Welcome to The Career Advantage Show
I am your host, Tony Pisanelli
On this show, we dive deep with our guests to uncover real stories, practical insights, and proven strategies that will help you reclaim your career power, navigate transitions, and design what’s next with confidence.
My very special guest today is Marques Ogden ...
Marques Ogden Bio
Marques Ogden is a former NFL player who is now an inspirational keynote speaker. He's also the founder and CEO of Ogden Ventures LLC, three-time best-selling author (Sleepless Nights; The Success Cycle), business coach and consultant and the podcast host of Authenticity With Marques Ogden; although his journey didn't come easy or without unrelenting adversity.
After retiring from football, Marques pursued a career in construction and contracting. At 27, he founded a construction company with fast growth but eventually went bankrupt, losing almost two million dollars on one project in 90 days. He pulled himself together during his darkest hours and got a part-time job as a custodian.
Marques rose to the top again with hard work and determination, using his struggles as inspiration to blaze his own trail forward. Now, he shares his powerful story to help others learn how to fail forward and achieve success in their lives. Marques' story and insights as a thought leader have been featured in top publications such as USA Today, Forbes, News Nation, Cheddar News and Authority Magazine. As a speaker, he's landed jobs with over 80 Fortune 500 companies and over 20 Fortune 100 companies like Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Intel, JPMorgan Chase and Home Depot.
Marques hopes to continue reaching new levels in his professional career and positively impacting as many people's lives as possible through doing what he loves; speaking on stage and sharing his experiences and knowledge with others.
Transcript
[00:00.980 --> 00:11.960] Welcome to the Career Advantage Show, where we help you reclaim your career power and design your working life on your terms.
[00:12.540 --> 00:18.640] I'm Tony Piscinelli, and each week I sit down with leaders who have faced career-defining moments,
[00:19.300 --> 00:26.080] such as a devastating job loss, burnout, stagnation, or even workplace harassment,
[00:26.080 --> 00:33.100] and been able to turn these difficult circumstances into powerful and greater opportunities.
[00:33.340 --> 00:40.180] On today's Career Advantage Show, I will be having a conversation with Marcus Ogden,
[00:40.760 --> 00:48.980] former NFL player, business owner, and today a speaker and business coach,
[00:49.280 --> 00:53.640] all the way from North Carolina, from the US. Welcome, Marcus.
[00:53.640 --> 00:56.940] Why are you, Tony? Thanks for having me on, my friend.
[00:58.160 --> 01:00.020] Likewise. Thank you for joining us.
[01:00.840 --> 01:11.260] In looking at some of your story, Marcus, you're big on systems and the importance of systems in terms of winning the game.
[01:11.700 --> 01:17.660] Now, can you take us back to your NFL days and share with our audience
[01:17.660 --> 01:26.160] how you first came across the importance of systems, how it was applied at the game level,
[01:26.620 --> 01:34.060] where you potentially went from a defeat scenario to creating a victory because everyone followed the system.
[01:34.060 --> 01:37.740] If you can share a story from that history of yours,
[01:37.780 --> 01:43.860] and then we can look at how people need to apply the importance of system in the way they live their lives.
[01:43.860 --> 01:50.520] I remember when I was playing for Baltimore, we were playing one of our rivals in our division,
[01:50.620 --> 01:54.460] the Cleveland Browns, and we were down, I think, 14 to 10 at halftime,
[01:54.620 --> 02:00.180] and we were really just not executing at a high level that we should have been.
[02:00.580 --> 02:04.620] I remember our head coach, Brian Billick, talked to us about,
[02:04.620 --> 02:12.020] hey, you all, you guys are out there working hard, you're playing hard, but you're not following the system.
[02:12.340 --> 02:16.460] You're not doing the plays the way that we design them during the week,
[02:16.460 --> 02:22.700] and you're not executing at a high level because you're not really doing the system effectively.
[02:23.220 --> 02:27.160] So for about 10 minutes, he kind of talked about getting back to the basics,
[02:27.160 --> 02:32.880] getting back to the systems, how we all need to work together, how we all need to have continuity,
[02:32.880 --> 02:39.500] and that really got us thinking about how we would practice hard and do well with systems,
[02:39.500 --> 02:45.220] and when we don't play well without systems, the missing link is the systems.
[02:45.680 --> 02:46.980] So we were able to turn it around.
[02:47.160 --> 02:51.540] We won that game 28 to 14 against Cleveland,
[02:51.540 --> 02:57.840] and I just remember Coach Billick talking about if we're going to win this football game,
[02:57.960 --> 03:03.000] we got to get back to the basics and we got to get back to utilizing the systems
[03:03.000 --> 03:07.840] that we've been really working on all week here in the game in the second half.
