From Athlete To Entrepreneur: NFL Pro Larry Ogunjobi of Nirvana Water Sciences On The 5 Work Ethic Lessons We Can Learn From Athletes

Perspective. The ability to see things from multiple points of view is a superpower. You may have seen something that I missed and vice versa. You must have perspective in any successful business or team.

As a part of our series about the work ethic lessons we can learn from professional athletes, I had the pleasure of interviewing Larry Ogunjobi.

A familiar face after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Browns, Ogunjobi joined Cincinnati in March as an unrestricted free agent … Slotted as the Bengals’ №1 three-technique DT, which he says is his natural position despite not playing it since high school … Enters 2021 with 60 career games played (47 starts), 14.5 sacks, a PD and two FFs … Has earned notoriety for his background story, in which he says he lost more than 100 pounds between his sophomore and junior year of high school as he was beginning his football career … eventually earned a football scholarship to Charlotte, and became the first player ever drafted into the NFL from that program … Signed a one-year contract with Cincinnati in March 2021.

Ogunjobi recently joined Nirvana Water Sciences as an ambassador and investor and credits the water to improving his game. Feeling the difference from adding Nirvana HMB spring water to their daily hydration routine, a number of professional athletes have joined Ogunjobi as Nirvana Water Sciences ambassadors and investors.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about your personal background. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born in New Jersey, and my family and I moved to North Carolina when I was young. I didn’t start playing football until I was a sophomore in high school. At that time, I was an obese teen, about 350 pounds going into my sophomore year. The only reason I started playing football was that my parents took away my Xbox.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career as a high-level professional athlete?

My dad was at a park one day with my sister and he met a coach. Turned out it was Robert Mitchell, a high school football coach. My dad arranged for me to train with him. After about a month or so, he took me to the high school. I asked him what we were going to do there, and he said “you’re going to play football.” I told him “no I’m not” and he said, “yes you are.” We argued. He won. I got a permission slip from the school, my mom signed it, and I was on the football field that Saturday. It was rough. I couldn’t get through the workouts. One of the coaches came up to me after that first day and asked, “Larry are you still here?” I told him “yes, but only because I have to be here.” I went through my Junior Varsity season working hard every day. At the season-end award banquet, I thought my best friend at the time Trey Grimes was going to get the Most Improved award for Junior Varsity. But, they called my name. That was the first time in my life I knew I earned something I really worked for and made me realize that this football thing is something that I can do.

Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?

I didn’t know anything about university scholarships because I am a first-generation player. I asked my coach what I needed to do to get a scholarship and he said, “You have to get stronger, get faster, and perfect your technique.” So, every day after practice I would go to the YMCA and I started off running half a mile and biking five miles to eventually biking twelve miles without stopping, and then fifteen miles. My body composition started to change. I went from 350 pounds in the summer of my sophomore year of High School to 247 pounds in the summer of my junior year, so I lost over 100 pounds. My coach told me that I was getting too small, so I bulked back up to 267 for the season. I made all-conference my Junior and Senior years, East-West All-Star, and I received five scholarship offers. I took one official visit to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was offered a unique opportunity to be a part of the first recruiting class for the university. When I first arrived, there was no football field. In my first year, we trained and practiced, but we didn’t have any games. My choice to attend UNC Charlotte was a good decision. I was blessed and did very well. Hard work resulted in me becoming the first player drafted into the NFL from UNC Charlotte.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your sports career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?

The most interesting thing would be that the first NFL game that I ever played was the first NFL game I ever attended. I had never been to an NFL game in my life. I had no idea what to expect. I had seen a game on TV of course, but I had never physically been to a game. So, I thought that was pretty cool.

Can you share with our readers 3 or 4 strategies that you use to optimize your mind for peak performance before high pressure, high stress situations?

I am very consistent with my routine. I have a hyperbaric chamber I use regularly after practices. Massages are a must. Of course, staying well hydrated is important. I just recently chose a vegan lifestyle, and I am already seeing very positive changes. I try to take very good care of my body. It is the tool I use to make a living, and it is important to me to take good care of it.

What are some things you use from your athletic side and incorporate into your entrepreneurial side?

