Taking Discipline Beyond the Court with Mark Pancratz

Mark has DEEP roots in basketball as an elite D1 player, coach for Bruce Pearl and Cuonzo Martin, and Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee.

Mark has transitioned his disciplines to build a very successful financial services practice in Knoxville, TN and has three daughters with his wife Brooke.

This guy is a perfect example of what it looks like when someone applies their work ethic to ALL areas of life and this episode is a phenomenal conversation and masterclass for anyone who has a competitive spirit and wants to do MORE in life.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

And it is. It can be lonely when you're fighting to do things that are different and to stand out for the right ways. But, man, do our kids need people to stand up for them? Does our country need people that are willing to stand up and be different? Do our businesses do our? Yes, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Burn.

Speaker 2: 0:33

I am Ben Newman and you know how we do this. Every single week, we bring you a story of an athlete, an entertainer, an entrepreneur, somebody who has recognized that why and purpose is not enough. There's an underlying burn that ignites your why and purpose and causes you to be disciplined on the days you don't feel like it and especially after you win. Today we have a very special guest. This is an individual who is a friend, he is a client, he is a man who lives with great discipline and he's a man who has already had several cameo appearances on our brand new docuseries Uncommon. He's getting very close to the record for having done more unrequired workouts with me than anybody else Mark Pankratz welcome to the burn.

Speaker 1: 1:24

Hey, man, thanks so much for having me. Man, it's an honor just to listen to all your shows and the time we've gotten to spend together, the impact you've had in my life, man, it's an honor to spend this time with you. Man, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2: 1:37

It's an honor to have you as well and I think people are going to be able to see from our time together on this burn episode, just the relationship that we have and some of the things that you've done that, quite frankly, you know, inspire me, and that's where relationships like this are really an iron sharpens iron type relationship and we've learned a lot about each other. We've had some ups and downs and attacks. We've gotten in together and it's been a lot of fun and I hope that comes out for everybody. Mark has done some incredible things and it's going to come out in his journey. I really want you guys to pay attention Rather than giving his resume up front. You guys are going to see that his resume is going to be told and it is a significant resume as we go through this interview together.

Speaker 2: 2:22

But I'm going to start with something that I'm going to say this Brooke, his wife, he has a beautiful family. He's a strong family man. We're going to talk about that. This is going to put a smile on Brooke's face, and a big one on his face. This is something that he hid from his wife since the day that he met her, and Mark was part of a documentary that followed his high school basketball team back in the day, and maybe that's not the quite usage that you hid it from your wife, but you didn't really like disclose it to her.

Speaker 2: 2:54

And somehow Brooke finds out that you were part of this amazing documentary that followed your high school basketball team. That went on to have one of the greatest upsets in the history of Illinois basketball, and your basketball team in 2001, in the Class AA championship, took down Thornwood, which is where Eddie Curry played, who went on to have an unbelievable career in the NBA. He was one of the last guys really to go straight from high school to the NBA before they changed the rule to where you have to sit out for a year. It was completely improbable. You had no business winning, but this documentary actually followed you guys throughout the year, and one of the things when I watched it which was so unique for me is that the level of discipline you live with today was the same level of discipline you lived with back then.

Speaker 2: 3:50

The belief that you have today was the same type of belief that I see you live with now. I mean, it's just there's this strong correlation which means you've had a mindset like this for decades and I know you're going to be mad at me for saying this. He was the star of the game. He had 20 points, 10 assists. I mean, without Mark and his leadership and you're going to see how leadership has remained an amazing role in his life Thornwood would not have gone down. So, mark, I know that makes you uncomfortable because you're a humble guy who does not like talking about yourself. But, number one, how did you hide that from Brooke all those years? And what was it that made you disciplined back then? What was the fire, what was the burn that caused you to become such a great basketball player?

Speaker 1: 4:40

Yeah, you know, growing up it's just something that was instilled in me. I came from two great parents. They were both athletes, both coaches. My dad's family had a small family business and if you're ever in business for yourself, you know how disciplined and how no small task can go undone. And so seeing my parents go through what they went through just instilling that in me. My dad always told me if you ain't working, somebody else is. I could probably count on one hand how many times he told me he loved me, but his love was shown in different ways. And building that inside of me and my siblings about the work ethic it takes to be successful is something that I'm always thankful for because it allows me to share that with my kids, people that I coach, people in our financial practice that I lead. It's that foundation that I'm so thankful for learning from my parents.

