Alright guys, so a lot of people access how do they make a podcast? I'm let you in on a secret on the easiest most productive way to start a podcast and get it up and running and that is the app called anchor is free. They have all kind of cool creation tools that allow you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or computer. They will distribute your podcast for you to all of the major Outlets including spot.Why Apple Google many more and you can make money from your podcast with no minimum listenership is everything you need to make a podcast in one simple easy place. So if you're interested in starting a podcast Go download the free anchor app or go to Anchor dot f m-- to get started. Let's do it. DC already, that's right. Breaking news alert. You are the next stop on the on your leisure tour and we are coming to invade your City December 7th and 8th. That's right. Put it in your calendars right now December 7th and 8th. Earn. Your leisure is coming to take over DC and we're bringing some of our most prestigious alumni on the 7th. We are having our second seminar / workshop with none other than the Wall Street Trapper and mobile home Elise. That's right two of our most prestigious guests and they are bringing nothing. Gems on the stock market and mobile homes. You don't want to miss that but when I stopped in there on the 8th, that's right on the 8th. We are doing our first live podcast from Capital One Arena. That's right. That's what the Wizards plate we are going to take over Capital One Arena to do our first live podcast and we're bringing some earners with us. So earners you make sure that you'll show up and show out after the podcast. We're gonna have a little Network meet and greet and the weekend is not done until we finish it out like going to a Wizards game. That's All right, we're bringing our Learners to the Wizards Clippers game Kauai going to be there Paul George going to be there. Make sure you go over to earn your leisure.com right now and find out more information how to make sure that you're there to piece. All right guys Hometown hero special hotel here. Special Hometown Heroes know we did a HomeTown hero addition in Houston shouts. Aah town, but we going to take it where we from. Greenburgh, New York. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah the town for real we show up for sure Greenburgh New York very special place. So we've actually already had two guests from from our hometown right now The Vow shouts of Val Valencia. That was a great episode and we had some old also smoked fish out some omega Partners in curl Fest, so Yeah, we were lucky enough to have two people that we already grew up and went to high school with so now we got the OG from my neighborhood. Yeah signal XT. Mr. Greg Barnett. So first and foremost, thank you for joining us man. Well, thanks for having me man. There are Pleasures all mine. You know, you guys are safe. I'm excited first podcast I did so I'm doing so, you know, it was getting done is the only good. Yeah, as you guys know, you know, we talk about sports. Containment a lot that's kind of the whole theme of the show and well not the whole theme of the show, but a major part of the show is the Back stories in sports entertainment. So this this interview right here is right up our alley Greg is an NFL agent. He does a lot of other things as well. He's an entrepreneur. He's a family man. He's involved in AAU basketball real estate investor does a lot you should actually be a schoolteachers. Well, yeah. Lagarde are that's the the agency that you were right, correct, and you got some some some some high profile clients. You got Kyle Fuller who was a pretty photo of last year pro bowler last year, Houston Jones. You have Percy Harvin Legend Percy Harvin. He was a client of yours. So retired now, yeah, for sure. So we got talk about lot of different things in this episode. We're going to talk about you know, the journey from being an NFL agent and how you got there. But before we start I wanted to kind of give a little back story and I think it's interesting. So you started as a school teacher, right? Correct, and but you always had a passion for sports. So how did you transition from being a school teacher to the NFL agent? Like most people wouldn't put that right? Well, it's interesting because when I started school teaching I was doing an internship at the same time with a guy by the name of Mike Harris out of Philadelphia and it was a sports marketing firm and I did I used to you know, follow him around drive up the Filly from Baltimore following him around he was dealing with clients back then and basically he introduced me to Joe Siegel who at that time, you know, it was a high-profile agent. And basically I started off with Josie go while I was still teaching I started off as a consultant with him and basically working my way all the way up to our senior vice president and partner in The Firm. Yeah, so you started out if it sat in a lot of times people get the misconception already. They say that those who can't teach you to teach them right here. We don't those who can't teach know those who can't do teach teach. You can't teach teach gym exactly what that plenty of times, but you said that you created your multi marketing. Like firm their gym right that you have from that position. Well, well, yeah, the gym was after Ike advantages which is down here in Atlanta. And while I started when I was a PE teacher, I always thought like I enjoyed it. Yeah, but of course I did enjoy working Fame by ain't there were things about the PE that I am like I am like, you know helping kids with lockers and just put it back problems so much like that. So I said, how can I still do this and enjoy so when I got the opportunity I created my own Sports Performance gym down here in Atlantic or a flag advantage and what that does is it trains athletes? It's you know, you could train like a pro app from The Young youngest age of 6 all the way up to pro athletes my open it up here in Atlanta because also what I know this was a lot of my land has to hop into athletes in the offseason. So when they came when they come here, they look for somewhere to train. So a lot of my guys was coming here and ask me a where I need to work out for two weeks. I'm here this that answer to that. I swear I came up with the idea. Let me just open up my own gym hire some trainers and my guys can just train at my gym. Yeah, so I mean like that's that's like super inspiring because a lot of times people think like, oh, that's just gym class. That's gym class many wild like you're actually plotting something in your head. That's bigger. I think one of the great advantages that we don't get to take homework home. Right? Right. I don't have to worry about any statement attached and we get to have fun like our job is just to make sure that the kids have fun and they learned but it's like you said there's a lot of things that you know, we don't like to do but Good because right most teachers thing like this is it yeah mindset was like I'm thinking bigger, you know, and then that and I was taught as I was telling Richard earlier. I have a little saying I go by find a job you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life. That's from me doing the being a sports agent at but it was also the same concept when I was a PE teacher loved what I was doing. I love going to work every day. So what was the process of actually opening up a gym? Because a lot