Life After College Athletics Podcast

“The quality of your decisions impact the quality of your life and the velocity of your business.” - Jeff DudanUndercover Boss, former CEO of AdvantaClean, author of the book Discernment, and Chairmen/CEO of HomeFront Brands… now that’s a bio.Today we dive deep into how Jeff went from taking a $5,000 loan against his pickup to building and exiting a multi-million dollar, nationally-recognized business. After finishing his college football career at Appalachian State University, Jeff started AdvantaClean. Over a short 25-year period, he built the business to over 200+ franchise locations, ending in a successful sale to Home Franchise Concepts in 2019.What’s the secret to his success?… Having the correct discernment, the correct values, and conquering limiting beliefs at every new stage of his journey.“We all are sitting today… based on the battle that we had with our self-limiting beliefs and how we were able to conquer them… If you continue to argue with your limitations, you get to keep them for the rest of your life.” - Jeff DudanListen in today as we cover all sorts of topics from relationships, to getting uncomfortable, and even how to shed unneeded weight as you enter new chapters in your life.Stop reading this right now and go listen to the episode. Maybe listen to it three times… maybe five… you need it.Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with Jeff Dudan!Jeff’s IG: @jeffdudan - https://www.instagram.com/jeffdudan/Jeff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdudan/On The HomeFront’s IG: @thehomefrontpod - https://www.instagram.com/thehomefrontpod/HomeFront Brands: https://homefrontbrands.com/Dudan Group: https://www.dudangroup.com/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Will AI replace humans? Is it impossible to make friends in a new city? How do you make huge career changes? How do you transfer your competitive nature to the work force?On this episode we sat down with Hayley Brodeur to answer all those questions. Hayley ran track at Eastern Connecticut State University. After hanging up the spikes, she started her career in the Los Gatos school district in California. Being in the heart of the tech world and wanting to reignite her competitive spirit, Hayley left her teaching career to pursue a vocation in the tech industry. She joined Treasure Financial as an account executive focusing on go-to-market strategies and business development. When an opportunity opened up to join the AI RevOps company Drivetrain Revenue, she jumped on it. Now she is Head of AI GTM (go-to-market) where she advises multiple companies on using AI to empower teams and create better efficiencies.We talk all things from how AI is changing workflows and the ways companies function, how to make new friends in a new city, how to stay fit after college athletics, and much more. If you want sound advice, informative education, and a couple of laughs, tune in to today’s episode.Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with Hayley!Hayley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-brodeur/Drivetrain Rev’s Website: https://www.drivetrainrev.com/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

“The analogy here in business is… as a startup, if you raise $10k, a $100k, even $1M, you're a fourth liner… you're competing against Red Bull… C4… Bang Energy… Ghost… and all these guys have their dancing partners.”On this episode we sat down with Jack McNamara to discuss what it means to pivot in business and to find key factors that engage decision making processes. Jack played forward and started out his collegiate career at Colgate University. After 2 years of playing university hockey, Jack decided to purse his dream of playing professionally. He then transferred to Boston College for education and started his professional hockey career overseas. Jack played in 4 different countries all while building Kickstick, a company aimed at innovating the liquor industry with a double ended bottle design. Since retiring from hockey and finishing up his degree at Boston College, Jack has been focused on building Tru, the better-for-you energy drink.After trying his hand at pro hockey overseas, Jack continued to search for the ultimate beverage concept and how his company would fill a gap in the market. Jack learned that you need to test product market fit and gauge end-user interest before diving head first into developing a product. After a few iterations, concepts, and taking feedback from the market and investors, Jack finally landed on a product he felt was attractive and unique to fill a gap in an already large market. There are seltzers and there are energy drinks in the market, but there aren’t better-for-you seltzer energy drinks. Thus, Tru was born.If you want to hear more about Jack’s journey from college hockey to playing overseas all while starting a company, you’ll want to check this episode out. Jack brings real determination to his work and recognizes there is no shortcuts to success.Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with Jack McNamara!Tru’s Instagram: @drinktru - https://www.instagram.com/drinktru/Tru’s Website: https://drinktru.com/Jack’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmac/Jack’s Instagram: @_jackmcnamara - https://www.instagram.com/_jackmcnamara/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

