The Burn Podcast by Ben Newman
Join Ben Newman, highly regarded Performance Coach, International Keynote Speaker and 2x WSJ Best-Seller, as he takes you into the minds of some of the highest performers in sports and business to tell their full story. The "Burn" is something we all have, but rarely do people uncover and connect to it. Ben helps people from all walks of life reach their true maximum potential.
Ben has worked with coaches and players from the last 6 Super Bowl Champion teams and currently serves as the Performance Coach for the Big 12 Champion Kansas State football team in his 9th season (3 National Championships at North Dakota State) with Head Coach Chris Klieman. Ben served 5 years as the Mental Conditioning Coach for the 18x National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Lastly, Ben also has served at his alma mater as a Performance Coach for Michigan State University’s football and basketball programs.
For the last two decades, Ben has been serving as the Peak Performance Coach for the top 1% of financial advisors globally and for Fortune 500 business executives.
Ben’s clients have included: Microsoft, United States Army, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Quicken Loans, MARS Snackfoods, AstraZeneca, Northwestern Mutual, AFA Singapore, Mass Financial Group, Frontier Companies, Wells Fargo Advisors, Great West Life Canada, Boston Medical Center, Boys & Girls Club of America, New York Life as well as thousands of executives, entrepreneurs, athletes and sales teams from around the globe.
Millions of people and some of the top performers in the world have been empowered by Ben through his books, educational content, coaching programs, podcast, and live events.
The Burn Podcast by Ben Newman
Miami Dolphins Director of Player Engagement, Alexander Martin
This week on The Burn Podcast, I’m thrilled to sit down with, Alexander Martin, in a great conversation that dives into transitions, relationships, and player engagement. Alexander shares his journey of unexpected opportunities that led him to impact student athlete development at the University of Miami and his role in player engagement. We discuss our mutual relationship with Kaleb Thornhill and the importance of intentional connections in our careers, especially within football.
Alexander emphasizes the crucial role of preparing players for life beyond the field, and his insights into handling transitions and building strong bonds with players offer invaluable lessons. We explore how his dedication to showing up for others without expecting anything in return has left a lasting influence, and how this principle is essential in finding fulfillment and purpose in life.
We also touch on the cultural shift in the Miami Dolphins, driven by Coach McDaniel and the unique mix of rookie energy and veteran wisdom, highlighting the contributions of players like Alec Ingold to the team’s positive environment.
I’m incredibly grateful for Alexander’s openness and the wisdom he brings, and I'm confident you’ll find inspiration in his approach to life and career. Don’t miss this episode if you're looking to understand the power of serving others and the significance of relationships in achieving success.
Timestamp Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Alexander Martin's Transition Journey
10:32 - Relationship with Caleb Thornhill
15:20 - Role of Intentional Relationships
22:04 - Preparing Players for Life Beyond Football
30:45 - Cultural Shift in the Miami Dolphins
35:50 - Impact of Players like Alec Ingold
41:05 - Alexander’s Positive Energy and Life Discipline
48:20 - Handling Late-Night Calls and Uncertainty
55:10 - The Dichotomy of Love for Football and Business
1:02:30 - Significance of Player Relationships
1:10:15 - Conclusion and Gratitude
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Every new transition that I've had in my life was I was transitioning into a place that I was never familiar with, that I didn't know existed. Again, student athlete development didn't know that was a thing until I got to UM Player engagement. Didn't know this existed until Caleb called me, you know. So the fire that I have is I wake up every day thinking something new could happen today.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to another episode of the Burn. I am Ben Newman and you know how we do this every single week we're going to bring you a story of an athlete, an entertainer, a celebrity, an entrepreneur, somebody who has recognized that why and purpose is not enough. There's this underlying burn that ignites your why and purpose and causes you to show up on the days you don't feel like it, and especially after you win. Today's a special opportunity, because these days we don't get to do that many in-person interviews, with busy schedules, and things just changed after COVID when it came to the in-person. But you guys are noticing a couple of things. Number one, we have a guest in person and number two, I'm not in my standard black. I got Miami Dolphins gear on today and Alex Martin, welcome to the burn.
