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Making the choice to succeed is what has guided Aaron Golub from a young age. He was born with no vision in his right eye and limited vision in the left one, but he didn’t want this to limit his potential. On the contrary, he decided that he never wanted to settle with being average and that he needed to achieve something greater.

That’s how he became the first legally blind athlete to play football in a Division 1 game when he was at Tulane University, and he’s used the same grit and determination to make his way into the world of finance.

From NFL Free Agent to Speaker & Financial Advisor

Aaron Golub literally made history with him playing football in a Division 1 game, and he later went on to become an NFL free agent. Aaron now had now accumulated lots of knowledge and experiences, and that’s when he decided to become a speaker to help others and positively impacting their lives by sharing his story.

He’s now using the same desire of helping others as a Financial Advisor at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. where he helps entrepreneurs, executives, individuals, and families, to grow their wealth.

And now here’s Aaron Golub.

Full transcript below

Video on Making the Choice to Succeed.

Video on Aaron Golub’s Story

Visit AaronGolub.com To Know More About His Story

Connect With Aaron Golub on LinkedIn

Check Out Oppenheimer, the Company for Which Aaron Is Working as a Financial Advisor

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Podcast with Aaron Golub. Making the Choice to Succeed.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

people, speakers, play, podcast, aaron, snapping, speaking, talk, goal, camp, harder, book, football, long, learn, high school, finance, thinking, business, division

SPEAKERS

Mike Malatesta, Aaron Golub

Mike Malatesta  00:09

Hey Aaron, welcome to the podcast.

Aaron Golub  00:30

Thanks so much for having me. Great to be here with you today.

Mike Malatesta  00:33

I, I became aware of a veteran, through Jeff Lopes, so Jeff and I got introduced to Jeff by Chris Ross, actually I think he was on your podcast Aaron.

Aaron Golub  00:49

Both connections of ours and both very good friends of mine as well,

Mike Malatesta  00:53

yeah okay yeah both guys so, um, So I had Jeff and Jeff on my podcast and he’s like a lot of podcasters do is okay, you know, is there somebody that you’re looking for and I told him, You know the kind of person I want to talk to and first person off the top of his head was, was you. And so, and I have a lot of regard for Jeff he really knows what he’s doing and I know you do as well, maybe we’ll talk a little bit about that but, but I got right on it got hooked up with Aaron on LinkedIn and then here we are. So, I’m so happy to have you here and listeners are in for quite as quite a How’d it happen story today So Erin start every one of my shows with a simple question, that is, how did happen for you.

Aaron Golub  01:40

Yeah, no I think for me it was making the choice to succeed, and the choice to achieve things that are greater than myself and so well background on me. I became the first legally blind to be on athletes playing a game when I played football to a university, went on to become a team captain and NFL free agent, and now my norm speaker, and, you know, it was just choosing an early age that I want to accomplish great things I want to want to be average.

Mike Malatesta  02:12

And what I guess there’s a lot there, but I want to guess I want to start. How old were you when you remember thinking that you know you wanted to make a conscious decision to succeed.

Aaron Golub  02:29

You know, probably 15 sophomore year of high school was when I started really pursuing and playing division one football and that’s when I think I really made a shift in my life to be able to do that.

Mike Malatesta  02:42

And tell us about the shift what happened.

Aaron Golub  02:45

Yeah so sophomore in high school, I was a third stringed University, offensive, defensive lineman and I wanted to play in college I want to play division one, and I had to do a couple of things first take a look at my situation and say, you know from where I am. How can I get there. And the first step was being an offensive, defensive lineman I’m not gonna make it there. But, is there another way, another position another skill set that I can learn or get better at to make it there, and I fell in love with something, and I figured that if I got good enough at longstanding. I might have an opportunity. The second fact versus the second part of it was, I need to be the hardest working person in the room. Wherever I go, You know I need to work 10 times harder than everyone else, just to be as good as them. And so I would wake up at 5am Every day practicing snapping, go to school, go to practice lift weights, go home, do homework repeat, essentially, and that was my wife for the next few years because I knew what I had to do to make that dream happen.

Mike Malatesta  03:46

So, I have to take up, I forgot to hit the record button I’m so sorry, I’ve done this once before, so I’m glad I saw it when we were just writing, could you mind if we start over real quick, that’s fine I’m so sorry. Have you ever done that.

04:03

Please.

Aaron Golub  04:06

Sure, honestly. Okay, everybody happens out.

Mike Malatesta  04:09

Okay okay okay we’re gonna go again So too many buttons to hit I’m sorry So, three, it’ll be better be different this time so 321 Hey, and welcome to the podcast.

Aaron Golub  04:24

Thanks so much for having me.

Mike Malatesta  04:25

So I met Aaron through Jeff Lopes, and Jeff has a great podcast because called Jeff knows, Inc. Please is what it is. And Aaron actually has a great podcast called blind ambition, which I’ve listened to several times and I think you’re doing, he gets really great gas he’s doing a really really super fabulous job with it so check that out by the ambition. But anyway, Jeff. Jeff and I got connected and then he was asking me, you know, if I wanted. Anybody from his show to come on mine and the first person that that he thought of was, was Aaron and I choose, I heard Aaron’s story, and then had the opportunity to talk to him briefly last week, and he was willing, I was like yeah let’s get on Let’s share this story So Aaron, thank you so much for joining me. I start every one of my podcasts with the same simple question How did it happen for you.

