No Plan B: The Steve Smith Story of Grit, Focus, and Community Impact

What this episode is about

The discussion centers around Steve Smith Senior's journey of personal and professional growth, emphasizing his dedication to overcoming obstacles and his commitment to community impact. Highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence and a singular focus on success without a "Plan B," Smith shares insights on the interconnectedness of athletics and academics, illustrating how opportunities in sports can pave the way for educational advancements.

Key takeaways

• Steve Smith’s 'no plan B' mantra reminds us that commitment often fuels extraordinary success.
• Merely being an athlete isn’t enough; emotional intelligence is the real game changer in business.
• Taking the elevator in mentorship isn't cheating; it’s smart strategy to accelerate your journey.
• Athletic scholarships deserve equal respect to academic ones; both require dedication, skill, and strategy.
• Transforming personal struggles into business opportunities exemplifies how resilience can redefine one's legacy.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Mick (Host) · 12 min speaking
• Steve Smith Senior (Guest) · 19 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Steve Smith Senior
2. 20:00 – 25:00: Steve Smith Senior

Notable quotes from "No Plan B: The Steve Smith Story of Grit, Focus, and Community Impact"

• Ladies and gentlemen, this is an amazing episode with Steve Smith Senior. We actually talk more about business and we talk about life. Steve Smith was somebody that he said if he could reinvent himself or play the.

  about Steve Smith Senior · at 0:00

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Steve Smith Senior — Person · 3 mentions · first at 0:02
• Mike Salamon — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• BE HUC — Company · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Ladies and gentlemen, this is an amazing episode with Steve Smith Senior. We actually talk more about business and we talk about life. Steve Smith was somebody that he said if he could reinvent himself or play the game today, he would play it like Steve Smith. I'm just so proud and honored of the man that Steve Smith is. And in this episode, you're going to hear some really cool stories, and you're going to hear Steve Smith talk about emotional intelligence and break it down. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the GOAT, Steve Smith Senior.

0:33 This is make unplugged. Let us uncover the because that thing that drives you. That thing that fuels you. I'm ready. If you are, let's go. Steve Smith,

0:48 how you doing? Good morning. Good afternoon. I appreciate you, man. like you have no idea what you mean to me because there's something about you that is also in me and and you said this being an older sibling being the person that people looked up to. I didn't have a plan B, bro. Like if I was going to change the life of my mom and my sister and my brother, there wasn't representation in my household. There wasn't representation in those four walls that were going to show me how to change.

1:18 I have a plan B. And I know that that's something that you've always said too, man. Yeah, football was it.

1:24 Football was it? Um and you know for some people that's watching this and and and some people who put athletes in a category um the opportunity to get a scholarship um a athletic scholarship I I believe is no different than getting a scholarship for academics, right? because I'm I'm very aware there's a lot of sports non- football who their whole structure is built off of having a a athletic but also a intelligent athlete so they can utilize and fle have have a lot of flexibility. So like soccer, golf, some of the women's sports, um that stuff is is is happening where they get guys who financially can afford to go to college, but they also have great grades.

2:26 And um and so man, and and so where I'm going with that is my no plan B was playing football. My my whole eggs were in the football basket. However, what I've been able to experience and learn um and be able to be mentored and taught from people in business-wise, man. Yes. If I couldn't catch a football, I wouldn't have got my foot in the door. But understanding my intelligence and my and my willingness to learn keeps me in the door. And so, yes, I am a football player. Yes, I went to school and what's crazy is I did I did not do the typical uh psychology at the time. I actually did uh family consumer studies

3:21 and they they had this crazy myth that one day people would be willing to they would forfeit a gallon of gas to go get a gallon of milk [clears throat]

3:37 and I was so we they were teaching us about how the consumer consumes. Yeah, dude. That's that's why you are who you are, man. Like like I tell people all the time just about the fire that you have, the the energy that you you've played with, but more importantly, what you were just talking about, right? Like you're going to be the best no matter what it is. And and to me, that's your plan A is is to dominate no matter what it is that you do, to give your all and and to to learn the the little details that that most people don't have the patience to to go do, to be different, to make a name for yourself, to make a brand for yourself. And

4:22 bro, like it shows in everything that you do. So kudos to you for that, bro. Oh, I appreciate that. Appreciate that.