of times people have aspirations to do things, but they don't only know the blueprint so you just you know, you had a background in sports obviously has a background white boy. How did you like the open it do basically look for a spot, you know, and basically I had to come up because I struggle with different concepts. I don't know if I wanted to do where everybody was paying for membership to get into the gym or kind of like the barber shops along syndrome where you know, you hire a couple of trainers and they pay you Jim rent and they just charge whatever they want to check charge. They have access to the gym. 24 hours, so I kind of did a mix a couple of when I first opened up at a couple of trainers who was paying rent. But then I also had guys who I just hired to teach your classes. So, you know, I had most of the younger athletes six elementary and middle school they were paying for packages so they paid for classes and I would have our I had trainers who basically train them also had trainers who Renting space that had their own clients to come in. So it's just going back and forth seeing which one was more profitable. So, you know different areas is going to work for different people. You had you had some some teams like high school teams. Yeah all a lot of local high school teams and land and when I first opened up for the first couple of years and still do football lacrosse baseball soccer had some tennis players all every sport some book like the whole team's work. In book sessions and some might just be individual. Yeah, how big is Sportsman and it's because we from New York so, you know growing up, you know, we in the sports but it's not like how it is. Especially football South. It's not like it's like in the South it's like Jesus Christ and football Friday nights. That's where you are. You are the high school football game Saturday you tailgating you Nevada University of Georgia game Joy. An attack on your from the TV watching SEC football. This is SEC land and Sundays everything shuts down you either at a bar watching NFL game or you had to stay in or people just just go to the are Mercedes-Benz stay in just tailgate and have a TV out there. So we huge it's huge. So I'm glad you said about the SEC because I just made me think about something. So it's a Hot Topic in a news lately that California just passed a bill. It's not official yet, but it's on its way to become an official in a couple of years where they going to allow. Athletes to get endorsements. So we talked about the NCAA before as far as you know, they don't allow you to get endorsements. They don't allow you to you know, they want to make all the money themselves. Yeah. So what's your wish it as an NFL agent right wish it what's your take on the NCAA? And like how do you think that's going to turn out in the future did can they can't keep that forever? Like it's a model that's not fixed. It's broken. I mean, it's been working this far. I hope they can break it. You know, I mean, that's what I'm hoping because they're getting rich the guys that They're Millionaires and they're making all the money off these athletes and they say okay, they're getting a free education, but that's not enough. You know, you go in. I remember I never forget watching the segment the Fab Five 138 days or thirty years now, Jaden Jerry. I was a solid wall. Yeah and Rose talking about your I'm sitting here trying to get food, but you know, my jerseys in a book store selling but yet I gotta borrow money to go get a sandwich. I mean that that hit hard, you know. Yeah, not for sure. I hope it changes. You know, I think it will so like for your clients that that you recruit how how how do you see it affect them as far as being NCAA what people don't fully understand especially for big-time college football is that it's a real job. Like it's not like you just going to school and just had a Recreational Sports a real job and it's hard for people to fully understand that if they haven't been through it themselves, right? Like how strenuous can you tell like how strenuous? Cuz I like I said, you're recruiting college kids. So, you know, how strenuous is it in hard. Is it for a big-time college football player to manage going to sports Family School all that so hard and you talk to these guys and it's interesting because sometimes you see a guy that's just for going his eligibility to enter the league and he might only be ranked, you know projected to go maybe fifth sixth seventh round something like that, but he's leaving because he can't handle George anymore. It's just strange. It's like, you know, you're up five o'clock in the morning. They own you. They basically only they do the schedule for you. They own you. If you don't love football, you're not going to last in college football. You got you have to love it and you talk to these players and I remember talking to her a college coach two years ago, and I was like, you know, why such a social evening. He's a man and he can't see these guys get they leave. I mean, it's just a lot on them, you know, I mean, so what ran that windows so small that you can earn that money. Money in the NFL so you want to go while you know, you still got you know, you'll have too much tread on the tires, you know, I mean, so what's the process like right? So in order to be to get it to get a client right? Are you meeting with coaches first or do you have to know the family? Like what's the process of getting every situation is different? I might have a college coach that might you know be able to recommend me, you know to somebody I know to somebody that you know, they know needs my services and might be somebody I have a Distant relationship with just you know for my own town or something like that, but most of the time you got to reach out to the kid or his family and as a after they've declared eligibility know you're allowed to talk to a player soon as he gets in college. Okay, each state in each school has individual laws. So, you know, every every situation is different, you know, you got some states and some schools. They say you cannot talk to them at all this but a certain time of the year, you know me some schools let you talk to them. The problem is you cannot you know. Provide provide any benefit for that also any while they're in school so, you know, you can't take them out to lunch dinner or anything like that. You know, it will be it's like the Reggie Bush do when they're considering the inducement for you trying to cry. You can't buy that you can see there you go. Alright. So yeah, so the next segment we gon go over some details that an NFL and a lot of things that I'm even actually curious to know about and the nitty-gritty of contracts and things of that nature. Ernest you currently paying off student loan debt interested in improving your financial literacy or looking for new ways to earn income and today's ever-changing digital landscape. Well on the talk money with the mesh lakhani podcast mesh will follow Paper Trails chat with experts break down complex ideas and bring Clarity to the mystical Financial phenomenon. Each episode will be filled with compelling stories covering a broad range of subjects from buying Bitcoins. Coin dealing with student loan debt and everything in between. So listen to talk money with mesh lakhani on Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast and learn how to spend invest in learn in today's economy. All right, so we got to talk about the beginning