Aaron Golub  05:22

Yeah, I think it was just making the choice to succeed and to to achieve things that are greater than myself, you know, I decided at a young age that I never wanted to be average I never wanted to be normal, you know, a little background on myself, I became the first legally blind division one athlete to play a game when I put football to a university, went on to become a team captain and an NFL free agent, and now an entrepreneur and a speaker and you know just was making that choice to, to do whatever I could to be one of the top performers and everything that I go after.

Mike Malatesta  05:55

And when was it that you sort of made this choice to succeed or not want to be average. Do you remember when that started and why.

Aaron Golub  06:08

Yeah, it was it was soccer in high school I was pro 15 And I, you know, wanted to start varsity and want to play college football. At that time I was a third string Junior Varsity offensive, defensive lineman and I was sick of it. I want to accomplish things that were greater. And, you know, from that it was a couple things, making the decision of laying out the positions that I am right now, there’s no way I could buy division one sports, and I had to find the best fit for me and so I found long snapper, like I said if I get good enough at this then I might have an opportunity, and the second factor was, I need to work 10 times harder than everyone else to be as good as them. And because of that, I had to do whatever it took to pose for me wake up at 5am Every day practicing long snapper, going to school, going, Governor practice lifting weights going on during normal and repeating every single day for the next several years because I knew what I had to do to to accomplish my goals.

Mike Malatesta  07:06

And when did it. Well, let me go back first to when you started playing. So as I as I think I read you started playing football in seventh grade, and I, for five or six years I was a seventh and eighth grade, football coach. So I’m, I’m, I’m wondering a couple of things one, what was it like for your family to hear, and say, oh, you know, by the way, I think I want to go out for. I play football, because you’ve been blind or legally blind since birth right so it’s not like something that’s developed along the way. And then second, I guess, how were you received. What did they know what to do with you.

Aaron Golub  07:57

Yeah, no I mean first off obviously my parents were nervous but I played sports my entire life, you know, whether it be, basketball, baseball, street hockey, like whatever I mean it doesn’t it didn’t, I wasn’t necessarily good academic Tunja sports my entire life. Now obviously football is different it’s it’s contact, but, you know, my parents were willing to let me play and you know I wasn’t going to be a wide receiver and rolling down the field and catching the ball and just couldn’t see it, but for me. At first I started that offense and defensive line is where we found a good fit for me. And it didn’t matter if I was good or not because in seventh and eighth grade, it’s about learning the game being a part of a team and developing the skills, you know, obviously you want to start and you want to play but realistically, it’s about improving and learning and being a part of that team and so, you know, I think my coaches were willing to work with me, they’re willing to do whatever they could to help me be a part of that and get better and, you know, that’s, that’s what it was like at that age and I think that’s what it’s like for everyone at that age.

Mike Malatesta  08:56

Yeah I think that’s a great statement because a lot of kids at that age, at least in my experience that come to play football, they’re not really sure about anything, they’re not sure whether they want to play, they’re not sure whether they want to get hit, they’re not sure whether they want to do the conditioning or not sure, you know, and on and on and on and on but all these things are not sure about So, so I like the way you drew the distinction too. You know that’s not really different no matter.

Aaron Golub  09:26

Yeah, what do you get you get the occasional kid and you see this I’m sure I had a lot of friends who I played with that too and who were in the circumstance where you get like an eighth grader who’s on varsity or something, but most of the time that doesn’t happen, and because of that, you’re able to really go work in a game at that age.

Mike Malatesta  09:45

So by the time you got to your sophomore year. When did it become clear or how did it become clear to you. And maybe it was being a backup on the JV that. How did it become clear to you that you want to continue to play this game, but you’re not going to be able to play it or have your best chance. Unless you focused, like, like you ended up doing on long snapping and for those of you who don’t know what long slapping is maybe you should explain that as well.

Aaron Golub  10:13

Yeah. No, first off, long snapping I’m the guy on quantum field goals who throw the ball between my legs back to the punter or to the holder on field goals and then if the block person in front of me but, you know, I, I think I just wanted to, I realized that I’d love to play, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it in my current situation, and I was sick of not actually playing. And I think that I had that internal drive to say, I know what I can do I know I want to play so I’ll just go out there and figure it out, and force myself to be able to play Central.

Mike Malatesta  10:52

Okay. And when you did when you made that decision had you been long snapping already or was it something that you just,

Aaron Golub  10:59

I never had done it before. Okay, yeah, I was a senator and defensive tackle but I didn’t do more exempting for volunteer field goals and so it was something where I had to immediately start

Mike Malatesta  11:10

learning. And how did you get started with it because again, in my experience a lot of coaches at that level high school level. They kind of expect somebody to come along and be able to learn snap, as opposed to being able to teach somebody too long, too long snap so I’m wondering maybe that wasn’t your experience, I don’t know.

Aaron Golub  11:29

No, I didn’t rely on my coaches at all. They, you know, great in some ways but in a lot of ways but for teaching me how to do that that wasn’t who I wanted and so my dad. First off, practice every single day he’d come with me at 5am Every single morning and we practice napping. So, a lot of props to him, but we went to camps called Rubio long snapping and I learned from them and was able to, you know, in between those camps, I didn’t go them over a week, obviously it was a couple times a year ago, in between them I have approximately dad but those were about developing and then getting nationally ranked and eventually I worked my way up the rankings and that’s really how I got noticed for college.

Mike Malatesta  12:08

I felt really inadequate dumb when I was doing the research for this and I read about the Rubio camp because I, you know I’m very familiar with, with, you know receiver camps and quarterback camps and all these different types of specialty camps but I was not even aware there was a bunk snapping camp.

