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The High Performer’s Guide to Ego, Failure, and Reinvention | Marques Ogden | E4
00:29:38
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- [00:00]
A
I ended up winning an Award in 2011 as the Minority contractor of the year for the state of Maryland. And that was the beginning of my downfall.
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B
Marcus ogden built an eight figure business over five years after the NFL and watched it collapse in 90 days after one bad project. When did success stop being fuel and start being poisoned?
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A
That award made me believe that I was better than anybody else. I ended up creating a toxic culture like no other and I started to Slack. About 90 days later, the company was out of business.
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B
Today he's a bestselling author, hosts the Get Authentic podcast, speaks on stages across the country, and advises Fortune 500 companies. Walk us through how that happened. What were your first steps back after that dumpster moment?
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A
To answer your question, when I retired from NFL, I.
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B
Marcus Ogden, welcome to business. Mvp.
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A
How are you? Sammy? Thanks for having me on.
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B
I'm great, thank you. So I want to start by taking it back to football. Um, you are a six round pick from Howard University. Not exactly the expected path to the NFL. Your brother Jonathan is a Hall of Famer. So what is it? What was it like carving out your own identity in that, I guess, shadow, if you will? And what did it teach you about proving yourself?
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A
So basically for me, I went to Howard, right, Sammy? I had no plans on being an NFL athlete. I went to school for an education, to be a financial advisor, work on Wall Street. And what happened was when I got to college, from six foot three to six, five and a half, almost six foot six, So I grew about two and a half inches between my last year college, last year of high school, my first year of college, which was amazing, you know, I got to Howard my first year, I red shirted, lifted, didn't do anything on the field. I was like, okay, if I become like a one year starter, maybe two year starter at Howard, you know, because this is, that'll be awesome. Because I wasn't like, I wasn't like a big time recruit out of high school. So I became a four year starter for the Bison at right tackle. I played right tackle, left tackle, played center the last six games of my senior year. And what happened is I remember after my junior year, scouts started coming out, the Colts came out, the Texans came out, then from there they just started, kept coming, the Rams, they were in St. Louis at the time, to the Ravens, the Bengals, all that. And so what it taught me was is that as long as you believe in yourself and as long as you're willing to do the work that's necessary to get where you need to Go, then you, too, can have what you want in football. Life doesn't matter. And so it taught me a lot about being able to learn how to believe in yourself and don't count yourself out. Because if you want to do something, as long as you're disciplined enough and focused enough, you can do it. And so when I took that mentality going to my last year, I balled out. I got a God put a strength coach into my life through Howard, Keith Kamaforo. So between that, my brother Keith, I just worked my butt off, and I ended up getting drafted to the National Football League by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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B
I love that. That's awesome. So when you retired from the NFL at 27, I think it was, you immediately started building a construction company. So most players don't move that fast, Right? So where did that entrepreneurial drive come from? And what were you doing? Right, that took it to eight fig in five years.
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A
My father worked in the finance industry. He went to Howard University as well. Then he got his masters from University of Maryland in economics. So our dad always worked for people, but he always had that entrepreneurial spirit while still working a corporate job. So I saw that for my entire life. I saw his drive, his discipline, his fortitude. And so when I retired from the NFL for about six months, right, Sammy, I. I did struggle immensely with alcohol addiction, painkillers, gambling, nightlife. I didn't just jump right in. It took me about six months of just going through some challenges. But then after that, I said, okay, what I want to do with my life. And then I went to this event at Morgan State because I'm a Howard University graduate, so I lived in Baltimore. So when I retired and I said, oh, okay, let's go to this event at Morgan State. It was about construction and all this other stuff. So I went. And then I loved hearing from Congressman Elijah Cummings, who's now deceased. Great individual, great man. He talked about, somebody in this room will become the next minority contractor and create the table where other minorities can come and sit and do business. I was like, man, that sounds pretty cool. I have no experience in construction. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I like the sound of that. So I got into construction, I got a partner, and we got into business. And what we did, right, Sammy, was I was really great at sales. I was really great at connecting with people. I was. I had high energy. I'm like. I love to, like, meet people and interact, stuff like that. And so that's what I did. Well, because this Was before, like Facebook, LinkedIn, there was no social media, there was no any of that. You had to go out the old fashioned way to events and network and market and do it the way that most people, if you told them to do that today, they'd be like, what is that? They would have no idea. So that's what we did and we killed it. And also we got certified as a minority contractor to help us be able to really add value to non minority general contractors like a Whiting Turner a Turner, a Hensel. And those companies hired us to work for them. So we learned how to add value to clients and we learned how to actually market and bring solutions to people's problems.
