We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brady Howe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brady thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?

Nothing will quite prepare you like firsthand experience. This lesson I learned during the majority of my clinical rotations and internships but even more when I started my first job in the NBA Developmental League. I felt as if I was baptized by fire and was being tested to see if I was built to survive within this environment. At the time (2009), this affiliate league was rapidly evolving and my role was entrusted to be a one-man-army. Although I was hired to be the athletic trainer, what I inherited were also the role(s) of the strength coach, equipment manager, bus driver, travel coordinator, dietician, food coordinator and empathetic team counselor. I considered myself to be the team dad. I viewed this as an honor as it provided me not only the ability to have everyone trust and rely on me to support them but it also instilled in me the servant leadership approach.

These experiences taught me to be willing and open to adjust and adapt. That no role was too big or small. These experiences, lessons and relationships were valuable towards my growth and the trajectory of my career path. It opened my eyes to an entirely different perspective and introduced me to many aspects that positively influenced not only the performance for athletes but for enhancing human development and creating a cohesive cultural environment that set everyone up for success.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to have a growth-like mindset. There is so much value in learning throughout the internship role. Embrace it, challenge yourself, be open to change. Be willing to learn from others and your circumstances. Learn to see things differently and ask questions. The only thing that is constant is change, and nothing changes unless you are willing to change.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Brady is currently in his sixth season with the Phoenix Suns, serving as the VP of Health and Performance. Tasked with overseeing the Sun’s Health and Performance department including the medical and performance team along with the sport science and nutritional components with the goal of optimizing peak performance while ensuring long-term player health.

Originally joining the Sun’s organization in 2018 as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach. Over the past 15 years in professional sports, Brady has collaborated with some of the best athletes and brightest minds in the business. Dedicating his body of work towards maximizing human development and exploring what drives winning cultures. Currently his focus within the Suns organization is developing the Sport Psychology and Mental Skills program to enhance on-court performance and leadership initiatives within the organization.

Brady serves many roles within the organization that utilize his diverse background and qualifications that include: a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Athletic Training from Weber State University (Board Certified Athletic Trainer), a Master’s degree in Sport Performance & Conditioning from Southern Utah University (Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach). Brady is also currently finalizing a second Master’s degree in Psychology from National University that will lead to obtaining a Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification (CMPC) in early 2024.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Currently I am living through one of those phases in my professional setting. With over a decade of working in professional sports predominantly as an Athletic Trainer and Strength Coach, The large body of my work has focused on the physical preparations of athletics. Recently, I have shifted my focus towards the Mental Health & Performance setting. In recent years, COVID19 and many other challenging worldly circumstances have taught us how critical it is to taking care of mental well-being. I suddenly realized how important enhancing mental skills were to not only performance in our work settings but for overall well-being and fulfillment in life. I am now currently now finishing a second masters degree in psychology and will become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant /Coach. I went down this path to learn how to better equip myself with the necessary knowledge, tools and experience to support and serve others mentally just as much as I do physically.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I think of resilience, I think of stepping up when others need it the most. Resiliency is overcoming tough times and challenging situations. A couple of stories that come to mind include:

One season, our basketball team had a tough upcoming schedule that included back to back games in consecutive days in Texas. After game 1, our team planned to bus immediately post game to the next destination (roughly 5 hour drive). As our team was about halfway through the bus trip (roughly 1:00am), everyone was asleep when our bus driver started to dangerously swerve the bus off road. The driver was falling asleep and we were in the middle of nowhere. Our head coach instructed me to tell the driver to pull the bus over, at which point we huddled up on the side of the road and I decided that I would step up and drive the tour bus for the remainder of the road trip. I did about 100 consecutive pushups on the side of a desolate Texas road to energize myself before settling into the drivers seat for the next 3 hours. The team arrived safely to the next city around 4:00am, got their rest and were able to prevail in the following game that night.

The second story includes the impactful COVID-19 season when our NBA season abruptly stopped and altered the course of our season that concluded in the Orlando Bubble. During these unforeseen times, I knew it was paramount that I step up and take on the burden of the non-stop testing protocols and hygiene policy development to ensure our teams safety. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt the routine and daily care our team and staff needed to focus on their performance.

Everyday there is an opportunity to rise above our situations and current circumstances. Resilient team members know when to step up and serve even when it is not their role or duty.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bhowe6
• Linkedin: Brady Howe
• Twitter: @brady_howe

Image Credits
Phoenix Suns Image Credits -Barry Gossage (Getty Images) -Allison Harrisis -Bob Weinerth -Chris Price