Aaron Golub  12:26

Yeah, no it’s just kicking and punting and long snapping so it’s partnered with Chris Sailer kicking just kicking and punting and he just along snapping and it’s you know it’s phenomenal. It’s, it’s, but Tom graduated I think I was like, I don’t remember he I know it was number one Massachusetts I was in the top 20 or 30 in the country but it was phenomenal. I mean I learned, I learned a ton, and great, great atmosphere, it was, it was really important in a great place for me to learn,

Mike Malatesta  12:53

and was the Rubio camp. Traveling camp that came to the Boston area or wherever you were growing up

Aaron Golub  12:58

it was all over the country. So, you know, there was one Boston I went to there were several other places in the country I went to, you know, it was, it was different areas.

Mike Malatesta  13:06

So what was it like when you showed up at those camps because I’m thinking that I don’t know I mean I’m thinking that the people who came there, you know, would think they had a big advantage over you, but I don’t know what what was it like when you first showed up.

Aaron Golub  13:25

The first time I went to a camp I was horrible. I thought I was gonna be good and I was terrible. And there’s still video online somewhere of me snapping the ball wherever a partner said, and in from there was okay I got to work even harder to figure it out. And, you know, it just, it’s about improving every single time and every time we went back I got ranked higher and higher and higher until eventually I was one of the top kids at the camps that I went to and that’s that’s really how I got noticed and how I developed and it’s really about whether, whether you’re at a camp like that whether you’re on team whether you’re in a company, whether you’re in any situations about earning respect, and the only way to earn respect is to put in the work when no one else is looking good so you know if I go to a camp and six months later I go back and I’m barely any better I’m still just the same. Obviously I’m not going to need your specter I’m not going to be thought of any differently because I didn’t get better but if I go back six months later, and 100 times better and my snaps are really much better. Of course I’m going to earn people’s respect because they clearly put in the work together.

Mike Malatesta  14:28

And when you first showed up, you said you expected to be good was that because of the work that you’d been doing with your, with your

Aaron Golub  14:34

dad. I thought I thought I was going to be good or, you know I put in a lot of work and I had, but I think I just didn’t realize how tough the rest of the competition was or how good of all the other people were. And, you know, that’s fine, but I quickly learned that I need to work even harder and do whatever else I could to, to get there.

Mike Malatesta  14:57

And just to give people a sense of what getting better at that means, for anybody. Is there is a time the amount of time it takes for the ball to get back or what are the metrics that are used for you to sort of rank yourself or be ranked.

Aaron Golub  15:14

Yeah I mean it’s a lot, it’s part of it’s the speed of the snap. So how fast if you go from you to the foreigner, part of it’s a lot of its accuracy, you know, can you put it in the same spot 10 snaps in a row or is every snap a different part of, part of it’s your ability to block your, you know the size of the long snapper, there’s a whole different a lot of different aspects to it but you know a lot of the main ones are the accuracy and the speed of the ball.

Mike Malatesta  15:37

And is it more difficult. I’m sorry to ask you so many questions about I’m just curious, is it more difficult to snap for an extra point then upon it or is it the same, or

Aaron Golub  15:51

I mean country definitely harder, harder, because it’s further by so, yeah, I mean obviously when you get good at down meters are our Harvard it’s kind of accepted nature, but during the beginning obviously pointer points are harder.

Mike Malatesta  16:03

Okay, I was I watched some videos of you doing it and I thought to myself, again as I’ve coached but we never really coached the long snapper and I just, just from watching the video I could tell how much technique there is about like the way your body, the movement of the body backward when you snap it and just all this other cool stuff that I had never really paid attention to and you don’t notice it in a game so much because they don’t you know have the camera on the long snapper, specifically, usually, unless it’s goes over someone’s head, and then they make a point of, of doing. Okay, so what. So, once you started long snapping Did you just focus on football at that point where, because you had mentioned doing a lot of other sports, what were your other

Aaron Golub  16:49

I yeah I mean I didn’t play any sports in high school. Besides football, but I mean I played a lot of other sports as a little kid, you know, whether it be like a little league baseball or like played on my own but nothing really competitive.

Mike Malatesta  17:02

Okay, what about the rest of your high school experience outside of football. So, would you consider it to be who you went to a regular high school, I’m assuming. Yeah, yeah, okay,

Aaron Golub  17:13

yeah knows, normal, normal high school experience, same as anyone else it was a no, no, no really different at all.

Mike Malatesta  17:20

Yeah, nice. So then you become really good, and you have an opportunity to be recruited at Division One schools I think Illinois and to Wayne, if I recall correctly.

17:37

So what’s,

Mike Malatesta  17:40

what’s going through your mind and what did you, what, what’s going through their minds when you’re talking to the coach what kind of feedback are you getting this is before you make a decision of what are you looking at from the university and the playing and all that that you know are going into your decision making process, or there’s for that matter.

Aaron Golub  17:57

I mean, I guess, to take a step back. Yes, those are the two Division One schools I offers from but I contacted every single school in the country, and most schools had no interest or said no or didn’t have activity. And those were the ones that had some interest and were interested in one meter to play there and you know it was about fun in the school that was the best fit for me. And one of my coaches and someone who I look up to gave me some very good advice and that was, you know, if, God forbid you get hurt, or something happens you can play anymore, pick a school that you enjoy being a student at, and you’d love to actually be, and that was to to notice just a better fit for me whether it was playing or not and that’s what I picked it.

Mike Malatesta  18:40

Okay. And so tell me more about this, you know, contacting every school what, how did you contact them, what was your process, what,

Aaron Golub  18:50

how did you, it was like it was like I was in business and cold email cold call, cold show up at some of the campuses like it was, I was essentially prospecting.

