There Are No Shortcuts To Any Place Worth Going, with Quentin Gause, NFL Linebacker, Ep #70

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Modern culture wires us to take the easy way, to believe that huge gains can be achieved with little to no effort. But anyone who’s succeeded will tell you that’s simply not true. It never is.

Quentin Gause is one of those people. He was raised in a loving home and had the support system in his family to teach him the value of hard work and that hard work is required to get where you want to go. For Quentin, that destination was football.

Listen to hear how he overcame childhood learning difficulties, followed the example of his Dad and Uncle in building habits that set him up for success, and pursued and attained his dream of an NFL football career. Learn how Quentin played for the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos, and then made a pivot into the entrepreneurial world.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • The challenges and opportunities 2020 has provided [0:55]

  • Lessons from childhood, a struggle to learn, and a journey to football and beyond [1:53]

  • Powerful achievement comes through accountability and challenges [6:09]

  • The power of community and a strong support system [15:34]

  • The college experience at Rutgers and how his early life set him up for success [18:19]

  • The NFL draft experience [22:36]

  • Temptations that come with success and how to avoid them [28:20]

  • Released from the Broncos and the decision to take a new path [33:05]

  • Quentin’s biggest lesson from 2020 [38:55] 

Are you dedicated to the process of success?

We all know intuitively that success doesn’t happen overnight, but very few of us are intimately aware of the sacrifices required to get there. Quentin was taught by his father that the path to success is not a one-time thing. It’s a process that has to be worked day by day over time. His father set the example of setting goals, researching what it would take to reach those goals, laying out the steps to take along that pathway, and then implementing the attitude that enables you to pay the price.

Quentin is quick to give credit to his family for setting him up for success in that way. He knows he couldn’t have attained any of his success without that foundation. His advice to anyone seeking success is this: Find your community. Keep knocking on doors until you find them. Once you are part of that community, strive to become a leader so you can influence its direction for good and be of help to others.

So ask yourself the question Quentin had to face: Are you dedicated to the process of success, no matter the cost?

Using tough competition to compel you toward success

One of the powerful things I noticed as Quentin spoke about his story is that competition and obstacles weren't intimidating to him. In fact, it seems the steeper the climb, the more determination he mustered. Quentin embodies what many other successful people have discovered, you have to use competition as a motivator, a challenge to bring your A-game and do your very best.

This is a lesson that was evident in Quentin’s football journey, from Pop Warner all the way through the NFL. But it has also served him well in business and in life. Now he’s using the obstacles he overcame as motivation to make a difference for others. Listen to learn how he’s created a pattern out of the process he used to make it to the NFL, and how that process is made available to families through his Football Pathway Academy. 

How disciplined preparation sets you up for success

When Quentin was working to carve out a place for himself in the NFL, he met many obstacles. Signing as a free agent for the Philadelphia Eagles seemed like the pinnacle until he was released and picked up by the New England Patriots. Again, he was released and picked up by another team, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At that tryout, he doesn’t know what happened, but he simply didn’t have a full head of steam during his practice. Being released, he had one more opportunity with the Denver Broncos and he was determined to show his real skills.

Quentin knew that the tryouts would be in Denver — 5280 feet elevation. He prepared diligently before he showed up at the Denver practice, and when he did, discovered there were 10 other linebackers at the practice. Game on. Quentin was determined that he was going to take the position. In the end, he did. When his name was called as one of the picks, he was told, “We wanted to see if you were in good condition.” His preparation paid off. In his words, “I don’t know how you can go in and take a test and get a 100% when you didn’t study.”

Do you have what it takes to discipline yourself so that you can put in the time required to become the best? Quentin would say you can do it, and I do too. Listen to be inspired by this amazing athlete’s story.

Resources & People Mentioned

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