Zach Hoffman Leads with Empower

Zach Hoffman - Founder and CEO of Swiss-Army Leadership Leads with Empower. Zach is originally from Pittsburg, PA and grew up with dreams of playing in the NFL. While Zach's childhood dream did not come to fruition, Zach discovered his true calling as a coach, mentor, and leader! Zach shares his story from college athlete in the States and professional American Football Player in Europe to authoring a book (Finding the Good Life as a SWA Leader) and founding Swiss-Army Leadership! 00:00: Episode Introduction and "Roll Call" Introducing Zach Hoffman, the Founder and CEO of Swiss-Army Leadership. Zach joined the Lead with Empower podcast on the tail-end of his trip to visit family in California. He will soon be arriving back home in Austria to continue his work as a coach and small business owner! Zach introduces Swiss-Army Leadership and shares how his experiences in 6 different countries helped form the tools leaders need to effectively relate with others. "It is so easy to assume that the way we were brought up and the way we grew up is the only way to lead. However, it is not until you step out of your own realm when you realize that it's not the only way. The most important thing a leader can do is to earn people's respect." 13:15: The "Dorm Room Decision" - Zach's Journey to from the United States to Europe Coming to the realization that his NFL dream was not going to happen led to a difficult decision. His subsequent trip to Poland showed Zach "the world from an outside perspective". "Without the tough decision and adversity, I would not have written a book and started a business to mentor young people." 24:30: Professional American Football in Europe Zach discusses differences in the game when compared to his experiences in the United States as well as the tremendous amount of growth in Europe from 2012-2021 Zach also shares insight into his transition from professional athlete to youth coach - highlighting the following lesson from his playing days: "Run towards adversity and step out of your comfort zone. On the other side of that adversity is our happiness, our destiny, and our legacy." 34:16: Swiss-Army Leadership (SWAL) We learn about Zach's inspiration to take an adventure into entrepreneurship and how his passion to connect with people drives the mission of SWAL. "Listen to peoples' stories, ask questions, not answer questions. This strategy will make you a more well-rounded person, a person that people want to follow. It will allow you to create your legacy." 43:33: The Home Stretch and Finishing the Drill As always, we wrap up with 5 quick-hit questions; including (1) Zach's "out of sport" role model as a child, (2) his favorite athlete, (3) most memorable sport accomplishment, (4) future vision for SWAL, and (5) advice for aspiring leaders! Visit the SWAL website, follow SWAL on Facebook and Instagram, and stay up to date with the SWAL Blog to learn more about Zach Hoffman and Swiss-Army Leadership. Musical Credit to Matt Jaskot https://soundcloud.com/matt-jaskot