How has Evan Burk developed the intangibles to create the coaching career of his dreams?
Humans are results-oriented creatures, plain and simple. Ironically, the most successful people develop the resilience to keep going when the road to achieving their goals is paved with obstacles. Character and mindset are often as important as natural ability when pursuing athletic success.
My guest in this episode is Evan Burk, former NFL assistant coach and author of a book entitled, “Finding Intangibles.” Evan started his career coaching 4th graders and within a relatively short period of time went on to coach at Southern Methodist University and with the Miami Dolphins.
In Episode 41, Evan talks about how his path to professional coaching started with calculated network building, focusing on the things he could control. Evan wasn’t a college athlete, nor did he have friends or family in the coaching profession. Rather, Evan was intent on dominating every day to the best of his ability, understanding that he had to keep going in order to reach his goals.
Through a blend of dynamic storytelling and real-life case studies, Finding Intangibles shares Evan’s unique perspective while revealing the framework for how organizations can update their approaches to make character a competitive advantage and unleash the true potential of their team.
So, what was your biggest takeaway from my conversation with Evan Burk?
For me, it’s that talent is a minimum requirement for athletic success. There are many athletes with amazing natural abilities. However, intangible characteristics like mindset, heart, and unselfishness ultimately separate the talented from the most accomplished individuals. Evan’s philosophy sings to me as a mental performance coach because I am constantly espousing the value of process and controlling the controllables to my clients.
My suggestion to young athletes is to think about how to be different. You can set yourself apart from your peers by taking great pride in doing the little things that others may not want to do. Demonstrating infectious energy, effort, and focus will take you a long way toward reaching your goals.
I want to thank Evan for his generosity and the wisdom he shared with The Freshman Foundation Community.
You can learn more about Evan on his website at https://www.coachevanburk.com/. You can follow Evan on Instagram @coachevanburk.
You can find his book Finding Intangibles on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Intangibles-Uncover-Performers-Championship/dp/B09SFYV3M6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=128ESTP8OD3TX&keywords=finding+intangibles&qid=1656616986&sprefix=finding+intangibles%2Caps%2C54&sr=8-1
To learn more about how mental performance coaching can help your mind work FOR you rather than AGAINST you, visit https://michaelvhuber.com.
Thank you for listening. We’ll see you back in two weeks ready to get better!