As a former student-athlete at The University of Texas at San Antonio, I have always understood the concept of working hard in order to achieve success. As a Division I football player, I had to quickly learn what being organized and disciplined entailed.
A typical daily schedule ranged from 6 a.m. meetings to 10 a.m. practice, then class in the afternoons, weights after class, followed by meetings that lasted into the evening, after which I completed homework and personal tasks.
To say I had to have good time management skills would be an understatement. Through this rigorous schedule I had to find a way to be organized, on time and to excel in every aspect of my life. It was the standard and the expectation.
Transitioning from football to business came naturally —
It has been very exciting — like the closest thing I could get to sports. It has always been my dream to have a career where my success is determined by how hard I work, and it excites me to know that as a financial planner, my potential for success is limitless based on how driven and dedicated I am — the same as it was in my days as a college athlete.
In business, you have all the opportunities in the world. Knowing myself, I did not want to pursue a career where I would be capped at a certain amount of success — that would be a waste of my strong work ethic and competitive drive. The same was true for me as an athlete: I always wanted to be the best, and therefore outworked everyone around me in pursuit of that goal.
Although sports and financial advice are two very different industries, I’ve found that the fundamental principles and work habits with which I approach them are similar. Through the typically long days of football-related activities, I still found a way to study extra game film on my own. I knew it would give me a competitive advantage over my opponents and make me just that much better.
It’s the same with business: I am always working overtime to be the best at what I do. Answering calls and servicing clients at 6 a.m., midnight or anywhere in between, I am always ready to take on what’s in front of me.
And it is never a competition with anyone else because at the end of the day, my biggest competition will always be myself. This is truly my definition for a mindset focused on business success. I know that when I am striving toward success that I am the best version of myself. As I said before, I never wanted a limit placed on what I could do, so success is a standard I will never stop trying to achieve.
Another aspect of a successful business mindset is loving what you do. My days as a college athlete and my new career as a financial advisor have never truly felt like work. Providing a service for our clients and helping them achieve their life goals is my business, and I enjoy every bit of it. It is my passion to help others and to also be a successful businessman. Although days can be long at my firm — sometimes we work around the clock — I enjoy it immensely and wouldn’t change a thing.
Truly loving what you do and always striving to be the best version of yourself are the keys to continually growing as a person and to growing a business.
