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Mick Unplugged" is a thought-provoking and inspiring podcast that invites listeners to embark on a transformative journey beyond the conventional concept of 'Why' and into the empowering realm of 'Because.' Hosted by the engaging and insightful Mick Hunt, this podcast is perfect for those who are not just dreamers but doers, leaders, and anyone aspiring to make a significant impact in their personal and professional lives.
Each episode of "Mick Unplugged" delves deep into how understanding and embracing your 'Because' – your core driving force – can turn aspirations into actions and dreams into realities. Listeners can expect to gain practical advice on how to identify their own 'Because,' learn to make it a daily focus, and understand how it can fuel their journey towards success and fulfillment.
Whether you're looking to find deeper motivation, set meaningful goals, or simply seeking inspiration to overcome challenges, "Mick Unplugged" offers valuable insights and tools to help you on your path.
Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter of transformation. This is Mick Unplugged. We'll help you identify your because so you can create a routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a a step toward the extraordinary.
Intro:So let's unleash your potential. Now here's Mick.
Mick Hunt:Alright, everybody. Welcome to this dynamic episode of Nick Unplugged where we are getting unplugged today with one of the people that has inspired me from a far for a very long time. And I am truly honored to be face to face with him virtually, even though we only live like 15 seconds apart from each other. So honored to be here with the man, the myth, the legend, mister Marcus Ogden. Marcus, welcome to the show, my man.
Marcus Ogden:I'm doing well, my friend. How you doing? Hey, Nick.
Mick Hunt:I'm doing great. I'm doing great. So wanna get into it. You have an amazing story. You have an amazing journey.
Mick Hunt:And when I talk about being inspired by you, this is why. You always figure it out. You always figure it out. And and this is what I love. So for everyone listening or if you're watching, every day is never beautiful.
Mick Hunt:Right? Every day is not gonna be perfect, but it's that drive. And we talk about being powered and fueled by our because. Right? It's that thing.
Mick Hunt:And Marcus Ogden is the epitome of that thing. So, Marcus, I would love for you to take it wherever you wanna go as transparent as you wanna be with your journey. But when I talk about inspiration and when I talk about you're gonna get your butt knocked down, what you do next defines who you are, mister Marcus Sager, ladies and gentlemen.
Marcus Ogden:Appreciate you, Mick. So I'm from Washington DC. I live in Fuquay, Green, North Carolina. I have to have barbecue over you're over in Wake Forest. I'm about 20 minutes, half hour outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Marcus Ogden:I went to Howard University. I was very fortunate. I played the National Football League for about 6 years. That was fantastic. Played for some great coaches, Jack Del Rio, Ryan Bilic, Mike Malarkey, Jeff Fisher.
Marcus Ogden:Played with some great teammates, my brother, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed. And you're a 100% right, Mick. Everybody that I played with, played against, or was coached by or coached against has that mentality of resiliency. When you get knocked down, you gotta get up, you gotta figure it out, you gotta move forward. You have a great relationship with Les Brown.
Marcus Ogden:That is the epitome of Les Brown. Knocked down, got up, used his story of getting up to help others. And that's what you're doing in your speaking. That's what I'm doing in my speaking. So at my NFL career, I struggled immensely with what to do next.
Marcus Ogden:And I hoped on alcohol. I hoped on narcotics pain killers to feel better. I had a huge hole. I had a huge void in my life. Football was about 15 years plus of my life.
Marcus Ogden:I didn't have it anymore. It was gone. So I had to figure out what to do next. And so finally, I put down the alcohol, the painkillers, and I started Cadence Premier Enterprises. We became the largest African American owned sub contracting company in the area of site work, grading, utilities, development in Baltimore City and the state of Maryland.
Marcus Ogden:But, unfortunately, right, Mick, as the company grew, my bravado, my sense of thinking I was better than everybody else grew, My sense of thinking I was always right no matter what, under no circumstances, were I ever wrong grew. And I would basically push out my best employees. I pushed away my best leaders. That along with a job that I did for a construction client, and that job cost me about $3,000,000 over budget. Finished the job because when I start something, I finish it.
Marcus Ogden:But, unfortunately, right, Mick, when I finished it, I was denied my change order by the developer and the contractor, sent me to chapter 7 complete bankruptcy. Home foreclosed on in a matter of days. Got up and packed my cars with my now ex wife. She's my fiance at the time, and I ended up coming down here to Raleigh, North Carolina, more specifically Cary, North Carolina. By the time we got here, after moving in, paying our rent for our place we lived in, and all the movers, everything we did to get to this location, $400 to my name.
Marcus Ogden:That's it. That's it. $400. Boom. No credit cards.
Marcus Ogden:No savings. Nothing to fall back on, no 4 zero one k, 0, nothing, but 400 hours. Both cars were repossessed in the same debt Without the NFL, which we everybody now knows as the NFL Trust, through the Player Care Foundation, That program started January of 2013. I filed bankruptcy in April of 2013. So without that program being there, I would have gone homeless.
Marcus Ogden:God put that program in, I tell you by I think about for me. Because if I had gone bankrupt a year before that, we would have gone homeless. So the Jeep Upshaw Trust Fund kept us from going homeless, but I didn't really have any money. I had a job at Merrill Lynch, was not focusing on doing my actual craft of working and developing myself, and I got fired from Merrill Lynch. All my fault.
Marcus Ogden:The next day, I went to a construction company, got a job in their sales store selling things. They gave me a company truck, gave me a company phone, gave me a laptop, laptop, gave me a $1,000 cash. I was rolling. But you know what, Nick? I still hadn't learned.
Marcus Ogden:Because when my ex asked me, do you have a contract? I said, well, I need a contract for he gave me a truck, phone, laptop, paid me cash. Why would he fire me? 5 days later, he fires me. Gone.
Marcus Ogden:From there, Mick, I said, what can I do? I started becoming a business man. I started teaching football to kids. I became a birthday party clown playing football with kids at birthday parties, and that wasn't paying enough of the bills. So I took a job.
Marcus Ogden:1 of my clients owned a janitorial business in downtown Raleigh, and she said, Mark, if you know anybody that wants to work, please let me know. I said, well, what do they have to do? Because I was putting applications, but it was delayed or I'm overqualified or I can't start for 2 months, and I need a job now. Right.
Mick Hunt:I said,
Marcus Ogden:well, when can they start? She said they can start on Monday. What does it pay? She says, $8 an hour. I said, I'll take it.
Marcus Ogden:She said, Marcus, the best I can pay you is 8.25, and I took it. And I worked for 8.25 an hour in downtown One of One of my favorite authors is JK Rollins, who wrote Harry Potter in her car. Mhmm. And nobody thought she would have success. Just like it took doctor Seuss a 128 publishers to get his book published, which became a household name.
Marcus Ogden:Just like Abraham Lincoln lost 8 primary elections before he became the president. Right? All these things, just like, you know, this is s Grant was, you know, didn't have the best time at, you know, when he was, you know, in the military, you know, at army, and then he ended up, you know, having to work hard, start over, start up, grow up the topo, and he became general of the US army. Right? And in in a in a that regard, right, of the army of the north and became a president of the United States.
Marcus Ogden:So my point is is that everybody that I know that has had success you, Les, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill I go down the list, has had some sort of struggle, some sort of obstacle. And if you want to overcome obstacles, master these three things, resiliency, perseverance, and mindset shift. Master them. So I finally had that moment with someone's trash, rotten meat, nasty, protruding, horrible smelling garbage got over my body, my skin, and my clothes. And that was my wake up call.
Marcus Ogden:And I said, wow. If I don't change this, I'm gonna be sitting right here for the rest of my life. So I made the decision to get my life together, and I say, you know what? I wanna start speaking. Les Brown's homeless, and they started speaking.
Marcus Ogden:Right. Eric Thomas was. Tony Robbins struggle. So I said, well, this this this has to be me. So I started.
