Carrick Felix's story is one of perseverance, resilience, and determination. Despite facing bullying, name-calling, and academic struggles during his childhood in Goodyear, Arizona, Carrick found solace on the basketball court. He excelled at the College of Southern Idaho and Arizona State University before being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. After retiring from professional basketball, Carrick discovered his true passion: helping people live fulfilling and meaningful lives. He founded IMC, a personal development coaching and keynote speaking company, where he serves as the CEO. Carrick's journey is a testament to the power of hard work and determination in the face of adversity. He overcame his early struggles to become a successful basketball player and later, a respected coach and speaker. Despite others predicting his failure, Carrick has proven time and again that he has what it takes to succeed.
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Carrick Felix's story is one of perseverance, resilience, and determination. Despite facing bullying, name-calling, and academic struggles during his childhood in Goodyear, Arizona, Carrick found solace on the basketball court. He excelled at the College of Southern Idaho and Arizona State University before being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. After retiring from professional basketball, Carrick discovered his true passion: helping people live fulfilling and meaningful lives. He founded IMC, a personal development coaching and keynote speaking company, where he serves as the CEO. Carrick's journey is a testament to the power of hard work and determination in the face of adversity. He overcame his early struggles to become a successful basketball player and later, a respected coach and speaker. Despite others predicting his failure, Carrick has proven time and again that he has what it takes to succeed.
Want to hear more? Check out previous episodes, subscribe & leave a review.
APPLE PODCASTS: https://apple.co/32M5E2T
SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/32AyXFq
Connect with Collin:
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CollinKushner
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/collinkushner/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CollnKushner
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-ku...
PERSONAL WEBSITE: https://linktr.ee/collinkushner
EMAIL: ckushner1@gmail.com
Having those self-limiting beliefs. And then, like you said, telling yourself, like I'm not good enough telling yourself, like I am stupid are, you know, um, that I won't ever make the team or I won't ever graduate. I mean, that stuff is, those things are very powerful. Um, but just understanding this how to let those things go. I think that's like, that's the biggest thing.
Collin Kushner :Welcome to episode three of"Hey, where'd you go?" You go, I'm Collin Kushner. The goal of my podcast is to catch up with former high school collegiate and professional athletes focusing on what they're doing today. This week's guest played college basketball at Arizona state played in the NBA, the G league professionally in Australia. And now he's the founder and CEO of IMC, which stands for inspire, motivate, and change. Please. Welcome Mr. Carrick, Felix. Carrick, Thank you so much for taking the time to hop on the Hayward. You got podcast first off. How are you? And how's your daughter?
Carrick Felix:I'm good. I'm good. Um, you know, my daughter obviously is phenomenal. She's eight now, so it's, she's uh, she's just living there a little live, um, being a little cheesy cheerleader, so yeah, no, she's good. How are you?
Collin Kushner :I'm good too. Thanks for asking no complaints. Um, just hanging out in a longterm, Airbnb out in Los Angeles, uh, trying not to freeze, although it's like 64 degrees. So I don't know why I find that to be frigid.
Carrick Felix:And, uh, I mean, because you're from the West coast
Collin Kushner :Coming on the pod dude, and I love starting from the very, very beginning with my guests. And for you, I know you were a military kid growing up and you lived all over, but out of all the places you lived throughout your childhood, which place stood out to you,
Carrick Felix:I would honestly have to say here, um, Arizona probably stood out the most to me, just because a lot of my, like my biggest memories and some of my, some of my, uh, biggest accomplishments have been here in Arizona. So I kinda look at Phoenix and, you know, the West side of Arizona, Goodyear, Avondale area being like basically home. So Arizona is probably one of the most memorable places for me. Um, besides Washington DC, which came first skateboarding or basketball, uh, skateboarding actually came first for me. Um, it's actually pretty funny because for me growing up, I actually hated sports. Um, I hated everything and anything that had to do with basketball, football, soccer, uh, you name it like my parents would put me in, you know, obviously you like the kids' leagues. Um, but I would just run off the court crying just because I was so shy. Um, I just didn't like the whole running aspect of it. Um, I was more into, you know, the, the creative and building things and being destructive and kind of just being a kid. So my first dream actually was, was to be, um, Tony Hawk. So yeah, so I, I love skateboarding as a kid. And, um, you know, I started at a young age to start probably starting at like seven, seven or six, um, and skate it for a while to get it all the way through all the way through, into, so probably high school year
Collin Kushner :Carrick. You said that basketball was actually your second love. When did that become your first love and push skateboarding down on the sports totem pole?
Carrick Felix:It became my first love, probably I would say at the beginning of high school. Um, cause that's, my friends started to get into sports and obviously it was almost like I was being a follower at first because I was didn't want to be left out. Um, but as I started playing, I just started to realize like, Oh, like I enjoy not only playing basketball with my friends. Um, but I enjoy the fact that I can work at something and get better. Um, so probably fell. I'd probably extremely like fell deeply in love with basketball. Um, my sophomore year of high school.
Collin Kushner :And what made the game fun for you? Like what was it, the team, the team aspect aspect of it going up, you know, dropping down a sweet dog,
Carrick Felix:Honestly, all of it. Uh, you know, when I look at, when I look back at, when I played and I looked back at when I first started to love basketball, um, I fell in love with all of it. I fell in love with the whole process. I fell in love with the fact that, you know, I was able to go out there and compete, um, with the best, uh, and compete with this, with anybody on the court. And, you know, I love competition. Um, I love the fact that I was able to work hard at something and get better at it and learn. Um, I loved the fact that, uh, that I had a team and that I could have guys who were supporting me and I was supporting them and we were fighting for the same cause, um, there's this, honestly, there's so many different reasons. I love basketball. I mean, from the fans to the energy to allow me to get to be creative, like for me, sports basketball was everything. It was, it, it was it man. So I loved every, every, every part of it
Collin Kushner :Coming out of high school. Carrick uh, you ended up going to the college of Southern Idaho. What other basketball prospects did you have?
Carrick Felix:The only offer I had out of high school when I was, when I was younger, it was, um, I believe it was, it was a university of San Francisco. Yeah. It was university of San Francisco, U USF, um, was the only visit I went on, they had offered me, but I didn't have my grades. Um, at the time I didn't pass the, uh, NCAA, um, deal or deal. They had a, so that junior college had offered me was the only school that I was able to go to. The only school that, um, asked me to come there. And, and honestly I'd never played club basketball in my life and it was my senior year. I went to a tournament and they saw me, um, and immediately they had sent the offer and I didn't have anything else. I was like, you know what? My, this, well, it's a stepping stone. I know where I want to go, but I got to start somewhere. Right. So yeah, no, Idaho was definitely, it was, it was my only option, um, at the time. So
Collin Kushner :You didn't have twin falls, Idaho circled up on your map, above your bed saying, Hey guys, I want to go to twin falls, Idaho baby.
Carrick Felix:No, no, not at all. It's funny because as soon as I got on a plane to go to twin falls and we landed and were driving two hours from Boise, Idaho to twin, I'm like sleeping in the back. I have like my hoodie on, I was laying there and I'm just like, where am I? Like, am I by like New York and my byline? Um, you know, am I in the middle of the map? Like where I literally thought I was in the East coast, I had no clue where Idaho was. I had no clue where I was.
Collin Kushner :You go to the college of Southern Idaho in twin falls. Like you alluded to you're like, where the heck am I in the country? What was that experience like? And what did you learn?
