39. Get Better Every Day and Build A Team Worth Playing For with Chris Gronkowski

Today I am joined by the amazing Chris Gronkowski. Chris is the middle of the 5 Gronkowski Brothers best known for playing professional sports, as well as being the CEO of Ice Shaker, featured on ABC's Shark Tank. Chris and I talk about building your team on and off the field, the power of mentors, and how to perform under pressure. Are you ready to make your game plan? The Dynamic Team [5:30] “In football, you can have a lot of talent, but that team dynamic has to be there.” “In the business world, I tried to do everything myself, but ended up hurting the team dynamic because I wasn’t letting anyone help.”  “Having a strong team is essential.” “I had developed a complex of not being able to trust anyone- I only trusted myself to lead the game. I didn’t know how to lean on other people.” “Once I started letting go of the responsibilities, everyone felt like they were a part of the team- a part of decisions with me, a part of the company with me.” The Power of Mentors [11:00] “When you first start a business, you feel like you can do it all yourself. You don’t think you need partnerships, help, or mentors. My dad tried to help me, but I didn’t listen.” “It took me about 4 years to realize how important networking and mentors were.” “Thinking that we know it all prohibits us from going to the next level because we’re not willing to learn and do things differently.” “We let our ego get the best of us, instead of being a student.” Performing Under Pressure [16:10] “In sports, if you’re thinking, you’re not playing. You need to know all the answers before the play even starts.” “When you’re pitching in business, you need to be prepared. Have answers ready for all of the hard questions.”  “Of course I was nervous, but I was also super well prepared.” “Do the work to be prepared for those big moments.” Working through resistance [19:20] “There’s going to be stuff thrown at you everyday that you’re not planning for. To get things done, I put it on a calendar and that blocked off time is time that I cannot be bothered. If it’s got to be done, it will get done that day.” “I make a list every day of things that need to be done today, things that need to be done within a few days, and things that I want to do.” “Scheduling will always get the job done.” Learning Curves [24:00] “You have to be able to leave your business and things will still run smoothly.” “If you’re going to sell your business, it has to be able to run on it’s own.” “I was used to the grind, working 100 hour weeks, so stepping back was hard.” “I needed to be the coach, not the player.” “To lead is to demonstrate and go first.”  “I wanted to build a culture where if one person won, we all won.” Have a game plan [37:00] “You have to have a plan in order to make a change. It’ll take you to the next level.” “You fail to plan, yo Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoachablepodcast/ Connect with Tori on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachtorigordon/ Guess what?! WE'RE ON YOUTUBE! https://www.youtube.com/c/ToriGordon If you love the show and want to show your support, please leave us a 5 star rating and review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Go be coa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices