Same Game Different Turf

What does it take to go from working 16-hour days in a hotel kitchen to building a global hospitality company with 110 properties across 26 countries?

In this episode of Same Game, Different Turf, I had the honor of sitting down with Euan McGlashan, co-founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality Partners, to unpack his journey that began in a tough working-class town in Scotland and eventually led to building a global hospitality management company.

Euan's path included leaving Scotland as a young man, moving to South Africa, helping open and lead the award-winning Cape Grace hotel, and eventually moving to the United States, where he experienced some of the most difficult years of his professional and personal life.

At 44, while navigating a negative career situation, Euan walked away from his job and started Valor Hospitality Partners. During this time Euan live off his kids college fund as he built a company that would eventually employ approximately 8,000 people across the globe.

But what makes this conversation interesting isn't just the growth of the company. It's how Euan's experiences shaped his perspective on leadership, humanity, confidence, and the responsibility that comes with building something bigger than yourself.

In this conversation, we explore:

* Growing up in Scotland and how difficult early experiences shaped Euan's approach to life

* Going from a hotel kitchen to leading Cape Grace in South Africa

* Lessons on humility, humanity, and leadership from Nelson Mandela

* Overcoming anxiety, self-doubt, and the need for external validation

* How The Power of Now changed his perspective

* Leaving a job at 44 and risking his family's financial security to start Valor

* Why pressure can be a privilege when you're taking action

* Building a culture where employees can grow personally and professionally

* Balancing kindness with the relentless pursuit of excellence

* Why businesses must constantly evolve rather than follow the status quo

* Navigating COVID and the importance of strong relationships

* Building a company that can continue to grow beyond its founder

From the importance of self-awareness to the idea that every stage of life and business is another diary entry, this conversation gives an inside look at how experience, adversity, and intentional growth can shape the person you become. Watch the full conversation and subscribe to Same Game, Different Turf for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, executives, and individuals navigating major transitions in life and business.

Matt Bronfman didn't set out to become a CEO or spend nearly three decades helping shape some of the most recognizable real estate projects in the country.

He thought he was going to be a lawyer.

After law school and clerking for a judge, Matt realized litigation wasn't for him. He became a transactional lawyer, started doing work with a small real estate company called Jamestown, and saw an opportunity. Instead of waiting for someone to ask, he raised his hand.

That decision eventually led him from general counsel to acquisitions, portfolio management, COO, and ultimately CEO of Jamestown, where he has helped shape places like Chelsea Market and Ponce City Market.

What stood out to me is how much of Matt's journey wasn't mapped out in advance. He talks openly about luck and being in the right place at the right time, but he also consistently put himself in position for luck to find him. He volunteered, stayed curious, took chances, and was willing to step into opportunities before knowing exactly where they would lead.

We talk about:

• Why you shouldn't wait for an engraved invitation
• Realizing the career you prepared for may not be the right career for you
• Raising your hand before you feel completely ready
• How luck and preparation work together
• Discovering strengths you didn't know you had
• Why curiosity keeps you from becoming complacent
• Finding opportunity in places other people overlook
• The thinking behind Chelsea Market and Ponce City Market
• Why creating places people actually want to be matters
• Building relationships with tenants instead of simply collecting rent
• Navigating COVID, changing work habits, and difficult real estate cycles
• Why laughter and joy have been important throughout Matt's career
• Becoming a better synthesizer as you gain experience
• Bringing younger perspectives and new ideas into an organization
• Making situations better instead of focusing on what's wrong
• Staying open to AI, technology, and what's coming next

Matt's story is a reminder that you don't always have to know exactly where you're going. Sometimes you have to stay curious, raise your hand, and be willing to walk through the opportunities that show up along the way.