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B
Yeah. And that applies to any industry. Right. So not just construction, but great advice. So at the peak you're award winning, you know, you're at the top. And then you've called it the ego mistake. I've seen you in some other episodes, other podcasts won't name names. We've called it the ego mistake. When did success stop being fuel and start being poison? And who you were becoming as a person that you don't recognize today.
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A
So I ended up winning an Award in 2011 as the Minority contractor of the year for the state of B for the state of Maryland. And that was the beginning of my downfall because Jack award made me believe that I was better than anybody else. That award made me feel like I was the best thing walking, I could do no wrong. I'm invincible. And I started to slack big time in my professionalism, in my business, with my people. And it just cost me, it just cost me. And I ended up creating a toxic culture like no other. And people that worked for me became just lightning. People started coming to work late, not at all. Right.
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B
You were setting the.
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A
Oh yeah, it was awful. And so, and that was at the end of 2011. And so then beginning of 2012 we had some still big projects, things were still moving. But what happened is I remember when one of my team members, Colin, who was my lead estimator, tried to tell me that where we were heading, right, Sammy was down a very horrible path. We were going to run out of money, we were going to do this and this. I remember telling Colin, Colin, you're wrong. We just got a bank line of credit, we got this asset, we got this job, we got this money coming in, all this stuff. I made every excuse. And what happens. Colin came in that following Monday, that was on a Friday, that next Monday, he handed me his two week resignation papers and Then, just like he predicted, about. About 30, about 90 days later, the company was out of business. So I. The. The point that I started to turn from healthy, productive, humble, to arrogant, egocentric and toxic is when I won that award. It's funny, right? Sammy, I have no other award ever that I've kept from anything from my. From my past, except that one award stayed with me. I don't know how it did. I don't know why it did, but it did. And I have it hanging on the wall in my office to remind me to never ever again let ego be the root of your demise. And I have that. Literally, I'm looking right at it right now. It was the Pioneer War presented to Marcus Ogden Kaden Premier Enterprises Incorporated, in recognition of the outstanding business achievements for the year for the State of Maryland, May 19, 2011. I have it right there on that wall.
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B
So you've been open about your own rock bottom. And for the entrepreneurs listening who have had their own version of that, what do you want them to know?
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A
Rock bottom is not the end unless you allow it to be. So for me, hitting rock bottom in September 2013 with my spoiled milk moment, taking the trash out on my shift and having to, you know, clean myself up with somebody's funky, nasty, rotten, protruding, horrible meat and garbage all over me, that was my rock bottom. But it was not the end. Because for me, it really got me to realize that if I'm going to get off this curb. Cause that's what I. I cleaned myself up and I sat down on a curb right by the dumpster and I cried for 10 minutes. And actually, Sammy, I will still go back to that dumpster at least once a quarter. It's in Raleigh, downtown.
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B
Just to remind yourself.
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A
Just to remind myself of where I was 13 years ago or each time I. So I go back about once a quarter and I just sit for 5, 10 minutes in front of that dumpster. And I actually thank the dumpster for the moment, because without that moment, I don't feel I ever wake up because I still was blaming everybody else for my problem. That was the first time that I actually took ownership. And so, ladies and gentlemen, rock bottom can be your biggest teacher and your biggest fuel to go forward is if you allow it to be. If you allow it just to be the end, all the end. And like, oh, that's it. And then it will be that. But if you say, you know what? It's not the end. I made a mistake. Right? I mean, that's what happened to me. I mean, again, My ego got the best of me. That was my mistake. I mean, I'm going to own that. Like, that's what happened. So everything else was just a product of that. That was the root cause of my failure, was my ego. I had to own it. And the minute I owned it, I could start to fix it. And so rock bottom can't be your biggest teacher, your biggest rocket fuel to push forward if you allow it to be.
- [11:35]
B
Yeah, and I think you said something else really important then. You've kind of reiterated a few times, and not just about the ego, but about ownership. Right. You have to take accountability. You have to own it, because if you don't do that, then you're not. You're not gonna get anywhere. Right. So I think you've said two really important things is, you know, checking the ego but also taking ownership. So appreciate both of those.
