In this podcast episode, Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable and John Coyle, founder & CEO of the Art of Really Living discussed John's extensive background in sports, academia, and media. John shared his journey from Olympic athlete to motivational speaker and author, discussing his experiences in cycling, speed skating, and his work in innovation and design thinking. The conversation concluded with discussions about John's upcoming role as an Olympic analyst, his approach to handling stress and performance.

Olympic Athlete's Career Transition Journey

John shared his journey from a young athlete to an Olympic silver medalist and his subsequent career transition. He discussed his early love for cycling and speed skating, his struggles and eventual success in the Olympics, and how he reinvented himself after retiring from competitive sports. John emphasized the importance of focusing on one's strengths and highlighted a pivotal moment when he realized his impact on a young skater, which led to a significant shift in his identity and career path. He now works as an analyst for NBC during the Olympics and is a motivational speaker, sharing his story to inspire others.

From Athlete to Inspirational Speaker

John shared his journey from being an Olympic athlete to becoming a successful public speaker and author. He discussed how a colleague encouraged him to give a TED Talk, which led to numerous speaking opportunities and the development of his personal brand. John emphasized the importance of storytelling and the impact of his talks, highlighting that he never knew who he would reach or inspire with his words.

Design Thinking and Innovation Insights

John discussed his career in innovation and design thinking, highlighting his experience studying under David Kelly at Stanford and his work with IDEO. He emphasized the importance of design thinking, a creative problem-solving methodology, and shared that his talks focus on reframing problems to achieve better outcomes. John explained his approach of designing for strengths rather than fixing weaknesses and helping athletes manage stress to perform better.

Stress Management Through Athlete's Mindset

John discussed his approach to handling stress by adopting an athlete's mindset, emphasizing the importance of gamifying challenges to alter neurochemical balance and improve performance. He also explored the concept of slowing down the perception of time, drawing from his upcoming book "Counterclockwise," and shared his previous works, including "The Time Manifesto" and "Design for Strengths." Greg appreciated John's positive approach and suggested ways to share this information with a broader audience.

Embracing Challenges for Growth

John shared his journey of pursuing adventures and writing about them for the past decade, emphasizing the importance of investing time in high-risk, high-reward opportunities. Greg discussed his plans to launch an online course to help athletes and parents understand NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities, acknowledging the rapidly changing landscape of sports and the need to leverage his strengths as a broadcaster. Both agreed on the value of using one's unique skills and embracing challenges to achieve personal and professional growth.

Remote Olympics Analyst Role Discussion

John and Greg discussed John's upcoming role as an analyst for the Olympics, which will be held remotely from Stanford, Connecticut, due to budget constraints. John expressed his disappointment at not being on-site, as he values the in-person experience and real-time communication with coaches and team members. Greg shared his own experience of remote broadcasting during COVID-19 and acknowledged the challenges of not being physically present at the event. They agreed to stay in touch and potentially collaborate in the future, with John offering his services as a keynote speaker for Greg's athletes transitioning out of sports.

Links:

johnkcoyle.com

PliableMarketing.com

How to connect with John:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkcoyle1/

https://www.instagram.com/coylejohnk/

https://www.facebook.com/johnkcoyle/

https://www.youtube.com/@JohnKCoyle1

Email: info@johnkcoyle.com

Greg Glynn, founder and CEO of Pliable sits down with Mark O'Connor to talk about his boxing career and how he used his talented hands in the ring to then write a book.

Mark is from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and discusses his inspirational book, 'It's About Time,'

In 2024, Mark received the 2024 Minnesota Irish Network Literary Award from Tim Nolan for his collection of short stories and poems.

Mark Connor is a Literary Pugilist from Saint Paul, Minnesota. A lifelong boxer and Boxing Trainer, he runs a service called, Fighting Chance/Boxing For Life. His writing about Boxing, as well as his training services, can be found at https://boxersandwritersmagazine.com.

He writes fiction, poetry, and journalism. He is the 2022 Boxing inductee to the Mancini’s St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Regis University in Denver, Colorado, and graduated with a BA in English from the University of Minnesota. He has written and published many articles about Boxing, Irish culture, and people and events related to Irish freedom. He has also published local news and features on business, politics, and current affairs in Minnesota and the U.S. His Substack newsletter, Irish, Catholic, Punchdrunk in Saint Paul, can be found at https://markconnoricpunchdrunk.substack.com.

In this episode of the Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast, Mark talks about why he wrote the book and then shares some of his poetry with the listeners as well.

Links:

boxersandwritersmagazines.com/books

The podcast episode with Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable features guest Nick Peck, a former college athlete and award-winning journalist who transformed his football experience into a debut novel called "Only Way Out."

Nick shares his journey from high school football to becoming a successful author, discussing his writing process and the themes of his book which follows a high school athlete seeking escape through sports. The conversation concludes with discussions about marketing strategies, including potential NIL opportunities, and Nick's advice for athletes, while Greg promotes Nick's social media presence and future collaboration possibilities.

Nick discusses his football career, starting as an offensive lineman in high school, then transitioning to long snapping in junior college and later at Upper Hour University. He explains that writing has always been his true passion, and he used his athletic career as a stepping stone to become an author. Nick then describes his novel "Only Way Out," which is loosely based on his life experiences. The story follows a high school senior named Jalen Pierre who seeks to escape poverty and family issues through football. Nick emphasizes that the book's themes are common among athletes using sports as a means to improve their circumstances.

Nick discusses his process of writing a book, waking up at 4 AM daily for six months to write 10 pages a day before his day job as a journalist. He explains that he wrote from a third-person perspective to allow readers to put themselves in the story. Nick shares that his book aims to inspire by presenting a raw, genuine story of his journey, and he plans to continue writing books throughout his life, viewing it as his new purpose after his athletic career.

Nick discusses the benefits of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for college athletes, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. He expresses that he would have appreciated NIL opportunities during his time as a student-athlete, as he worked four jobs to make ends meet. Greg suggested that Nick could potentially use NIL to market his book by partnering with current athletes who resonate with his story, an idea Nick finds appealing.

Nick discusses his approach to marketing his book, which includes leveraging social media, utilizing his connections from sports, and working with a publicist. He mentions becoming an Amazon bestseller and his efforts to showcase his post-athletic career. Nick currently works as a journalist covering the stock market for a publication called "With Intelligence," while also pursuing his author career. He has already started on his second book, which he plans to continue writing throughout his life. Nick is based in Austin, Texas, but enjoys a nomadic lifestyle, having lived in five different states and visited 47.

Nick discusses his sources of inspiration for writing, mentioning role models like Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle, and Patrick Willis. He explains that his book is available on various platforms and that fans can best connect with him through his Instagram account @nickpeckauthor. Nick offers advice to athletes, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and gratitude, encouraging them not to quit and to appreciate their journey rather than chasing fame and glory.

Links:

Website https://www.nickpeckauthor.com Social media accounts: Instagram: @nickpeckauthor