In 1976, a team of young women led by a determined coach experienced the ultimate athletic success – winning a National Basketball Championship!

I was blessed to be one of those women.

At the time, we didn’t realize how fortunate we were that God put us together at the right time, in the right place, under the inspiring leadership of Coach Kay James.

40 years later, the connection between all of my teammates and our coach remains stronger than ever. We remain close friends to this day, getting together as a group at least once or twice a year, and continue to view Coach James as an inspiring mentor.

That’s why the members of our team made the effort to honor our coach by attending her induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson on July 30, 2016.

After leading the Berry College women’s basketball team – the Lady Vikings – to win the first ever national championship in the school’s history in 1976, she went on to coach for 22 years at NCAA Division – Southern Mississippi. She had a career coaching mark of 85-30 at Berry College (5 seasons) and 403-214 at Southern Mississippi (22 seasons), and is among the top 25 in Division I in all-time wins for seasons coached and games coached.

Lessons for Life

Of course, Coach James helped us enhance our skills on the court. But what life lessons did we learn from Coach James?

She helped us become champions in every sense of the word. She taught us to respect and love each other. She brought out our individual strengths. She made each and every member of our team feel important.

“The ladies didn’t care who got the credit, they didn’t compete against each other or care about the stats at the end of the game. There was no selfishness, and that is what set our team apart from the others,” said Coach Kay James.

So many of the lessons I learned about what it takes to be a champion guide me as a business entrepreneur.

Believe In What You Bring to the Table

Coach James taught us the importance of having confidence in ourselves and the skill-sets we brought to the court. We worked hard to become players and teammates who had the ability to deliver when it counted. And we learned to bring a champion mindset to each game we played.

To succeed in business, you need to have great confidence in what you sell, whether it’s a product or a service. When you are genuinely confident that you have a champion product or service, the value you are offering becomes clear to your prospects. Confidence breeds confidence. Your level of your confidence will determine your ability to close sales and your level of success overall.

A Champion in Our Midst

I’d like to take this opportunity to mention one of my teammates from The Lady Vikings, Barbara Struckhoff, who stands out as a champion. After college, Barbara became a teacher. Over her 30+ year career in teaching, she went on to foster over 72 children as a single woman and adopted 4 of these children. She served as a basketball and softball coach in the community and recently had a softball field named after her.

This is just one of the many champion success stories that has emerged from our National Championship team, illustrating the foundation for success and service paved during our time together. We are so proud of Barbara and her commitment to serve her community and the Foster System in South Georgia.

Leadership is Everything

Leaders see the potential in others and empower them to realize their unique potential. Coach James took an average group of women and turned us into champions. How? She gave us confidence in ourselves and empowered us to reach our potential, both as individuals and as a team.

Business entrepreneurs cannot build legacy businesses single-handedly. To be an effective business leader, you need to choose the right team and give them the tools they need to thrive. Make sure each individual member of your team knows that they play an integral piece of the puzzle. When you demonstrate belief in your team, you inspire them to believe in themselves and do their best work. Effective leaders also listen to their team’s opinions and feedback, lead by example and make firm decisions.

Win with Character

One of the greatest lessons I learned from Coach James is the importance of acting with integrity. Coach James was more than just my basketball coach – she became a great spiritual mentor. A devout Christian, she instilled many fundamental values in me that have guided me through life. She is a person who epitomizes integrity, respect and the importance of serving others. Each member of my team has gone on on to achieve great success professionally and in the community because we navigated our lives by these values, which were instilled in us by our parents and reinforced by Coach James.

To achieve success as a business entrepreneur, you need to treat everyone with respect, take the high road, honor your word and maintain your integrity at all costs. People who sacrifice their integrity for short-term gains never win in the long run. When you act with integrity in your business dealings, you develop a reputation as an honorable, trustworthy person with whom others want to conduct business.

A Winning Team of Business Entrepreneurs

I have carried the lessons I learned from Coach James with me. She was instrumental in giving me many of the tools necessary to achieve lasting success as a business entrepreneur. I share these values with my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients as I teach them practical tools and proven strategies designed to help them “Double Plus” their income.

Are you a strong leader? Are you leading a team of champions?

Contact me today to ignite the champion within and build the Legacy Business you have it in you to build.

Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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