“Am I supposed to be here?…” For awhile, you’re scratching and clawing, and you doubt if the work you’re doing will amount to anything. And then the opportunities, from seeds planted years ago, show up…Today on the podcast we sit down with Kaleb Fossum and discuss what it means to out-work and out-serve everyone around you. Kaleb was a walk-on football player for Washington State University where he earned his spot on the D1 field as a field goal holder. Throughout his story, you’ll hear how he went from field goal holder, to punt returner, to transferring to Nevada on scholarship, to having 70 receptions for over 700 yards as a wide receiver, to earning a spot as a team captain.After college Kaleb continued to out-work everyone around him. He learned that planting seeds with people, providing value, and cultivating energy and passion into every personal interaction, would be the juice to his growth in the professional world. He’s now the Chief Vibe Cultivator for Strong Coffee Company and co-founder of the incubation creation studio, 60th and Upham.If you want to hear the story of someone who has found a way in every scenario to achieve more than anyone thought he could, you’ll want to check this episode out. This is one of the most passionate conversations we’ve had on the show.Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with Kaleb Fossum!LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleb-fossum-72194b159/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kalebfossum/Strong Coffee Company - https://strongcoffeecompany.com/60th & Upham - https://60thandupham.com/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

“I sat for hours sifting through one miserable memory after another, looking for someone to blame, trying to find some reason why I kept getting handed one CRUSHING personal defeat after the next.I asked myself ‘what did all those events have in common?' I didn’t like the answer.The answer was… ME!”Those were the words of David Karasek… former swimmer for the University of Virginia and Swiss Olympian (2012 London). David sits down with us today to discuss topics like self confidence, attracting success, influencing others by getting on their same frequency, and taking responsibility for your own life.After college he spent time in private banking and wealth management including 4 years at Julius Baer and a vice presidency role at J Safra Sarasin. David then went on to start Influence Secrets, an agency that enables clients to not only harness their full potential in all areas of life, but also to be their most authentic self so that they may lead and influence others. Now he leads a community called PapaPreneurs where new-age, entrepreneurial Dads that are juggling raising kids, changing diapers, and working on their start-up are thriving.Listen in today to hear David’s story on how he moved from college athletics to the working world.Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with David Karasek!David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidraphaelkarasekDavid’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkarasekInfluence Secrets: https://www.influence-secrets.comPapaPreneurs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/papapreneurs/PapaPreneurs Community: https://www.skool.com/papapreneurs/aboutCheck out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod

Detaching your identity from your performance is hard. Define success for yourself, water your own grass, enjoy where you are, and surround yourself with the right people.Loryn Carter, former UC Irvine volleyball player, joins us on the show today to discuss topics from creating the right network around you, to finding identity outside of sports and work, to managing a full-time schedule with business school, internships, and entrepreneurship.She is Co-Founder and COO of VITAVATE, a premium dietary supplement brand that offers mix-in drink powders to support heart health, energy, and focus. She attends the Anderson School of Management at UCLA where she is studying to earn her MBA. Not only has Loryn managed to build a company on top of working and going to school, she has done it with balance, composure, and a strategic plan.Listen in today to hear Loryn’s views on moving from college athletics to the working world. Her wisdom, composure, and confidence are well beyond her years.Out now on all platforms!Follow VITAVATE and connect with Loryn Carter!Loryn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loryncarter/VITAVATE’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vitavate-products-llc/Website: https://vitavate.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitavateofficialVITAVATE Linktree: https://linktr.ee/vitavateofficialCheck out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

“Our trauma is nourished by our refusal to acknowledge it, and starved by our attempts to try and understand it.” - Conner FuruToday on the podcast we sit down with former football player from Drake University, Conner Furu. After 7 season-ending injuries and 1,646 days in between his last high school game and first college game, it’s hard not to quit. However, Conner found a way to keep fighting. On today’s episode we hear how he dealt with generational addictions and curses from his home life alongside many physical and emotional setbacks all before graduating college.It’s pretty rare to see a 25 year old kid that has the life scars and bruises that Conner has. And, as you listen, you’ll see that that is the very reason he is so wise for his age. Whether you’re 10, 30, or 70 years old, everyone can learn from Conner’s story and his wisdom.Listen in today. Out now on all platforms!Follow and connect with Conner Furu!IG: https://www.instagram.com/conner_furu/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-furu-5ab63a22a/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

As athletes we learn that breathing while performing is insanely important. But what about using your breath to grab the “reigns of your life” and take back control?Today on the show, we talk with former football player from Tufts University, Chase Mangini. After seeing the amazing benefits that breathwork and meditation had on his own life, Chase founded the company Hyperform Wellness. His work is centered around breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness and using those to help decrease stress, increase energy, and improve productivity. His clients range from athletes still competing to those in the corporate world to just normal people who want to see the benefits in their personal life.The California-native found breathwork his senior year of high school while on the cliff of anxiety and depression. After a knee injury where everything in life felt like it had been stripped from him, he found breathwork and meditation, dug himself out of a mental rabbit-hole, and conquered college athletes with new tools in his tool belt. Now his goal is to help millions of people do the same.Listen in to our conversation as we discuss how this young entrepreneur built his business, what skills transferred from college athletics to what he’s doing now, and how other former college athletes can use their skills and gifts to provide value to the marketplace.Out now on all platforms!------------Follow and connect with Chase Mangini!All Chase’s links: https://linktr.ee/chasemanginiHyperform Wellness website: https://hyperformwellness.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasemangini/IG: https://www.instagram.com/chasemangini/------------Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on our instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Believing in yourself and embracing the day-to-day grind are two vital aspects to success. When you combine these and put yourself in a “room” where you’re uncomfortable, there are no limits to what you can do.Today on the podcast, we sit down with former football player at Southern Methodist University, Jackson Mitchell. Jackson is the founder of The Walk On Mentality and host of The Walk On Mentality Podcast. The Southlake, TX native started his collegiate athletic career by taking a bet on himself. Joining SMU’s team as a walk-on, Jackson worked his a$$ off to eventually earn a scholarship spot on the Mustang’s roster as well as serve as a captain for 2 years.After graduating with a degree in Economics and minor in Spanish, Jackson carried the same walk-on mindset into his professional career. He started in corporate America, moved into medical device sales, and continued to earn his spot in the room and out-perform his peers. However, he soon realized he was missing an aspect of fulfillment and could utilize his experience in athletics to help others optimize their potential.Jackson now helps high-performing, ambitious individuals establish and execute their goals, redefine their worth, develop a healthy relationship with themselves both physically and mentally, create professional alignment, improve their relationships, and as a result, he takes his clients’ performance in all areas to a whole new level.Listen in today to hear Jackson’s story and soak in his wisdom and advice. You won’t want to miss this conversation!Out now on all platforms.Follow and connect with Jackson Mitchell!All Jackson’s Links: https://linktr.ee/jacksonrmitchellJackson’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jacksonrmitchell/The Walk On Mentality website: https://walkonmentality.co/The Walk On Mentality IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewalkonmentality/Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on our instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Find a mentor that can teach you the skills you want to learn, show up EVERY day willing to do the things you don’t want to do, and spread those consistent actions over a long enough time horizon. If you do