Carrick Felix:Experience was very, very eyeopening. It was definitely a culture shock to me just because I've never really been anywhere, uh, that wasn't diverse. Um, and you know, at the time I was young, I was 17. I believe I was like 17 years old. Um, never really lived on my own. It was like a moment for me to become mature because I was very immature when I first got there. Um, you know, going into that school and, and I believe, I think the first time I had a class, I didn't even go because it wasn't like high school where I was like, okay, like, here's my schedule got to go to class. The bell was more so like, Hey, you want to go to class? You can do, don't want to go. You don't have to go. Um, but I definitely got an eyeopening, uh, like an awakening very early, because the first time I missed class, um, my coach actually made me watch my team run the Canyon. Uh, like they would drive down to the bottom of twin falls Canyon, and then make everyone run up it, uh, and back to the school, which was like five miles, but she had to run like up in the climb. Um, so I basically sat on the back of her car. I mean, I didn't run it, but I just watched teammates do it. And I was like, Oh, like first day, like, this is what I have to do. Like guys have to look at me like, this guy is the guy that I put up for all of them. Um, but yeah, no, I mean, besides almost getting sent home, uh, that experience is good because I, I got, I got a chance to, because I ended up breaking my, my wrist, uh, to get like a medical red shirt, which for me was like a time to mature and like become, uh, just a little bit more of an adult. I wouldn't say I was there yet, but just a little bit more of an adult. Um, and then I was able to obviously play with some of the best players, um, in junior college guys who just obviously were on that fine line. Um, but then I was able to hone my skills because I was just so athletic as literally, um, when I was younger. And I think I came into to that school a hundred and maybe 75 pounds soaking wet, and then I left there. Yeah. And then I left there actually being like two 15, two 20. Um, yeah, at first year was rough just because I had a medical red shirt, but I was lifted every day. Um, you know, I, I made pretty much like a Pat to myself to basically do anything I can that year. And this from now on, it was like moving forward, uh, to put myself in the best position to play the play at the highest level and do whatever I needed to do, just because I knew I only had one, one chance, like only get one life. So, um, yeah, I was, I was getting up at like five o'clock every morning. I was working out like two or three times a day. Um, and then obviously my second year I got the second year on, I didn't have my medical red shirt. Um, a lot of things are changing. We have some new players come in, but, uh, definitely matured a lot into my first and second year then was able to obviously go from high school, having no offers to, um, literally going into my last year at CSI. I only had one offer, which was Kent state. And then out of nowhere, just like everyone, um, you know, Duke came in and after our assignment Duke and that kind of backed up, like it was, uh, it was so crazy. It was such a crazy time.
Collin Kushner :Isn't that crazy to think you leave high school, you go, you go to Idaho. Uh, you're like, ah, I don't know what's going to happen. You try it. You're trying to mature. Cause that's tough and you leave everything and everything, you, everyone, you know, you go to this foreign place and then it's all on you, but you made you, you dedicated yourself to the process and then to have schools like Duke come in. I mean, what did, what did that mean to you to kind of see it all start to slowly pay off?
Carrick Felix:Um, you know, I didn't really understand at the time I, I was just so focused on just doing the work that I didn't really appreciate everything else that was happening around me. Um, just because it was moving so fast, it was almost like an overnight thing. It was like, I remember Duke and a couple other schools, candor practice. Uh, it was like Duke Marquette and then Arizona state. And then I remember like they were there to see someone else on my team. One of my centers, uh, Aziz Ninja, uh, it was like a seven, two big guy played at UDaB, but they were there to see him on originally. And then I don't even know, like I was just doing what I normally do, just shooting the ball, dunking, playing defense, having energy. And then I literally that next day, um, after practice, I got a call from my coach, like, Hey, come in the office. He was like, Hey, this is crazy. News is like, Duke wants to sign you another thing, huh. And I'm like, what again? They want to sign you. And I was like, Oh, this is that's cool. I was like, what should I do? Like, they're like, Oh, go on there. You're going to go on a visit at the end of the week. And I was like, all right, cool. Um, and then obviously I went on a visit and then for me at that time, um, it was almost like a no-brainer because I was in a position where I felt like I didn't really need to look at any other schools. I felt like Duke goes like the highest. And then obviously everyone around me and they're like, Oh dude, dude, dude. But I just couldn't really fathom what was going on because I was just so locked into making sure we were having a winning season. Um, but after I kind of decommitted from Duke or reel, I kind of backed out of that thing and, um, and had the opportunity to kind of see all the schools that were coming in from like the Kentucky. So the Oregon's too, um, you know, every school in the pack and the pack 10 at the time was in the pack 12,
Collin Kushner :They were getting older dude. Right.
Carrick Felix:God dang, like it's fact 10 at the time I feel so old. Um, then that's when I kind of was like, okay, like I'm doing something right. Like I just gotta keep going. Like, I'm, I'm doing something good enough where now I'm starting to, like teens are starting to actually notice my skill, um, and my capabilities of what I can do on the court. So, um, yeah, no, no, no. I think the whole Duke thing was, is it was so crazy when it was happening. I was so young. I couldn't really even understand what was going on for sure.
Collin Kushner :It was more of the outside noise kind of saying Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, which maybe clouded your mindset a little bit because of course everyone's going to say you need to go there because it's such a prestigious program.
Carrick Felix:Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, at the time, I mean, that's all people were saying, like it was Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, um, and you know, they kept talking about, wow, this a, I mean, for them it was like a huge thing because there's never been a junior college player to ever sign to Duke. And I would have been the first player. I was the first player ever to do it. So it was, it was life changing. It could have been life changing, not only for me, but for my coaches and every like the program school. Um, so yeah, there was so much pressure to just go ahead and go there because that's where everyone wanted me to go. And that's where everyone was pointing me to go. And it's almost like I didn't have a voice, but it's almost like, I didn't know how to actually navigate that whole situation because, you know, I was just trying to display, you know, I was just trying to play. And, um, I remember when everything was happening with the situation of me not going to Duke, um, and everything was going on with like, Oh, what's happening. And um, you know, why aren't you going there? What are the reasons? And, uh, you know, had to deal with after backing out, like my coaches being upset and mad that I wasn't gonna go there and, um, all this stuff. And it was, it was just such a crazy time. And like, and it's funny because I didn't, most people think I didn't go there because I didn't want to go there and, and all this stuff, but the truth is that I didn't want to go, I couldn't go there because after, um, what Judean called, you have to pass, like you have to get your associates. And I ended up not getting my associates, um, after I had signed. And I was actually at the school when I was getting ready to start class. So they found that out and then I had to come back to junior college to finish the class. Um, but basically after that, they just didn't want their Dean just didn't want to have someone coming to their school, obviously junior college. Um, and actually, you know, just failing, you know, obviously we had the stigma coming from junior college to bring them to a prestigious school. They just didn't want to have the first one be, um, a guy who was just, wasn't going to take it serious, which they thought that's who I was. But, um, yeah, no, that, it was, it was just so crazy. A lot of people were very upset, very, very upset.
Collin Kushner :It's crazy how you, how you say that they don't think that somebody coming from junior college would take their academics seriously because Carrick, you graduated from ASU with your bachelor's degree and a master's degree. Boom. I mean, I mean, seriously, I mean, that's incredible.
Carrick Felix:No, it's actually funny because one of the coaches, uh, Nate, James, um, that actually was recruiting me for Duke when I had graduated from ASU. Um, and I got drafted. He had sent, um, one of my coaches from CSI at the time and they had sent me a text, um, that he was texting coach K. And it was just like, Hey, remember that, Felix? Good. He was like, yeah, well, he actually like ended up getting drafted and ended up like graduating and had his masters. And like we missed, like we passed that. So I thought, I thought it was pretty funny.
Collin Kushner :That is, that is definitely, definitely funny. But I think that's why you can't just jump to conclusions about anybody. I think, I think, and I think people are too quick to judge it, especially, it's like, okay, I get it. Duke's prestigious academic and athletic institution, but you can't, you can't leave somebody out just like that. I don't know. I think, I think you miss.
Carrick Felix:No, no, I, you definitely, you definitely can't leave anybody out, but for me, I mean, that's just a part of my journey. Is that something I was able to stack stack on and then understand that, Hey, you know, if people, and then, you know, aren't going to believe in me and what I'm doing, then I have to first believe in myself, no matter what I was, I knew I was going to figure it out no matter where I went. It's just a matter. It wasn't a matter of how, just a matter of when, um, when that time was going to be. So, you know, all the assumptions, people can assume all they want. Uh, but that wasn't going to stop me. So it wasn't gonna stop me at all.
Collin Kushner :And I think, I mean, school's hard, right? I struggled a lot in school growing up, you know, I was, uh, I was always a visual learner and the school I went to was a lot of audit. See, there we go. And I like the auditory stuff just, you know, puts me to sleep. And I remember like I was, I went to this all Jewish school and, and I couldn't like, I just wasn't getting the concepts. And my parents walked in there and they, the principal wanted to speak with them and they were just like, your son isn't getting it. And they, my dad explained it. He was like, my son is a square and they're trying to stick him in this triangle peg, like that's not going to work and they didn't get it.
