Let’s Talk About It with Joyce Johnson with Guest Speaker Tobenna Okeke #CollegeLife

It’s been said that the most successful people are those who have a Plan B—and I must say that our guest for today’s #CollegeLife podcast is a living testament to that! Today, our guest is Tobenna Okeke, a former collegiate-level football player turned sales professional. Tobenna is the Director of Dialogue and Intrigue and is a millennial podcaster.

Tobenna always dreamed of becoming a football star. But in his 3-year tenure on his college football team, he couldn’t get what he referred to as that “23-year Tom Brady time frame.” That’s when he decided to pivot and enact his Plan B.

In this episode, Tobenna shares his journey from the football field to the corporate world—two wildly different pursuits. Listen to the episode to find out how Tobenna managed to succeed using his backup plan! 

About the Guest

Tobenna Okeke went cross-country from Missouri City, Texas to the West Coast to pursue his football dreams at California State University in Fresno. He played for his college football team for 3 years, granting him the opportunity to play in a professional game and sign an athlete’s contract. Although his circumstances did not lead him to reach the level of success that he wanted in that field, he was smart and proactive enough to create a Plan B that would allow him to achieve success in a different avenue.

Today, Tobenna is a problem-solving sales professional at Total Quality Logistics. He also worked as a football analyst and played various corporate roles over the past few years. Aside from that, he hosts his own podcast called “Everything About Nothing” where he brings on people from different backgrounds and tackles millennial issues and mental health.

In This Episode

• Who is Tobenna Okeke? [1:19]
• What was his Plan B? [2:39]
• About his podcast, “Everything About Nothing” [3:14]
• Tobenna’s journey as a student-athlete [5:05]
• How he decided to move out from his family [7:50] 
• His college life and experiences as an athlete [10:19]
• His first official football game experience and what he learned [16:30]
• Contract signing and money management [19:50]
• What skills as an athlete were helpful in the corporate environment? [28:50]…and many more

Quotes

“Each step that you take in your process in life, you have to level up. You have to be able to step up 'cause you can't take old habits into such a new environment.” [11:28]
“I say it’s a learning moment because something happens and you either can let it fold you or you can learn from it.” [18:42]
"I'm more than an athlete, essentially. Even when I was playing, sometimes I would start looking at other ventures because you just never know and for a lot of guys that time, when the time comes, they’re left high and dry. And I never wanted to be that guy and I kind of wanted to see myself in a different avenue.” [24:52]

Resources Mentioned

Tobenna Okeke's Instagram
Joyce Johnson's Website
Joyce Johnson's Facebook
Joyce Johnson's Instagram
Joyce Johnson's Twitter
Joyce Johnson's LinkedIn
Joyce Johnson's YouTube
Joyce Johnson's Amazon Page
Why Sales Network's Web