Troy Kirby is the host of the very popular Tao of Sports podcast. He has done more than 800 episodes with some of the top people in the sports business world. He has worked in the sports industry for more than 15 years, at three different university athletic departments, and one professional soccer team. Kirby is a much sought after sports business consultant and keynote speaker. He is the president of The National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales & Operations.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- What are common traits among successful people he has interviewed
- How to build your brand, especially on social media
- His new fiction novel about body building
- After 800+ interviews, who he would still want on his show
- What mistakes leaders make the most
Larry DeSimpelare is the commissioner of the Crossroads League, which is arguably the best NAIA conference in the country when it comes to combining national-level competition and an emphasis on character-building. The Crossroads League has schools from the state of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Before becoming a commissioner, Larry served as a collegiate men’s basketball coach at Cleveland State University, Rutgers University, Kent State University, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University. Along the way, DeSimpelare helped guide those programs to three league titles, eight NIT berths and four NCAA bids, where he helped Eastern Michigan take out Duke and Cleveland State upend Wake Forest in a pair of opening round upsets.
Everyone has a chance to be a hero to someone. You don’t even have to be dead to be a hero. With Memorial Day approaching, it got me to thinking about those in my life that I have looked up to as heroes. Unfortunately, holidays like Memorial Day and funerals seem to be the only times that we really stop and think about the impact that someone had on our lives. These are the times that we remember, or better yet, celebrate their life and their lasting legacy on those that they touched.
The summer typically brings vacations and down time for many people.
“The greatest tragedy in life is wasted talent” (Robert DeNiro’s character in “A Bronx Tale”)