Carrick Felix:Yeah, no, I mean, I, I can, uh, I can relate, man. I can relay it out. It's kinda the same way I growing up. I mean, I was a kid that was in special ed from second grade. All right. So, you know, my high school year, uh, um, or until my senior year of high school. Uh, so like, I wasn't like when it came to like being Booksmart, like, no, no, that was not me. I was more like the visual guy. Like I had to actually do it. And I had to have someone like, had to see what was going on. And I'm still that way until the day. I mean, I read and stuff now, but you know, I definitely understand where you're coming from. For sure.
Collin Kushner :It's nice to chat with someone that gets it because I I've never believed that you could define some intelligence off of a test score or off of whether or not you could solve like, uh, an equation. I mean, I find that I find that to be a terrible baseline for intelligence, and I'll always feel that way. And maybe that's because I was never that guy, but that's truly how I feel.
Carrick Felix:I honestly, I feel the same way. I feel like there's so many people in the world that are extremely intelligent when it comes to being books smarter, you know, knowing like, uh, understanding like a type of skill, but always, I feel that it it's all uniquely to how they learn or how they're able to obviously teach that to others or their just their experience of life. I feel like everyone's intelligent in our own way. Um, you just have to know how that person is intelligent. Like for me, like I'm not, I'm not a guy who can go read a book front and back and sit in front of you and be like, Hey, this is what this book's about. You know, I'm a have to listen to it. I have to read it over and over again. I have to write things down and I have to make pictures. Um, but you know, that just goes to show you like it doesn't for me. I just felt like it doesn't matter. You know, I know this, I know people that are extremely smart, that if I were to look at them now and be like, Oh, like, what are you guys doing? You know, some of those same people are not happy. They're, you know, at home, they're not doing anything with it. And I know people that most would be like, most of us say like, Oh, they're in high school. They'd be like, Oh, they're so dumb and stupid on in college, they would say the same thing. But those are people that are succeeding and doing the things that they want to do. Um, instead of what, you know, what they're being told to do,
Collin Kushner :People in high school said that you would never graduate. And, and I think you said that people called you stupid when you're hearing all those things at such a young age, how in the world are you, are you processing that? And then how do you even navigate such horrible things to be said to someone who's so young?
Carrick Felix:Um, you know, when I was young, uh, it was different, you know, I, at the age of, you know, probably like six, six or seven, um, that was like the first time I ever was called stupid. I have one, uh, it was actually by one of my teachers. So, um, it shut me down from learning a little bit because I was afraid to like help. Cause I got called stupid cause I was helping a student because I was bored and I was already done with my work. Um, but it kinda shut me down, um, at a young age. But as I started to get older and obviously people would start doing it and it was like the bullying, the bullying situation. Um, it was hard because I, like, I was afraid to do things like, for example, like I would in high school, I used to get bullied all the time because I was in special ed. So like I would find myself in situations like trying to sneak to the, my little, my little class I had to go to. Right. Like I would find myself, um, you know, not trying to talk to people about like, um, school work or even if I got asked to read out loud in class, I was so embarrassed that I would just get up and I would just walk out of class. Um, and it was hard for a while. But then as I started to understand, probably like my sophomore, that, you know what, like, this is who I am and it has nothing to do with the fact that you know, that I am dumb, I'm stupid or whatever it has to do with the fact, like I'm just unique. I'm different. Like how I learn, it's completely different. How I go about moving forward. It's completely different. And you know, again, I had guidance counselors tell me, um, and my mom like, Hey, like, look, you need to figure something out for your son because he's not going to be able to, uh, you know, graduate. I don't think he's going to be able to go to college. Um, because I was honestly, I was like a kid GPA. Like I think my GPA was maybe like a one, a, maybe like a two, I don't know,
Collin Kushner :Do those conclusions and just say that someone can't graduate because you know, those words never can't and won't are ridiculous. I don't think you could ever put any of those three words on somebody, you know, I don't
Carrick Felix:Because yeah, no, I, I, you know what, and I don't really know when it comes to, I feel like when it comes to people and when it comes to that stuff, when it comes to making assumptions or making a stigma about someone, I felt like it has to do with themselves personally. Like just things that they need to heal from in their life. Um, because again, like if I were to go back and look at my guidance counselor, look about, look back on all the people who have all the naysayers. Um, there's a lot of them, but I just, I don't know. I just always, I just understood in life that there was always going to be someone who was going to have some type of assumption about me, my mom, I just grew up like that. My mom instilled that in me. Like, there's always going to be people out there that are going to dislike you that are going to hate on you. That are going to tell you what you can't do. Um, because they're afraid of doing it themselves. Almost like if that makes sense. I don't know if that makes sense or not, but, um, yeah, but they're afraid of doing it themselves. So, um, no, I mean, it's, it's one of those things where it's like tough, right? Like how can you tell a kid like that you're not going to graduate? Like, how can you tell a kid like, do that? You're you're stupid or you're dumb because subconsciously that, that can, that breaks a lot of people, you know, I, I believe words are very powerful. Um, very, very powerful. And like you said, the words I can't want for me, those are just motivation that it just motivated me. I had, I grew up in a family with two older brothers, so it was almost like you telling me I can't do something. Are you telling me I won't do something. It was almost like putting fuel on the fire, which they obviously they didn't know, but I think,
Collin Kushner :But that takes a very special and strong person care to be able to channel words like that, whether it's playfully with your family or whether it's with people who aren't even related to you, uh, it's Testament to you to be able to create that because easy to go the other way, shut down. And then just, and then you literally just, you come up with like a mantra. Like I am, I am stupid. I will never graduate. And then it just, and then what happens after that?
Carrick Felix:Isn't good having those self limiting beliefs. And then, like you said, telling yourself, like I'm not good enough telling yourself, like I am stupid are, you know, um, that I won't ever make the team or I won't ever graduate. I mean, that stuff is, those things are very powerful. Um, but just understanding this how to let those things go. I think that's like, that's the biggest thing. Um, and that's the biggest thing is understanding that you aren't good enough. And that's the thing I had to understand. I had to look at myself like, you know what? I am good enough. I am smart enough. Um, I can do it instead of reverse it and tell myself I can't write it. So I definitely, I agree with you on that.
Collin Kushner :You know, it's one of those things where we're, we're a lot of, like, I used to actually sneak off, like I had a class called directed studies and it was essentially, it was literally like, just do your homework, but it was for like a lot of kids that struggled in school and I was always embarrassed and I Carrick, I would, I would go to the bathroom right before the bell would ring, wait until all my friends and everyone went to their class. And then I would swoop into this class because out of all the kids that were in there, you know, it just was a, a lot of the kids didn't care and I always cared. It was just, school was hard and it was just hard, you know? And, and I, why I was embarrassed looking back, I don't know, because I literally got to sit in there, do my homework, get help, get extra time on tests. Um, and, and, and I wish that I wasn't embarrassed.
Carrick Felix:Yeah, same. I mean, I look back on this, like for me, it was one of those things where it's just like, I grew up, I grew up shy now. I grew up completely shy. Um, and as I got, I felt like when I was younger, it didn't really bother me in like grade school and stuff. But when I got to high school, it was almost like, Oh my, you want to fit in? Like, you want to be, you know, the good that people allow that people like. So it was like being embarrassed in high school. It was almost, it was, it was tough because obviously, like I got to the point where I was this kid who played basketball, like, and I was good, but I didn't want anybody to know. Like, I like had problems with like my reading comprehension and I had problems with like math and things like that. So, I mean, I already understand when you, like, when you're talking about and just brings up memories, like when you're talking about just like, you know, sneaking in class, I used to do the same thing. Like wait til the bell rang, um, you know, sit back. Like I would hang out with my friends and then as soon as they went in their classes, I would just like walk and I would make sure I would walk like anywhere with no windows. So nobody could see me walking down the hallway where the, the, the classes where the ESL and all that stuff, all those classes were. Um, and yeah, no man, like actually like thinking about it now, it's just, it's just so wild. Um, how the brain works and like how we do things without even really noticing them. And then, yeah, it's pretty crazy.
