From NFL Lineman to Strategic Investor | Pro Athlete Interview Series EP 15

In this video we interview Ben Garland, a former NFL lineman shares his remarkable journey from a career-threatening injury to becoming a successful investor. 

Discover how he overcame a devastating fall during contract negotiations and how his disciplined approach to training and personal values shaped his career. 

He delves into his transition from professional sports to strategic investments, including his work with Valhalla Capital and his passion for supporting veterans and founders. 

Learn valuable insights on maintaining discipline, embracing long-term goals, and leveraging unique investment opportunities in today’s market.

Watch the Youtube video here https://youtu.be/bPAci9BDQbU
-----------
Inside the Minds of Business Champions: Pro Athletes Unveil the Secrets of Top .1% Performers.

Welcome to the Pro Athlete Interview Series, where we delve into the minds and stories of sports legends from around the globe! This series will provide you with rare insights into their journeys, triumphs, and the secrets behind their success. 

Whether you're a die-hard fan, an aspiring athlete, or simply curious about the inner workings of greatness, this series promises to deliver compelling interviews that will ignite your passion and fuel your drive.

Start watching now and connect with the stars of the game like never before. Subscribe now and dive into the Pro Athlete Interview Series for an unforgettable journey through the hearts and minds of sporting legends!

--------------------Welcome to the "Private Investor Club - 7,500 Investors. Subscribe now to hear what our 7,500+ investors are allocating to and stay on top of trends related to structuring and closing deals.

Our 17-year-old investor club, the Family Office Club, has 25 team members, and 12 million social followers, has closed on over $500M of transactions, has over 7,500 active investors, and hosts 15 live events a year.  

To join our investor club as a capital raiser or CEO of a company needing capital to access our live community events, please visit https://FamilyOffices.com

To register with us as an investor to access live community events please visit https://InvestorClub.com

We have free web classes and books for you to download at https://lp.FamilyOffices.com/book 
https://CapitalRaising.com 

To date, our podcast and YouTube content has been downloaded over 5 million times.  

Please subscribe to this channel as well as our Family Office Podcast so you do not miss our most popular mini-series content https://www.youtube.com/@FamilyOfficeClub

I hope you love watching my videos Subscribe to this channel for the latest video.
Have a nice day!

Transcript

Ben Garland | NYC SS May

- One question real quick before we start: What was the thing that ended your sports career, just so somebody can create context?

I fell off a cliff about 70 feet, free-falling into rocks.

- And you were doing what at that time with the NFL, with your team?

I was in negotiations for the largest contract of my career. So that starts it off.

- What’s interesting is there are always these challenging moments. How do we get back up and build? Can you talk about your athletic career, where you spent time, and what you did?

I served in the Air Force while simultaneously playing for the Broncos, the Falcons, and the 49ers for 11 years in the NFL.

- That’s awesome. How do you stay super disciplined, ultra-healthy, and consistently outpacing others?

I think it starts introspectively, figuring out what your core values are. Then you write a contract with yourself: "These are the things that I’m going to do in order to match those core values." And then it’s all about consistency. You wake up today and you're tired — let me check that contract. Yep, still going to do it. Hey, it’s snowing outside — let me check that contract. Still going to go out and work out. Doesn’t matter if it’s rain, sun, shine, or snow. That’s what I’ve seen the most successful people do: just stay consistent.

- What are you investing in now? Who are you working with, and what are you doing in business?

I love Ray Dalio's concept of finding 8 to 15 uncorrelated investments to diversify in. So, I do a lot of that. I’m actually proud to say that I’m an investor with Angela. I’m Zack Triner’s replacement right now for this panel. I’m investing with him and his PE company, would recommend, but I’m also very bullish on private credit right now. And that’s where I spend most of my energy: with Valhalla Capital, offering better ways to give capital to veterans, founders, and other people in this tough market right now. You guys are going real estate to athletic tape — absolutely.

- What visualization, affirmation, and goal-setting rituals and strategies have you used to become one of the top one percenters?

I start every morning with gratitude, and I just sit there and be so thankful for everything that’s in my life. It starts my day off way better. Then I end every night with the visualization of where I want to be. When I was playing, I would dive in and feel that feeling when you're exhausted, sweaty, bloody. I’d smell the grass and feel victorious just standing there with the confetti raining down. I watched three Super Bowls and worked a little bit, right?

- I love that. What’s the $1 million lesson you learned from being a pro athlete that you could pass on to others?

I like this parable about a man who walks up to a monk to ask him how to be successful in life. They’re sitting down for a cup of tea, and the monk starts pouring tea into his cup. It starts to overfill, and the man says, "Oh, hold on, my cup’s overfilling." But the monk just keeps pouring, and it starts pouring all over his shoes. He says, "Stop, stop, stop. My cup's overflowing." But the monk keeps pouring. Then he turns to him and says, “Hey, you’re asking for what you want, but are you actually ready to receive it?”

So many of us have our cups so full. You see that with all the pro athletes or top guys who make it, and then they become satisfied. They’re not willing to grow or learn because their cup is full. There’s no more room to grow because they’ve made it, they’re the best, and they’ve done it. But the best, the Hall of Famers, are the ones that grow consistently every day. There’s still some room in their cup to get better.

- That’s awesome. Tell me more about what you’re up to. We have a minute and 30 left.

Right now, I’m working with Valhalla Capital, mostly focusing on my first company that I started in 2018. I built a marketing company with about $4 million in revenue every year. I knew the struggles of attempting to find capital, especially for athletes. Obviously, I'm in the Air Force, and there are a ton of veterans who, after they leave, want to build their own businesses. But getting the capital, especially now with the current market and interest rates, seems impossible. So, I’m really excited to be a part of that team. It’s a big thing I believe in. What made me successful both in the NFL and in the military was being part of the best team in the world. Now, I’m trying to find that in terms of the best mentors I can find, the best people to be around, and the best team to be a part of outside of that.

- What’s one thing that you don’t have today that, if you had, you could impact more lives or just do more and be better in life?

Oh, it’s assembling that team. It’s finding that championship-caliber team. People are all that matters. We are such social beings, and those of us who are strong enough to ask for help and be willing to get help can accelerate your career exponentially.

- Last question. If somebody wants to be a top one percenter in their field and outcompete everybody, what advice would you give besides what you just said about the team?

Oh, it just takes away my answer — thanks. For me, I think it’s one of those things where you really have to work on yourself. Find some time to invest in yourself. That’s what you do first and foremost. Work on developing yourself. Work on your mental health, your physical health, your family health. After that, nothing but the top.

- That’s amazing. Give them a round of applause, you guys.

I’d love to throw one thing out there. If you guys know a pro athlete who would love to speak, be on a panel, and give more added value, this will be part of the Athlete Office Club video series that we put on the website. We want to build this so we can impact more people’s lives, give more people advice, and share ideas on how they can become the best in business and the best in their personal life.

If you guys have time, meet these amazing people! But we’d love to get referrals. If you ever know anybody that would be really good, whether in New York, Florida, or any other states we’re doing things in, we’d love to hear about it.

Thank you guys very much. Have an amazing day. Appreciate you all. Sweet.