Speaker 1:Happy to be here. Happy to be here Always, good to connect with you.
Speaker 2:Always great to connect with you. For me, today is special because it's my eighth year kicking off doing work for the Miami Dolphins. And this Miami Dolphins, a big shout out to Caleb Thornhill. Yes, caleb, we love you. We don't want to get any shit from you by not giving you a big shout out. I wouldn't be here without Caleb Thornhill, neither would I. Alex Martin wouldn't be here without Caleb Thornhill.
Speaker 2:But, alex, one of the things that I've appreciated is the continued opportunity to be with the Dolphins. Obviously, caleb has given me that opportunity, but you being here, I want to talk a little bit about backstory, because I think it's really unique. You played college football. You then had the opportunity in the collegiate level to work at the University of Miami in this capacity and now taking over really we don't want his head to get too big but the legend Caleb Thornhill. He really changed player engagement in the NFL not at the Miami Dolphins, though, and you have carried on the traditions and the standards of that role, and certainly I appreciate you've continued on the standard of bringing me back. That's part of the standard, but I love how important relationships are to you. Why has that been so important for you on your journey in life and around the game of football.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's interesting because I think relationships really is the key to life, you know, just getting to where you want to go, but then also making sure that everyone that you want to go with you goes as well. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for, you know, relationships and you know it all started from my mentor, you know from way back playing college football, dr Derek Williams. You know he was the first one to really sit me down and ask the question like, what are you prepared to do after football? You know, after college football. And so me connecting with him was like my first real professional relationship, who turned into my mentor, and I think that's what opened the door for me to understanding. Like yo, there's a lot that I don't know and there's a lot that I haven't been exposed to, but that shouldn't stop me from meeting other people that have had those experiences and then, you know, talking to them and having conversations about just what else there is out there.
Speaker 1:I didn't know student athlete development existed until I started doing it at the university of Miami, because we didn't have that at SIU, where I was playing Like, I had my academic advisor, you know, telling me when and where I needed to be at class and then my coach telling me when and where I needed to be at practice. But when it came to the personal development, the leadership development, the when it came to the personal development, the leadership development, the life skill aspect, and how important it was to giving back to the community, like I had to learn all that on my own. But when I got to UM and met Sherelle Jackson she's the one who I first met and I met her my first week at the job and I was like you know, my name is Alex Martin, I work in student activities, you know, and she was like well, I oversee the personal career and leadership development for all 400 student athletes across 18 teams. And so in my mind I'm like, well, where were you at when I was playing? Because I didn't have that, you know.
Speaker 1:And so I connected with her and, sure enough, one day she called me, you know, and we went to breakfast one day and you know, she had a real shiny folder end up being a job description and in the job description was student athlete development.
Speaker 1:And she was like, I know you've never worked in this capacity before, but I think your experience, not only in event planning, programming and in the life skills aspect.
Speaker 1:Plus, being a former student athlete can really help connect with our student athletes here at UM. And so, interesting enough, like I never had to learn any new skills, like my first job like was GA for campus activities at SIU, so I was planning events and programs and I went from doing that from students at SIU to the general student population at UM and then went from doing it for the general student population at UM to doing it with the UM athletes, you know. But I just had a passion for student athletes because that's where I was and my ultimate goal was to help student athletes with the transition that I didn't have the help in getting outside of Dr Williams and so really, again, that was a relationship that I had formed. So I think ultimately relationships help prepare you for what's next, because oftentimes we don't know what's next until someone introduces us to an opportunity that we may not have seen coming.
Speaker 2:One of the things if we hone in on that word transition, because I admire this about Caleb and I admire this about you you and Caleb both had an unbelievable knack. You have that knack for, after a transition, retirement, getting cut, that you maintain these relationships. And a lot of that is because of how intentional you are in bringing in a Hillary Seiler, bringing me in all of these individuals you know, even today having Lulu Lemon for just brand exposure and connection to community. You've been so intentional. Why is that transition piece so important? Because I know there's many individuals in a role like yours who would think like I'm just responsible for making sure you're ready to transition to that practice field and transition to that locker room. So why have the elements of the whole player as a person been so important?
