A Look Into the Future: What Will Your BHAG Look Like in 5 Years?

Last week I wrote a blog about creating your own BHAG, a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal [Video 1:18]. After Oklahoma accomplished a 4-peat last night by winning the WCWS against Texas, I wondered if they made a goal 4 years ago to win 4 in a row. While I doubt it, I think that would have been a perfect BHAG! Winning not just one, but 4 national titles is something truly outrageous.

I thought back to this speech I made two years ago at my Alma Mater, Trinity High School. In it, I explain a BHAG that I had as a high school student. It was to be a CEO at a big company. At the time, I didn’t know about BHAGs, but I think it’s interesting that I made one. I didn’t end up coming close to that, obviously. What is even more interesting is that if I didn’t have a goal to be a CEO of a big company, I wouldn’t own my awesome little one. They key is to create your BHAG for fun, try to get it, and welcome any twists and turns that come along the way.

How does this apply to you? Pitchers can be perfectionists. Some of us won’t set goals high enough fear of not hitting them. Some are way too hard on ourselves, or on the flipside, take too much credit for things we can’t control in games. Will we be disappointed if we don’t make it? Sure!

Remember, though, that sports teaches us resilience and perseverance. We shouldn’t be afraid to say we want to play in college or in the pros. After all, I haven’t met anyone in college or the pros who never said they wanted to get there.

Transcript

Thank you! I’m so grateful to Trinity for inviting me to be here today. Congratulations to the other honorees - Betty, who is here on Mary’s behalf, and Kathleen. I feel honored to be here with you finally, after a minor 2 year delay. I think this event was canceled 3 or 4 days before we were supposed to have it. I was thinking, jeez are they overreacting or what? I guess not.

Anyway, thanks to my family for being here, especially on a work day. I admire your talents for multitasking by both being here and also “working” virtually at the same time. Thank you mom and dad for sending me to Trinity. Actually thank you for sending all of your kids to different Catholic schools. Between the three of us there was St. Joe’s, Trinity, Fenwick and IHM. Yes, there’s an extra school in there. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on what happened.

While many Catholic and private schools are struggling, Trinity keeps getting better and better. You have a beautiful new gym, this wonderful auditorium, and you added a bowling team, golf team, lacrosse team and track and field since I’ve graduated. You’ve won runner up in the state championships for softball, 13 regional championships - Is the softball team here? And for basketball, which I also played - you made 3 state championship appearances. How about the basketball team? Nice job! I know there are many more accomplishments in other sports as well.

I’m going to share with you a little bit about my life and the ways Trinity has played a big part. Those are empowerment, sports, and faith.

Entrepreneurship

As you heard from Marigayle, I own my own small business. It’s called Practice Pro, and I teach softball players, girls aged 7 to 18, how to pitch. In 2016 I started with 55 girls in my pitching school and we now have 170 in 3 locations. My favorite thing is when a parent texts updates of their daughter having an awesome performance in her game. One of the reasons I believed in myself enough to go out on my own was because I learned about empowerment at Trinity.

When I sat where you are I dreamed of being on this stage in a pencil skirt and jacket talking about my job as a top executive in a company with an office in a skyscraper. THAT is success I thought. I actually thought my life would go like this (make a straight upward angle). After all, I was in the IB program and amazing opportunities were going to be thrown at me at every turn!

I never climbed any ladder, it was more like a blender, and was unqualified for any type of executive position whatsoever. God blessed my journey with unexpected jobs, like tour boat deckhand, office manager at a Baptist church, real estate office manager and agent, temp worker, television news camera woman, television traffic coordinator, 5 star restaurant maitre'd, golf course cart lady, and server at the Stadium Club at Wrigley Field.

I was getting antsy in my office job, even though I got to wear a pencil skirt from time to time. It’s a long story, but I started giving pitching lessons for extra cash, obsessively started listening to business podcasts and audio books, and I eventually gathered up the courage to quit my “regular job” and start Practice Pro at the age of 34. I ended up using the skills I learned in every single one of those jobs to run my company. And I’m grateful for every last one of them.

Sports

Sports here at Trinity obviously still plays a big role in my life. I am trying to train pitchers and get them to come to Trinity, and help you win a State Championship. However, before you get behind the plan, you must know this about me.

My senior year at Trinity we played Fenwick in softball. My sister was a freshman on the varsity team. My entire extended family came to the game. Even my grandpa. He never came to games. There was even an article about us in the Wednesday Journal. On the front page of the sports section was a huge photo of us sitting on a bench back to back grimacing. The game was at the priory. We were tied in the bottom of the seventh. My sister was up. I walked her. Another base-hit later, she was on third. I was very nervous. With a 2 and 1 count, I launched the ball over my catcher, Denisa Magana’s head, and my sister made a break for it. The slowest person I knew stole home!!! We lost.

After that, I somehow gathered my dignity and was able to pitch in college. We won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2002 and was later inducted into Ithaca’s Athletic Hall of Fame. While everyone in my family is well aware of my accomplishments, the cloud of that loss against Fenwick still looms over my head and I’m sorry but, also this entire school. I am truly sorry about that. Please forgive me. Uncle Dan, please stop talking about it.

Faith

The most important thing Trinity gave me was a foundation in Faith.
When I was in college I went on a service trip to visit some Franciscan Friars and Nuns in New York City. One day we were able to ask the sisters questions about their daily life and what it was like to be them. Maybe we’d want to take up the vocation. My question was, “ uhh…do you get to work out?” Their answers were not up to my standards so of course I could not be a nun.

But in all seriousness there were times in my 20’s and 30’s when I didn't believe there was a god. You know it just seemed unlikely. It seemed silly even. But I just couldn't shake the desire to believe. I remembered how I felt here at Trinity with sister Michelle’s grace enVELoping the whole school. Going to monthly mass here, prayers during morning announcements, prayers before our sports games. The rituals always stuck with me. I really think there’s something bigger than all of us…nudging us in the right direction.

Actually I know there is, because I’m going in the right direction. Isn't it funny that after all of those years, I’m right back playing softball with a bunch of girls? I’m grateful to be able to share a little of my experience with you. Go Blazers!