Hey, hey! Welcome back to Friday Bullpen Sessions!

Quick Announcement:

I am super excited for this episode, and not just because I’ve got some great tips to help you develop the mindset you need to succeed. Back when I first decided to start this podcast about a year ago, I really wanted to focus on the athletic mindset and how you can use that mindset to have success both in sports and in business. But in the weeks and months since then, I’ve gotten a little bit away from that goal. I’ve been able to tell you some stories from my own experiences in professional baseball, but I’ve mostly been focusing on the mindset of the business person. That’s going to change today.

Starting with this episode, The Bullpen Sessions is making a small pivot. In my Tuesday interview episodes, I’m going to be interviewing some incredible former professional athletes and talking to them about their athletic mindsets and how those have helped them continue to have success after ending their sports careers. And in my Friday solo episodes, I’m going to be focusing on the mindset of an athlete and then translating that into the business world.

So what does that mean for you? If you’re an entrepreneur, this podcast will continue to bring you a ton of value and help you develop the tools, strategies, and mindset you need to have greater and greater success. But now, my hope is that this podcast will reach young athletes to help them also develop the winning mindsets they need to succeed. So, if you know any young athletes — maybe 15 – 22 years old — who you think could get a lot of value out of this podcast, please share it with them!

Now for Today’s Topic…

Okay, let’s get started on today’s topic. Today, I’m talking about the top three traits of a winning mindset. When I was a kid, I definitely did not have a winning mindset at all. Every time my little league team lost a game, I was an incredibly sore loser. I would pout and cry and whine and complain and blame everyone else but myself.

Now over the years, I’ve grown up, matured a lot, and now whenever I experience a loss or a failure, I’m not such a sore loser! But here’s the thing: More and more, I’m seeing young athletes who don’t know how to lose. They have these terrible attitudes, and it shows.

Recently I was watching highlights from college football, and I saw two different players who clearly had never been taught how to lose gracefully. One was during a University of Central Florida game. The kicker missed a very important kick, but instead of supporting him, one of his teammates walked over and started trash-talking him. Then during the Auburn vs. South Carolina game, Auburn’s quarterback, Bo Nix, missed a pass. But instead of playing like a winner, his wide receiver got in his face and started pushing him around to the point that the coaching staff had to separate them.

Seeing those guys act like that discouraged me for a minute, but then I realized — it’s time to flip the script and start actively showing young athletes how to win and lose with dignity and honor. So today, I’m talking about the top three traits that I think winners possess — and these are traits that are going to translate into the business world too. So grab a pen and some paper and get ready to take notes because this episode is going to be good. Let’s go!

Trait #1: Winners Take 100% Responsibility for Their Losses

The first trait I see in winners both on the field and in the boardroom is that they take 100% responsibility for their losses. Think about some of the greats — the Wayne Gretzky’s and Cal Ripken’s of the world — every time they lost a game, they took total responsibility — even if it was completely evident that they personally had nothing to do with the team’s failure. They took responsibility for the moments when they failed to perform at their best or put the team in the best position to win.

I know that 2020 has brought a lot of losses for many of us, and it’s all too easy to start placing blame. It’s easy to point fingers at the pandemic and the economy for our failures, but ask yourself: Where can I take responsibility for your losses this year? Where did I make errors? What could I have done better this year?

I remember when I was a professional pitcher, I might have played pretty well during a game despite my team’s loss, but I would still ask myself: What could I have done better? Where did I make mistakes?

Here’s the bottom line: The whole team only wins if each person is playing at the top of their game. That means that even if you’re the strongest, fastest, smartest, most talented person there, your job is still to keep striving forward and growing. When you focus on your own self-improvement instead of wasting time blaming others for the losses you experience, you elevate the whole team and put yourself in a position for more success in the future.

And this does not just apply to sports! You can take this one straight into the boardroom. Winning salespeople do not spend time pointing fingers when they don’t hit their sales numbers. They don’t make excuses or try to blame circumstances. They seriously evaluate their job performances and ask, “What could I have done better?” And by constantly taking responsibility for their losses, they actually find places to grow and improve and give themselves the opportunity to make adjustments and improve their performance.

