks like— a clear goal to pursue. Jim Harshaw is an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and former Division I head coach. And he's an executive performance coach who will help you create the plan to unlock your potential. He coaches motivated men to gain clarity, focus, and consistency in business and life using a unique framework inspired by world-class performers so that they can lead meaningful lives of purpose and impact. "Success for the Athletic Minded Man" is a podcast dedicated to the driven, professional, athletic-minded man in the pursuit of excellence. Each episode dives into success habits for men who balance the rigors of professional development with the challenges of excelling in their personal life. Our conversations explore how men can apply the principles of peak performance in sports to everyday life. Listen as he discusses strategies for mastering goal setting, consistency, work-life balance, and health. We dissect the high-performance habits of athletes as they relate to helping men achieve clarity, focus, and consistency. Through interviews with elite athletes and coaches as well as thought leaders, we unpack athletic life lessons tailored to you, the athletic-minded man. "Success for the Athletic Man" is not just a podcast—it’s a resource for any man eager to thrive in business and life.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 8, 2017 • 42min
#95 Lead Training Advisor for Under Armour, on Failure, Goals and Rules for Life with Todd Durkin
From No Clients and No Cash to Lead Training Advisor for Under Armour. Todd is an internationally recognized fitness trainer, coach, author, and speaker who works with some of the highest level athletes in the NFL, MLB, MMA, and Olympics, including athletes like Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Carson Palmer, and Darren Sproles. Todd was a featured trainer on NBC STRONG last year (produced by Sylvester Stallone) and owns Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, an award-winning gym that has been named a Top 10 Gym in the US 5 years in a row by Men’s Health. Todd is the Lead Training Advisor for Under Armour and has been voted a “Top 100 Most Influential People in Health & Fitness” with Tony Robbins, Dr. Oz, and Michelle Obama. His newest book, “The WOW BOOK—52 Ways to Motivate Your Mind, Inspire Your Soul, and Create WOW in your Life” is an Amazon best-seller. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
May 1, 2017 • 40min
#94 Doubt, Failure and Finding the Motivation to be Great: Inside the Mind of a 3x World Champion
So incredibly inspiring, you’ll listen to this twice!. Todd is a global entrepreneur, speaker, and high-performance business coach. He’s a former major league baseball player who played 15 years in the bigs and was a part of three World Championship teams. Todd earned the prestigious Branch Rickey Award and the Lou Gehrig Award back in 2000. He has spoken to audiences up to 20,000 people and is truly inspiring others to create goals and dream big, and he provides a strategic roadmap for doing so through his “goals planner strategy.” Todd is currently writing his first book that will be available in this summer. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Apr 24, 2017 • 39min
#93 86 MPH on a Sled: Luge, Life and Lessons from 4x Olympian Cameron Myler
Crashing on a sled at 70 mph: Luge, Life, and Lessons from Olympian Cameron Myler. Cameron is a 4x Olympian and flag bearer for the United States at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. At age 15, she became the youngest member of the US Women’s National Luge team. She went on to graduate cum laude from Dartmouth while still training and later got her law degree from Boston College. Cameron has served both on the US Olympic Committee board of directors and as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. As an attorney, she is a frequent commentator on sports and legal issues and has been quoted in multiple media outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post and ESPN. She currently serves on the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Switzerland and Myler is a member of the faculty for sports law and governance at NYU. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Apr 17, 2017 • 23min
#92 My Biggest Entrepreneurial Failure and the Four Unbreakable Rules of Success It Taught Me
4 Unbreakable Rules of Success That I Learned Through My Business Failure. A solo podcast where I discuss the four unbreakable rules of success that I learned through my biggest entrepreneurial failure: Riot Sports Marketing. These unbreakable rules will change how you approach both your personal and professional life. I share practical examples of how they can be applied for your own success. Learn from my failures and benefit from these valuable rules. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Apr 10, 2017 • 37min
#91 Too Busy to Workout? Introducing the One-Minute Workout and Breakthrough Research for Time-Efficient Exercise
The world’s most time-efficient exercise. No more excuses for failing to get fit! Dr. Gibala is a professor and chair of the kinesiology department at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. His research on the physiological and health benefits of high-intensity interval training has attracted immense scientific attention and worldwide media coverage. Dr. Gibala has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, the results of which have been featured by media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and NBC Nightly News. He is frequently invited to speak at international scientific meetings and has received multiple awards for teaching excellence. We’re going to talk about his journey as well as his new book, The One-Minute Workout. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Apr 3, 2017 • 35min
#90 How to Win at Losing: Author Sam Weinman Shares Stories of the Most Successful Failures
The Ingredients for Resilience: Interview with Author Sam Weinman. Sam is the author of Win at Losing: How Our Biggest Setbacks Can Lead To Our Greatest Gains. He is also the digital editor of Golf Digest. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he lives with his wife and two sons in Rye, New York, where he coaches multiple youth sports teams. To learn more, check out his website, www.SamWeinman.com. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Mar 27, 2017 • 45min
#89 Absurdly Useful Leadership Tactics That You Can Use Today from Josh Spodek
Joshua insights into leadership were uniquely fascinating the last time back in episode #58 and he just launched his book, Leadership Step by Step, so I wanted to have him back on to talk about what we might learn if we buy it. Josh is a professor at NYU and columnist for Inc.com, he holds five Ivy-League degrees, including a Ph.D. in Astrophysics as well as an MBA, both from Columbia University, where he studied under a Nobel Laureate. He holds six patents. He leads seminars in Leadership, Creativity, Sales, Strategy, and Motivation at institutions including Columbia Business School, Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. His coaching clients include startup founders as well as employees of Citigroup, American Express, Google, Yahoo!, Sony, IBM, ExxonMobil, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, and many others. He has been quoted and profiled by ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal and others. He’s completed 6 marathons and competed at the world level in Ultimate Frisbee. His blog at JoshuaSpodek.com is for successful people who want to bring about more of that success. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Mar 20, 2017 • 12min
The Secret of Cael Sanderson's Success
How 6x NCAA Champion Coach Cael Sanderson (Penn State Wrestling) gets the most out of his wrestlers. How 3x NCAA Champion Coach Brian Boland (UVA Men's Tennis) has changed his coaching philosophy. How George DiCamillo overcame three devastating losses to reach the NCAA finals.
