EP52: Brendan Harris - Batting in front of Sammy Sosa, a Wharton MBA, and Next Big Steps

Imagine it's your major league baseball debut, and you're batting 2nd in front of Sammy Sosa. You've been told to swing hard in your first at bat, but you get quick-pitched, and you roll a grounder to second base. But your next time up, you hit a ringing double to right-center. Today's guest on my #MakeYourMark podcast, Brendan Harris, tells us how he was able to play several years in MLB in a variety of roles, and after earning his Executive MBA from Wharton, is ready to make big strides in his next career!   "You get to spring training and you see 250 guys, and you think that you have to beat them all out, and you're not even in big league camp up the street where there is another 60 guys. But you focus on what you can control, work on getting better, narrow it to each at bat each day and be consistent, put up some numbers and move up a level. Just get a little bit closer every day."   Brendan and I share advice on how to make a career transition, in his case from a professional athlete towards a career in finance, and also thoughts on how to be prepared as an athlete, how to focus as a student, and plenty of baseball stories along the way!    "Find some of your contemporaries or your favorite players and watch the way they prepare, and get the fundamentals down so you can do it over and over again. You create a neural pathway so you can repeat it over and over again. I also recommend that you develop yourself physically and monitor your fitness, nutrition and sleep, and especially balance your studies as a student."   You'll really enjoy this episode, as you'll hear about his ascent into MLB, some of the struggles he's been through, and so much more! Happy listening!   "When people say that you need an approach or get yourself mentally ready, know what that means for yourself. Be able to know what it means to be mentally strong. When you go into a game, it's important to know how to visualize various scenarios, especially as a young athlete."   Some Topics we talk about in this episode:   1:30 - Intro  4:05 - Basketball was my favorite sport  7:05 - From I probably can get drafted to I will get drafted 8:42 - Getting the call 10:00 - 20 years old at Low A 11:00 - The right mindset  12:00 - I knew bigger things were coming  13:10 - Mixing in with major leaguers  15:06 - My first hit  17:30 - Realizing that the iconic big leaguers are people just like you 19:55 - Career highlights  21:29 - Best advice for baseball and softball players  24:10 - Being traded was a frustrating experience  26:24 - Hanging up the spikes 29:00 - Life after the game  30:55 - A new scene: business school  32:30 - Dealing with adversity 34:15 - A man of many trades  35:45 - The game day experience  40:13 - Accessing information on the athlete transition 43;43 - Networking  48:50 - Talking points  52:30 - Tips for the 25 year old athlete  54:15 - Clark Griswold in real estate!  55:55 - Hit Your Mark  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 would like to be a guest on the Make Your Mark podcast and/or know someone else who has either been an athlete, in a role within the sports industry, or a military veteran, and have made a successful transition into a new role, I'd love to hear from you! Just send me an email [email protected] and we'll discuss!   If you would like more information on how I can get you unstuck and moving forward with your transition, let's talk. We can see whether it makes sense to work directly with me, or I can give you other options, but don't let your transition wait another day, let's connect!   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, business and career!   How are YOU going to Make Your Mark today? Go get 'em!