Going For It: On Expanding Your Comfort Zone As A Leader (With Guest Oguchi Onyewu)
Oguchi Onyewu (Guch) joins Melissa to talk all about his career, and leadership journey as a professional Soccer Player, entrepreneur, and Club Director. A Nigerian-American soccer player born and raised in the Washington DC area, Guch attended Clemson University in 2000, before deciding to pursue a professional football career in France in 2002.
Carving out your own space in an industry is never easy, and Guch shares his journey and decisions as a leader, and how he went about creating his own personal brand within the Professional Football industry.
- 4:40: How Guch first discovered his passion for the game.
- 7:30: What enabled and motivated Guch to pursue his passion.
- 13:50: On getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
- 17:15: How he has taken an athlete’s mindset and filtered it into the business side of life.
- 21:30: How Guch defines his own personal leadership brand.
- 26:02: Some keys to pursuing both his personal and professional goals.
- 29:50: Tips for anyone who might feel stuck or in a place of transition.
- 34:00: What’s next for his future plans.
More about Oguchi Onyewu
Oguchi Onyewu is a Nigerian-American soccer player born and raised in the Washington DC area. He attended Clemson University in 2000, before deciding to pursue a professional football career in France in 2002.
A former member of the US Men’s National Team, Onyewu spent over 10 years as a US mainstay in defense, starring in both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Onyewu enjoyed a 15-year professional career in Europe having played in France, Belgium, England, Italy, Holland, Portugal, and Spain. Some of the world-class teams he has played for are, Newcastle United (England), Standard de Liege (Belgium), AC Milan (Italy), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), and Malaga CF (Spain). Before returning to America to finish his professional career at the Philadelphia Union in the MLS.
Oguchi speaks 3 languages (English, French, Spanish), and is very passionate about education and aiding youth. Very strong in his personal faith, Onyewu is known for his philanthropic work across a diverse range of charities.
In addition to giving back to the community with his philanthropic endeavors Oguchi Onyewu has also expanded his footprint in the nation by launching his company ONYX Elite, LLC, which is a sports performance, general fitness, and corporate health company. Oguchi is active in giving back to his community and is active in attending local schools to speak to the youth. Oguchi currently resides in Belgium and oversees all club activities at R.E. Virton, a professional soccer club that currently operates in the 2nd division. He holds the position of Secretary General at this club.
Onyewu currently holds a double B.A. in Language and International Business from Clemson University, as well as a USSF B Coaching License. He is also on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Soccer Federation which is the governing body of all soccer related activities in the USA.
Want new episodes, free tips and tools and more delivered straight to your inbox? Sign-up below!