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A
They are 100%.
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B
They were contained to just keep going with your rebuild. After losing everything and working as a custodian, you rebuilt yourself into one of the most sought after keynote speakers in the country. So walk us through how that happened. What were your first steps back after that Dumpster moment?
- [12:13]
A
So after the dumpster, I went home and I wrote down my three biggest strengths, and I said, I'm a communicator. I want to help people. I'm a good storyteller. So I started speaking in September 2013. And what happened is when I started speaking, it was all for my benefit, my value, my. My ability to go onto stage and tell my how I got screwed over in business and how things happened to me. I. It was all about me. So for the first two and a half years, Sammy, not one paid job. Not one. I got my first paid job in April 2016, and then I got my second pay job in 2017, 2018, I met Mel Robbins. I was on her audiobook Kick Ass with Mel. Mel taught me how to go from ins from motivational to inspirational. She said, marcus, motivation is garbage. Inspiration is where it's at. So she taught me that. And once I learned how to be more inspirational, not motivational, once I learned how to really connect with people. And here's the thing, right, Sammy, if you're listening right now and you want to be a speaker and you want to stand out, learn how to create custom signature keynotes, custom decks or presentations or PowerPoints or whatever you want to call them that fit the client you are trying to work with or do business. And that's it. One PowerPoint per client. When we do a PowerPoint, right Sammy, we create it, we go and deliver. Once it's done, it goes in the trash. We don't reuse it. We might use like my custom suit story, my rise, my fall, my comeback. Those will go into every keynote. But the title, the theme, the teachings, the action steps, the challenges, they're never the same. And so this has been what has helped us tremendously because what happens is you go from a speaker to that is cookie cutter to a speaker that is customized. And when clients are pay, I mean, Sammy, just this morning, about maybe 30 minutes ago, got an email from the Big I National, which is the largest association of independent insurance agency owners for their Young Advisor event. Now get this, Sammy, their event is October 1st through 3rd. They're looking for a speaker either October 2nd or 3rd. I'm available now. How about this where they're having the event? It's in Baltimore, by the way. They're having it in the same hotel that when I had one of the largest, I had the largest African American owned subcontracting company in Baltimore. We did work on that hotel. We did some of the groundwork, right? And so now I'm going to email them back that I'm available. I'm excited. I'm going to give him a little bit of a discount on the price because I want the relationship. And I know that my story will hit harder in that environment at that time in that hotel. It's going to be amazing. And it's right there in the hotel. It's the Hilton that is attached to Oriole park and right beside Raven Stadium. So we did work on that hotel back in, you know, the mid-2000s. So my point is, right, is that the reputation that we're getting had in the email, right, Sammy, the woman said, marcus, I've heard about you from our president Greg. I heard how amazing you were for the Big I Kansas and the Big Eye New York. We just keep hearing your name over reputation over again. But here's the thing, right, Sammy, for the Big Eye of Kansas, same group, same type of people, different theme from the Big Eye of New York. Big Eye of Kansas had one PowerPoint. We did that in February, crushed it, threw it away. Big I of New York did that job for them in, in May. Crushed it, threw it away. Was job we'll create for them. It'll be a new deck. Same story of custom suit story, different theme, different information, different action steps. So to answer your question, that's how we've gone from starting out struggling, getting hired almost never, never to getting Hired consistently over and over again. It's more work for us. But you know what? That's okay, because I'd rather have the reputation of putting in that customized extra mile approach than a cookie cutter speaker that takes the same PowerPoint to the same events to different clients, and then leaves not even close to the same impact.
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B
Yeah, and I think you're hitting on something really important there that it's not about you. The reason you're customizing and doing all this stuff is because it's about them. And I talk about this a lot when I do leadership training and speaking, where to be a good leader, it's the same thing. It's not about you, it's about them. And that's what you're doing here, too. So it's just taking that same mindset and applying it into your, you know, into your speaking career, how you're customizing and doing all this stuff. But that's why it's inspirational, right? Because it's about them and they feel it. And that connection, it's not about you. So I think that's a really good takeaway there. So I guess you built a second business, right? So what's the single most important thing you learned about building a business the second time? That you didn't know the first time. And, you know, how did your athletic background maybe shape how you handled it the first time?