Speaker 1:Yeah well, the best part about my job is that it's not tied to the win and loss column, like my role is tied to the player and the player making sure he's the most holistic version of themselves. Another thing that I got from Caleb we're here to make sure that they're the best. Yes, football is what we're here for, but outside of being a football player, you're a father, a brother, a son, an uncle, a nephew, a partner, a community organizer, a community member, philanthropist. You have all these other identities that you can help grow and transition into outside of football. But oftentimes players don't have the right people or the opportunities to tap into those other identities right. And so for me, when a player comes into a Dolphins as a rookie, and whether they stay or get cut or whatever, like, I'm always going to continue to connect with them because once they're brought into this room, whether if they leave, I'm still reach out because I care for that person, I want them to grow and I want to succeed.
Speaker 1:But I also know how hard transition is. We all experience transition in different ways. Some. I also know how hard transition is. We all experience transition in different ways. Some of us go from transitioning into singlehood to it. Or from childhood to adulthood, from a college athletic player to a professional league player, from practice squad to active, from active to cut, from playing an active player to retirement. We all have these different transitions in life. But, again, we're not taught how to handle these transitions because we don't know when it happens. Sometimes you can go from being an active player to on IR because you get an injury. You didn't expect to plan for that injury, but while I'm in this role I can help the player prepare for these transitions based on not only my experience but what I know about the player.
Speaker 1:Again, we can't be in these roles in player development and not know our locker room. We can't just clock in at eight and leave at five. That'd be doing us a disservice, players a disservice, our organization a disservice. This isn't a role where you can just check the box and leave. I would be doing our locker room a disservice if I never went in there and connected with who the players are outside of football. Hey, how's the wife? Hey, no-transcript player.
Speaker 1:Get to that next step in their life or, like we talked about today, the new chapter in their life, because that next chapter could be going from practice squad to getting elevated for the next game, or going from practice squad to the active roster, like for that some guys it can go to their head, you know they get, they get that first check, that first real check and all of a sudden they're not playing the same because they got the bag already and now they're just good.
Speaker 1:Or if you're coming in as an undrafted player and you and you end up making the active roster, huge life change, huge life change for anybody. How do you handle that? You know? So for me, transition is key and that's where I kind of hone in in my role is helping guys through that transition into the NFL, through the NFL and eventually retirement out of the NFL. But again, it all, to me it all comes down to the relationship that you establish with the player, because the more they trust you, you know, I think it betters the conversation to help them handle whatever that transition may be to the next stage in their life.
Speaker 2:And those relationships are critically important because there's a I would almost call it a hidden piece of what these players go through. That a fan doesn't realize Everything.
Speaker 1:Monday to Saturday.
Speaker 2:Which you said it earlier, which was so powerful. You said there's the NFL side of the business and then there's this game that we love and people think this is all, just it's about playing a game that you love and they don't realize the business component Absolutely. So tell us a little bit about, maybe, the struggle and the strain that people don't understand that these players have to go through to do what they do on a daily basis.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So I still connect with a lot of like my college colleagues from my time in playing in college or working and playing in college athletics and you know they always say what's something that we can tell our football players about the next level? And I always say you have to love football to play it at the next level. But the key word is you have to love football to play it at the next level, not necessarily love the NFL, because the NFL brings the business side Right. So we all grew up playing from peewee to junior high, high school, college football. We love the game of football because of the intensity, the tenacity, the life skills it brings. We just love competition. But when you add the NFL aspect to it, there's a business side where you can get cut at any moment.
