EP19: Corey Mays - From NFL Athlete to Angel Investor - Always Be Prepared!

"Every day you have the mentality of one foot in, one foot out, at least that was my mentality. I always thought of keeping myself on the edge, because you have to be ready to go. The transition (as an athlete)  is hard regardless, but if you are not even thinking about it, you're really putting yourself in a bad position."   I'm easily impressed with athlete's accomplishments on the field of play, but not so much once they leave the game, as many tend to wait too long to get their post-career steps going. My guest today, Corey Mays, is quite the opposite, as he immersed himself fully into being prepared for the eventuality of retirement, and has become a role model for current athletes to emulate.   "Monday you feel like a genius and Friday you feel like an idiot, that's the day to day as an entrepreneur. It's an emotional roller coaster - you have to keep your balance and realize it's for the long haul, not the short term."   Corey was fortunate enough to play football at Notre Dame, signed as an undrafted free agent and played four years in the NFL, and prepared himself for his post-playing days by enrolling in business and finance-related classes and working in internships while in college. He launched his angel investment firm, A-Maysing Enterprises LLC in 2013, through which he invests in a variety of businesses, including uStadium (a sports social media app), BuildMyStay (a travel concierge software platform), Vice District Brewing in Chicago, Heritage Link Brands (a wine importer), and Love Cork Screw (a wine brand). Corey also took the step of pursuing his MBA, graduating this past May from Notre Dame once again.   "(As a retired athlete), you have all the skills. It's just building that confidence back up, step by step. One foot at a time and we'll get up this mountain, but it takes patience!"   You'll learn so much from our talk, especially if you are considering jumping into the waters of entrepreneurship, or you are an athlete wondering how to start preparing for your life after the game. Corey has a great personality, is funny and engaging, and offers superb advice throughout. Happy listening! Some Topics we talk about in this episode:   Intro- 2:00   What sparked Corey's interest to play football- 2:41   Notre Dame - 5:30 Preparing for all outcomes - 7:21 Corey's next step- 8:10 Something's got to give- 9:21 Realizing your worth as an athlete- 10:30 The point Corey realized he could go pro- 12:30 Playing for Bill Belichick- 14:15 Recognizing the end is near- 15:28 Ready to let go- 16:28 Staying sharp in the corporate/ entrepreneurial space -17:22 Corey's got the energy- 18:34 Smart Cities- 19:36 What's on the horizon for Corey Mays- 22:00 Advice for the Entrepreneur- 24:05 Expenses and Networking- 25:00 Everyone brings something different to the table- 28:00 NFL Players Association- 30:06 Head Trauma in Sports- 33:00 Helping Athletes Win Again- 37:00 How to peak Interest- 40:30 Don't sell yourself, allow yourself to be bought- 42:00 Hit Your Mark- 43:14 How to get involved Be sure to connect with me on Social Media @MarkMoyerCoach and go to my website, www.markmoyer.com to get access to the tips and strategies that my coaching clients get directly. If you're looking for ways to Make Your Mark, send me an email [email protected] and I'll get you going right away.   If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave me a quick review on iTunes. Your reviews and ratings will help me reach more people with ways to make their mark in life!