The Business Leadership Podcast

JT: You have to choose a great
thought first, and then when you

combine that great thought with a
great action, that consistently done

rep after rep, set after set is what
actually creates better results.

Salli: You are listening to the Business
Leadership Podcast with Edwin Fondozo.

Edwin: Welcome to the
Business Leadership Podcast.

I'm your host, Edwin Fondo.

And on today's episode, I got
an opportunity to sit down

with a friend of mine, JT Sui.

He is currently serving as the human
Potential and success coach and the

Director of Sports with Football
Ontario, JT and I just knowing each.

For a number of years just within the
podcasting community here in Toronto.

So it's just an honor to have
him talk about his books, his

experience when it comes to being
great and the thought of greatness.

And in this episode we'll talk about how
success always leaves clues, how pain

and purpose comes from the same coin.

When great thoughts are consistently
paired with great actions, that

is when great results are created.

So here we go.

Welcome to the Business
Leadership Podcast, jt.

JT: Thanks for having me, brother.

I appreciate you inviting me in

Edwin: Jt, this is amazing.

This is a long time coming.

We've been in the same network
and in same sphere, in the same

geographical, and we've collaborated
a number of times and I'm so excited.

Just introduce yourself to the
listeners, to the community.

Tell us who you are.

We're not growing or leading,
businesses, athletes, different leaders.

JT: Yeah, my name's j t Sui
like all of your listeners.

I am just a human being that's having
a lived experience on this planet

and just learning to navigate the
ebbs and flows of the game of life.

I'm married to the love of
my life for over 12 years.

Alicia, I have two amazing, beautiful
kids that one of the great parts about

their journey since leaving the safe
and comfortable world of teaching is,

I've noticed them starting to express
more of who they are, more of what you

know, their quirks, more of what makes
them unique, which has been really cool.

What's really interesting in what you
said there would really hit home, aside

from all the different aspects of your
life and what's important was the fact

that the example that you showed to your
family and your kids from moving from a,

from teaching comfortable, a profession,
a career, To chasing your greatness or

chasing your journey or your, or who you
are, allowed them to express themselves.

Tell me how that makes you feel.

Or that evidence from that.

Yeah.

It's interesting, right?

And you mentioned it earlier,
like success always leaves clues.

And I'm a firm believer that you are
always creating your reality that whatever

your current results are in any area
of your life, health, relationships,

business, finances, is based on your
past thoughts and actions, right?

And again, it's learning
that it's not good or bad.

It's not positive or negative, it just is.

And where I've seen that is, looking
at it through my lived experience

here professionally, I was creating
a lot of success in education.

It was something I understood
consciously and unconsciously.

I understood how to play the game,
how to help and serve and how to get

people to where they wanted to go.

And again, it was creating
a lot of external success,

professionally, financially.

If we're talking wins
as a coach and teacher.

But it did come often at the
expense of my own wellness, right?

Long weeks, like 60, 70, 80, 90
hour weeks, like I'm sure some

of your listeners can appreciate.

And it came to the expense of, at times
my marriage, my relationship with my kids.

So it's been going through this
my own journey over the last

two and a half, three years.

By me truly.

And I always talk about
going all in, like truly.

Napoleon Hill talked about,
burning desire, burn the boats.

And as soon as I've learned that by
burning the boats on what was safe

and comfortable, it's allowed me to
better understand myself to develop.

And again, it's a daily
practice of true earned common

confidence in my own personal.

That I've been able to then bless my
kids with the space in order so they can

truly become truly calm and confident.

So what I'm just getting at here is
I, and this is something I learned

from a great mentor, you can only
give to others what you truly have.

So in order for my kids to be calm
and confident in their personal

life, I needed to be calm and
confident in my personal life first.

Edwin: One thing one thing that I'm.

and been really happy to watch JT within
your career over the last couple years is

when you came from the old world or life
number one, where you transitioned into a

leadership role now in Football Ontario.

What have you learned about yourself?

Taking on a whole different role?

JT: Yeah, no, that's a great question.

And one of the biggest lessons I've
learned is that pain and purpose, right?

Those are words like, pur purpose
gets thrown around a lot in the

personal growth, self-development,
self-actualization space.

And what I've really come to
learn is that pain and purpose.