Episode: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

http://www.thevessol.com

Former NFL player and Cosm CEO Jeb Terry talks about what happens when you find new ways to stay close to your dream. After injuries and being released from the NFL, Jeb went back to business school and could have taken a traditional route into finance at Goldman Sachs. Instead, he took a risk and built his first startup to stay close to sports, connect with athletes, and rethink the fan experience. That decision eventually led to selling the company to Fox, where he gained new experiences in sports, media, and technology that helped him connect the dots to build Cosm. We talk about why you can't fear failure but still have to hate losing, the importance of enduring long enough to figure things out, building great teams, maintaining relationships, and why some of the people Jeb met nearly a decade ago are helping Cosm succeed today. One of the biggest things that stood out to me is that Jeb couldn't have mapped out where he is today when football ended. But each chapter gave him a skill, relationship, or perspective that became valuable in the next one. Our conversation navigates: • Why you can't fear failure, but still have to hate losing
• Accepting when one chapter is over and finding somewhere new to apply your drive
• Why the ability to endure is one of the most valuable traits an entrepreneur can have
• Building a startup when you don't have all the answers
• How relationships built years earlier can create opportunities you could never predict
• Building a high-performing team like an NFL roster
• Why great leaders give people the tools to perform and then get out of the way
• The idea behind Cosm and what it took to turn it into reality
• Why thinking big and actually executing big are two completely different things
• Cosm's ambition to redefine the fan experience around the world Subscribe for more conversations with athletes, entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders navigating what comes next.

Elly Karamoh saw the world differently long before he became the stylist behind some of entertainment’s biggest names. Growing up outside Paris, Elly was the kid studying fashion shows, red carpets, music videos, and the evolution of stars while everyone around him viewed him as different. Elly moved to Atlanta as a teen who couldn’t communicate because he couldn’t speak English. Today, Elly communicates in perfect English while helping to reshape the image of Steve Harvey and working with names including Lori Harvey, Kelly Rowland, Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige, Khloé Kardashian, and more. In this episode of Same Game, Different Turf, Elly shares how observation became education, education became obsession, and obsession eventually created opportunity. We talk about the confidence required to remain yourself when you don't fit in, his approach to reinventing Steve Harvey without losing what made Steve iconic, and why great style is about understanding someone's identity and helping the world see them differently. Elly also opens up about handling criticism, resisting the pressure to rush success, staying present instead of constantly worrying about what's next, and why he believes being great requires studying the greats and being willing to "apply pressure." In this conversation:

• Growing up around fashion and culture in Paris
• Moving to Atlanta without speaking English
• Learning to become comfortable being different
• Turning isolation into education and obsession
• How confidence develops through knowing yourself
• Getting the opportunity to style Steve Harvey
• The thinking behind Steve Harvey's fashion reinvention
• Why great styling enhances someone's identity instead of replacing it
• Creating range and longevity instead of chasing one great look
• Styling men and women at the highest level
• Why Elly continues going to Paris Fashion Week for inspiration
• Handling criticism when your work is always under scrutiny
• Why you shouldn't rush your journey because other people think your moment will disappear
• Staying authentic as success and visibility grow
• Why Elly believes the picture matters

Watch and listen to the full episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Subscribe to Same Game, Different Turf for more conversations about the people, experiences, and transitions.

Former NFL Pro Bowler and No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick Ronnie Brown joins Same Game Different Turf to discuss what happens after achieving the dream you've worked toward your entire life.

From growing up in a small Georgia town to starring at Auburn and spending 10 seasons in the NFL, Ronnie shares what it was like navigating success, identity, and the transition into a completely different career as a financial advisor. We discuss purpose after sports, imposter syndrome, financial literacy, relationships, mentorship, and why the skills that make someone successful on the field can translate into success anywhere.

This conversation isn't just for athletes. It's for anyone navigating change, pursuing a second chapter, or wondering whether they can become great more than once.