Speaker 2: 5:46

And I know that leadership just from being a part of your life now, how it does ring true, and we are going to talk about all those things how you lead today with your financial practice axiom, where you're a partner as well as being a managing director of a Northwestern Mutual office which, being a former Northwestern Mutual advisor, I can tell you that is not an easy task. That is hard, hard leadership. We will get there. But let's stay on high school here for a second. That type of an improbable run. What were the things that you were talking about? What were the things that you were saying? What was it about your discipline, your burn, your fire, how you showed up that caused that team to rally to do something like that. That is one of the biggest upsets in the history of Illinois high school basketball.

Speaker 1: 6:30

Yeah, you know, I think when I look back at that, you know it was with a group of guys that believed in one another, that spent a lot of time together. I remember going back our point guard, james Hahn, has an ACL injury and he decides to delay his surgery because he wanted to go on spring break and I remember being so ticked at him I'm like man, no, we need you back as soon as possible because we're going to go on this run for a state championship. There's clips of when we lost the year before and me making the promise to people in our community that we were going to get back to the state championship and win it. So all the blood, sweat and tears, the relationships, those hard conversations.

Speaker 1: 7:13

You know our coach, bob Williams, who's in the Hall of Fame man. He was a tough guy to play for but because of that, the discipline, the willing to get uncomfortable both in conversation and in the work that you put in it allowed you to stay focused when it got hard inside the games, because for us the games were so much easier than our practices were so much easier than the open gyms when we would have We'd get in fights in practice because we're competing against each other so hard, and that allowed us to be prepared when the lights came on.

Speaker 2: 7:47

That's back in 2001,. So up in Schaumburg, illinois, that's a little bit of Michael Jordan and how he led, rubbing off on you guys, battling in practice and getting into fights and attacking each other to bring out your best, but oftentimes that's what it takes to win. It's that competitive spirit every single day and you know, I know that caused bright lights to be put on you, which I know you're uncomfortable with. Um you, you do have to just clear it up so that I I don't get you in trouble with brooke, but how did you because I say hiding is probably not the best way to say it, but like she really didn't see it for how many years into your guys' relationship?

Speaker 1: 8:25

And I, up until I mean it was two Christmases ago I never watched our state championship game. I never watched it and everybody would always talk about it and it was just something for me. I mean, even now it's like, man, that was high school. That was 25 years ago. I got so much else going on that I got to work and so it wasn't keeping it from me. It's just something that I'm really bad and she would attest to this. I'm really bad at celebrating. I don't think about the wins, I move on to the next task at hand. And so even winning that and all the fun stuff that came with it of throwing out the first pitches at Cubs games and singing take me out to the ball, I mean all that stuff. It just you know. I'm moving on to the next thing that's on the list of things we've got to get done.

Speaker 2: 9:12

I love that mindset Everybody listening. I want you to really remember what Mark just said and I want you to think about for so many of you that I've had the opportunity to work with that are listening, when you've heard me say the seduction of success, I want you to pay attention. I very strategically designed the things that I wanted to ask Mark today because there's a pattern of behavior and a pattern of success. So after high school you guys win this Improbable State Championship. You then have the opportunity to go play Division I basketball. Division I basketball is one of the toughest sports to have an opportunity to play at the Division I level. You know there's 12, 13, maybe 15 on some rosters men on a team. It is very competitive. It is very hard.

Speaker 2: 10:00

I remember taking Division III recruiting trips because that's all my talent athleticism from God would have gotten me and I had coaches at the Division III level telling me that I would ride the bench for two, three years and maybe play as a senior. So it is very, very hard to play at this level. So you got recruited and had the opportunity to go play with who's now become your lifelong dear friend, bruce Pearl. Tell us a little bit about what you learned from Bruce Pearl. I mean, you talk about fire and a burn. Us doing the Knoxville Summit event together and the blessing of you bringing Bruce Pearl back to Knoxville for that event was so special for everybody in attendance. But what was it about Pearl back then, because those were the early days of Bruce Pearl? What was his fire? What was his passion like? What did you learn from him?