Mike Malatesta  19:02

Would you. Were you one and done, Aaron or were you multiple times or did you have like a tier one, tier two,

Aaron Golub  19:08

tier three. Think of it as a business you know if you send someone who you want to work with an email, they don’t respond. Just give up right there you’re gonna summon for more emails over the next seven months. And if they don’t respond after that then you cross them off the list but yeah it was it was a lot of outreach and when someone either said no or didn’t respond a certain number of times, then I would cross my thoughts. Okay,

Mike Malatesta  19:33

well I guess. Did you cheat, did you look at, you know d two or d3 schools or were you just

19:39

not really I was

Aaron Golub  19:40

I looked at them. Okay, I looked at a couple because my dad told me to just in case you never know and, you know, from his perspective that’s good advice but my perspective was. And honestly, I was very stubborn. I said I want to play division one football at no interest at the other level. You know there’s nothing wrong with any other waffle, I had no interest.

Mike Malatesta  20:00

So if you hadn’t found schools that would take you, you wouldn’t have played you’re saying, or you don’t.

Aaron Golub  20:07

I just had so much confidence that I would that didn’t matter, you know, my opinion is the best plan B is Plan A, like don’t, I, I never have a plan beat out anything I do, we just, I knew I’d figure it out, and that’s that’s what happened.

Mike Malatesta  20:21

We call that burning the boats right so you know, there’s no, there’s no there’s no temptation to look back, you

Aaron Golub  20:29

can make a decision just go with it.

Mike Malatesta  20:33

And when you made your decision to go to, to Wayne. Was it a definite that you were going to play or what was the situation, like,

Aaron Golub  20:44

Yeah I mean I was definitely, I have a definite spot on the team I had no idea if I would ever be able to play or not and just, you have to earn, earn your way to actually get playing time once you’re there, and I went into it with that mentality of I was the bottom of the totem pole, and I had to earn every, every second.

Mike Malatesta  21:02

Did you feel like you were, you know, an accepted part of the team from the time you showed up what was the environment like for you.

Aaron Golub  21:11

Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think that’s one of the greatest things about playing college or you walk on campus, you have a ton of other friends immediately, it was, it was a great experience. You know, we’re all striving for a common goal and cultures together and so there’s a great environment around me.

Mike Malatesta  21:27

Then what was the what was the tipping point, what was the what and when was the point where you not only knew you’d be on the team, but you’d be a contributor and starter.

Aaron Golub  21:40

Yeah, I mean, during my sophomore year I played for the first time. I just had been putting in a lot of work and my coaches have been noticing and I knew that sooner or later I was going to get knocked into me and then in a game, you know that we were thinking up pretty big. I coach said you know you’re gonna do the rest of the second half snaps and I did them and, you know, that was the first time that I got on the field and was able to progress.

Mike Malatesta  22:05

And the teammate that was long snapping at the time was he, older, younger, what was the what was the replacement sort

Aaron Golub  22:14

of at the time it was older, you know, it’s, it’s, it was the same thing with every everyone else you know it’s. If a quarterback a backup quarterback is doing really well in practice and putting in a lot of time if you know you’re up by 30 points in the third quarter, you’re probably going to give your back, backups in the opportunity to show themselves and see what they can do and that’s what my opportunity was,

Mike Malatesta  22:36

and work, and it’s also a good football as well. Most sports are but football is really good at, you know you really. It is a competition, the best player, usually wins, right, that mean. So, whether you’ve been on the team for four years or your first year player, nothing’s written in stone, you’re not, you’re not, you’re not guaranteed a spot, you know, you have to compete for it. That’s what I love about about well maybe a lot of sports are like that, but I haven’t been a coach that’s what I like football is where I focus too. So your next goal, I think, besides graduating, was to, to be in the NFL, or one of your next goals was to be in the NFL. When did that, when did that become a goal.

Aaron Golub  23:25

Yeah, when I was done playing my senior year I just wanted to keep going and train for my pro day, I didn’t productive very well, and talk to some teams and it was going but not going along as quickly as I would have liked, you know, with long snappers in the NFL, there’s one of our team so there’s 32 Guys, there’s not any backups and because of that if a guy doesn’t get hurt or screw up, they’re not gonna replace them. And so it’s a lot harder to get in, you know, long snapper or kicker than as an offensive lineman or wide receiver, and there’s just lost spots. And so, too, wasn’t going as quickly as I would have liked and I had other opportunities that I want to pursue after football anyways and, you know, it wasn’t quitting, in my opinion it was taking a pivot and pursuing other dreams that I have.

Mike Malatesta  24:10

And we’re, you know, I’m gonna I was gonna ask Were you disappointed but I think I can I know the answer to that but what, what, so did is probably not the case where you can just cold call, email everybody in the pros right you have to become like what, how diligently did you go after it, I guess it was because you explained that your college thing was really, it was really diligent.

Aaron Golub  24:37

Yeah, You know it was a different, a different kind of structure. I did my proto and talk to teams after that and kept in touch with a few people but it’s a very different process, you can’t really go after them they have to come to you in certain extents and I have some interactions and it just, I had other opportunities on the table that I want to go for, and that’s what I did.

Mike Malatesta  25:03

Okay. And outside of football your college experience was. Were you in a fraternity or were you what was, what was your life like outside of off the, off the field.

Aaron Golub  25:13

So I didn’t join a fraternity, it was just, I made a decision that it was going to be too much for football, but you know I had a fantastic college experience, you know, socially, in school, every aspect, it was, it was amazing.

