#026 Advice I Wish I Knew in the Beginning

1. Ethics Have Always Mattered

I have always been fortunate to be in positions where my ethics are rarely challenged. In athletics, this feat alone is the equivalent to finding a unicorn at the end of a rainbow. It is a rarity in this profession to work for organizations that resist asking you to compromise your ethics and values for the organization's bottom-line. I have made it a habit to count my blessings in these regards but I know many people in this field who are not in the position I am.

I know far too many good people who are challenged to forgo their values for the sake of the organization. They cast aside what they know is right, for the desire to win. What I can tell you is that if you feel uneasy about a questionable decision, that alone is a sign that it is not aligned with the correct ethics or values. If you have a strong conscious, it is incredibly difficult to fool yourself. Trust your gut and always do what is right. In the long run, you will be judged more heavily by your ethics and personal values that any win/loss column.

2. Secondary Income isn't Selling Out

Early in my career, I passed up on many opportunities to generate a secondary income out of fear of "straying too far away from collegiate strength and conditioning". I was spectacularly foolish. I always thought side projects were a distraction away from my primary responsibility of a coach. If I was not on the floor coaching all day was I a fraud? Many of the coaches I knew appeared to have it made; they were working at a great school, oversaw some impressive teams, and had a very attractive title. As I grew closer to these coaches, forming personal relationships with them, I discovered the very thing that tied all of us together.

Beneath the superficial surface of logos and titles, we all struggled to financially make things work.

Truth be told, secondary income streams empower you to do better and more authentic work. Financial security allows you to work for the passion versus the financial compensation. My advice to those starting off in this field is to find ways to stretch your influence and craft. If you are a proficient writer, find publications, blogs, and articles where you can share you ideas. If you enjoy speaking, find podcasts or conferences where you can present your thoughts. Share you ideas, your work, and the information you have in a way where you can generate a means of supporting yourself (and your family).

In the beginning, you may not have a strategy or way to monetize the additional work you perform, however if the material delivers value to people, there will be an audience willing to financially support it.

3. Do the Work

The best marketing will not make up for a terrible product. At the end of the day, you need to put in the work and perform the repetitions. The very best at what they do commit more effort to their craft than what others realize. It is easy for outsiders to believe the lie that others possess an uncanny ability or natural talent, the reality is that high-performers endured more repetitions than their counterparts.

Truth be told, I had this disillusioned belief that I had a golden ticket into this profession. Maybe I was next star? The next 20-under-20, destined to rise through the ranks immediately and assume a head coaching position. I believed that between my footing at my university and the opportunity I had in the strength and conditioning department at Michigan State, I had a fast-track through strength and conditioning. I was ridiculously wrong. There is no fast in this profession similar to no shorter distance to run during a marathon.

This profession is what it is and you simply have to be comfortable with enduring the journey, putting in the hours and work, and enduring the long haul. If you embrace and enjoy the process, however you define the end destination, will ultimately come to surprise you. Do not rush the process.

4. Don't Shortchange Yourself

On your very worst days, when you can not believe you can continue on, you are stronger and more resilient than you could ever imagine. We all have moments where we think "is this the path for me" or "can I make this work out". This industry can be cut-throat and will absolutely challenge your perseverance.

If you have found yourself thinking those thoughts, recognize that your experiencing a valley in your long journey. You may not see the light, being as low as you are in your professional valley, but as you climb out of that valley and experience the next career peak, you will gain some appreciation for the highs and lows and will be grateful for continuing to climb that long and dark hill.

5. Recognize when Your Passion is Waning

This profession demands so much out from those working it, that it often comes with the expense of physical and emotional ramifications. The "glory days" of being on the floor for 15 hour days for consecutive weeks and months can take a very serious toll on you. When you recognize those waning moments during your career it is often a sign that your becoming burned out. You need to address this as soon as possible to avoid the negative consequences of burning out.

