Fran Tarkenton played professional football for 18 years, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings. During this time, he reinvented the position of quarterback by honing the craft of scrambling with the ball rather than allowing himself to be sacked by opposing defenders. Today, the 81-year-old CEO, who has founded more than 20 businesses, hasn’t slowed down one bit.
In fact, he is still scrambling, only now he does so with his brain rather than his legs. “It would be easy for me to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got my fastball. We’re building businesses and doing great things,’ but you know what … I want to learn something every day. It doesn’t matter who you are, everybody should want to be mentored, or else you’re just missing out.”
As an 18-year-old at Georgia, Tarkenton might have missed out playing both college and professional football had he not taken it upon himself to tweak the status quo and enter a game against Texas without his coach’s consent. The brazen (and now legendary) act of self-creation led to a badly needed touchdown against Texas as well as Hall of Fame careers at Georgia and Minnesota.
Like all players of his generation, Tarkenton didn’t make big money playing football and endorsing products, so he reinvented himself as an entrepreneur whose main focus was serving small businesses. In this podcast, Tarkenton offers key lessons he has applied from football to entrepreneurship.
Listeners to the podcast can plan on skipping their second round of morning coffee. Tarkenton brings enough energy to light up any recording studio he enters.
You will learn:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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