Marcus Ogden:But, like, how you get coached by less and have an accountability partner less, I didn't have a coach. I didn't have an accountability partner, so I went nowhere fast. 2a half years, not one paid speaking job. Not one. Not one.
Marcus Ogden:Phone hung up in my face constantly. Emails not being returned all the time. People say, Marcus, love your energy, but I don't want a football player on my stage. That was what I got most of the time. And I finally got my first pay job in April 2016 after my first book, Sleepless Nights, got published.
Marcus Ogden:Got coach in 2018, learned how to bring more value than I was charging monetarily. And in the last 8 years, Mick worked for 55 Fortune 500 Companies. 55. Again, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Equitable, worked for Home Depot, worked for New York Life, MetLife, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Mutual of Omaha, Cisco, Siemens, NetApp, you name it.
Mick Hunt:Yep.
Marcus Ogden:And what we really stress at our organization is being the solution to our client's problems, whatever that may be. Right? If it's mindset, if it's culture, if it's leadership, if it's how to sell, if it's how to, you know, craft, all these things. Right? That's what it's all about.
Marcus Ogden:So at the end of the day, what's really, really important is that anybody that's trying to move forward, they have to be willing to be coached, that they're willing to kinda bring value to the table. And when you do that, great things happen. So, again, right, Mick? Been doing this now for, you know, almost 11 years. Almost 11 years.
Marcus Ogden:And was it easy? No. Is it easier today? Yes. Is it easy still?
Marcus Ogden:No. It will not be easy because if you sit back and you get comfortable and you're like, I've made it, then you're gonna start having the beginning of your demise. Like, you talked about maybe potentially working with you with less, always wanting to go to the next level. Always gonna be around people that can do what? Push you to the next level.
Mick Hunt:Amen.
Marcus Ogden:So that's something about me, man. And so that's my story. That's what I've had to go through. That's what I've had to deal with. And now here we are today helping clients through speaking, coaching, consulting, a brand ambassador, work with organizations and structure, and really help people in that regard.
Mick Hunt:And, oh, by the way, he also has the number one podcast in the country. Let's not overlook that. One of the podcasts that I listened to on the regular get authentic with Marcus Haughton. Love it. Love it.
Mick Hunt:So, Marcus, you said a couple of things that I really wanna unpack and go deeper in because, you know, my revolution on getting people to be fueled by their because and thinking about their because is this. I love Simon Sinek, and I I love the book start with why. Right? But for me, there's a deeper push. If why is the question, because is the answer, because is the reason.
Mick Hunt:Right? And you brought up something that I talk about all day every day, which is the mindset shift. Right? If you don't have that mindset shift, you're never gonna change. Right?
Mick Hunt:What was that moment for you that drove you to say, if my mindset doesn't change, it's not gonna happen? And then how are you inspiring others to do that, to have that mindset shift?
Marcus Ogden:Remember when I tried to get a speaking job with the Ravens? And the gentleman that I had to speak to who I had known since I was 17 shot me down, not just a little bit, but really hard. Marcus, I'm all taking this call because you're little j o, Jonathan Roberts' younger brother. You don't have what it takes. I want celebrities talking to my players, not has beens and guys that, you know, aren't gonna be successful.
Marcus Ogden:You should give up speaking. It's not gonna work. And for for about 2 days, I was very, very hurt. And then I said, wait a second. Like my dad always taught me, when you have people that are hating on you, usually, there's something wrong with them, and that they see something in you that they don't wanna push to do what they need to do, so they'll try to knock you down, to try to tear you down.
Marcus Ogden:And that's what I realized, and that's what I was dealing with. So I said no more, no moss, and I put down the victim mentality. I turned on the victor mentality, and that was my why. And what I tell people is, in life, if you wanna overcome obstacles, you have to master resiliency, mindset shift, and perseverance. And once I was able to do that, right, that's when life got better.
Marcus Ogden:I've basic I mean, I filed for divorce. It'll be 2 years this July. July 2022, I had to file for divorce unexpectedly, and I had to then move out after I file to a 2 bedroom apartment in a little area of Cary by the Durham line. It was dingy. It was dark.