4:27 You talked about something that I think is critically important, right? The the power of of mentorship. Um, my mentors are celebrity chef Robert Irvine and Damon.

4:37 Slight flex, but continue. No flex. No flex. But they told me, right? Like sometimes we talk about taking the stairs and it's cool to take the stairs, but when the elevator is there, the smart person takes the elevator, right? Because nobody nobody cares about all that you went through to get there sometimes. Like you still need to know the journey, but when the elevator's present,

5:00 take the freaking elevator sometimes. And that's what mentorship has done for me. It's like, hey,

5:05 I don't want you to make this mistake because I've already made it. Let me tell you what the journey is like, but press the elevator to the top floor so you can just go there. Like to me, that's what mentorship and getting in front of these rooms are. It's like you still need your journey, but every lesson you don't have to learn when somebody else can tell you what they've learned.

5:23 Yes. Yes. So, so, uh, I'll tell you a quick story is, um, man, just my my my billion business. So, I started doing, uh, rental properties.

5:36 Um, I started right after I retired, like 06. And so, I'm doing these rental properties. And, um, how I got started was I I I went to look at this this property and, man, the property was so dilapidated. It was It was ridiculous. But it was a duplex. I grew up in a duplex, so I'm very aware of that. [snorts] And so I'm looking through and man, we do an inspection to go look at the property and section 8 cuz I was on section 8 as a kid. So trying to stay in that realm. I try to do a lot of programs uh with my foundation or just a business-wise. My niche is um I'm a poor poor black kid who was unsubsidized, you know, now they call it snack, but uh right latch key kid and man, so a lot of the things I do are about the things that I experience or did not have at my disposal.

6:39 So, I go in there in the sexy house and she has the oven open on the tub still has water in it because of it not draining properly, not having any heat. So, she was using an oven to heat the to to heat the one bedroom. And bro, it broke me. Mhm.

7:04 It broke me that this landlord had reduced all these people to live in those conditions where they deserve more. Just because they are receiving assistance doesn't mean um you lessen their respect of who they are as a human being. And man, so from there I was so pissed off and angry. Man, I had a a buddy uh Mike Salomon. He came to my house. We sat in the basement and I kind of talked to him right about these things and laid it out to him like, "This is what I want to do, man. Out of my group of people, even my mentor, he was like, "Nah, I don't like it. You're at the end of your career.

7:51 You shouldn't do this. You shouldn't do that bro." Then another person said the same thing, but this this guy knew Mike Salamone. He was a home builder. He was like, "Man, you know your numbers. If your numbers are line, do it." Man, I did it. and ended up having some good stuff happen, having some bad stuff happen, but I rode the roller coaster and then went into co and that's when it showed me, right? And so in in business I have uh three phases. The first five years there's risky, right? app. Then two years later, which is the seventh year, it starts to kind of shape up.

8:44 In year 10 though, it's either the real deal or it's not. Yeah. And man, I learned that, bro. And it's uh it's been awesome. It's been awesome, man. So everybody that's watching, I mean I I've been a huge fan of C Smith forever. So like I knew some of these things. You know that business mind that he had, did you? Like that's what I'm talking about, man. Like when I say you you go all in in everything that you do, that's it, man. Like when did that become a part of who you were or or is that just always been no plan B?

9:24 It's all I've always been that way. But here's the here's the caveat. But I only do a few things and I only do those things.

9:33 So, so, so I I it may seem like I'm doing a hundred. I may be doing really 50 or 75 things, but they're all intertwined and they're all on the same page. So, I'm not doing, [snorts] you know, I'm doing golf, I do football, but my golf is in between.

