The Fundamentals Matter in Sports and Business We hear it all the time, the little things are what will set you apart from the competition. As athletes, we work day and night trying to improve the little things in mechanics. What we do not know is that this is preparing us to lead. The Fundamentals Matter "You don't need the grand slam every at-bat. Sometimes what wins the game is the perfect bunt." — Claire Here is what I know in all my time in marketing, business, and leadership: the fundamentals matter. Think of it this way. We have this new AI tool, and marketing is starting to jump on it, use it, and possibly overuse it (time will tell). Here is what I know: if you do not have a strong message, a clear differentiator, or a decent product, AI will not save you. Yes, you will be able to create an unlimited amount of content, graphics, flyers, or whatever your heart desires. Trust me, I have been part of the youth sports Facebook groups. The point is that you cannot make a huge jump without the fundamentals. If you decide to use AI without the brand fundamentals, solid financials, or a decent product (something that solves a problem), the tool will not help you. As athletes, we know how important it is to work on the fundamentals; the same is true in your business. There is no shortcut to success. You need to do the work; you need to establish your fundamentals before you can scale. The Little Things Compound "You can build a wonderful life by being very good at the small things — because they compound." — Claire Fausey As athletes, we have all heard the saying "stack your days”. When we are in the grind, it is hard to see how stacking the days matters for our desired outcome. We are making small improvements every day, hitting the baseball a little harder and kicking the soccer ball slightly better. We learn to accept the small incremental improvements because, as athletes, we are stacking days; this keeps us from getting frustrated and giving up. Here is a real example. Growing a social media account, driving organic search traffic to your site, and building a development facility from $0 take time and effort. Every day, you get a new follower, 10 more hits to the website, or a $5 donation. This is improvement, just like stacking your days, every post, blog, or email gets you closer, just like every training session gets you closer to your athletic goals. The little things will drive your success. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, maybe not next month, but eventually you will make it. You Are Not in Control "Whatever happened to you might not have been in your control — but your response is 100% in your control." — Claire We have all been in situations where we believe we were “robbed”, we got the short end of the stick, and the situation was not fair. Maybe in those situations you were right, maybe it was fair, and you were just having a bad day. What we can control is our response. Think about it, when you are in business, you are going to get a deal that does not go your way. There will be a time when you have the better product or service, yet you still lose the client or the deal. It is going to happen, trust me, I have been there. Whether it is fair or not, the way you react is up to you. You can give up, complain, or you can keep pushing forward with a smile on your face. Sports teach us a valuable lesson: we do not control the outcome; we only control how we react. Beyond The Game Podcast is all about showcasing how sports help us, pushed us, and taught us the lessons that matter later in life