In this episode:

* Why becoming great doesn't have to happen only once

* The identity shift after leaving professional sports

* $187 to a $19.5 Million Signing Bonus

* Transitioning from the NFL to financial advising

* Why purpose matters more than titles

* Building wealth and changing financial habits

* The power of mentors, teammates, and relationships

* Why mastering the fundamentals creates long-term success

* How athletes can prepare for life after sports

* Raising kids through sports without losing the joy

* Nobody Prepares You for the End

* Don't Fear of Your Own Greatness

#RonnieBrown #LifeAfterTheNFL #AuburnFootball #FinancialLiteracy ##CareerTransition #AthleteTransition #WealthBuilding #SelfDevelopment

This episode features Frank Brown, CEO of Communities In Schools of Atlanta, one of the nation's leading organizations focused on helping students overcome the barriers that prevent them from succeeding in school and in life.

Frank's story is one of education, relationships, and purpose. Growing up in a single-parent household in Charleston, South Carolina, Frank’s brother was sentenced to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter after killing his stepfather. Same house. Same parents. Similar upbringing. Yet their lives took very different paths.

Frank discusses how he experienced firsthand how one opportunity completely changed the trajectory of his life. That opportunity led him to college, law school, Capitol Hill, and ultimately to leading one of Atlanta's most impactful nonprofit organizations.

We discuss why relationships often matter more than talent, how education can alter the course of an entire family, what it takes to lead through complexity, and why solving generational problems requires long-term commitment instead of quick fixes.

Themes from this episode:

• How one opportunity can change an entire life
• The power of education to break generational cycles
• Why relationships compound over a lifetime
• Growing up in a single-parent household
• Leadership lessons from Capitol Hill
• Building trust before creating change
• The hidden barriers preventing students from succeeding
• Why nonprofit leadership should operate like a business
• Data, accountability, and measuring impact
• Mentorship and changing the trajectory of young lives
• Leading with purpose instead of ego
• Developing future leaders
• Building organizations that outlast you
• Why service is one of the highest forms of leadership
• Creating pathways to the American Dream

Subscribe for more conversations exploring leadership, resilience, purpose, and the transitions that shape extraordinary lives.

This episode features Justin Anthony, founder of Yebo Beach Haus, Lion's Head Private Club, and several of Atlanta's most recognized hospitality concepts.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Justin's life revolved around soccer. From the age of six, he knew he wanted to become a professional player and spent years pursuing that dream. But after a serious knee injury changed the trajectory of his career, he was forced to confront one of the hardest realities athletes face: what happens when the identity you've built your life around begins to disappear?

What followed was a journey of reinvention. Justin went from professional athlete to waiting tables, learning the hospitality business from the ground up before opening the first South African restaurant in America. Over the next three decades, he built a hospitality empire rooted in authenticity, service, resilience, and a willingness to evolve.

This conversation explores transitions, humility, entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, and what it takes to build a meaningful second chapter when life doesn't go according to plan.

Themes from this episode:

• Navigating life after sports
• The identity challenges athletes face after retirement
• Why humility is essential for long-term success
• Learning a new industry from the ground up
• Building the first South African restaurant in America
• Entrepreneurship, risk, and betting on yourself
• Ownership versus letting others control your future
• Leadership and building high-performing teams
• Knowing when to persist and when to pivot
• Growing through adversity and uncertainty
• Lessons from COVID and leading through crisis
• The power of authenticity in business and life
• Building culture through hospitality
• Why success looks different at every stage of life
• The connection between athletics and entrepreneurship

Watch and listen: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Subscribe for more conversations exploring transitions, leadership, resilience, and building a meaningful life beyond the labels we place on ourselves.

From the 1996 Olympics to OutKast, TLC, Usher, Pink, Babyface, T.I., Nike, and Adidas, DL Warfield has spent decades helping shape culture through art and creativity.

In this episode of Same Game Different Turf, I sit down with fine artist and creative director DL Warfield to discuss creativity, resilience, authenticity, relationships, and what it takes to build a career that stands the test of time.

DL shares stories from designing the Olympic album cover, working with some of the biggest names in music, staying culturally relevant across multiple decades, and why approaching creativity like an athlete helped him sustain success.

