Ep.8 The Branded Athlete

Ep.8 The Branded Athlete

[00:00:00]

Intro

Hey guys, welcome to Growth on the Daily, the personal development podcast for athletes. My name is Rey, and I'm your host. I'm a former competitive hockey player, passionate about self-growth, and I'm here to support you on your journey to becoming the best version of you. Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode. If you are new, welcome to the Growth on the Daily community. And if you are back again for another episode, thank you so much for tuning back in. Before we dive into the episode, just a reminder to follow us on Instagram @growthonthedaily, for more information to stay up to date with the show.

All right guys. So this week's episode is titled "The Branded Athlete". So we're focusing on the business Specialty for Success, which means we're really [00:01:00] targeting how to grow our wealth as athletes. So if you're at a point in life where you're beginning your wealth journey and you want learn how to craft your personal brand, then this episode is for you.

Alright time to hear from the experts.

No Cap, All Facts

In my research this week, I wanted to break down what wealth is and what that actually has to do with athletes. And then once we know that, how does that tie to personal branding?

We have two great articles from Investopedia. Investopedia defines wealth, the following way. It says that "wealth measures the value of all assets of worth owned by a person. Net worth is the most common measure of wealth". All that matters is understanding that a high net worth means you are more financially secure and financial security is important because it means that you have more flexibility and control over your time and your lifestyle. And ultimately that's what people want.

So, I'm sure you guys have heard the term [00:02:00] that's often important to social media and other forms of media, of financial freedom. And that's what they're talking about. It's control over your life over your time. Who you spend your time with, what you're doing, where you are, how much you work, what you're working on, that all comes with financial security and wealth building.

So that's what we're focused on today. Now, what does that have to do with athletes? Well, let's think of it from a pro athlete perspective, just to really show the extreme. "Pro athletes have to stretch out high, short-term earnings over a lifetime", says Investopedia.

Really that means that they can be making millions and millions and millions of dollars yearly for X years. And then they're just coasting. Well, they're coasting if they're smart with their money. And that means they made decisions that allow them to be financially secure and not simply allow them to live frivolously while they're young and at their peak of their athletic career, and then struggle when they're retired.

So now that we understand what wealth is, [00:03:00] I want to dive into how personal branding is tied to wealth creation specifically for athletes. And this is an article from Henry Kaminski Jr. And I think he outlines it perfectly and he states a couple things. The first point he makes is that he says that "when you take the time to develop a personal brand, it's much easier for businesses to align themselves with you". And so, what does that mean? Well, think about business ventures that athletes pursue. You pursue sponsorships and endorsements. If you have a personal brand around you, then brands who align with your personal brand will just come to you looking to have some sort of deal, rather than you having to seek out brands and prove that you align with them. The proof is already there in your personal brand. So that's definitely an added plus to establishing the personal brand.

But he also makes an important point. And he says that, "especially when you're on a larger stage, he says, whether you're trying to be or not, you are a role model for kids and [00:04:00] other athletes. If you don't broadcast a strong and reputable brand, that influence can be tainted". And no one wants that. It also says that not only can that happen, but "if you're not the one in control of the message, others will be". Make sure that you're in charge of how others see you. Don't let anyone else decide for you.

And I think that's really the key line from that article is that you have a right to control the messaging surrounding your personal brand. And what that means is you can add your own voice to it and you should, because it definitely matters more than everybody else's opinion. So if you need to set the record straight or just establish your reputation, it should be coming directly from you.

Now that we understand that personal branding is clearly important for athletes and definitely an avenue that should be pursued. I want to share with you my take on how you actually go about building and defining this personal brand.

Rey's Remedy

[00:05:00]

Alright guys. The first step to building your personal brand is first determining your values. What does that mean? It's understanding who you are as a person. What do you care about? What are your deal breakers for your life? And that can be several areas. It's extremely open-ended and that's why I actually recommend using a strategy I recommended in episode two and on our blog. And that's theBlank Paper Slate strategy. So go back to episode two or check out our first blog post that really teach you guys how you go about using this strategy to define who you are and what's important and what's on your mind.

Now you might be thinking, okay, but what do I write down? Think about this. Outline your most meaningful life moments, both the positive and the negative ones. And that's where you're going to understand what's most important to you because that's when you discover who you are. You discover who you are in the lows and in the highs.

