Transcript of Design Thinking: How to Build, Scale, and Upgrade Your Life Like a Product | Steve Davis Jr. | E13

The NFL saying no to me was the first time in my life that I got a no in something that I expected to get a yes.

My next guest was a 4-year starter, All-Big Ten player, and senior captain at the University of Minnesota. The NFL was supposed to be next, but it wasn't.

All of my identity and my worth was around football. The fact that it didn't happen for me really forced me to try to figure out who I am.

Today, Steve Davis Jr. oversees alumni engagement for over 500,000 people, at the University of Minnesota. He's a certified Design Your Life Coach using the Stanford Design Thinking methodology, and he's the founder of Strive Higher After Sports, including a product line of journals used by high performers across the country.

When you go out into the real world and you're trying to do something, you don't wanna fail. You don't wanna be seen as a failure.

Yeah.

But failure helps you learn more and faster than success does.

So what's the hardest business decision you've had to make, and how did your athletic background shape how you handled it?

This is an exclusive. So, uh, the hardest business decision I've had to make, I just made.

Steve, welcome to Business MVP.

Wow. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you very much for, for bringing me onto your platform. Excited for the conversation.

Steve, you did everything right at Minnesota.

4-year starter, All-Big Ten captain.

The NFL said no. And then you went through sales, project management, events, alumni work.

What were you searching for and what finally clicked?

That's a great question. You know, the NFL saying no to me was the first time in my life that I got a no in something that I expected to get a yes.

Oh, love that.

It was something that really pushed me down a pathway of self-discovery because all of my identity and my worth was around football. And the idea of being an NFL player with tons of money, tons of access, tons of stature.

Mm-hmm.

The fact that it didn't happen for me really forced me to try to figure out who I am. And I think a lot of my career was exploration, trying out different things, getting into the experience of things that I thought that I really wanted to do, and then making pivots. But a lot of it really boiled down to having conversations with people, specifically athletes. And as I had more conversation— conversations, a regurgitating theme kept coming up in regards to identity and people being lost in identity. So that kind of steered me in the direction of figuring out what I can do to help. And it just evolved in my career and my professional endeavors. to the point where I became an entrepreneur. But that wasn't my goal at the beginning of my post-career of football. It was really trying to figure out myself. And then once I figured out athletes needed help, I was like, well, what can I do to help?

So what did competing in Big Ten football build in you that you now use in business every day?

You know, being in the Big Ten, you know, competing on the highest level, you know, getting the opportunity to have that platform and also play against The best of the best really boosted my confidence knowing that I was able to maintain a good level of stature there, a good level of respect there. Being able to adjust and be in high-pressure environments really prepared me for whatever I was going to do in my life and in my career. It gave me the confidence to move in different spaces knowing that I belong or I can find my way through it and climb that ladder to make an impact because I did that at the Big Ten. I did that in football. I also felt like what really stood out to me as my highlight of my career was being named captain my senior year unanimously by my teammates. And to me, that really steered me in the direction that I can be a leader and people can follow me. And I can influence the environment. And that's something that I always look at when I go into rooms. It's like, I want to know everybody. I want to understand everybody's role and eventually, you know, showcase my leadership abilities.

Yeah, no, that's great. So, you're a certified Designing Your Life coach using the methodology developed at Stanford. For the entrepreneurs listening who've never heard of design thinking, what is it and why should they care?

Yeah. So design thinking was something that I stumbled on in my time at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. You know, I was still, you know, finding ways of helping people and connecting them to resources. And we had brought some practitioners along that would do workshops, and they started talking about designing your life. And as I paid attention to it, I was like, wow, this is actually something that I really resonate with because I felt like I was already doing it in my life.

Mm-hmm.