Speaker 1:Football's not so much fun. If you just got a phone call saying, hey, gm wants to talk to you, bring your iPad and your playbook, that's not fun. Or if you're on the bubble of a roster, like maybe you're at the top of the 90-man roster and you realize that your team just drafted their first-round draft pick on a player that's in your same position group Well, they essentially just drafted your replacement, football's not so fun anymore, right? If you're good on the roster and you're playing Sundays, football is fun, right? So there's this crazy dynamic between the game that we love to play, which is football, but the NFL, which is the business side, and sometimes it's hard to see both of them Like, yes, I love all of it, and sometimes it's hard to separate it and be like no, like it is what it is. And so essentially, what I do is I help our players understand the realities of both. Yes, you've been playing football your entire life, but you've never played it at this level.
Speaker 1:Every rep means something. Every rep is being evaluated, whether that's a rep in the weight room or the rep on the field. Everything is recorded Body language, what you're doing in between plays, are you taking plays off? All that's being recorded. So everyone's going to see something, right. But the biggest thing for me about football is understanding that you got to love it, to play it at this level, because we're locked in for the next six, seven, eight months, like once training camp starts, that's the season clock.
Speaker 1:We're here from you know what, july all the way to January, potentially February, every single day, monday through Sunday. Most guys aren't used to that. We have this thing called the rookie wall where when most college football players come to the nfl as a rookie, they're used to being on the back end of, you know, the season late november, early december, unless you have like a late bowl game or something like that in the nfl. You still have to season in november to go like december. You still get, you still got about what six to eight and they keep extending the same thing, exactly so it's not getting any shorter. So we have this thing called the rookie wall where there's a point where you know me and kayla who helps uh, who helps me in player engagement.
Speaker 1:We sit the rookies down with some veterans and we ask the question how did you get over the rookie wall when it came the last week of november or the first week of december? And you still realize you got, you know, six to eight games to go and you're used to being done in college at this time. How did you like, how did you deal with it? You know it starts with taking care of your body. You know, and understanding that this is what a lot of people hope and pray to do. You know, and a big key to that is understanding that you got to love it to play at this level. Like you can love football but understand there is a business side.
Speaker 1:And I'll spend, you know, four months with the 20 to 30 rookies. I'll spend four months breaking bread, chopping it up, watching them at practice, spending an hour and a half within a day about life skills, you know, teaching them about what this means, what this means, what it means to be in the NFL as a rookie, in my mind knowing that between all 20 and 30 of them, maybe eight to 10 will actually make the roster. But that doesn't change my approach to them. My approach is always going to be do what you need to do to stay here. Like, if I know they're a bubble guy or they're a tryout guy, that might not make the roster, that's not going to change how I feel about them. I could care less if you make the team or not. If you make the team great, if you don't, let's work towards the next phase of the transition piece.
Speaker 2:There's something going on in this building right now and, having been around eight years, seen some ups and downs, to me there's something different. I think Coach McDaniel brings something different to this building. All the work that you do, I think, brings something different, but I've been able to build these relationships over eight years from the Jason.
Speaker 2:Sanders, who's still in the building seven years to Tua and Waddle, who are guys that I've been close with since they were at Alabama and now seeing them in the building, and the Skyler Thompsons or the Jalen Phillips and the Javon Hollins and these individuals I was able to work with as rookies. Now they're becoming veterans A really unique rookie class that's locked in and focused it's been 24 years and I know the wins and losses is not, you know, your focus is on the player, but I feel like there's something special going on in this building. I feel like it's a special group of individuals. I think there's a culture shift that I feel that's taken place. How do you feel about this roster and some of the changes that have happened in this organization?
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Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean, I feel like coming in here each and every day. Everyone understands the importance of one, what it means to be a Miami Dolphin, but also what it means to be a family. You know, I think that's something that Coach McDaniel harps on a lot is the importance of the family aspect. When you take a look at our locker room, you see a lot of guys where we have a good mix of, you know, obviously, rookies but veterans that are, you know, some are four years, some are five years, you know, some are 10 plus years. When you have that kind of experience, coupled with this new wave of rookies that are coming in from the NIL era and things like that, there really tends to be a unique mesh. That happens to where and you know selfishly, I kind of you know, dab this up to player engagement to where we're finding creative ways to connect our locker room, you know, between rookies and veterans new guys, you know, from free agency, or you know guys that have been veterans on the same team, just finding unique ways to connect the guys into what seems more like a family than it does a team.