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A
Because I was so arrogant and I was so young and not really business savvy, I thought I could do it all on my own this time around. I have a coach. I have a person that I pay and I talk to every week about my business. The numbers, our podcast downloads, sponsors, coaching, clients, speaking jobs, all these things all this time. And that's the difference. And I learned how to partner with people that are aligned around the same vision that I am. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're trying to create something special and you need help, which we all do, either find a partner that helps you and where you are weak, or get a coach, somebody that is going to be in your best interest or has your vested interest, best interest at heart, that will help you tremendously down the line. So, again, very big.
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B
And I think, too, it's important to reiterate, like, not a yes man, but somebody that can hold you accountable, that can call you out, that can, you know, really help you to keep things moving forward. So I think coaches are very important, so totally agree with that. How do you think your NFL, like, athletic career has kind of shaped that for you, do you think, like, there's skills from your competitive world that translated for you or how you think about things or.
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A
Oh, for sure. Grit, discipline, resilience. Because it took me two and a half years, right, Sammy, to get my first paid job. Most people would have not gone a month or three months or six. I went 30, 30 months, two and a half years, no paid job. And I didn't give up. And most people said, marcus, why are you still doing this? This is never going to work for you. You're not gonna be a good speaker. What the heck are you thinking? Like, why? Because I believed in myself and I just kept going and I just kept after it. And I can I tell this all the time. I don't know what I would be doing with my life if I wasn't doing this. Speaking, coaching, podcasting, having my own podcast. I would. My life would be totally different from a financial perspective, from a value, how I feel about myself perspective, all these things. Life would be so different. So I hope, if you're listening, never, ever stop believing in yourself. If you want something, even when everybody else is telling you it's not achievable and you're crazy because that's all I heard. That's all I heard from everybody for two and a half years. What are you thinking? Why this is not going to work? Go back to football. Go coach football. And I did that on the side. So I did training all that to pay the bills, but I never stopped believing in my big picture or my big vision. Never, ever did I stop.
- [20:58]
B
Yeah, great advice. So we've been talking a lot about what you built. I want to shift a little bit even more so to how you think. I really believe the athletic mindset isn't just for playing games. It's a survival kit for life, which is what I'm trying to show here on this podcast. And your story proves that over and over again. So what specifically does that mindset look like in practice when everything is falling apart?
- [21:19]
A
You have to continue being your biggest, best supporter. Biggest, best cheerleader. One of my favorite quotes, never tell your mind negative thoughts in a joking manner. Your body cannot disseminate the difference. Words cast spells. That's why it's called spelling. Choose how you talk to yourself and choose wisely. Bruce Lee. If you're listening to this, never, ever stop being your biggest, best source of encouragement. Belief cheerleader. If you don't do that, who will? You have to remember you've got to keep yourself focused in the game and never, ever let outside things deter you. And always remember this, if it takes time, that's the right time. And what I mean by that is nothing worth anything's going to come like, like that. I've been speaking for now 12 and a half years. Our podcast. Our podcast is four years old. This month, June of 2026, we're four years old. We started, we launched June 22, 2022, and now we're having success and other podcasts and all the stuff that we have. But because we've been doing it for a while, didn't happen overnight. If somebody says, marcus, I could make you Richard, I can go, I can. I can grow your Instagram list in 30 days. I can grow this to that in a week. I'm like, thank you very much, but no, thank you. Because I know that's not sustainable and I know it's not even true.
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B
Right? Right. Yeah. Yeah. They're probably just buying the. Buying the likes, buying the fake stuff.
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A
You better believe it.
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B
Yeah. Further that. What do most high performers get wrong about failure and what should they be doing differently when they hit that wall?
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A
They look at failure as failure. Failure is not failure. Failure is a learning lesson. As long as you look at it that way, to learn it's an opportunity to be better than you did yesterday. Stop looking at failure as failure or you're not good enough or you're not smart enough. It's a learning lesson. Oops, I made this miscalculation. Oops, I should try this different. Oops, I should try that different. That's how you have to look at it. Because failure is. Is not fatal. Right. What's the old saying? I'm saying it's not fatal. It's not. But if you make it fatal, it will become fatal. If you make it so that's all you have or think about or that's what it comes down to, then, yeah, it will be fatal. It will take you out. But stop looking at failure as failure. Failure. Look at it as a learning lesson. Shift your mindset. That's gonna take you from where you are to where you wanna be.
