Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kal Maadi, Co-CEO of MSM Performance Academy, located in Alsip, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

MSM Performance Academy is a Mental Health Organization for Athletes. We help families who want to help their children achieve the College & Professional Levels in the best possible way. We help players & families who are ready for impactful change in their lives. We teach players how to reach optimal levels of Mental & Physical Performance while also teaching them life skills and empowering them to become leaders.

Tell us about yourself

People like me... if you're not helping others, it's a sad and futile life; it's no fun. The greatest thing in the world is to give your gift away. Find out what your unique talent or gift is, develop it to the fullest... because people don't pay for average, and then give your gift away every single day, and that's the only way you'll be happy if there's a day you don't give your gift away that's a wasted day you have to give it away every day.

Growing up, I was always adamant about playing sports, although I did not have the opportunity to do so until High-school. My mother passed away when I was eight years old, and with my father raising four kids on his own, sports were the last thing on his mind. To be honest, I wanted to play sports for all of the reasons outside of the sport in itself. I wanted to know what it felt like to be a part of a team and work collectively towards a common goal. I wanted to know what it felt like to live an experience similar to the real world as an adult. When I finally got the opportunity, I went all in and was a three-sport athlete throughout my high school career (Football, Wrestling, and Volleyball). In my Junior year of high school, I cracked my right kneecap and had to get surgery to repair it by holding it together with three screws. I graduated high school after my Junior year, so that ended my career in organized sports. Nonetheless, I knew that I wanted to be a part of what sports can teach outside of the actual sport in itself. Sport teaches us development. It helps us learn things such as resilience, leadership, accountability, respect, and patience. Lessons that sports teach us can help us develop as players and all-around good people too.

2 Years later, when I was a junior in college, I came across MSM Performance Academy. This was in 2019, and even at that time, "Mental Health" was a lot less accepted by society than it is today. When we said "Mental Training," it was common that the response was, "what is that?". However, that was changing in society, and MSM's plan was to be at the forefront of that change. I started knocking on the door and didn't stop for three months straight. Eventually, I was offered a position as a Family Consultant or, in other words, a Sales Rep for MSM Performance Academy. I immediately fell in love with the mission and purpose of the organization, but it was not until eight months into working with MSM that I found my "Why?". As the family consultant, my job was to conduct meetings with any families who were looking to apply to join the MSM program. I had to listen and gain a full understanding of exactly what they were going through and what was holding them back in order to decide if it was something that we could actually help with. If so, I would explain the program and get them started.

Most commonly, these players were dealing with fear, anxiety, a lack of confidence, a lack of joy, and, a lot of times, overthinking. This was just a regular day's work, and I was preparing for a family consultation with the family of a 13-year-old boy. Both parents and the player join these meetings. Little did I know that this meeting was the beginning of an opportunity to fill what felt like my highest purpose in life. I dove into a deep 3-hour conversation with this family, and this 13-year-old boy and what he was dealing with was something that I had never even thought in the slightest fashion would be possible at 13 years old. He was suicidal, and the family has tried everything from Psychologists to Counselors to Therapists and could not yet find a solution to this nightmare for a parent. That's when they found MSM. You see, MSM is not a medically licensed organization, but I strongly felt like we had the tools to help them get the results that they were looking for. I couldn't tell them yes right away, but I scheduled a meeting with the entire team, and we then decided to take on this challenge. This is from the mouth of his father..... "My son has had his life transformed in the deepest way. Having experienced deep psychological and emotional trauma due to ongoing bullying and harassment by a coach, it got to a point where he gave up on his dream of playing professional soccer, thinking his entire future would involve this type of ongoing treatment from coaches. Even more significantly, one night before going to bed, he expressed that he no longer wanted to live--which was incredibly heart-breaking, traumatic, and infuriating for my wife and me to hear from our child. And this came about from something as simple as a boy playing what is known as the beautiful game and chasing his dream. It instead turned into something so grave akin to running from a nightmare.

When I saw a digital ad from MSM, it was a unique ray of hope and an answer to prayer that spoke directly to our experience. I talked with Coach Kal and signed him up. They were unusually kind coaches with a load of wisdom and tools which my son continues to use. He is now back to chasing his goal to play collegiately and professionally and has tools and support to deal with the trauma, some completely overcome and some still working on. He's so much more mentally healthy and excited about his life and future. His happiness is back, and I thank god for MSM."

As soon as I got that email from his father what was my job became my responsibility and my purpose in life. Nothing was going to stop me from climbing my way up and becoming the leader of this organization so that I could take it where I felt it deserved to be taken. In less than four years, I became the CEO of MSM Performance Academy, and we have now worked with close to 3,000 athletes worldwide.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Working my way up from the absolute bottom of the totem pole. To this day, I am the youngest on the team but I let nothing stop me from becoming the best leader I can be of this family and this organization.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

I think the hardest thing that comes with being a business owner or executive is the "unknown" and the fact that you never clock out. Dealing with the unknown is inevitable. Every day there will be new challenges and obstacles to deal with. Business is never predictable, no matter how prepared you are. The truth is you'll never be 100% ready, but you can be close to it if you're able to get into the right mindset to tackle challenges and find solutions. One of the best ways to navigate through the unknowns is to put a routine in place that helps you get into the right mindset each and every day. Whether it's an early morning routine, a brisk walk, or even a yoga session, taking the time to get focused and ready to crush those obstacles can really make all the difference in your success.

The next is never being able to clock out. When you're a business leader, you have to be "on" 24/7. For some, this is one of the most difficult aspects of being a CEO. Even if you're sick, you still have to answer those business calls and show up for important meetings. Even if you're at a wedding or on vacation, you need to be available when emergencies arise. But it's important to learn how to unplug and unwind too. Failing to do this can lead to burnout, which can impact all aspects of your life and business. I swear to create personal time each day to take care of my physical and mental health. This means making time for physical activity, meditation, healthy eating, social gatherings, and sleep. Taking time to recharge can really make or break my business, and I think that goes for all leaders.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Work on your mindset. You don't get in life what you want; you get in life what you are.
  2. Practice only around quality people. Your surroundings will define you. You earn within 2-3 thousand dollars of your closest friends.
  3. Develop your communication skills because once you open your mouth, you tell the world who you are.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://msm.performanceacademy.com/about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kal.maadi.98/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kal-m-b0b93a184/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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