Focus on it Podcast with Rizzo
Focus on it, Follow the Plan and it will Expand', this podcast will explore the powerful concept that whatever you focus on and plan for in life has the potential to expand and flourish. Whether you're seeking motivation for your personal life, career, or creative endeavors, this podcast will empower you to follow your plan and witness the expansion of your dreams."
Focus on it Podcast with Rizzo
The Playbook of Passion: Zack Smith's Journey to Coaching Triumph
Have you ever considered the magnetic pull of a shared passion? That's the force driving my latest heart-to-heart with Zack Smith, the inspiring assistant coach for the Lock Haven University Women's Basketball Program. Our conversation crackles with energy as we unravel the threads of coaching, networking, and seizing opportunities. Zack, with his infectious enthusiasm, recounts his ascent from a junior high mentor to a beacon of ambition in the collegiate arena, all fueled by the potent mix of genuine connections and an unwavering game plan. His narrative is a playbook on how dedication to your dreams, coupled with nurturing the right contacts, can catapult you from the sidelines to the national spotlight.
Embrace the warmth of professional kinship as we celebrate the incredible journey of Zack Smith. His tale stands as a tribute to the unyielding power of focus and the strength of relationships forged through mutual respect, proving that even when direct contact is lost, the essence of friendship endures. Zack's story isn't just about coaching a formidable defensive team; it's a testament to the transformative impact that comes with a steadfast commitment to your goals. This episode is for anyone seeking inspiration to chase their focal point with zeal and for those who understand that the true magic in life often lies in the connections we make along the way. Join us for an exploration of passion's place in the playbook of success, and let Zack's journey illuminate your path forward.
What's going on. Focus on it, follow the plan and your future will expand. This is Rizzo King Kong and everybody, and I'm here. Another episode. This episode means so much to me. Man, I just love, I love, I love when a plan expands. See, I got a passion about this. Do you got a passion about what you do in this world? Do you have a passion? Yeah, I'm about to bring in Zach Smith. Let's just call this guy this is just gonna be a cold call Zach Smith, assistant coach for Lockhaven University Women's Basketball Program. They're ranked in the country. Who is Zach Smith to Rizzo King Kongen? Let's find out. Y'all this is organic. Focus on a podcast. Hello, coach Smith.
Speaker 2:Coach Rizzo, long time no way here, baby, far, far too long. My friend Yo man, this is crazy, bro. I mean, make some noise over here and Lockhaven, lockhaven baby.
Speaker 1:We're doing some stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh man, hey, zach Smith, you're on my podcast. It's called Focus on it. Follow the plan and your future will expand, isn't that? So you, isn't that you? You know so. So, zach Smith, listen, man. I just want to. I want to tell you this I'm proud of you, I'm so proud of you. You know, out of all people like you know what I mean. I am proud of you, and in my chapter in my book, you actually are in the, in my book, my new book, which one? No, this is. Yeah, you have no clue about anything because we haven't talked in years. No, I read the adoption book. Yeah, no, this is. This is called Focus on it. Follow the plan and your future will expand. This book is all about focus, you know, and when you have a plan, when you follow through with things, you know. And then also networking, and you can kind of tell where I'm going at Networking, trusting people, you know right, just just word of mouth with people you know. Never, never know how long. You know it can go, you know so.
Speaker 1:So, basically, I just want to start with who Zach Smith is. To Rizzo, okay, so. So, zach, I found you in Hillsborough, new Jersey. I love it. We're doing defensive clinics. Let's just go back. You know we're, we're, we're teaching defense there. You know you're at a junior high. You're actually a junior high coach right back then. Is that correct, right?
Speaker 3:Right, look, I just got out of college at that point and Trying to find out. But instead of joining that nine to five world, I'm trying to find opportunities in my passion right, my passion is is coaching and and being a part of youth sports and probably taking a shot at being a Collegiate basketball coach somewhere?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's, that's back then. That's back then. Yeah, that's okay, that's back then. And but your junior high, right, never, never was a high school coach, correct?
Speaker 3:No, correct, correct. I am fresh out of college and finding ways to be in and around basketball.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, networking and and having a great personality. Tell us about I mean personality and relationships back then, like how you were.
