What Kind of Culture Are You Creating for Yourself?

I came across a LinkedIn post recently from Marqus Coleman that stopped me mid-scroll. It was an excerpt from his personal journal — just eight simple questions. But as I sat with them, I realized they weren't simple at all.

What kind of culture are you creating or experiencing for yourself?

That question hit differently because Marqus isn't someone I just follow on LinkedIn. He's someone who has directly shaped how I show up every day.

The Meeting That Changed How I See Myself

I met Marqus in Phoenix at PAC Accelerate — a room full of athletes, entrepreneurs, and people navigating the intersection of both worlds. We sat down at a table with other athletes and execs and everyone asked questions as well as shared advice. Marqus didn't just ask about my business or my background. He went deeper. He poked at my values, my identity, and the story I was telling myself about who I was becoming.

He gave me real feedback. Not flattery — feedback. The kind that makes you uncomfortable in the moment and grateful later.

I implemented it immediately. Not "I'll think about it" immediately. I mean I went back to my room that night and started doing the work. And one of the most tangible results of that conversation? My core values — Empathy, Resilience, Community — are now written on my mirror. Every single morning I wake up and those words are the first thing I see. That's not an accident. That's Marqus.

Applying the 8 Questions to My Own Life

When I saw his post, I knew I had to actually sit down and answer these honestly. Not for the algorithm — for myself. Here's how I worked through them.

1. Do you carry positive thoughts?

Most of the time, yes. But I'd be lying if I said it was consistent. The athlete in me is wired to identify what's wrong so I can fix it — that critical eye is an asset in business, but it can quietly become a drain on my own mindset. I've had to learn to apply that same energy toward what's going right, not just what needs work. The mirror helps with this. Starting my morning reading Empathy, Resilience, Community is a pattern interrupt. It sets the tone before the noise of the day starts.

2. Do you value the lessons of your journey?

This one I feel deeply. Playing professionally, earning an MBA, building Prime Focus Goalkeeping while still on the field — none of it was a straight line. Every detour taught me something. The transition out of sports taught me the most. When the thing you've built your identity around ends, you either learn to rebuild or you get stuck. I chose to rebuild — and I genuinely value every hard lesson that got me here.

But it hasn't all been about business. I've had many hard life lessons in my personal life that I am still learning from. Life is about perspective and how you view these hurdles. I've learned to embrace all aspects of my life currently; without that, it makes it extremely hard to push forward and reach the place that I want to be. The lessons on your journey can either be an anchor that hold you in place or a springboard for continued growth. Choose your perspective.

3. Are you accountable to you?

This is the hardest one for me to answer honestly. I'm highly accountable to other people — clients, partners, anyone counting on me. But accountability to myself? That's where I have to be more intentional. Writing my values on the mirror was an act of self-accountability. Saying them out loud. Asking myself, "Did I lead with empathy today? Did I show resilience when things didn't go my way? Did I contribute to the community around me?" Those are the questions I'm working to ask myself daily.

Creating positive habits has been a big part of my mindset shift. I hold myself accountable to 5 workouts per week, and I've done so for 87 straight weeks. I have a morning routine that, while not perfect, I stick to almost every day. I've committed to a paying more attention to my nutrition (while also still sneaking in a cookie every now and then). I've learned to give myself grace while also maintaining certain standards for my life.

4. Are you honest with yourself?

Getting better. One of the gifts of my conversation with Marqus was that someone I respected was honest with me — and it gave me permission to be more honest with myself. Self-honesty isn't about being harsh. It's about seeing clearly. What am I actually doing versus what I say I'm going to do? Where am I performing instead of showing up? Those are real questions I sit with.

5. Do you encourage yourself?

I'm learning to. Athletes are their own harshest critics — it comes with the territory. But I've been making a concerted effort to become my own hype man. I try to speak to myself the way I'd speak to a young athlete I was mentoring. With honesty, yes, but also with belief. You can't pour from an empty cup, and you can't encourage others if you won't encourage yourself first.

6. Do you value yourself?

More than I used to. For a long time, my value was tied to performance — what I did on the field, what I produced in business, how useful I was to others. That's a fragile foundation. I've been doing the work to root my sense of value in who I am, not what I produce. Community is a core value for me partly because I've had to learn to receive from others, not just give. That exchange is where I learned to recognize my own worth.

7. Do you clap for yourself?

Honestly, not enough. I've achieved some great things in my life, both big and small. This is one I've intentionally worked on. High achievers are quick to move the goalposts — you hit one milestone and immediately look to the next. I've started pausing. Acknowledging wins, even the quiet ones. Finishing a hard conversation well. Showing up when I didn't want to. Building something from nothing. Those deserve recognition too. You don't have to wait for the crowd. Be the crowd for yourself sometimes.

8. Are you committed to YOU?

Yes. And I say that with more conviction now than I could have a few years ago. The version of me that met Marqus in Phoenix was still figuring out his identity outside of sport. The version of me writing this post is still figuring it out but more committed than ever — to growth, to my values, to the person I'm building on purpose.

I'm investing in me. Whether that be through my membership in PAC, my health and fitness journey, or the reading that I do in the morning to keep my mind sharp and open my eyes to new avenues of growth; I'm committed to living within my values and continue to develop who I am as an individual. How I show up in these new spaces I navigate is important to me.

One quote that stuck with me from one of the panelists at PAC Accelerate was the following:

It's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not.

I want to show up in every room as authentically as possible and that starts with the culture and environment I set for myself at home. I don't want to show up as just an athlete or an entrepreneur; I want to show up as a whole human with nuance, and grace, and excitement.

The Culture You Create for Yourself Matters

Culture isn't just something organizations build. It's something you build internally, every single day. The thoughts you entertain, the way you talk to yourself, the values you commit to — all of it creates the environment you live in mentally and emotionally.

I'm grateful for people like Marqus who ask the right questions and give you real feedback. I'm grateful I was in the room in Phoenix. And I'm grateful those words — Empathy. Resilience. Community. — are the first thing I see every morning.

Now I'll ask you the same question Marqus asked: What kind of culture are you creating for yourself?

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If you want to connect on the journey, follow along here or find me on LinkedIn. I share the lessons as I live them.