tom brady

Signing-off From the Office: What the “Great Resignation” Did to Create a New Vision for Work, Career and Lifestyle

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In sports news, Tom Brady is on his way back! Retirement didn’t last long. Rumors kept swirling he’d maybe head to the 49ers since they’ve been his childhood dream team. But not this time, he’s staying put in a different ‘Bay’ area. Some weren’t surprised while others were annoyed that he just won’t step aside.

The numbers are major in his pro career. He’s been on more Superbowl winning teams than any other player in history. He has so many championship rings he could almost wear them on each finger. It seems Brady isn’t quite ready to sign-off, hang-up his cleats or “take the bridge” to an off-the-field role.

Tom Brady Rings

There’re some other stunning numbers though around news of the Great Resignation. That’s the large wave of folks who’ve been stepping out, moving up and shifting gears in their careers. The pandemic caused many to reassess what’s important in work, career and lifestyle.

What’s driving the job change numbers into the millions? Well, it’s a dream come true to be doing what they love. It’s a way of getting lost in the work and having fun. Plus, it’s about enjoying more time at the parks and 9-to-5 benefits in the perks which bring big energy, money and happiness.

Some opted to start a biz, grow a side-hustle or pause to redirect their passion. Some might have made the move from job to career, while others took the career to vocation route where “purpose in living” is priceless. A big takeaway from all this is in a new vision for work based on great résumés that:   

  • Crossover:- Some skills are tied to a job and some have crossover appeal. Life’s transferrable skills can move from job to job as easily as traveling over a bridge from end to end.
  • Connect:- Does your favorite song keep playing in your head? Is it the verse, chorus or vibe that connects with your core? Social & professional networks forge connections around a skillset core.
  • Callout Dreams:- Early education gives baseline knowledge. Then we go deeper within a subject area. The pandemic pushed folks deeper to callout goals, dreams and bucket-lists.  
  • Collaborate:- Adding two numbers gives us a sum. Multiplying two numbers gives us a product. A collab across two numbers creates greater visibility and a sum of products in the marketplace.    
Baseball Breaking News

Of-course there was more sports news with word the baseball season isn’t lost. Sports fans were full of joy knowing that the seventh-inning stretch will be in full effect. The athletes’ careers have a season’s window of games. Over time they get to showcase clutch performances, or even change teams.

Other careers have a season’s window too, maybe with promotion or crossroads decision. Those not ready to retire, whether “comeback jocks” like Brady or “bounce-back execs” like Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, are proof of times pushing us towards ‘joy & mojo’ at work or ‘gin & juice’ at Happy Hour.

Talkback: Alexa, did Tom Brady retire? Siri, is Howard Schultz back at Starbucks? Hey Google (or Cortana), is Colin Kaepernick still in shape?

Tip: On the road of career travels, pit-stops come and go but a dream is like fuel for the ride.

A WordPress Community & Lifestyle Feature in #WordPrompt

Drew Brees Retired, Justin Fields ‘Bout to Get Hired; How Career Moves Can Involve a Leap of Faith

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It’s been a different kind of NFL off-season as Covid-19 is still on many minds. Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Superbowl ever, eyes have been on Brady and whether he’s up for another season. It’s something Drew Brees had hoped to pull-off as he leaves the game after 20 seasons.

With Brees retired, the rumor mill had folks thinking Russell Wilson was about to get hired. Well, the jury is still out as NFL Draft buzz picks up. Lot’s of QBs on the list of choices, including Ohio’s Justin Fields. Some sports junkies think he’ll be in the top 5 while others see him further down in the top 10.

No matter where Fields ends up, he’s sure to get hired. Teams often have eyes on the QB spot because it’s so central to a well-run offense. Fields isn’t losing any sleep for now, while Brees hopes to get more zees and maybe time at home with the fam. As he likes to say, “it’s not the end but a new beginning.”

That’s because he’s already been locked-in by NBC as a commentator in the primetime booth. For him, It’s a shift from playing on the gridiron to being an analyst around plays, passes and points. He was on a winning Superbowl team during his time with the Saints, so he’s got the goods and receipts as well.

Fields and Brees find themselves at the start and end of their pro football playing days. But both have to approach things like taking a leap of faith. This means moving forward as if it’s a done deal while looking around knowing your chances for success are for real. How they move through this phase comes with:

  • Revelation

It’s not clear what was the ‘writing on the wall’ that made Brees throw-in the towel. Was it the 20 years, or the offer from NBC or the mid-season injury? Sometimes there’re are clues going into a decision and cues in the process that give you a picture of what’s possible or a feeling of peace whether win or lose.  

