Trust me, this isn't a cold email

Growing up in Oakland, sports were everything to me. Oakland might be the joke of pro sports in 2023, however in the 2000’s and early 2010’s it was one of only a couple of cities that had 3 pro teams. The games were cheap too, so being a kid from a lower middle class family I could get enough games in to support my deep interest and passion for sports.

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Today I watch a lot of basketball, but baseball was always my first sport. To end up playing Division 1 at Santa Clara University and then the minor leagues, I’ll always be grateful for the coaches who saw something special in me and invested extra time in my development. I also wouldn’t have made it to where I did without my parents, who showed their belief in my dream and made many sacrifices over the years.

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Man, there were some highs and lows. Not many can say they won league and section championships in high school, were an all conference freshman in college, a projected a top draft pick after their freshman year, and drafted by the Brewers with an ensuing couple year stint in the minor leagues. However, the lows included long standing injuries, surgeries, and disappointing seasons once the injuries started to stack up the last couple years to lessen the effect of these accolades. I always prided myself in my resilience and work ethic, which is why the injuries I grinded all offseason to rehabilitate took away some of the joy that came with playing on the field on my climb up.

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Today, I’m a washed up minor league baseball player working in sales. What I have been through the past several years has taught me many valuable lessons:

• Working hard and showing up on time creates your reputation which follows you.
• Being a good teammate equals lifelong friends.
• Having passions that translate well between sports and quality of life such as cooking and fitness being a couple.
• A natural curiosity to learn enhances personal development and the ability to capitalize on opportunities provided by athletics (investing, business, etc).
• Failure happens, the drive to come back and handle adversity is key.

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And so now that I am a sales rep, here’s a couple things I’ve learned:

• Relationships are everything. My first job at DocuSign came from a friend of a teammate. Additionally, the bulk of my early conversations prior to applying were with former athletes who could speak to their transitions.
• Be the first one in and last one out at the office.
• Understand your initial weaknesses and fix them. Become an expert in industry knowledge and required systems.
• Find mentors and people with the same vision  (relationships 2.0).

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Speaking from early experience I am starting to realize athletes like me were made for sales. While the long term goal might not be as crystal clear as trying to make it to the majors, I believe the best in life is yet to come.