9:53 Then I do my football, which is every week, right? So I got days that I have those days that's slotted for studying, getting ready, preparing, and then recording. And then some of the other things that I'm asked to do, I really weigh now. What What is it going to cost me timewise? What am I going to lose out on doing?

10:21 Yeah. And so I I just I've learned how to say no. And that's been tough. That's been really tough because when you say no to people and you have a little bit like me a bad reputation of of a lot of times saying no. Um when you genuinely are saying no because you really just don't have the bandwidth or you don't have the energy. Man, people don't people don't always take it uh for what it is.

10:48 I used to be like that and then somebody told me a long time ago, man, just remember no is a complete sentence. You don't have to justify it. You don't have to feel bad about it. No is a complete. And once I adopted that, I just started to understand because then I realized like some people just want you to say yes or at least hear them out so that it begins to tug on your heart. And I've just been really quick to just say, "Hey, I don't have it in me right now." Like no.

11:17 Yes, sir. I feel you. So, you know, you talked about the one or two things, and again, there's so many things that I appreciate about you, and I think your journey postc career,

11:30 I've gotten to see it a little bit on how you keep things simple. I remember it was one of your first uh analyst roles and like one of the first days and and you were on set and people were going back and forth and you were like, "Hey guys, you can say all that, but the truth is this guy is just better than the other guy and he knows it." Like it ain't about technique. Like this guy's just a better player. Like you can be cute but

11:56 he's just better. And sometimes it is. Uh, you know, sometimes we get caught up in our head trying to overanalyze because there's so many great analysts out there. There's also so many comments about people how they should or shouldn't do, what they what they don't like about them. You know, the people that like you, they generally don't comment. They heart uh they thumbs up. They watch and continue to move on, press on through their day. the haters, the people who have something to say, they're going to make sure they take the time to leave a comment. But what's crazy, we're in a we're in a world right now where people desire to leave a comment about your line of work and put you down, but if you were to do that to them, they get so offended.

12:48 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, Steve, this is this is personal for me. I need I need coaching and mentoring from Steve Smith right now.

12:56 Okay. The kettle calling the pot black. Okay. No, I need it. So, again, we have so much in common. You've got that I guess we call it the dog, right? Like you've got that that fire inside. I know that there were times that your team didn't share that same fire that you had. How do you, and this is this is for the viewers and listeners, the business leaders that are watching,

13:27 how do you take your competitive fire, that streak that you have, and and I don't know, like when you see that your teammate doesn't have it, and and you want to be disappointed, but you also understand like maybe that's just not them. And so, you start to act a different way. Like, how do you handle that? This is you coaching me right now. Well, one, uh, every situation is different. And here's the thing that I I do believe. When you're a tough credit on your teammates, that can wear them down. So, I would say a lot of my teammates who love me also when they played with me were annoyed by me, were irritated because of um doing that. And it wears on people, right, where they say, you know, you get more you get more bees with honey,

14:18 right? Um, but man, ultimately, you know, the best way you can do it is start to really analyze yourself and say, okay, you know, why am I reacting in that way? And that that and then it goes to a deeper question. What am I really feeling? What's really going on? Right. What are And because you could be triggered or somebody can do something unintentionally that reminds you of another situation

14:52 and you don't even know it and then they they they cross hairs and the only thing that you know is rage, uh uh disappointment, anger, all that stuff. So for me, man, is I've I've really started to take the approach um I'mma wait Sometimes I will wait a long time.

15:16 Um there's other times where if I receive a email that I don't really I'm not liking the vibe of the email.

15:24 Yeah. So I already know I can't respond immediately. I got to let a couple of days go by and [snorts] think about think about it a few times. If I'm thinking about it like a couple hours later, I'm still like irritated. like I could be irritated, but that wasn't their intention. They didn't wake up and say, "Hey, I want to uh irritate you." However, what was in there that made me feel that way? That's that's what I got to focus on.

