Bo Jackson talks overcoming fear at West Coast Produce Expo
Bo Jackson played at an elite level in sports. And he has taken the lessons he learned from sports and his family into his life after football and baseball. He was one of few athletes that played professional football and professional baseball.
Interestingly, his life now isn’t about sports. In fact, he doesn’t even follow football or baseball, he said recently at The Packer's West Coast Produce Expo, for which he was the keynote speaker. He loved the games when he played, because they allowed him to be where he is now in life.
“Now, you can ask me about college girls' softball, because they hustle from the time they get on the field until the game is over,” Jackson told the audience. “I don’t like all the early celebrations in sports today. I was always taught, 'Don't celebrate until after you win.' And I’ve applied it to my life after sports.”
Jackson credited his family for being so driven. His mom worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.
He learned at an early age that if you want something in life, you have to go out and get it because no one's going to give it to you.
“When I was a freshman at Auburn University, the media thought I was a jerk because I wouldn't talk to them,” he said. “And the reason I was terrified to talk in front of a camera was because I stuttered. The head of the athletic department told me I needed to fix it.”
So, every morning he got up at 5:30 am, went into the bathroom and interviewed himself with his toothbrush.
“I learned, it's all about breathing," Jackson recalled. “And that’s probably the biggest accomplishment in my life, controlling my stuttering and not having it control me.”
As the owner of his own company, he instills self-motivation in his employees. He prefers to show his expectations even in the small things.
“I lead by example and expect it will become contagious,” Jackson said. “That includes being the first in the office, the last to leave, taking out garbage, making copy paper runs, staple runs, getting lunch or helping someone in the parking lot change a flat tire.”
Something that’s kept Jackson busy the last few years has been his food marketing and distribution company, Jackson & Partners LCC. It imports seafood for distribution in the U.S. and developing plant-based food products.
“I also have a new side of my company that I'm very excited about. I'm being introduced to plant-based food, because our nation is trying to find a way to eat healthier,” Jackson said. “And it seems like plant-based has found its niche.”
He made it clear that he’s a meat eater, however. He eats his vegetables, “as long as there’s meat on the plate,” he said.
The company has a plant-based drink and plant-based jerky. He said the jerky is in 1,500 Walmart stores and it is close to getting the jerky in all 5,000 Walmart locations around the country.
Jackson learned early in life that that the only way to be successful in life is to remove all fear of failure.
“In my mind, I'm the best in the food space. But that's just me. That's how I get over my fear,” Jackson said.