This conversation is a reminder that success is rarely about one moment. It's about continuing to evolve, staying true to who you are, and doing the work long enough for your gifts to compound.

In this episode:

• Designing the 1996 Olympic album cover
• Working with OutKast, TLC, Usher, Pink, and T.I.
• Creativity, culture, and artistic evolution
• Why athletes and artists think more alike than people realize
• Staying relevant over multiple decades
• Creative instincts and trusting your vision
• Building a career through relationships
• Authenticity and creative longevity
• Finding where your gifts are celebrated
• Balancing creativity with business
• The importance of resilience and consistency
• Why good taste matters

DL's story is a masterclass in staying authentic while continuing to grow.

Hosted by Mohamed Massaquoi

This episode features Brian McGowan, President of Centennial Yards Company, the largest sports adjacent entertainment district underdevelopment in the world. Brian’s career is a masterclass in navigating transitions. His work has spanned the Obama Administration, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office, leading Invest Atlanta, and serving as CEO of the Atlanta BeltLine.

We discuss career reinvention, leading through uncertainty, identifying opportunity, and why meaningful work often requires vision, resilience, and the ability to create belief before results show up.

We also talk about what it takes to lead transformational projects when people doubt the vision, why transferable skills often matter more than perfect credentials, and how great teams create confidence in high-pressure environments.

Themes from this episode:

• Transforming downtown Atlanta through Centennial Yards
• Why meaningful work creates a different level of commitment
• Moving toward difficult problems instead of avoiding them
• Leadership during uncertainty and pressure
• Transferable skills and career reinvention
• Creating belief before results show up
• Why culture drives execution
• Managing risk on billion-dollar projects
• Public service, purpose, and long-term vision
• The emotional weight of transformational work
• Perspective, resilience, and family priorities
• Building teams that create confidence
• Why opportunities often come through conversations
• Sports-adjacent entertainment districts and the future of development
• Balancing ambition, pressure, and personal life

This episode features Herm from Roadshow, one of the most trusted names in the high-end automotive world. From selling cars out of Cincinnati to building a globally recognized brand that works with athletes, entertainers, and top executives, Herm’s journey is built on persistence, relationships, and doing business the right way.

We get into how Roadshow was built from the ground up, what it actually takes to earn trust at the highest level, and why most people misunderstand success. This is not a story about overnight wins. It’s about years of consistency, learning on the fly, and staying in the game when most people quit.

We also break down the mindset behind building a brand that people trust, navigating NIL and young athletes with money for the first time, and why focusing on people over transactions is what creates real longevity.

Themes from this episode:

• Building Roadshow from nothing to a global brand
• Why persistence is the real separator in success
• Learning business through experience, not a traditional path
• The importance of relationships and referrals in scaling a business
• Trust as the foundation of working with elite clients
• Balancing risk, capital, and confidence in high-stakes deals
• Why focusing on the client always wins long term
• NIL, young athletes, and navigating money early
• Authenticity and why being yourself scales further than trying to fit in
• Turning clients into lifelong relationships, not transactions
• The reality behind “overnight success” and the years it actually takes

Watch and listen: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, transitions, and performance

This episode features Tiffany Willis, former SVP of Investor Relations at Starbucks, whose journey redefines what success actually looks like. From becoming a mother at 14 and facing homelessness to rising through PwC, EY, and leading investor relations at a $130B company, Tiffany’s story is a masterclass in resilience, ownership, and purpose-driven leadership.

We unpack what it really means to own your narrative, how your struggles can become your greatest competitive advantage, and why success is not about a perfect path but about persistence, adaptability, and belief. Tiffany also shares the mindset shifts that helped her navigate corporate leadership, make difficult family decisions, and step into her next chapter with intention.

This is a conversation about identity, leadership, and building a life on your terms, regardless of where you start.