15:50 Yeah. And and once I, you know, kind of go through that long process and do that, man, I really started to be able to um say yes and no and know my own temperature. I know you didn't do this purposely, but you just broke down the pillars of emotional intelligence, man. And like that's what I speak about. Like that's what I get hired to call.

16:13 Don't don't tell don't tell people I'm intelligent. No. Hey, but but you are. And the emotional intelligence, man. Self-awareness, knowing who you are, the self-regulation, right? The taking the minute to pause or the day to pause. um the motivation behind it, the social skills, the communication, and the one I struggle with the most is empathy. Like I am probably the the least empathetic person in the world.

16:40 It's it and it sucks because you you want to feel it, right? But you also like, well, I got to got to got to get my got to get my hustle on. Got to got to move on,

16:52 you know? Yeah. That that literally is me, man. It's like I I I work on that more than anything else is just being empathetic, showing empa empathy because when you have that grind, when you have that don't when you don't have a plan B, like sometimes empathy feels like excuses, right? Like I feel like people are giving me excuses and I know they're not, but and that's why I have to work on it every day because it's like if I know this is the end result that we need to get to, let's just get there. Like, yeah, I want to pause and listen to you, but that that train ain't stopping, right? Like, we still got to go. So,

17:30 yeah, man. And like now, now I want to go to your your career. And again, you played the position that my uncle played. So, I feel like I know wide receiver even though I didn't play, bro. like the things that you did that you that another person your size that had to go through the same journey that you had would not have been able to do it. Like that's just me being honest because there there isn't another Steve Smith. Like people can say what they want to. They can get mad at me or they can go look at the facts. The facts show the data shows there hasn't been another Steve Smith.

18:08 Do you look at it that way too? I I would say there's not there's not another Steve Smith because we all want our own names.

18:17 Right. Right. Right. Not that I am so unique, right, to the world. Now, I'm I'm unique, right, to in overall because there's no one else like me,

18:28 right? Right. However, there's also no one else like you either. True. So this isn't about who's better, but So what I realized is just kind of you just be who you are, man.

18:44 Yeah. You you just be who you are and that's going to be some good and [clears throat] we know dang sure there's going to be some bad, too.

18:55 Yeah. And so you guys surround you guys surround yourself around people who uh really can walk things through with you and you can trust them.

19:08 Yeah. Yeah. And they can trust you. That's the key. That's the key. That is totally the key. You know, I we we watched the game of football today and it

19:21 it doesn't seem like you retired long ago, but it seems like the game has changed so much since you've retired, right? Like the things that that you did on the field

19:33 just from these are the words of Mick and Mick only from totally punishing your opponent in a good way, right? Like people get suspended for that now, right? or or they get looked at in a negative, but it's like, hey,

19:45 sometimes C. Smith just knows he's better than the person on the other side, and he doesn't need that opponent to think that he's got a chance to hang with him, right?

19:54 Well, that goes here's the other part I I got sidetracked on. You know, you go in the Hall of Fame and you go on the Hall of Fame or they have your individual numbers and your name on the back of your jersey because they want to identify who you are. And so if they are already saying that we need to identify each player in each position then yes there also will never be another Randy Moss.

20:24 All right. There are people have who maybe look like him. Mhm. [clears throat] From the eye test,

20:31 right? But there are things about Randy Moss that when God created Randy that's it was only unique to him.

20:39 Yeah. Yeah. You know, so so for me, if there's another me, if there was another me or if there were other players like me, then I no longer would be needed.

20:53 I would have lost my job cuz they can just they can just go out when I do something stupid, they can just go out on a corner and just grab another one.

21:00 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, one of the things that I thought made, you talk about a Randy Moss. I would say you Randy Moss, Chris Carter had this unique skill set and this is why my uncle said if he could reinvent himself, he would be Steve C. Smith. Forget the feistiness. Forget that that dog that you had. You had such a canny ability to not give tails when the ball was arriving. Like you would almost prepare to catch it at literally the last moment. So the DB

21:34 didn't know the ball because you know playing the position, right? Like DBs know when the ball is coming because the eyes raise and you start to put your hands out like you had this ability like last moment, bam, I show like talk to us about that, bro. Cuz that's a skill that most people don't have.

