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Award-Winning Leadership Speaker, Executive Coach & New York Times Best-Selling Author

Jarrett and Brittney

Walter Payton’s children celebrate lessons learned from the GOAT.

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Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work on a book titled Never Die Easy with Walter Payton. A running back and Super Bowl winner with the Chicago Bears, Walter is widely viewed as the greatest running back of all time. And you would find no shortage of fans of the game who view him as also the greatest football player ever to play the game. The NFL thought enough of him as a human being to name their Man of the Year Award after Walter Payton.

During the time we worked on the book together, Walter had been diagnosed with a rare liver disease and, in the last weeks of his life, wanted to tell his story. On November 1, 1999, Payton died from the complications that arose from his illness. He was 45 years old.

The experience was life-changing because out of that book grew a relationship with his two children, Jarrett and Brittney. Both of these wonderful people are athletes in their own rights, and both have established successful media careers while continuing to honor their dad’s legacy through their work with the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation.

Listeners to the podcast will enjoy a behind-the-scenes view of Walter’s greatness off the field as Brittney and Jarrett reminisce about growing up as a Payton. They reveal how they are still drawing lessons from Walter about balancing work and family life, something their father had to deal with as a football player and businessman. “And to be a grown-up now and a father, a business owner, and all these other things, your time is limited, and you have to be able to manage your time,” reflected Jarrett.

Now Walter’s kids are passing along his example to their children. “My parents never pushed anything on us,” recalled Brittney. “My lesson from dad was always to go out there and compete at your best and give it your all. Sometimes in life, that might not be good enough, but that’s okay, too. You’re still winning. That’s what I teach my kid.”

If you knew and loved (or even if you rooted against) Walter Payton as a player, you’ll enjoy seeing a side of him only his own children can offer. And if you’ve never watched a down of football in your life, you’ll still enjoy some wonderful storytelling about a complex man, father, and competitor at this Payton family reunion.


You will learn:

  •  5:00   The importance of being present.
  •  9:00   How to put his “never die easy” code of conduct to work in your career.
  • 20:00  How Walter Payton taught his children to handle failure.
  • 24:00  Walter’s encouraging words to Brittney following a track and field meet loss.
  • 25:30  How to deal with the pressure of high expectations.
  • 37:30  Jarrett’s historic introduction of his father to the 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

You will learn:

  •  6:00   How easy it is to cut corners in practice and why you’ll suffer as a result.
  •  8:00   How to emphasize the power or “we” on your team.
  • 11:00  How living and working in Japan in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster taught Lane that caring was the universal language of respected leaders.
  • 15:00  The level of employee interaction required to achieve success.
  • 18:30  The difference between being accountable and responsible.
  • 27:00  How to identify a meaningful friend or mentor.

Resources:

  • Order your copy of Never Die Easy here.

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Greg Brenneman

Greg Brenneman

Home Depot Board Director

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“Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”

Beth Brooke

Beth Brooke

Global Vice Chair of Public Policy for Ernst & Young

“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”

RIck Hendrick

Rick Hendrick

NASCAR Hall of Famer, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports & Chairman of the Hendrick Automotive Group

“We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”

Bill George

Bill George

Longtime Medtronic CEO, Harvard Professor

“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”

Savannah Gallagher

Producer

Jon Rousseau

Design/Development

Francisco Nunez

Editor

Brett Rutherford

Editor

Special thanks to Dave Moore, Lauren Hafner, Samantha Clark, and the Florida State University Internship Program for consistently supporting our research team.

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