Themes from this episode:

• Owning your narrative and embracing your full story
• Turning adversity into a competitive advantage
• From teenage motherhood and homelessness to corporate leadership
• The power of work ethic, curiosity, and raising your hand
• Navigating corporate America without a perfect background
• Translating business strategy into the “language of numbers”
• Building a career through adaptability, not a straight path
• Imposter syndrome in high-level leadership rooms
• Choosing purpose over position in critical life decisions
• Leadership, storytelling, and influencing at scale
• Helping others see what’s possible through your journey

Watch and listen: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, transitions, and performance

What does success really cost, and what happens when you finally choose yourself? In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Shanti Das. Shanti is a music industry powerhouse turned mental health advocate. She helped build the legendary careers of Outkast, Usher, and Toni Braxton as a music execute at LaFace, Columbia, and Universal Records. Shanti shares the untold truth behind climbing to the top and what it took from her along the way. At the height of her career, everything looked right on paper. What followed was a powerful pivot from corporate success to purpose-driven impact through her nonprofit, Silence the Shame. This conversation is about leadership, sacrifice, mental health, and learning how to create a life that actually aligns with you. In this episode, we cover:

• The reality behind high-level success and hidden sacrifices
• Why “work-life balance” is a myth—and what to focus on instead
• The concept of work-life rhythm and how to navigate it
• Mental health in leadership and why it can’t be ignored
• How to recognize when you (or someone else) is struggling
• Shanti's RAP framework: Recognize, Acknowledge, Process
• Building your “starting five” support system
• The power of saying no and protecting your peace
• Turning pain into purpose through Silence the Shame

https://silencetheshame.com/

In this episode of Same Game Different Turf, I sit down with David Pollack, former University of Georgia player, three-time All-American, first-round NFL Draft pick, former ESPN analyst, speaker, author, and host of the See Ball Get Ball podcast.

David shares a powerful story of identity, transition, faith, resilience, and learning how to make every day count. From becoming under-recruited, to elite football player, to suffering a career-ending neck injury in the NFL, to rebuilding through broadcasting, speaking, writing, and family life. Our conversation is full of perspective for anyone navigating change.

We talk about what it really means to be great where you’re at, how to stay present instead of living in the rearview mirror, how to grow through adversity, and why some of life’s hardest moments can shape you into the strongest version of yourself. David also opens up about faith, his wife’s battle with brain cancer, parenting, personal discipline, leadership, and the mindset behind his book Every Day Counts.

This is a conversation about more than football. It’s about purpose, suffering, grit, service, and how to respond when life changes faster than you expected.

In this episode, we discuss:

* David Pollack’s journey from Georgia football to the NFL

* The mindset that helped him become great after changing positions multiple times

* What happened after his broken neck ended his NFL career

* Transitioning from pro sports to local radio and eventually ESPN

* Why feedback, accountability, and self-evaluation matter

* How faith shaped the way he handled adversity and uncertainty

* Lessons from his wife’s brain cancer journey

* The message behind his book Every Day Counts

* Parenting, youth sports, resilience, and letting kids own their journey

* What success looks like now in speaking, media, and life

If you’re in a season of transition, rebuilding, leadership, loss, or growth, this episode will challenge and encourage you.

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders, athletes, founders, and high performers navigating life and career transitions on Same Game Different Turf.

#DavidPollack #SameGameDifferentTurf #NFL #GeorgiaFootball #Faith #Resilience #Leadership #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #EveryDayCounts #CareerTransition #Adversity #SportsPodcast #Motivation #SuccessMindset

In the latest episode of Same Game Different Turf, I sit down with Elicia Azali, Chief Marketing Officer at Beazer Homes, to talk about leadership, marketing, and building a career that aligns with who you truly are.

Elicia’s journey from Oberlin, Ohio to the C-suite is a powerful reminder that success isn’t just about where you start.

It’s about work ethic, mentorship, and the courage to be yourself in rooms where you may feel different.