Collin Kushner :You you've, the memories are flooding back for you. And for me, like, I literally, like I can like imagine myself, like carrying my books, like kind of looking around and it's like, why? You know, like, so what, you know, we struggled in school, you know, like you said, everyone's intelligent in their own way. Of course, when you're that young and you're that impressionable, you don't really know that. I don't think I learned that character until I, until I got to Arizona state and I was studying broadcast journalism. And I was having a lot of success academically. It took me 18, 19 years of my life to figure that out, which is why I wish I would've met you when we were in high school. We kind of figured it out much earlier. I don't want to lose sight of the basketball thing. I mean, there's, there's so much, I want to cover here. But when you, when you decommitted from Duke, Arizona state go devils, uh, that they, they came into play. Was that, was that a no brainer for you to, to be able to get a chance to come home?
Carrick Felix:It was a no-brainer for me, but at first I was kind of pushing it away just because I, at the time I was like, Oh, Arizona state. It sounds good. But I already told her, like, Arizona state was actually told no, actually towed coach syndemic um, no, the first time. So when they came back around, um, and asked me, I was like, I wanted to, but I didn't want to, because it was home. Um, but then like, I got a situation where like, my mom was a little bit sick, so I was like, you know what, it'd be good for me to go back home. I can play in front of the family. And then, um, obviously James harden that, uh, just literally killed it that year. And I was like, Oh, it would be good to go there. Like James is leaving. Like, it'd be a time for me to play Arizona state. It's good. Um, so no, I mean, it was a no-brainer I remember coach Taylor calling me the second time. Um, and I love it the second time and the second time. And he was like, he was like, Hey kid. He was like, look, he's like, I'm going to put you on the phone with index. But since you already told us know once, like, like, what are you going to do? Like, do you want to come or not? I'm like, ah, let me take a visit. And then when I got on the phone with code Sendak, he was like, all right, kid, like you already told us no, one's like, we, we came back to get you again. So obviously we really want to it's like, what do you want to do? Um, and then as I went on my visit there, I actually committed to Arizona state, um, on my visit, um, back home. So it was, it was, it was good. It was good. I mean, I'm happy that I made that decision because I felt like it wouldn't have made me who I am today. Like everything I literally went through at Arizona state, I've learned, um, the relationships, um, the education, my teammates, sports, everything, literally there has taught me everything I need to know about just how to navigate my life, um, the way that I need to in order to get to, um, where I'm trying to go. Isn't it
Collin Kushner :Crazy how one decision, a place that you had already rejected and kind of pushed off you, you decide to do it and then it just, everything starts falling into place.
Carrick Felix:Yeah, no, it's, it's, that's the destiny man. Um, I think, I believe that things happen for like a reason to season a lifetime. Um, and same thing with people. People come in your life for a reason, season, lifetime. And I felt like it was one of those things where I didn't really understand, right. Because the whole Duke thing, I was so much outside noise going in, um, that I was listening to. But when I was able to kind of turn off everything and like sit down, Arizona state was probably the right choice for me at the beginning. Um, and not just, I just was trying to go against the, uh, go against it. Um, but like you said, like it's crazy how sometimes that same door will open and the same chips literally fall in place.
Collin Kushner :And that's not to say that if you went to Duke, I mean, Carrick, you're, you're such a smart dude and you've done so many great things. Things would have worked out regardless. But I think when, when destinies, you know, again, like when the second door opens, I'm a firm believer when one door opens and then you shut it down and opens again. I mean, that's like a sign saying, Hey dude, you know, it kind of just hits you and you're like, but, but it's also hard because for you as, as a top, not top top-notch athlete, there's so much noise you have to deal with. I'm just a regular guy, dude, I'm a broadcaster, you know what I mean? That that's it, uh, you know, but, but your time at ASU was it, it was a, it was a pivotal point because you actually became a father during your time at ASU, which, which I know is something that you're extremely proud of. What was that moment like for you when you found out you're going to be a dad?
Carrick Felix:Oh, Oh, that one was actually pretty crazy. Cause I mean, I was a kid myself obviously now. Like it was it's awesome. I loved it. I mean, I love every bit of my daughter. My daughter literally changed my life. Um, but during that time, um, and I was, I was like 20 years old, not even 21 yet. I, I don't believe. Um, and I was a kid myself. Um, so finding out it was almost like it was devastating at the time. Cause not only was I kid myself, like I didn't have any money. Um, it wasn't like I was already playing an NBA or anything, so I didn't have any money. Um, I didn't have like a family I can run back to like, I couldn't run back to my mom or my brother's like, Hey, could you help me out? Um, I was extremely, uh, just because I felt like, you know, going to my mom, my mom would be mad at me. And then obviously like my coaches were going to be disappointed in me and people are going to look at me like, Oh, he's the guy who's having a kid and he's young. Um, and that was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to accomplish my goals, my dreams and things I wanted to do. Um, and to, I mean, and to top that off, I mean, I was like homeless, uh, at the time. Uh, well towards the time I was having my daughter as well. So there was this, a lot of things that were just stacking on top of each other. So I was just so afraid, um, of what fatherhood was going to bring in my life just because I didn't have the best relationship with my dad growing up. I didn't know how to be a father. Um, it's funny because I was actually reading a book on the airplane with, um, now who's my good friend Corinne, um, who was the team doctor at the time, but she, he was the first person to actually find out that I was even having a kid. Cause I was like on the back of the plane flying to, I forgot where we were going. I think fall, we were flying to Florida and I was like, secretly reading this parenting book on like how to be a dad. And he was like, what are you reading buddy?
Speaker 3:You're like, not, but not yeah,
Carrick Felix:No, I was, I was like, ah, nothing, but you know, um, as that kinda year went on, like I hit it from a lot of people for a very long time, like even my family. Um, and then I think it was like, we ended up playing like UFA. Um, and at this time, I mean, I was so distraught because I mean, I was, I was out and about, you know, engaging and indulging in bad habits, um, to kind of take my mind off everything. And I wasn't like focused at all, like at all. Um, and then I remember when I was playing U of a and like it was most people think it was like the game of my life. Cause that would mean that was probably one of the best games I played in college. Um, it was like you have at home, we ended up being beating them. But you know, I was like out the night before, um, I wasn't like literally I had no sleep cause I was stressed out about this whole, um, getting ready to have a child situation. Um, and then literally as soon as I got done with the interview, I walked outside and I remember, I remember coach Taylor putting his hand on my shoulder and his asked me like, Hey, like what's wrong? And then I just literally just broke down in tears. And like I was telling them literally everything that I was having a kid and all this stuff was going on. And then my mom was like there and I was like, Hey mom, like, Hey kid. Um, and then obviously something that I thought was negative, turned into a positive and you know, it was so embraced. Everyone was just being, you know, obviously a positive and embracing it. And um, that's when I of was like, ah, well, everything that I thought before, I, like, I thought everyone's going to be upset at that. My mom mom was going to be upset. Um, and things of that nature, uh, kind of switched to having the support, um, which was awesome during that time in my life was like so awesome during that time in my life. And then as soon as I had my daughter, it was like, like a light bulb went off. Like it was literally a game changer for me. Um, because I just knew what life had to bring. There was just so much more to life. And then I had, obviously I have someone now would have to take care of, but who has like a piece of me in them. So, um, it definitely changed my mindset a lot and I'm very thankful for like my daughter is the best thing that ever happened to me, for sure.
Collin Kushner :You know, kind of going back to the, the struggles in school and, and hiding that. And obviously, like I said, I did the same, like why, why hide such? I understand the quote unquote stigma behind having a kid at a young age, but, but so many people do that. And I mean also like you're, you're homeless dude. Like these aren't like, these are, you know, huge things that, again, like you're, you're 20 years old and there's, I don't find there to be anything to be embarrassed about, but it's, I don't understand how like the mind convinces you like to just don't tell anybody until it eventually.
