What Tom Brady Can Teach Us About Business

by Missy Ward

Disclosure: If I'm not making money through affiliate links on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon.

(Dedicated to the memory of Jon Nunez, the biggest Tom Brady fan I know. The affiliate marketing industry still misses you very much.)

Back in the seventies, I remember watching an episode of Sesame Street where Kermit sang, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.” Little did I know that the wise hand puppet’s song would eventually become my mantra, as a long-suffering fan of the New York Jets.

Photo of Tom Brady by Jeffrey Beall - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link — Photo of Tom Brady by Jeffrey Beall – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

In as much as die-hard Jet’s fans know how difficult it is to remain loyal to our team, I know they’ll appreciate how hard it is for me to write the following sentence:

Tom Brady, of the New England Deflatriots, is undeniably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

(Heh, heh. See what I did there? I'm such a Jets fan!)

The Tom Brady Story

Tom Brady played baseball in high school. His skills as a left-handed hitting catcher impressed MLB scouts, which got him drafted by the Montreal Expos.

But Brady was much more passionate about football, so he passed up a future in baseball, and signed with the University of Michigan as their quarterback. Unfortunately, he wasn’t exactly Heisman material during his time on the Wolverines, and many NFL scouts ignored him.

In 2000, the Patriots drafted Brady with the 199th pick in the 6th round. Bill Belichick, previously the Jets' assistant coach, became the Patriot’s head coach that season and made Brady a fourth string QB.

By the end of the year, Brady, was backup, and got the start in 2001 when the Jets Mo Lewis knocked out Drew Bledsoe.

Since then, he’s taken the Patriots to the Super Bowl six times with four victories. He’s won three Super Bowl MVP awards, and has led his team to more division titles than any other quarterback in NFL history.

On top of the $196.1 million he earned as a quarterback, he’s also received $184.9 million in endorsement deals, making the “business of Tom Brady” something to be revered.

Here are some lessons from Tom Brady’s story that can help you score on your own field.

Don’t Settle for What Comes First

Whether it’s a job opportunity or getting involved in a new startup, don’t jump on the first offer that comes your way. Brady shows us that waiting for the right opportunity, doing something you're passionate about, can work out much better.

Work Hard Every Day Until You’ve Accomplished Your Goals

Tom Brady sweats the details. He drills for hours, on every single skill, even during the off-season, to ensure no one surpasses him. His determination and work ethic are fundamental to his success.

Haters Gonna Hate

Like other successful people, Tom Brady has haters –lots of them. Rather than letting them get in his way, he tunes out their noise, and then puts them all to shame by working harder to achieve his goals.

Steer Clear of the Asterisk

One of the most important assets of any business is integrity. Compromising it goes on your permanent record. Brady will retire as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time with an everlasting asterisk by his name.

Even, as a Jets fan, I take no joy in that. Erright… maybe just a little.

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Missy Ward

Co-Founder & President at Affiliate Summit, Inc.

Missy Ward has been in affiliate marketing since 1999. She is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Affiliate Summit, FeedFront Magazine, GeekCast.fm, Founder of AffiliateMarketersGiveBack.com and manages many of her own affiliate sites.