- [24:14]
B
Failure is not fatal. Good advice. If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing about what success actually requires, what would it be?
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A
Stop talking and start listening more.
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B
Love that. Perfect.
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A
I talked way too much. We all do in my business and my. And now I know I'm a speaker, but I only speak when it's like a slot of time or on stage or interviewing people or on a podcast. I know when to spe. But before I had diarrhea of the mouth. I didn't know how to shut up. And that is not good to grow a business.
- [24:50]
B
Yeah. I mean, as a leader, you should always be doing more listening than talking. Right. So put yourself on mute. Yeah. So for some takeaways here, what habit or principle from your athletic career do you think every entrepreneur, athlete or not, should adopt immediately?
- [25:06]
A
Discipline. Discipline. Do not expect things to happen without discipline. Discipline is doing what you hate to get what you want. That's discipline.
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B
I love that. And you do some giving back, which I always love to highlight on this podcast. You speak for the U.S. military. You work with young athletes through your football franchise program. What does that actually look like in practice? And where does that drive come from?
- [25:32]
A
It's doing the right thing when no one is looking. And the drive comes from, like my father always said, and so did my grandfather, your character is what people say about you long before you appear in the room. And if your character is in question, nobody will ever work with you to a long or large degree, because they're going to always just work with you to get just enough out of you and then let you go or move on because they don't trust you. Yeah.
- [26:02]
B
And do you have advice for those listening that maybe, you know, are at a stage in their careers where they're. They're able to give back and they just don't know how to approach?
- [26:11]
A
Go to your local community. Go to a boys and girls club. Go to a senior center. Go to an elderly hall. Just start local. Volunteer at a. At a. At a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Right. Take clothes that you don't wear anymore and go to Goodwill. Don't try to sell them. Just donate them. You know what I'm saying? Like hell. Hey.
- [26:30]
B
I don't do that all the time.
- [26:32]
A
Just donate them. Don't try to sell them them. Just give them away. Those clothes will go to less fortunate people that can't even afford clothes. So start small. Right. Start your local community, and then just make the impact.
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B
Yeah. And I think it's like finding something that you're interested in too, sometimes. Right. Just locally, though. There's so much to do around us. A lot of people get stuck looking, you know, internationally or something, thinking grand. Like, there's so much right around you. Yeah. Great advice. So, Marcus, last question. What does it mean to you to be a business mvp?
- [27:06]
A
It's being in business where your most valuable people are your clients, because that's what matters most, when your clients are happy and fulfilled. I mean, the email that I got from the Big I earlier about that job. I got that job because I did the job for the Big I Kansas, and they loved us. I did the job for the Big I New York, and they loved us. When your clients are fulfilled and your most valuable people are your clients, and you do things for them, not for you. Your clients will do things for you without even knowing most of the time. So that's how we get so much repeat business. All that because we put the clients first. It's not about me or Ogden Ventures. It's about the client. What do they need? What is the big I need? What does that client need? What does that client need? Now that's what we're talking about.
- [28:00]
B
Yeah. So you're. You're back to that same theme, which is you're thinking about. You're thinking about them again. Right? Not you.
- [28:08]
A
It's not you. Right. What's the old what's. What's the Jim Rohn saying? Help enough people get what they want, you get what you want.
- [28:17]
B
Believe that wholeheartedly.
- [28:18]
A
Help yourself get what you want, not anybody else. It's a real long walk off a real short pier.
- [28:25]
B
Yeah, I love that. 100% into shark infested waters. Yeah. Yes. So thank you so much, Marcus. It's been a pleasure. Ladies and gentlemen, Marcus Ogden. And that's how champions think. Here are the key takeaways from my conversation with Marcus today. Check your ego before the universe does. Success can become its own trap if you're not careful. Rock bottom isn't the end of the story. It's where the real one begins. And the same mindset that gets you to the top is the same one that gets you back up. If you got value from today's episode, share it with someone who's ready to think bigger, compete harder, and win. In business. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you haven't, leaving a five star review goes a long way in helping us grow and reach more viewers like you. You can also watch every episode on YouTube and follow along on Instagram and TikTok Business MVP podcast for more behind the scenes and insights. I'm Sami Peterson. Thanks for being part of the business MVP community and I'll see you next time as we continue building you into an MVP in business and in life.