Marcus Ogden:It was rundown, but I didn't have a choice, Mick. I only had 2 weeks to get out.
Mick Hunt:Mhmm.
Marcus Ogden:And I had to find a fully furnished place, and I had to get 2 bedrooms because I have my 9 year old who's gonna be splitting time. So I had very limited options. Looking back on that place, I'm grateful I had a roof over my head, but I really didn't like being there. I drank a lot in that apartment. I went on multiple dates with different women in that apartment.
Marcus Ogden:I was living a lie. Wow, Marcus. You are trying to act like you're okay. You're not okay. And I hated living in that place.
Marcus Ogden:I hated it, but I had to because that's what I had to do. That's why I was constantly out at bars. I was constant this is again, this is saying November, December of 2022. This is January of 2023. Finally, in January 2023, I refound my purpose.
Marcus Ogden:I said, if I keep doing this, life will be just like this in this apartment.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Marcus Ogden:Constantly saying, why am I divorced Poor Marcus. Victim mode Marcus.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Marcus Ogden:And I said, enough. I lean into our brand, worked hard, put some parameters in place for myself, disciplined myself, changing who I was around, got more focused, and I was able to buy my dream home in May of 2023, 6 months ahead of sketch, bought a house by myself in Fuquay. And where I live, Nick, is very affluent. I'm the only individual person that has a house so far in this development. We have about a 100 people that live here.
Marcus Ogden:I'm the only one that's single with his only name on the mortgage. And I'll tell you this that are listening. If you want to change where you're at, you have to visualize what you want. If you wanna change where you're at, you have to visualize what you want, better surroundings. I didn't know what type of place I wanted to be in, but I knew I wanted a house of my own.
Mick Hunt:Right. I knew
Marcus Ogden:I didn't wanna be in that apartment for much longer, so I visualized it. I focused on it. I wrote it down. I made it part of my everyday process to do something to move me towards that. And now here I am.
Mick Hunt:Look at that. You put action into what you had to do. Right? Which leads to the second thing that I wanna unpack with you that you hit on. And it's something that I had to do for my personal journey and my professional journey to take off, which is I had to look at my circle.
Mick Hunt:Right? Because everyone that says they're for you aren't there. And I'm gonna use a sports analogy that I know you're gonna get. The most popular player on the team is the backup quarterback. Right?
Mick Hunt:Until that backup quarterback has to get in and play, and then he's the least popular person on the team. There are a lot of people around you that want you to stay average. There are a lot of people around you that are gonna shoot down your dreams. There are a lot of people around you that are gonna tell you you can't because they can't see it. And, again, I don't know you well enough yet today, but I would almost guarantee that what you had to do was look at that circle of people and say at at all the stages.
Mick Hunt:Right? And and it's something that I do. I do it a couple of times a year. I analyze my circle because I'm trying to get to that next level. And I need people that can see it or have been there to help me go.
Mick Hunt:So I would love for you to talk about your circle, how you analyze it, and what that
Marcus Ogden:did for you. So for me, if you are hanging around me, I'm gonna pick up your energy, good, bad, or indifferent. And if you are somebody who is always telling me what I can't do, what I shouldn't do, where I can't go, what I can't be, I'll start to believe that. Again, take my x. Looking at it now, I am in a much healthier environment.
Marcus Ogden:Even though I am single, I have my own place, I have my own things, and I do miss having someone around to be with and and lean on and stuff like that. You know? And I'm dating, but, you know, it's just it's hard as you're trying to readjustify yourself. But looking at it now, Mick, with her and, again, nothing wrong with her, but she's not for me. Right?
Marcus Ogden:I mean, the the the toxicity, the negativity, the self doubt, you know, and what I really realized, right, Nick, we don't have anything in common. Whoever's in your circle has something in common.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Marcus Ogden:If you have nothing in common, then how are you gonna have conversation? Right? Like, you and I can hang out with and talk about speaking, growing our business, travel, who we think are great athletes that have great discipline, who are great leaders like like, you know, like Jeff Bezos or Les or Tony Robbins that are in the business that we know, what, put the work in. Right? So, you know, hang around people you have something in common with.