I look at myself and see that who I am today was a process. I didn’t become an NFL player overnight. I had to really transform my mind, my body, my discipline, and my work ethic. I feel the same practicality can be used in business, and in my investment choices. Being a successful entrepreneur is something you must work on and build. Just like an NFL career, it does not happen overnight. There will be up and downs, peaks, and valleys. You must adapt and move with the ebb and flow. I have come to understand the work it takes to build a successful brand. For instance, I recently invested in Nirvana Water Sciences because I believe in the science behind the brand and the difference that its HMB-infused spring water can make in muscle wellness. However, because it is based on science instead of empty sexy sizzle, it will take time and legwork to build an organic relationship with the consumer. I am glad to be in on the ground floor of what I see as a game-changing company and I look forward to helping the company grow. Building a solid brand that will stand the test of time, is similar to building a successful football career, it will take discipline and a lot of work. I’m up for it!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now?

As I mentioned earlier, I recently invested in Nirvana Water Sciences. This is something I am really excited about. The Company has a revolutionary HMB-infused spring water that I think is going to change the way people think about muscle wellness — it certainly has changed my thinking. Drinking Nirvana HMB spring water is part of my daily routine now. Before, during and after training, practice, or a game. Because of it, I have noticed a difference in my muscle recovery time, and my overall muscle health. I am constantly sharing the water with my Bengal team members. Living longer by living stronger is not just the brand tagline at Nirvana, it really defines the difference its HMB infused spring water can make. What the water does for me is why I drink it — what it can do for others is why I invested.

Do you think your experience as a professional athlete gave you skills that make you a better entrepreneur? Can you give a story or example about what you mean?

Yes, I believe my career as a professional athlete has helped me develop a skill set that is transferable to entrepreneurship. As an athlete you must be disciplined in all aspects, how often to train, what you eat, how much sleep you get. Every day I get up at 5:30 AM. I work out daily. I watch film, go over my corrections. Discipline and consistency are key By prioritizing discipline as an athlete, that quality has become second nature and carries over to the business and entrepreneurial side of my life. In sports and in business you need to be disciplined My experience as an athlete has made me a stronger entrepreneur. When I learned about Nirvana Water Sciences I was able to look at it from the perspective of not only an athlete but as an entrepreneur. I now swear by Nirvana HMB spring water as it reduces muscle recovery time and boosts my muscle performance. That’s one of the reasons I became an investor in the company.

What are 5 things from a work ethic standpoint you use as an athlete that you transfer to as an entrepreneur?

A good work ethic is key to success in any endeavor, from the football field to the board room. My top five on the work ethic parade:

(1) Patience. Good things take time.

(2) Sacrifice. If you don’t sacrifice there’s no value.

(3) Hard work. Nothing is going to work if you don’t.

(4) Team effort. Surround yourself with good people and smart people. You should never be the smartest person in the room.

(5) Perspective. The ability to see things from multiple points of view is a superpower. You may have seen something that I missed and vice versa. You must have perspective in any successful business or team.

What advice would you give a young person who wants to follow in your footsteps and emulate your career as an athlete and an entrepreneur?

I would tell them that you can. End of story. Doubt kills more dreams than anything else. You must believe in your mind and believe in yourself. If you believe and trust in yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to, you will.

How have you used your success to bring goodness into the world?

I love to give and be philanthropic, whether that be financial donations or in donating my time — or both. Every year I do some type of giveaway. During Thanksgiving, we give away 100 turkeys to families in need. Every holiday season I host Christmas with Larry. We started off helping 5 kids, then 10, 25, 30, and then this year in Cincinnati we had 35 foster kids that we took care of. Just being able to do this is a blessing and I am so privileged to be able to give back to my community. Performing charitable work is not about you. It’s about how you can help people and how you make people feel. The toys and the material items will fade away, but the way you make people feel and the light you bring them lasts a lifetime.

If you could inspire a movement to bring about the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Kindness. Just be kind. Life is hard for everybody. You never know what somebody else is going through. I always try and remember that every person I meet means the world to someone else. So, I always try to treat everyone with the same care and kindness that I would like to be treated with. It doesn’t hurt to be kind or to lend a helping hand. You never know who needs a little bit of kindness. If I could inspire a movement, it definitely would be kindness.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

I love the saying, “Quotes don’t work if you don’t.”

Is there a person in the world that you would love to have lunch or dinner with?

Will Smith, without a doubt. I’m currently reading his book, Will. I have been a lifelong fan and grew up watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Men In Black, Bad Boys, and all of his movies. Through the pages of his book, I am learning more about the person he is and what makes him such a special individual. Will’s transformation from a West Philly kid to one of the biggest rap stars of his era — winning the first-ever Grammy for rap — and then going on to become one of the world’s biggest movie stars, is an epic journey. But it is his journey of self-knowledge that I find enlightening. I would love to meet him in person, and just have a conversation and pick his brain. Hands down, I would love to have lunch with Will Smith. He’s in a category all by himself.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!