Mar 13, 2017 • 24min
#88 Entrepreneur, Ironman onTurning ADHD and Other Challenges into Assets with Peter Shankman
How to turn your challenges- like ADHD- into assets with Peter Shankman of HARO. Peter is a spectacular example of what happens when you merge the power of pure creativity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dose of adventure and make it work to your advantage. An author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, this “worldwide connector” is recognized for radically new ways of thinking about customer service, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and ADHD. Peter has keynoted events for corporations ranging from startups to Fortune 100s in over twenty-five countries around the world. Peter’s clients include American Express, Walt Disney World, the Department of Defense and many more. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter
Mar 6, 2017 • 17min
#87 Why Every Kid Actually SHOULD Get a Participation Trophy
The recent tirade by the Louisville head women’s basketball coach about “every kid gets a trophy” is the latest public lashing of society. It’s an unfortunate irony. The very coach whose job is to teach young athletes accountability is blaming someone else for his own failure as a coach. This is a coach who played a team made of players of the same generation and in the same recruiting pool yet he blames society instead of himself. I’m a father of four and have been a Division I head coach so I fully understand the challenges of mentoring youth. It’s easier to blame society than to take responsibility. The fact is that it’s developmentally appropriate for young people to struggle with failure, adversity, obstacles, and setback. To be honest, you and I struggle with it too. It’s part of a coaches job (as well as parents, teachers and the rest of us) to teach them how to deal with it. == It’s become a badge of honor to complain about kids getting participation trophies. It’s like when our grandparents told us they walked to school in the snow uphill both ways. Everyone wants to think that life was tougher when they were a kid. I grew up in a tough, blue-collar community outside of Pittsburgh in the ‘80s. We hunted, watched the Pittsburgh Steelers and generally did tough things. And everybody got a trophy. I was terrible at baseball. I got a trophy. I was terrible at football. I got a trophy. I was terrible at cross country. I got a trophy. Why not? In baseball, I stepped to the plate regardless my inability to hit the ball. In football, despite my being the smallest kid on the team, I stepped onto the field. In cross country, I was one of the slowest runners but was exhausted at the end of each race. Mind you, had to show up and give effort to receive it. I didn’t get the championship trophy or the MVP trophy or the most improved trophy (those came later). But I did get a participation trophy. There’s a difference. You get a participation trophy for stepping outside of your comfort zone. You get a participation trophy for trying something new. You get a participation trophy for taking a risk. It’s the process that is rewarded. I ran a 1/2 marathon last year and got a participation medal for the same reason. Warren Buffett, John Wooden and Michael Phelps teach us to focus on the process, not the outcome. It’s the process that creates champions, leaders and productive members of society. Even Carol Dweck, the often quoted psychologist and author of the bestselling book “Mindset,” believes that kids should be rewarded for improvement or team spirit. Those who blame “every kid gets a trophy,” have flawed reasoning that a participation trophy is the reason kids play sports. It’s not. Research tells us as that kids participate in sports because their friends do it, because they want to be part of something and because they feel they’re good at it. Not because they want a participation trophy. When I was young and gravitated toward the sport of wrestling, it was because my friends were doing it. I was terrible at first. I got a participation trophy. Seventeen years later I was crowned one of the best in America. I got a bigger trophy. Most of the hundreds of trophies I won are now in a trash dump somewhere. They are not the reason I endured nearly two decades of pain and suffering. == If you question the fact that it’s wrong to give a participation award, remember that everyone gets a participation award in the real world too. It’s called a paycheck. If you don’t show up, you don’t get one at all. If you just show up, you get a smaller one. If you do really well, you get a bigger one. Just like youth sports. Even the coach in this video who lost and blamed someone else got a paycheck (probably bigger than yours or mine). Listen, I know that as coaches and teachers and parents and employers, we want to be handed a generation of youth who are fully prepared. However, it is our job is to prepare them for the next step. If they’re not the athletes or students or employee that you wanted, coach them up or go recruit different ones. Stop passing the buck. Stop blaming society. Accept your responsibility in shaping our youth. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action. Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter


