Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in Gouverneur, NY. It’s a small little town in northern NY about 15 miles from the Canadian border. The town has a population of about 5000 people. It helped shape me into the man I am today because of the humble nature, great work ethic, and no complaining attitude of the citizens.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

Adults are just grown-up kids and titles don’t really mean anything. You can be whatever you want as long as you put in the work and have the mental toughness to help you fight through the tough days.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

That you need to have money to get into real estate. It certainly helps, but I know of many people that started with nothing and now have hundreds of millions of dollars of assets under management.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

Any transitional period in life can be tough. My toughest year was probably after I retired from the NFL and entered the real world. I thought I was ready and prepared for the next chapter in my life, but it was much harder than I expected. When you are known as a football player your entire life, that’s who you become, that’s your identity. You have to reinvent yourself, find new passions to pursue and set new goals. Once I did that I was able to adjust to the real world and be successful in something new.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

No doubt it’s my mental toughness. In every profession, there are tough days, but those are the days that you grow the most. You need to push yourself past the breaking point mentally and physically on a regular basis. You need to get comfortable being uncomfortable and that is truly the only way to grow.

What is your morning routine?

7 am wake up
7:15 am mediation
7:45 am workout (Yoga, running, weight training)

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

I do an 18 Hour fast every day. My 6-hour eating window is from Noon to 6 pm. There are many benefits to doing his. Lowering of insulin levels, increase of HGH, Cellular repair, Gene expression, weight loss, increased energy. Also, yoga and meditation have been very beneficial to me.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

I am the type of person that gets distracted easily, so I need to put myself in the best situation to focus and that is by limiting distractions and noise. I wear noise-canceling headphones along with isolating myself as much as possible. When I am in a less distracting environment my productivity increases tenfold.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, because with true mental toughness you can overcome any obstacle in your way.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

Knowledge combined with action creates opportunities, opportunities combined with execution creates health, wealth, and happiness. I came up with this based on my experience with being prepared for the limited opportunity that came my way and executing on them.