Early identification of that feeling is important, and subsequently, acting upon it even more so. Most often, you need to find a way to balance your workload or find some secondary interests to reignite that initial passion. In my experience, I find when I recognize a dip in passion, it occurs when I am either not being challenged enough or overworked. Knowing my own professional work-up, it is even more important for me to find my optimal "sweet spot" where I am equally challenged and refreshed. You may need to calibrate the conditions for what works with you.

In the most extreme cases, you may need to find an alternative task to challenge you. One of the worse things you can do in your professional development is become dispassionate about what you are doing. If your identifying those early signs, it is not always a case of being "in the wrong field". Trust me, you will find out the longer your in this field, the more you will fall in love with it. Every profession has tasks within it that is susceptible to creating conditions of burn-out.

You need to dig deeper and uncover what is leading to those conditions.

6. Play the Long Game

Truth be told, I wanted the fast lane. I like the hustle and the tempo. I have always embraced "do more, do it faster, and go longer than everyone else" as a professional motto.

I would be wildly hypocritical to say that professional ethos has not delivered me to potentially where I am today. Reflecting back on those days, I made a lot of foolish mistakes in my pursuit of "what is next".

If you plan to be around in the end of this career I would advise you to play the long game. Find a professional pace that you can envision carrying out through your career. Early on, I found myself incredibly impatient in my younger professional years. I chased every opportunity for personal growth and I often did not provide myself any opportunity to breathe and reflect. Rushing from task-to-task acts as a short-term high with long-term consequences. The breakneck pace is highly addictive as it feels stimulating finishing things and immediately moving to the next bullet item. Chill out!

If you allow yourself the room to breathe and ample amount of time to reflect on your craft and your own life, the dream you are pursuing will ultimately pursue you. Enjoy the journey and do not get distracted by trying to constantly jump through the next hoop. Be where your feet are and stay grounded.

7. "Who" is Always Better than "Where"

Where you work is nowhere near as important as who you work with. I have heard many coaches describe what sounds like "destination dream positions" be rendered into insufferable working conditions because of who they are surrounded by. The people you work with matter way more than the place you work in.

The reality of it all, is our working lives are too limited to tolerate working in toxic situations with energy-vampires. If you find yourself in a positions like this, I would highly encourage an exit-strategy if you are in such an atmosphere.

As you will find out, you will spend a large portion of your days in your working environment. Try to find an organizational fit where you enjoy being around the people you work with. I have been fortunate finding such an environment at University of Colorado Boulder. The people I am surrounded by excite me, energize me, motivate me to be better, and are a joy to work, laugh, and collaborate with.

8. Big Time Is Where You're At

Work with the end in the mind but enjoy the process along the way. It is wise to have goals and a strategic plan to accomplish those professional milestones but do not lose sight of your day-to-day objectives. Too often "the next" position is the nemesis of your "current position". I often wonder if I am hitting my professional stride and worrying less in life but I found myself stressing and worrying less and less about the next position. That mental worry is unnecessary. Enjoy the ride.

"I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride. Oh, I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride. Taking my time on my ride" - Twenty One Pilots

Focus on where your feet are and commit yourself to doing great work day-in and day-out. If your patient and committed to doing your best work, whatever you consider "Big Time" will find you. Keep your head down and do the work.

9. Failure is a Part of Your Journey

Put yourself in positions that stretch your boundaries where failure is likely. If you are patient and humble enough to observe the signs and listen to the feedback, you will recognize that failure is a critical process to self-actualization and growth. Take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes. I have made many mistakes along my coaching journey but I am steadfast to make sure that I do not make the same mistake twice.

Failure will follow you outside the confines of your working environment. It may follow you to your personal life affecting relationships, family, financial means, and more. Recognize that the feeling of failure is ultimately impermanent. The failure and sorrow you may feel today is impermanent and will pass. The happiness and good times you are experiencing today is impermanent and will pass. There is ultimately suffering in this world and it is these moments that allow for us to grateful for the good times.

10. Children Changes Things

So much of collegiate coaching is centered around "timing". If your in this field then you likely already know how crucial timing is to your professional growth. For those of you beginning to pursue this career full-time, it's worth noting, a large degree of your success will come down to nailing the timing aspect. The right call, the right email, the right opportunity, all can present itself because of a wild series of events.