And for those who don't understand what that means is— so design thinking and life design is really this focus of looking at your life like a product designer looks at a product. You put something together, and that product is not a finished product at the beginning. It has to go through beta testing. So it goes out into the market, it is getting tested and getting feedback from the users. And then from that feedback, you're able to make some updates to that product, and then you upgrade that product so that it has better features. And then eventually you learn from all those different things with those features to eventually evolve that to another version, say, for instance, an iPhone 17 to an iPhone 18. Life design is like very similar in how you look at your life as a product of testing, learning, and growing, giving yourself the ability to, yes, come up with ideas and things that you want to do, but go test those things out. Go out and try things, experience things. And when you experience them, then you have data, then you have information. And what you do with that information is up to you.

But basically, you have something to make informed decisions about By giving yourself a chance and having this bias towards action. So that's the methodology that I really, like, fell in love with. And I wanted to learn more about it and help other athletes to do it because we're already trained to, like, make that next step and move forward and learn from our mistakes. It's like, how do we apply that same principle that we use in athletics to life? And life design is a great way to be able to apply that in a tangible way.

Yeah, that's great. So walk me through what this looks like in practice. If an entrepreneur comes to you and says, I'm stuck, I don't know what's next, what's the first thing you do?

Yeah, well, the first thing that I focus on, I think is really important, is before you can make a move in any direction, you first have to understand the reasoning, the why, the foundation to kind of give you a grounding. So a lot of things that I focus on at the beginning stage is really driving at the who, like, who are you? What are your values? What are your intangibles? What is the story and narrative that you want to tell in this world? Like, who's the person that you're trying to become? Focusing on that who and driving on that who will really clarify what your mission is, what your beliefs are, what your values are. So that you can use that to ultimately figure out different pathways. And I think sometimes people get stuck in the thought process of, I'm only thinking about this one thing, especially athletes. I'm thinking about, I'm making it to the league and everything else is going to trickle from there.

Right.

Or as an entrepreneur, you may have an idea and it's like this narrow pathway of one thing that you're thinking about and you're driving towards. But with me, I'm trying to open up multiple possibilities to say, okay, well, that's one path. Say, for instance, that path does not exist. Sports does not exist. What would you be doing in the world? Like, what, what would be your makeup? And kind of inspiring and challenging the thought process of what your identity is and different pathways of what your life could look like, so that you can pull elements of that. today and use elements of that today. So giving you that, that foundation of who to help build out the what is really the starting process.

Yeah, I love that. So most people try to plan their way out of uncertainty, right? But design thinking says that's wrong. Why? And what should entrepreneurs do instead?

Yeah, I mean, because you can't, you can't make a move, you can't know where you're gonna go until you know who you are. If you really want to grow yourself, you have to know yourself. So design thinking allows you to really kind of think in a design methodology of you're building a product, but before that product goes out to market, we got to build a foundation. We got to understand, like, what's the principles behind this? What's the why behind this? What are we ultimately trying to build here? What's the story that we're trying to tell? And when you have that foundation, it allows you to go out and test some of these different ideas, but understand what are you looking for that will bring it back to alignment to Yeah. That foundation. And for anybody going out in life and trying to create a business, create a fulfilling life in general, like, it's not just about your performance in work. Sometimes it's that balance of, you know, the relationships that you hold, the hobbies that you have. We're not just built to work every day. There's more to our life. And it's like, how do we help keep that in alignment with everything else?

So Design thinking allows you to put things in a holistic viewpoint, but also don't just sitting on it. It allows you to go test out and practice those things, even in small micro steps, to see how it fits and what it feels like. Because the ultimate driver for design thinking and just life design in general is finding things that resonate with you. And once you find the things that resonate with you, Finding ways to do more of that. Because for me, it's really about driving towards, you know, living fully and living in a life that is really speaking to your fulfillment and your joy and your peace.

This is really interesting because it's different than what I would think normal advice entrepreneurs get from, you know, business coaches, masterminds, self-help books, because a lot of times it's, there's a plan, right? There's an end goal, but this is sort of, allowing this to happen organically by figuring out like your foundation, your who, all of those things and kind of seeing where it leads you. So, this is a totally different way to look at it, which is really interesting. So, what do you think that actually ultimately unlocks for people? Like, what does design thinking unlock that those other approaches that we see, you know, self-help books, masterminds, you know, misses?

