koffee

Bubba Wallace and Dak Prescott Show That One Thing Career ‘Joes’ and Sports Pros Have in Common After a “Make or Break” Moment

Posted by

0

Hot off the press! The sports wire reports that Zaire Wade, son of NBA great Dwyane Wade, plans to skip college and go pro. Word is he’ll set up shop with the G-league team of the Utah Jazz. That’s a major decision and gutsy move by the youngster. Gonna miss-out on having some college play under his belt.

He grew up in a household where winning is par for the course. He’s had a front row seat in watching his father win NBA Championships. So yea, he’s got a leg up on his peers. That’s not always the case for career Joes or sports pros in basketball or other leagues. Not always much of a legacy to follow.

It might be one reason why Bubba Wallace is getting so much attention. He’s the first Black driver to win the Nascar Cup in motor racing since 1957. The last time that happened, the black driver wasn’t even recognized in front of the fans. His trophy ceremony was done reluctantly after the stadium emptied out.

To get a sense for what this feat means outside of racing, think about Dak Prescott coming back from major injury last season. It was a lonely road to recovery, but he put in the rehab time to be back on his grind. There’s a lot that goes into winning in sports or life beyond just the physical demands.   

That one thing career Joes and sports pros have in common is mental toughness. Wallace dealt with blowback from calling out the confederate flag at Nascar events. Prescott had to believe he’d make it back from a potentially career-ending injury. You see this in how they handled two sides of a coin around:

  • Pressure (Side A)

When you know something hasn’t been done before or happened a long time ago, that’s a kinda pressure where lot’s riding on your shoulders. When you find a noose in your team garage after you put a spotlight on social justice issues, that’s a kinda pressure to take you off your game. But still, that didn’t stop him.   

  • Pain (Side B)

The image of seeing Prescott’s injury on the gridiron was hard to un-see. There was his foot pointing one way and his leg another. The physical pain must have been off the charts. But pain isn’t only tied to what you feel in the flesh, but also what you might feel in having to defy the odds to be back on your feet.

  • Pathfinder (Side A)

In the work world it can be tricky to make a name for yourself. There’s the idea of being a team player but at the same time being a go-getter. Balancing the two means being a pathfinder in carving out a lane for yourself or niche for your skillset, without diminishing what others are doing for themselves.       

  • Pioneer (Side B)

When it’s all said and done, many will look back and see Wallace as a pioneer. These are individuals who make such an impact in their field or the marketplace, that there’s a rush of candidates that follow in their footsteps. Many in the motorsport game see that as a potential silver lining in what Wallace achieved.   

The NBA pre-season is almost done. Wade Sr is now part owner of a team. Kyrie Irving seems bent on giving up his dream. And young Wade is setting his sights and going full steam. All that to say, he might have crossover dribble in his genes, but it’s mental toughness that makes you a winner in the game.

Tip: With mental toughness in career and the game, you can get past those make-or-break moments to secure the bag.  

Talkback: Is Zaire Wade taking a risk to skip college and go pro?

Tracks: Koffee – Pressure Remix Ft Buju Banton – https://youtu.be/JLcdjysXPgs

Chloe X Halle – Do It – https://youtu.be/a9HIaGcBocc

Jay-Z and Serena Williams Achieved Some New ‘Firsts’ That Have Taken Them from the ‘Hood to Showing They Could

Posted by

0

doc-live-headshot

There’s a battle brewing in the music biz that has Billboard Chart watchers counting streams and bundles. Those are the new benchmarks that artists and their management companies lock-in on to push music sales. It seems the standard is still under review so who’s album is #1 is not simply just a click away.

Back in the day Jay-Z didn’t have that problem. He started out selling albums the old-fashioned way. Some might say he started out from the bottom and now he’s on top of Forbes’ Hip-Hop list of highest earners. With a billion dollar empire, he’s the first rapper to reach that money mark.

Serena isn’t doing too shabby either. She recently became the first athlete to make the Forbes list of richest self-made women under 40. Her fortune isn’t tied to just earnings on the court. She’s got her hands in other Venture Capital investments as well as gigs in fashion and sports that crank-out the ‘Benjamins.’

jay-z2

After his days dealing on the streets, Jay-Z jumped into the rap game. His early work featured a song where he said, “I’m not a businessman,’ I’m a business, man!” That’s something he’s proven over the years with his stake in liquor, sport management and the Tidal streaming service.

So now with the Forbes list selections and social media mentions, they’ve reached a new level of star power (as if Jay wasn’t already ‘Hov’ in the eyes of many). This summer Serena will be gunning for her next ‘first’ on the tennis court. It’s the journey “from the ‘hood to showing they could” which reminds us of:

  1. Hidden Potential

An HGTV show with the same name looks at a house to see how a makeover can pull-out its hidden potential. Maybe that’s what Jay-Z saw in himself when he went from the streets to dropping beats. He did a career makeover based on some sense that he had hidden potential waiting to be unleashed.

  1. Game Skills

serenawilliams9

Serena started out playing tennis with her sister Venus. This wasn’t the normal sport for kids in the ‘hood. But with her father’s help, she practiced and practiced until she developed some impressive game skills. Now she’s got her eyes set on becoming the winningest Grand Slam player in tennis history.

  1. Dream Path

How do kids in the ‘hood hope to make it to the “big leagues?” Well sports and music have been paths many try to travel. But for those who’re gifted differently, the dream path is another option. That’s where you know there’s something inside of you, itching to come outside of you and be experienced by the world.

  1. Purpose Lane

Serena and Jay are not only on their dream path, they’ve found their purpose lanes. For Jay it’s his criminal justice reform efforts. For Serena, it’s her advocacy for women’s rights and other civic issues. Their purpose lanes have put them in the spotlight beyond what they do in the studio or on the court.

At this stage of their careers, they have no reason to be clout-chasing. They’ve shown themselves as proven winners and ‘Super Citizens.’ If we could get inside their heads and hearts we’d probably see how they used game skills to put hidden potential on a dream path and purpose lane with blessings returned.

Tip: Inside the heads and hearts of winners is a formula for success and evidence beyond a reasonable doubt for counting their blessings.

Talkback: Was Jay-Z really the first Hip-Hop billionaire or does that title belong to Dr. Dre?

Tracks: Brand New Heavies  – Dream on Dreamer – https://youtu.be/FB8nIGKbpJY

Koffee – Toast – https://youtu.be/p8HoEvDh70Y