[03:07.900 --> 03:09.440] And again, when we did that, right, Tony?
[03:09.580 --> 03:12.100] We had a positive outcome in that game.
[03:13.140 --> 03:17.920] What was a key component of what was happening in the first half?
[03:17.920 --> 03:22.940] For example, was everyone just doing their own thing rather than following the system?
[03:23.040 --> 03:27.000] And what specific element in the system turned it around, Marcus?
[03:27.740 --> 03:35.480] So in reality, Tony, we just were not executing the system as far as being all working together.
[03:35.660 --> 03:38.160] Like, again, people weren't doing their own thing.
[03:38.520 --> 03:42.360] The timing of what they were doing was not in rhythm, right?
[03:42.360 --> 03:48.840] So if you're playing a game, especially a game of football, timing, rhythm, and execution
[03:48.840 --> 03:54.340] really is the makeup of the system, the plays you call against the defense.
[03:54.440 --> 03:55.480] I'm an offensive lineman, right?
[03:55.720 --> 04:00.260] But as a whole, the offense and the defense are going to have great timing,
[04:00.760 --> 04:02.820] great rhythm, and great execution.
[04:03.080 --> 04:05.160] So our timing was off.
[04:05.340 --> 04:09.420] Guys weren't doing their own thing, but they were doing it a little bit slower.
[04:09.420 --> 04:12.440] They weren't doing it, like, you know, at the speed that was needed.
[04:12.740 --> 04:18.260] And when your timing's off and the rhythm is off, then you're going to play off.
[04:18.420 --> 04:19.580] I mean, that's just the way that it is.
[04:19.640 --> 04:22.120] I don't care how much you're trying to do that, right?
[04:22.180 --> 04:25.820] Tony, but if your timing and rhythm is off, you will be off.
[04:26.000 --> 04:30.540] So what happened is, in the second half, our timing got better.
[04:31.000 --> 04:32.420] Guys were running faster.
[04:32.740 --> 04:36.840] They were actually moving at the right speed and routine that.
[04:36.840 --> 04:42.300] And then our rhythm being in sync or being aligned, things got better.
[04:42.600 --> 04:43.660] And we were able to execute.
[04:43.820 --> 04:47.800] We actually ended up scoring, like I said, about, what was that, 18 points, you know,
[04:47.840 --> 04:50.600] in the second half and winning that football game.
[04:50.720 --> 04:53.440] So, you know, when it comes, I can always speak for football.
[04:53.620 --> 04:54.680] I mean, I love basketball.
[04:55.340 --> 04:56.180] Baseball's okay.
[04:56.320 --> 04:57.460] But football's my game.
[04:58.240 --> 05:04.000] Rhythm, timing, execution, all these things are critical to your long-term success
[05:04.000 --> 05:08.240] and winning, you know, a sustainable amount of games throughout an NFL season.
[05:09.280 --> 05:09.880] Okay.
[05:10.000 --> 05:17.880] So, Marcus, moving on from that, we know that systems don't just play an important part
[05:17.880 --> 05:19.540] on a football field.
[05:20.440 --> 05:23.400] They're also very important in business.
[05:23.400 --> 05:30.720] Did you carry that on in the business world or did you forget that and then something happened
[05:30.720 --> 05:35.180] in the business world where you thought, you know what, I need a system.
[05:35.760 --> 05:37.280] Can you share that with us?
[05:37.740 --> 05:37.980] Yeah.
[05:38.080 --> 05:43.720] So what happened is, Tony, from my construction company, we actually, when I started out, I
[05:43.720 --> 05:47.060] was starting in, like, concrete, small concrete work.
[05:47.060 --> 05:52.900] And then we ended up getting pushed into large earthwork and dirt work and utilities, which
[05:52.900 --> 05:58.320] is like earth grading, digging up, dirt removal, hauling, all those things.
[05:58.620 --> 06:00.240] And we really didn't have a system.
[06:00.380 --> 06:04.500] And then we put one in place and the company grew substantially.
[06:05.160 --> 06:13.460] The problem I had was the company did not sustain itself because my ego got so massive that I
[06:13.460 --> 06:20.700] forgot my system, I forgot my people, I forgot how to actually do the things that got me to be a
[06:20.700 --> 06:23.020] $25 million a year company.
[06:23.620 --> 06:30.860] And as a result of my ego, see again, right, Tony, my rhythm, my timing, how I was doing was off.
