Be the coffee bean.
That’s how Jalen Hurts, the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, approaches leadership.
“I think you’ve got to try to be the coffee bean,” Hurts said during his days at Oklahoma. “When I say coffee bean … you’ve got the carrot, the egg. You put an egg in boiling water, it hardens up. … The carrot softens up. The coffee bean spreads and gets stronger and impacts the people around you. You try to be that coffee bean.”
This isn’t just talk either — or a nice quote.
Hurts backs it up no matter where is.
And no matter what the situation is.
Demoted after going 26 – 2 as a starter for Alabama.
Then, demoted again to serve as Carson Wentz’s backup when the Eagles drafted him.
Still, he focused on being that coffee bean.
On getting stronger — and building others up in the process.
“The number one thing that I’ve always felt was important for me to do,” he said in an article for Pro Football Network, “Is just really go when I go into these new situations, transfer from school to school, going into the NFL locker room, or whatever it is, I think it’s important I want to respect the people, your peers, by what you do.”
That concept goes beyond the football field for Hurts as well.
He took a chance on his agent, Nicole Lynn.
That’s after she took a chance—sending Hurts a DM on Instagram in a “Hail Mary” attempt to arrange a meeting.
It worked. And they bonded.
On their first face-to-face chat, Hurts told Sports Illustrated:
“She said, ‘I’m a woman. People are going to overlook me. People are going to doubt me. They’re not going to give me the due respect. But I’m overcoming it, just like you do.’ And that’s where we really hit it off. We had the same vision.”
Overcoming adversity. Lifting others up. Pushing the envelope.
These are the things great leaders do.
It’s also something great brands do as well.
Now, it’s time for some coffee.
Lesson 3: Lift Others Up—And Be Your Own Customer Avatar
Your brand is not about you.
I’m going to be telling you this a lot.
If you think it’s about you—you have already lost.
No. Your brand is about your customers.
You serve other people by the product you offer or the service you provide.
Think about why Hurts and Lynn bonded.
They found commonality because they identified a spark — a hunger — inside each other.
It resonated — and it sounds like they have a great relationship as a result.
Then again, who could argue about a five-year, $255 million contract (with $179.3 million guaranteed)?
Still, they were both rising stars who found mutual respect for what they do.
That’s what you need to do with your clients and customers.
Find what ties you together — and form a relationship.
How?
Well, the best way I found is to use yourself as your customer avatar.
That’s what I did with Run The Money. I used myself as a 30-something father, with a wife, and young children.
I wrote for and approached personal finance matters with my “Dave” profile in mind.
I invite you to do the same.
Be bold like Lynn and lead like Hurts.
Find others like you — and connect.