Winning Is a Team Sport: The Allies Behind Every Goal

I was traveling recently to watch my boys play baseball and, like I usually do on long drives, I had an audiobook playing. This time it was Winning by Tim Grover. If you know who Grover is, you know he’s not exactly warm and fuzzy. He trained Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and others who weren’t interested in balance as much as they were interested in being the best.

One part of the book hit me harder than I expected. Grover talked about the importance of having the right people around you and referred to them as your allies. Not fans. Not cheerleaders. Allies.

He also said something that probably makes people uncomfortable but feels painfully accurate. If you have big goals, real goals, you are probably not going to be the “perfect” husband, the “perfect” father, the “perfect” employee, or whatever other label people like to assign. And that mythical idea of work-life balance we all talk about? It’s not realistic if you’re chasing something meaningful, unless you have the right team around you to support it.

Grover used Kobe Bryant as an example. Kobe’s goal wasn’t to play basketball. His goal was to be the best player on the planet. That kind of focus doesn’t leave time for endless distractions or managing a massive entourage. His wife and family knew exactly what his goals were and supported them. He had a tight, small circle around him because he didn’t have the time or energy for relationships that didn’t align with where he was going.

That got me thinking about team, culture, and how much those things really matter. Not just professionally, but personally.

And as luck would have it, life decided to give me a real-time example.

That same week, my wife and daughter went away for Spring Break, leaving me home alone with the dogs. Someone had to let them out during the day, which meant I had to work from home in the afternoons. And if you know me at all, you know this is not my natural habitat.

My pantry is way too close to my office. There are snacks everywhere. The dogs bark at everything. Amazon delivery driver? Barking. Garbage truck? Barking. Wind? Barking. And apparently, once dogs learn you are home, they feel it is their responsibility to ask to go outside approximately every seven minutes.

It didn’t take long for me to realize two things. One, I am dramatically less productive at home. And two, I miss my wife and daughter way more than I probably admit out loud.

Not just because my wife somehow keeps everything running smoothly without drawing attention to it. Not just because my daughter brings energy and humor to the house. Not just because they usually handle the dog logistics so I can actually leave the house without planning my entire day around bathroom schedules.

I missed them because they are my foundation.

They support me in ways that go far beyond logistics. They support my goals, my drive, my career, my insane travel schedule, my love of baseball, and my constant need to keep pushing forward. They understand when I’m tired, distracted, or unavailable because they know what I’m working toward and, more importantly, why I’m working toward it.

I love my family more than anything. Full stop. Everything I do is connected to them in some way. Even when I’m grinding, traveling, building, or stressing, it’s because I want to create something meaningful for the people I love most. They aren’t something separate from my goals. They are the reason for them.

They’re my teammates in life. My allies. We might play different positions, but we’re all trying to win the same game.

That same idea applies directly to work.

I’m incredibly fortunate to have a team around me that shares common goals, values, and expectations. Some of the people I work with today have been with me since the very beginning. Back in 2010, Nationwide Appraisals started in the basement of my house. Two folding tables. One phone that got passed back and forth. Interviews held at Starbucks because it felt a little strange to interview someone in my basement while three small kids ran around upstairs.

From those early days to today, the constant has been people. Not title chasers. Not clock watchers. People who believe in what we’re building and where we’re going.

The same can be said for my friendships. I don’t have a massive friend group, and that’s by design. Life gets busy. Business demands attention. Kids grow up fast. But when I do slow down and show up, my friends are there. We can go months without seeing each other, and when we get together, it’s like we didn’t miss a beat. No guilt. No scorekeeping. Just understanding.

And that’s really the point.

If you’ve set goals in life, big or small, personal or professional, you need people around you who understand those goals and support the end result. You need people who don’t get offended when you’re busy, don’t resent your ambition, and don’t try to pull you back to who you used to be.

Winning, in any sense of the word, is a team sport.

You don’t need everyone. You need the right ones.

I’m grateful every day for my family, for the team I work with, and for the friends who understand the season I’m in. None of this works without them. And if you’re chasing something important, my advice is simple: choose your allies wisely. They’ll make all the difference.