
From pro football fields to business boardrooms, this episode of the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly is packed with valuable insights on leadership, resilience, and growth. 🏈📈 Join Bronson and Corbin as they share their incredible journey...
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Bronson Kafusi
Now, like, you're with them all the time. And so it's like, if I can be a good teammate, I mean, I can pretty much do anything. Like, I believe that because, you know, you're, you're handling adversity personally, but you have teammates who are handling adversity. It all starts with you being a good teammate. And so I felt like we were fortunate to, like, be around incredible examples of that.
Corbin Kafusi
All right, we got Bronson and Corbin here today. A little tight fit, but we made it happen.
Bronson Kafusi
Oh, yeah, we're good.
Corbin Kafusi
We're brothers. Yeah.
You said you used to sleep in the same bed, right?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. Now we're what, you're 6, 10? He's taller than me. I'm the older brother.
Corbin Kafusi
Big, you know?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, it's true.
Corbin Kafusi
When did you guys stop growing?
He was earlier than me. I was the late bloomer.
Really?
Yeah. Like, I grew into my 20s a few inches, but you probably. He came into high school at like six five, you know, he was the man child. Damn.
Yeah. Six five in high school is no joke.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, it was probably like. And I grew another 2 inches the next year, so. Like, when I was a sophomore in high school. Yeah, it's about when I was done growing.
Corbin Kafusi
Okay.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah.
Corbin Kafusi
So a little early, right?
Bronson Kafusi
A little early.
Corbin Kafusi
I grew a little in college too.
Okay. Yeah.
Were you guys playing? You guys were playing football? Basketball. Anything else in high school?
Bronson Kafusi
Some track and field.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, you did track?
Yeah. Let's go throw for fun. Like, we're like javelin throwing. Looks cool. Let's Go do it after practice.
Okay.
Bronson Kafusi
I did an actual event, though.
Corbin Kafusi
That's true.
Bronson Kafusi
And I'm not gonna lie, it was my only event.
Corbin Kafusi
Shots. Shots fired at javelin throwers.
I loved it. Yeah.
Throwing is no joke, though.
Oh, it's so D like it. Made me realize how unathletic I was in some ways.
Man, I watched the shot put every Olympics. The Krauser guy, or whatever his name is. Oh, yeah, that dude's a beast, bro.
It's wild.
People don't know how hard that is.
Bronson Kafusi
Spinning, like a top two on the shot put. But I thought you were talking about the shot put guy.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah, no, he is a shot, but guy.
Bronson Kafusi
He's a shot guy.
Corbin Kafusi
He might do discus, too, though.
Okay. Okay.
I'm not sure if he does both, but he definitely does shot put.
Bronson Kafusi
Big guys spinning that fast. I'm surprised they don't, like, dig into the ground like a top. Cause they swim so fast.
Corbin Kafusi
I know. It's nuts. Crazy. Yeah. Track and field, shout out those. Those guys don't get respect, you know?
Oh, absolutely not. And they're great lifters, too.
Yeah.
All those dudes are just unbelievably strong.
Were you guys way better at football than basketball? Is that why you picked NFL?
Bronson Kafusi
What do you think?
Corbin Kafusi
Exactly? I'd say it's different for each of us.
Okay.
I grew up watching him play more basketball. He was in the AAU circuit, and I was just like the little brother going to all the tournaments. And so I always thought he'd be more of a basketball player. But then it's weird. Like, our bodies kind of changed and just football kind of fit in some ways. Better.
Bronson Kafusi
Our dad's a football Coach. Coach for 30 years. College football.
Corbin Kafusi
Got it. So you didn't have much of a choice?
Bronson Kafusi
We were kind of. All the time.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
We're in the locker room after the game. We're. We're living at the facility pretty much all summer, going to camps.
Corbin Kafusi
How tall was he? He must have been giant, too.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, he's about 6, 5. You know, I mean, he's probably about the same weight. 285, 290.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. Yeah.
So you both outgrew your dad then?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, kind of.
Corbin Kafusi
He's the.
Bronson Kafusi
He's the oldest of nine kids.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy.
Bronson Kafusi
And he's, like, not even the biggest one.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn.
Yeah.
So you're just a family of athletes?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, there's a lot of us. Honestly, like, over 20. First cousins all played D1.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy crap.
Bronson Kafusi
There's a lot of us.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn. Sports was, like, the route for you guys, like, it wasn't any other option.
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
It's kind of how fun that.
Corbin Kafusi
Click. Like my dad always says when they came from the islands and someone told him, you know, you can go to college playing football, it was like an aha moment for him. He went home. He's like, I know how we're all going to go to school. You know, like, we can do this. All the boys up.
Was it super high pressure? Because some parents pressure their kids. Right. So much to the point where the kids end up hating the sport.
Yeah. I feel like we had, like, the opposite experience where our dad never stops us to play. He actually told us not to.
Football.
Oh, wow. Do whatever you want. And, like, we just gravitated towards it because we loved seeing him and we love just being around it type of thing. But, yeah, he. He kind of, like, was hands off for most of our careers until we played for him. And then it was.
Bronson Kafusi
He was our coach.
Corbin Kafusi
Now you're gonna work harder.
Okay.
Because you're my.
He was your college coach.
Bronson Kafusi
He was our college coach. And he had never coached. I'm the oldest. I was the first one to go through. He had never coached me or Corbin, anyone in our family in a sport before because he was a college football coach.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, wow.
