We recently connected with Devon Teeple and have shared our conversation below.

Devon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I think this is the easiest and hardest question to answer.

Relating this more to my non-profit: ignite CHANGE and my focus on wellness, the purpose is to reach one person with a positive takeaway.

I was speaking to someone a few months back. I was asked why do you continue to do this? How do you even know if you reach anyone? What’s the point?

The answer was simple; because you never know who you can reach out to via social media and the outlets we have at our fingertips.

Whether it’s assisting someone advance in athletics at the amateur or professional level or helping someone struggling in silence from anxiety or depression, JUST ONE positive takeaway can change a life.

It’s not about likes or hits, heck I’m a nobody in the grand scheme of social media. But that’s just fine. If I get one like or 10,000 likes… whatever. But in that group will be one person that connects with my message and that can spark something special.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

The GM’s Perspective provides an analysis of the business side, power, politics, and profits of baseball from the minors to MLB. As a strategic advisor to start-up clubs in the U.S. including the Plymouth Rivers Eels I help teams and players to unlock their true potential and overcome obstacles in their learning curves.

As an effort to extend my professional experience to other members of the community I provide coaching for SMEs to help them unlock their true remarkable potential. I help them improve in the areas of operations, strategy, sales, finance, risk, legality, business development, administration, and staff development.

ignite CHANGE is a local non-profit, and the work we do supports athletes dealing with mental health issues (anxiety, depression, etc.) is recognized across North America. Research highlighting sports leadership and the positive impact it can have on players is something the non-profit has become well known for.

ignite CHANGE is a passion project I founded to maximize people’s full potential with a philanthropic feel. Sports has been the constant in my life with teamwork and the belonging piece always being a calming voice. Giving back to the community via the game that has provided me with so many opportunities is a blessing.

We conduct research on sports leadership and its positive impact on people, specifically athletes dealing with mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Through ignite CHANGE I have launched our second annual ignite CHANGE scholarship for one deserving student who is passionate about making a difference.

Students who can apply for the scholarship must be an undergraduate from any Canadian or U.S. 4-year institution and must have a 2.75 GPA or better. Along with their resume and a 500-word essay, applicants are also required to submit their Transcript of Records from their current or most recently attended high school, college, or university. They should email all these requirements to [email protected] or [email protected].

I’m thrilled to announce that 25% of the scholarship or $500 will be available to the recipient to donate to a charity/non-profit/community organization of their choice. Supporting each other helps all of us maximize our potential and that of others too,

And for over the past 52 weeks, I created a #wellnesswednesday YouTube channel. The whole purpose is to share positive news/stories/actions from all walks of life. If I find something that deserves to be shared for the greater good, I will!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Nothing will be perfect. You’re going to encounter roadblocks; personally and/or professionally. You will deal with people in the workplace who are extremely negative but put on a show for everyone else. They will say everything you want to hear and they will be the first person to throw you under the bus. We’ve all been there, let’s not kid ourselves.

When I think back to all my years as a people leader, I know that I’m not perfect. I make mistakes and I will own them.

Everything will always come down to the bottom line; how much money is the organization making. It’s not that cut and dry. Amid all the noise, a people leader can provide the necessary coaching to staff to not only become a better professional, but to provide those other skills that can help them when they’re struggling.

The art of listening is something we have taken for granted, but the past couple years have taught us that we must pay better attention to each other as a whole.

With the back and forth between working from home and the office it has become very clear that the 150% do everything above and beyond at work is not possible. Health, safety of yourself and others, and mental wellness is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of us navigating through our day to day lives in this environment.

As people leaders we all must understand that. We have bad days too. And our employees and superiors must understand that.

Over the past couple years, I have had some eye-opening conversations with my colleagues, and I don’t want to toot my own horn, but a few have made comments that really made me think that I could really be making a difference.

Comments such as
· integrity and morally unflappable
· long-term rationale
· positive sustainment
· fair but firm
· leader/mentor/role model for all of us

Statements such as
· I have the utmost respect for you because of…
· If there was anyone that was going to deliver bad news, I’m glad it was you. You treated us like more than a number
· You encouraged me to believe in myself and that I was more than an employee
· Thanks to Devon’s leadership, so many employees now have increased self-esteem, self-worth and self-value

When you have a conversation with an employee they should feel empowered and encouraged. It should never be a defeating or deflating experience. Not ever.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Honesty and transparency.

I would like to think my reputation speaks for itself. When I first started these ventures, it took months and months, even years to lock down an interview or build a relationship. Now, personalities I reach out to are familiar with my work, my interviews, and what I am trying to accomplish.

I am a well respected source of sports related content that provides something inherently more than stats and box scores that supports the important mission of ignite CHANGE.

I take great pride in in working with athletes and personalities from all walks of life. Their lives and their stories can provide the reader with more than just a glimpse into their professions, it can showcase the countless positives that truly make them standout from the crowd.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://thegmsperspective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmsperspective/ & https://www.instagram.com/_ignitechange_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonteeple/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/devonteeple & https://twitter.com/_igniteCHANGE_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DevonTeepleTheGMsPerspective/featured