Speaker 1:And I think there's a unique difference there, like as a team, like, yeah, you can play well, but do you guys play well together? You know, is there an individualistic mentality? That happens, um, but when you're a family that plays well together, I think it just adds a different dynamic. And when you're having the, the family mentality come from the top down, everyone feels it, you know so. Everyone enjoys coming in every day. No one really sweats the blood, sweat and tears that you have to put in. But what I love about this locker room is like they care about each other. You know, there isn't an individualistic mentality. Everyone loves connecting with each other. I'm watching guys that are spending their off season still doing community work together.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I think about Alec Ingold. I mean another, just I mean one of the best human beings I've ever.
Speaker 1:I mean it's just he's an extraordinary human being.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that in your locker room makes a difference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, giving back, serving a holistic individual.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and when you're able to have a leader like alec ingold doing that and be so open, honest and upfront about it, like it, it clears the way for other guys to be like yeah, I want to that too.
Speaker 1:I mean, we have guys all over that locker room that do so much and oftentimes goes unnoticed, because a lot of that you're not going to see that on the bottom ticker on ESPN that might not be the highlight, you know the first thing Monday morning on the networks, but I see that and I'm like that's what makes a difference in a locker room. You know guys who, yes, they take football seriously, but at the same time they connect with their players and they connect with the community. And you know South Florida has waited a long time to see something special from the Dolphins. So I think what people are feeling is that different. It comes from right here, them understanding this is a different team and I think the difference they're talking about is that family aspect, that they can feel how closely everyone is, from staff, coaches, players, like everyone's locked in because we all have the same goal in mind. But it just feels different because now, like I think, we're starting to see it more amongst the players, the coaches and the staff.
Speaker 2:So I'd love to finish this episode of the burn not talking about the Miami dolphins, not talking about players, talking about you. Yeah, there's. There's a electric um nature of your smile, where you take advantage of every day. And from when the transition took place, when caleb was starting to realize he was going to have new opportunities, whether it be with pack or now the amazing things he's doing with the spurs when he brought you in, there was just an energy like when you smile, it's like, man, I'm going to attack this. Where does your fire for life come from? Where did the discipline come from? Because I think a lot of people don't realize and Caleb and I used to talk about this it's hard to do what you do. Very. You're not leaving this at 5 o'clock, not at all. This is a 24-hour opportunity you've signed up for. Where does the discipline, aside from relationships? I know that's important to you, but what are you built on? What is your burn? What is your fun?
Speaker 1:Where does that discipline come from for you? Yeah, well, it's interesting because, again, I didn't know prior to this I was at UM doing student development. I didn't know that existed until I got to UM. I didn't know player engagement in the NFL existed until Caleb called me and I remember to this day. He called me like noon on a Tuesday and was like you know, we topped it up for a couple of minutes. Like can you, are you free at two o'clock for an interview? I wasn't, but I made myself free for the interview which was that same day. And then at the end of that interview he was like we'll come up to the facility on Thursday and spent the entire day there doing interviewing in person. Called me the following Tuesday let me know that they were going to make a decision. Called the following Thursday with an offer in time of contract Friday. So it took eight days, you know, to the fastest job like job.
Speaker 3:I've ever been a part of.
