122: Scott O’Neil: Be Where Your Feet Are

Scott O'Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a global sports, and entertainment company that includes some of the most iconic teams and brands in the world, including the NBA Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL New Jersey Devils. He’s also the former President of Madison Square Garden Sports.  Scott is known for his leadership and ability to establish culture that changes lives. He wrote a book that releases this week called Be Where Your Feet Are – a mantra he lives by and teaches everywhere he goes.  In today’s interview, Scott shares with me his theories on balance, being present, priorities, and making the most important connections in life. I could not put Scott’s book down as soon as I started reading it, and this interview was way too short to cover everything I was dying to ask him, so I hope you’ll not only enjoy this incredibly inspiring chat but also buy his book that releases on June 1: Be Where Your Feet Are.   In this episode, you will hear: The definition of success is different for everyone and you have to figure out what it means to you. Life is not about balance but trade-offs. You can accomplish anything you want as long as you're willing to understand what the trade offs are because we have a limited amount of time. You need to be where your feet are and be present where you are. The phone out of reach rule is something you can do at home or at work where everyone can't have it within arm's reach so you can focus more on human connection. Scott’s five-point plan for health and wellness that you need to do every day: Do something for your mind, something for your body, something for your soul, sleep, and gratitude. Take care of the person in the mirror first then you have an opportunity to care for your family. And if you take care of your family, you have an opportunity to be extraordinary at whatever your success goals are. The power of mantra: You can manipulate your conscious and subconscious by speaking. Speak it into existence. You can train yourself to do good things and be better and be good and set some aspirational levels for yourself. The Leadership Constitution forces you to answer two questions – “I declare that I am…” and “You can count on me to be…” – These are great guideposts to keep you centered. Scott shares his beautiful experience of conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Always assume positive intent (API) and your life will be better. Go through your life giving people the benefit of the doubt and clean the slate. Supporting Resources: Scott’s O’neil’s new book “Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving” https://amzn.to/3wgk0SA Follow along with Scott: Twitter @scottoneil Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-o-neil Book Mentions: The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Lifetime-Lessons-Learned-Company/dp/0399592091   The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton Christensen https://www.amazon.com/Power-Everyday-Missionaries-Sharing-Gospel/dp/1609073150 Subscribe and Review Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits Produced by Emerald City Productions