Reuben Williams on LinkedIn: If you want a long successful career in sport (the kind most only dream… (2024)

10 years ago today, this guy made me sleep through an exam which forced me to drop out of uni.Actually, I may have voluntarily stayed up until 4 am in the morning...But when I woke up after all 7 alarms had failed to get me to the exam hall by 9 am, I too failed.However I wasn't bothered, I'd just witnessed one the greatest World Cup goals in history, live!!No one else in the course could say that.My academic priorities weren't exactly aligned with my parents, but I took it as a sign I cared a lot more about sport than my Marketing degree, so I dropped out and applied for Sport Management & Exercise Science at Deakin University.I got accepted and never looked back.Now I was pursuing a goal I cared about - to work in sport - and I loved it!I went from barely passing, to grades that shocked my Mum, who was this studious son?!By the end, I graduated with Distinction and had a job at Cricket Australia lined up before my final exam.This taught me to trust my gut and follow what I love, it was the only way I knew how to succeed.

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If you're an ambitious type who loves chasing a goal. Take Tim Duggan's advice and define that goal very clearly. This will help you understand what your 'enough' is, and avoid the strain of what comes when you unknowingly go past it.

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3 ideas to start your week (if you want an extraordinary job in sport):1. 80% of jobs live in the hidden job market2. People hire through their circles because of TRUST, plus it's easier than advertising3. If you are not in the circles of people who hire each other, you are more than welcome to join

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The more international sport I see, the more I appreciate the MCG. - Huge capacity- Easy to get in and out- Comfortable sitting- Great hospitality- Die hard Melbournian fansOne of the best atmospheres in the world week in week out.

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When I dropped out of RMIT to pursue Sport Management at Deakin I knew nobody in the sports industry and thought my prospects were unrealistic.By my last semester my resume listed an internship at the World Uni Games in Taipei, the Hawthorn Football Club, Deakin University Sport Society, a side-hustle YouTube channel called SportsGrad, and dozens of industry connections.I ended up getting a job at Cricket Australia before graduating.You can turn it around.Keep going!

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The hardest things you'll do trying to get into sport:1. Networking2. Selling yourself3. Choosing a direction4. Sticking to that direction

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If you want to chew off some lofty goals, you need to flip your mindset. Here's how it helped me achieve something I once thought was beyond me:One day a friend asked me “I’m running a marathon this year, any advice?”I’d just told her about how I broke my Half Marathon PB.4 years ago I thought running under 1:24 and breaking 4:00/km for 21.1 kms was nearly impossible (for me at least, my previous best was 1:29)But I told her my mindset was the #1 thing that made a difference. Here are the steps I went through to change it:The day before the race I called an old friend who had run a 1:25 race.I asked, how he felt, and what sort of training had he done, and tried to get a comparison to see if I was on his level.At the end of it he said “Dude go for it, sounds like you’ve definitely got it in you”.So I called on a second opinion, an old friend from school turned Ultra Marathon runner.He said “based on your 10km time, you could definitely hold on and get under 84 minutes”Now I had two people who believed in me, so I began believing in myself.So I texted another friend “Mate, tomorrow I am going to run a sub 84 minute half marathon”Now I was accountable to someone and didn’t want to go back on my word.On race day I woke up and told myself “I am running a sub 84 minute race today. I am going to do this, there is no way this is not happening”Whilst trying to hype myself up to be confident, I was also terrified I would fail.But I went out hard, held on for as long as I could, and crossed the line with nothing left.I was completely cooked, it was the most uncomfortable 82 minutes of my life.But I walked away proud that I had broken new ground on what's possible for me.Flipping the voice inside my head helped me shave off 7 minutes from my PB of 1:29 to 1:22, and just recently down again to 1:20:21Now breaking 80 minutes doesn't seem so scary. Nor any challenge for that matter.

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Antony Keely and his team at Carlton College of Sport have been a delight to work with.Together we've been able to get our curriculum in the hands of their students, and throw 200+ events inside an AFL club - pretty cool.

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Before I started podcasting I:- Asked vague questions- Was nervous talking to people- Had a narrow view of the world4 years, 200+ guests, and 390 episodes later I:- Learned how to ask good questions- Am comfortable talking to new people- Get the inside word from the NFL, NBA, AFL etc. every weekAll new skills are a game of tonnage.Jumping into a weekly podcast forced me a steep learning curve.But the best bit is, nobody remembers how much I sucked in the beginning.So if you're worried about trying something new, just remember it only sucks at the start. After that, the transformation is life-changing.

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