  • Promotion

At first when Brees got traded from the Chargers to the Saints, he probably wasn’t sure how things would play out. He became starting QB for the Saints and as the saying goes, the rest is history. This wasn’t a decision he controlled but was a career move that led to promotion and Superbowl XLIV MVP.            

  • Coronation

Fields has seen his college career go from contender to coronation. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, even after having to transfer schools to land the starting spot at Ohio. Now he’s hoping that being drafted in the first round would be one more feather in his cap as another elite player headed to the pros.        

  • Validation

A leap of faith is sometimes preceded by validation. This is when you’re fairly certain about the next move to make. But other times the validation happens after when what you envisioned for yourself comes to past. Fields is working with some of this from his college days and hoping for more of it in his NFL days.

Soon, fans will know where Fields will go. Then in a few months we’ll hear Brees breaking down his game. Brees has to kinda reinvent himself from player to announcer while Fields has to up-level his game from college to the pros. For both, it’s just a matter of stepping-into the moment.                

Tip: A leap of faith requires stepping-into the moment that presents itself and living in the moment that elevates yourself.  

Talkback: Is Fields a top 5 or top 10 pick or does it even matter?

Tracks: Lupe Fiasco Ft Matthew Santos – Superstar – https://youtu.be/hVkBlsgthLg

Common – Don’t Forget Who You Are – https://youtu.be/mp2681a91NM

Russell Wilson is on Brand, Amanda Gorman is on Point and Their Passion is on Game!

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Well, lots of ground to cover, buzz to breakdown and chatter to scatter after the Superbowl. Alright, not everybody was happy about how things went lopsided in a hurry. Some think the refs were off their game, but that The Weeknd as halftime performer made up for all the things that were missing due to Covid.

Some frontline workers and health professionals were honored to see the game in person. But after the post-game interviews fans at home were glued to see Queen Latifa as ‘The Equalizer’. She was kicking butt, taking names and getting high praise for her new breakout show.  

Leading up to the big game was word that Russell Wilson won the Walter Payton Man-of-the-Year Award. That’s something many in the game aspire to get because of who Payton was to sports fans. When you think of Payton (aka “sweetness”) there’s a similar suave and swag that Wilson brings to the party.

We saw Amanda Gorman give another world stage performance. She’s the youngest poet laureate to speak at a Presidential Inauguration. It’s as if she’s poised to be like a Maya Angelou of our time, having recently made the cover of Time Magazine. She combines words with delivery into an inspiring story.

Folks say the TV commercials had some of the old and more of the new, with lots of celeb cameos. What we might get from watching the Superbowl is like what we get from watching Wilson and Gorman. He’s on brand, she’s on point and their passion is on game. They show how folks can get there too by how they:

1. Work

Wilson shared a few tips on how he gets ready for each season. He’s big on putting in the time, not for the crime but for the climb. It’s the things he does in mind, body and spirit that carry over to the things he does in pass, run and score. If his body is his temple, then the field is his place for getting fan praise.

2. Sacrifice

Gorman stays on point by remembering the part that sacrifice plays in one’s journey. To us it might seem like she came out of nowhere. But to her it’s been a slow and steady march towards a brighter day. Sacrifice for her in a sense means giving up something without giving up on yourself.        

3. Step

Ever watched the foot work of a quarterback while in the pocket? It’s a kinda dance with a backstep here or a leap step there. Every QB probably has a certain rhythm and flow to how they step to their game. He’s in the socket and in the pocket before passing like a rocket. That’s how you step to your game.

4. Represent

How does she at such a young age have the calm and composure of a seasoned veteran? How does he go from amazing on the field to a servant in the community? It’s how they pull it together to represent their brand, their talents and their love for what they do. To represent is to know how to rep your presence.      

So history was made in all kinda ways at the game. There was the first female on a referee crew in a Superbowl. The first team to play in the game as a home team. But even when you’re not in it to be making history, there’s still the chance to work, sacrifice, step and represent in giving it your best.        

Tip: In order to represent your best, you have to rep your presence in a way that is like sunshine of your essence.

Talkback: Who’s ready for more Queen Latifah or Amanda Gorman?

