The Bird's Nest
In life and business, we all try to find that missing something that will make our lives or careers better. In this podcast, We talk to guests on what they have found in their journey - the good and the bad, ups and the downs - and what that has meant for them along the way. Come join us for a sit down with some amazing people!
The Bird's Nest
The Skill Every Founder Needs
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In this episode of the Bird’s Nest podcast, Dave sits down with George Hughes, a former professional hockey player and entrepreneur who shares his journey from playing hockey at a high level to building a career in recruiting, sales, and entrepreneurship.
George's story is about much more than hockey.
After spending most of his life defined by the sport, George had to confront one of the hardest questions many professional athletes eventually face:
Who are you when the sport is over?
George opens up about the difficult transition from professional hockey, the loss of identity and structure that can come with leaving sports, and the challenge of figuring out what to do next.
He eventually found his way into sports media at NBC, where he worked for six years before being laid off during COVID. That setback became a turning point. George started a podcast focused on life after hockey, which ultimately helped him connect with the people who would change the direction of his career.
That eventually led him into recruiting and sales, where he began helping former athletes and military veterans transition into business careers.
George explains why he believes athletes can make exceptional salespeople—and why character, competitiveness, resilience, coachability, teamwork and a growth mindset can be more important than raw talent.
He also shares the story behind Breakaway Talent Group, his new recruiting company focused on connecting high performers with growing companies.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Life after professional sports
- The identity crisis athletes can experience after hockey
- Transitioning from professional hockey into business
- George's experience at NBC Sports
- How getting laid off became a turning point
- The role of podcasts in building relationships and career opportunities
- Why athletes can excel in sales
- Character, competitiveness, resilience and coachability
- Recruiting and dealing with rejection
- Building a sales pipeline
- Starting a business from scratch
- The lessons George learned from his first business
- Taking the risk to become an entrepreneur
- Building Breakaway Talent Group
- Helping former athletes transition into business
- Networking and becoming an industry expert
- Turning failure into a career-changing opportunity
00:00 — Meet George Hughes & His Entrepreneurial Journey
03:00 — Life After Hockey: Losing Your Identity
07:00 — From Hockey to the Business World
12:00 — Why Athletes Make Great Entrepreneurs & Salespeople
16:00 — Getting Into Recruiting & Sales
20:00 — Building Breakaway Talent Group
24:00 — The Hardest Part of Building a Business
28:00 — Lessons From Failure & Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap
32:00 — Why Entrepreneurs Should Build Relationships & Start a Podcast.
36:00 — Helping Athletes Build Their Next Career