Yeah, the biggest thing is alignment. It unlocks the opportunity for you to make steps And take something from everything that you're doing.

Mm-hmm.

And thinking about how it informs the person that you're becoming. Because, you know, as a person who's driven, who's trying to build their business, and you're trying to make decisions, and sometimes you're thinking like, is this the right decision? Or is this the right decision? And then you have this decision paralysis. Life design allows you to say like, any one of these decisions is not a bad decision, as long as you know how to take something from it. You know, and really grow from whether it's going to be positive or negative. And a lot of people don't want to have the negatives, but that's part of life. And with sports and athletes, like, it's something that we've built our whole life on, but it's been in a controlled environment. So when you go out to the real world and you're trying to do something, you don't want to fail. You don't want to be seen as a failure.

Yeah.

But failure helps you learn more And faster than success does. So really kind of helping to flip the narrative and apply that to the principle of how you're driving your life gives you that, that core sense of understanding of, you know, this is something that still is going to shape me. I'm going to learn something through this process. And I'm going to give myself a chance on all these different pathways. Who says I have to just focus on one thing? Now, it's hard to do in practice in regards to like balance of your life, but it doesn't have to be 100% all in on certain things. You can be doing 60% of one thing and dipping your toe into other things just to see like, oh, one day I want to do this, but I don't know if I would really like it unless I try it. So, you got to try it before you buy it, right?

You got to try it before you buy it. I love that. Yeah, no, that makes sense. That's great. Thank you. So, I want to talk about something most coaches never do. So, you turned your methodology into a product. You created 2 journals, the Strive Higher Journal built around daily habits, and then the Strive Higher Weekly Reflection Journal built around strategic weekly reflection. So, what problem does each one solve for the person using it?

Yeah. So, let me talk about journaling for a second, if you don't mind, because I wasn't, I wasn't the biggest fan of journaling when I was an athlete. As I've gotten older and been able to really step back and reflect, on my learnings, even in atmospheres where I felt like this is not where I'm supposed to be. Reflecting, it allowed me to actually pull something away from it and really give me that aha moment, like, oh, wow, I did grow from this, or I did get something that I actually am using today. And one thing that I noticed, even in my work as a business owner, like journaling has been freeing for me to be able to stay in that same framework and that pathway of life design, because In order for you to really take away the data and those nuggets, you can't just keep moving. You have to pause at times and really reflect—

Think about it.

And pull out those insights so then you can do something with them. It's better to put them on paper than to just keep it in your head. And I've become a huge fan of journaling and knowing that people in the world love gratitude journals and love affirmations. So just hearing that from some of my peers and just knowing how high-performing athletes and high-performing people bar. This felt like something great to add on to the work that I'm doing, because a lot of the life design is really pulled into some of the coaching. But I wanted to provide it in a space to allow the clients to take it with them and be able to use this on their own. And one thing that I know about athletes is that sometimes they are opposed to just writing and reflecting, because we're not used to that. We're We're looking at film, we're getting better at that. But when you do it, it allows you, like, once again, to grow. So I've been able to apply that and give that as an option for folks to be able to do on the daily if they are really, you know, on top of that.

But I also noticed that some people are like, well, I don't have the time. I want to do this, but I feel guilty that I haven't been able to do it every day.

Mm-hmm.

So I'm like, all right, cool. Well, here's a weekly version that allows you to reflect at the end of the week and really pull some insights away from how things are happening every day. Because the whole point is that in your life, in life design, you really got to pay attention, and you really have to set aside that time to pause and reflect. And when you do it, you're going to see substantial growth. And I want to give you the option of being able to access this, whether it's something that you know that you do daily, or if it's something like being realistic with yourself, That, oh, I can't do this daily, but I can do this weekly. The whole point is that use something to help you jot down your experiences because you're gonna see something in your writing that you wouldn't be able to see if you just held it in your head and moved forward.