A lot of your initial success in this field, or at the very least, your entry into the profession, will be a result of "being in the right place at the right time."

"Timing has always been a key element in my life. I have been blessed to have been in the right place at the right time." - Buzz Aldrin

Recognizing that timing is a crucial component to your initial career success, so is the time you have available to be a part of your young children's lives. The early years you have with your young children is wildly fleeting and is even more so important than any set or rep scheme or the next research paper.

Prioritize your children.

At this very moment, one of my son's favorite activities is looking through old videos of himself on my phone. While his eyes flicker with each new video that loads up, many of them while he was a small baby, I realize the children I am watching in these old videos barely resemble the kids I now parent. They will never exist as those young kids again.

Childhood passes in a blink of an eye. Gone in a second. It is my opinion that those years are worth everything and being actively involved in their young life during these pivotal years, even if it costs me professional career growth, is a tradeoff I am willing to make.

As I write this, I am reminded of a conversation I had with my Father upon the birth of my first child. The conversation still to this day is was one of the most resonating things he shared with me in regards to Fatherhood. The discussion centered around the lyrics in Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" song.

"Well, my son turned ten just the other day. He said , "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on, let's play. Could you teach me to throw ?" I said, "Not today. I got a lot to do." He said, "That's okay."And he walked away and he smiled and he said,"You know, I'm gonna be like him, yeah. You know I'm gonna be like him."

Upon the birth of my first born, my daughter, he encouraged me to be present in her young life because they grow up too quickly. He told me to listen to this song and expanded on it briefly by saying he wished he would have been around more during my younger years.

"I've long since retired, my son's moved away. I called him up just the other day."I'd like to see you, if you don't mind." He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time. You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu, But it's sure nice talkin' to you, Dad. It's been sure nice talkin' to you." And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, He'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me."

I never thought he was not present during my younger years but perhaps I do not remember. I to this day, have always felt felt like he was available and around when I needed his presence. Perhaps he carried that guilt, like most working fathers, deep inside but it was painful to hear. After thinking about what he shared, it made me pause and consider the short time I have with my young children. As a busy coach, juggling so many different things, I often worry about creating the same conditions in my own children; especially when I am with my teams more than my own children.

I am convinced, if you have the skills and determination to make it in this field, you will ultimately carve your path towards however you define "personal success".

For me, I define my success as one which includes my loving family.

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Episode Transcript

This transcript was automatically generated. While we strive for accuracy, some words or phrases may be misheard.

[00:00:00] Sport science, strength and conditioning, high performance coaching, welcome to the Coating Excellence Show. Hey everybody, it is Adam and today instead of my typical pre-roll advertisement for some sport technology company, I want to just say that I have a newsletter that goes out monthly, head over to AdamRingo.com, forward slash newsletter, pop in your email and what you're going to find when you receive this email is it's chocked full of interesting articles,

[00:00:54] Whether it's sports science-related material, performance technologies, things I'm just reading at the current moment, literally it is sort of like the birch box of newsletters. It's going to be random every single time you get it, but there's going to be really good information included in that newsletter. You will not regret popping in your email, won't spam you, won't send you 800 different emails every month, won't sign you up for any weird Russian newsletters or anything like

[00:01:23] That. Check it out, head over to AdamRingo.com, forward slash newsletter, I look forward to sending it your way. Hey everybody, today on the Decoding Excellence Show, I'm going to cover something a little bit different. I've done this previously in one episode in the 25 shows that I've recorded, I only think

[00:01:44] I've done this once, but today for those that might not want to sit down at a computer or on your phone and actually read an article, I'm going to go through the article that I have most recently published on my website, AdamRingo.com. It is the advice I wish I knew at the beginning, and I wrote this maybe a week ago, and it's resonated, it's been circulated pretty well on social medias. And today I thought I would, for those that might be inclined to always be on the go

[00:02:16] And be rapidly rushing from one place to another, I would read this in sort of like an audio book format for you guys. That way you're not bogged down, you don't have to sit down, you don't have to read it, you can listen to it on your commute while you're running or doing anything throughout your day. But I'm going to cover this article from top to bottom.