Speaker 1: 10:47

Well for me. I've always wanted to be a part of winning cultures. I mean it's why I have you as my coach If you've won at a high level. You were in the financial industry. I want to surround myself with people that have won, and Bruce Pearl had won a Division II championship and got the Milwaukee job and I was his first recruit at Milwaukee. There was no track record of him being successful in Milwaukee. I didn't even really know. I grew up in the Chicagoland area an hour and a half away, no idea what UWM was or Milwaukee, never really heard of it. But he sold me on his championship pedigree and his passion, which he is incredible at Great communicator and so I bought in and I want to be a part of it. Now you talk about seduction of success. You know, I hope this isn't empowering for other people.

Speaker 1: 11:37

Yeah, I was really disciplined in high school. I didn't take a lot of time away from ball. I didn't get caught up in stuff, but when I went to college I did and I was really disciplined when practice started. I was really disciplined in the film room and in my workouts and my training, but I was not disciplined off the court. And my college career although we won and I played and I was sixth, seventh man.

Speaker 1: 12:06

College career although we won and I played and I was sixth, seventh man, I didn't have the college career that I believe I could have and should have, because I was disciplined in some parts of my life, really disciplined in a lot of the areas that people would see me right, like in the classroom, I got good grades on the court, but at night, know, or outside, I wasn't very disciplined and it carried over into my, ultimately my performance of what could have been with my career and so I did get seduced by success a little bit. But you know, with coach Pearl in our relationship, he knew what was in me and that's often. That's really why I believe he gave me the opportunity to come coach with him at the University of Tennessee after I did graduate and get done playing, because he knew the type of person I was and the discipline that was in me and wanted me to be a part of his program here in Tennessee.

Speaker 2: 12:58

See, I did not know that piece of the story. We have not talked about that, which really makes it very unique, which was the next piece that I was gonna lead us towards, uh, that you just alluded to. You know to have lacked some of that discipline off the court and, quite frankly, you're being honest and I love the transparency and the authenticity. You didn't have the college degree you could have had. It really does make it so unique and says even more about the relationship that you have with Coach Pearl. He brought you with him to the University of Tennessee as a coach. So tell us about that transitioning from being an athlete to then following your dream, just like your parents, to stay involved in the game that you love so much as a coach at a very, very high level. Most people that's not where they start their coaching career.

Speaker 3: 13:47

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Speaker 1: 14:17

Yeah, you know, I remember coming down. I'd never been to Knoxville and Coach Pearl offered me a job to come coach with him in Tennessee. And I'm rolling down the street in a Teal minivan my parents' Teal minivan and I find the radio station about an hour outside of Knoxville and it's sports talk. You know, I grew up in the Chicagoland area so my dad was always listening to sports talk but it was always Bulls, bears, cubs. You know professional sports because we're in a big city and I'm pulling into Knoxville about an hour out and I find the sports station and they're talking about football recruiting and women's softball. It was like June 1st Talking about football recruiting at the University of Tennessee and women's softball. I'm like man, this must be the university radio station or some small town radio station. No, it was the main sports radio station in Knoxville. Tennessee. And that was my first eye opening of this is going to be different Because this place they live and breathe Tennessee athletics.

Speaker 1: 15:17

I mean, they're over the top about their Tennessee athletics and that was an eye-opening for me of what I was about to be a part of Coach Pearl taking the Tennessee job. I remember him telling me when he was thinking about leaving and I asked him the question. I said, coach, would you ever leave Milwaukee? And he told me he said, mark, I'll never leave and take a job that you guys as a team wouldn't be kicking me out the door saying, hey, coach, man, you've got to take this job.

Speaker 1: 15:47

And when we went to the Sweet 16, we lost to Illinois in the Sweet 16. They went on to the national championship that year and after that game, two days later, he called us in to say he was taking the Tennessee job. We were like, coach, tennessee, that's Tennessee football, lady Vols basketball, tennessee basketball they're terrible. Why would you ever take that job? Then, coming down here, when he offers me the job to become coach, I saw it. This place is special and with what Pearl did with the program, taking it to new heights, and now with Rick Barnes, it was special to be a part of what those guys did. Konzo Martin, to be on a staff for seven years being a part of some pretty cool championship runs and some pretty cool moments with the program, was special.

