As a Man Thinketh with Tyler Johnson

My guest is Tyler Aaron Johnson. He’s a former Division I student-athlete at Nicholls State University. He played a big role on a defensive front that led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss in 2017 & 2018. In Tyler’s senior season, they won the 2018 Southland Conference Championship!

Tyler & I first met when I was invited to speak to their football team in 2018. Since then, he’s become part of my one-on-one coaching program, which he says has provided invaluable insight on his journey to F.I.R.E (Financial Independence, Retire Early).

He’s a recent grad of Medical Sales College in Dallas, TX. And in recent weeks, he’s landed a job in the cardiac division of an industry-leading company.

How ’bout that? Just landed his first “real-world” job and already he’s fully aware of FIRE.

Don’t bet against this dude getting to FIRE. Fast. He’ll continue to keep his expenses low even once big paychecks start rolling in. That’s when he’ll start saving & investing a large portion of his income.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of “not letting a bad play boil over into a bad day.” It’s a quote he got from a good football coach. He said coaches will scold you for a bad play, but they did not want you to let a bad play roll over into the next play.

Tangentially, Tyler says just because you’re not doing well in one aspect of life doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means you have something you need to work on. So keep persisting, be diligent, and compartmentalize.

We also discuss the peace that comes from finding joy (vs. chasing happiness). Tyler says happiness is important, but it’s a fleeting emotion based on where you are and who’s around you at the time.

Joy, on the other hand, is a state of being. It’s knowing your good days are going to be better than your bad days. He believes living with this disposition comes from God, and says other people call it “zen.” Tyler also believes, “It’s something you can definitely work toward.”

Excellent discussion with a young guest I’m proud to mentor. Hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!

Questions asked:

What’s it like growing up in small town like Napoleonville, Louisiana?
Did you go to church on your own once you were able to drive?
Does your lineage go way back in that part of the country?
What prompted your grandma to talk about integration & how it killed the black economy?
Does she [grandma] have strong opinions on race relations today?
Were you raised to believe that you live in a racist society?
Did you play multiple sports in high school?
Was the defensive line position in football chosen for you or did you choose that position?
Were you a standout player? Were you highly recruited?
What was it like playing in front of around 105,000 people at Texas A&M?
What do your buddies think about this self-development quest that you’re on?
Have you thought about incentivizing your book club to maintain the group?
How does the quote “Don’t let a bad play turn into a bad day” become internalized & benefit you in other aspects of your life?
Do you think joy and happiness are the same thing?
Do you have any micro-habits that help to cultivate joy in your life?
What did you decide to do next after playing college football & finishing your degree?
Were you devastated that you didn’t get a shot to play pro football?
Why medical sales & how did you end up in Dallas?
Did you have to go into debt to go to school?
Is Allied Health a 4-year program at Nicholls State University?
Did you know you were going to be in sales in some capacity?
Did you feel like living in a small town & one of America’s biggest cities has given you a different perspective on American society?
What did your father’s average day look like?
Do you see race relations in America getting better or worse?
[Question to Brad] The most beautiful sunset/sunrise you’ve seen?
[Question to Brad] How would you compare the Costa Rican sunset to that of Thibodaux, Louisiana?

Fun questions:

Is social media net positive or net negative for society?
Who / what was the coolest celebrity encounter you’ve ever had?
If you could spend 2 weeks anywhere in the world & money were no object, where would you go?
Let’s say you’re a Jeopardy contestant & all 3 contestants are tied at $10,000. As you enter Final Jeopardy, you’re given 2 rounds – I’ll choose the category for the 1st round while you choose the 2nd round. And so, the category for the first round is: Heisman Trophy winners – how much are you waging?
[Final Jeopardy Question] Back during the Tecmo Bowl days, the Oakland Raiders had 3 offensive players who won the Heisman Trophy – who were they?
If you were given an opportunity to have lunch with Drew Brees for $5,000 or Jameis Winston for $1,200, who are you [going to lunch with]?
What’s your favorite baseball/basketball/football card that you’ve ever owned?
If you owned 100 Bitcoin today, would you sell any of it?
If I gave you $100,000 and told you to invest it for 10 years in either Bitcoin or Apple stock – that means selling whatever you purchased on October 31, 2031 – where are you investing the money?
The first person that comes to mind when I say, “funniest man alive?”
The first person that comes to mind when I say, “I want to be successful like him?”
Overrate/Underrated: Aaron Rodgers, Alan Faneca, Adam Sandler, Dave Portnoy, Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark
If you could ask Stuart Scott one question about life, what would it be?
You’re hosting a dinner party at your house & money is not an issue. Are you having 4, 6, or 12 guests?
Let’s say 4 years from now, you’re making $175,000 & you’re ready to buy a house & interest rates are what they are currently. What kind of car will you be driving?
If I gave you $100,000 and forced you to invest it in one of 3 companies – Spotify, Airbnb, or Netflix – where would you put the money?
At what age would you marry the girl of your dreams [if you could pick an age]?