21:49 Yeah, just studying studying my opponents. A lot of opponents would look at your eyes or try to hit your arm. I remember studying Nate Clemens uh when he was with San Francisco after he had left Buffalo. And I just remember studying him and watching him. And it was one of those things with him. He knew when a ball was coming and so he rarely turned around and he would just hit his hands.

22:11 So that forced me at that time to learn a new technique because if I didn't, I didn't eat that week.

22:18 Yes, sir. So it it was it was just it was things that I picked up that I started to do. Right. And so in football, man, you see players that have up and down seasons because every year it's a new habit for you to break

22:34 every single year, right? There are going to be things that you do well and there are going to be things that you want to cover your eyes just because you created a new habit that you weren't even aware of because there are scouting reports and players who watch all your film to see what bad habits you have.

22:51 Yes, sir. also to see what good habits you have. Yeah. And again, that's why I love how you break things down simple and and I think you I know, you know, people look at you as an analyst and and they may say, "Oh, well, Steve's hard on on these players," but like you're trying to give advice. You're actually trying to mentor them through the platforms that you have.

23:13 Actually, I'm not. That's the crazy part. No, I'm I'm I'm not like I'm not trying to mentor anybody through my podcast and through my crafts. I I believe mentorship is, you know, reaching out to e each other and conversating, man. Sometimes I I have been harsh and and so now for me is I'm trying to have that balance too cuz I am a pessimistic Paul, right? Opt not much optimistic Oscar. And so trying to find that balance. And so what I catch myself doing is a lot of times when I do my notes and I'm saying, why is this player not going to perform well? The devil's advocate, what why did he perform well?

23:59 And so I'm trying to see those balance. And the new, you know, the the new age guys, they they prefer um, you know, they prefer the compliments laid on more than the criticism. And so, just trying to find uh different words and different ways that I'm comfortable with.

24:16 Yeah. How I can critique but not criticize. Okay. Right. And and give guys the benefit of the doubt. However, if the film tells enough of the story, I can't give you what you didn't earn. Right.

24:38 Hey, Steve Smith Senior is always going to tell the truth. If anything else, you're always going to tell the truth, bro.

24:44 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, you also have something that that's dear to my heart. Like, you are always active in the community. you're always trying to to I don't want to say leave things better than you found them, but find ways to make impact.

25:01 And I think you in in in community you do that really well. And [clears throat] I want to talk and give you the floor to talk about uh be huck for a minute because

25:10 I'm a huge fan of what you're doing there and the mission behind it. Well, the beh is acronym for behavioral her behavioral health urgent care and this urgent care is basically uh we do assessments and in that assessments you're held for 23 hours. Uh it's all volunteer. Um but also we have some places where uh most of the time people with mental health go to the emergency room. And so if you go to emergency room and you are uh arrested or accompanied by a police officer, now that police officer must sit in the same emergency room with that patient for however long it takes. And sometimes it could take up to 13 hours. So now these police officers who were probably off 5 hours ago, he's still or she is still she's still at the hospital waiting for a clinician because at the emergency room emergency room for mental health and emergency room for medical help.

26:16 There's a there's a difference. Yeah. Right. There's a difference. And so by having our behook, now police officers can drop this person off and they can go home and then once they're assessed and there's a plan in action or the next steps, then the the they call the police and then they go back. And so even if they did a crime, they get the opportunity to be evaluated if it's mental health versus just going to jail, right? Having a plan assessment. Um, we do kids from ages four all the way to 80 year old. Um, and the best part about it because a lot of the things I do is things I experience with [clears throat] no insurance. So if you don't have insurance, don't matter. Come on in. If you do have insurance, we'll take that too. Right. So, um, and so working with Medicaid, working with, um, some of the, uh, people in the city and the county, man, um, I've I've learned a lot in it.