I'll just share some examples of my personal values [00:06:00] maybe that'll help you guys determine yours. So for me, some things that will always be important to me, that I always make sure I stay dedicated to. First is I'm committed to my relationships. So personal, professional, romantic, whatever that looks like friends, family, I always want be devoted to them and I always prioritize them in my life. That's a social connection. That's important to me.

 Another value that I have is having life balance. Life balance is crucial for me because life should be enjoyed as well, not just be working constantly, you know, work hard, play hard. I strongly believe in that. So that's where the life balance element comes in.

And then finally, personal development. So always be focused on personal growth and reaching my potential. So those are some of my values. Maybe you guys can relate to some of them, maybe you can't.

I would love to hear what your personal values are that you come up with. DM me @growthonthedaily on Instagram and let's talk about this. And let me know if you're having any issues either.

Now let's say we're finished [00:07:00] the step. We've defined our values. We understand what's important to us. Another area I would say to look into is looking at your circle of influence. Your circle of influence is really anything or anyone you interact with. So friends, family, social media, your teammates, your coaches, analyze your interactions, understand what are areas or topics that you speak out on or that you don't and you feel like you should, how do you interact with them?

What is the strength of that commitment or that relationship? Is that a strong connection? Is it a weak connection? Are you okay with that? How do you feel about the relationships? I know I'm just spitting out a bunch of questions at you guys, but it's really just to get your mind turning to understand what those interactions look like to help really figure out who you are and where your values lie.

Now, once you've gone to that point where you understand those two steps, the next thing you have to do is you just gotta dive in and create. And it's the hardest part because it's the most actionable step. So people procrastinate, myself included, and don't really want to take [00:08:00] that step. You just plan, you just analyze and you never really take the next step, but it's the most crucial one cuz without it, you won't have a personal brand.

So create guys do something tangible, build a product or a service, something that encompasses your values to enhance your personal brand. For someone it might be starting a whole business, others, it might be a podcast or it can be something super small, right? Start a conversation, speak out on the things you're passionate about.

Give back, volunteer, whatever that looks like. It doesn't have to be something big. It just has to be in alignment with your values and something that brings you joy in your life and shows who you are. So those are my three recommendations for you guys, defining your values, looking at your circle of influence, and then creating something tangible to build your personal brand.

Alright, guys, now it's time for a quick shoutout.

Hold the Mic

This week, I have a book recommendation for you on this topic of [00:09:00] personal branding, specifically relating to athletes. This is a book that I haven't read personally, but it does have good reviews and it's calledAthletes Are Brands Too: How Brand Marketing Can Save Today's Athlete by Jeremy Darlowso you can buy it on Amazon. I strongly recommend just taking a look at it. See if it interests you and maybe that can help you on your journey to building your personal brand.

Alright, guys, time to wrap this up.

Meaningful Mentions

So in terms of Meaningful Mentions this week, I have three key takeaways for you. First is we define what wealth is, right? Wealth is what builds financial security. And that's important because you can use personal branding as a means to building this wealth leading to your future of financial security.

Second is determine your core values to establish your personal brand. If you don't know who you are, you don't have a personal brand. You must know who you are, because how can other people understand who [00:10:00] you are if you don't even. So take that time. It's not easy work, but it's necessary work.

And the final step I have for you guys is take action. Take that leap and just create something tangible that's tied to your branding to form that future wealth, something that's a hub for it to live. It doesn't have to be crazy. Just start small things can change. You can evolve it as you go, but speak out on something because it's your brand, right? So set yourself up for success by taking actionable steps.

To support you guys this week, I have a motivational quote from David Brier, who states that "if you don't give the market the story to talk about, they'll define your brand story for you". And I think that is a hundred percent accurate. This is your messaging. It's called personal brand for a reason, and everyone's going to have opinions and you can't control what they're going to say or how they're going to feel or how they're going to react, but you can control your messaging. And that matters the most since [00:11:00] it's your personal brand. So you should definitely prioritize building a personal brand as an athlete.

Outro

Alright guys, that's enough for this week's episode. Thank you guys so much for tuning in this week. I appreciate you guys and love you so much for your support. I commend you guys for taking the time to commit, to learn, grow, and thrive. I see your growth. You are doing great, and I'm here to support you.

Now we want to grow this community. So please send this episode to a friend, a family member, teammate, or coach anyone that is looking to improve themselves to check out this episode. And of course, guys, take a look at our website, growthondaily.com for more information and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on our website.

Thanks guys. I'll see you next week!