How have you handled your losses this year? Have you been blaming 2020 for your mistakes? Or have you taken 100% responsibility? Remember: Winners take responsibility for their losses, and they use those experiences to learn and get better.

Trait #2: Winners Never Trash the Competition

The second trait I see in winners is that they never, ever trash the competition. They never try to put anyone down — even if their competition deserves it. Instead, they actually put their competition up on a pedestal and give them respect.

Why is this important? Here’s an example: If you’re sitting in a meeting or on a Zoom call with a prospective client, and you know that they’re currently working with one of your competitors, and you start trashing them, you’re immediately going to lose their business. You’re going to put that prospective client in a position where they feel the need to defend their choice to work with that competitor of yours, and they’re going to totally lose interest in working with you because of your negative attitude toward your competition.

Gary Vaynerchuk has a fantastic illustration for this: He says, “If you want to build the tallest building in town, you can do it two ways: You can just flat outwork the competition and build the tallest building in town, or you can spend all of your time tearing down all the other buildings in town so that you now have the tallest building.” You can either commit to working harder and becoming better than everyone else — which takes enormous respect for your competition’s talents and abilities — or you can spend your time and energy trying to break them down and make yourself appear to be better without actually building a taller tower.

People with winning mindsets don’t want to tear anyone else down. They recognize that their competition has talent, and they commit to working harder and becoming better so that they can have more success. They never tear anyone down — they focus on becoming the best and most successful versions of themselves.

I’m ashamed to say it, but if I’m honest, when I was first starting to develop my personal brand and grow my business, I found myself in conversations where I wasn’t speaking nicely or respectfully about my competition. Now, I regret that I would have those conversations, and I make it a point not to do that anymore.

How have you been talking about your competition? Do you spend time trash-talking them to your friends, family, and prospective clients? Or do you lift them up and show respect for their talents and success? Remember — winners are successful because they outwork the competition, not because they cut the competition down.

Trait #3: Winners Don’t Spend a Second Complaining About a Loss

The third and final trait of a winning mindset that I want to talk about today is this: Winners just don’t waste time complaining about or dwelling on a loss. I know this sounds like an offshoot of Trait #1, but it’s a little different, and here’s why: Trait #1 is about taking personal responsibility for your losses, but Trait #3 is about immediately picking yourself back up and getting back to work.

Winners don’t make excuses — they just don’t. True winners — in sports, business, and any other area of life that you can think of — don’t waste time. They know that complaining and whining waste valuable time they could be using to reevaluate their strategies, get back to practice, and start laying the foundation for future success.

Here’s a great example: Think about what the taxi companies did when Uber came out. When Uber first became a popular way to get transportation, what did the taxi companies do? Did they immediately regroup and say, “Okay, this new thing is really powerful. How are we going to change our strategy to better compete with Uber?”

Nope. They spent all their time complaining about how unfair it was that Uber had come into their space — and they’re still whining about it today about a decade later. They can’t compete with Uber simply because they continue to waste time complaining instead of figuring out a new strategy to make them more competitive.

It’s true that 2020 hasn’t been an easy year. You’ve probably experienced losses. Some of you may have missed out on playing your sport because of the pandemic. Others of you may be struggling to get your sales numbers up because of the receding economy. But whatever losses you’ve experienced — how are you reacting? Are you wasting time complaining about blaming all the circumstances around you? Or are you back at work doing what you need to do to level-up your game and start succeeding?

How Will You Spend the Next Four Months?

I want to give you just a little bit of encouragement right now: If you’ve realized, as you’ve been reading this post, that you have not had a winning mindset this year — 2020 is not over yet. Maybe you’ve realized that you haven’t taken responsibility for the moments when you didn’t perform at your best. Maybe you’ve noticed that you’ve been trash-talking your competition. Or perhaps you’ve been wasting time dwelling on your losses instead of getting straight back to work to put yourself in a position to start having more success.