Bronson Kafusi
So really, that was our first time having him as a coach was when we went to college.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
It was actually. It was awesome.
Corbin Kafusi
Okay.
Yeah.
Did the teammates hate you guys because he favored you guys?
Bronson Kafusi
It was the opposite.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, really bad for us. Why's your dad got to say that to you? I know. Why does he have to do more than everyone else?
And.
Bronson Kafusi
But we got. I mean, I already knew, like, I knew I was going to do more. I was going to, you know, stay longer. I was going to.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
And it was kind of expected because he. He, you know, coming from Tonga, like, it's very warrior culture, I would say. And so everything was earned. So we had to go above and beyond that just so that the other listeners.
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Corbin Kafusi
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Corbin Kafusi
Oh, wow.
Going on.
Well, it ended up working. You both made the league, right?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, it did work. We made it.
Corbin Kafusi
What year did you.
Bronson Kafusi
I was 2016. I got draft. My last year was 2015 in college.
Corbin Kafusi
Okay. Did you do all four years or.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, I did four seasons. Three and a half years in college.
Corbin Kafusi
Nice. So, yeah, what round?
Bronson Kafusi
I was the third round.
Corbin Kafusi
Let's go. So, yeah, that's big, right? There's so many rounds in the NFL, I don't even know how many there are. But third sounds really good.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, it was solid. Yeah, it was solid and it was cool experience.
Corbin Kafusi
Let's go. What about you?
I was the undrafted free agent. Okay. And so definitely different paths, but I loved it. It was an experience for sure.
That's a hard path, right? Try it and everything.
I had three surgeries after my senior year.
Holy crap.
Before getting to spring training. Like I was just recovering the whole time. And yeah, it was, it was the ringer. But learned so much. Yeah.
Yeah. And now you guys have transitioned into business. What was that transition like from sports to business?
Bronson Kafusi
You know what, for me, I, I just was watching, you know, a lot of my teammates in the locker room. We're always talking business investing. And I just felt like, man, I grew up in a place where I had great mentors, like here in Utah. There's a lot of great business people and entrepreneurs and founders and all these different things. And so I decided, okay, I need to really lean on that. I'm going to go out. I'll, you know, I'll buy in pretty much and invest and if I can learn how to do it, then I'll bring great people because that's what I noticed people were struggling with in the locker room. You know, the players, they were just getting involved with the wrong People.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
And it's. And it. And a lot of it was just because, you know, and I. We were the same. We didn't grow up even saying the word investing. So when someone said investing, we're like rich person's word. Yeah, we don't want to say that.
Corbin Kafusi
But it was.
Bronson Kafusi
It was awesome, though, because we did find the right people, fortunately, and they were able to teach us how to do that and do it at a high level. And I think that's what really changed it for us.
Corbin Kafusi
So.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. Started in real estate and then went from there.
Corbin Kafusi
That's awesome, because you shared a crazy statistic with me. 78% of NFL athletes have financial trouble after they retire, right?
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Three to five years.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy crap.
Bronson Kafusi
So it's. It's really intense. And so after living it and seeing it right there happened, and then now that, you know, we're done playing and seeing it happen, that's the mission is we want to take that stat to zero.
Corbin Kafusi
So I assume it's high in other leagues because you're dedicating such a large portion of your life to sports. You can't focus on investing and other business stuff. So you're just. As soon as you're done, you're like, what do I do? Right?
Oh, yeah. Total identity crisis. It's crazy to see. I feel like every athlete has an identity crisis once they're done playing the sport at whatever level.
Yeah. Even if you're aware of it, I feel like it still happens, right?
Oh, yeah. Even being aware, you still have to navigate it because you're like, oh, shoot, like this actually came. Now what do I do? You know, you thought about what you might do, but it's like, actually here.
You know, and it's really hard to match that money, I think, outside of sports.
Oh, absolutely.
Bronson Kafusi
Especially starting from zero. Like, you are taking. You're going into something that you've never done before. Because if you take an athlete and put them into the business world and you ask them what they're good at, it's hard for them to share. But if you take an athlete, put them on the field, and tell them what they're good at, they'll tell you every single detail with exactness what they're good at.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
And so what happens is athletes, and I'm a big proponent. I'm always saying this because, you know, I'm always trying to help athletes out. You're always transitioning as an athlete. The moment you start your time as an athlete is time stamped. Like, there will be a Time when you don't play and you hang it up. And so, like, the goal is now. I feel like the new age athlete. And you see this in the NBA especially, they do a great job. And I feel like the NFL is headed there right now is I'm always transitioning. So with the time that I do have, can I get in the right rooms? Can I talk to the right people? Can I ask the right questions? And so trying to help athletes just build curiosity and a desire to do that outside of what they're doing in the off season is like, I feel like it's key, vital, Especially with nil now.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
With high school athletes and college athletes. Campaign.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think NFL is doing better. I actually had an NFL agent invite me to one of their dinners with other players and give the players, like, podcasting advice.
Oh, that's sweet. Yeah.
Because a lot of.
Bronson Kafusi
I need you for that.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah, I got you.
For real.
Well, a lot of athletes are starting podcasts now.
Yeah.
You know, it's a smooth transition because they're so good at talking about the sport.
Exactly.
Like, I watched Draymond Green's podcast, I watch Travis Kelce's because they're just so knowledgeable. You can't get that information from some random commentator, you know. Oh, yeah, yeah.