to because you know, like I said, this is Hometown Heroes addition and we all come from the same place. Well, a lot of times people we like to give hope to people that sometimes, you know, don't have hope right a lot of time. Especially where we come from is like you think that you get a union job and that's like that's it. That's like hitting the lottery right especially, you know coming from a public school system. A lot of times. It's not it's not the best right but me and you have similar situation. We actually went to public school then we went to private school as well. So we saw both sides of the coin. We was lucky enough, you know through Athletics and then, you know going to college stuff like that, but you actually have a very interesting story because when you were in public school that we came from you are in an alternative. Class right especially short but whoever these the call so like how did that happen? How did that affect you because you know a lot of times, you know, it's like I said four people might not understand it but you know, there's a lot of stigma that comes with that. Right, right. So for now it's like to be an entrepreneur and of the NFL agent and to come from special education. Yeah, like humble beginnings. Like, how did how did that did that motivate you or it motivate me? I mean I hated it. You know, I hated being in special ed, you know. You got picked on sometimes not really too much because you know as a pretty big but you know, it's funny and one lands, you know, everybody else was switching classes, but I wasn't one class switching death. The IEP was so interesting. It's funny. I still have those IEPs and my house is trying to find and I remember when they used to, you know, it used to have your goals and used to say things like junior college or self-employment things like that those teachers never projected. I was going to go to school, you know college rather yummy, but I left there and that time when a lot of athletes left with their hands and went to a couple of different private schools step in that Harvey Hackley me and a couple of other guys. We want the Harvey which is up in Katonah New York, you know, it was a you know the okay but prestigious private school. And from there. I went on to another prep school after that. I did a postgraduate year, which a lot of people don't know at Milford Academy under Milford Connecticut from there is where I got my offer to play a full scholarship to play football at Morgan State University, which is HBCU down these Baltimore Maryland, which I love this the bear. Yeah, I'm Morgan made as they say I mean another Morgan alone. We had Valencia Valencia. She's from Greenberg tools and we were going okay. So she had this old postal she had this wild love my HBCU campaign. Okay. Yeah, I seen it on your feet. Yeah. Shout out to shout out Baltimore me I got you know what we actually have a lot of similarities because you know, who else had an IP at will and who you're surely Right little known fact little known facts, right and you went to college in Baltimore, right? Is that went to prep school? I would like you went to prep school. Right? Right. So proud saying bro, we follow the same, right? So, you know it most I'm self motivator. I always knew where I belong and what I can do. I just needed a chance, you know, I mean, I wasn't going to let anything hold me down. Yeah, I mean and that's one thing I really passed on to my two sons right now, you know, you know don't you can do whatever you want to do? Yeah. I mean don't let them classify your anything that's special that I looked at. I remember Remember my Mom calling as a dumping hole for black students. They used disproportionately they're placed in there right now Israel because it's like a black hole and a lot of times once you get placed in that in that category is like you do like you own self, esteem. Yeah confidence, but me personally I never looked at it like that. I just I just always knew that I wasn't interested in learning the way that I was being taught right? So I think that that's probably why I got classified as IEP, but it's interesting now because it's like obviously people know I'm not I don't like they know they know I'm intelligent. It's just that you know at that point in time in my life. I just wasn't interested in being taught the way that they was teaching and you you both of you guys in as well working at UK Choice still educated, but you wouldn't realize them. I'm the only one that graduated from Woodlands man. Yeah. Yeah, but now but it but it's a real conversation know because it's like, you know, we don't we don't fully appreciate like blessings that we have and it's like me and you were fortunate enough to go to private school and perhaps school, but what if we didn't get that apple right I'm saying what if we would have stayed and who knows how life will be so many kids that are bright, like look at your NFL agent. I'm doing I'm in business on my podcast and it's like obviously we're both had IEPs exactly. Right? So we're looking for a couple of those teachers. I just can't live I just, you know, just want to talk with them, you know. Yeah, and I thank you. It's a real conversation. So I'm glad we actually even had that conversation because we got a highlight, you know, the what's Wrong with the system. But also we just got to give motivation. I just because I'm like classifies you if something doesn't change your life. That's just that's their opinion of you. I think what you guys are doing, right and I don't have done it's inspiring and aspiring right it gives kids hold like look, I know these do they form our community, right and kids everywhere like, oh I can do it. This classification doesn't limit me to who I have to be in the future. So that's good. Now, I don't care. So what was your experience HBCU? I know you're big on hbcus and it's actually a thing of a lot of people talk about athletes now. Just start going to hbcus. Like I don't know if that's relevant because of the funding. What's your what's your thoughts like you about my experience or about office? Well my experience it was different. I'm gonna it was different, but I loved it. I loved being around my I had enough it was the best time of my life to this day, you know going from from White Plains from Greenburgh New York down to Morgan State University and just growing into a man there, you know, I mean everything living off campus and just Around on my own. I just I enjoyed it and just being around your own people, you know, it was just so much fun. I mean and I don't think it's anything different from going to or anything less from going to the University of Maryland. I mean, I don't see what some schools offer more than HBCU to so what I know that Steven Naismith is doing a campaign now, he's trying to get people to come back to HSN hbcus. What are your thoughts right top-level athletes? It's going to be very agreeable. Yeah the top-level athletes. I always in for example actually choosing a school like a Morgan State or how it over I do. Okay is that's going to be hard to happen right away basketball. You can pick three guys three to five guys is high school seniors this maybe about three stars four stars as like, you know, how they rank you the total is five-star you got it's going to be hard to get five star athletes. This McDonald's all-americans to go to an HBCU. We already know that but there are schools that These guys are picking over