This week, NBA champion, entrepreneur and investor Jeremy Lin takes us on his journey from underdog to global sports phenomenon.
From going undrafted out of Harvard to finding himself at the center of "Linsanity," Jeremy has had a career unlike almost any other.
Now, a year after retiring, he's building the next chapter of his career and seeking to redefine success beyond basketball.
We get a special peek into Jeremy’s world on and off the court, hear about his ambitions in media, startups and VC, and meet "the one person" whom Jeremy says has helped him and his brand the most: JLIN LLC CEO (and Jeremy's sister-in-law!) Patricia Sun.
In this episode, we dive into:
00:00: Introduction
01:28: Walk & talk at Jeremy's basketball training camp for young AAPI athletes
04:56: How would the students describe Coach Jeremy?
05:54: Developing a winning mindset
07:00: Transitioning to life after retirement
09:24: Find joy in the journey: What he's hoping to pass down to the next generation
11:22: Sitting down with Jeremy in-studio
11:56: Playing at the YMCA: The beginning of Jeremy’s basketball journey
13:10: Why basketball felt like an escape
14:05: The moment the NBA dream actually felt real
14:57: Going undrafted and overcoming self-doubt
17:36: What it felt like to live through Linsanity
19:30: Handling pressure and overthinking
19:54: Highlight moments: Scoring 38 points against the LA Lakers, Kobe Bryant
21:13: Winning the NBA championship — and not feeling enough
23:05: Managing self-talk and criticism
24:33: Learning to be proud of where you’re at
28:01: Chopping a long-term goal into "10,000 small goals"
29:30: Ad
32:10: Rebuilding his career after injury
33:50: Going overseas
34:23: Competing with yourself
36:35: Playing basketball in Asia
37:23: Representation in sports: How perceptions of Asian athletes have changed
35:20: Couch-surfing: Crashing with Landry Fields, his brother and sister-in-law
38:49: Introduction to Patricia Sun, the CEO behind Jeremy Lin's brand 40:50: How Patricia became Jeremy’s business partner
42:10: How Jeremy’s family managed the rise of Linsanity
43:11: Building a global brand strategy
43:54: What being "mission-driven" really means
45:08: Ad
47:32: How to evaluate deals and decipher which ones to turn down
48:11: What it's like to work with family
49:52: Entering the VC world: What the team looks for when investing in startups
51:39: Opportunities in Southeast Asia
52:20: Investment strategy and business vision
54:48: Jeremy’s next big career goal
56:26: The long-term vision for JLIN LLC
58:16: Starting a hydration drinks brand in Taiwan and staying true to their values
01:00:00: Audience question
01:02:20: Cultural differences: Jeremy’s funniest story from playing in both the NBA and CBA
01:03:05: Rapid-fire round
This episode is brought to you by our show sponsors:
Perplexity Computer — try it for free for a limited time at: http://pplx.ai/BTB
Chime — sign up for 5% cash back at: https://www.chime.com/BTB
Policygenius — see how much you could save on life insurance at: http://policygenius.com/BTB
OneSkin — get 15% off with code "BTB" at: http://oneskin.co/BTB
🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays.
👇🏼 SUBSCRIBE + FOLLOW:
YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB
Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3IFGuIA
Spotify: https://bit.ly/SpotiBTB
Amazon Music: http://bit.ly/4pPZZPp
🎙️ About Behind the Business
Behind the Business is a Webby Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How did you get started when you practically had no money? Or how do you mentally prep for a big event? In each episode, guests get into it all. Each episode also connects guests with young founders who send in a question. New episodes Thursdays.
About Michelle Toh
Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property crunch. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bymichelletoh
TikTok: behindthebusinessshow
#jeremylin #linsanity #nba #basketball #athlete #leadership #leadershipmindset #brandbuilding #entrepreneurship #investing #business #leadership #career #careergrowth #careerjourney #startups #sportsbusiness #philanthropy #AsianAmerican #AAPI
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