And learning to use that skill, you know, outside of, like, the sports they're in, that's huge. In the transitioning you were talking about, like, what skill sets from this transition to something else outside of it.
Absolutely.
Bronson Kafusi
That's the thing. Athletes, there's a lot of things that you learn as far as character, discipline, effort, showing up every day. Like, all these things can help you transition into the business world and. But once again, when you leave, you know, your sport, it's just like you're a freshman all over again. You're a rookie all over again.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
You know, and you have to be open to learn 100%, even from younger people who have been doing it longer than you. And so, you know, having the humility to say, I don't know, but I'm here to learn and be coached. Like, coach me up.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. I attribute a lot of my success in business to sports. I never got to your guys level, but being a distance runner, you got to lock in mentally.
Bronson Kafusi
How far are you running?
Corbin Kafusi
5Ks was like, my race in track. I did the mile and the 800.
Oh, sweet.
Yeah, but those races are hard, man.
Oh, you're moving fast the whole time for a distance. Like, that's.
They say, like, it's A little controversial, but they say the 800 meters, like, the hardest race.
No.
Yeah, because you're sprinting the whole time.
Exactly. Oh, yeah.
Two laps full on sprint.
Can I ask, like, where do you hit? Where was it usually the point for you where you're like, your body wants to shut. And it's like all mentality.
It's the last hundred usually. I actually tore my glute in the last 50 of one of them, and I was. I was going to make the state finals if I finished. Finished?
Yeah.
I was in second place, and I tore it and I didn't make it.
Oh, my God.
It's like mental trauma from that. Oh, absolutely. I was in a wheelchair for a week.
No way.
Yeah. Your glute, man.
State, too. Like to have that.
Yeah. Oh, you guys probably dealt with some nasty injuries, too, playing football. That's inevitable.
Bronson Kafusi
There's some bad ones, but I will. First, I'm going to talk about Corbin's, because people still talk about Corbin's injuries his senior year. So BYU's rival is Utah, and the week before Corbin, he already had a torn tendon in his pinky. Geez, your tricep was already torn.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
And then he tore a bunch of ligaments in his ankle.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy crap.
Bronson Kafusi
And he still played in the game.
Corbin Kafusi
What?
Bronson Kafusi
And played at a high level. And.
Corbin Kafusi
And.
Bronson Kafusi
But that's football. Like, like every single week, a football game is on TV and anyone is watching. Oh, everyone's playing her.
Corbin Kafusi
Wow.
Bronson Kafusi
Everyone's playing her. Everyone's battling something. And, like. And so. But that. I mean, having those three injuries. Like, I remember watching him, and I'm like, how's he doing this right now? Like, he was making plays out there still.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy crap.
Bronson Kafusi
With all of this.
Corbin Kafusi
Like, I went down. I didn't make it to the end of the game.
Bronson Kafusi
Hey, you went out there and put it on the line.
Corbin Kafusi
We tried.
That's impressive, man. So your mental resilience is just next level.
It's just. Well, and I feel like, you know how it is with. As an athlete. You just keep going, you know, like adrenaline team or like, it's almost like this feeling of completionism where it's like, okay, until I feel like I literally can't play. You'll just keep going until that point.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah.
Corbin Kafusi
You don't want to let your teammates down almost.
Oh, exactly. Yeah. It's a responsibility type of thing, you.
Know, so it's taught me how to work with people. Sports. I was playing basketball, soccer, you know, so that's really valuable in business.
Bronson Kafusi
That Camaraderie, being a great teammate.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Because, man, when you go to work every day, I mean, in football, you see your teammates more than you see your family during the season.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
Like, you're with them all the time. And so it's like, if I can be a good teammate, I mean, I can pretty much do anything. Like, I believe that because, you know, you're. You're handling adversity personally, but you have teammates who are handling adversity. You have. So you got from this individual level to an even bigger level. You know, it all starts with you being a good teammate. And so I felt like we were fortunate to, like, be around incredible examples of that, because in sports, it's what's passed down. That's what creates the culture. And so the leaders in the locker room, like, those are the people that are defining what a good teammate is.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
So being able to have that, I mean, we were lucky.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Yeah. And all the best teams have great leaders. Right?
Bronson Kafusi
Great leaders.
Corbin Kafusi
I mean, look at the Chiefs right now.
Yeah.
It's going to be hard to beat him. Who you guys got, actually, I know your dad was part of the Eagles, right?
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Who do you have?
Corbin Kafusi
It's tough.
Bronson Kafusi
It's tough because we really like Andy Reid by you guy, you know, so. Yeah, we really like some buddies on.
Corbin Kafusi
The Eagles, though, so.
Bronson Kafusi
We have a lot, a lot of buddies on the Eagles.
Corbin Kafusi
I got the Chiefs, man.
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
How many? What's the score? What's the score?
Corbin Kafusi
You think you guys would know that better than me? I haven't been watching this season, but they seem to always just squeeze it out. So I feel like it'll be a close game in the win less possession or something, you know?
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
See, I feel like it's gonna be really close, and I want the Eagles, but I think. I think the Chiefs are gonna win, if that makes sense.
Corbin Kafusi
Their experience, what's on our mind, it's one of those things you're just like, gosh dang it, Like.
Yeah. I mean, their experiences.
I want the Eagles win, but I know in the back of my mind there's three feet. Would be cool. That says three feet.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, the three feet would be awesome.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. I saw Gronk talking about is Mahomes or Brady the goat. Oh, yeah. He was saying if he gets this three p, he's the goat of the decade. But then he has to do it again.
