009 - Michael Blucher - The Complex World of Professional Sport

Michael Blucher talks about life inside the bubble of professional sport and the lessons about performance and personal growth we can all learn from the trails and tribulations of the stars of the athletic world. Michael is an author, blogger, keynote speaker and professional advisor to high profile sports men and women and business leaders. His latest book - Bubble Boys – takes readers into the strange world of professional sports – the highs and lows, the enticing trappings and the perilous pitfalls. Michael has spent 28 years in and around professional sport - within the media, corporate partners and playing organisations. He has relationships with some of the best-known names in Australia and he works with some of the biggest names you’ve not yet heard of. He’s witnessed the shifting landscape of professional sport - the changing role of the mainstream media, the impact of social media, big money, the bright lights and the dark times. In some ways this conversation is just two guys who love sport, gossiping about players past and present, incidents, achievements and falls from grace. But there’s a serious thread to it. Talking with Michael opened my eyes to the complexity of a life played out in front of a crowd. He gives us great insight into work he does through his company - The Third Half – giving people the support they need to ensure what they do in the office or on the sporting field does not define or limit them as a person. He is a deep thinker about values, behaviour and the challenges we all face. And he gives some wonderful, practical advice that many of us can use to enrich our own lives. I could literally have talked to Michael for hours. Absorbing. Salacious. Serious. And wise. A good dose of sports talk and some serious links to the lessons we can all extract and inject into our own personal and professional journey. If you enjoy listening to this conversation half as much has I did recording it, you’re in for a real treat.