Are the same coin, they're
just different sides of it.

And what I mean by that is that it was
only through going through some of that

pain, some of that physical that, so
that social, the mental, the emotional

pain of leaving the safe and comfortable
world, was I actually able to get

clarity on what my purpose was, right?

So again, it's learning to
embrace all parts of the.

And it's from there that I learned that
many of the principles that I had, to

some degree consciously others, that
unconsciously as I've studied, my own

lived experience as I've surrounded
myself with great coaches and mentors

and people such as yourself, them
like, okay, don't study what successful

people do, study how they think.

and I and it by doing that, that I've
learned actually, this is how you did it.

And from there, what I've learned
is the same principles that allowed

me to create a successful career in
education for 15 years are the same

principles that allow me to be a
successful dad, successful husband.

And now in that role, if we're
just talking from a football

Ontario lens as director, as
serving as a director of sport.

So it's just learning to recreate
and where, what that has allowed me

to do is create greater alignment
in my life because the person who

I'm showing up for as professionally
is the same in my personal life.

And again, that's ebbs and flows.

Some days I do it better than others, but
as I've learned to do that, I'm actually.

Effective and focused in the game of life.

Edwin: What do you say to those
children world just want to quit

because it's so hard for them, right?

What is the message that you or the
coaches that you work with, talk to

these children to see the type of
work that they need to get through,

even though they don't see the
advancements at in the present moment.

JT: I actually shared something on
social yesterday about this idea

of, in order to be quote unquote
successful you must start to drown out.

The outside, right?

You must drown out the
scoreboard the number in your

of zeros in your bank account.

The job times you need
to drown that stuff out.

And the only thing you really can
control really is the here and the now.

And I'll give you a sports analogy.

One of the things we did with our
football Ontario, our team Ontario,

our high performance program, was
we identified that what, where we.

To help and serve our athletes
was helping them to better

able to respond during times of
adversity, challenge and obstacles.

So we created this year through our
high performance fundamental program.

These are virtual sessions.

We created this next play mentality.

So again, it was some of these mental
skills training and what I often share

with our athletes, with our coaches,
even with, my high-end entrepreneur

clients, is this idea that the only thing
you can control is your next thought.

Like at the end of the day, free
will, the ability to choose your next.

And I often remind people that you have
to choose a great thought first, and

then when you combine that great thought
with a great action, that consistently

done rep after rep, set after set is
what actually creates better results.

So I find that simple idea,
and again it's a practice.

That.

Once you do that enough, then
you start to create some wins.

You start to create some momentum, right?

And then by doing that's what
actually helps people feel empowered.

Yeah.

.
Edwin: I'm curious to get your insight,
and this is real life parenting right now.

Yeah.

So my daughter's six years old
and she's uber competitive.

I could see it in her.

. She likes the winning of, she
likes the feeling of winning.

And she hates losing.

Yeah.

So the conversation I'm having
with her now is when you lose, you.

And the reason why you lose is
you learn how to pick up and win.

What are some of the things that
you've seen or maybe you've done in

your family or, advice you'd give
me to message to my daughter, like

about losing, because losing is life.

It's not life.

It's part of the game.

Yeah.

And as long as you don't.

Compare yourself.

I think I think it's to the spin
what you're saying right now.

JT: Yeah.

It's, I, and I love that, we're even
having that conversation, right?

Because you even, asking that question
to your daughter is great because it's

challenging her to stop and think.

And again, that ability
choose her next thought.

I'll share this with you.

One of, one of the blessings through this
journey has been . The irony is, and this

goes back to something my wife said to
me, where she challenged me in a loving.

And she said this to me a few years
ago, how is it that you have created

such great connection with hundreds,
if not thousands of young men, and you

struggle so much with your own son?

and and I, part of me didn't want to
hear it, but she was right at the time.

I was, and again, it wasn't that I was
doing the best I could based on my current

level of awareness, but it challenged me.

And from that, What I've learned is
really about this opportunity that

you can create it going forward.

So I'll share this story with you.

We found out, we get a call from school
the first day, and essentially my

daughter has left French immersion.

She's not at her homeschool.

They decided she's not getting a bus.

So as opposed to just, complaining,
blaming other people for, oh my

gosh, this is the worst world
we used as an opportunity to

drive our kids to school every.