[06:30.860 --> 06:39.220] And because of that, it caused the system to break down because my key team members, employees,
[06:39.220 --> 06:46.640] they were feeling off, they were kind of vibing off my rhythm, off what I did or what I didn't
[06:46.640 --> 06:47.000] do.
[06:47.160 --> 06:52.360] And as a result of that, that's when I ended up losing everything in that construction
[06:52.360 --> 06:58.620] company in 2013 and having to move from Baltimore down to Raleigh, North Carolina.
[07:00.460 --> 07:00.940] Right.
[07:01.080 --> 07:06.300] So how did, obviously losing a lot of money, Marcus, is never a pleasant experience.
[07:07.200 --> 07:07.640] No.
[07:07.640 --> 07:10.540] So how did you pick yourself up off the ground?
[07:12.220 --> 07:17.760] So when I got down here to Raleigh, right, Tony, I was feeling sorry for myself from April 2013
[07:17.760 --> 07:19.900] until September 2013.
[07:19.900 --> 07:27.500] And what happened is I ended up having a rock bottom moment where I ended up having someone's
[07:27.500 --> 07:35.320] spoiled milk and nasty protruding garbage in this horrible, rotten smelling meat all over me.
[07:35.320 --> 07:43.460] And that made me realize that I was the one that put myself on this curb, on this corner.
[07:43.660 --> 07:47.020] And if I'm going to get my life back, it's going to take accountability.
[07:47.440 --> 07:48.640] It's going to take responsibility.
[07:48.760 --> 07:49.740] It's going to take humility.
[07:50.020 --> 07:55.200] Like, I got to stop thinking that the world owes me something because the world owes me nothing.
[07:55.200 --> 08:02.240] And so once I had that mindset shift, I started to work towards getting my life back.
[08:02.540 --> 08:05.020] Now, I'm not going to tell you it was easy because it sure wasn't.
[08:05.400 --> 08:09.680] But that shift happened as a result of my rock bottom moment.
[08:09.680 --> 08:15.960] And once that moment really hit me like a ton of bricks, right, Tony, that's when I said,
[08:16.080 --> 08:20.040] okay, if I don't change, I'm going to be here for the rest of my life.
[08:20.160 --> 08:22.940] And that's when I started to make the change at that time.
[08:24.880 --> 08:32.000] It's interesting, Mark, is because that moment is obviously a catalyst for throwing us into
[08:32.000 --> 08:40.880] the world of I'm a victim, and I see that when someone loses that all-important job.
[08:41.600 --> 08:47.600] And a lot of people stay there for a long time, years if not decades.
[08:47.980 --> 08:53.960] You were able to lift yourself up in months because you realized, hey, no one's going to
[08:53.960 --> 08:54.840] come and rescue me.
[08:58.300 --> 08:58.860] Correct.
[08:58.860 --> 09:04.540] So that's an important lesson for those listening to this from a career perspective who lose
[09:04.540 --> 09:05.980] their job or become burnout.
[09:07.040 --> 09:09.380] Staying in victimhood doesn't pay.
[09:10.540 --> 09:12.540] You need to wake up and move on.
[09:13.220 --> 09:21.700] Tony, nobody cares about your hardships, your failures, your problems.
[09:21.820 --> 09:22.860] They have their own.
[09:23.320 --> 09:28.200] And so I tell people all the time, if you aren't going to help yourself,
[09:28.200 --> 09:30.420] why would anybody else?
[09:30.420 --> 09:36.740] So you have to take the mentality, you have to take the disposition that if you want your
[09:36.740 --> 09:44.760] life to come back from a hardship or adversity or a struggle, that you have to be the one that
[09:44.760 --> 09:47.600] gets the train rolling down the tracks.
[09:47.980 --> 09:52.480] People don't mind helping you, but you have to help yourself first.
[09:52.480 --> 09:58.440] I don't mind helping people who are struggling as long as I know they're trying to help themselves.
[09:59.320 --> 09:59.960] Perfect.
[10:00.640 --> 10:10.720] So, Marcus, we're going from NFL player, business owner, and now a speaker and business speaker and coach.
[10:10.720 --> 10:15.600] How did that transition occur?
[10:15.800 --> 10:17.440] Was there someone you met?
[10:17.860 --> 10:20.960] What was the motivation for that career shift?
[10:20.960 --> 10:30.040] So what happened was, Tony, I was actually listening to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts by a guy named Tony Robbins.
[10:30.420 --> 10:36.800] So I said, wow, if Tony Robbins, who was a janitor at some point in his life, he met Jim Rohn,
[10:36.800 --> 10:42.460] he turned his life around, he became this world-renowned, inspirational speaker.
