He's never spoken in depth about his business deals before - of which there are many, most operating far out of view. Related: Successful Entrepreneurs Know the Difference Between Taking Chances and Taking RisksĪnd this transformation is why, Beckham says, he is now talking to me. But Beckham saw something in Sangha that mattered more than all of that. Then he put Sangha in charge - even though Sangha has never run a business, did not go to business school, and had no proven track record of helping anyone like Beckham, which explains why the investment in Jaxxon kept Sangha sleepless for so long. This is why, about five years ago, Beckham restructured the old team that ran his business, which included family members. They become strong because they were given the time to solidify. The same is true for people: The greatest relationships require an investment of time and trust. That meant taking different kinds of risks - expanding who he trusted, and creating the space to learn, to grow, and to make mistakes.Īfter all, the greatest financial investments pay nothing upfront. An NFL career is unpredictable, as Beckham, with his two torn ACLs, knows all too well. 'I started to get older and realize, there's just no way that this is going to be sustainable,' he says. But about six years ago, he started to take stock of his mortality. In summary, he was in a cycle of short-term thinking - and building a world around himself that wasn't designed to expand. The money's coming in, the money's going out.' It's like, the money's coming in, the money's going out.

'I was taking checks, checks, checks,' he says. In those early days, he grabbed at endorsement dollars. He talks about starting out in the NFL, as the son of a hardworking single mother who did not earn much money. 'It's hard to live in a lens where I'm going to be judged for these moments,' he says. He talks about trying to be open and authentic with people and feeling it backfire - when 'kindness is taken for weakness,' he says. 'I used to always be happy and having a good time,' he says, 'until those videos started to be used as a downfall.' He talks about being a star college football player, going out and having fun dancing, and how people would take videos of him on their phones. This is why, when I ask Beckham how he approached that Jaxxon deal, he answers it by jumping years into the past. It was about reshaping the way he thought about risk and trust. And getting there was about more than business or football. He's also grown comfortable in high-stakes situations, where hesitation is the difference between catching or missing a one-handed, career-defining touchdown.īut the question that really matters is: How did he come to feel that way? Not about the money, but about trusting someone else to make large decisions with him, and to start thinking about what might come later instead of what must come now. As one of the largest stars in football - with a new Super Bowl ring, a history of lucrative NFL contracts, a Nike deal, and myriad other arrangements we'll get into later - this man has some cash to play with. Yes, of course, Beckham has some major advantages to help him feel this way. 'And if it didn't, I was going to beat him up and then we'd move on to the next one.' 'I'm okay with taking this risk in hopes that it pays off,' Beckham says now. Related: The Role of the Investing Mindset Is to Ask, 'How Can I Take My Business to the Next Level?'īut Beckham? He slept fine.

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