So we have this five to seven
minute connection point.

So I offered that I'm gonna
drive 'em to school every day.

So on this car ride to school every day,
what I often, it's just about connecting.

It's a little carpool karaoke, right?

And then one of the questions I always
share with my kids, and I always

preface it by, remind them, I love you.

I'm proud of you.

I say it to my son, I
say it to my daughter.

That's a habit that, that we've created.

And then I always ask him,
what are you committing to?

And they always answer and they know this.

And then again, it's reps and sets.

They say, I'm going plus one.

And for us, plus one means giving
your best effort and attitude and just

reminding 'em that simple idea that.

It, it doesn't that's something you can't
measure on a scoreboard per se, but just,

even though I'm just saying I'm committed
to going plus one I'm committed to, my

best effort and attitude has allowed me
to slowly start to imprint on this idea

that at the end of the day, regardless
of what the scoreboard of life says,

that's the only thing I care about.

Have you given your best effort,
have you given your best attitude?

And if you can say yes to
those questions, that's all.

Mom and dad care.

Edwin: You wrote, you Are Greatness.

Tell me what had happened and
why releasing that book

last year was important to

JT: For me , I've always had
this creative side, right?

And it goes back to when I was six or.

And I remember still
writing for the book fair.

Some of maybe your listeners that
may be a little more seasoned in

the game of life, a little more
experience in terms of lived years.

Right?

Remember these book fairs?

And I remember just loving
the idea of writing.

But I remember my motivation
being this idea of I think I was

motivated to seek out the validation.

Like I wanted to be recognized for that.

Like I wanted to feel seen to
her, to feel appreciated, right?

And it's only been.

The last few years where I've
really started to acknowledge that.

And what happened is after a couple
years of doing it, there wasn't a

lot of external validation, which
again, is not right or wrong.

It just, that's where I was in my
growth journey developed that I

found that passion for sports sport
filled that void for many years.

And it wasn't until walking away
from teaching and coaching and

sport that creativity started to
need to get funneled in other.

So for me, the book was more about
allowing me to really create, cuz

I'm a firm believer here that I'm
here to do God's work and God's

work here is to create right again,
that, that's just my based on, on,

on what I believe is important.

And by I find that when I create, and
whether it's writing, whether it's

having these beautiful conversations
on your podcast, my podcast, whether

it's speaking, whether it's coaching
my clients, like my job here is to

create, and I found that the book
was simply a tool that I could

introduce some of these concept.

In a simplified version, cuz I
do feel like one of my gifts is

my ability to communicate bigger
concepts and really simplify them.

That's what education is, right?

Helping people understand right.

Simple calls to action.

And it was from that book where I
just wanted to share like these bite

size little stories, these lived
experience from mind and be able to

give people some tools that they could
use on their journey to greatness.

So that was the inspiration behind it.

and the really cool part, and I'll
just share what's really on my

heart is it's been great to see
some clients that are educators.

Start to bring these and start
working them with young people because

there's a part of me that just feels
young people are future, they're

our future business leaders, right?

The sooner we get them, these
have around these ideas, right?

The greater this world's gonna be

Edwin: I'm curious for someone who is
always looking for bettering myself,

whether it's getting into flow or getting
more productive or really staying and

focused, what are you doing JT now?

To allow you to get more done.

As well as, like you said, living that
livid experience with your family and

doing things that, that brings you joy.

JT: I'll be the first to say.

It's definitely been a
journey the last few years.

Like when I first really dove
deep into personal growth and self

development in 2016 it looked different.

So for me, my first journey was
actually getting a morning workout.

Before, wake up a little bit earlier,
getting a morning workout in before work.

And for me, again, being an
a high level athlete coach.

Getting physical, I think was
the way that sort of brought

order to, my mind and body.

Over again, I start to
integrate different practices.

Again, this is, it's
been a journey, right?

Start to integrate, the mindfulness.

Where now for me, my day always
starts with daily, , right?

So again, I am constantly looking.

I write a lot, right?

So again my, my daily blessings
where I write 10 things that I

feel blessed for then it's also
reading and studying a book, right?