Speaker 3:So, right, the biggest piece to me was always being genuine and and having a through line and being able to Stand up on your morals and what that was. And you kind of know when you start connecting with people hey, I was the same thing going as you are they're looking for the same results, they're trying to find ways to do things the right way and get results, and I think that's how we ended up getting connected. Was that? Hey, there's a group Through New Jersey, right through Hillsborough. We got a mutual connection that there's a basketball thing around. You know, zach Smith is a person who wants to be in and around hoops. Yeah, here comes coach Rizzo. Yeah, and his DM up program and and I looked up and this is a genuine thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah and you know we had 25 people in the gym, 20 kids in the gym, who All genuine kids, and we had some fun for a week. Yeah, fun for second camp. We you know doing some stuff in the summer and we just kept going, we just kept going Right, right yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and then how we, like you said, see, see, all the listeners what he said was it was about networking. I didn't know who Zach was. I was dealing with Elsa. Okay, I was doing Elsa, she was booking me places, she was booking me in the gyms, and then she, you know, oh, zach, zach Smith, he's good. You know, he's running all these things and and, um, he should be a part of this right. And just by her word, I took her word. You know, I, I didn't know, I took her word and then brought him around and immediately I knew he had the passion, he had the drive, you know, to help me with my program, right? So so now, years later, zach, years later.
Speaker 1:So now I'm grinding, you know, I'm grinding all over the place. I'm in the gym, I'm meeting all these college coaches. You know the coaches. You know I'm helping coaches get recruits. You know, um, that was my job. You know I started a good business. So so, along the way, coach Smith, jennifer Smith, you know, a good friend of mine, you know, looking, looking for a Coach, look, assistant coach, you know, and I'm gonna scratch my head, and I don't, I don't know anyone off top of my head, because I'm just on the grind right and then all of a sudden, I mean God Just brought it to my attention and said called Zach Smith. You know, they both have the same.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, the light bulb. Yeah, you know God. God has said hey call Zach Smith and and, and you guys got the same last name, which is crazy.
Speaker 3:Listen every still to this day, right? So we've been together 14 years now, me and coach, then Smith and I cold-caller recruit. Right, I picked the phone up. I see a thousand point score. You know, up the road, wherever it be, I call my say. I say coach and Smith and I have been together for 14 years. We are not related, you got, you got to know that Every cold call to recruit, got to let him know.
Speaker 2:okay, all right, so so yeah so now.
Speaker 1:So now I call you up and it's like if I would say this story to anyone, they would never, ever believe the story, zach, I mean, I just I hope you always remember this story. This story, your story is, is unbelievable.
Speaker 3:You know we don't get to where we are without you know, making the connections along the way and being genuine and true throughout.
Speaker 1:There you go, and it's a blessing, it's a testimony, you know so. So so now I say, hey, you know there's a coach, you know that that needs a coach. You know, I know you've never been a high school coach, you're junior high and you're gonna go from junior high straight to the, the big leagues Division, two basketball sitting on a bench coaching. You know and, and and. It was just unbelievable. And then you said something about credits with school. Explain that moment. Like what. What happened back then?
Speaker 3:Well, you know, when you get your shot, you get your shot right and you got to make sacrifices to make those decisions. And you're looking up, you have an opportunity at a division two school that essentially you've heard of but you haven't been on campus before and you got to make some decisions in that process. Okay, what? How do I weigh these things? Making that connection with you, I've had an opportunity. You know you shared trust of me with someone else and I got an opportunity.
Speaker 3:And you make a sacrifice along the way and you know you put down some studies that you may have been doing in my case, I was, you know, trying to pursue a master's degree at the moment to take on a full-time opportunity in your passion, and it was those connections along the way that allowed me to say, hey, this is worth it. You know, coach Ringo, coach man, these two people said, yes, three jobs like this is real. All right, let's make a play here. That's a college community that I've now become a part of. They accepted me with open arms and here we are, 13, 14 years later, and you know Lockheed women's basketball in that 27 and 2 hosted in the national, you know a lead title and taking a look at being in the national tournament.
Speaker 1:Unbelievable. So right now you're telling me you guys are top in the nation, you're ranked.
Speaker 3:We are right. We are a top 15 program in the nation. Right now we are looking at attacking the NCAA tournament and we have an opportunity to win a couple basketball games here and cut down from that.
Speaker 1:So, oh my god, this is. I mean that that just brought chills. I haven't talked to you. I mean this just brought chills to my veins. And you know I don't know if you've been seeing me I've been on the grind, I'm not all.