hbcus. That's not any better athletically or academically, you know, I'm not gonna throw any schools under the bus here, but if you go to a colonial school or any of those type of schools, why not go to an HBCU, you know, a lot of those School lot of hbcus are beating those schools football is going to be harder because you know, you're going to it's more of a team sport where you need a lot of pieces to be successful. But you know, I have a lot of guys High School guys that work it work out in my gym and you know, they're uh, Pthere when I hear there are offers are from like Georgia Southern firming Wofford, Tennessee, Chattanooga. I'm like, you know, those high schools are equal to hbcus. Go. Look at HBCU. You have the time of your life. Yeah. I mean, there's everything from the everything from the female. Yeah, I mean, but you know, and like I tell my son, you know, if their last enough to go make Pro money doing something that's that's just a blessing. But other than that go to HBCU Get yourself some friends if he's talking about that the other day get you some some friends, you know, get yourself a group. He's majoring in accounting. He's majoring in engineering. He's majoring in whatever it may be for meself for grouping when y'all get out of there get yourself a business start a business. I mean anything puffy. There are probably put a lot of this guy's on from Howard, you know, you know, I'm hearing about the story of the former mayor here in Atlanta kasim Reed. He went to Howard, you know when he got it. An office here a lot of the same friends and you know he put on so, you know get to click together and go for it. That's what that's what I'm you know hoping for and that's what you did to in Baltimore use actually had a production company was yelling promotions on how promotion he was throwing parties, right? Yeah, we start as I actually I was a I was still a student and there are myself into a to other my classmates. We started a company called living life entertainment Wiest only home coming home coming parties. Shows we did shows we did that was that was what we did we use a promotion company and we did that from probably about 96 to about 99 about 2000 2001. So is that your first dive into the business world? Yeah, obviously, I'm gonna say you study education right and and health science. So yeah, that's where I learned how to hustle when I say hustle. You know, legally, I mean everybody when you're here hustling they think of a negative connotation, huh? This was somebody who could get money on any type of left and that's when we start how he's college students. But shoot sometimes I'll get my refund check, you know, I mean and going throwing that throwing a party with that, you know me, but that's where I learned my business. I got my business Foundation from and we learn it was a lot of losses with that. You know, I mean so we learn from that so that was interesting as though as though so, alright. So now with the NFL, right, so we're going to talk about the nitty-gritty, but I had a couple things that I always had questions about Had a franchise tag. Okay, what does that mean? Franchise tag? You're it each team can choose one player. That's going to make a franchise tag. That one player is usually going to be one of the top players on their team that's getting ready to be a free agent when they franchise them. They got our own his right, they own him and the contract is guaranteed for that whole year, but you have to pay him at average of the top five salaries of his position while agents don't like in the players don't like it because if he's a top player is about time for him to Hit that big contract where he can get that big signing bonus a multi-year contract. So it really holds a month. That is something that's in favor for the team the fridge. I think one of the most famous ones and I'm a shame to admit it. But I'm a I'm a Washington thin and this happen with Kirk Cousins. Okay round where they had to franchise them twice, right? Can you convince my friends house? I'll play it twice. Right and so like the last time it was like either we're going to sign this got you a long-term deal right and give them 30 million which never was worth it. But right well, we're gonna have to I'm going and now he's an Italian Vikings Vikings, correct? Yeah, so that so it's two years that you can do it. You could do two years in a row, correct? Okay. So it's the average of five the top five salaries of your quarterback. If you in that case with Kirk Cousins, okay, and it's the cat number. It's not the actual what they make is to cap them and that's what a lot of people know the Catholic. It's still high enough how I money but what the cap number is basically what your amount is that the team gets charged. As per year copy your contract birthday. Yeah, if they go over the cap, they get penalized for that. You can't go over there because I get basketball you can go over here, you know baseball. You got the luxury tax write-off for the next 30 years. They just said we going over our cap. So football, you can't go over there, right? Okay, so, all right. So at then all NFL ate our rookies have four year contract for your contracts the first if you're first The the team owns the option of the fifth for the fifth year. So basically if your first year you're if your first round first round here is a chance you could possibly be there. For seven years. Yeah, you got your four years. They option V then a franchise to tell you after that. So, all right. So one thing I was always curious about because a lot of time fans from the outside. They don't fully understand how this thing works. Right? So like Ezekiel Elliott, right who I think he was in his third year and then he sits out but they always do it the year before the fourth year, right and well this case I mean music is this is for for this is the Earth. Third right there yesterday sure. Okay, so but yeah, so how does that work as far as like a player sitting out an entire season? Like I think Le'Veon Bell did there I did that last year. Yeah, like what as an agent. Would you ever recommend your client do that or how would you feel if your client did that? It's each situation is different is situation to some you're not going to lose some you're not going to win. Yeah, I mean some you going to have to play that year, you know Levi on set out of here, but however, he lost money. You know, he lost money. So there's been some recent comments where we watch the NBA offseason where players are kind of dictating where they want to go and now there's talk of yeah, you know fellas doing it right or not, right because we got like Don't want to every time you get in an argument with a cold trade trade me, but you know right now the owners have too much power and hoping this new CBA. It's more player-friendly. Yeah, I mean, so I like the fact that you know, you'll be able to trade or demand a trade if you're good enough but you know to to go on to another situation. So one thing we somehow off camera also has lots of people don't fully understand like if you're a top player I think like top 10 draft pick you can have a lawyer to London insurance contract, right? Right and that kind of like now you talk about when you're in college College? Yeah. Well, actually you can get Lloyd's of London if your projected probably in the first two to three rounds you can get they'll carry you in college. Yes. Okay, and so that and that's like isn't working what that