In this conversation:

• The work ethic lessons that shaped her growing up in Ohio
• How mentorship helped launch her career in marketing
• Early career experiences at Procter & Gamble
• Navigating imposter syndrome and authenticity in leadership
• Why marketing is really about understanding people
• How brand strategy drives business growth
• Lessons from leading across multiple industries
• Building alignment and vision as a C-suite executive
• Balancing motherhood and executive leadership
• The evolving meaning of purpose and success

This episode is a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, motherhood, career development, and building brands that last.

In this episode, I sit down with TJ Callaway, founder and CEO of Onward Reserve, to unpack what building something real actually takes. TJ shares his journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship and how that experience gave him confidence in rooms where big financial decisions are made. More importantly, he explains why lasting success isn’t about hype or chasing fast exits. It is about discipline, ownership, and playing the long game. We cover

• Why loving the process matters more than chasing the exit
• How credibility gives you leverage in rooms most people feel intimidated in
• The risk of building a business you don’t control
• When to pivot from selling other brands to owning your own
• Why the grind never really stops, and why that is a good thing

This conversation is grounded in patience, discipline, and building for the long term. TJ also shares how making thoughtful, deliberate decisions along the way allows you to control the variables that shape your future. If you are building something, a company, a career, or your life, this episode will challenge how you think about control, preparation, and what success actually feels like.

If this episode resonated, subscribe and share it with someone navigating their own transition.

This episode features Mariangela Corales, General Counsel of Goodwill of North Georgia, and a proud Latina leader whose journey reflects ambition, resilience, and cultural pride.

As the daughter of Cuban immigrant parents, Mariangela carries a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude into her work. We discuss what it means to be a Latina executive in corporate law and nonprofit leadership, often navigating rooms where you are the first or one of the only. Her story highlights the intersection of identity, leadership, and career growth, and how cultural heritage shapes confidence, drive, and purpose.

This conversation explores career transitions, imposter syndrome, and how to design your own path without sacrificing your values. Mariangela shares how she learned to trust herself, find evidence of her wins, and redefine what “having it all” means as a woman in leadership. Rather than choosing between ambition and family, career and culture, she demonstrates how alignment across seasons creates sustainable success.

We also talk about purpose-driven work, giving back to the community, and how leadership in the nonprofit sector can create meaningful impact beyond titles. This episode is for anyone navigating leadership development, cultural identity, career advancement, or the pressure to succeed while staying true to who you are.

This episode features Melissa Proctor, Chief Marketing Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. Our conversation centers on navigating transition without having everything figured out. Melissa shares how staying rooted in who you are, anchoring in your strengths, and saying yes to opportunities that stretch you can create momentum over time. We talk about authenticity in leadership, creativity as a competitive advantage, and why growth often comes from unglamorous yeses long before titles or certainty appear. Melissa’s journey reminds us that clarity is rarely the starting point. Commitment, curiosity, and alignment are. This episode is for anyone navigating change, stepping into new roles, or learning how to build a career that reflects who they actually are rather than who they think they’re supposed to be.

Former NFL Pro Bowler D’Brickashaw Ferguson shares the real story of life after football — the identity shift, the divorce, the uncertainty, and what it took to rebuild from the ground up.
Brick went from open-heart surgery as a kid to a 10-year NFL career without missing a game. But after retirement, he had to face a different kind of pressure: figuring out who he is beyond the NFL. He tried multiple careers, the messy in-between, and ultimately finding purpose in nursing in oncology, where every day brings new perspective.

This episode features Steve Koonin, CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and former executive at Coca-Cola and Turner. Our conversation goes beyond sports and business. We discuss how to handle change without losing your sense of self, how to build a career that lasts, and how to stay relevant as things keep changing. We cover guiding principles, transferable skills, reputation, leadership, adaptability, and the habits that help us keep moving forward.

DESCRIPTION: This episode features Al Parker, a Morgan Stanley Managing Director and one of Barron’s Top Wealth Managers, and the most accomplished junior tennis players ever. This conversation is not about tennis or finance. It is about how we adapt when the path we trained for changes, and how we decide who we want to become next.