Carrick Felix:Yeah, no, you know, and I, and I always ask myself, like, why did not just tell people what was going on? And you know, I think it was more so the fact that what perception was right, like what the perception was, it was like, Hey, like I'm some college athlete who had my school paid for who's killing it. And, um, and my sport doing my thing in school, like this guy's completely happy. Like I smile all the time. Um, so I just think that I just didn't want to trust me at the time. Like, I didn't want to make, I guess, like make a mockery of this, like my name and like who I was and like how the coaches viewed me and like how my teammates viewed me, how my mom would view me. Um, just be, and honestly, like, it was more so the fact that just like, I just want it to do good for everyone and like, be the best me that I could for everyone. Um, during that time. And I didn't want to put other things on, on, like, I don't want to tell him, like he didn't have anywhere to sleep. I didn't want to tell him I was having a daughter because I felt like those are things that I had to deal with personally myself. Um, but realizing obviously now, right? Like going back, it's just like, I realized that during that time, like, it probably was best for me to actually reach out earlier, um, than later, because a lot of the, the self-sabotaging I was doing it could have, I could have stopped it earlier. Um, and I could have stopped, um, a lot of the, the negative talk that I was giving myself during that time as well, a lot earlier. But again, I think everything happens for a reason. And you know, for me, I had to go through it at the experience that I had to, uh, learn, learn kind of the right way to go about things and the wrong way, if that makes sense,
Collin Kushner :It makes too much sense because it sucks that you have to go through these like trials and tribulations and not tell anybody or whatever, but that's what gets you to where you are today. I leave at least that's how I feel. You know, you, if you would have caught it earlier, like, I don't know, maybe things changed, but kind of going through and keeping to yourself and then eventually realizing after that game, like, and realizing all the support that you had,
Carrick Felix:It's mind blowing to actually look back and be like, wow, like I dealt with a lot in college and to be able to accomplish what I did. I mean, it was, it was such a blessing, but I, you know, I had to look back and be thankful for everyone I had around me during the time, because, you know, I was a knucklehead when I first started college. And then by the end of it, obviously the Arizona state. Yeah. I mean, I need to say, right, like it's Arizona state. Um, but you know, it's fast forward into just being able to graduate and then being able to have a beautiful daughter at the same time and then be at such a, like such at a peaceful place for me. Um, it was beautiful. It was like, it was, it was, it was a version of myself that I knew that I could be, but I just didn't know when that was going to happen. And when it all came together, um, I think for me, it was literally the light bulb went off, but it was, it was, it was perfect. It was almost like, it was almost like I had all the pieces of the puzzle already in my life. Um, from, I had the attributes to, to, to be a professional basketball player. I had the, the coaches and the staff to help me get there. You know, I had, um, the tools to obviously become educated and then graduate with a degree, but just also just as a person, like I, I had the qualities of being like a good father and a good dad. I just, I just couldn't see that because I was, I was so caught up in like my own limiting beliefs of my own past and the things that I was, uh, you know, too afraid to, um, I guess, face at the moment
Collin Kushner :When that light bulb goes off though, it's game, it's a game changer. I mean, that's game over. I mean, you're, you're, you're taking over the game dude. And, and obviously your, your last year at ASU, you killed it. I mean, w which really sets you up, uh, to get drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers dude, 2013 NBA draft, what was that moment like for you
Carrick Felix:This a real moment? A thorough moment, just because as a kid, right. I had this dream of becoming, you know, a professional NBA player. Um, and I may not win the way I thought it was going to go, but, you know, I had this dream and to be able to accomplish something that you literally put your blood, sweat and tears into and a seed to come into fruition, um, it was a moment that I can't even literally, it was, it was so surreal. It was literally like I was living in a dream. Um, I just, I had, like, I had no words. I couldn't even, I remember they called them when, when, uh, they called my name, like I was supposed to go to the draft. I didn't go, um, my daughter was like sick. Uh, there was like, my grandparents were at my house. I had a couple of family members there as well, and I didn't even want to watch the draft because I thought it was going to get to a little earlier or some players that I played in, uh, 12 that I got paid as well. Again, I wasn't even on the draft boards anyway. So I was like, all right, well, if I get picked a get picked, if not cool, like I'm still gonna keep pushing forward. Um, but when they told me to come downstairs and, um, you know, I'm watching the TV and see my name come across and I see, um, you know, the commissioner go up there and I get a call from, you know, uh, the GM with the calves. And it's like, literally I had no words. I had just walked outside, um, called my best friend from childhood because we always used to joke around about, well, we also used to joke and dream about, Oh, like putting on our little drought hats and like, you know, being, we were just being kids like, Oh, drafted to the NBA, but like, they actually have, it happened, you know, I called him and literally I just was bust out in tears and those crimes, because I was just so grateful, um, that God blessed me with the opportunity and the gifts, um, along the journey to accomplish that with everything that I have been through. So it was just, it was just, for me, it just showed me that dreams can come true. And that, you know, as long as you put in the work and, you know, you take the time to build the skill and then enjoy the process, um, and do it in the right way that, that you can, you know, do the impossible. And for me, that was, that was doing an impossible man. That was as this that's a crazy feeling. That was so crazy, man.
Collin Kushner :It's hard to imagine, because again, it wasn't that long before that you were like, Oh my God, I'm having a daughter. I don't have a place to live. And, and you feel like the whole world is just kind of like closing in on you. And then all of a sudden, like you said, the light bulb goes off. You have a beautiful baby girl, and then it all just clicked.
Carrick Felix:It all just clicked. It's, it's crazy. Cause I wanted to be a pro and I wanted to play in the NBA, but I never really understood what it meant to be a pro. And I felt like as I moved getting mature and I felt like my daughter made me become Shameen, I had to grow up. Um, so I felt like with that, it just made me think in a different way. And then I just went about my life in a different way. And that's how, how I moved. Um, and you know, that year I told myself my senior year, I told myself like, you know, the ultimate goal is to obviously win a championship. Um, but my ultimate personal goal is to, is to get drafted. And the only thing I need to focus on is being, is doing what I do is being a leader, um, going out here and then giving my heart every single day and every single game, every single practice. And that's it like, that's this winning when if I win, we win. Everything else is at a set itself up. So as it's crazy how it happened,
Collin Kushner :Character, you're a professional basketball player. You're with the calves, you kind of bounce around a little bit. Uh, you ended up suffering a horrific knee injury, uh, with the Santa Cruz warriors of the affiliate of the golden state warriors. And doctors said again, this kind of ties back into what we were saying earlier. They, they said you will never play basketball ever again.
Carrick Felix:Well, I love that word. Never a man. Um, yeah, no, uh, that, that time is crazy. Um, just because I was a kid that grew up with nothing, um, was able to get into the NBA. It was playing, it was fantastic. And then I had everything and then had it all stripped away. Um, so I didn't really understand what was going on at that time. You know, my doing the first initial break when I went up for the dunk and I ended up breaking my knee when I was with Santa Cruz, like I was kinda in the mindset of like, all right, like, I'll be okay because it's six months process. Like already. I was fine. Um, but it wasn't until like, after the six months after the six months that I realized, like I wasn't going to be fine because I went to plant and I couldn't move my knee, went back to the doctor and it was literally like a grenade went off by my ear. Like some save it, private, private Ryan type movie. Um, and as a doctor's talking, I can't hear anything, but he's basically just telling me like, Hey, like your screws came on loose. The wire came on, done. Your knee came apart again, like you have to get the whole surgery over again. Um, but this time we're going to do a bone graft, but you have to be bedridden for like eight months. I was like, what? Six to eight months. I was like, all right, cool. Now I wasn't prepared for any of it. Um, because I've been in my mind, I was, I was only thinking about the six months. I wasn't thinking about, like, this can go it's, this could be a longer thing. So like mentally, um, mentally, it, it, it, it took a huge toll on me. Um, because I was, I started getting depressed. I had the suicidal thoughts. Like you name it. It was, it was going through my head because I didn't understand. And then when the, when I went back to the doctor during the six months and they told me like, Hey, the bone graph, like, I think it was like a few months later, they told me like the bone graft and my, my, uh, from my hip, um, absorbed in my body and it didn't take inside the knee. So you're going to have to be out even longer. Like my mind was going crazy. And like you said, I was told by multiple doctors that I was never going to play again. And in my head, like, I actually start thinking like, maybe they're right. Like maybe I will never play again. Um, but as I started to like, basically do my own self discovery and, um, trying to find out like, whose character without the basketball, um, you know, I started to do speaking. I started to, because that was a Silicon Valley too. I started to get into tech. Um, and I started to do things that just made me uncomfortable. And then as I started to do those things, I started to realize like, all right, like it's not so bad. Like I have this injury, but instead of looking at what it's done to me and to the, my career, like I can look at it in another perspective. Um, like what can it do for me? Like what kind of learn from this? Like, how can I grow? Um, and that's usually how I am is like, I'd take that situation and always trying to flip around, flip them around and make them good. But like, for me, it was almost like, all right, well, now that, you know, I'm gone through this and it's been three years. Um, and I was able to like, to build a business during that time. Um, you know, I looked at myself and I told myself, you know, with all these everyone being doubters, um, and even a little bit like there's people, obviously my family friends, um, there's a lot of people who were doubting me at that time. And I just looked at myself and said, Hey, you know, either can go one way or the other, I can stop playing now and just start focusing on business life and just figuring out how to move forward. Or I could, um, basically start playing basketball again. And I told myself, you know, I didn't want to regret not trying. Um, because the doctors told me I would never do it. So, um, in three of them at that, and they're all top doctors. So I was kinda like, you know what, I have nothing to lose. Like I have nothing to lose. I have more to gain. Like I know if I can't do something, then I know when to stop myself. But, um, you know, it showed me what I was made out of. It showed me that what most people think is impossible is actually possible. Right. Because those three doctors told me I couldn't do it, that it was impossible for me to come back and then like literally a year and a half later, um, after them saying that, you know, I, I ended up getting back to playing basketball, playing for the, like, making the NBA not wants, but basically I felt like I got drafted twice making it back to the NBA twice. And then, um, when I got there, I just, I, it was like a moment for me to be like, okay, like I can do anything. Like, there's nothing I can do. Um, so that's how I kind of decided to kind of walk away and, and start this new journey. And, um, yeah, man, it was just so crazy. Like that whole knee thing was, so it says such a crazy time in my life, man, three years without playing, I was a kid, I was living in like a hotel room at the time too, which is a whole nother story. I had no, like one window. It was so crazy, man.