[10:42.960 --> 10:45.780] If Tony Robbins could do it, so could I.
[10:45.920 --> 10:55.760] So in reality, right, Tony, it was just me at that time being open to something different that I'd never done before.
[10:55.880 --> 10:57.940] And I heard about it through podcasts.
[10:58.280 --> 11:02.180] And again, I really fell in love with Tony Robbins and his message of, you know,
[11:02.180 --> 11:06.600] make the mindset shift, the power of the mind, things of that nature.
[11:07.180 --> 11:13.000] And once I decided I was going to pursue that, I didn't let anything stop me.
[11:13.080 --> 11:19.240] And again, like I say, it took me two and a half years to get my first paid speaking job, but I never gave up.
[11:19.540 --> 11:21.660] I never stopped pursuing it.
[11:21.760 --> 11:22.560] I never quit.
[11:22.980 --> 11:25.340] And I got my first paid job.
[11:25.520 --> 11:27.580] I started September 2013.
[11:27.580 --> 11:30.980] I got my first paid job in April 2016.
[11:30.980 --> 11:35.980] And that began the journey to where I'm at today.
[11:37.140 --> 11:41.980] What's the greatest satisfaction that you get out of speaking?
[11:43.800 --> 11:50.280] Tony, the best thing is when I see people and they're like, have like that aha moment,
[11:50.680 --> 11:54.580] that light bulb moment that they can do something better.
[11:54.720 --> 11:56.320] They can be something better.
[11:56.460 --> 11:58.080] They can achieve something more.
[11:58.140 --> 11:59.780] They can be something greater.
[11:59.780 --> 12:08.880] When people have that moment, that is satisfaction to me because I remember when I started speaking,
[12:08.880 --> 12:10.460] it was really hard to get started.
[12:10.780 --> 12:17.000] But for me, I had that aha moment when I met Mel Robbins in 2018.
[12:17.000 --> 12:22.180] And when I met her and she was like, motivation is garbage.
[12:22.540 --> 12:25.520] Inspiration is long and everlasting.
[12:26.100 --> 12:28.300] That was my aha moment.
[12:28.600 --> 12:35.120] So I love to see people develop and or have that light switch turn on in their brain.
[12:35.340 --> 12:37.740] And they say, yep, I can do this.
[12:37.820 --> 12:38.720] I can be more.
[12:38.780 --> 12:39.760] I can achieve more.
[12:39.760 --> 12:40.920] I can go for more.
[12:42.420 --> 12:51.860] Isn't it interesting, Marcus, that we reach a point in our lives where it's not our own success that gives us our greatest joy,
[12:51.860 --> 12:57.820] but it's how we trigger the success in others where the true satisfaction comes.
[12:57.820 --> 13:01.720] Is that a fair call as we wrap up this interview?
[13:03.100 --> 13:09.500] Absolutely, Tony, because to me, when other people are doing well, are being great,
[13:09.620 --> 13:14.340] then at that time and that moment, to me, that's what matters most.
[13:15.520 --> 13:15.840] Perfect.
[13:16.320 --> 13:22.520] All right, Marcus, if people listening to this want to reach out to you and know more about what you do,
[13:22.520 --> 13:23.840] where can they find you?
[13:24.660 --> 13:35.360] They can find me on our website, www.MarcusOgden.com.
[13:35.480 --> 13:36.820] You can go to our app.
[13:36.900 --> 13:40.360] We have an app that's on an Android or an Apple phone, Marcus Ogden,
[13:40.580 --> 13:46.220] or just shoot me an email, Marcus at MarcusOgden.com.
[13:47.880 --> 13:48.600] Thank you.
[13:48.600 --> 13:53.500] All right, well, that's been another episode of the Career Advantage Show,
[13:53.880 --> 13:56.620] where we had a conversation with Marcus Ogden.
[13:57.100 --> 14:05.300] If you got a lot out of today's session, please leave us a five-star rating,
[14:05.940 --> 14:11.760] and don't forget to subscribe and share this communication with others.
[14:12.300 --> 14:12.860] Thank you.
[14:12.940 --> 14:17.400] Until next time, make sure you're always reclaiming your power.
[14:17.400 --> 14:18.260] Thank you.
[14:18.600 --> 14:22.720] Thanks for tuning in to the Career Advantage Show.
[14:23.280 --> 14:29.060] Visit thecareeradvantage.show to subscribe and claim your free career confidential toolkit.
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[14:37.600 --> 14:43.640] And don't forget to share it with your friends and colleagues who might need a little career inspiration.
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