This week, we speak with Donald Suxho, co-founder of Global Sports Institute in Venice, a youth sports training facility with volleyball and pickleball courts. Prior to GSI, Donald was a decorated collegiate, Olympic and professional volleyball player. He was an All-American and national Player of the Year as a senior at USC and competed in two Olympics.

Together, we talk about Donald’s career in volleyball and what he overcame to make the U.S. Olympic volleyball team. We also discuss coaches and mentors he met along the way who taught him resilience, determination, grit and more.

3 Takeaways:

1. (05:45) It doesn’t matter your background as long as you work hard
2. (10:25) If you put in the work, opportunity will come
3. (16:00) Lead by example and lift up others

Timestamps:

(00:00) Subscribe to the Business Observer!

(00:35) Growing up in communist Albania

(03:10) Moving to America and getting a scholarship for volleyball at USC

(06:20) Joining the US Olympic team

(08:10) Making the decision to be a great athlete

(12:20) Working at IMG

(13:30) Learning lessons from sports and business

(14:55) Leadership lessons from volleyball

(18:10) Donald’s mentors

(20:11) Starting GSI, a multisport training facility

(22:10) Rapid fire questions

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