Mike Malatesta  25:26

And the other opportunities that you were, had available to pursue what were you, I know you went to school for business and finance, I think, or was that the two business environments.

Aaron Golub  25:38

Yeah, so, you know, right now, I do a couple things. I work in Finance, I can’t really get too much into that because it compliance reasons but essentially building my own business and finance. As an entrepreneur, which is awesome it’s all fine, you know, long hours, hard work, but I enjoy it. And then I’m also a speaker, and in companies sports teams events bring me into my story and that’s where I’m from, as well. And when,

Mike Malatesta  26:04

when did you know or think you knew that being, you know, financial advisor or getting into that line of work with something that, you know, interested you did you know that going in was your father in that, where did it come from her mother,

Aaron Golub  26:20

just, I was interested in finance and I wanted to find the right fit, and there’s lots of different areas of finance and I want something that was relationship focused and I could help others and, you know, wasn’t necessarily just sitting in front of a computer for 14 hours a day, and that’s what drew me to it.

Mike Malatesta  26:38

And you I know that when we talked to you, You had mentioned, you know just how satisfying it is to help people with their financial futures, you know, that was something, you spoke very more passionately about that when we were talking then you did about, it seemed like to me then, you know some of the other things even though you do have these, you’re probably passionate about all the things you’re doing but it really came across as, you know, something that you love doing.

Aaron Golub  27:08

Yeah no I mean I love everything I’m doing between that and speaking, I, you know, I probably don’t sound as passionate right now just because they have to be very careful what I say, on you know podcast, but I love that I love speaking over everything I do, it’s all focused on making the impact on others but in two different businesses at the same time it’s, it’s really fun and exciting and a lot of work good fun. You know I, I do everything 100% And if I ever lost passion in either one of those areas and I’d stopped doing that or if the opportunity to do something else great that I want to instead then I would do that as well, it’s, it’s about building businesses and impacting others in doing

Mike Malatesta  27:52

so. And when was it that the idea of being a speaker presenter or whether you call yourself motivational or whatever, however you define yourself. How did that come about, was it something that you. Well, how did it come about.

Aaron Golub  28:08

Yeah I mean I had done a lot of speaking in college in high school because of my story, and it was just something where I want to do something else I want to impact more people, and I want to turn it into another business as well, and I just decided that it would be a good fit. I had a lot of experience, I could not only help a ton of people but make it a business like I said, it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve loved every second of it still growing still getting better still learning every single day and there’s a lot to accomplish more to learn, but it’s, it’s been a lot of fun.

Mike Malatesta  28:41

So it’s fascinating to me that, you know someone you’re what How old are you 2624 24 Okay, so 24 years old, and you know you’ve got these accomplishments on the field that you’ve spoken a lot about but you’re also while you’re going through college and other years, you’re talking to people so you’re getting. And then, you know you actually start being a professor, I guess I could call you a professional ready you get paid. So, so what I guess. Congratulations on that by the way. Thanks, but I also am thinking like, with all the rigor and training and everything you’ve already talked about and, you know, getting into, you know, becoming the best long snapper you could, in particular, what about your speaking and your presenting Did you is because there’s all kinds of resources out there to help people be better at that, and I’m asking because so many of us. Everyone has great story almost everybody has a great story, it’s not the same, of course, but there’s great stories that can help people right but so many people are, you know, they’re, they’re anxious, nervous, they were they don’t feel like their story is good enough to tell you know not worthy or whatever and I’m just wondering, and, and it’s not it’s a skill, it’s not something you can just, most people can’t just get up and off the cuff, deliver, you know, a keynote speech for example. So, how have you. How have you worked on it, have you gotten, have you worked to get better.

Aaron Golub  30:17

I mean it’s it’s about watching other people speak and learning from people that you think are different, really good speakers in different areas, and you can’t focus on one person and try and emulate them because you’ll never be the person that you’re trying to emulate. But if you learn from seven different people instead of one then you can find your area or skills, you know, another thing I’d like to say is there, there really are two different types of speakers, and it’s the speakers who are really good at speaking, and don’t understand the business, and people who are not that great at speaking, and really understand the business, and there’s a lot of speakers out there who just really understand the business but maybe aren’t the best speakers, but they understand the business side of it and that’s totally fine, that’s, that’s, that’s what they’re good at and they’ll become better speakers as they go on. I think, you know, I’m still in the process of both. I’m not the top speaker in the world I’m also not the top business person in the world and sooner or later, both of those areas will click and I’ll be booked every week speaking that’s going to be amazing, but I think it’s, it’s a process to learn both of them and some people learn to be really good speakers sooner and some people learn to be really good at the business side of getting themselves booked sooner, and it’s a rare that someone finds out how to do both. Really quickly, it’s you tend to learn one first and then the other after and you know it’s a, it’s really a process.

Mike Malatesta  31:41

Okay. And so, as someone who will admit that they’re not the best speaker nor do they know the business side of it, what does that actually mean the business side.

Aaron Golub  31:52

You know for me it’s a lot of leverage, it’s the same thing as any other business model it’s contacting the people who are in the right positions to hire you to come in, whether that be sports teams, whether that be companies, whether that be advanced, you know, yes, some people do reach out to me and that’s always amazing, but a lot of it is me reaching out to others and hopefully in three years from now four years from now, I won’t have to do any outreach at all I mean, obviously I’ll probably still do some for places I want to but the goal is that. Tons of people are reaching out to me all the time and I get to just select where I want to speak I don’t need to deal with the development of it because my name is so large and so many people want to speak. Okay.