Tracks: Shalamar  – Right In The Socket – https://youtu.be/sNGyMe3bu1E

Fat Joe ft Amorphous – Sunshine – https://youtu.be/kuO9OC2H9Qs

Time to Check-in With Patrick Mahomes and Kevin Hart About Putting the Dream to Work in the Huddle or Around Your Hustle

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The Superbowl matchup is set! For the first time in NFL history, the host venue will have the home team in the big game. That’s where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers comes in. Led by someone seen as the G.O.A.T., the Bucs and Tom Brady are going up against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes is the franchise face for the NFL as a young quarterback in the game. After signing a mega contract for lifetime-years, he’s also trying to do something that’s not easy to come by: win back-to-back Superbowl games. The Chiefs bring a high-scoring offense with lots of receiving weapons on the roster.

Another franchise face (but in the comedy game) is Kevin Hart, who’s been laying low since Covid. Yet, he’s always looking for ways to build market appeal and keep it real. So Hart has teamed-up with a brand that’s focused on helping folks manage the emotional highs, lows and bouts with depression.

Not that he’s dealing with these struggles, but he’s mindful of how close he came to losing it all after a car wreck. That, coupled with quarantine rules nowadays kept him home for periods much longer than he’s used to. Maybe this helped tamper down his ‘wild side’ and put a spotlight on the family by his side.

Hart says he’s the hardest working dude in showbiz (let him tell it). Some sport junkies might see Mahomes as the ‘rising star’ who’s not just about scoring in the game but also adding social impact to his name. They’ve got a track record for going from huddle to hustle to giving hope by how they:  

1. Align

For Hart being able to align means getting to a decision point for “turning today’s BS into tomorrow’s success.” Not just the everyday BS but for him also going from big setback to major comeback. It’s all about how you align passion with purpose, effort with expectation, goal with role and calling with destiny.

2. Bond

Over the past year Hart has found new ways to bond with his kids now that he’s kinda always home. The bonds we share allow us to care and as the saying goes, “people don’t care how much you know but how much you care.” Like with his kids, it’s in how we bond that can be a source for feeling empowered.       

3. Grind

When Mahomes suffered a concussion in a recent playoff game, things seemed bleak for him playing the next week. But after passing the medical protocol he was back at practice. The grind isn’t just about what you do every so often. It’s about how you ‘bring it’ especially when you just want to say, ‘forget it’.     

4. Flow

One reason the grind is important is that it gets you closer to being in flow. This is when things just fire on all cylinders. It’s when things feel effortless or seem weightless. After a few snaps, just watch Mahomes as he goes to work making side-arm passes in ways the defense didn’t see coming or couldn’t stop.      

So will history be made at the Superbowl? It might be with the commercials as some regular sponsors are spending their ad dollars in new ways. Companies have had to adjust from taking a hit to their bottom line. But Mahomes and Hart remind us that dreams come thru when we align, bond, grind & flow.        

Tip: Just ‘do it’ by putting the dream to work around the clock or block to block and make it ‘do what it do’.

Talkback: Kevin Hart wants to know, “What’s your game, what’s your grind?”

Tracks: Notorious B.I.G.  – Juicy – https://youtu.be/PMM8wcQUcxE

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

Kobe Bryant Brought ‘Mamba Flava,’ Kerry Washington brings Acting Chops with Their Talent on the Big Stage

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That never-ending question of who’s the greatest ever NBA player has surfaced again. This time it’s because of a TV commercial featuring Michael Jordan. In it he sets the stage for an NFL matchup between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Of course folks thought Jordan was hinting at something else.

Often the question of the greatest ever basketball player brings up the name of Lebron James. But there’re times another name gets thrown in, that of Kobe Bryant. He went on to be known as one who brought the ‘Mamba Mentality.’ He says it’s a matter of ‘building your process and working your craft.’

Bryant has moved on from the player-roster but his name is still relevant. So is Kerry Washington who’s moved on from ‘Scandal’ on network TV to a new production on Broadway. Bryant brought his mamba flava while Washington brings her own acting chops in how talent rises on the big stage.

Sometimes people debate who is the greatest. Other times they debate a trend that’s the latest. What these two celebs know and show is how talent is to your it-factor as ‘hustle love’ is to your hit-factor. Bryant explains this by sharing that he worked at the small things so he could perform the big plays.

kerry-washington2

When you peal back the player in Bryant and the layer in Washington you get to some core aspects of their success and greatness. Some of what they do can apply to the work court and career-you. Whether it’s to start-over on the daily grind or start-up a new journey in the real world they push their talent for:

  1. A goal

Washington who grew up in the Bronx has returned to New York to perform on stage. It’s something she’s familiar with as a child. She says she was a busy-body teenager when she caught the acting bug because her mom put her in extra-curricular activities. Her goal is to improve her ‘live performance’ roles.