Oh, I can see that that's viable.
Because Brady's got seven.
Yeah.
So if Mahomes gets this one, that's that's four, right, for him. Or is it three? Three or four?
Yeah.
Oh, it might be four.
Bronson Kafusi
It might be four because there wasn't there one earlier?
Corbin Kafusi
There might have been one earlier. Yeah.
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Because this is his seventh year.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
That's crazy.
Corbin Kafusi
But it is nuts.
He'll have to do. Yeah, he'll have to do it twice, though, in his eyes, to pass Brady.
Wow.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, I can see that. Yeah, yeah, I can see that.
Corbin Kafusi
I want to talk about the fun side because met one of you at Jetson Capital, Right? So you guys are in the fun space now.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, yeah.
Corbin Kafusi
How'd you get involved with that?
Bronson Kafusi
You know what? We just. I mean, it's kind of part of the whole, I guess, trajectory. When you get into that world, you start to understand different ways to invest and you learn about the fund structure. And so, you know, for. For me, I was just. I just wanted to find good people and invest into things that I learned. As time went on, it's like, I don't mind the boring stuff. That's where the money is. That's what all the people that created extreme wealth, they've all invested in that type of stuff. And so started in real estate, gas stations, and multifamily, and then it's just expanded from there. And it's interesting because. Because Corbin and I both graduated in statistics and analytics and we both love numbers. And what happened was, you know, for me, as I was getting into the investment world, I kind of turned into this guy that people were just, like, sending deals to all the time. So a lot of the players were sending me stuff, and I was looking.
Corbin Kafusi
At it, right, because they were getting pitched.
Bronson Kafusi
Deals, they're getting pitched. And NFL players, NBA players, they get pitched all the time. I bet they get tons of deal flow. And so it was nice to be able to just send things, you know, send it over and then I could look at it and take it because I was kind of. I was very active in the business space, going to those types of events all the time. And so I felt like I had a really good network to send things out, get some feedback from high level experts, bring it back and then go back. And so that's kind of how I got involved in the fund space was, okay, wow, there's a lot of funds out there. How do I know which one to invest in? How do I. What questions do I ask? You know? And so it's been fun, like training, like, athletes, like, okay, when you get a deal or if it's a fund or, you know, this is, this is what you're looking for. And that's kind of what my role is with, you know, different sports groups. I'm a part of. I'm part of pro athlete community pack.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
And so, right. We got like over 400 members and I'm in charge of overseeing deal flow.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn.
Bronson Kafusi
So yeah, it's kind of fun to be able to look at all the deals that athletes get because it's. It's unique. I'm not gonna lie. It's really unique.
Corbin Kafusi
You guys are getting a lot of pickleball deals.
Bronson Kafusi
I bet it's sports ownership, sports leagues. It's hot right now.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
There's a lot of sports league deals going on. You know, direct syndications.
Corbin Kafusi
I wonder how those are going to pan out because obviously worked out for the major sports, but these are up and cominging sports. So it's kind of like a gamble, right?
Exactly.
Bronson Kafusi
That's true.
Corbin Kafusi
Like Padel is blowing up right now.
Yeah.
Pickleball. Exactly. A couple other sports. Right.
Like the slapping thing.
Oh, power slap. You got pitched. That's funny. I've been to those.
Oh, I've only seen videos. It actually looks awesome.
Would you ever do it?
I would love to try it. I won't lie.
Wow. Okay. Most people say no to that. You're going to do it.
I could call them right now, sign you up.
You'll get 10 grand if you do, if you win, 5 grand if you lose.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. Oh, man.
Corbin Kafusi
You know, I would need a little more than that if I were to do it. 10,000.
I mean, I would just say if they just put us out there, we do it for free against each other. You know, we just sit there.
Bronson Kafusi
We did that with the tortilla on TikTok. You know the tortilla.
Corbin Kafusi
Did you guys scrap a lot when you were younger?
Oh, yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Oh, yeah.
Corbin Kafusi
Brotherly love.
Oh, yeah. It's whoever gets the other to cry first. And then you lock yourself in the bathroom before they get too crazy. You know, we broke a lot.
Bronson Kafusi
Broke a lot of couches, glass doors.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn, you guys.
Bronson Kafusi
Windows. But just like not even like, I don't even feel like it was like out of like, I'm gonna bust this thing down. It was like running away and like.
Corbin Kafusi
Teasing and then someone runs into a.
Bronson Kafusi
Door that just happens to be gl.
Corbin Kafusi
So you were throwing the one each other?
Yeah. It's like, mom, I swear we closed the window and it broke.
I would have loved to see that, man.
Yeah.
Now people just bully each other on social media.
Bronson Kafusi
Everyone just hides Home.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah, they don't. They don't scrap anymore, you know, no fair fights anymore. Yeah, you can't settle with. With hands anymore. You got to settle on the keyboard and then.
Bronson Kafusi
And then you get, like, blown up on social media and they. Everyone's like, oh, look at this thread.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
People just sit there and read down.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. You guys were in the locker rooms. Did the players ever talk about, like, the hater and trolls on social media?
Oh, it's, like, pretty fun. You know, sometimes they would. You just hear, like, random stories but.
Bronson Kafusi
Make jokes about it. People just make jokes or you just.
Corbin Kafusi
Like, joke on one of the other guys, you know. Oh, I saw your girl posted this about you. Or.
Oh.