That I've, whatever's on my heart
right now it's a spirituality piece and

then it's going through affirmations
and then so for me, what I'm getting

at, it's really just things that
connect me to the here and the now.

and I find when I'm really
connected to the here and now, that

to me is flow when you can just
literally stop and smell the roses.

Edwin: I love it.

Thank you for sharing.

Before we end, I'd love to get
some final thoughts, observations.

Ideally, I'm always looking for some
type of actionable recommendation

that we could give to the business
leaders, the entrepreneurs,

the creators who are listening.

JT: Yeah.

So I'm curious and here's a question I
would have for you based on, again, you

have lots of conversations with, with
leaders with hi, big picture thinkers.

What from those conversations have
been something that you feel people

have been struggling with recently?

Edwin: I thi I think we, we
talked about it a bit, but we're.

We're in a time where mindfulness
is already in popular culture.

Let's see.

, , anyone and everyone who has
a platform talks about it.

. , but the challenge and the conversations
and the people are still struggling

is to find that purpose or that
passion, which that you talked about.

. But sometimes to get it, you
have to go through the dark.

The dark alleys.

, you have to lock it.

You have to be upfront
and you have to face that.

And I think.

That is the challenge for any business
leader, whether they're successful

or making a transition, is yeah,
you wanna live today plus one.

. , but how could I know that the plus one is
heading me to my passion and my purpose?

So that's the conversations.

I'm always getting a nugget for it.

I'm always learning, right?

. So that's definitely what, and I love how
you as a podcaster turn that around to me.

So yeah,

.
JT: And it was interesting, right?

Because again I think the intention behind
the question was like, like you've shared

numerous times, our world is designed and.

Our tech driven world, our social
media driven world has said,

Hey, these are the hundred things
you can do to get into flow.

Where, as you said what's,
what resonates with you?

For me I'm in a big space right now
where, I think probably many of your

listeners are people like us, right?

They're ambitious, they're driven.

They're coachable.

Like they'll get up and get after, right?

It's not a question of doing the work.

They know how to do that.

What I have found, and again, from
my lived experience working, the

athletes, the coaches, entrepreneurs
I work with, it's this idea of

it's harnessing that ambition,
that drive, that open-mindedness.

So what I would encourage them to do is
preface a question of what brings you joy?

What is that one practice you could do
today that just allows you to immerse

yourself, to lose yourself in the moment?

I go back to this idea of sharing with
one of my clients of what brings a

sense of play, a sense of exploration,
a sense of discovery of just this

beautiful journey we call life.

And just go all in on that.

And what I have found there is it might.

Going out with a friend for lunch, like
I did yesterday, it might be sitting down

for a great coffee and doing some writing.

Might be going for a run, might
be going out with your family

for a beautiful dinner out.

And that was my day yesterday.

And again, I tell people this, not
to impress you, but to impress on you

that the more you connect to your.

You'll get this greater
sense of peace in your life.

And that's really at the end of the
day, what we're all after, right?

Is to have that greater sense of peace.

So that's what I would share.

Edwin: It's been an awesome pleasure
just spending this time with you.

Thank you for joining us on the
Business Leadership Podcast.

JT: Thanks, brother.

Appreciate it.

Thanks.

Edwin: That's it.

Biz Leaders.

Thank you for joining me on
another episode of the Business

Leadership Podcast with JT Sui.

This is episode number 1 65.

This was just such a great conversation.

I could have gone on.

With JT for a long time.

But what really hit home for me was
when he was talking about choosing

a great thought first, you can't
stop by choosing a great thought.

You have to continue it with great action.

And when you consistently show up day
after day, rep after rep, set after set,

that's when it becomes greater results.

So what is the great thought that is
coming through your mind right now?

What is the action?

No.

What is the great action
that you need to do?

And consistently do to create the
better results within your life,

your business, your leadership.

If you have any questions, any thoughts,
any comments, I'd love to hear from

you, definitely leave a comment on the
podcast network that you're listening to.

I constantly look and read
these comments and I'll read.

On a future episode, but I
am super grateful for those

who have not done so yet.

Please subscribe, rate, and do leave a
comment or two or three on the podcast

network that you're listening to today.

Until next time, do your
best and have a 100 X day.

Salli: Thank you for listening
to the Business Leadership

Podcast with Edwin Frondozo.