Collin Kushner :But it all kind of ties back to what you had already built upon, which is how, how to defy the odds. And like you said, Carrick, I mean, it's a win-win situation for you. You go back and to give it a go and you know, you're like, I don't know. Okay. Maybe, maybe my knee isn't ready, you know, but at least you try and I think, and I think that's the important message here is because those words are, I hate them because they swirl around in your head. And like you said, you're, you're, you're even starting to think, Oh, maybe I will never be able to play again.
Carrick Felix:I was thinking like, Oh, like maybe there are there. Right. And not, and I've never thought like this for my entire life. I've always been like, Oh, like forward-thinking guy like carries the positive guy, but there was a point where you'll be like, Hey man, like you've never heard you to speak so negative. Like, or just like not thinking positively. And I, and I would have to admit, like during that time, like I was a completely different person. Like I didn't even know, um, who I was. And I, you know, I had to, I had to really ground myself, you know, and, and humble myself and just say, Hey character, like, who are you? Right. Because my identity was so attached to basketball at the time. And I was just like, ah, like, you know who you are, you just gotta get, you got to get back there. Like, you gotta stop telling yourself these things. You gotta, you know, you got to take this situation and like, look what it can, you know, like what it can do for you. You know, you have the opportunity today. You have the opportunity tomorrow. Like it's not going to be, it's not going to be easy, but as you want it bad enough, you'll figure out how to make it happen. Um, and that's exactly what I did. So it was almost, it was almost one of those things where I just realized that no matter, no matter what anybody tells you, um, and no matter like, like again, going back to my childhood, you know, no matter who's doubting you is to always believe in yourself first and, and, and do whatever you can, because like you said, if I didn't make, make it back, then, Hey, I didn't make it back. But if I give it my all and I can say, I give it my all, then at least when it's time for me to go lay in my grave, that I can lay down and be like, Hey, like, at least I did exactly what I want it to do
Collin Kushner :Totally with you. And let's not forget, like you said, Carrick you built out a company in three years, Z.
Carrick Felix:Yeah. I was thinking it was, uh, it was the online, uh, concierge service for like outdoor recreational equipment. So you were able to book like a jet skis, boats, your bikes, um, like all on like a mobile app. It was, it was pretty crazy at the time. Um, but we ended up kind of like not doing it just because there were so many pieces that we weren't all in on this. Cause I went to play, uh, went back to playing basketball and my buddy ended up building out another business. Um, but it, I mean to start a business and to learn, like for me, it was like, it was just a starting point
Collin Kushner :To go back in time and, and talk to those naysayers. And the people that said, you know, you're dumb or you'll never graduate and you all gathered them in a room and like a mock TEDx talk. What would you tell them?
Carrick Felix:Um, I would honestly sit them all down and just tell them, thank you. Um, I would tell him that, you know, I know that they may not understand what they gave me. Um, but I would tell them, thank you. And you know, would also say to them like, Hey, like at the end of the day, you know, we all have our own journeys and how we get there, how you get there. It's all, it's all unique. It's different. Um, so just never count anybody out. Um, and always, and always, always count on yourself first, but never telling anybody else out because you don't know how strong of a person that, how strong of a, you know, willpower that person has and how much grit that person has. So, um, yeah, I mean, I just don't. Thank you. That's it,
Collin Kushner :It's a very mature approach. I got to tell you, Karen, because part of me is just like, get them all a room and say, screw you, you know, but, but I, but I do, I, the, the approach obviously is that's the current
Carrick Felix:Correct? That's my, that's my, that's my nice way of saying that's my like, Oh, he's gonna do it like this. It's going to burn in a burn way more,
Collin Kushner :A hundred percent agree. I think when you take that very nice, you know, authoritative approach that it just makes them bubble up inside even more, which is that's their problem. You make it back to the MBA. You work so hard from that, from that injury. Um, you go, you play abroad over in Australia as well. At what point did you decide to walk away from basketball and to transition your life?
Carrick Felix:It's so funny. I mean, my friends, all my friends tell me today, um, that they kind of always knew that NASA was never my just cause I,
Speaker 4:I loved it, but it wasn't like I grew up as like a child playing. It was almost like a round thing I did. So for me, I felt like it was probably, so it was after I was with Washington. Um, they brought me into the office, they ended up telling me, Hey, you know, we're going to have to let you go for salary cap reasons. Um, there's not enough, uh, cash here, blah, blah, blah. So I'm sitting there as they're telling me. And I'm like, I'm, I'm kind of upset, but in my head I get to a point where like, you know, like I can't be in tears. I can't cry. I literally just did the impossible. I was like in, I felt at peace. Um, but it wasn't until that's after coming back from Australia, um, that I realized like, take character, like, this is not what you want to do because as I was in Australia, I would, I would get to the point where, you know, I would, I would play, but there was always this, something I felt like was missing. Like I wanted to just give more of myself. And when I came back to the States and I was going through some really, um, with the wall with Washington, there was a point in time when I was like, all right, well, I'm making an excuse for myself, like to get up in the morning. Like, I make an excuse for myself. Like, why not? Like why I don't want to go like the practice. Um, like I'm thinking of all these different things. And I remember we had team dinner. Um, it was actually at, I was at, at, yeah, it was at S S T K in Vegas. We had like a team dinner. It was all players only. And as you know, we get into, you know, the, the restaurant and we're walking in there, we sit down at this like round table. Um, and as we're all sitting there, like, I'm just listening to the conversations that are going on around me. And, you know, there's different conversations about money. There was conversation about women. There was conversations about, um, obviously like going out clubbing and all these different things. It's all the guys were young, but at that point in time, like I literally stood up. I was like, all right, well, I'll see you guys later. And I just, I like, I just walked out. Um, and I literally probably didn't doubt that was it for me. Like I was at like, I finished summer league out, but I don't think I went to practice or anything else after that. Um, but the only, the reason why I chose to walk out was I understood. And I knew that the lifestyle and, and, and what I wanted, it didn't align and that I wanted more growth. I wanted more substance in my life when it came to building my relationships and, and, and focusing on my life and where I wanted to go, um, out after basketball. Um, and I literally, I, I fell in love with serving and giving back and helping mom, why I hurt my knee. And I just knew that that's what I was supposed to do. Um, you know, I'm, I've always been a big believer in my faith and a big believer in walking on blind faith and believing in God and trusting my journey. Um, so that's just, that's what I did. I just, I just trusted myself and trusted that, Hey, like, this is not for me. This is, you know, there's so much more growth in my life and I was just ready to go for it.