Speaker 3:Would expect nothing left. Right, coach, like I would expect nothing left for you. Put it down and took a nap. Come on now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, no, no, I mean I miss, I miss and and and and that whole basketball community. What's going on Saturday? Like? I just did my research, it like is almost bringing tears to my eyes because and you don't know this. So what's happening on Saturday in your gym? Yeah, it means a lot to me and it's been a big part of my life. Who's all coming? So Westchester University is my, is my home. You know the home of DM up, you know the basketball clinics. That's how I met Coach Smith. So now Westchester University is playing in your gym also. And guess what? My other facility was California, pennsylvania, and then Ganon University and every coach is the same, all four coaches I've helped donate to their program, helped with the scholarships, and I haven't seen them in 14 years. And it's all going down in your gym Saturday. I have to fly in, bro.
Speaker 2:I have to Thomas Fieldhouse 1-77-45.
Speaker 3:That's a zip code. Let's see it. Let's see Coach Rizzo showing up in that door. Let's go.
Speaker 1:That mean, that's just amazing. I mean I literally woke up, zach, and I looked and I googled everything and I just said you know, we're going over my book and I put you in the book because the book is all about. It's about the focus, the file, and here's how you come in with the play. So the play is Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant that video that I made that you've seen before me, shutting down Kobe, that was, and you don't know all this, but I put it all together. Finally, that video helped start my multi-million dollar company. I created a highlight video just for fun.
Speaker 1:The plan was just a brag and the plan got executed, but then it expanded into a business. So the business started going and I started networking and then another business came from the Kobe, which was the DM up. You see your following this movement and then now it keeps going. It keeps expanding. My future kept expanding down the line, all because of this video that I did just to brag.
Speaker 1:That was the plan, but I focused on trying to learn how to edit. I never knew how to edit before and then, once people saw the video, coaches kept saying, hey, who did the editing? And I said I did. Then they hired me. So that's how it just kept going and going right. And now here's on the next step. Right, you just on the next step, yeah, and you just keep going. So all this connections with that like that's gonna be in your gym Saturday all started from me creating a highlight video, and it expanded all the way now to To, to where we're at today and and blessed a lot of people, a lot of people and I just and so you're in the book About how you know trust, trusting people and networking you know really works and you're a prime example of this and you need to tell your story down the line to college kids that are there. You know. You know just kids, because you really do have a testimony. You know they don't know that this really works.
Speaker 3:I Appreciate the words, coach. I mean I truly believe that are my. My student athletes feel that, and Lockheedon University we tend to have four-year players who are here for the right reasons, yes, here, and I want the kid who, who can feel those things right, who can sense that coach Smith myself, we're genuine in what we do. I want kids to get out of my program. In four years of the great degree we haven't won a lot of basketball games along the way, yeah, and that's not well in smoke up, you know. I mean that's, that's real, that's genuine and I want them to feel that and I think we get kids and and we end up at 27 and two because those kids believe in trust in those things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's it. Hey guys, you guys heard it from Zach coach, zach Smith, like Haven University, I mean this podcast is called focus on it and you just heard some real stuff and I mean this is, this is a God-driven Story. Zach Smith, I got a fly in. I really do. I mean this is, this means a lot to me. It'd be incredible to see my friend. Yeah, I mean definitely so. Hey, you guys deal my up, play that D Tell coach Smith that I love her.
Speaker 3:Let me add that We'll pop with, probably by most accords, the third best defense in the vision to wait.
Speaker 2:Are you serious? Let's go. So I've really got to see this man.
Speaker 1:I really, I really got to see this. I mean this is no joke. Tell coach Smith I love her. I mean I lost her phone. I lost everyone's phone number, by the way, no, I lost everyone's phone number, man. So but but definitely I love you, bro, you're in my book. I just wanted to tell you cold call you on this Live podcast man. But hey, deal, my baby, go get them they.
Speaker 2:Well, my friend would be wonderful to see you.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll talk to you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. This is what I'm talking about. Listen, this podcast is real. This is. This is so real. Like I feel like, like I feel like crying. I Really do Defensive clings. Now this young prodigy of mine is Coaching on a national level, national, national, top three defensive team in the country. Networking is a key to success. You got to keep going and never, ever look back. Focus on. I Want you to, right now, just while you're driving in the car. I want you to, while you're on the plane, be listening to me, focus on something and follow through with it, and I will expand.
