The Winning Way
11/1/2022 1:01:00 PM | General
Jay-Z once rapped the famous lyrics, "I'm not a businessman. I'm a business, man."
These lyrics speak to me. They hit home for me.
But not in the ways you might expect.
When I started my own business and motivational platform, The Winning Way, a couple of years ago, I wasn't in it for fame or riches.
Don't get me wrong, I want to be the Nike of motivational platforms, but it's about so much more than that for me.
This is my purpose.
About two years ago, an injury sidelined me from the football field and caused me to completely reevaluate my life. A devastating knee injury that I thought was a curse at the time, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Motivation through adversity
When I was in the fifth grade or so, I used to say "The Winning Way" all the time. I'd drive my friends and family crazy. I'd say it nonstop. I'd hashtag it on every Instagram post.
It was my catchphrase.
The problem was, I didn't exactly know what it meant.
At the time, and even going into high school and college, my life revolved around winning at everything I did.
Specifically, winning on the football field.
My world was centered around the sport.
Until it wasn't.
In 2020, I tore my PCL and damaged the cartilage in my knee. I had surgery soon after that, and it was a nightmare.
I couldn't do anything.
I couldn't walk.
My mom had to bathe me.
It was terrible.
Since I couldn't do anything else, I started playing video games quite a bit. And while it was fun for a while, it got to a point where I needed to look at myself in the mirror.
How am I bettering myself if I just play video games all day long?
How am I making progress?
I needed to find something more productive to do with my life.
I couldn't play football for a while with my knee injury, so how was I going to pass the time in a meaningful way?
Then I got an idea.
By helping myself, I was going to help others.
Friday ritual
It was a Friday.
I asked my mom to help me in the backyard.
I wanted to create a motivational video.
Something to brighten someone's day.
To help them keep pushing forward.
To put a smile on their faces.
And the rest is history.
After filming that video and posting it on Instagram, I've made motivational videos every single Friday since then.
What started out as a hobby has turned into a business: The Winning Way. I have my own website and apparel and everything.
But like I said, that's not what it's about for me. The 'monetary value' is knowing I made an impact.
Even if it's just one person, it doesn't matter.
And for me personally, starting this business is the best thing I've ever done. Before my injury, I really didn't know what life was like outside of football.
Football was my entire world.
The Winning Way showed me that I have a purpose in life outside of playing football. I can enjoy football, but it doesn't define me.
It gave me a new lease on life. I now have goals outside of sports. Things I want to accomplish off the field.
The Winning Way has made me a better man.
Making a difference
The other thing about my weekly Friday videos is, the message always changes.
It never stays the same.
The last thing I want to do is become stagnant and post the same message every week. I know some messages are going to resonate more than others, and that's okay.
That's my goal here.
To make sure my videos reach and inspire everyone — for people to listen to the exact words they need to hear to deal with whatever problem or conflict life has thrown their way.
I remember a little over a year ago, I posted one of my most watched motivational videos called "You Vs. You."
Basically, the message was that you're not competing against anyone else in this world. With sports, social media, and society in general, the world likes to make you think otherwise.
But when it comes down to it, you're not competing with anyone else in this world except yourself.
It resonated with so many people. I saw a bunch of comments like, "Wow, I never thought about it that way before." And to this day, it's my favorite video I've posted because it opened a lot of people's eyes. It made them feel better about themselves.
And in turn, that made me feel better about myself.
Another gratifying moment came a few months ago. I spoke to a local elementary school, sharing my story.
Telling them how important it is to stay in school.
To work hard.
To be a good person.
I gave them free hoodies afterwards, and we took a big group photo together. I loved it.
A week or so later, I received handwritten notes from every student in the class. As I read the notes, I couldn't believe how much my story impacted these kids.
It's the single most impactful thing I've done in my life.
I'm using my purpose to the best of my ability.
Lifetime commitment
After Kent State, I'm not sure what my football future looks like just yet, but as far as The Winning Way is concerned, I'm in this until the very end.
Putting smiles on people's faces. Inspiring them to be the best version of themselves.
This is my life.
If I am looking ahead, I'd love to one day sponsor professional athletes through my business. These are the athletes kids look up to the most. They are the best of the best – playing at the highest level.
I'd also love the opportunity to sponsor individuals outside of sports. You don't need a ball in your hand to make people happy.
If I could sponsor those that are the best at what they do, at any occupation, I would jump at that opportunity. I could see myself in that position down the road.
For now, I'm going to keep doing what I love. To remind people how amazing they are. How amazing life is.
To encourage people to make someone's day every single day.
I'll see you on Friday.
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