Yeah. I mean, I think we all struggle with that, right? I mean, I'm not a professional athlete and I have the same issue. Like, I love the idea of it, but it's like finding the time to do it. Consistently.

Yeah. Right?

But you're right, because then you see the patterns, you, you know, and, and, and you can reflect on how much you've grown, like you said. So, yeah, I think it's super important. Um, a lot of coaches and consultants keep their knowledge locked in their heads, right? So, that's another thing. So, you turned yours into a physical product people can use without you in the room, which is amazing. So, what made you think like a product builder instead of just a service provider? Was it because it helped your coaching with them? Or like, what kind of shifted you in that sense?

Well, I'm naturally thinking of a product because of life design, right? But, um, right, I think for me, it was really just the need of, I'm working with individuals, or I'm working with groups, and they're gaining a lot from it. But then what's next? And how do they keep this momentum going forward? And I wanted to give them a tool to really help, you know, practice daily, practice weekly, the framework of life design in a real practical way. So that's why it kind of, you know, gave me the inspiration to think about that. Because also, I see people use gratitude journals. And I'm like, yeah, this is very similar. You can have your daily affirmations. But let me add in some principles, some prompts That allows you to like really reflect and really hone in on what you took away from each day or each week. And then having like a mid-year break to really just give yourself another pep speech or halftime speech to kind of say like, all right, this is what I've learned about myself. This is a story that I'm trying to build. Like, okay, these are some good things that are actually happening because gratitude and grace is hard for us to always do because we're always striving, always looking for the next thing, always looking to achieve.

The whole point of this is like, give yourself some grace, give yourself an opportunity to pause and reflect, and you're going to really be proud of where you started and where you are now.

Yeah, I love that. So walk me through the actual mechanics of bringing a journal to market, the design, the production, the distribution.

What did you learn about building a product business that surprised you?

Um, you know, honestly, I found out that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. It was more so, you know, putting all those ideas on paper, doing my research. Luckily enough for me and my network, I have some friends and family members who are published authors. I'm a published author myself. And I have a friend who's also made journals. So I was like, hey, how hard is this? Yeah, right.

Tell me what to do.

Yeah, tell me what to do. And once, once she kind of gave me the insight, I was like, alright, I can, I can do this. And there's great tools out there to help make it accessible. I use Canva to really put mine together. And the connection with Amazon is very simple, very simple to publish. Journals and put them out there, but you can publish them in Barnes& Noble and other places as well. But the process of putting it together is really, you know, putting those ideas on paper, but then designing it in a way that looks unique. And there's plenty of templates out there to kind of pull from. And I just use what felt, you know, natural for me to kind of put together in Canva. Um, which is, which is a skillset. I will say if you're not in that ballpark and understand how to build and design things, like using some people to help could be part of that process, but it is not as hard as you think to, to build that and then have it be published. I would say within a month, uh, within Amazon, uh, that's an easy and accessible way.

So for the entrepreneurs listening who have expertise and are thinking about turning it into a product, Where do you start? And I mean, I know you said kind of reaching out to your network, so maybe, you know, that's kind of where it starts. But if there's more, please elaborate. And then what do most people get wrong?

Oh, good question. I mean, I would start with first putting down like, what, what are you trying to build down on paper and just like build out a little bit of the plan there and maybe even the bones of what it's supposed to look like. And the good thing is that AI could be very supportive.

Right. And these days to visualize.

Yeah, yeah, it can help jumpstart the process as long as you build the plane, build the vision, and then say, hey, now that I have these pieces, how could I best put this in a digestible, you know, product or journal, whatever that may be? And it will give you some, some advice in that. Because then it's really from that stage, it's about the design of it, right? It's like, what are the pieces? How many pages? What that looks like. And there's a lot of free resources out there that you can research, YouTube videos that can help you understand how to best, you know, put those pieces together. But once again, like anything in life design, before you put something out in the market, Build that foundation first. You know, that's, that's always my biggest advice. Build that foundation first. Like, why are you building? Why are you putting this product together? What problems are you trying to solve? You know, what's the narrative here? Really brainstorm and put that down on paper, because that can help jumpstart what the creative design process could look like with the support of some AI. And I'm like I said, I'm not opposed to using that as a copilot in your brainstorming, just as long as it's not taking over the entire, you know, brainchild of what you're trying to build.