[00:02:35] It is the things I wish I knew when I first began coaching, and I really look forward to bringing this to you. I had a really fun time trip through memory lane, if you will, thinking about some of the lessons and the things that I've learned along the way, and I was essentially writing this piece for my younger self. This is an article that I wish I would have read and wish I would have known about when

[00:03:00] I first started getting into collegiate strength conditioning. And I hope, and my most sincere hope, is that it brings you the listener of the Decoding Excellence Show, a little bit of value and a little bit of wisdom from what I've learned over the last decade of coaching. So without further ado, here is the advice I wish I knew, wrote by myself. Number one, ethics have always mattered.

[00:03:36] I've always been fortunate to be in positions where my ethics are rarely challenged. In athletics, this feat alone is the equivalent to finding a unicorn at the end of a rainbow. And it's a rarity in this profession to work for organizations that resist asking you to compromise your ethics and your values for the organization's bottom line. I've made it a habit to count my blessings in these regards, but I know that many people in this field who are not in the position I am.

[00:04:04] I know far too many good people, great coaches who are challenged to forego their values for the sake of the organization. They cast aside what they know is right for the desire to win. What I can tell you is that if you feel uneasy about a questionable decision, that alone is a sign that it is not aligned with the correct ethics or values. If you have a strong conscious, it's incredibly difficult to fool yourself.

[00:04:34] Trust your gut and always do what is right. In the long run, you will be judged more heavily by your ethics and personal values than any win-loss column. And I'm going to break away a little bit from the script here. And some of my most favorite audiobooks, Gary Vaynerchuk and Tim Ferriss and a few others regularly do this.

[00:04:55] But I wrote this because in the current landscape of the NCAA right now, you hear about this with investigations and things like that. And I promised myself, I never want to be at the bottom end of that. Early on, I've always done things correct. And still to this day, always do things right. But you don't have to look too far from the headlines of ESPN.com or other news articles

[00:05:24] To see that that's not always the case in the NCAA. So I sort of, I don't know, I mean, it's tough to think about. But I pity is not the word that I want to use. But it is incredibly saddened to me that people will go the route of winning at all costs rather than doing what is right. So I've really admired the coaches that I've worked for and the organizations that I've

[00:05:53] Worked for that have always done what is right and put values and ethics ahead of wins and losses. Number two, secondary income isn't selling out. Early in my career, I passed up on many opportunities to generate a secondary income out of fear of string too far away from collegiate strength and conditioning. I was spectacularly foolish.

[00:06:21] I always thought that side projects were a distraction away from my primary responsibility of a coach. If I was not on the floor coaching all day, was I a fraud? Was I not a strength conditioning coach? Many of the coaches I knew appeared to haven't made. I envied them.

[00:06:36] They were working at great schools. They oversaw some really impressive teams. Many of them make the tournament every single year and had a very attractive title. Because I grew closer to these coaches and formed personal relationships with them. What I found was this. I discovered that the very thing that tied us all together beneath the superficial surface

[00:07:00] Of logos and titles, we all struggled to financially make things work. Truth be told, secondary income streams empower you to do better and more authentic work. Social security allows you to work for the passion versus the financial compensation. My advice to those starting off in this field is to find ways to stretch your influence and your craft. If you're a proficient writer, find publications, blogs and articles where you can share your

[00:07:30] Ideas. If you enjoy speaking, find podcasts or conferences where you can present your thoughts. Share your ideas and show your work and the information you have in a way where you can generate a means of supporting yourself and even more so, your family. In the beginning, you may not have a strategy or a way to monetize the additional work you perform.

[00:07:55] However, if the material delivers value to people, there will be an audience waiting to financially support it. Number three, do the work. The best marketing will never make up for a terrible product. At the end of the day, you need to put in the work and you need to perform the repetitions. The very best at what they do commit more effort to their craft than what others realize.

