Marques Ogden: From Rock Bottom to the Bison Mindset, Building Authentic Leadership and Purpose

In this episode, Julie Riga welcomes Marques Ogden, former NFL offensive lineman, keynote speaker, author, business coach, and host of the Get Authentic with Marques Ogden Podcast. Marques opens up about his path from professional football to a rock bottom moment that reshaped his entire life and purpose, and what it took to rebuild from nothing.

What we cover in this episode:

• Marques' six year career in the National Football League, and the difficult transition that followed, including a six month struggle with addiction, alcohol, nightlife, and gambling
• Building a multimillion dollar construction company that reached multiple eight figures a year, and how ego, greed, and the personality ethics led to its total collapse
• Moving to Raleigh, North Carolina with four hundred dollars to his name, being fired from two jobs in the same week, and taking a job as a custodian earning eight dollars and twenty five cents an hour
• The rock bottom moment on a custodial shift that became his wake up call and the beginning of phase two of his life
• The J.K. Rowling quote that shaped his outlook, rock bottom is the moment that rebuilt my life, and the parallel of Rowling writing Harry Potter while living in her car
• Marques' journey into professional speaking, starting in September 2013 and going two and a half years before his first paid engagement in April 2016
• Meeting Mel Robbins in 2018, getting coached, learning the business, and going on to work with more than ninety Fortune 500 companies
• Becoming a six time best selling author, with a seventh book, Built From The Storm, The Bison Operating System, currently in progress
• The Bison mindset, a leadership framework built around being bold, having integrity, practicing self awareness, taking ownership, and never quitting
• Why bison move as a herd through a storm, protecting the weaker, older, and younger members while the strong and bold face the brunt of the storm, and what that teaches us about leadership and community
• The idea of purpose driven leadership, and why this phase of Marques' life feels more meaningful to him than football or business ever did
• Julie's own story of rock bottom during her divorce, and the parallels between her journey and Marques' story of resilience
• The importance of authenticity and vulnerability in leadership, and why judgment should never stop anyone from telling their real story
• A favorite quote from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, smooth seas never made skilled sailors, and what it means to grow through hardship rather than ease

This conversation is filled with ingredients for success, insight on resilience, and encouragement for anyone facing their own storm right now.

Connect with Marques Ogden: Website, www.marquesogden.com Email, marques@marquesogden.com Podcast, Get Authentic with Marques Ogden

Connect with Julie Riga: Explore more from Julie Riga, including her full lineup of resources and links, at https://stacklist.app/julieriga

#stayoncourse #leadership #resilience #purpose #authenticleadership

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