Or you're. I saw you're into this. Yeah.
I feel like some players, it gets to them, you know?
Oh, for sure.
You know, like, some people be responding like, Kevin Durant's out here making fake Twitter profiles. Responding like, what are you doing, man?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, man.
Corbin Kafusi
You guys see that trade last night?
Bronson Kafusi
I did see it.
Corbin Kafusi
Holy crap. That's the biggest trade I've ever seen.
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Oh, man.
Corbin Kafusi
Who do you think won that trade? Lakers or Mavericks?
Oh, I think the late Luca is impressive.
Yeah. You know, I think the Lakers won.
Yeah.
If AD's healthy, though, they might win this year.
Yeah. Yeah.
With Clay, Kyrie, ad.
That's true. Like, I can see how they maybe thought about that, but I. I'm a big Luca fan, so I'm like, yeah, we love Luke.
Yeah. In the long run, I think the Lakers will win because Luke is only 25.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. I forget that he's only 25.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
What?
Bronson Kafusi
Wait.
Corbin Kafusi
And it's basketball, man.
Bronson Kafusi
Jackie play forever. The average lifespan of a football player is, I think, like 2.6 years, which is crazy.
Corbin Kafusi
And it's only getting lower, I heard.
Bronson Kafusi
Only getting lower.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Because it's more competitive and, you know, guys are coming out even freakier, like, faster, stronger. So the game mean. The game just becomes that much more violent. So they're trying to just.
Corbin Kafusi
Always looking for a replacement for you, right? Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
And there's way more people that can replace you in football.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. You see that with running backs, right?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. The running back market, it's crazy.
Corbin Kafusi
Crazy. They did Saquon dirty, man. The Giants. I'm a Giants fan. I grew up in Jersey.
Oh, yeah.
That was the dumbest move I've ever seen. Getting rid of him.
It's so. He's killing it.
Bronson Kafusi
He's killing it.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. I'm happy he's doing so well.
I'm happy for him, but at the same time it's like that could have been the Giants.
No.
Yeah.
With the running back. I always felt running backs really got the short end in the stick for that.
Bronson Kafusi
That's true.
Corbin Kafusi
Who's your guys team these days? You cheer for any. You got friends on every team, so it's tough.
Bronson Kafusi
I feel like we do cheer for a lot of, like some of them are players we played for, but some of the teams. Yeah, some of the teams we played for, yeah. We always cheer for them. Growing up, like growing up because we grew up here in Utah. Like, for me, my, my team was the Broncos.
Corbin Kafusi
Broncos.
Bronson Kafusi
Because it's the closest team.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, wow.
Bronson Kafusi
So, yeah, so Denver. I grew up, you know, watching Denver.
Corbin Kafusi
Tune for Payton Manning. Right?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, Payton. All those guys over there. And I had like a Ed McCaffrey jersey. Like, and then. Yeah. Now I mean, the Eagles too. Just as our dad played there, I pretty much watch.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Green Bay played there. The Jets.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Yeah.
Rough season for the Jets.
Bronson Kafusi
I know.
Corbin Kafusi
I come on a lot of rough season.
Bronson Kafusi
I love Aaron. I love Aaron. Aaron's the man. You know, I had faith in him.
Corbin Kafusi
But it was a rough season.
I know.
Bronson Kafusi
I'm like, come on, he can do it. Anyone's gonna do, it's gonna be him. Because he's, he's a great leader.
Corbin Kafusi
Father time though, right?
Bronson Kafusi
That's true.
Corbin Kafusi
What is he. He's pushing 40 now, right?
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, I think he's 39.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah. Or is he 40?
Corbin Kafusi
Not a lot of people make it to 40 in professional sports.
And then I just think football, I'm.
Just like, oh, that's probably the hardest one to make it to 40. Football and track.
Yeah. Like I see any guy in the NFL that's like a 10 year vet, it's, it's like just crazy in my mind. It's hard to fathom that kind of like physical prowess.
Yeah, they've seen some stuff, right? Did you guys have some vet mentors when you got in?
Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I feel like we got really good ones too.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, he went to the Saints.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, nice. Was that with Drew Brees?
Yeah, it was like his last year. And I remember like he was the first person I met in the locker room.
Oh, wow.
My brother's always like, hey, be the first one there. You know, you gotta set the tone, especially you undrafted guys.
I was like, okay, facts, that's good advice.
Like 4:30 and there's only one dude in there. And all the lights were off, but he was in the Hot tub, reading his Bible, and it was Drew Brees.
Wow.
And at first, I didn't think it was a player because it's such a small dude. I thought it was like, oh, is this, like, one of the janitors getting to the hot tub? I was like, oh, that's Drew Brees. I was like, holy cow.
What was your line, Your opening line to him?
I. Well, I didn't say anything to him. I just was like, I'm going to play it cool and just sit here in the corner. I'm the rookie.
Yeah.
But then literally in the shower, he's like, hey, don't you have a brother that plays up in Baltimore? And I was like, yeah, I do, actually. Like, it's really neat, though, for. I was like, I'm this unknown, undrafted. I didn't even stay there for season. I got off to the Jets. But for him to, like, make that comment to me, I was like, wow, what a great man.
That's cool.
He'd regularly come sit with us rookies at breakfast if we weren't sitting with anyone.
Wow. I feel like that's pretty rare.
Oh, super rare. Yeah.
Kobe Bryant would not do that.
Like, I. I really was hats off with him. And then even, like, Cam Jordan. I don't know if you.