Marcus Ogden:Because that way, you guys are conversating, you're sharpening these other skill sets, You know, iron sharpens iron. You're getting into a much better position to move forward in your life. Right? So, like, right now, I'm on a 90 day no drinking. So if yours might wants to go to the ball all the time and get drunk all the time, I'm not the person to hang out with you.
Marcus Ogden:I'm just not. You know what I'm saying? And I'm okay with that. Because at the end of the day, you know, I enjoy playing poker. I enjoy going to the movies.
Marcus Ogden:I enjoy going to the gym. I enjoy traveling. I enjoy watching good things on TV. I like staying at home a lot of times, and I and and that's the 2. Like, now, Vic, I'm back to Marcus.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Marcus Ogden:I love being at home. Right? I love yeah. I don't have to, somebody say, Martha's up for a date. You know?
Marcus Ogden:She's like, hey. You wanna go downtown to the rooftop? I'm like, no. I'm not drinking for 90 days. I don't wanna go to downtown Raleigh.
Marcus Ogden:I don't wanna do that. We could have a date. Sure. We can go to Dave and Buster's. Have a great time.
Marcus Ogden:Awesome. But if you wanna go downtown Raleigh rooftop and, like, get drinks and all that, you know, Friday night, that's not me.
Mick Hunt:Right.
Marcus Ogden:I just don't wanna do that.
Mick Hunt:That. Right.
Marcus Ogden:And that's getting back to me. Yep. Right? In my home, I'm back to who I am. And when you wanna build your circle, be around people that you have something in common with, that you know has your best interest.
Marcus Ogden:Live by the same. Building relationships plus building trust equals loyalty.
Mick Hunt:Man, say that for me one more time.
Marcus Ogden:Building relationships plus building trust equals loyalty.
Mick Hunt:There you have it, everybody. That's why I listen to this guy every day. And again, if you're not listening to his podcast, go listen to it. Get authentic with Marcus Ogden. It is a great listen.
Mick Hunt:It's in the top 1%. So that should tell you how it is. He's in a 112 countries. That should tell you how popular it is. And I'm gonna be transparent because I believe in authenticity and transparency as well.
Mick Hunt:I listened to Marcus. He has over 300 episodes. Right? Instead of binge watching TV while I'm trying to get in better shape, I'm binge watching Marcus Ogden's podcast. So when I'm on the treadmill, I give myself 2 episodes per treadmill visit to make sure that I get through.
Mick Hunt:So, Marcus, thank you. You are an inspiration. You are a leader. Love everything about you. Can't wait to get to know you even more.
Mick Hunt:So definitely thank you for being on the show. Can't wait for all the great things we're gonna do together, brother.
Marcus Ogden:I love that. And you know what, ladies and gentlemen? I hope you picked up what Mick said. As Mick is working to develop himself and better himself physically, he's also doing it mentally. Right?
Marcus Ogden:And that's the key. Listen to this saying. In light, if you are tactical, but you are not strategic about it first, you will lose. If you're strategic and not yet tactical, you're not gonna go anywhere. So trying to go and do a bunch of work and working out without having a plan, probably not gonna work.
Marcus Ogden:Mhmm. Trying to go and create this awesome plan, but never do anything, that's not gonna work. So you have to be strategic and tactical. If you're not going to go in that order, something's gonna get missed or worse than nothing that we're gonna start. And then what happens, you're constantly saying, wow.
Marcus Ogden:Why am I not fulfilled? Why am I not having an awesome perspective of life? Well, because you're not either doing anything or you're doing everything wrong.
Mick Hunt:Listen at that. This is why I can listen to Marcus all day, every day. Again, go download the podcast. Go follow him on all social. Marcus Ogden, brother, I appreciate you.
Mick Hunt:I thank you. And for the listeners, as always, your because is your superpower. Unleash it.
Intro:Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast, and be sure to check us out on YouTube at Mick Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.