Speaker 2: 16:39

When we first had the opportunity to really spend time together when you brought me down to do some training with your firm and some planning and we had that Konzo Martin connection from you staying at Tennessee was a really special thing from the time I got to spend with him at University of Missouri and you know you really had a great run as a collegiate coach. You were around some amazing leaders and you reached a point where you had a very tough decision, a decision of transition, and I know many people listening you know we go through these periods of time of transition. Am I in the right place, where I'm supposed to be? You know, are you supposed to be? Are you supposed to be a college coach forever? As the person who was like me at a young age brokering paper, was I supposed to broker paper forever? So everybody listening that feels like maybe I'm not in the spot that I'm supposed to be. I want you to pay attention to the details of what Mark's going to get into, because there's a very unique thing about this.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Mark didn't give up on coaching. Mark didn't not excel at coaching. Mark decided he wanted a different challenge and there might be a different chapter and he took his success to a very high level through this transition we're going to talk about with financial services. But what I want to highlight here is the fact that he was offered a job to go with Coach Pearl to Auburn. He could have continued to be a coach and, like I said, you're starting at Tennessee, you're getting a chance to go to Auburn, could have been a college head coach one day, but he decided maybe there was a transition, and transition can be tough. Transition can come with a struggle of having to refine your identity and I know this is something that's really important to you. That was a struggle but became a source of strength as you refound your next chapters of success. But tell us a little bit about that, mark, because I always appreciate your willingness to be real about how hard it is to make a decision like that.

Speaker 1: 18:38

But then the struggle of the identity shift that takes place, yeah, well, one thing about me, whether it's in our financial practice, whether it's in my coaching, whether it's my youth sports, I'm going to always keep it real, because I hate when people get up and talk in front of folks and they talk in absolutes or they give off the impression that they got it all together. Man, I don't. There's things I struggle with every day, so I try to keep it real all the time. So when I left coaching, I'd been coaching for seven years. I wasn't planning on leaving, but I hadn't been home much for the last couple weeks at that time and my daughter who's now almost 14, was about two and a half years old, and so I went to go pick her up from the little condo. Me and my wife were staying in to give my wife a break and I was going to take my two and a half year old to a recruiting dinner with Konzo Martin. We had some recruits, and so I picked her up and we're driving down Neyland Drive, which is actually right outside my office now, to the restaurant that we're having the recruiting dinner, and on that road, as you go to the restaurant, up on the left, there is the arena where the Vols play in and the coaches' offices are. And my two-and-a-half-year-old you know two-and-a-half. They don't know much, they can't even say much. But at two and a half years old she looked out the window and pointed to the arena and said daddy's home, daddy's home. And um. That for me was it, was it. It was a Friday, um. I went into Konzo's office on Monday and said coach, I'm out. Um, at this time Konzo Martin had taken over. I'd worked with him for two seasons and I told Konzo Coach, I'm getting out, I'm done coaching. I said I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I'm getting out.

Speaker 1: 20:28

And that was hard, you know, because you started with high school. And look, I don't like talking about high school, but the reality is is my entire life. My dad played collegiate basketball. It was really successful. My mom played college athletics my entire life. Basketball is what our family was seen as. That was really what my identity was, and so the thought of leaving in a town where I didn't really know anybody. I've been here 70 years. But when you're coaching, you're sleeping in the arena. Sometimes You're waking up early, you're getting home at night, like you don't have a life outside of ball and outside of those relationships inside of the locker room.

Speaker 1: 21:06

So, deciding to leave, I didn't know what I was going to do, man, and it was hard, you know. I thought about getting into real estate. I thought about getting into medical sales, because my dad's family business was in medical sales. I thought about staying in and around athletics. But the Lord and two people really Coach Pearl and my wife really encouraged me to get into the financial planning services.

Speaker 1: 21:35

I was a finance major but it was really hard because I tell people all the time, man, like I could call about anybody in town and I'm not exaggerating when I say about anybody in town, we're a very successful SEC program. I could call about anybody in town when I was coaching and say hey, ben, business owner Ben, you know, president Ben, like, this is Mark Pankratz. I'm an assistant basketball coach at the University of Tennessee. Man, I just had some time come up on my schedule to grab lunch. You want to go grab lunch tomorrow? Ninety-nine percent of people. If they're in town, they would have said yes.

Speaker 1: 22:09

Now you get out, you go into the financial services industry. You talk about getting your teeth punched in every day. You got people that were friends, people. You know how it is right.

