EP56: TJ Galiardi - Scoring Goals in the NHL and Going Beyond Food!

One of the hardest things to do in sports is to shoot a puck into a net, while skating fast, wearing a bunch of equipment, all while being pursued by your opponent looking to hit you into the boards. Hockey players need to have extraordinary peripheral vision, and my guest on this #MakeYourMark podcast, TJ Galiardi, shows us how that vision has extended into his company that he co-founded once his NHL career ended.   "It's really about walking before you run. But if you want to run, you need to have all the available pieces. You can only do so much on your own. You really want to find people that can help you grow and scale."   TJ underscores the importance of preparing for life after your athletic career ends while you are still playing, while you still have that feeling of invincibility. It's commonly said, you have a 1% chance of making it into the pros, and a 100% chance that your career will end. You will hear about TJ's hockey career, playing in Russia, getting started in real estate investment, and how his company, Beyond Food, will stand out in a crowded industry!   "I just started to learn more about other things other than hockey. I think I always knew my career was going to end at some point, so I was just trying to figure it all out by starting to dip my toe in everything to see what I actually enjoyed, and at the time it was real estate."    Whether you are a hockey fan, an athlete of any sport, and/or a businessperson, you will learn how to leverage your athletic mindset into business. Take it from TJ, he's done a great job with it! Happy listening!    "My wife is vegan, and my stubborn ways started to unfold. The more animal products I took out of my diet the better I felt, and I always did things around performance. So if I felt like I was recovering faster, I did it. I eventually went cold turkey, and I haven't looked back since."  Some Topics we talk about in this episode:      2:00 - Introduction 4:00 - the start of a passion for hockey/ hearts in hockey  5:54 - a Flames fan  6:52 - Dartmouth freshman 8:30 - Got the call to play  9:30 - My first goal  11:00 - Almost a fifth assist!  12:00 - From the NHL to Europe 13:21 - The only Canadian guy on the team  14:31 - The benefit of tearing my MCL 15:14 - Fulfilling my childhood dream  16:05 - Experience in the KHL  19:52 - Ready to move on 20:59 - Preparing for life after Hockey  23:30 - Going vegan  25:50 - The start of a new company  27:50 -  Nobody else was doing it  29:47 - It's all about transparency  31:07 - Beyond Food & TDF Sports Nutrition  34:21 - Understanding the process  36:00 - Growing the visibility of Beyond Food  40:41 - Walking before you run 45:00 - The importance of LinkedIn  51:40 - 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!