Athletes transitioning into entrepreneurs is not a new fad. For years, they have been using their competitive spirit to get a leg up in the business world. Throughout their entire lives, they’ve needed to display perseverance, dedication and drive in order to succeed. These skills all directly translate to success in the business world as well. We have highlighted several athletes that went on to be successful entrepreneurs.
1. The Williams sisters
Venus and Serena Williams are both savvy businesswomen on top of being two of the best tennis players in the world. Venus is the CEO of her own interior design firm. She also has her own fashion line. She is a top-five New York Times bestselling author as well with her book titled “Come to Win.” Her sister Serena is an entrepreneur in her own right. Serena owns a venture capital firm, and she invests in startups that have females, people of color, or young entrepreneurs as their CEOs.
2. Pat McAfee
Former “Punter of the Decade” for the NFL Pat McAfee is also a successful entrepreneur. He left the Indianapolis Colts with an early retirement to get into the content-creation world. He started at Barstool Sports, but then created his own small business when he decided he didn’t want to work for someone else. He now has one of the most popular sports talk shows on YouTube and has big-time sponsorships with Mad Dog Radio and FanDuel Sportsbook.
3. Isiah Thomas
Lastly, one of our favorite entrepreneurs is Isiah Thomas. The former Detroit Piston is the founder of a development group that specializes in sports marketing and is the CEO of ISIAH International. He has been a part of many industries including waste removal and recycling, multi-family housing, investing, real estate and champagne. On top of all of his entrepreneurial endeavors, he makes sure each one of his companies gives back to a philanthropic cause.