Speaker 1: 22:19

You thought you were close with you call them and it's all of a sudden like you got leprosy or something, like they don't want to talk to you and and that, but my identity being involved, like that's how people saw me and it, man, it was hard to have to go walk away from that, and so I know what people are dealing with. Like when your business isn't going well, do you get down If you're done playing? I got professional advice. Like when you're done playing, your identity is gone. Like so much of us wrap our identity up in what we do or who we are and how much money we make, and if we do, I'm telling you it's going to be empty. You've got to find one, whether it's your faith or the other things, that you can tie it to that prizefighter day, that you can tie your identity to that, because that's only what's going to that. That's not going to change, that's not going nowhere let me, let me paint a picture.

Speaker 2: 23:15

It is, and, and I knew you would bring that level of emotion and rawness, and I think that's what people need to hear. You know, one of the words that comes to my mind is courage. You know, for those of you that have been around collegiate athletics, or for those of you that know the comfort of doing something where you're excelling at a very high level and winning, it is hard to make a decision to pivot. It is hard to make a decision to pivot. It is hard to make a decision to go start over. And if you're listening to Mark, that's what he did. And for those of you that might be struggling, might be questioning, or maybe you are already achieving at a high level, but you're thinking, maybe there's something else for me, sometimes you need to take a step back and have that courage to evaluate the decisions and choices that you're making. It's amazing that a two and a half year old would hit you dead and square in between the eyes like that, but what's also amazing is the courage that you display. I know you're going to remain humble, but I just want to share with everybody the life insurance industry, now me, having been a former high level financial advisor, the life insurance industry now me, having been a former high-level financial advisor it is one of the hardest industries in the world Life insurance sales and now the investment side but just life insurance is one of the hardest businesses in the world and when Mark started, that was the focus. You know. Now he's part of a team, axiom Wealth, which is, I mean, some of the levels of clients and the things that you're doing. It is at the highest level in the world in terms of money management and you're growing a team and now as a managing director where you're recruiting, developing and leading others. It's extraordinary the career that you've built and I just I want to highlight that because I think it's important and your clients, who are listening, know it and they're probably going. This is amazing, that same passion that I feel when you sit down to talk about their financial plans. Now they have an understanding of where that came from, because anything you do, you give it everything that you've got. It's one of the things I love and admire about you.

Speaker 2: 25:13

I want to pull something together here because I think it's incredibly important. You are also part of our Standard Elite Mastermind, so it's a group of 15 individuals from around the world. No more. We spend a lot of time together and it's an opportunity to really get deep in a group setting one-on-one. It's the only way that I do one-on-one coaching with individuals today, one-on-one coaching with individuals today, and I've learned about you and our group even saw it your belief, and I'm going to say this, and many people have heard me say this before, no-transcript.

Speaker 2: 25:51

For those individuals who think you either work or you spend time with your family, you have become an amazing example of making family a priority, making church a priority, making coaching your kids in youth athletics a priority, making your business a priority. When we put together the crazy idea to do a Knoxville summit, which Peyton Manning couldn't even pull off in Knoxville, and we had the opportunity to do that together and it wouldn't have happened without you and the fire and passion that you put into that, the team that we put together to make that happen. But you really ended up being the catalyst because you would not quit. And I'm wondering how does this guy even have the time to do this on top of everything else, plus running a financial services practice, plus being on TV, plus being on radio? How in the hell do you do all this, mark? Because you know most people just say I'm going to work and then I'm going to go on vacation with my kids. But you found a way to make all of these things coaching your kids, church, all of it a priority?

Speaker 2: 26:57

How is it that you go about doing that?

Speaker 1: 27:00

Well, for one, my wife is incredibly awesome. She's my biggest supporter. You know, what I've come to realize the last couple years is really, I mean, really I'm in the people business. When you wake up every day just trying to help people and you're not caught up and look, I had the conversation with my wife. You talked about the coaching side Bruce, pearl and Konzo, all these coaches they give me a hard time because I came to middle school girls' basketball coach at my daughter's middle school. But you know, at the end of the day, you know I'm in the people business. And we had the conversation like, if I did that because my focus at night right, we practice at night and the weekends and I've got a great team on the financial side but that could be cost us millions of dollars, right, like if I chose to every night or on the weekends, like put all my energy just into financial planning the money, I mean it would be crazy, it'd be, it'd be silly.

