What Tom Brady can teach us about Entrepreneurship and Life!
Arguably one of the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL history is Tom Brady. The results speak for themselves — 7 superbowl wins, 84, 520 passing yards to name a few. [3]. He also happens to be the Founder of TB12, a Health/Wellness-based company he co-founded, an apparel brand called, “The Brady Brand”, and Autograph — which is an “NFT-based platform that allows iconic names to create unique experiences.”
But its the early beginnings of his NFL journey that most people can look at and see how he evolved to where he is today, through an unconventional way.
At the start of his football career, he was a backup QB at his High School, Junipeo Sena High School, eventually becoming a starting QB. Because of him being a backup quarterback, initially he didn’t get noticed. But he created a highlight reel from his QB days and sent it out to different colleges with one goal in mind — getting a scholarship, but it didn’t happen. [3].
Eventually, he ended up at the University of Michigan — where he played from 1995–1999. Again, he was a backup QB — but ultimately became the starting QB, while not only being captain but “All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.” [3].
The main desire, as with any other college quarterback, is — to land and have a successful career in the NFL. In Mr. Brady’s case, that came at somewhat at a cost — not only being a backup QB, but also not having an impressive showing at the NFL Combine [3]. — where highly regarded prospects have the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities in front of NFL scouts.
But he was determined to prove he was capable as any other quarterback — and ended up getting drafted 199th by the New England Patriots, and personally expressed that the Pats made the right decision, saying “I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.” [3].
Prior to getting drafted, the Wolverines Quarterback was seriously looking at other career options as a “backup” career plan, as shown below from Business Insider.
Through his entire NFL journey, he has taught us:
- Work Ethic: Particularly in today’s workforce, nothing is handed on a “silver platter.” You have to put in the work — yes there will be struggles, people may even doubt your ability to complete certain tasks — but it’s up to you on the legacy that you want to leave behind, and how others view your leadership traits. Through these difficulties, it will shape your perception — be it at an Entrepreneurial or Organizational level.
- Compassion: No, I am not just talking about this in a general sense, but more in a professional environment. This goes a long way in two ways — firstly, building relationships, and secondly, letting compassion drive an individual to reach new heights within their respective field. Building relationships plays a central role when conducting business — and should not be seen as a gateway to landing a new job or to “just have a contact.” It should genuinely be about learning about an individual and their interests that go far beyond the typical work environment. By being compassionate and driven, it will lead to goal-setting. This is primarily driven by genuine interest and wanting to push yourself to achieve new goals.
- Inspiring: There are few people — be it athletes, business figures that are in a position like Tom Brady. Getting to their “level” might have been a long road, but it’s equally important to spread that wealth across different backgrounds, and among different generations in various capacities — such as helping underprivileged kids, having families come out to sporting events etc.
In Summary, I will leave you all with 2 points:
- The graphic below, in my opinion, justifies what I’m trying to say in this article — most people only see the recognition or the success, but not the hard work that goes into it.
2. An inspiring message from the legend, himself, Tom Brady.
Tom Brady Visits Michigan Athletic Campus — YouTube
Sources:
- Google Images
- Business Insider Image
- Tom Brady — Wikipedia
- tom brady university of michigan — YouTube
Tej Yale is the Founder/CEO of ThinkImpact Inc, a Marketing Company based in Rochester Hills, Michigan. They offer Social Media Management, Content Management, Graphic Design, Event Promotion, Website Development, Marketing Consulting, Project Management, Business Support.
You can learn more at www.thinkimpact1st.com