You gotta have your own DNA in it.

Yeah, agreed.

Yeah.

Love that. So, we've been talking about what you built. I wanna shift a little more to how you think. So, you manage engagement now for 500,000 alumni at the University of Minnesota. You also built a community of former athletes in Minnesota from scratch. What have you learned about community building that every entrepreneur needs to hear?

This is key for me because I wouldn't be where I am without people. Part of my story that I tell a lot is that when I was down and out, really depressed, not understanding what was next, and nothing was working right for me and trying to find a job. I was isolating myself for a while, and everything that I was trying to do by myself wasn't working. What opened the door for me was having a conversation with an alum from the University of Minnesota, and just kind of opening up and really connecting on a very authentic level about what I was going through, the struggles I'm facing. you know, support that I'm looking for. And that person resonated with my story and shared more about their own transition and their own, you know, plight from where they were to where they are. And for me, it was very eye-opening because I'm looking at this person as a very successful person who has a great lifestyle, family, has all the things that you want. And he talked about his struggles. So I was like, oh, I'm not alone in this. And that person gave me my first job.

So that light bulb set me down this pathway of like, oh, maybe there is this power in networking that they talked about that I really didn't understand. But now I've experienced it for the first time. How do I do this more? So I started putting myself in different spaces and connected with people. And this is where I found out that more athletes were struggling and all these different things. And it led me down this different pathway. But 90% of the jobs that I've gotten in my career have been because of people that I built a relationship with.

100%.

Really establishing that, that community aspect to help elevate and open doors. And when I came to the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, my whole thought process coming in was, how do I make people feel like they have access and that they belong? And really helping the experiences after that could mend relationships and build relationships, because not everybody may have had the best relationship with the university. And I got the opportunity to really focus on spaces that haven't really been reached out to. They're disadvantaged, underserved communities, and bringing them together for the first time since they graduated and giving them a chance to really build a bond with each other. I noticed in my life, like, I've always been in these spaces where I'm bringing people together and just— it just naturally comes to me. Which is why, like, I feel like my proudest moment as a football player was becoming a captain because it just solidified that everybody is respecting the ways that I'm bringing them together. And I really, truly Enjoy doing that. And getting an opportunity to build that at the University of Minnesota and learning that there are different ways that communities connect, but finding that carrot that brings everybody together to help everybody feel a part of a human experience and feel like they can be their authentic self is the best feeling in the world for me.

And I noticed that athletes sometimes don't have that when they leave their teams or organizations and they're trying to strive and build their own thing. But community is what keeps you going. Teamwork was part of the fabric in the athlete's life that is really a main stage that really allowed them to grow and be accountable and feel like they can be themselves and be in the locker room and have those conversations. So I'm really building here that locker room outside the locker room. How do we keep that community going? How do you find yourself in the world, but still connect back to the people that understand your story, that understand your experience, and you can resonate without having to sell yourself? You can just freely have those conversations. And that recharges you. That really gives you a sense of peace. It gives you a sense of confidence to go out in this world and knowing that you still have your tribe that's behind your back.

Yeah. I mean, I think it's, I think everybody experiences this a little bit, whether you're, you know, an athlete or not. Like it could just be even going to college for 4 years and having that be your network and your friend circle. And then all of a sudden you're in the real world, right? So the, your identity can be changing and lost all over the place no matter what. So I think this is great advice.

Yeah.

So, your mantra is SHED, S-H-E-D, striving higher every day. How does a mantra actually change behavior and how can entrepreneurs use this to stay accountable?

Yeah, it's like a mission statement. You know, that came about kind of funny, funny story. So, S-H-E-D are kind of like part of my initial initials. My middle name is Herman. And I don't really share that much, but I'll just share it. Whatever.

I love it.