Speaker 1: 28:09

But that that's not what I'm called to do. That's not what I'm about. It's about. It's not about making more money. I want to be there for my kids. I want to. I want to impact other people's lives. You know, uh, uh, lead um to Bible studies, you know, and and like that's the type of discipleship, coaching, impacting, that I love. Um, financial planning is a big part of it, but there's so much else to life that I get excited about and at the end of the day, it's just about helping people. I don't know how I do it all the time. I've got to get better at it sometimes of managing even the own time. It's definitely not perfect, but when you feel like you're called and the Lord's been giving you the ability, with a lot in the tank, like he's given me work ethic, I mean he's given that to me. I like to work. He doesn't give everybody that Um, and I got to use it.

Speaker 1: 29:06

Now I will say, like the one thing that I've wrestled with and it goes back to my people comment is I had this thought a couple of years ago why I got into leadership management you know, being the managing director of Northwestern as opposed to keeping an advisor. I was praying about. I was in church and tears coming down my eyes, the Lord put on my heart like if I died that day. It was sad to me to think about that. I think one of the first things that people would have said about me about three years ago was man, that mark pancras guy, man, that dude works his tail off. That guy works hard. Man, he's a hard worker. Like what does that mean? Right, like that's great, it's good.

Speaker 1: 29:51

But is that the really the first thing that I want people to say about me when I'm not here? No, it's about impact. Like man, mark cared for me, mark made impact, mark helped my kids, like that stuff. Like, yeah, you got to work hard to do all that. Yeah, you got to be involved in a lot of different things. I am, but it's about what type of impact are we making in the effort that we give towards the things that we care about, and don't worry about what everybody else thinks. It doesn't matter about the money. It doesn't matter about the things, it don't matter about the title. It matters about the impact that you're making with the time and where you're spending your time.

Speaker 2: 30:32

Well, I can attest from being a small part of it and watching that your commitment to that is what's happening and that's what people already do and will say about you For those that are listening. And I go back to that transition, that courage, you know you really have earned that title coach. You know, not only have you kept a whiteboard around as everybody can see over his shoulder such a coach move to have a whiteboard that big in your office. But you know those girls that I get to watch. You know our daughter, kennedy, goes down and plays in the Tennessee Miracle Tournament and you know our families get to support each other and go in between games and I get to watch you on that sideline and I'm just blessed that you have your voice today because most of the time your voice is gone from coaching these girls.

Speaker 2: 31:24

But the passion you put in you're having an impact. I know there's things that I know that many people don't know of how you're received in the Knoxville community and still in that athletic department in Knoxville and you are having an impact there. I know you're having an impact in your home because I see the relationship that you have with Brooke. I know that you're having an impact with Axiom and with Northwestern Mutual, because I know so many of your advisors and I know your partner, Jim Lipinska the two of you just work your tails off together and I know your partner, jim Lipinska the two of you just work your tails off together and, you know, had the blessing of working for years with Andrew King, your top advisor, who's an extraordinary individual, and you know so.

Speaker 2: 32:04

You've done these amazing things. Where people say these incredible things about you, brother, you you are a coach, you are a leader and you are an example for all of us that you can do more than one thing and you can say more than one thing can be a priority, because we live in a world where that's not what we're told. You know, the easy way is to go say I'm going to make more money and then, if I make more money, everything will take care of itself. Maybe one day I'll coach my kids and I just admire how you attack all these areas of your life.

Speaker 1: 32:34

Yeah, thank you, I appreciate it and you're a big part of it, and I just encourage people. You can't do it alone and you need people around you. You need people that maybe their fight's a little bit different, but they're fighting to grow and fighting to be better, and it is. It can be lonely when you're fighting to do things that are different and to stand out for the right ways. But, man, do our kids need people to stand up for them? Does our country need people that are willing to stand up and be different? Do our businesses? Yes, everybody. And it takes courage, it takes getting uncomfortable, but now more than ever do people need those that are willing to stand up and get uncomfortable for the right things, and I just encourage people to stand up and do it. And because there's people that are watching, even if they don't say something to you, you can be having that impact just by the way that you show up every day.

