Shaquille O'Neal is supersized successful each way. His resume is longer than his assemblage and he's complete 7 feet tall. He earned 4 NBA title rings. He's a cohost of Inside the NBA, a show that's won 21 Emmys. He's a judge connected The Grind, a transportation show for entrepreneurial students. He owns astir a gazillion franchises and does a full bunch of different stuff, too.
I was thrilled to person him connected a caller section of How Success Happens, which you tin perceive to correct present aliases publication an abbreviated transcript below. Shaq is funny, inspiring and highly generous — but make nary mistake, if he's happy pinch your attitude, he will put hands connected you.
Dan Bova: Shaq, you're a engaged guy. You don't conscionable beryllium backmost and relax.
Shaquille O'Neal: Growing up nether the tutelage of a subject drill sergeant, you're ever taught to conscionable enactment focused and conscionable support moving and connected to the next. I've ne'er been 1 to remainder connected my laurels or, you know, beryllium impressed pinch my accolades. I activity hard, I person accolades and past just, you know, proceed to the adjacent thing.
On the transportation show "The Grind," you gave a batch of contestants the aforesaid portion of advice: Don't get tense erstwhile you talk astir money. It's easy to opportunity "Don't get nervous" but difficult to do.
Whenever I effort to usage OPM (other people's money) to build different companies — particularly successful the tech abstraction — I speak to the tech experts truthful I cognize what I'm talking about. If you cognize the ins and outs of it, you're not nervous. I effort to do my owed diligence and really understand what I'm asking for. You don't want to spell to a gathering pinch Jeff Bezos and conscionable inquire for $100 million. You want Jeff to cognize and understand precisely what you're doing, and past he tin say, "Okay, Shaq, I judge successful what you judge in. I for illustration to beryllium an investor successful your company."
I've publication that increasing up, you weren't truthful excited to beryllium overmuch taller than everyone astir you. Any proposal you could springiness astir getting comfortable successful your ain skin?
I americium a merchandise of my environment. I wasn't comfortable until I saw different gangly NBA subordinate by the sanction of Magic Johnson. I mean, he smiled and he's dribbling and everybody loves him. I saw the perks that he had, and I was like, "You cognize what? I for illustration being gangly now." At first, erstwhile you're the tallest kid successful schoolhouse and everybody's looking astatine you, it's uncomfortable. But astir the property of 14, erstwhile I started coming into my hoops body, past I conscionable forgot astir it. One of the positives for maine is that I sewage treated for illustration an big early on. I was 17 and they thought I was 23, that was the best. I can't opportunity that now, but I do look bully for 50.
Related: The Smart Strategy Shaq Used to Start His Big Chicken Franchise
You've been a portion of caller business launches for illustration Campus, but you're besides really large connected franchising. What drew you to that arsenic opposed to starting your ain point from scratch?
I telephone it OP — ownership and partnership. You know, of course, I'm not moving the franchise, but you partner up pinch group who are smarter than you. It is astir owning and being squad members pinch brands that are very, very successful. And arsenic for Campus, acquisition is truthful important to me. I'm getting a master's successful wide arts, but I want to beryllium a sports psychologist.
Sports psychology, I ideate a batch of young players successful the NBA inquire you for advice. Is that what led you to prosecute this?
I benignant of find it difficult to judge a feline who's ne'er been successful unit situations tin show maine really to grip pressure. Athletes cognize that I understand. And erstwhile I travel pinch the world credentials, mixed pinch the sports background? When you put those 2 together, I deliberation it's a very powerful component. I haven't seen immoderate sports psychologists that person won championships. I've had a batch of pressure, truthful I wanna beryllium the first and only.
You've been a awesome leader connected the court. You've played for six teams. What's Shaq's time 1 successful the locker room like?
It's for illustration watching immoderate penitentiary movie. On time 1 you person to fto them cognize who the badass is. The only clip I didn't do that was erstwhile I went to play pinch LeBron because he already had everything nether control. For each different locker room that I spell into, you cognize that I'm successful charge. And if you don't perceive to my ways verbally, I will person to put these hands connected you. And I've put hands connected a batch of players. I'm not going to opportunity who, but it's my measurement aliases the highway. And if you If you don't for illustration it, past you will get dealt pinch properly. You person to fto them cognize successful beforehand of everybody, "Hey man, sprout the shot 1 much clip and I'm going to punch you correct successful your face." And past if they travel down and sprout it? You sewage to punch him successful the face. Once they cognize you're serious, you summation control.
Related: Shaquille O'Neal Reveals His 3 Secrets to Success
Years agone I interviewed you successful person, stepping astir a promenade successful Florida. And it was astonishing to spot really group respond to you and really overmuch clip you springiness to people.
I emotion to spell retired to immoderate of my favourite spots, for illustration Best Buy aliases Wal-Mart, and receptor hustle. You cognize what that means? Ear hustle intends listening to people's conversations. So I was successful Walmart and I saw this small woman and her mom. So the woman was going, "Mom, I want this, I want this," and I could spot that the mom was trying to do her champion to get what she could afford. So everything that the small woman looked at, I conscionable waited down and past I conscionable grabbed it. So past erstwhile mom goes to salary for her stuff, I springiness her this cart afloat of stuff. I was for illustration "Here you go. You guys near this. This is free." She's like, "No, I can't return it." I was like, "Sorry it's paid for it, you person to." Then I told the small girl, I said, "Little baby, don't ever return worldly from strangers."
Not everyone who has the intends does worldly for illustration that.
My mother gave maine the top portion of proposal ever. And it's truthful simple. It costs you thing to beryllium nice. I americium who I am. You cognize who I am, but I don't person to ever propulsion it successful your face, right? Just beryllium nice. If you're nice, I'm nice. We unrecorded successful a crazy world wherever we request a full bunch of niceness.
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