My friends, my friends used to call me Shed at certain points of time. And then I, as I was reflecting, you know, during my, my time of just like self-discovery, and a pivotal point in my life where it was more of like a wake-up call experience, it allowed me to just think about what am I trying to capture in my life and what what type of ways do I want to continue to move forward? And I looked at my name, and I was like, I'm gonna create a mantra, I'm gonna create, create something to be a sticky point to keep me going.

Yeah.

And SHED stands for Striving Higher Every Day. And you would think that is more of like, I'm climbing the ladder, I'm getting better, I'm going to be the most successful person in the world. But no, in reality, striving higher every day is really about learning. It's like, Putting yourself out there and taking something from each day so that you're growing in your knowledge base of what's happening in the experiences that you're having in life, and keeping that as a continual thing that you can look back on a day and say, like, what did I, what did I get from today? You know, what did I take away from today? And that has helped me keep myself keeping that foot going and also reflecting on the negatives and the positives that happen. And when I created Strive Higher After Sports, it was a blend of that. It was like, how do I take my lifestyle and my framework of how I approach life with life design in a way that resonates with athletes to give them a framework to strive higher in their lives and really seek— I would say insight in regards to the person that they are becoming every day.

And taking that with you, with all the experiences, helping them keep their feet where they're, you know, keep their feet where they are. And really just like paying attention to things.

Yeah.

Because you can get so much each day. You can learn from so many people. If you really focus on that aspect of curiosity and being a lifelong learner.

So I think this mantra helps people stay accountable to that all, right? That makes sense.

Yeah, absolutely.

Love this. Everyone should have a mantra. I love that. I'm going to come up with one.

Having a proposition as a business owner, that's great. But like having a value proposition for your life is even greater.

Yeah.

It'll keep you grounded.

Exactly. Yeah. No, I mean, it's, it's, it's a great way to think. So, if you could go back and tell your younger self one thing about what building a business actually requires, what would it be?

Courage.

Oh, I love that. No, that's a good one. I love that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, because you're not going to figure it all out. And I'm still not all the way there yet. I'm still learning.

We're never there, right? That's the point.

Exactly. Exactly.

Because if you think you've arrived, then it's over.

Yeah, exactly.

Mm-hmm.

But, you know, just like in sports, like, you're fearful of, you know, putting yourself out there and competing. Having the courage to bet on yourself is, is a very scary proposition, but it's also a very rewarding proposition if you keep yourself going and keep taking those steps and being open to learning. Because your thought process and your game plan of what you want to happen is probably not going to happen. And you're going to have to learn through it and adjust. And I would say I've been doing this 3 years. I've learned a lot within those 3 years. And I didn't even think I was going to be an entrepreneur. But having the courage to put myself out there, reach out and try to build a relationship with new people and share my story so that we can resonate. And do the work and get the reviews and, and try to scale all these different things. There's so many different resources out there. And there's no right way of doing it. That's what I found out. But if you keep yourself encouraged, and keep that courage going, you can continue to figure it out. Just as long as you don't give up on yourself.

Yes, there's a business model, and you have to make money. But I think, really, when you're betting on yourself, and you're building something, you know, you, you really are living in that light of that confidence that you have in yourself and what you can do to impact the world. And you just got to continue to push forward and learn better ways of sharing that in a way that resonates with other people.

Yeah, I love this. So, kind of on that same note, what habit or principle from your athletic career do you think every entrepreneur, athlete or not, should adopt immediately?