If that’s you — don’t worry. You can choose right now to shift your mindset. There are still four months left in 2020! You can start operating from a winning mindset and make the most of these last few months. You can turn 2020 around and put yourself in a position to succeed. 

Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! Before I go, I want to give you two special offers: Number one, I want to invite you to join my Complete Game Mastermind. This is my coaching program, and it starts in just a few days! Masterminds are a great way to get coaching and put yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs just like you. You can start building your community and gathering people around you who will support you and your growth.

You can also join my FREE text community! Just text the word “Mindset” to 414-622-1462, and I’ll give you access to a TON of free weekly coaching. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and join the Complete Game Mastermind, this text community is a great way to see if my coaching might be right for you.

Thanks again for joining me today, guys! Remember — when clarity and confidence collide, action happens. Go make it happen today!

Resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/

Hey, hey! Welcome back to The Bullpen Sessions! And welcome back to my October series, where each week I am highlighting a different entrepreneur from my local area of Fort Collins, Colorado. Today, we have Samson Jagoras, and I think you guys are going to find him absolutely incredible!

Samson knows what it means to do it all. This man is the Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Recruiting for Madwire, the founder of the real estate investment firm Growth Vue Properties, and the co-owner of Pursuit Nutrition & Training Center. That’s a whole lot on one man’s plate!

But Samson knows how to juggle three businesses. As a former football player, he knows that teamwork, time management, and balance are what it’s all about. He knows that a clear sense of purpose is all you really need, and that as long as you know how to delegate, you can run as many businesses as you want!

I was so inspired by Samson’s mindset. He is doing so much good in the Fort Collins community, and he’s creating sustainable, meaningful financial security for himself and his family. He is an incredible testament to the power of individuals to rise to the top by having a success mindset and the determination to out-work everybody else.

Samson and I had an incredible conversation today! We talked about his background growing up in a blue-collar family and playing football and the mindsets and tools that gave him to help him succeed. We also talked about the importance of building a team for your business and allowing yourself and your teammates to operate within your zones of genius. We talked about the intangible qualities that make someone a good employee — or a good entrepreneur. And finally, we talked about the passion that drives Samson to be an active part of so many businesses.

I’m so excited to dive into this interview. I think you guys are going to get a lot of great value out of it, so let’s go!

Who Is Samson Jagoras?

As I mentioned before, Samson Jagoras is the Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Recruiting for Madwire, the founder of the real estate investment firm Growth Vue Properties, and the co-owner of Pursuit Nutrition & Training Center. He’s a prolific entrepreneur with a desire to impact his community and help others create sustainable change in their fitness, financial wellness, and businesses. This man’s passion is helping people pursue their passions, and he’s impacting lives in a big way!

But Samson wasn’t always as successful as he is today. In fact, he grew up with a lot of financial limitations. Samson was raised in a blue-collar family in Los Angeles, but if there’s one thing Samson inherited from his dad, it’s his blue-collar mindset:

“A lot of that blue-collar mindset … I got from my dad growing up and [from] skateboarding. That relentless mindset — you do a trick a hundred times and bust your ass a hundred times. You realize that if you just do it long enough and hard enough, you’ll eventually get there. So I was never the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest, but I definitely had grit.” – Samson Jagoras

Samson used that grit and determination to play football throughout high school, and he spent a year playing Division II ball at the University of Western New Mexico. But eventually, DII ball wasn’t enough, and Samson started striving for a scholarship to attend the University of Colorado to play Division I football. That’s how Samson landed in Colorado, and we’re happy to have him!

