Out of the Park: Validation
What a validating season this was for the Kansas City Royals. There was excitement, growth and lessons to be learned. Not to mention, they made history as the first baseball team to lose 106 games in one season and make it to the playoffs the next.
How did they do it?
First, they added the right players. Numerous veterans with experience leading younger athletes helped take the team to the next level.
Second, every player left their ego at the door and did whatever it took to make the team better. Comments like “we never give up” and “we are pulling on the same end of the rope” may be cliche in sports, but I saw the words put into action every day I spent with the Royals.
Third, they embraced Manager Matt Quatraro’s Today mentality. In theory, not thinking about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow is a simple thing to do. Actually putting it into action is a different story. The word could often be seen on shirts worn during batting practice, serving as a daily reminder to focus on the now.
When combined with the leadership of longtime star Salvador Perez and generational talent Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals have hope for many years to come.
It was a pleasure to cover the franchise this season, and seeing them return to the postseason for the first time since 2015 was special.
They may have lost in the second round to the New York Yankees, but a packed Kauffman Stadium and playoff ball at “The K” was true validation for fans and players alike, inside and Out of the Park.
Stadium standout
I’ve written before about the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays playing in Major League Baseball’s two worst venues. Neither the Oakland Coliseum nor Tropicana Field will house big league teams next season, though for two very different reasons.
In the case of the Rays, playing in a dome allows them to contend with Mother Nature and the rain she delivers almost daily in Florida. Unfortunately, the same roof that was intended to prevent postponements will be the source of an extended one.
The fiberglass dome proved no match for Hurricane Milton when it made landfall earlier this month, and the team will be forced to find a temporary home next year. Where they will play and for how long remains undetermined. Regardless, fans can look forward to finally feeling some validation in 2028 when - after a years long battle - a brand new venue will open.
Oakland sports fans, however, will share no such feelings. The Raiders left for Las Vegas in 2020 after two different stints spanning 47 years in the East Bay. The Golden State Warriors moved across the Bay to San Francisco, also after 47 seasons. Now, the A’s are done at the Coliseum as well.
While they are expected to eventually land in Las Vegas, they will play at a minor league park in Sacramento for at least one season.
Neither team will be located in ideal places, but winning nonetheless would prove the ultimate validation, despite the challenges of not having a permanent stadium to call home.
Local flavor
I love exploring spots in and out of town during the off season, but my home base for networking over coffee is RevoCup in Leawood, Kansas.
I first found this gem a few years ago, and have kept coming back thanks to its relaxed atmosphere, local ownership and top-notch hospitality shown by Brandon and his staff. Of course, the coffee is great too.
It’s the perfect place to go when I’m building and maintaining my network, something that can be difficult to fully focus on during the season.
With several months of (relative) quiet on my horizon, I look forward to a slower pace - and plenty of caffeine - at this down to earth little shop on the north side of Town Center Plaza.
Dugout dialogue
Prior to the 2020 season, John Sherman led a group of Kansas Citians to buy the Kansas City Royals.
They watched patiently as the team struggled to find its strengths. While losing 106 games in 2024 wasn’t easy, Sherman saw the bigger picture. He ultimately gave General Manager JJ Picollo the greenlight to make significant investments in talent last winter, a decision that paid dividends immediately.
Sherman, Piccolo and everyone else in the organization can agree there is more work to be done. But returning to the playoffs after an eight year hiatus brought incredible validation, as Sherman told me amidst the champagne celebration on the night they clinched a playoff berth.
How does validation play out in more traditional places of business? Tune in to this month’s discussion with Chief of Staff KC’s Casey Wright to find out.
speaking engagements
The end of every baseball season stirs mixed emotions for me. There’s finally relief from the daily grind as a six-month marathon comes to a close, but I also miss the action and excitement it brings.
Thankfully, I find just as much joy inspiring audiences as a speaker as I do working a baseball game. After taking a few weeks to decompress after the Royals playoff run, I made my annual pivot into more regular speaking with three audiences in a week.
It was an honor to kick off the Travel Industry Association of Kansas’ annual Tourism Conference with my signature talk, Winning Trust. The next day, I keynoted the Sweeper Summit & Equipment Expo in Las Vegas. To round it out, I emceed in front of a packed house at Starlight Theater for the inaugural Giving GRACE Breakfast.
In The Name of GRACE is a wonderful non-profit that provides housing and assistance to recovering addicts as they transition to healthy living. Having the opportunity to make an impact in that mission - and the mission of every organization I work with - brings me validation every time I step on stage.
Next month, I look forward to an event in Dallas where I’ll speak to a group of human resources professionals from APL Logistics.
If you have a game changing event coming up, it’s time we play ball. To inquire about my keynote series, event moderation or custom video content, just click the link below. A member of my team will get back to you right away.
Rounding the bases rewind
This month, I welcomed several guests to the podcast who found themselves doing the unexpected. Some made radical pivots from practical work into passionate careers. Others challenged expectations to find their own success. And one episode in particular featured a pair of entrepreneurs who are making headlines as pioneering forces in fintech.
Their names are Jannae Gammage and Alaia Martin, the CEO and COO of Cyphr Capital. It’s a data-infused startup that has revolutionized the way small businesses get funded. But they’re doing more than automating the loan process for millions…they’re actually making history as black women in technology, and the results have been more than validating.
It’s one you don’t want to miss. If you missed it earlier in the month, you can listen to here.
Of course, thank you again to each of the guests who rounded the bases with me this month:
Our schedule is already booked through the fall, but we are always looking for interesting guests with standout stories. Would you or someone you know make a great guest on Rounding the Bases?
To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email my Executive Producer Ashleigh Sterr: ashleigh@joelgoldbergmedia.com.
Keeping the score
This month’s installment of Keeping the Score reflects on lessons in validation from podcast guest Miriam Schulman. She walked away from a lucrative career on Wall Street for one in watercolor. In the two decades since, her entrepreneurial career has evolved into something bigger and more impactful than she ever could have imagined.
Her creativity looks different these days that it once did. Instead of portraiture, she is a best-selling business author and host of her podcast, The Inspiration Place. Better still is that she found a way to unite business and art in a way that has helped others find validation in their own creative careers as well.
As Miriam reiterated in our discussion, every one of us is creative. The difference is in how it manifests. Click below to check it out.
newsletter signup
Do you want an exclusive first look and access to behind the scenes photos you can’t find anywhere else? Sign up today and get Out of the Park delivered right to your inbox.