those things, you will be successful.Today on the podcast, we sit down with former soccer player at the University of Alabama Huntsville, Ethan Wilson, and talk multifamily real estate. At the age of only 24, Ethan and his business partner Eddy, have built a real estate portfolio consisting of 34 rental units and 2 house flips. Ethan grew up in Nashville, served as a 3-year captain on UAH’s men’s soccer team, and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After starting his career as a full-time estimator for Turner Construction, Ethan realized he had more potential and could better-utilize his time. Ethan surrounded himself in a mentorship that grew his knowledge and skills in commercial multifamily real estate, and eventually took the leap and went full-time into multifamily investing.On this episode, Ethan talks about how important it is to have discipline and be consistent on a long-enough time horizon. Too many people are inconsistent and get shiny-object syndrome. If only they would be willing to get outside their comfort zone for something they truly want, and have consistent action on the one thing for 3-10 years, they’d be unbelievably successful.Listen in to hear Ethan’s story and how college athletics have prepared him with all the skills he needed to be successful.Out now on all platforms! Check it out.Follow Ethan Wilson on all the socials to watch him on his real estate journey:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e7wilson/IG - https://www.instagram.com/e7wilson/Ethan and Eddy’s Business IG - https://www.instagram.com/ethanandeddy/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ethanandeddyTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@ethanandeddyCheck out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on our instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Betting on yourself and finding a way to succeed is one of the most powerful skills you can learn.Today on the podcast, Jake and Rylan sit down with former University of Houston linebacker, Roman Brown. Growing up in Dallas and taking a leap of faith to walk-on at Houston, Roman would go on to build an amazing collegiate career ending his senior season finishing fourth in The American with 113 tackles on the year as he served as a defensive captain. After receiving his degree in Economics and working 3 years as a Financial Wealth Advisor at Merrill Lynch, Roman started Vail Athletics: an athletic wear brand focused on equipping athletes holistically, targeting physical, emotional, and spiritual training.In the episode, Roman talks about how to find mentors that are a couple steps ahead of you and why that has served him immensely in all areas of sports, business, and life. He also discusses how your experiences and lessons as a college athlete can be translated into the professional world, and in his case, entrepreneurship. Roman bet on himself when he walked onto the football team, and he bet on himself again when started Vail Athletics.Most people don’t take action in their lives because it is “too risky.” But if you have past experiences where you’ve succeeded despite opposition, Roman’s advice is to draw on those and use them to your advantage on the next adventure.Out now on all platforms! Check it out.--------------------Roman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-brown/Follow Vail Athletics and find out more info:Website - https://www.vailathletics.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/vailathletics/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@vailathleticsTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@vail_athletics--------------------Check out Life After College Athletics on all platforms!https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on our instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Sink your teeth into it, keeping grinding on the weekend, and if that hunger continues to grow inside of you, you know that you’ve found your calling.In today’s episode, Jake and Rylan sit down with Conrad Cornell: former college baseball player for Mercer University. Conrad started Press Sports, the #1 Sports Social Media App, and has grown it to 400,000 registered users that include 29 first round drafts picks and 10,000 committed & college athletes. At the age of 26, Conrad received the Forbes 30 Under 30 award.Conrad shares his story on the trials and tribulations they’ve gone through with starting a social media company as well as what the future holds for Press Sports. Not only does he share his thoughts and advice to young entrepreneurs on finding motivation and passion around their work, Conrad also shares how important mentorship is and what he would’ve done differently if he had to start over.Listen in! This episode is value-packed and we don’t want you to miss out on this awesome conversation.----------Check us out on all platforms - https://linktr.ee/lifeaftercollegeathletics.podHave a guest that should be on the show? - Email us at lifeaftercollegeathletics.pod@gmail.com or dm us on our instagram, @lifeaftercollegeathletics_pod.

