53: Colin Morgan – From Pro Golfer to Podcaster

53: Colin Morgan, Entrepreneur and Host of the Daily Grind Podcast

Daniel Giordano

SUMMARY:

In this episode of All-In, Daniel’s guest shares the many ways in which golf (or any serious athletic pursuit) can provide a great metaphor for aspiring entrepreneurs. A former pro, Colin Morgan has traded his career in sports to become a popular podcaster, but it wasn’t a move that came without challenges. For one thing, prior to stepping away from golf, his life had been on a narrowly successful trajectory. Floundering was something entirely new for him. Colin has not found his way as a young businessman without failing and failing again. Fortunately, with the help of some perspective from his dad, Colin understood that it was all time well invested – because a significant investment of time is the defining key to long-term success. Today the Canadian host of the “Daily Grind” podcast has a clearly articulated lifestyle vision that aligns equally with his entrepreneurial vision. Listen as Daniel elicits great advice and very specific steps for developing a foothold of the kind Colin has established, using his podcast with more than 3 million downloads as a vehicle to generate revenue and make a positive impact.

KEY TOPICS:

Colin’s life growing up in Canada with two very entrepreneurial parents who instilled in him the ability to follow his own unique path – including a successful competitive golf career.
The transition from realizing that he was no longer “All In” on being a professional athlete to finding himself and his entrepreneurial niche.
What the journey has looked like for Colin, who has known his share of obstacles and detours, which he navigated with encouragement from his family.
Colin had always lived along a linear and highly successful trajectory. Stumbling along the way to getting a toehold professionally was the first time he’d faced so much adversity and so many unknowns.
How did Colin move beyond his slump? He returned to and examined what had worked for him as an athlete:
- Learning from others.
- Seeking out good coaching.
- Putting in the time.
- Recognizing that progress won’t be evident right away.
Colin’s success sprung directly from understanding that he would have to persevere and factor in time – as well as sound advice and mentoring.
Entrepreneurship is a funny game because anyone can wake up and assign themselves that label. It’s not necessarily quantifiable in the way that sports achievements are self-evidently the results of training, skill and commitment.
There’s real value in perpetually cultivating a beginner’s mindset at every stage of whatever endeavor.
How Colin assesses his goals and outcomes:
- What do you want your life to look like?
- Look at where you are now – with brutal honesty – and define the gaps.
- What habits and daily routines have gotten you where you are (in the context of whether it’s where I want to be).
- Replace habits and daily thoughts, scheduling, coaching and transition into a winning mindset.
- Most important of all: Consistency is key.
Envisioning the end goal and keeping it front of mind will drive you daily with lifestyle choices to get you there.
Entrepreneurial ADD: Colin actually regards it as a good thing.
Colin’s Vision: What he’s imagining decades down the road – clearly defined!
- Live on a lake.
- Grow own fruits and vegetables.
- Provide dog a fabulous outdoor space.
- A secondary home somewhere warm to play golf in the winter.
- Make as big a positive impact on the lives of others as possible.
Goal setting and building out Colin’s “Daily Grind” podcast included:
- Identifying the target listener.
- Building out content to resonate with listeners.
- Committing the time necessary.
- Determining risk and measuring for strategy.
Words of Wisdom: Everybody matters. If you treat everyone the same way and make sure that every interaction is genuine, that will take you further than anything else. Because – no matter what you do – you’re in the people business and you can’t get far alone.

KEY QUOTES:

“As a lifestyle entrepreneur, I match what I do with how I want my life to look and how I want my days to go.”
“I just didn’t enjoy the day-to-day grind of being a mini-tour golf pro and when I got out of that I looked at what everyone looks at: How do I make money.”
“I did so many things in a short span that failed. I looked at myself and for a while I had to ask: Can I do this or should I just go and get a job?”
“Up until that point, everything had been linear for me. Did well in school. Was a good athlete … Everything was going to plan. This was the first time I faced adversity in my life and I failed and didn’t know how to deal with it.
“I always say that athletes and people who used to be in the military make the best entrepreneurs. They just have it. Everything is instilled in them.”
“Once I realized that I’m not the smartest person in the world, that I don’t have all the answers, that I need to go find those answers and learn from other people, that’s when things really started to kick for me.”
“You just have to have that belief in yourself that you’re going to follow through and succeed.”
“Amazing athletes all have a beginner’s mindset. They are just trying to get better. They just let the results speak for themselves. They’re very process driven in what they do.”
“What drives me is the end result. It’s having a vision for your life, looking at yourself when you wake up in the morning and asking yourself: What do I want to achieve?”
“I believe you can try new things. You don’t have to be pigeon-holed by ‘this is what I do’ or ‘this is what I am.’ I think you can be diverse.”
“I don’t have any emotional attachment to what I do. I just look at what I’m interested in, does it profit, how can it profit and, if it does, I’m all in on it.”
“No matter what you do, you’re in the people business. Every interaction that you have matters.”
“No matter what you do, you’re in the people business and you won’t get very far if you go it alone.”

About Colin

Colin Morgan is an entrepreneur and former professional golfer who speaks on abuse in sports. He hosts the popular Daily Grind Podcast with over 2.5 million downloads and is passionate about inspiring others by sharing real stories.

Contact Sam:

Colin’s Profile: linkedin.com/in/colinmorgan1991
Website: www.Colinmorgan.biz
Podcast: dailygrindpodcast.com/

About the All In Podcast Show:

The All-In Podcast Show presents top Entrepreneurs, Innovators and World Changers willing to share their breakthrough moments and how they are changing the world. Focused on being “All-In” on the four areas of life: faith, family, finances, and health, host Daniel Giordano invites mentors who exemplify balance and a commitment to building a bold life of excellence.

Previous Episodes: https://www.allinpodcast.com