Samson is a pillar of this community. His businesses are helping countless people enjoy growth in their fitness levels, businesses, and finances. And his wisdom and advice are priceless! Let’s dive into our interview and talk a little bit more about the power of the blue-collar mindset:

Treat Every Day Like Day One

As I mentioned before, Samson didn’t grow up wealthy. His dad worked a blue-collar job, and their family wasn’t exactly swimming in money. I was excited to ask Samson how that affected him and his drive to be the prolific business owner he is today, and his answer was absolute gold:

“I’ve always been able to brush [it] off [when] people say, ‘That’s crazy. You can never do that,’ right? Because I’ve just always kind of walked to my own drum. And … when I decide and commit to do something, I can do it. … Especially not … getting recruited out of college the way that I wanted to, I was always just like a little pissed. I was going to prove everybody wrong. And so when I showed up to practice, every day … was like week one, day one. I need to come in and crush it.” – Samson Jagoras

Did you write that one down? “Every day was like week one, day one.” Samson treats every day like he’s showing up on the very first day with a need to prove himself. Can you imagine if we all did that? If we all showed up to our businesses each day with the same fire and desire to do our best that we had on the first day?

That’s such a fantastic mindset to have because it keeps us motivated. It keeps us striving forward and trying to out-work the other guy. It helps us to bring our A-game all the time, instead of phoning it in when we get tired.

Business Is a Team Sport

I’m sure Samson had plenty of days when he wanted to phone it in as a football player. He played a position we don’t see all that often anymore — fullback. As a fullback, your job is basically to go in, get your face crushed, and try to crush somebody else to pave the way for your teammate. Needless to say, it’s not the most glamorous position on the team.

The fullback is not usually the guy giving interviews with sportscasters and getting all the praise. However, he is a vital part of the team because he sacrifices himself for his teammates. That team-player mentality is something that Samson has carried into each of his businesses.

“I think that you can have a lot more success in business and like when you’re not the person that has to have all the ideas … or has to be the person that’s always carrying the rock. And so a lot of how I’ve built my companies now is just [to] find great partnerships or hire great people, pay them well, and then coach them — mentor them — so that they can go have a ton of success. The byproduct is if they win, you win, right? It’s a team sport.” – Samson Jagoras

I love this idea that we can think of business like a team sport. When you’re a business leader, you’re a little bit like a coach. And the coach can’t win the game all by himself, right? Of course not! The coach has to assemble a strong team of players and coach them to win! The team is only successful when everyone’s working together, and the coach’s job is to make that happen.

Think about your business. Do you feel the responsibility to be the one with the good ideas every time? If so, it’s time to start delegating! You don’t have every skill set, and you can’t be successful all alone. Find people who are good team players and work well with you but have different skill sets. That way, each person can bring their unique expertise to the table and, just like the fullback on the football field, play a vital role in helping the whole team succeed. 

The Intangible Qualities That Make a Valuable Teammate

Specific skill sets are essential — especially when it comes to specialized industries that require computer skills or fitness coaching experience. But there are intangible qualities that might be even more important.

What are intangible qualities? They’re traits that can’t be taught. They’re character and personality assets that you want to see in your employees but that you can’t force on them. They’re the qualities that drive people to contribute to your team and have the great success you’re striving for together.

“You can hire off of skill set. I think that those are a dime a dozen. Everybody has a degree now. … So how do I … within a matter of reading a resume, seeing them go through some different aptitude tests, and having maybe like two interviews with them, recognize that this is the type of person we want on our team? So I look for intangible qualities, right? And it’s those five things: humble, hungry, smart, gritty, competitive, and the sixth one kind of wraps all those up — it’s just extreme ownership or personal accountability.” – Samson Jagoras

Humble, hungry, smart, gritty, competitive, and personally accountable — those are qualities that can’t be taught. You can take a quick online course to learn about a specific kind of software or how to optimize your social media profiles, but you can’t learn humility, grit, or competitiveness. Those qualities are innate, and they make for incredibly strong teammates.

For those of you who are business owners — have you been looking for those qualities in your employees? And perhaps more importantly — do you look for those qualities in yourself? If you have those six intangible qualities, you’ll have everything you really need to succeed.

People with intangible qualities like the ones Samson listed drive the people around them to be better. They elevate the whole time, and while they don’t always get all the glory, they create massive success for the entire team.