Mike Malatesta  32:35

And what is. Are you represented by a speaker’s bureau are you doing everything on your own what’s,

32:41

what is,

32:42

I’m not.

Aaron Golub  32:44

To be completely honest I never really got the the allure of it and maybe I’ll look into it more later. From my understanding and I could be wrong, they don’t really help you get booked all they do is they list you on their site, if someone’s looking for a speaker, they can click on you. And then they take a fee from it but and I think you probably have to pay to be on it as well and then that’s not bad necessarily and maybe down the road off to it but for me it’s just, I think you will get more booked if you just do the direct outreach yourself, okay.

Mike Malatesta  33:19

And when you’re up there talking to people. I’m assuming because of what you said you feel very comfortable doing that. Again, a lot of people feel comfortable doing it for whatever reason, but you feel comfortable doing it, and what is the thing. So I’ve seen a lot of speakers, I’m a lot, I’m 30 years older than you, so I’ve seen I’ve seen a ton, and I get what you mean about good speakers bad speaker. Not bad, good speakers and great speakers. I don’t know the business side, but I guess the one thing I always wonder, when I see a speaker is what’s the, what am I supposed to take away what, what, how is my life better as a result of having seen and listened to this person so it, I mean do you how do you approach your toxin if you approach it that way what is, what is it that I come away with, or anyone comes away with when they see you.

Aaron Golub  34:17

Yeah, I think just just certain key things and whatever tailor my speech to, I mean, usually I talk about leadership overcoming obstacles turning your disadvantage your advantage in that, you know, anything is possible. And coming away with certain lessons from that, you know, to go back to your point of the difference between no good and great speakers. This is something that I took away from listening to advice that he heard a video where he said, you know, average speakers are those who get energy from the audience and the audience gives them energy and they speak with it, good speakers or speakers who put the energy into the audience and truly great top speakers, take their energy, and put it into each individual person in the room, and I am by no means there yet, that’s definitely one of my goals down the road. You know I think that I am good enough to put energy into the room I hope I am. But, you know, being a person who can put energy into each individual person is something that is rare and very unique and very few people can do, and I will get there down the road if I keep working on it but it’s not something that I can do at the moment and I’m sure most people can do it.

Mike Malatesta  35:28

How will you, so that’s very interesting so what. So how will. And then, maybe, maybe add my letter, you said right maybe he explained this to you, but how do you know, first of all, and then I wonder am I so how do you know if you’re putting energy and into everybody. And then also, does that mean that you’re poor, so what does that mean that you’re like your energy level is high and so everyone’s will grab a piece of it or what what does it actually mean because I

Aaron Golub  35:57

know it’s something that maybe I don’t fully understand as well either. I think it’s, it’s, there’s there’s a feeling that you get when you truly listen to incredible speakers and, you know, if you listen to an average speaker you just say, Oh, that was good. Okay, but you don’t like feel anything when, when you’re a good speaker, the audience feels something you can you can tell that they’re reacting well and you can tell, the energy that you’re putting into the crowd, and when you’re truly great speaker, you know, if you’re sitting in the audience, you feel it, you feel it in your stomach you feel your heart you feel in your every ounce of your body that like they are impacting you by their words.

Mike Malatesta  36:33

So it’s kind of like, as you were talking I was kind of thinking like a concert right so you go to see a band you like, or maybe it’s one you’ve never heard of but you. Let’s just say it’s one you like. And the same thing applies to speaker right so you’re maybe I know you’re everybody tailors there’s their speeches but oftentimes they’re giving a similar speech, over and over because that’s what they’re talking about. So for them or for the band that’s playing it could easily get repetitious to give the same message but the goal is to give this speech or the talk as if it’s the very first time you gave it my on the right

Aaron Golub  37:12

track there. Yeah, no, Absolutely. I think that’s that’s definitely, definitely it and it’s probably different for everyone as well but I would predict.

Mike Malatesta  37:20

Okay, and you mentioned at my lab and I think you said earlier there were maybe seven people that you sort of studied or who influenced you and I’m not going to ask you for all of them but just to give people a sense of the type of people that inspire you. Besides, Ed who are who are a couple that, that, that have done that with you.

Aaron Golub  37:41

Yeah, you know, when I look at who I think are some of the best speakers in the world that I try and watch their videos to improve, you know, people again, people like Tony Robbins and Les Brown, Tim’s story, people like that who all have different styles and abilities but you can learn different things from each one of them.

Mike Malatesta  37:59

Okay, God, I thank you for that. You mentioned your dad, sort of working with you in the, you know before school started 5am or whatever it was, who, who else along the way in high school or college or even now in your speaking career let’s stay out of the finance career, your speaking career, who are some of the people that have, you know you had an amazing will to succeed you explain that very well. and I believe that you are very believable. Everybody needs help. Your dad gave you help, what are some of the other people that gave you help particularly help when you really needed, you know, it’s because even if your confidence level is really high, sometimes you get down.

Aaron Golub  38:43

Yeah, I mean it’s about finding the right mentors and find people who helped me in high school. It was a gentleman Steve Burton, who his son played football with me and they were really the only other two at school every day 5000 Steve’s entire family played division one or professional sports and I learned a lot from him and still keep in touch with him. Today it’s, it’s a learning from people in business and people who are further along than you, whether it be in finance and speaking in entrepreneurship and studying what they do and finding people who are willing to teach,

Mike Malatesta  39:18

has, has anyone approached you about making Rudy like movie about you and your experience.

Aaron Golub  39:26

At the moment I’m in the process of actually writing my first book that will come up towards the end of the year. Yeah, not not thinking of her focusing on a movie at the moment maybe down the road but I’m focusing on a book to start.

