Do You Have The Discipline to Follow Your Passion? - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Passion is great, but it isn't enough. It's time to get your discipline up to speed with your passion.HI everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a sports junkie as I imagine many of you are. But last night, is a night off from sports and a chance to watch the Oscars.I’ll admit, and this is totally cliché, but my interest in the Oscars was piqued when I found out the Best Supporting Actor nominee Mahershala Ali was a division 1 basketball player at Saint Mary’s. Yes I watched his career highlights, and yes it made me want to see him win, and win he did.I’m not making light of his acting chops, I loved him in Moonlight, like really loved him in that. But I haven’t seen any of the adult movies for this year’s run of Oscar movies. I have three children, 11, 10 and 7, which means I have seen the Incredibles 2 and Ralph Break the Internet…but not Green Book or Bohemian Rhapsody.  Quick synopsis of those movies – Incredibles 2 – cute had some funny moments, a little chaotic, but endearing.Ralph Breaks the Internet – Terrible. Seriously Terrible. I’ve never seen a movie work harder in product placement than this. It was basically an advertisement for every internet entity and an inside joke for kids that sit around and play video games all day. The indoor generation – my kids didn’t like it, but maybe that’s because, well, they go outside and they read books – I know, what an elitist snob I am.Anyway, back on track – Mahershala Ali – played college ball at St. Mary’s which is a pretty amazing tie in to what I have going on later today. St. Mary’s plays in the West Coast Conference, and in just a few hours I am interviewing West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez for the podcast.Nevarez is the first Latina commissioner in division 1, first ever. I read a profile on her in the LA Times, reached out to a LinkedIn contact I saw was connected to her, and within about a week had her scheduled for an interview. Thank you Lisa Rodriguez.Obviously I’m selling the fact we have this great interview coming up – and that it’s connected to the Oscars, which is timely – but really lets make a point here. I talk about LinkedIn as an asset to each and every one of you, and I hope by now you are leveraging this tool for your betterment.This is how you build your network and increase your reach in the industry, you find a thread of connection between you and another person of interest and you connect. Lisa Rodriguez and I connected because she once worked with my CEO at the Phoenix Coyotes, she listened to the podcast, liked it and thought – huh, I should connect with this dude.In that time frame her and I have had many conversation – we talked strategy for landing Theo Epstein on the podcast (he’s my white whale, I may close down the show if I ever get him on) we’ve talked industry comings and goings. And then I asked her about Gloria Nevarez and she made it happen.I owe Lisa one. But the bigger point here is, without that tool, LinkedIn, none of this would have happened. There would be no platform for us to converse in a business sense, we would not have seen the interconnectivity in our networks, we would not have been able to discuss challenges we faced, or help each other out or connect with others.I’m not just saying this stuff for something to say, I really believe it, and I use it…and I don’t get paid a dime by Linkedin just to be clear… but if you are listening, I’m open to it.Use the tools you have to build your career in sports.

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