Stacking past experiences/relationships and being able to leverage them to create the future you want is a powerful skill that successful people have.In today’s episode we have Ryan LaPlante on the podcast to discuss how every step of your journey happens for a reason and as long as you are directionally correct and stay consistent, you will achieve your goals. Ryan played lacrosse at the University of Denver where he won a national championship and upon graduation played professionally for the Denver Outlaws. Since then Ryan has had experience in entrepreneurship starting the Goalie Evolution Academy, a business that has helped over 180 goalies in the greater Denver area train and achieve the highest levels of play. In parallel of running the coaching business, he has consistently built out his career in residential real estate. From getting his brokerage license out of college, to working in big multifamily development projects of 300+ units, to now working as a realtor-partner with The LaPlante Team at The Group, Ryan has a very cool story to share.He is a huge believer that you get out of this world what you put in, and he has chosen to double down on relationships and provide massive value to the people around him. Ultimately, these actions he’s taken, both intentionally and subconsciously, have led to his success.Listen in today!Ryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-laplante-67586a107/Goalie Evolution Academy: https://lxtclacrosse.com/goalie-evolution-academy/The LaPlante Team: https://laplanteteam.com/

Family, Faith, and Business: John Howell’s pillars for success in life. When you combine these three with a walk-on, underdog mentality you are sure to find success and John is living example of that.In today’s episode, Rylan and Jake talk with Super Bowl champion John Howell. While being an esteemed NFL safety and an athlete with many distinguished accomplishments, you wouldn’t notice it right away. John shares his story from humble beginnings in 8-man high school football to walk-on at Colorado State University to playing at the highest level. And beyond that, he shares great insight on how to navigate a career after athletics. All based on a foundation of hard work, John reflects on some of his past experiences in business and in the league. He discusses how important it is that you focus on your current position and not get caught up about the future position you want to be in. Listen in today to hear John’s story and his advice on transitioning to the professional, working world.

Three of the most important things to your success are how you value/perceive time, how you make decisions, and who you choose to do life with.Continuing off of our previous episode with Brandon White (an entrepreneur with two successful exits, angel investor, and former venture capitalist), we discuss how the most successful people have uncommon time management skills because they understand one thing… the value of time. We also discuss how the speed at which you make decisions in your life, and act on those decisions, can determine the size of your jumps in entrepreneurship and business. Finally we wrap up the episode on Brandon’s most important lesson to young people: the spouse you choose to do life with can accelerate or block your path to reaching your dreams.Once again, today’s episode is jam-packed with a ton of great life advice and interesting perspectives, you won’t want to miss it!If you want more from Brandon, check out his podcast and website linked below.Brandon's Personal Website: https://brandoncwhite.com/EDGE Podcast: https://myedgepodcast.com/How to Write a Business Plan: https://brandoncwhite.com/how-to-write-a-business-plan/

Just as it’s impossible to drive to a place you’ve never been without directions, it’s impossible to achieve your life goals without a plan.In today’s episode, Brandon White, an entrepreneur with two successful exits, angel investor, and former venture capitalist, talks about how important it is to have a plan for not only your business but also your life. Brandon tells his story and the many trials and tribulations he went through to get to where he is today. From working at a tree nursery and having less than $1,000 in the bank, to raising $50,000 from a handshake over the car console, Brandon went on to build and sell one of the largest social networking and e-commerce sites for sports fisherman. Brandon has since exited another successful business, has been an angel investor on multiple projects, and runs various podcasts of his own.Today’s episode is jam-packed with a ton of great life advice and interesting perspectives, you won’t want to miss it!If you want more from Brandon, check out his podcast and website linked below.Brandon's Personal Website: https://brandoncwhite.com/EDGE Podcast: https://myedgepodcast.com/How to Write a Business Plan: https://brandoncwhite.com/how-to-write-a-business-plan/EDGE Podcast episode with Alden Mills that was referenced: https://myedgepodcast.com/episodes/being-unstoppable-and-how-to-set-goals-and-achieve-them-using-goalbud-with-former-navy-seal-and-inc-500-ceo-alden-mills-057

From winning a NCAA National Championship to working at the biggest tech company in the world, Jack Pruitt shares what it takes to thrive post-athletic career.In today’s episode, Rylan and Jake sit down with Jack and discuss his journey from playing on the biggest stage in NCAA D1 lacrosse with the University of Denver, to then landing a gig with Amazon right out of college as a Data Analyst. He talks about how vital it is that you make the transition from a student of the game and the classroom, to a student of life. Your 20s are some of the most fundamental years to set yourself up for long-term success, and if you aren’t continually learning you are falling behind.Jack has a very unique perspective on the world around him, you’ll want to check out this episode!

On the field and in the office we all strive for greatness. The transition from camaraderie, hard work, pain, sweat, and performance to working, building, and finding new success in the professional world is not easy. We bring in new guests every week to talk about challenges, share stories, and discuss success in their life after college athletics. It’s not retirement it’s an advancement.