Mike Malatesta  39:38

Tell us about your book.

Aaron Golub  39:40

It was just really the story of in the lessons of how I firstly, want to be an athlete to playing the game and what you can take away from that and it’s essentially a story of my life through that point and really excited to get that out to the world and to have everyone see it and continue to learn about a story.

Mike Malatesta  39:58

Do you mind talking about your writing process and how that, how, how your mechanics of that are going, so if it’s going to come out by the end of the year you’re going to have to have it done pretty soon I would think,

Aaron Golub  40:10

you know, the goal is have it done during the summer, spend a month or so editing it and then get it out there, it’s kind of kind of the goal. I mean, who knows, it could be could be off on the timeline but I’m, I’m kind of just do it and figure it out to the person.

Mike Malatesta  40:29

So what are the nuts and bolts, I mean are you working with, You know, a company that helps you with organization stuff or you just, you know, banging this thing out on your own or trans guy I don’t know how, what your process

Aaron Golub  40:41

is the process I’m working with one other person to help me with with writing and, you know, we’re looking for a couple avenues you know there there always is the avenue of sell self publishing a small publishing firm and that’s a possibility because regardless of how you publish, you have to do a lot of the marketing on your own and thankfully I have a lot of people on my team in place that can help me run different types of ads to sell a lot of copies and get it out there, but, you know, One of the goals and we’re going to start seeing him doing outreach to the big publishing firms to get someone who’s interested in essentially buying and becoming on board with it. And so we’ll say, I mean that’s that’s the hope that’s the goal. It’s very hard to do on your first book unless you’re, you know, talk to your celebrity or someone of that stature, it generally doesn’t happen until maybe your third book where a publishing house will pay you up front to write a book but I will say that just because just because it’s hard doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and do it.

Mike Malatesta  41:38

Yeah, and your story is different though than most, you know, you’ve got a you know a documented story you know where, maybe, you know, you could even get an agent at this point, that most authors aren’t going to be able to get an agent on their first book but you, you know, maybe once you, you know, down the road as you keep moving forward, I would think there’s going to be a lot of attention around you and your book that’s for sure. But I’m glad you’re writing it, I’m in the process of writing my book now too. I was just on a call before I got on with you about titles and subtitles, which is a very important part of the book marketing process. Yeah, which I don’t know if you’ve gotten to that part yet. Are you going to wait till you get the book down for that. Either way, I guess works but

Aaron Golub  42:27

don’t ya know, we’ve done some of it we haven’t had a firm decision on the actual title yet but things will come into place more as more of it gets written.

Mike Malatesta  42:37

Okay, so let’s shift to your podcasts, if you don’t mind you. Every time I get a podcast or on. Well, I say podcasts or that’s just a small part of what you are obviously and probably every podcaster, except maybe the biggest names but what what prompted you to start your podcast how’d you get it off the ground and in. What’s it, what’s your goal with it.

Aaron Golub  43:02

Yeah, I think first off I’ll answer the whole how to get it off the ground question I think it’s so funny when people ask, you know, how do you get it off the ground, you start very hard and you start, that’s how you get it off the ground. It’s that simple. There’s no fancy tricks you you record, and you post. That’s how you get it off the ground. I started because I was going to others and figured, why not use it. A share other people’s stories and the, it’s a great networking tool, and I’ve been able to connect with a lot of people that I wouldn’t have been able to connect with otherwise if it weren’t for the personal brand that I’ve been able to build these are a lot of people that things in business may come from it down the road, they may not come from it down the road, but I have a lot of very high value connections that go through with that, you know, like I said, may or may not lead to anything, but the fact that I have a lot of the people that I’ve had on my podcast in my network is truly incredible and that’s what I’m really thankful for and that’s what I’m going to continue to do with it, you know it’s it’s really about sharing their stories and tough working and when I can do those two it’s it’s it’s amazing.

Mike Malatesta  44:10

And what we’re pretty saying start to the answer to my would probably wasn’t a great question how to get off the ground start well,

44:17

yeah,

Mike Malatesta  44:18

that’s easy. Easy answer I’m glad you made it so simple of an answer. So, what do you when you’re talking to someone, what’s your goal, what are you what’s the message you’re trying to accomplish with your, with your show. Yeah,

Aaron Golub  44:33

you know it’s it’s about sharing their stories overcoming obstacles of accomplishing their goals and, you know, learning about that, it’s really all about that it’s podcasting is the best networking tool you can ever find, because it’s all about learning what the other person, if you and I go to, you know, lunch, and I just asked you a ton of questions about yourself the entire time you’re gonna leave that lunch and you’re gonna say, Wow, I really like Aaron, you didn’t learn anything about me, but you like me because I asked tons of questions about you. Now if we go to lunch, and I just talked about myself the entire time you’re in a convoy deontic yeah I’m not the biggest fan of air, because he didn’t show up the whole time. It’s the same thing of podcasting, you know, Grammy Award winner for this podcast and like I really like Mike, why do I really like my talk to the entire time about myself. Obviously, That’s what everyone thinks and when you can do that with, you know, a podcast with with connecting with people you want to connect to. They’re gonna like you to a certain degree, because you’re putting their story out there you’re sharing them with more people. And, you know, they’re essentially just talking the entire time.