Speaker 1:But I say that because every new transition that I've had in my life was I was transitioning into a place that I was never familiar with, that didn't know existed. Again, student athlete development didn't know that was a thing until I got to UM, player engagement. Didn't know this existed until Caleb called me, you know. So the fire that I have is I wake up every day thinking something new could happen today, whether, if it's a new conversation, somebody new that I meet, a new idea that could help me, help somebody else. Um, I'm born, thriving, bred to be built for whatever comes next. And the fact that I never, I never know what it is, that's what excites me again. Like, I got a random phone call from Caleb one day, a random 12 o'clock. Like random. Now, I had known him before that him and my former supervisor, sherelle. They were cool because they have the same job in two different areas college and pros. So we have met before, we've had lunch before, but like I didn't know him intimately, like I know him now, um, but again, that phone call came out of nowhere and it changed my life. Um, the day that shirelle called me and asked for, you know, breakfast, I didn't know that was going to be another job description, like I didn't know that. But every opportunity that I've been blessed to have, I feel like god has put me in a position to not only be prepared for it, but exceed to where, then leads me to wherever he wants me to be. Next, and that's where my fire comes from, is knowing that I don't know how long God has me in this space, but as long as I'm here, I'm going to maximize it, because whatever I'm doing now is what's going to help propel me, prepare me for whatever's next. And so I love it, man. Like again, every year is a new rookie class, every year is a new locker room, every year is a new season, every year is a new schedule. Like there's nothing is ever the same with football, nothing is ever the same with player engagement. I have 90 players in the locker room right now. That's 90 different personalities with 180 different issues that could pop up at any moment. That's, you know, 90 phone calls between 10 pm and 4 am that I have to deal with. But I love it because every phone call that I get to me is a sign of trust that that player, that coach, that staff member, they called me because, out of their entire phone book, they chose me, because they trust me with whatever's going to happen next. And you don't get that often. You don't get that often.
Speaker 1:I feel, like what we do in player engagement like, yeah, we don't go around, yeah, this is what I do, blah, blah, blah, cause that's not where our heart is. Our heart is in the service in support of that locker room. And if a player has to call me at four o'clock in the morning and needs my help, of course I'm gonna be there for that player. Like, yes, I signed up to do this job, but for me, what can I do to help this player get to tomorrow? Like we talk all the time, like you know, life is short. A career in football can be even shorter and you never know when your last down is going to be. And me, knowing that and knowing just how the business side of the NFL works, whether you're a rookie or a veteran, you're not guaranteed another down, you're not guaranteed another season, you're not guaranteed another contract. So me, keeping that in mind, I'm like this player needs me right now. Whether it's four o'clock in the afternoon or four o'clock in the morning, this player needs me. And sometimes, you know, there's things where a guy will call me and I'm like, hey, you don't have to handle that. Like take the L this time, like this is a life lesson for you because we've talked about this. But then there's other times where like all right, you know, stay there, I'm on my way, we'll talk about it later. Um, it's just, you know it's.
Speaker 1:It's a unique position that, like you mentioned, not everyone knows what happens in the work that we do. But for me it's also like I love this work because of that aspect. You know, no one really knows how deep we go into it in the work that we do in player engagement. But I like that because for me it all comes full circle on game day, when I'm behind the team running out the tunnel in the smoke and whether it was a phone call or a player needed to come in my office and have a closed door conversation, sit in on the couch, have a cry, have event session, I see that same player running out and making plays Sunday. That's when I know it was worth it. He needed that one moment. That four o'clock phone call was all he needed to go out and perform on Sunday. That's where it comes full circle for me, and that, for me, is the reason why I continue to do this work. It's those small moments.
Speaker 1:Most people see the tunnel run out as like a spectacle of pregame. Nah, that tunnel run out is a culmination of Monday through Saturday. We talked about it today in our rookie session. Like no one knows the preparation that these players go through Monday to Saturday and Like no one knows the preparation that these players go through Monday to Saturday and I don't think anyone ever will unless there was like a full fledged, 100 percent access. But at the same time, like these players go through a lot. After they have a bad day here, they could go home and have a bad day at home, and then now they got to bring that home to the locker room. And now they got to bring the locker room home.
Speaker 1:If Caleb used to say all the time if the man isn't right, the player will never be right, you, if the man isn't right, the player will never be right.
Speaker 1:You know, and again that piece is so critical because as much as the player is important, we got to protect the man also. We got to prepare the man also. And again for me, whenever a player needs something and they choose to call me, I take that as a sign of trust, like this player is trusting me right now that whatever he needs I can either get for him or know a way to get it. You know, find a solution. But again, all that for me comes full circle when I'm running out behind that player on Sunday and they go out and make plays. That for me is like that's why I continue to do this work, that right there, forget how the rest of the game goes. I know what kind of Tuesday he had, I know what kind of Thursday he had, I know what happened Saturday night, but he's running out to play a game in front of 64,000 fans on Sunday. That for me is a heart moment right there.
