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As seen in Inc.
To succeed on and off the court you need to be prepared and give attention to detail.
In the sports arena, Earvin “Magic” Johnson was not only a pioneering black athlete, but he was also one of only seven basketball players to win championships at all levels: an NCAA Championship, an NBA Championship, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Unlike many other athletes, however, he was able to translate his on-court success into off-court success, growing Magic Johnson Enterprises to a net worth of $700 million, by using his keen eye to create lucrative partnerships and find undervalued markets.
One of the best perks of working in the professional speaking business is the opportunity to learn from the best of the best. I’ve heard from top entrepreneurs who have taken their businesses from garages to Fortune 500 success, inventors with an idea who changed our world, and athletes who have shattered our conception of human potential. But of all these remarkable people, the advice of sports champions like Magic Johnson resonates with me the most.
Of all his many lessons, these two he learned on the court have had the most influence on his entrepreneurial endeavors: avid preparation and attention to detail.
Avid Preparation
On court, Magic was always prepared. As a kid, he would practice all day. He would dribble a basketball to the store with his right hand and then dribble with his left on the way back. When he joined the Lakers as a rookie, the first day of practice he arrived two hours early; the next, three hours early; within the week, the coach decided everyone should show up early to drill before team practice began. Their preparation paid off–they won the NBA championship his rookie year.
When Magic was looking to start his business career, he also did his homework. He sought advice from successful business people like super-agent Michael Ovitz, read business magazines, and networked with business professionals on road trips. While his first business project Magic 32, a high-end sporting goods store, wasn’t a success, he learned from his mistakes and hasn’t looked back.
Attention to Detail
When he was a kid, Magic worked for his father’s trash hauling business. Michigan winters were cold. So he would dash to trash cans as fast as possible so he could get back to the heated truck. One time, just as he made it back, his father handed him a shovel and pointed to the pieces of trash he’d missed, still frozen under a layer of ice. He always remembered what his father said: “Do this job halfway, and you’ll be a halfway ball player and do things halfway in life.”
In business, Magic applies the same attention to detail. After the failure of Magic 32, he realized he hadn’t listened to his customers enough. Now he keeps in touch with his customers every day, learning what they need and want–doing a thorough job and focusing on the little things. And his business ventures thrived.
If you apply this mindset of avid preparation and attention to detail to your business like Magic, you might not be a multimillionaire, but you will be a success on and off the court.
About the Author Ken Sterling