“My circle is very, very tight because I want people who are gonna push me. You know, if I’m the smartest guy in the room or the most successful guy in the room, I’m in the wrong room. … If you’re not [as] driven and motivated as I am, then we’re probably not going to have a lot of stuff in common.” – Samson Jagoras

Who are the people around you? Who are your teammates? Are they people who drive you to be better, smarter, and more successful? Or are they holding you back from being as impactful as you can be? Seek to surround yourself and fill your team with people who have those incredible intangible qualities, and watch as the whole team succeeds together.

Driven By Passion

Well, you’ll have almost everything you need to succeed. There’s one more thing every successful business owner or employee needs: passion.

Initially, I was shocked at Samson’s ability to juggle so many businesses. I thought, “How does he make time for them all? And why does he do so many things?” But when I heard him start to talk about his drive to succeed, it made so much sense:

“… Maybe it’s six years ago now, I had a pretty serious panic attack. … And when you have a panic attack, you feel like you have a heart attack and you’re gonna die, right? And so I was afraid of dying because I still had so much that I wanted to do. … I didn’t want to look back on my life and say, ‘Why didn’t I do that stuff?’ So when you asked me, like, ‘Why do I have a gym? Why do I do real estate?’ [it’s] because everybody else says, ‘One day,’ ‘Someday,’ ‘I hope so,’ or, ‘After this,’ and ‘The next time,’ and it’s like, I got too much shit I want to do for that so happen, so I’m just going to go figure it out.” – Samson Jagoras

Samson doesn’t let anything stand in his way. When he decides to do something, he’s going to do it, purely because he has the drive and the desire to do everything he’s capable of during his lifetime. But his passion isn’t only about fulfilling his personal drive to succeed. It’s about helping others, too.

“When I got in … shape, people were like, ‘Hey, can you help me too?’ … Pretty soon, I have like 30 people that I was helping. … So then I brought two more people onto my team, and then pretty soon they had like 20 or 30 people [they were helping]. … What it was about for us was — if we can help people change their [lives] through nutrition and training, they’ll make a fundamental shift and … they’ll have more confidence, they’ll make more impact, … etc. so what makes me tick is I love seeing other people get what they want.” – Samson Jagoras

And the same thing goes for Samson’s other businesses — he thrives on seeing people achieve their fitness, financial, and business goals. Nothing lights him up more than helping other people succeed. So is it a little stressful sometimes to run three businesses? Sure. But is it worth it to him to help so many people get what they want? Absolutely.

What truly makes you tick? What lights you up more than anything else? I want to encourage you today to go after that, no matter what! Even if it leads you to running three separate businesses, chase the thing that brings you fulfillment, and you’ll never get too tired to carry on.

Why You Should Listen to This Samson Jagoras Podcast Episode Right Now…

Samson Jagoras is an inspiration. This man works incredibly hard, and he does it with seemingly endless passion and drive because he truly wants to help as many people succeed as possible. From his teammates to his clients, Samson drives other people to success, and that allows him to run three businesses with more efficiency and enthusiasm than many people run one.

If you loved this episode, please share it on Instagram! Post a screenshot, and make sure to tag Samson, @samson.jagoras, and me, @andy_neary. We’d love to hear what your biggest takeaways from the episode were!

And if you have an extra minute today, please leave this podcast a five-star rating and review over on Apple Podcasts. Help us get the word out!

Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! Before I go, I want to give you two special offers: Number one, I want to invite you to join my Complete Game Mastermind. This is my coaching program, and it starts in just a few days! Masterminds are a great way to get coaching and put yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs just like you. You can start building your community and gathering people around you who will support you and your growth.

You can also join my FREE text community! Just text the word “Mindset” to 414-622-1462, and I’ll give you access to a TON of free weekly coaching. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and join the Complete Game Mastermind, this text community is a great way to see if my coaching might be right for you.

Until next time — treat every day like day one, and you’ll be amazed at the heights of success you can reach.

Resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/