[00:08:25] It is easy for outsiders to believe the lie that others possess some uncanny ability or natural talent. The reality is that high performers endured more repetitions than their counterparts. Truth be told, I had this disillusioned belief when I first started off that I had a golden ticket into this profession. Maybe I was the next rising star, the next 20 under 20 destined to rise through the ranks

[00:08:52] Immediately and assume some head coaching positions somewhere. I don't know why, but I believe that between my footing at my university and the opportunity I had in Strength Conditioning Department, while at Michigan State, I had a fast track through Strength Conditioning. Again, I was ridiculously wrong. There is no fast track to this profession.

[00:09:16] Just as similar, there is no shorter distance to run during a marathon. This profession is what it is, and you simply just have to be comfortable with enduring the journey, putting in the hours on work and enduring the long haul. If you embrace and enjoy the process, however you define the indestination, will ultimately come to surprise you. Do not rush the process.

[00:09:44] Number four, don't shortchange yourself. On your very worst days, when you cannot believe that you can continue on, you are stronger and more resilient than you can ever imagine. We all have moments where we think, is this the path for me, or can I make this workout? This industry can be cutthroat, and will absolutely challenge your perseverance. If you have found yourself thinking those thoughts, recognize that you are experiencing

[00:10:16] A valley in your long journey. You may not see the light, being as low as you are in your professional valley, but as you climb out of that valley and you experience the next career peak, you will gain some appreciation for the highs and the lows, and you will be grateful for continuing the climb that long and dark hill. Real talk, again, going off the script here a little bit.

[00:10:42] Number four is really important, especially if you are going to continue on to this career and stay in it, and hopefully retire coaching, right? This is the number one thing I hear strength conditioning coaches continue to talk about as certification bodies and organizations and conferences and clinics, is that very rarely do strength coaches ever retire as a strength coach, but understand that the biggest battle that we have, while we talk all the time about various components of what

[00:11:13] It takes to stay in this field, is that can we endure it through our own self? When you last during the darker, more depressing areas of your career, and that's a really important thing, and I think that sometimes we as coaches, especially in strength conditioning, whether it's the artificial machoism or whatever, we don't talk about that, right? We don't talk about the depressing times, but this is something the more I chat with other strength conditioning coaches or coaches in general, right?

[00:11:44] It's challenging. It's hard to have to be able to move your family across the country for one job after another because of, you know, things that might not necessarily even be related to you. So recognize that even in the most depressing times and the darkest times, when you are searching for new physicians for your family, you're moving your family, maybe you're away from your family, that what you're experiencing at that moment is no different than what any other

[00:12:14] Strength conditioning coach has probably experienced or traversed down that pathway. And to harness it and to understand it and to embrace it, I'm not saying it's what you need to normalize. I'm just saying that it is something that many, many, many strength coaches have gone through. And certainly the successful coaches out there and those that have endured this profession for a long duration of their career, that the value that you might be in no matter how

[00:12:45] Dark it is, there's brighter days down the road and in the future. Number five, recognize when your passion is waning. This profession demands so much from those who are working it that it often comes with the expense of physical and emotional ramifications. The quote, glory days, quote, of being on the floor for 15 hour days for consecutive weeks and months can take a very serious toll on you.

[00:13:19] And when you recognize those waning moments during your career, it is often a sign that you're becoming burned out. You need to address this as soon as possible to avoid the negative consequences of burning out. The identification of that feeling is important and subsequently acting upon it even more so.

[00:13:42] Most often you need to find a way to balance your workload or find some secondary interest to reignite that initial passion. In my experience, I find that when I recognize a dip in passion, it occurs when I'm either not being challenged enough or overworked. Knowing my professional workup, it's even more important for me to find my optimal sweet spot when I'm equally challenged and refreshed.

[00:14:10] You may need to calibrate the conditions for what works for you. In the most extreme cases, you may need to find an alternative task to challenge you. One of the worst things that you can do in your professional career and development is become dispassionate about what you are doing. If you identify those early signs, it's not always a case of being in the wrong field. Trust me, you will find out the longer you're in this profession, the more you'll fall in

[00:14:39] Love with it. Every profession has tasks within it that are susceptible to creating conditions of burnout. You need to dig deeper and undercover what is leading to those conditions. Number six, play the long game. Truth be told, I wanted the fast lane. I always liked the hustle and the tempo.