is is an insurance policy. Whereas if you get hurt during that senior year you're going to you're going to get that money now. I haven't known of anybody who has cashed out on any of those yet. They got a couple of different. What I because that's not my field. I don't sell insurance or anything like that. But from what I understand is two or three different policies. Like there's a loss of value. Whereas maybe you get hurt in the bowl game and you was projected first round, but you dropped it third, but nobody has been paid on any of those policies yet and it's hard to really say like the prove that they're doing values work and no one actually said you was going to get drafted in the first round or the top 10 so because milk, Piper some I pushed it on here on this page. That's not that I don't know how that's going to stand up in the insurance case. I don't know that's not my field. Yeah, I mean, but I know a lot of the schools are taking these policies out and paying for it for the kids, which is good. I think the quarterback of USC a few years ago. I forget his name, but he had I know he had a sizable Lloyd's of London contract cash out. He never got he never got hurt never got over. What was a lot of players get you right now. I haven't heard of any that has cashed out yet. Yeah. In terms of like guys like you said Mel Kiper Tom mcshea, how much weight do you put in what they're saying? And when you're looking at an athlete or potential clients are going to him before I go now usually talk to management in the NFL. Those guys are usually the male cop not that bad mouthing memory anything like that. But you know, they're there for entertainment the time, you know, I mean, so I'd like to actually talk to the decision makers and those are guys who really gives me my ins and outs on you know, who's worth in who? He's not to go after aware of certain guys are projected solo. That's who you know, and that's because I've been in the business for 18 years now, so I have good connections where I can call people and they can help me out with things like that. So like how all right how does Draft Day whereas another thing because you see sometimes people was like a top-10 draft pick in the knees drop to like 30. That's the most stressful day. So like how what makes somebody rise or it's doing already know. We're going to graph Toys just like to Spur just don't know. Leading up to the like last the neck last couple of days, you know, I mean, I was in The Green Room a couple of times, you know, and this dress will you know you rather just have your clients as watch it at home be honest with you, but you know, you're sitting there, you know teams teams lie. They lie. They tell you they're going to draft the guy next to you know, they don't, you know me. So it's stressful different things come up off the field incidents that might hurt a guy that have him drop things. They did they go dig in they might like your film but then they might find something else all about your drug test that you failed at College things like that, you know your brushes with the law things like that. They monitor your social media, you might see some things which is social media that they don't like and those are ways that can also always drop you in a limited time, but I haven't ended the do from a Ole Miss Ole Miss. They had a good show you some more So, all right. So I mean, so what you write as an adult as live life that has a family that has a wife and you experience different things but to get clients in 19 and 20 years old, right? So like how is it working with we you know young men that are celebrities overnight and have a bunch of money overnight and have people that like psychologically. What is your role? Is it more of like a big brother or father finger all of the above? I don't try to be anybody's father. As I'm not their father when I ask these guys to hire me. I asked them for their trust. You're hiring me for my expertise in my experience. So you are the boss. But also, I want you to respect me if you hire me for my knowledge respect me. All I could do is tell you what I recommend and the consequences of it. It's up to you. If you're going to listen to me on that you understand that so, yeah, I would love to be a big brother type God, but every situation is different some guys don't want that some guys just want you to do all business some guys. I'm closer to some guys. I'm not that close. To so it's different things other than the contract that you do you're helping manage these guys life. I'm helping him transition from a college athlete to a professional athlete you might have a case where this guy is living in Atlanta, Georgia his whole life and go to school and University of Georgia because drafted by the Seattle Seahawks yummy now, you're on a whole different part of the country and you got to know how to survive when I say survived like, okay and if I want you to play book all day long and all that so who's got to help you go and find somewhere to stay who's going to help you transport your vehicle your vehicles out there who's going to help you get set up and that's what I do. That's why I'm on the road a lot. I like to be a part of their life as much as they allow me to outside the doing their contracts and get near endorsements and things like that. So I help them transition from you know, a college student into a professional like you said their bank accounts in some cases go from $100 to three four point million overnight now, I'm not a financial advisor, but for The doing everything else. I want to help them adapt today. So how is it a negotiating? All right. So you do contract how is contract negotiation? Is it easy? Because it's pretty much straight forward right now. Well, well, I'll tell you what it is right now and the failure first contract the money is lousy, but also there's this default language that you got in you go with what does that mean? The fault language is ways that they can take away your guarantees from you. So that's something that you got to negotiate. That's something that you have to have in there and make sure that the teams aren't putting things in their easy ways for Them to come and take that money from you. You understand that so there you will have a contract and you know, okay, he's going to if he gets suspended for a head-on collision, whatever whatever it may be you can take x amount of dollars away from me. So that's something that can be negotiated. The amount of money you're going to get is already there. But the ways that you can lose that money. That's why you need to have a good agent that knows what he's doing. So how can it was a few ways that you can actually lose like, how can you give me exactly how I got? Okay. Let's say like I said, he said okay, maybe you're in jail for over 72 hours a big difference me. Okay, you get charged for something you did they keep you for over 70 want that means it's something different and in a regular contract. It might just say okay if he's arrested he can lose a guarantee, but why not put in there? Okay such as such as ours because He can he can you know, urinating the street and get input array of and get released on Zone Recon in two three hours. So is that fair for him to lose all that then, you know, we know something serious if you're there for over 72 or something like that. So there's different ways. You've got to look at that and try to give that's something important you said to a lot of times people