Mike Malatesta  45:36

So, yeah, thank well yeah thank you for that so I keep track of that actually because on my transcription, it tells me tells me how much I talk versus how much the other person talks so normally. It’s like 70 to 75 3025, and probably be that way, but I’m glad you hoping. Hope you Edler. So I had Hovey on my podcast a while ago, and I noticed that you had him on recently. How did you connect with him and what so Hobi is is blind, but he’s think he’s been blind his whole life. I think it’s totally blind right he can see anything, but um, he’s, he’s developed this amazing ability to you know be. I don’t know if it’s so many errors the right word but he’s a wine like expert. And just by smelling and whatever he’s got all these different foods and stuff all these different things that he’s doing in addition to being a chemist doctorate in chemistry or something, I mean the guy’s incredible, but I’m, I’m curious what you took away from your, from your conversation with him.

Aaron Golub  46:53

Yeah, you know, we really clicked. We have very similar personalities and I really enjoyed speaking with him. He’s, he’s done a lot of great things and he’s gonna continue to do great things and we really just hit it off from the first time we chatted we’re actually, we’re probably going to talk again this week or next we’ve been going back and forth and each having trouble of our schedules because we’ve both been pretty busy but um you know he’s he’s fantastic.

Mike Malatesta  47:23

Yeah, I enjoyed him a lot very, it’s just a, he’s a very, just for so accomplished of a person he’s so like grateful and down to earth and just, I don’t know just a fun person and a nice person to be around. And I love the name of your podcast too blind ambition that’s did it take you, I’m gonna try to ask you a harder question that how’d you get it off the ground did it take you a while to come up with that name or was it something that just like boom,

Aaron Golub  47:53

my friend who helps me with a lot of stuff he’s he’s huge in the growth marketing digital marketing space and has built several companies campaign for me, he, he was the one who is behind that he’s very creative and, you know, that was that was his idea, and a lot of credit and for that, okay,

Mike Malatesta  48:11

well it’s a brilliant idea and it’s perfect, it seems perfect for your show and, and, at least from what I’ve heard about it, I really do. I really do like what you’re doing so congratulations on that as well. Thank you. So as you look forward and what you, you know, you got your book on your way you, you mentioned that you know you want to be speaking every week or more frequently you know and building that organically through your network, you’ve got your podcast going, you’ve got this other career.

48:42

What’s, like, what,

Mike Malatesta  48:47

you know this decision you made in high school at choice does succeed as a 15 year old, what’s your what’s that look like now, What’s your choice, what’s the, what’s the, whatever

Aaron Golub  48:58

I think there’s, there’s really two sides of it and it’s the finance side and speaking so on the funding side I want to build a massive business and where, you know, it’s creating a lot of revenue but also helping a lot of people at the same time on the speaking side, you know, really, same thing, I want to be one of the most well known and sought after speakers in the world. And those are things that will come with time, obviously they’re smart there’s there’s not smaller but there’s other goals within there, like I want to be a New York Times bestselling author, I want to do a lot of things within that space but they don’t come overnight. They take time, it’s a process. The two things that I have going on are both extremely hard and extremely time consuming and, you know, I could make a lot more money, a lot quicker, doing something else, but in the long term. I’m going to be a lot more successful doing the things that I’m doing because they take time, and anything good that you really need to build takes a lot of time. And because of that, you know, it’s, it’s not something where I’m going to be the next top speaker tomorrow but in 10 years from now, there’s a decent chance I will be

Mike Malatesta  50:10

what you make it, building things mental steps, one at a time. I think build you up stronger than going for, you know, the, the money right out of the gate because once you get it if you do get it, you don’t know why you don’t know why. And then you’re really. Yeah, and you’ve had, you know, a very proven experience of. I know what I’m looking for right now and I’m willing to put in the work, more work than anyone else is willing to do and I think that’s the way to build a business that’s, that’s the right way to build a business in my opinion whether it’s, you know your finance business, whether it’s your speaking business your writing business anything podcast business all of that is, yeah, yeah. And, yeah, building that step by step really build some mental

Aaron Golub  51:06

muscle, you know, do I completely agree, it’s, it takes time, and it’s a process and it’s, trust me there’s hard, hard days because everyone wants the success now, even I do have some patience is something I’ve had to really work on, But you just have to understand that it will come with time if you, if you put in the work every single day, then don’t get the results sooner or later.

Mike Malatesta  51:28

I believe in you. I don’t think there’s any question that that’s going to happen on whatever level you want it to happen on and in whatever way.

Aaron Golub  51:36

Thank you, it’s going to happen.

Mike Malatesta  51:38

It’s going to happen. Well, how do you want people to connect with you what’s, what’s the best way for people to get a hold of you. Talk to you, whatever.

Aaron Golub  51:50

Yeah, hi. Are you excited. I want to sit here and golf, calm, you can go check that out my podcast is linked on there as well. You can check me out on Instagram or Twitter at Aaron Jake all other or LinkedIn just Eric all up and happy to connect and chat and if I can help you in any way, shoot me a message and I’ll get back to you.

Mike Malatesta  52:11

And you said Aaron Jacob on Instagram and Twitter.

52:14

Yeah. Perfect.

Mike Malatesta  52:15

All right well iron this has been a fantastic conversation I really do appreciate you coming on and spending some time with me and my audience and congratulations on where you are and where you’ve come from and more than that where you’re going, it’s just really inspirational and I do appreciate the opportunity.

Aaron Golub  52:34

I appreciate you having me. Thank you.

you’re getting it down to all the others. Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, thank you.

Mike Malatesta  53:25

I’ll let you know when this comes out and I really do appreciate you coming on and have a great evening.

Aaron Golub  53:31

Sounds good. Thank you 200

Mike Malatesta  53:33

Okay, see ya, bye bye.