I don't know him.
Defensive end over there, but okay. He was awesome. First time I went into a locker room, he's sitting there playing Super Smash with some of the guys on the team, and he's like, hey, man, do you play? We need a fourth. And I was like, sure. And just from then on, just so nice.
Bronson Kafusi
You didn't know Corbin takes, like, three people on at once.
Corbin Kafusi
Oh, yeah.
I was like, this is my time to shine.
Bronson Kafusi
He's over here. It's me now. It's like, me. My wife plays Smash, too. And you know, our other brother, and it's like, us three versus him.
Corbin Kafusi
Damn, he's still winning. Who's your main.
I'm weird. Like, if I want to secure the victory, it's ness.
Okay.
Because I play 64.
Yeah, he's OP on 64.
Exactly. But then I actually love using Link because I'm just a Zelda nerd.
Link is fun, and his boomerang is.
The most annoying thing, but I get people with it.
I literally watch the Smash, like, finals esports on YouTube every year. Yeah, I'm into that. I love esports.
I love that, too.
Yeah. You guys still game at all or.
Bronson Kafusi
No, I don't game as much. I would.
Corbin Kafusi
We.
Bronson Kafusi
We used to game so Much. And Corbin actually in the NFL, they do a event where you play Fortnite during the season and then they take the top 10 players and you get drafted by professional gamers. Oh, during the Super Bowl. In a fortnight Super Bowl.
Corbin Kafusi
That's.
Bronson Kafusi
Corbin got drafted by Ninja and played with Ninja.
Corbin Kafusi
What? That's dope.
Yeah.
Did you guys win?
We took like 10 or so. I was like, I'm the pack horse, man. I don't know how to tunnel.
Well, was it when it was build mode?
Yeah, they were still building.
And those guys are sweating.
Oh, yeah. And like I streamed for a little bit, but I never got to that level of building, so I don't play again.
Bronson Kafusi
Let's get them streaming again.
Corbin Kafusi
Dude, these streamers are making crazy money. Oh my God.
That's a world that. When someone started to tell me few of the numbers, I still don't know much about it. It was just mind blowing. Yeah. Streaming numbers, Twitch streamers are, you could.
Argue are more popular than a list celebrities right now.
Bronson Kafusi
Oh, absolutely.
Corbin Kafusi
The monthly for them is crazy. Yeah. Like.
Bronson Kafusi
Well, the pool is so much bigger. This viewership by like. So it's huge.
Corbin Kafusi
They're getting hundreds of millions of views.
Yeah. Yeah.
And that's money monthly too.
Bronson Kafusi
Attention. Yeah, that's a lot of attention.
Corbin Kafusi
And they're getting it for prolonged periods. That's where I think they separate themselves because they're streaming eight hours a day.
Yeah, exactly.
People are watching the whole time. And then you got the clipping side, which I'm good at with the podcast. And that's another hundred million of views after they're done streaming.
Exactly. Yeah. From one stream you can get probably so many clips that will just boom, go on.
So many. Yeah. I mean Aiden Ross interviewed Trump like a streamer. Interviewed the city president. That's how big streamers are these days.
I love it, dude.
Bronson Kafusi
It's taking over. It's the number one sport, right?
Corbin Kafusi
Yes.
Bronson Kafusi
My viewership.
Corbin Kafusi
I think so. Yeah. Even last night at WWE Kaisernat.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah.
Corbin Kafusi
I show speed. I mean was there and Logan Paul and stuff.
Bronson Kafusi
So.
Corbin Kafusi
It's a new era, man.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, I love it.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah. Social media probably wasn't big when you guys were in the league, but now it's like you can make a living off it.
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
It was just getting ramped. Like no one really did it.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
You know, now it was the opposite.
Corbin Kafusi
It was more. We didn't do social media because the little that was out. You were afraid of doing something wrong because you might get canceled.
Yeah.
Something from the team because it was just such an unknown area.
Bronson Kafusi
Or made fun of.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Why is this dude dance? But now guys are dancing like all the time.
Corbin Kafusi
Wow. Everyone's into it. And so it's a totally. Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Filming your workout. Like no one ever filmed a workout, like ever. And then they all of a sudden, you know, cameras are their content, teams are there filming workouts.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
And it's like. But then you start to realize the business and athletes in a unique position because you get drafted and all of a sudden, you know, either you're the best or you're an authoritative figure to get the most attention. And now you have both overnight. And you already have a pool of people that are all eyes on you. That.
Corbin Kafusi
Right.
Bronson Kafusi
Like, I feel like athletes make incredible. Yeah. Streamers, influencers, podcasters, because man, everything's already set up there for them. You just have to connect the bridges and then let it flow.
Corbin Kafusi
100% definitely agree with that. What's your guys opinion on the Nil stuff?
Love it.
You love it?
Bronson Kafusi
I love it. Now what I love about it is players are getting a piece of all of that money, that big pie that's been going on for years because the schools make a ton of money, the NCAA makes a ton of money. I'm a big, big fan of it. But what got me into all this business stuff, investment stuff, is because of Nil because the only way I saw we could flip that stat to zero was a dad calls me up, hey, my son just signed for a million dollars. He's 16 and this is just a brand deal. What do we do? Well, in my mind, I was like, oh, this is the opportunity to go and sit down with the athlete. Mom, dad, brother, sister, everyone. And now we're going to do some financial literacy and talk about, you know, the different structures of how to get paid through an llc. And that's taxes. Athletes don't really think about taxes all the time. It's our biggest expense.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah, they never do.