27:17 I I I've learned a ton and it's it's been awesome. And from based off that, we've created, um, hygiene kits, right? And so, giving giving some of these folks hygiene kits, be being able, you know, they on the street, some of the things that they have going on, uh, the basic necessities they don't have. So uh it's been I've learned a lot in the mental health and it all stemmed um we have a medical clinic as well but there was the first time the medical clinic um in co we had received in the first 8 months

27:53 1 1600 hours of clinical work and we had 6,000 medical patients but everybody wanted to come in for counseling and then that's when we knew that it needed to be a standalone.

28:09 Yeah. Yeah. Dude, that is so impactful, man. And and again, kudos to you for addressing a need and doing something about it because a lot of times, you know, when when you and I were growing up in our community, it wasn't a thing. And and even if it was a thing,

28:25 you didn't want to talk about it. You didn't want to go there and do it. Right. Right. So, so I thank you more than you know about

28:31 Thank you. about bringing that to awareness. I'm a huge mental health advocate. Um I do a lot in the mental health space as well too. But a lot of that stem from people like you saying it's okay to talk about it. And then that led me to understand that like wait a second. Like I I didn't talk about the things that were going through my head which was like if people would have knew the 10 to 20year-old me they would have literally thought I was crazy some of the things that was going in my head. But like I didn't have that outlet and I just felt like the only way to get out was to get out. And so that's what I did. And so again, I applaud you for that, bro. I applaud you for that.

29:09 And I usually start the show with this, but I'm going to end it with this. I like asking my guest, what's their because that purpose, that mission that you have, right? Like Simon Synynic said, start with why, right? And you ask people what their why is, and they'll tell you whatever. I like going a little bit deeper. Like what's your because like if I were to say, "What's your why?" And then say, "But why?" You usually say, "Well, because A, B, and C, I care about what happens after because

29:38 because at the age and stages that I'm at right now, I'm just learning some new elements and some new layers about me that I've never really approached before.

29:50 I'm really going in with such I just got LASIK, so it's a it's a great analogy. I'm going in with such a new vision."

30:00 Like it, right? the the the blurriness light is is is starting to kind of it's been two weeks now. The blur blurriness is starting to starting to come come away and I'm starting Oh. Oh, that's what it looks like, you know. That's what it looks like. Clear, huh?

30:18 Yeah. So, yeah. To to wake up and not have to put glasses or contacts on it must feel great, bro. I've been I've been in glasses or contacts since I was like 20.

30:27 Doing this the first time, so I'm not really sure. There you go. Well, see, man, I appreciate your time. I know how busy you are.

30:36 You mean the world to me, brother. Keep keep impacting. Keep doing the amazing things that you do. And just know that you always got somebody in your corner, bro.

30:45 Appreciate it. Thank you so much. You got it. And to all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. You've been plugged into Mick Unplugged. Don't just listen, take action. Rate and subscribe. Follow me on social and get the full experience at mitthuntofficial.com. Keep building, keep leading, and most importantly, keep dominating.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "No Plan B: The Steve Smith Story of Grit, Focus, and Community Impact"?

Mick (Host), Steve Smith Senior (Guest).

What is "No Plan B: The Steve Smith Story of Grit, Focus, and Community Impact" about?

The discussion centers around Steve Smith Senior's journey of personal and professional growth, emphasizing his dedication to overcoming obstacles and his commitment to community impact. Highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence and a singular focus on success without a "Plan B," Smith shares insights on the interconnectedness of athletics and academics, illustrating how…

What is mentioned in this Mick Unplugged Podcast episode?

3 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Steve Smith Senior, BE HUC, Mike Salamon. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "No Plan B: The Steve Smith Story of Grit, Focus, and Community Impact"?

The episode runs 31 min; the transcript is about 5,288 words in 81 timestamped sections.

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