I mean, something that I think is natural that's always there is resilience. Yeah, for sure. You know, courage and resilience are great things to combine, right? Because once again, like, failure is part of it. You're going to fail a lot. And just like the anecdote, you're going to miss 100% of the shots you don't take. You got to still get up and take that shot. And whatever you fail at, this is where the reflection part comes in. Like, okay, what did I learn out of this? Why did I fail? What can I do better the next time? Like being ready for that. Because I'd say this to my clients all the time, the best, best ways that you got better in your sport is when you made a mistake, you watched film and you looked at, oh, I did this wrong, or, oh, I missed this block, or I didn't catch the ball. And then you're like, OK, I'm going to fix that. Because most athletes I know don't want to make a mistake twice, right? So being able to—

Not at that level.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Being able to reflect on that and keep yourself going and resilient is a big piece because when you're outside of the validated walls of being in that environment, you're having to fight your own self and your own limiting beliefs of, oh, I'm not good enough, I'm never going to be there, or, oh, I sucked at this, this didn't work out, what am I supposed to do now? And push against that and say, okay, I failed here, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna do better the next time. I'm gonna keep going. Like, that resilience is key.

Yeah, I agree. So, what's the hardest business decision you've had to make, and how did your athletic background shape how you handled it?

Well, this is an exclusive. So—

Oh, yay.

The hardest business decision I've had to make, I just made. I decided to leap 100% into doing my business and leave the safety net of working with the alumni association that allowed me to do it. And really betting on myself.

I love this. Congratulations.

Yeah. This, this is the scary part of being an entrepreneur. But it's also the more liberating, the more exciting, the more possibility optimistic side of it as well. And I think, you know, for those who are building and trying to get to a point of success, knowing that it's going to be a journey, But you gotta, you gotta put the effort into it. And just like I said, the courage and resilience, but like, I've been helping others and serving others for so long and pouring into others for so long. Just imagine if I'm able to do that for myself. And making that leap and betting on myself is, you know, one of the scariest things you can do as an entrepreneur. But it's also when you start to use what I call optimal stress to keep you on your toes and keep you ready to make the next step and learning so that you can continue to push yourself to heights that you won't even know. So at least that's the answer for me because, yeah, I just made that leap.

I love that. I would imagine like, that's sort of how it was for you in your football career too, right? You're constantly betting on yourself, you're constantly pushing yourself. So, you kind of already are used to this feeling and mindset, right? So—

Sure.

I love that. So, I was gonna ask you what you are working on right now that you're most excited about, but I'm assuming it's this. So, super excited for you. That's awesome. So, Steve, last question.

What does it mean to you to be a business MVP? What's your MVP moment?

Oh, that's a great question. Um, I guess for me, it would be, you know, MVP is Most Valuable Player, most valuable person. I think more so about the thought process and confidence that I can make it happen. And when you make the leap, and you're betting on yourself, the confidence that I have as a player that I had as a player, That I had as an employee has always been, when I step into a room, I can make an impact. I leave a footprint, I make the room better. So when I'm talking about my business and my value proposition, I know the value that I bring to any room. And it allows me to step into those rooms, not trying to sell myself, but actually authentically show up and have a conversation, knowing that God has already made the decisions and opened up the doors, and that I just have to walk into it. And if it's not for me, it's not for me. But knowing that I have the confidence, and I have all the tools to do the job, kind of grounds me and makes me feel like, yeah, this, this is the lane that I need to be in, the lane that I know I'm supposed to be in.

And I'm gonna walk with my head high knowing and feeling like I am, I am him.

I love that. Very trendy right now. You can even get a shirt these days. I've seen this says, you know, I am him. I love it. Um, so thank you so much, Steve, for your time. This has been amazing. It was really interesting to hear about, you know, the design methodology and to reiterate how important journaling is. So I hope everybody gets a lot out of this one. So thank you so, so much.

Yeah, this was fun. Thanks for all the great questions.

And that's how champions think. Here are the key takeaways from my conversation with Steve today. Don't just figure it out, design it. There's a methodology for building what's next, and it works for athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone who's stuck. If your knowledge lives only in your head, you haven't built a business yet. Turn it into a product people can use without you. And the messy middle isn't a failure. Every detour teaches you something you'll need later. If you got value from today's episode, share it with someone who's ready to think bigger, compete harder, and win in business. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you haven't, leaving a 5-star review goes a long way in helping us grow and reach more leaders like you. I'm Sammie Peterson. Thanks for being part of the Business MVP Community, and I'll see you next time as we continue building you into an MVP in business and in life.