Collin Kushner :The thing I love about how you kind of set that moment in time was I think for those of us that aren't professional athletes, we think there's like this crazy aha moment, but it was really interesting to kind of hear you just you're at this team dinner at STK, and then you're listening to these conversations and then it all just made sense.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I know it was so crazy. That was just like, it was almost like a, like a slow-mo in a movie, like a mafia where we like the ending of it, like you're walking Scarface and this, it was so crazy. It's just like I was sitting there and like, I can literally just hear everything that was going on around me. And I was just looking and I was like, slow motion. I was like, Oh yeah. I was like, it's time. Like, it's time. It's time to, to, uh, this chapter in my life. And, and, and to get a new one,
Collin Kushner :This is the part that I find to be really interesting and amazing. You're now the founder and CEO at IMC. Uh, you're a personal development coach now. Um, obviously you're getting a chance to serve and to really help in a positive way.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes, yes. Um, I've been blessed to be able to kind of help others, um, with personal personal development with, uh, mental mindset training. Um, and again, like, this is, it's what I've been designed to do when I look back in my life and look at, you know, everything I've been through, but this, like, you know, I look back at like all my teams and like what I've been able to do for, for my teammates and for individuals around me. And like, I've always just had, um, you know, I was, I was always a person who was so curious when it came to the mind and being able to get to the highest level and peak performance and like in your life and our personal life. So, um, it was like one of those things where starting a business doing, uh, doing like personal, developing, uh, development, um, doing like, uh, mental coaching and like, it was a no brainer for me because that's literally, I mean, my life every single day, it's like how to figure out how to learn as much as I can. So it it's, it's honestly been so awesome, um, to kind of just pull back and take things that I've learned myself. Um, but also like knowledge from other experts to, you know, teach other people how to live a more like healthier or wealthier, fulfilling life. So
Collin Kushner :It's amazing. And to be able to help people, you know, go through situations that, you know, that are difficult to navigate. I mean, when you, when you have a client, like how, how does the process work? You have a client, they show interest, they kind of tell you a little bit about what they're trying to work on, or how does that whole process get started with building those relationships?
Speaker 4:There's a few different, uh, processes cause I have, so I have a online course, um, which is called the IMC elite course where I kind of send them through, um, my coaching process, but it's all through like videos. There's like different modules of the courses. Um, and that's like a little quick sample. Um, but usually if it's, if it's a one-on-one coaching, um, I like the first take people through like a self-discovery phase. Um, I love, I want to know what they're struggling with. I want to know where they're at in their life. Um, but I want to know, like, what's that one thing like that one thing in your life, like if it were to change today or you were able to obtain this one thing that able to change, like it would change your life. Um, cause usually, uh, most people are still worried about, you know, their finances, their, um, you know, trying to lose weight or trying to, you know, get the girl or like get the promotion and the job, or there's so much chaos that's happening all the time that we never really take a chance to like slow down and hit the brakes and this ask herself like, all right, well, if I have, you know, if I have like all these headaches, these worries these problems, if I'm, you know, stressed about my finances as I'm going crazy about my weight, like, what's one thing that if I did this one thing that all these other things in my life would completely change. Um, so I, I always like to start kind of there, um, and then kind of break them down and like, get to understand like what their why's are. Um, because I, I always believe that, you know, your, why most people would say, Oh, you know, I want to do this because I want to make money or, you know, my why is because of my family. Um, but I feel like if you can attach like a deeper meaning to what you do or what you're trying to do that instead of something pushing you towards it, or like, I always say like when you're in a weight room, like you're pushing the way you get, you can get tired and you can obviously you'll be able to rack in and stuff or you'll, you'll get tired extremely quick. Like you can only push for so long, but when something is, you know, pooling you, right? Like if you're pulling something towards you, if, if you're wise deep enough where it can pull you towards it, um, when things get bad and, and are hard, then it's it's worthwhile. So I always want to dig down to, like, I call it the seven levels, deep tool I like to use, but I always like using that tool in the beginning because I want to get to know like their real underlining, why they do what they do. Right. And, you know, I'll give you an example, like for myself, um, you know, I always thought like my, why was all, you know, I want my to take care of my daughter. I want to, um, you know, I want to, you know, make all this money and all this stuff, but that was never like my why, like my, why was this? The sole fact is that I, I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to dictate my own life and like take control of my time. Like, that's like, why? I mean, obviously, yes, there's a part where I want to help and serve and do all these things. But, um, you know, the deeper reason for me, why I do what I do now is, is for my time, because I, I like to structure my time and have control over that. So, um, you know, that's kinda where I started with people just to kind of get them going and kind of get their minds Barone up a little bit. Uh, and then from there, I mean, we usually do like a three month, um, coaching process, which is always fun. Um, we do like weekly calls. You usually do calls on Sundays and Wednesdays. So yeah, no man, it's, it's good stuff and it's good stuff.
Collin Kushner :Is it hard to get people to kind of open up because that's part of the process too. I mean, you have character, so much knowledge, you know, in life experience, but let's just say me, for instance, you know, you're saying like, we're talking about like, what's your why? And it's like, those are not easy questions to answer, answer at all. I mean, like I'm thinking in my head now, I'm like, great. We're just having a chat here on this podcast and I'm trying to figure it out, figure it all out. It's hard, man.
Speaker 4:No. And, and, and that's the thing I think, I think for me, it, it's, it's one of those things where I understand that it's hard. Um, but there's so many people out there that are not willing to ask for help or willing to, you know, go seek some type of change for themselves. So I kind of feel like I'm the bridge in their gap, you know, uh, I'm the bridge between where they are and where they want to be. Like, I'm, I'm the guy who's going to hold you accountable. Um, um, with these steps. So, you know, I, I try to make it as easy as possible for people to open up because I try and just relate my story and just be very personable with them. Um, but I also know like the simpler I can make anything, um, and the more open I can be, the more people are willing to, um, change and try new things. And that's what I've, I've, I've realized throughout this journey. It's just like, if I can just be open, um, and the information that I'm giving and teaching people are actually giving them value and it's actually helping them. Um, then it's then most people, I mean, they're, they're pretty open to going about whether it's the course or going about the coaching and, and, and a very easy, easy way.
Collin Kushner :What would you say would be the common theme with clients or people that you've spoken with, you know, currently, or in the past, in terms of roadblocks, would you say that the word fear is something that comes up often?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think sheer, uh, is a big one. Um, a lot of people, I work with experience fear just with stepping out on that ledge and, and trying something new, obviously like client competent, competent. Yeah. Um, you know, I'll talk about a couple of my last clients. Like they're their biggest thing was the fear of going off and like doing it themselves and like, and finally doing something for them. Um, because their whole life they've worked the nine to five and they had the dreams of, I wanted to start a business. Um, and I wanted to do these different things, but they would never, they never took the opportunity because they were so afraid of what everybody else was thinking. I'm so afraid that they will lose their job or they wouldn't be able to, um, you know, pay their bills, um, and things of that nature. But it's just so crazy how just, and a lot of stuff, I teach her, it's like very simple, like mindset and this little, little, little tools and things that we learn throughout our whole life. So it was just pretty crazy. Um, but you know, it's them learning those little things and being able to just be like, okay, well, if I just tweak this a little bit, like, I don't have to quit my job. I can, you know, this is like an add on to my life. And, you know, eventually, you know, as I'm building this business or as I'm, you know, fixing my relationship or, you know, looking at my finances or my health, um, that everything is almost like a, it's like a trickle effect, like a domino effect almost. So it's, uh, it's interesting. It's interesting. There's some, there's some interesting people I work with, man. It's, it's fun.
Collin Kushner :The thing that's crazy is like you just said, like, these are things that we know, these are small details that we know, but the thing is Carrick as you know, and as I'm sure your clients are figuring out, like it takes a lot of work. That's a lot of work to take those small practices every single day. It could be as simple as for me personally, I meditate every morning when I wake up, it's a 10 minute meditation, but do you want to know how many times I tell myself, Oh, I don't have time to meditate. I have a meeting in two and you know, when it's it's 10 minutes and then I have an hour and 50 minutes until my meeting. It's, it's insane.