  1. The game

Bryant says he worked at his skill and at his game. There’s the skill in how he shot the ball or how he made a pass. But there’s also the game in how he made talent become more than his it-factor. He would try to understand all aspects of the game (the detail) to deliver his hit-factor.

  1. Some guts

There’re times you see an athlete make a play that commentators say was a gutsy move. That simply means not everyone with talent might have been able to pull that off. Bryant and Washington from their career might say ‘gutsy’ happens when we commit to growing in the game personally and professionally.

  1. Pure glory

The ones who experience a measure of greatness are those who are remembered not just for their play but for their story. Washington has made her commitment to social justice a part of her story. Bryant is turning his champion experience into life-notes for trailblazers. Oftentimes the story is the road to glory.

Washington hopes to pass-on her childhood experiences while working in NY. She’s taking museum trips and other adventures with her kids. Bryant hopes to inspire the next class of great players. They know that regular folks and those with startup dreams reach the mountaintop by turning it-factor into hit-factor.

Tip: The road to glory might start-off with talent as your it-factor. But it moves from the valley to the mountaintop because of your hit-factor.

Talkback: Was that Michael Jordan commercial a tease or a throwback?

Tracks: Sia – The Greatest – https://youtu.be/GKSRyLdjsPA

Juice Wrld – Lucid Dreams – https://youtu.be/mzB1VGEGcSU

Tom Brady & Steve Harvey Turn Their Work Muscle and Side Hustle into a Formula for Rocking Their Game

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As the ‘lazy hazy crazy’ days of summer get ready to roll on, fans at home and abroad will be cheering their sports teams. Whether it’s at the College World Series on the baseball diamond or the World Cup on the soccer field, they’ll be watching for that big play while chewing on their favorite snack foods.

These days, Oprah’s summer reading is giving some press to Tom Brady’s new book. On a recent interview on OWN he talked about his ‘winning ways’ and approach to peak performance.  Meanwhile, the summer TV ratings are getting a big kick out of Celebrity Family Feud hosted by Steve Harvey.

Some people ‘feel the love’ for Brady and Harvey for how they’ve risen to the occasion time after time. In a sense, they’ve turned their work muscle and side hustle into a formula for rocking their game. Brady’s a 5-time Superbowl champion. Harvey’s hosting so many TV shows that bring laughs to young and old.

steveharveyTV

They enjoy the best work life ever in their field of dreams as masters of their game by acing the process. Plus they act like a player, think like a brand and keep taking their game to the next level. They work at getting the best out of themselves while inspiring peers, teammates and fans to reach higher and higher.

In a few weeks Brady will be spending a little less time on the golf course and more time in training camp. Harvey on the other hand just wrapped-up quality time spent with young boys at his mentoring camp. Both seem to practice the things needed for peak performance and market appeal by balancing:

  1. Main hustle vs side hustle

When you think of an entrée menu item there’s usually a main thing and some ‘sides.’ Similarly, on the success menu there’s usually a main hustle and some ‘sides.’ Brady’s main thing is football skills. Harvey’s main thing is comedy skills. But they have ‘sides’ like author and philanthropist to go along.

  1. Heart & soul vs silver and gold

Some fans might have a love/hate relationship with Brady or Harvey. It’s as if one day folks love them, another day not so much. But most won’t deny that it’s the heart and soul they bring to the game that adds to the party. They show us how heart & soul gives more ‘feeling and meaning’ to our silver & gold.

  1. Grow in score vs grow in service

Brady says he wants to play a few more years as long as he’s still competitive and having fun. While doing that he wants to be able to grown in score and in service. One deals with putting points on the board that leads to a win. The other deals with putting points on the map that leads to a legacy.

  1. Shine with mojo vs shine with flow

The joy in what they do shines through. Brady might not always carry a smile on his face but there’s an excitement he brings to fans when he’s on his game. Harvey’s known for making faces especially when talking with kids. They use their personal strengths to shine in ways that spread mojo and stir market flow.

So how’d Brady go from being drafted 199 of 200 to having one of the highest QB ratings? How’d Harvey go from stand-up to having the highest ratings on ABC’s Fun & Games Sunday line-up? They chose well from the success menu and now they get to shake their groove thing on the playing field and big stage.

Tip: Choosing the right entrée from the success menu means balancing your main hustle and side hustle in a way that adds heart and soul as well as silver and gold to your game.

Talkback: Did the Oprah Interview show another side of Tom Brady?

Tracks: Peaches & Herb – Shake Your Groove Thing – https://youtu.be/FafIty_-08c

Kelly Clarkson – Meaning of Life – https://youtu.be/BspHjvU11y4