Speaker 2:And now you see why we wanted to bring Alex Martin on the burn. I appreciate you so much, yeah of course. The opportunity that you continue to provide for me to be part of this organization.
Speaker 1:Eight years is a long time.
Speaker 2:Eight years is a long time. So eight years is a long time. You know, and I've been blessed. You know coach Saban for five years, the dolphins for eight years, the Eagles for several years, coach climbing for 10 years, Like it's so meaningful to me when you can really go deep, you know, with organizations, and then you have that longevity and relationships. So thank you, Thank you for showing up the way that you do and being who you are.
Speaker 1:I think what's important too is, like you know, let's not minimize the eight year thing. You know that's a long time, but when you're able to walk into our building and, yes, you're here to talk to the rookies, but you have veterans coming to find you because they know you're here, that speaks to the work that you've done over the course of eight years. You know, like that that doesn't happen. Often, again, locker rooms change all the time but you know, when you come here to talk to the rookies for an hour, then we all go to lunch and I got guys text me. Hey, I heard Ben was here, where's he at? He's in the lunchroom. All right, I'm on my way.
Speaker 1:That speaks volumes. That means you're not coming in here, just You're connecting with players, but then also sustaining those relationships, which I think is key, because I think a relationship with the player lasts as long as you keep it. You know, and it sounds simple, but at the same time, like if I wasn't here nine to five every day, like I wouldn't, I wouldn't connect with any of these guys, but the fact that they see me out there at practice, they see me walking around connecting with them in the weight room, they see me on the flights on the weight games. They see me all around connecting with them in the weight room. They see me on the flights on away games. They see me all the time being in spaces where they're at. That lets them know like, oh, at the end of the day, like Alex is here, alex has our back. But you come in and you know you talk once, twice, maybe three times a season and then you come back the next year talk to a new class. But then you know you have veterans and former rookies still coming to say, yo, hey, ben, what's up? Man, just checking in with you.
Speaker 1:That speaks volumes to the level of connectivity that you have with players across the league and all kinds of locker rooms, because you continue that connectivity piece and it shows that you care about it. It shows that you care about them. You don't want anything from this player, nothing. And they don't get that a lot. An autograph, let me get a jersey. No, I want the best for you. That's all I want for you. But again, I just continue to thank you for showing up for our locker rooms year after year. Um, and continue showing up and showing out for our guys, because it does mean a lot and again, like when we're sitting in the lunchroom and guys are coming up, that again veterans just coming to say hi it to me it says that you know we're we're doing the right things here. I appreciate bringing in the right're bringing in the right people, sharing that.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much For sure, teaching every single one of you listening Once again. Now you see why I brought in Alex. He's got me speechless because I don't like hearing things like that. I think guys like Alex and I we just do what we do, which is to show up for others, and I want you to do something for me. I want you to go back and listen to pieces of this episode again, and I also want you to share it with others who need to hear those pieces.
Speaker 2:And here's why, if you go back and listen to this interview, I asked Alex questions and even when they were about him, he kept going back to the player, and I think that that's really an example Alex serves and Caleb was the same way of how this life is not about us. This life is about how we can serve others to help them holistically be the best they can be, and when we do that and serve, we end up being more fulfilled ourselves, and Alex Martin is a great example of that. So please share this episode with somebody who needs to hear it. So please share this episode with somebody who needs to hear it and please, for you, run it back and listen, re-listen to some of Alex's answers, because it's amazing how he shows up for others. Remember your burn is what ignites that why and purpose and causes you to show up on the days you don't feel like it and especially after you win. Alex Martin, thank you again.
Speaker 3:I appreciate you so much.
Speaker 2:And this has been the Burn, and we'll look forward to seeing you next week.