see contracts. They seem play it gets a hundred million, but the signing bonus could be 69 million. That's the only thing that they're guaranteed and the contract. Well it Fanny not necessarily because it's all you know, you have contracts and it's called, you know contracts are guaranteed and something called that's I see skill injury cat. So just because you see these getting at that sign about there could be more to that that's guaranteed there might be okay. Perfect example, you know a br. Antonio Brown could they had 30 million people thought that was going to be but as you see he lost that because it's something he did. He just had to make the rocket first davers. Everything is not always guarantee and sometimes just things more guaranteed another you really have to read the whole contract for me to tell you, you know, a lot of times I get calls saying, you know is that all guaranteed that I just saw such as I like, you know, I can't I don't have to read the contract because I mean he's contractors anywhere from 17 pages to Bobby 40 50 pages. So there's so many things in there that might you know trigger your guarantee and some things that might not be guaranteed. So you just don't know a few years ago. You had one of the biggest signings The history. Yeah, the NFL for the for is the player right? Just a Houston Houston, right? We don't use correct said it was the most stressful day of your life and it was it was it was the most stressful negotiation that thus far because there was just, you know, going back and forth with the team getting the numbers right? We actually was negotiating from that past October all the way to July 15th, which was the last day because he was end up here and to be in franchise tag, and it was up into that July you had up until July 15th and negotiate the contract and well you would have to play that one year. So, you know, we got it done in the 12th hour how much how much was it? It was 101 total and 52 guaranteed and it's alright, it's alright. So let's go you could talk about that deal right because it's done pretty much right. So, all right. So how does that work? So you got a hundred and one total total if you play out the whole concept which would have been for eight years with the same team with that Team. All he had to do all he had to do was play he had reached Pro. As long as your second language on there at all. Okay, right, but what you got to realize that sometimes okay the first four years guarantee, which was that's what was considered the whole guarantee which was 252 million. So after that as you know, they can cut you would stay there with those bigger. Sally's is about to start the hit they cuddle and cuddle at least in this past year and I negotiate another extension form. Well another contract form, which is a two-year deal right now, and he's with their Indianapolis Colts. So you had all right contract is 17 to 20 something Pages. You said you have a legal department actually reached out you have a lawyer that you work. Well, I'm not a lawyer. I'm cbh. I'm a I'm a certified contractor advisor I have is about four of us on our team. I work with God by the name of Joel Siegel who is by far the most powerful man in NFL negotiation business, you know me. So he's the lawyer. We also have another lawyer on our team. You and we have two other agents. So we all look at our contracts together. But you know, we are a negotiation, you know, you might have all of us looking at one contract circling different things. And you know, when you do a contract it's not like some people think is you're just at the table talking numbers, you know contracts is usually done, you know via email. They send the offer over, you know, we send it back, you know is what we last for it, you know, it goes back and forth and then once the numbers get right, then you got a lot the language has to be Right. So there's a lot to it in a negotiation for contract and you spoke about having trust and one of the things on your resume you had a family. Yeah, you had a series of Brothers, right Dad. Yep, the Fuller family. I COI Fuller who are represented first out of Virginia Tech. He's a wide receiver. He got drafted in the sixth round to Detroit Lines after that. I Kyle Fuller who's the first round cornerback drafted to Chicago Bears and the Last one who's in his third year now for few third year. Kindle Fuller who's with the Kansas City Chiefs as adults and their older brothers who I did not represent. Vincent Fuller was a draft pick with the Tennessee Titans. He's retired now, he's actually working as a lawyer and said four brothers and for all four of them. They're all siblings. All their siblings made it to the NFL. Wow. So what do you feel about there was a quarterback that I think the Colts he just made news because he he he did his own contract and actually got some on the podcast Brandon. Brother go she ate it huh Brisbane. Yeah quarter at ya. And ya Brandon Copeland, you also negotiate his own contract to he was a guest on the podcast. So what would you what do you think about players not utilizing agents and doing it themselves? Well little things about anybody who represents yourself as a lawyer has a fool for a client give you know, if you have the background and you know it that's all fine. And dandy. I know he put comments out there and Media that he didn't want age group es and Bs long as behalf. Why does the agent have to be be essence? You know this language? I didn't look like this contract for say everybody just looks at the numbers and he used probably, you know, not talk about him, but he's probably just going out because they came in offer them something because Andrew Luck. Yeah, I think he's like, oh that my I'm taking that. Hey, I don't need to 4:30. I don't know whatever whatever it was it maybe he's looking at it. Like I want to go get this Ruckus here. I don't know. I haven't looked at the contract, but I just hope he's projected protected because there are ways They can lose. I don't know what is guarantees world or anything like that. And that's why we earn our keep that's where we are number but you know to each his own if you don't want to use an agent and I mean not for sure. Alright, so yeah, we got a lot of good at Jim's on it on the NFL. So when the next time we're going to talk about career bit preparing players for their career after Sports because of other stuff that you do as well so you can get into that. What's up, y'all? So if you're listening to this you obviously like podcast and you probably like music just as much on Spotify. You can listen to all your favorite artists and podcasts in one place for free. You don't need to premium account Spotify has a huge catalogue of podcast on every topic including the one you're listening to right now on Spotify. You can follow your favorite podcast. So you never miss an episode premium users can download Episode to listen to offline wherever you are and it's really easy to share what you've been listening to. With your friends on Instagram if you haven't done so already be sure to download the Spotify app search for earn your leisure on Spotify or browse podcast in the your library tab. Also, make sure to follow us so you never miss an episode of Ernie Leisure again. All right. So now in the last segment, we're going to talk about life after football for your client. That's something that you're really passionate about. It seems like, you know one thing to be an NFL agent and you