[00:15:06] I've always embraced, do more, do it faster and go longer than everyone else as a professional motto. I would be wildly hypocritical to say that my own professional ethos has not delivered me to, potentially, where I am today. Reflecting back on those days, I made a lot of foolish mistakes in my pursuit of what is next.

[00:15:32] If you plan to be around in the end of this career, I would advise you to play the long game. Find a professional pace that you can envision carrying out through your career. Early on, I found myself incredibly impatient in my younger professional years. I chased every opportunity for personal growth, and I often did not provide myself any opportunity to breathe and reflect. Rushing from task to task acts as a short term high with long term consequences.

[00:16:05] The breakneck pace is highly addictive, as it feels very stimulating, finishing things and immediately moving on to the next bullet item. My recommendation for you, chill out. If you allow yourself the room to breathe an ample amount of time to reflect on your craft, on your own life, the dream you are pursuing will ultimately pursue you. Enjoy the journey and do not get distracted by trying to constantly jump through the next

[00:16:36] Hoop. Be where your feet are and stay grounded. Number 7. Who is always better than where? Where you work is nowhere near as important as who you work with. I've heard many coaches describe what ultimately sounds like a destination dream position.

[00:16:59] Be rendered into insufferable working conditions because of those who they work with and who are they surrounded by. The people you work with matter way more than the place that you work in. The reality of it all is our working lives are far too limited to tolerate working in toxic situations with energy vampires. If you find yourself in a position like this, I would highly encourage an exit strategy

[00:17:30] If you are in such an atmosphere. As you will find out, you will spend a large portion of your days in your working environment. Try to find an organizational fit where you enjoy being around the people you work with. I have been fortunate finding such an environment at University of Colorado Boulder. The people I'm surrounded by, excite me, they energize me, they motivate me to be better and are the joy to work and laugh and collaborate with.

[00:18:03] You deserve a place like this. If you're not there, find one. Number 8. Big time is where you're at. Work with the end in mind, but enjoy the process along the way. It is wise to have goals and a strategic plan to accomplish those professional milestones.

[00:18:28] But do not lose sight of your day-to-day objectives. Do often, the next position is the nemesis of your current one. I often wonder maybe I'm hitting my professional stride in worrying less in life about the next thing. But really now, I find myself worrying and stressing less and less about the next position. That mental worry is unnecessary.

[00:18:56] Enjoy the ride. Focus on where your feet are and commit yourself to doing great work day in and day out. If you're patient and you're committed to doing your best work, whatever you consider big time will find you. Keep your head down and do the work. Number 9.

[00:19:19] Failure is part of your journey. Put yourself in positions that stretch your boundaries, where failure is likely. If you are patient and humble enough to observe the signs and listen to the feedback, you will recognize that failure is a critical process to self-accurization and growth. Take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes. I have made many mistakes along my coaching journey, but I'm always steadfast to make

[00:19:53] Sure that I do not make the same mistake twice. Failure will follow you outside the confines of your working environment, so know this. It may follow you to your personal life and ultimately affect relationships, family, financial means, and more. Notice that the feeling of failure is ultimately impermanent. The failure and sorrow you may feel today is impermanent and it will pass.

[00:20:26] The happiness and the good times you may be experiencing today is also impermanent and will pass. Similar in Buddhism, there is ultimately suffering in this world, and it is these moments that allow us to be grateful for the good times, but not be attached to them. Number 10. Children changes things.

[00:20:55] So much of collegiate coaching who's centered around timing. If you're in this field, then you likely already know how crucial timing is to your professional growth. For those of you just beginning to pursue this as a career full time, it's worth noting a large degree of your success will come down to nailing the timing aspect. The right call, the right email, the right opportunity all can present itself because

[00:21:24] Of a wild series of events. A lot of your initial success in this field, or at least the very beginning, your entry into this profession will be a result of simply being in the right place at the right time. Buzz Aldrin once said, timing has always been a key element in my life. I've been blessed to be in the right place at the right time.