Speaker 2: 33:33

And I know you do not do things for money. You do not do things for money, uh, you do not do things for recognition. So I'm going to highlight one more thing about you, but this is really more so to be an example for somebody who might be where you were when you heard those words going down neyland avenue and your daughter looked up and said daddy, there's your home. I want individuals who have maybe been struggling, maybe been second-guessing am I doing what I want to do? Think about where we've taken you in this conversation. You started with somebody who loved basketball so much so that went on an improbable run, goes and plays collegiate basketball, goes, becomes a collegiate coach, then transitions to being a very, very, very highly successful financial advisor and leader in financial services, and now he still gets to coach. Now the University of Tennessee has him on TV and doing radio. All the things he's always loved are still a part of his life. So just because you maybe close the door on being a coach doesn't mean you're closing the door on the things that you love, and God has an amazing way of opening all of the doors for you to be able to live a life that includes everything, everything that you love. But, mark, I'm going to leave it in your hands because this is really important to me. You know, when I have my own show, you know, sometimes an organization brings me and I can't talk about faith and you can't talk about politics. Well, I own the burn, this is my show, and so we could talk about faith if we want to talk about faith. And in the Knoxville Summit, you ended the Knoxville Summit in a way that I've never had an event end, quite frankly, and it was a blessing, it was amazing, and you ended it with faith.

Speaker 2: 35:24

And I want to encourage everybody to share this episode. I want to encourage everybody to join us for the burn every single week, where you're going to hear these kinds of stories. You're going to hear different mindsets of what it takes to compete and to win at the highest of levels, where why and purpose is not enough. You have to understand that burn that ignites why and purpose and causes you to show up on days that you don't feel like it, but especially after you win.

Speaker 2: 35:49

So make sure you share this, make sure you subscribe, make sure you share and subscribe our docu-series where Marcus had his cameos of doing the unrequired workouts with me, but I just want to tell you, thank you. I want to tell you how much I appreciate our friendship, how much I appreciate the opportunity to coach and to work with you, but I want to give you the floor to end today's episode with faith, wherever God leads your heart to do this, because God has done an amazing job of giving you the ability, because you've remained faithful, because you've remained courageous and because you've believed, rather than choosing to be fearful, to have all these things in your life, and I believe so much of that has to do with faith. So, mark, I'm going to let you drop the mic and finish this episode of the Burn Well, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 36:43

Yeah, you know, think about all the different challenges and all the different tugs of the cape or of the shirt that we have. It's why we did the Knoxville Summit is because I really feel like there's so many high achievers out there that just kind of feel like they're on an island and they don't know where to turn. They don't know who to talk to, because you know they, they go to their business and they feel like they got to have it all together. Right, they got to lead people through the storm that we're in in this economy. They they go home and they got to share with their spouse like, hey, everything's going to be all right, we're going to be all everything, everything is good with our kit. They needed a place to come together and realize we all have challenges we talked about at the Knoxville Summit. I need you and hopefully you need me, because then together we can all rise and together we can grow and do great things. At the end of the day, we're all flawed. I just believe that the Lord, our God, is the one that we can lean on no matter what, and he's with us. He's there for us and he can be there no matter what to help us through, and at the end of the Knoxville Summit, I did the same thing. I was like man look, I helped put this thing on, and y'all may not like it, but since I don't put it on, I'm going to do it. And so I think about you know, we had Bruce Pearl and Carol Austin and Justin Gatlin and you and Adam Wright, the CEO of Pilot, which is a $50 billion company. That all spoke, and I was like man, how am I going to end this? You know, how am I going to end it in a way that is impactful, as some of the words that these other folks had shared, and I didn't know any other way to add impact beyond what they did than do it through prayer. And so, if it's okay, I'll take 20 seconds and I'll just end us in prayer and then we can have it be a wrap.

Speaker 1: 38:27

So, dearly Father, god, I just thank you for the impact that Ben is making, an impact for his team. God, I pray that you watch over all those that are listening and just help them to grow closer to you, give them clarity on wherever you're pulling them and give them the courage and the confidence to know that you're with them and that you are for them. God, I pray that the things that they're going through, that you just bless and that you just continue to show up every day, and, god, we just thank you for everything you're doing In Jesus' name. I pray, continue to show up every day, and, god, we just thank you for everything you're doing In Jesus' name. I pray, amen, amen, ben thanks, brother, man, the impact that you've made on my life and continue to make it's like none other man, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Speaker 2: 39:09

I thank you, I appreciate you Much love and we are just getting started Burn.