know to work with guys when they actually in the league but as famous, Sheek Louch said you going to be all the lot longer than you going to be younger. Shouts is to to the locks. They from Westchester. I will soar for sure for sure. So what does that look like? Because I know you were talking about something that you're really passionate about as far as like, you know helping them out and like even with cherries things that nature so like what's that look like having like the career after football? Well right now because I've been in an about, you know, 16 to 18 years around that time. Some of my first guys some are already retired what you know, some of my bigger Eyes are now with you know starting to come upon retirement and like for example one guy Percy Harvin has hired me. I used to be his agent when he was in the league and now he's hired me to be his business manager. And what's that doing is basically finding businesses for them to start with their startup and to get involved with not managing their money or anything like that. But like for example, someone's to get into our cannabis some wants to get into real estate someone to invest in. Check so just working as a business manager when I recruit these guys are I asked them, you know, let them know like this is something I love to do. I love to work with athletes and even when you're done playing hopefully it'll be opportunity where I could continue to work for them. I've gain that trust where they allow me to help them with their businesses, you know as they're not playing anymore. It might be things simple as just keeping their football camp going in the offseason, you know or something like, you know, Having our golfing event to give back to a charity or something like that. So it's not just always doing things for profit. But also getting your name out there and I always try to tell my guys, you know do things for company while you're maximize your worth while you're playing once you're done playing nobody cares about you, you know, unless you're Tom Brady type guy. Yeah 37 Super Bowls or whatever. They're yummy, but these companies might not need you when you're done. So Do little things I encourage them to do things that to do speaking engagements and things like that for a company even though it might not be paying anything that's going to make a real difference for them do that because they're remember that after you're done playing and sometimes that could be the difference between you picking a job or job picking you or career. Once you're done, you know, I mean you want to be able to do what you want to do when you're done playing so that's what I try to set up for that. So so the average NFL career is short-lived, right? So these athletes could be done playing by B5 30 years old easy. It's what is the toughest thing as far as that transition period that you see with with your athletes finding out what they want to do. after football what they want to do for the you still got two thirds of your life, like what did they tell think they trying to give us a what about 75 85 right now, you know, so what you going to do when you if you done it 25 whether you're rich or not, you know what you're going to do because even if you're rich and money's going to run out if you're not doing anything, so hopefully they have a good financial advisor and they downsize and what they're you know, and they're living, you know, you don't you never need three cars, but all right, so One thing I was curious about what's the difference between negotiating contracts for players and negotiate endorsement deal because that's something that you do as well. As far as the Asian is concerns endorsement solar shading is negotiating So when you say negotiating a contract, well what you mean by that well, like well like as far as the right friends so like all right NFL player and gets drafted and you have to negotiate the contract. Right and the guarantee is stuff like that, but then they know Coca-Cola wants to know No endorse them. So that's a different. I would assume conversation. Right? Like how does that work more? You still selling your client to both? You know, you're selling your client to a team. You're selling your client to a brand a lot of times. You got to make sure it's the right fit but that goes to also with football also, you know, sometimes I guess the difference is very similar because I was going to say you got brand like Coca-Cola that might say he's the right fit for us, but just Third same thing with the Raiders. They might say he's the right fit for us. So I don't think it's too much different. Now, of course, the contracts are structured much different and doing an endorsement contract. You're not governed by so of course, it's difference really just whatever you're agreeing agreeing on in the language in the contract what that brand is offering another day endorsement deals are a lot shorter. What is like the average term for an endorsement? I would say is a lot of that year by year. Okay, you know in most cases year by year season-by-season, you know, you know your average apparent, you know shoe deal might be for about two two years. Maybe three years the most of them like that. Yeah. I remember Iverson had the legendary lifetime Reeboks a lifetime and now LeBron has no LeBron has a lifetime like you look those things. You got to be super level you go. Right right when they know they're going to sell your likeness for years and years after I think they just they just built a whole building filled in for the grand. Yeah. We're in at the Nike. Or something like that. Yeah, so, all right speaking about LeBron. So you're a football guy. He played football and football agent, but you have ties in basketball. Also AAU circuit areas. I'm not your son's play you and you've been around basketball love. That was actually yeah. Love it. Yeah long time right longer than you think the football right? Well same time or Tom eight nine years old seven eight years old. That's you know, but of course My made my living playing football when I say they even got scholarship. Yeah, so as far as a you is concerned for basketball. We took one off camera like how big it is and a lot of times people don't fully understand like can you just like briefly talk about that? Like, what's the influence of a a you on college basketball and just basketball, this is right now it's a big business and that's where you you know, you heard all the corrupt things. I was going on, you know, the charges or the facts came in and you know, The whole the whole thing with our Adidas and your college coaches, you know, I mean, it's such a big bottom line these Brands want kids in their brands their big picture is to make money off a player. Once they become Pro they need the next LeBron. They need the next Allen Iverson. Like you said, that's how they make their money. They need to Nest Under Armour wants the next step the next step of Courage. So what they do, they go out and sponsor a you teams and they give them a lot of Are they can pay for them to travel and hopefully that will funnel them to their brand college and it goes from there. Hopefully at the end of the day they get that player wearing their shoes. Were they going to sell those shoes for x amount of dollars and they make that choice like that influence. It will live with it. Right? So like I 11 when we gave you all those sneakers right now, you're 18, right and it get directed towards schools to right. So like they have the AA you can they not supposed to but that's what's going on. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's like an Adidas school and then you had a d-des high. School now you go to Adidas grassroot program directly because this college the day you signed with Adidas, right and don't sell it. Looks like it's like it's like another person from our town that you may not know be from our town. Uh, Jonathan mentioned, you know, without knowing his dad. I knew you know me we worked out a couple times the Mets. Yeah because he was with the Mets when I used to work out before yes. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not. But obviously he went to Louisville you were doing which is indeed a school and now he's a deed is one of the Premier athletes. Yeah. He has his own shoe, right? Yeah. Yeah for sure. So shout out to him. Send me something for my kids for sure for sure. So alright, so, okay. As far as you know picking an agent right wing, are we going to enter with this? What what should because a lot of guys in the league listen to us and a lot of aspiring guys, you know have dreams of going to the league and even parents and things of that nature. What should somebody look at when they evaluate and picking an agent like well and your opinion like how do you do that? You want to make sure he's experienced. You don't want to be a guinea pig, you know, I mean If you blow your knee out, you're going to go and get surgery by the guy who did. 3030 so you gotta go with the guy who just did one surgery you're mean. Now how does that guy with that one surgery get, you know knowing you got to work on your somebody who's doing a lot and eventually like you said get your break, but you don't want to be a guinea pig. That's number one. So you want to go with somebody with ex experience expertise and you want them to have power you want the magic juice to be able to talk for you in the league. You know, the owners aren't your friend? Yeah. I mean, so you want to go and do contracts for yourself. They know they love that. They would love that and look when you The mom is working as the agent or he's going to represent himself because they're going to take advantage and therefore the most important once you get past that somebody you can relate to and you can trust when you sign with them. You can't trust them at that point yet. If you just met them during the recruiting process, so that's going to come with time but somebody who's that guy you can you have the least trust issues with and that you have a relationship with everybody. Give us some guys. I meet we just don't click some guys. I hit it right off they you know, and you can feel it. Sometimes I mean so everything's different everybody's different. We're going you want to look for somebody you can relate to and you can trust that's for the most part last old man. So once again man, thank you for joining us today. Like I said, it's a special Hometown Hometown Heroes in my hometown for sure is good to have Role Models. It's good to have role models. And then hopefully we continue to do what you did, you know, give us an answer. Some people younger than us and young people older than us, you know, you can never be ashamed to learn from somebody no matter what age they are. So how can the people contact you and wish you have any initiatives or anything going on at you want to make people aware of not right now, you know right now, you know a couple couple of businesses Governors throughout the land on but you know, nothing where I need to promote the right now, my main focus is being the best NFL agent. I can you know, my family man, you know, I, you know married with two kids, you know, I didn't mention that. Before I got eight year old son and 12 year old son. They have in sports and I have a wife Katrina. She works in school system. She's a media specialist. She loves doing that. So, you know right now that's my focus being the best, you know husband I can do is Dad and you know focusing on being an NFL agent and see where it takes me ma / years, you know, I love working with athletes. You know me. Yeah for sure. Sure Choi. Yes of shout out to everybody on our patreon as patreon.com backslash n your leisure. That's how proud to pay program. We said there are five tiers. You can join any till we have new members every week man. So we just want to give a huge shout out to them. They allow us to come to different cities. Come to Atlanta come to Chicago go to La and Houston and have networking events. So shouty I'll continue to support that continue to support the merch we have our tour Murrs up there now. So check out the new site the new design site shout to everybody that was behind that getting that getting that out. So when we can't went to Houston people asking how Get the UIL Houston torture is now available. So make sure you go cap that cop the Chicago on. Yeah, may I keep supporting that? Yeah, once again, shout out to the to the city of Atlanta It's always a good time when we out here and shout out to the town of Greenburgh. That's where we come from. Yeah, very special place very funny place and my just know you guys are safe here in Atlanta. My book tip of the week is so influencing that talks about Grassroots basketball. Just kind of Piggyback in our conversation that we had on AAU basketball. And once again, especially for parents a lot of times, you know, I'm a parent myself and my son plays basketball now and each time they talk might want to do an AAU teams and things of that nature. So it's a very competitive landscape, but unfortunately a lot of corruption like all thanks, so you just gotta navigate that and it's also important for athletes to not just play Game, but to understand that, you know, there's a there's a career after that in the flip side of that and that's why every player that's coming into the league and all the parents and coaches. I need to holler at my man Greg so you can set you up right? Yeah for sure for sure. So once again, thank you guys for rocking with us. We'll see you next week. Peace, please.
Greg Barnett has been an NFL agent for 15 years. Some of the current players that he represents are Justin Houston, Reshad Jones, and Pro-bowler Kyler Fuller. He also co-represents this year’s #4 draft pick Clelin Ferrell and former Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston. His journey has taken him from being in special education in high school to becoming a school teacher, to making NFL history. In 2015 he helped negotiate the largest contract for a linebacker in NFL history at that time for Justin Houston. The contract was for $101,000,000 with $52,000,000 of it guaranteed. In addition to being an agent, he also is an entrepreneur, investor, and manager for retired players including the legendary Percy Harvin. In episode 47 he walked us through NFL contract negotiations, he explained what college athletes go through, and we talked about the NCAA not paying athletes. We also discussed special education in schools, the business of AAU basketball, and the advantages of HBCUs. Guest IG: @gbobarnett Book Tip: Sole Influence   ---   This episode is sponsored by  · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app  · Talk Money With Mesh Lakhani Podcast: On The Talk Money with Mesh Lakhani podcast, Mesh will follow paper trails, chat with experts, and break down complex ideas to bring clarity to the mystical financial phenomena behind your finances. 