[00:21:52] Recognizing that timing is a crucial component to your initial career success, so is the time you have available to be a part of your young children's lives. The early years you have with your young children is wildly fleeting, and is even more so important than any set or rep scheme or the next research paper you need to read. Prioritize your children. At this very moment, one of my son's favorite activities is looking through old videos

[00:22:25] Of himself on my phone. While his eyes flicker with each new video that loads up, many of them, while he was still a small baby, I recognize the children I'm watching in these old videos, barely resemble the kids I now parent. They will never exist as those young kids again, no matter how much I want it. Childhood passes in a blink of an eye, gone in a second.

[00:22:54] It is my opinion that those years, those early ones, are worth everything, and being actively involved in their young life during these pivotal years, even if it costs me some professional career growth, is a trade-off I'm willing to make. As I write this, I'm reminded of a conversation I had with my father upon the birth of my first child. My conversation still to this day is one of the most resonating things he shared with

[00:23:26] Me in regards to fatherhood. The discussion centered around the lyrics in Harry Chapin's Cats and the Creedle song. My son turned ten just the other day, he said thanks for the ball that your mom let's play. Can you teach me the throw? I said a lot today, I got a lot to do, he said that's okay and then he walked away,

[00:23:57] But his smile never did, it said, I'm gonna be like him, yeah, you know I'm gonna be like him. I'm the birth of my first born, my daughter, he encouraged me to be present in her young life because they grow up too quickly, and he told me to listen to this song and he expanded on it briefly by saying that he wished he could have been around more during my younger years.

[00:24:26] The song goes on to say, I never thought that he was not present during my younger years, but perhaps I don't remember clearly. I too this day have always felt like he was available and around when I needed his presence, and perhaps he carried that guilt like most working fathers do, deep inside, but it was painful for me to hear.

[00:25:23] After thinking about what he shared, it made me pause and consider the very short time I have with my young children. As a busy coach and juggling so many different things, I often worry about creating the same conditions my own children, especially when I am with my teams, and those athletes more than I am with my own children. I'm convinced if you have the skills and the determination to make it in this field, you

[00:25:52] Will ultimately carve your own path towards whatever you define, personal success. And for me, I define my personal success as one that includes my loving family. Hey everybody, that's going to be it for this episode of the Decoding Excellence Show. I hope you took something away from the lessons that I wish I would have known, the advice I wish I would have heard and known when I first started my own coaching career. And my hope is that some of these pieces of advice and the lessons I've learned over

[00:26:35] The course of my decade of doing this aids you and makes you pause and consider some of the things that you're going through in your career, whether it's the ethics or the time spent or the secondary income, or just prioritizing your family and maybe not worrying so much about things, hopefully there's something in this episode that you can take away immediately and apply to your day-to-day life. But if there was something that you took away from this episode, I would ask you to do

[00:27:07] Two things. Number one, please share this show on your favorite social media of choice, whether it's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, wherever it might be, share this show and allow us to get this information out to other people and other coaches in our industry that might benefit from hearing some of these things, especially the young strength conditioning coaches out there.

[00:27:31] And second, please log into iTunes and leave us a five-star review. You would not believe how much that matters as we move through the iTunes podcast ranks. And what that does and allows for us to do is it allows for us to get a little bit more exposure of this show. And because of that, we then can affect more lives and we can affect more people and we can give this information and some of the interviews that we've already done with great

[00:28:02] High-performance practitioners, we can get that information to new coaches that are not aware of the Decoding Excellence Show. So please share this show on whatever social media platform of your choice and log into iTunes, leave us a five-star review and leave us a little bit of knowing things that we can do better. And we'll take that and we'll run with it and we'll try to make this show even better.

[00:28:26] So appreciate for all of your support you have given over the last year and some change and we really look forward to bringing some new interviews with other high-performance coaches across the country and international as well to our decoding excellence listeners. So until next time, thank you.