Bronson Kafusi
And we're W2, so.
Corbin Kafusi
So you can't even write off stuff.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, well, there's ways, but you have to, you have to really have a great tax strategy. And it takes planning and you have to be able to understand it. And so that takes time. And so what we're trying to do is always help athletes understand the whole picture off the field. Because for a long time it was just, I get drafted, I sign my name, I get wired the money literally instantly. And now what do I do with that? Someone said, I need a cpa, I need a tax advisor. You know, strategist. I need a. What do you call it? Just like a money manager. I need. I mean, I don't know how to buy a house. I don't buy a car. You know, it's like all these little things, but. But now what we do is we try to help them do all of this at once so then they don't have. So everything's in one arena.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
Everyone's talking to each other right here, you know, and you can just step in there and get an update from everyone at once. And now you can get taken care of the right way.
Corbin Kafusi
Right. It's smart that you guys did this because the players trust you guys. You saw the horror stories with Paul Pierce's manager. I forget the name of that guy, but he stole all the money, like Kevin Garnett's manager. And that's a lot probably happens to you guys, right? To take advantage of athletes.
Oh, for sure. And it's. It's one of those things we've definitely been, like, burnt in our business wondering. But that really is the thing, is the key is trustworthy people. Like, and it's one of those things where if you find it, you go back to the locker room and you want to share it because, you know, everyone needs it.
Yeah.
So I was like, oh, bro, I met this guy. That's incredible.
Bronson Kafusi
I put money in, going, yeah, went.
Corbin Kafusi
Well, this is gonna happen. And so, yeah, that's why I love it, because it's. You have something good to give back to these guys. Like, this is actually really going to help you.
If you can make people money, word will spread fast, you know, fastest.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, it's like, we're not even like the guys that are, like, the managers, but we know people, and you connect the dots. We can find the greatest teammate in real estate. We have the greatest teammate in this, this, this, this, in taxes and this and that. So when guys go through, you know, huge taxable events, because to an athlete, an exit is getting drafted, right. Getting signing bonus or getting that second contract. Like, that's like selling the company. And so it's like, when that happens, are you prepared? Like, am I going to be paying 40% back? Or can I, you know, strategize how to reinvest that 40% and let it grow and work really hard? For me, if every athlete could understand how to make every dollar work as hard as they work, oh, my gosh, every athlete would be in a phenomenal position and that 78% would be zero.
Corbin Kafusi
Absolutely.
Bronson Kafusi
So quick. So quick.
Corbin Kafusi
I saw What Ohtani did with Cali.
Bronson Kafusi
Oh, I love that.
Corbin Kafusi
That was brilliant. I've never seen an athlete do something like that.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, his. But think about it. His team was prepared. Like he was prepared. Like, you know, athletes. Athletes.
Corbin Kafusi
Really?
Bronson Kafusi
I posted that on my LinkedIn and literally everyone's talking about it because it's like, wow, athletes are moving different. Like they're really moving different in taxes and tech, venture and real estate. Right. And creating their own family offices. Like it's a different. Athletes are moving different. And so that's what we try to do is just educate the athletes so everyone can move like that.
Corbin Kafusi
No, they are. I mean, look at KD with 35 Ventures. You got Serena Williams with her stuff with 776. Right, Steph? Yeah, these. I think some of these athletes will make more off their funds than their actual career.
Oh, I totally believe it.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, we've seen that. Like even with like Aaron Rodgers and RX3.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah.
Bronson Kafusi
You know, it's a CPG fund. But you know, there's this big movement right now and it's really big. I mean it's already happening, but not at this level. Right now it's moving like a well oiled machine where the athletes are getting involved in these funds and they're not just putting money in, they're putting in their nil. And if they're professional athlete and they put their nil in, well, guess what, you can help the firm or the fund or the things they're investing in, the companies, the products, you can move it differently. And so that's what's really cool about what's going on right now is, you know, these athletes are not just investing, they're investing their name, image and likeness, which is their most viable thing.
Corbin Kafusi
Absolutely. Well, guys, it's been a blast. Where can people find you? Find your podcast and keep up with you guys.
Bronson Kafusi
Yeah, Instagram. I'm bkfousi90 and LinkedIn Boston Kafousi. I'm super active on those two.
Corbin Kafusi
Yeah, I'm on Instagram, Corbin Schwartz, AK and then Corbin Boom.
We'll link it all below. Thanks for coming on, guys. Yep, Check them out guys, and I'll see you next time.
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Bronson Kafusi
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Digital Social Hour: Episode #1228 Summary
Title: From NFL to Business: Lessons in Leadership & Growth
Hosts: Bronson & Corbin Kafusi
Release Date: March 9, 2025
In this episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly welcomes brothers Bronson and Corbin Kafusi, former NFL players who have successfully transitioned from professional sports to the business world. The conversation delves into their athletic careers, the challenges they faced, and the invaluable lessons they've carried into their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Bronson and Corbin Kafusi share their upbringing in a family deeply rooted in athletics. Growing up with a father who coached college football for 30 years, sports were not just a pastime but a way of life.
Bronson discusses the impact of their father's coaching on their commitment and work ethic:
“Everything was earned. So we had to go above and beyond that just so that the other listeners... you can help the firm or the fund...”
[00:56]
Corbin reflects on their close bond and shared experiences:
“We were brothers. You said you used to sleep in the same bed, right?”
