Phil Costa is a former starting center for the Dallas Cowboys. After retiring from football, he worked as a medical device salesman, assisting heart surgeons during more than 500 operations. And in 2018, Phil graduated with an MBA from Columbia Business School. All of this makes it sound like he transitioned smoothly out of sport without struggle, but as you’ll learn in this interview, that was not the case.

Phil faced challenges in his retirement process that he wasn’t expecting and wasn’t prepared for. After navigating the transition, he realized that there was a void in the market for resources to support athletes as they face this transition out of sport. It was then that he decided to write a book. Phil co-authored the book The Transition Playbook for ATHLETES, How Elite Athletes WIN After Sports in which he interviews 100+ athletes about their transition process and shares their best strategies & tips.

In this episode, we discuss:

Phil’s time in the NFL and how he got his start as an undrafted free-agent

The power of vulnerability and how this was a pivotal element in navigating the transition out of sport

How he shifted from being an expert as an athlete, to becoming a novice in the business world.

We’re so thankful that Phil was willing to join us and to continue being an example of how vulnerability can transform lives.

Resources:

Follow Phil on Instagram @costa_phil

Follow his book on Instagram @thetransitionplaybook

Website: thetransitionplaybook.com