You don’t have to make perfect grades to be successful. Your GPA is not indicative of your work ethic or your ability to create a thriving career. Brian Levenson and I are chatting all about this and more as he shares his journey to high performance coaching and creating Strong Skills.    Brian had a very fortunate upbringing. He was able to take opportunities to explore his passions and learn about his intrinsic values early on. That was part of the reason that college was a tad difficult for him. He knew what he wanted to do but not necessarily how to translate that into a college degree.    His ultimate goal has always been to help others. He wanted to help people see their potential and figure out ways that they could actually reach it. He’s always been very passionate about their being equal opportunities available to all and one of the ways to even the playing field is to help others realize that they should be in the game.    Listen as we chat about his college career, why agility is so important, and when he started his company Strong Skills. This is a pretty deep conversation so be prepared to take notes and really soak in everything Brian shares. Then stay tuned for part 2.    In this episode: [00:57] Welcome to the show, Brian! [01:30] He shares a little about some teams and people he’s been fortunate to work with. [04:17] Listen as he discusses why he pursued a sociology class in college. [08:46] Brian talks about speaking up and when helping kids go to college became so important. [12:09] He took classes in college that interested him, but he really didn’t like the electives that were available. [14:26] He shares what he did once he graduated from college. [19:35] He talks about the appeal to him for working with a candy company. [25:19] Brian speaks about his wife and not knowing where he’d be if he hadn’t met her. [27:31] He discusses the application process for grad school. [31:16] Having good grades isn’t always indicative of how you will do in your career. [35:45] I share why I believe being a straight-A student hasn’t always served me. [38:19] I talk about struggling through Covid. [39:38] Brian hates the pandemic, and he believes it is a test of agility. [41:41] A great aspect of therapy is finding out who you are. [42:07] He shares what his internship was like in the sports psychology program. [44:06] He discusses when he started his company, Strong Skills. [46:13] Listen next week for part 2 of this amazing interview.   Links and Resources: Connect with Brian: Strong Skills Shift Your Mind: 9 Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance   Connect with Siobhan:  Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call   Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!