"You just have to find out what works best for you and never listen to detractors."
As the Founder of The GM’s Perspective, Devon Teeple takes great pride in working with athletes and personalities from all walks of life. Their lives and their stories can provide the reader with more than just a glimpse into their professions, it can showcase the countless positives that truly make them stand out from the crowd.
Ignite CHANGE is his non-profit – and the work he does supports athletes dealing with mental health issues (anxiety, depression, etc) and is recognized across North America. Research highlighting sports leadership and the positive impact that it can have on players is something that ignite CHANGE has become well known for.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Devon Teeple: As the Founder of The GM’s Perspective I take great pride in working with athletes and personalities from all walks of life. Their lives and their stories can provide the reader with more than just a glimpse into their professions, it can showcase the countless positives that truly make them stand out from the crowd.
ignite CHANGE is my non-profit – and the work I do supports athletes dealing with mental health issues (anxiety, depression, etc) and is recognized across North America. Research highlighting sports leadership and the positive impact that it can have on players is something that ignite CHANGE has become well known for.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Devon Teeple: Being able to pivot at a moments notice. I think our current environment encourages change. I’ve even implemented that in to the core purpose of my businesses. Whether it’s understanding your true reach or a self-evaluation of your product, it’s never productive to stay complacent
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Devon Teeple: You cannot try to be someone you’re not. Everyone has a skill or a gift that you can showcase to the world. You just have to find out what works best for you and never listen to detractors.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Devon Teeple: I think the pandemic has taught us the frequency of communication is as important as ever. And if there is a silver lining to any of this, our ability to communicate in an effective and efficient manner has never been been more crucial.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Devon Teeple: Great question. The ability to take a message and relate back to something/anything in your teams lives can produce the best results. It can facilitate conversation, allow people to speak on their personal experiences and challenge the status quo. Our world is changing every second and you must find a way to stay relevant while ensuring your team stays productive despite the ups and downs
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Devon Teeple: I look at any challenge as a positive. It took me years to establish myself as something more than a baseball player. If I accepted the criticism that went with trying to play collegiate and professional athletics, it never would have happened. If I rested on my laurels and didn’t continue to improve/educate myself on all things athletics (business/personal/mental), I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you today.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Devon Teeple: I’m looking forward to continuing to unwrap and understand the relationship between mental health and success or lack of success in athletics. That continues to be the focus of my EdD.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Devon Teeple: People have more options now, especially with online and remote capabilities. In my opinion, and it’s a strong one, you cannot flourish in an environment where you are being questioned at every turn. People must be allowed to do their jobs. We are not perfect. We have coaching opportunities ,one on one’s etc… but if leadership is toxic and continually negative, then how can your team be successful.
Now more than ever, knowing who you are speaking with/to and understanding THEIR situation plays into your delivery and expected outcomes.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Devon Teeple: Loaded question, I don’t think I’d chose one. I’d like to chalk it up to “Control what you can Control” and the pieces will fall in to place.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Devon Teeple: Success means if I can reach just one person who is struggling and they take away something positive from my writings or my interviews, then it has all been worth it.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Devon Teeple for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Devon Teeple or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