[01:27]
The brothers detail their journeys into the NFL, highlighting their different paths and experiences within the league.
Bronson was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft after completing four seasons in college:
“I was the third round. It was solid and it was a cool experience.”
[07:18]
Corbin, on the other hand, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, facing a more challenging path:
“I had three surgeries after my senior year. Holy crap.”
[07:31]
They discuss the pressures of maintaining performance and the differences in their draft statuses.
Both brothers candidly discuss the physical and mental toll of their sports careers, sharing personal stories of injury and resilience.
Corbin recounts a significant injury during a state final race:
“I tore my glute in the last 50 of one of them, and I was going to make the state finals if I finished.”
[12:51]
Bronson talks about Corbin's injuries in a crucial game against Utah:
“He tore a bunch of ligaments in his ankle and still played in the game.”
[13:19]
These experiences underscore their mental fortitude and dedication to their teams.
Post-NFL, Bronson and Corbin have pivoted to the business sector, focusing on investments and financial education for athletes.
Bronson explains his inspiration:
“I was watching my teammates in the locker room. We're always talking business investing... I decided, okay, I need to really lean on that.”
[07:56]
Corbin shares his own challenges, including multiple surgeries and the uncertainty of an athletic career:
“It was a hard path, but I learned so much.”
[07:42]
The brothers delve into their investment strategies, emphasizing real estate and diversified portfolios.
Bronson highlights the importance of starting with what’s known:
“Started in real estate and then went from there.”
[09:07]
Corbin adds insights into their fund management and deal flow:
“I was looking at deals because they were getting pitched... it was nice to be able to just send things over and take it.”
[18:25]
They discuss the unique position athletes hold in the investment landscape, leveraging their networks and analytical skills.
A significant portion of the conversation focuses on educating athletes about financial management to prevent post-retirement financial struggles.
Bronson cites a staggering statistic:
“78% of NFL athletes have financial trouble after they retire. Three to five years.”
[09:12]
The brothers talk about their mission to reduce this statistic to zero by providing comprehensive financial strategies:
“If every athlete could understand how to make every dollar work as hard as they work... that 78% would be zero.”
[32:20]
They emphasize the importance of understanding taxes, investments, and long-term financial planning.
Bronson and Corbin draw parallels between leadership on the field and in the boardroom, highlighting how teamwork and resilience translate into business success.
Bronson shares:
“In sports, you see your teammates more than your family during the season. If I can be a good teammate, I can pretty much do anything.”
[14:49]
Corbin echoes the sentiment by linking their sports experiences to business:
“Sports taught me how to work with people. That’s really valuable in business.”
[14:38]
They discuss the importance of camaraderie, discipline, and continuous learning.
The brothers explore the evolving landscape of media, including streaming and esports, and how athletes can leverage these platforms.
Corbin reflects on the rise of athletes in new media:
“Athletes are making incredible streamers, influencers, podcasters because everything's already set up there for them.”
[30:05]
They discuss their own experiences with gaming and streaming, including participation in Fortnite events:
“Corbin got drafted by Ninja and played with Ninja. That's dope.”
[27:34]
The conversation highlights how digital platforms offer athletes new avenues for personal branding and income.
NIL has revolutionized how athletes manage their personal brands and financial opportunities. Bronson and Corbin share their perspectives on its benefits and challenges.
Bronson expresses enthusiasm for NIL:
“Players are getting a piece of all that money that schools and the NCAA make. I'm a big fan of it.”
[30:20]
They discuss how NIL has necessitated better financial literacy among athletes:
“Our mission is to help athletes understand the whole picture off the field.”
[31:20]
NIL is portrayed as a pivotal factor in empowering athletes to secure their financial futures.
Wrapping up, Bronson and Corbin share their aspirations and the ongoing growth of their business ventures. They emphasize the importance of trust, education, and proactive financial management for athletes.
Bronson concludes with a vision for sustainable athlete finances:
“If every athlete could understand how to make every dollar work as hard as they work... that 78% would be zero.”
[32:20]
Corbin encourages athletes to seek trustworthy financial guidance:
“The key is trustworthy people. If you find it, go back to the locker room and share it.”
[32:33]
The brothers leave listeners with actionable insights on transitioning from sports to business and the critical importance of financial education.
Bronson Kafusi on team dynamics:
“In sports, you see your teammates more than your family during the season. If I can be a good teammate, I can pretty much do anything.”
[14:49]
Corbin Kafusi on overcoming injuries:
“I tore my glute in the last 50 of one of them, and I was going to make the state finals if I finished.”
[12:51]
Bronson Kafusi on financial struggles in the NFL:
“78% of NFL athletes have financial trouble after they retire. Three to five years.”
[09:12]
Bronson Kafusi on the future of athlete investments:
“Athletes are moving different in taxes and tech, venture, and real estate. Creating their own family offices.”
[34:10]
Bronson and Corbin Kafusi’s journey from the NFL to the business realm is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the power of leveraging one's strengths beyond the playing field. Their commitment to empowering fellow athletes with financial literacy and investment opportunities highlights a meaningful shift towards sustainable post-athletic careers. This episode of Digital Social Hour offers invaluable insights for anyone looking to bridge the gap between sports and business, underscoring the universal applicability of leadership and teamwork lessons.
Connect with Bronson & Corbin Kafusi:
Bronson:
Corbin:
Follow their ventures and stay updated on their latest projects and insights.