Speaker 4:No, it it's funny. Cause I, I practice meditation daily as well. And sometimes I'll, I'll meditate for an hour. Sometimes I meditate for five minutes. Um, but it's yeah, no, I think it's, it's, it's just little things like that. Um, that people just don't understand like how to create the right mindset. Um, you know, how to under like how to find their undercover, undercover strengths and how to destroy limiting beliefs and things of that nature. So, um, that's kinda where I come in and to, to be that navigator for them, that's a, to help them knock out what they think are the big things that are blocking them, um, to making them smaller. So then they can really navigate their life, um, from point a to point B, um, in the best way that they, they know how and they can. So
Collin Kushner :You have a client, they come to you, this is just hypothetical. They say never can't, won't impossible and fear. How do you, how do you respond?
Speaker 4:I would tell him, no, no, no, no. Like we're going to, I would literally start off with, with destroying every limiting belief they had about themselves. And what I would do is I would take them on a process. I like to call it the Dickens process where it's almost like meditation. I don't know if it'd be ever been to a, uh, I've ever been to like a Tony Robbins.
Collin Kushner :I have it. But it's something that I've always wanted to check out at some point.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So it's a process that I've actually learned from Tony Robbins is called like the Dickens process where it's almost like a, a deep meditation where basically take them on a journey, um, through their past, um, getting them to feel, uh, what it felt like back then to whether it was like, whether you think yourself, you know, you want to call yourself fat or telling yourself you can't like, I get them to feel all these emotions in the past. And then I get them to bring those emotions into the present and get them to feel what it feels like right now. And then we future pace. We future pace into, uh, five years, 10 years, 20 years down the road, if you kept the same limiting beliefs, like on your chest and like weigh in and allow these to weigh you down throughout your life. Um, and I always take them on this journey because I want them, and this was like a, probably 30 minute process. Um, so I usually take them on this journey because I want them to actually feel what it's like. Like if you, if you look 20 years down the road and you're still telling yourself these things, like, what does your family look like? You know, how your kids affected by it? Like, are they still in the job? Like, are you still, you know, chasing the girl, chasing a guy? Like, are you alone? Like, what does it look like? And I get them to really feel these emotions. Um, and then what I like to do is reverse it and back pace, um, go, go backwards and get them to start thinking about empowering beliefs. And basically what I do is I get them to replace their limiting, limiting beliefs with their empowering beliefs, um, on this process. And it's honestly, it's one of the, one of the best things I do. It's honestly one of my favorites. Um, cause there's always some tears involved. So it's, it's actually really cool,
Collin Kushner :Dude. I, that's so interesting to, to go both sides. You say, okay, we'll keep all your beliefs now. And let's kind of forecast in the future and then let's take those, throw them out and then forecast into the future. And I'm sure how could there not be tears or emotions like that because it's, I mean, those, those words are jacked up, dude. I mean, like we, like, I mean, we all have those points in time where they cycle around it, it could take you down a very dark to a dark place.
Speaker 4:And I mean, the thing about it, if you tell yourself that you can't, you know, five years down the road, what would your life look like? You know, what does your life look like 20 years down the road? If you keep telling yourself you can't like, are you still doing the same thing? So same job. You know, there's so many things that can, can happen. Right. Um, and it's so funny because when I do this process with people, my favorite part is watching their posture because usually, obviously when they're in the meditation, I'm talking there and they're going beliefs, like they're all dripped or down, but as soon as I get them to replace them with like their empowering beliefs, like they're sitting up, they're seeing their life in a whole new way and it, and it's so, and it's, for me, it's, it's such an amazing thing to see. Cause I dunno, man. I love, I love watching people change and I love watching people become successful in their own ways and, and, and, and getting to the point of their life where they feel like they're progressing forward. Um, and that's all I'm, you know, for me, that's all I'm here to do is like, I am C stands for inspire, motivate and change. And that's, you know, for me, I'm trying to push people to be the best version of themselves. So
Collin Kushner :When you see your clients, you know, take the plunge, they start, you know, rewiring and changing their lives for the better. How does that make you feel? Because what you're doing, I mean, you're, you're changing people forever. And then the hope is that, you know, if they don't already have kids, they have kids and maybe they, then they instilled those same principles, but that all starts with you, dude.
Speaker 4:It's an amazing feeling, man. It's an amazing feeling. Cause it's it's I know. And I'm religious. So I know for me, it's like doing God's work and it puts a smile on my face to see someone, you know, that didn't believe they were good enough to now knowing they're good enough and now understanding their worth. Um, and just seeing just as smiles and, you know, the transitions and the tears of joy and seeing, you know, the energy in people's eyes and smiles like it's, for me, it's, it's priceless. I would never, I wouldn't trade anything for the, in the world for it. Um, that's one part of my job that, you know, and I, and I take people on this process too, like, you know, what's one thing in your life that you would never, you know, delegator give out to anyone. And this is one of those things for me, where if I had to choose one thing in my career and then my field and like what I do when I'm working with my clients, like I would never give out the, the human interaction of it and, and give, seeing these processes happen, you know, like the emails I can, someone else can do that. They're building out the websites, like that's fine. But when it comes to the personal one-on-ones and, and really, um, building these relationships, like, I, I really enjoy that. And I really enjoy that a lot. Yeah.
Collin Kushner :I feel the passion here through, through the Skype call. And I think that's what life's all about. Building connections with people, helping them, you know, whether things, whether things are going well or things are maybe down. But I think a lot of people, a lot of people take a selfish approach, you know, and if, and, and they think if it doesn't affect me, me, me, or III, then I'm not going to do it. And that's what I love about what you're doing. You're taking everything you've learned and you're giving it to other people so they can live a fulfilled life. Carrick without all the previous hardships throughout your life, from your childhood, the injury playing professional basketball, do you think we still have the same carrot Felix we have right now?
Speaker 4:I wouldn't say you have the same fit. I feel like you have a better version of, uh, of, of character, Felix. Um, you know, obviously in my life always believed that we're ever changing. Um, I'm always going to stay grounded to who I am, um, to the, my core. Um, but I'm always seeking to grow. Um, and you know, I want to grow into the better version of myself. You know, the, the me this year, you know, I'm trying to get to the me in five years, I'm trying to get to the version of myself that I'm chasing down, you know, six years, seven years, 10 years down the road. Um, so yeah, you're definitely, this is a whole new meaning, like a whole new me, but in a, in a more enlightening and enlightening and serving way, you get a chance to,
Collin Kushner :To go back in time to chat with Carrick in school, in high school, middle school, elementary school. What would you tell him?
Speaker 4:That's just to keep believing and keep fighting? That's it? I would literally tell myself, just keep believing, keep fighting this cause, um, you know, there was probably times back then where I'd wanted to give up. But, um, I understand now that everything's is all in due time, you know, not, I believe that things don't happen, um, to us that happened for us. Um, so I would definitely would go back and tell myself, just keep doing, I wouldn't change anything my past at all. I would just literally tell myself to keep going. Um, for sure.
Collin Kushner :I love it. Everyone. You could check out. Carrick Felix IMC, family.com, Instagram Carrick, underscore Felix and Twitter. I don't know why I went to the high pitch voice on that one. Felix. I am see, dude, I really appreciate you taking the time man, out of your busy schedule to, to chat and to share your story because don't get me wrong, dude. Always going to love Carrie Felix, the basketball player go devils, but, uh, what you're doing now, uh, you know, as a motivational speaker and a personal development, coach that to me, you can't put a price on that.
Speaker 4:No, no. And honestly, I appreciate it. I appreciate this call. I mean, it was, it was great for me just obviously, to chat back and forth with you. And, um, again, I mean, I think, you know, messages like, like mine and others, um, and even yours that need to be heard and you know, you can always touch someone's to someone's life. So go devil's right now. Always go devils, no matter where I go Apple's now I may be, I may be a personal development goes, but I'm still the same. You know, I'm still competitive. This scared is still here, baby.
Collin Kushner :For more inspirational stories with former athletes, check out"Hey, where'd you go?" Apple podcasts, Spotify in a video version on YouTube. Plus don't forget to check it out on social media. That's at Colin Cushner on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.