‘You Always Have to Reinvent Yourself’: Tom Brady Just Revealed His Next Big Move

Tom Brady may have retired from playing football (twice!), but the man is clearly not looking to sit back, polish the seven Super Bowl rings he’s won over his incredible 23-year NFL career, and relax. There is no “chill switch” on the all-time winningest quarterback in NFL history.

He owns the wellness brand TB12, the apparel company Brady Brand, the media company Religion of Sports, and he is also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Birmingham City Football Club. And on an upcoming episode of the How Success Happens podcast, he talked about his latest venture, GOAT Gummies, an organic vegan gummy snack he developed as part of his ongoing multi-year partnership with consumer goods and food delivery company Gopuff. They’re $4.99 and can be ordered and delivered to your door in 15 minutes.

Tom, as most people know, is extremely serious about nutrition, but he let his hair down (and took his shirt off) to get the word out about GOAT Gummies.

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I didn’t get a ton of time with Tom, who spoke with me from what appeared to be a very stylish SUV. But as anyone who has ever watched him play against their team knows, this man can get an awful lot done in a very short amount of time.

Here are some highlights from our conversation — check out How Success Happens next week for the full conversation and a post-chat analysis from a very special guest. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Dan Bova: Tom, I wanna start by apologizing to you for all the terrible things I’ve said to you through the television scream while you’re playing the Jets.
Tom Brady: Oh man, I’m sorry. You’re a Jet fan. That must have been rough growing up. Holy cow. But you know what? I appreciate your loyalty. You never left them. There’s something to be said for that.

Talking about preparing for a football game, you’ve described yourself as “hyper competitive” and “a psychopath.” Is that the same way you approach business?
Actually, no. That’s what I need help with. And that’s why I have business partners who are psychopaths. They cross every t and dot the i’s. I approached football in a very different way — I was into the nuances of the sport I understood so well. And I’m realizing that in business, those details are what matter, too. Especially against tough competition. Partnering with great people in the end is what matters the most. You’ve got to bet on people who have vision, experience, a great work ethic, and great teamwork. And you know that in business, just like sports, things don’t always go your way. So you’re always going to have to figure out ways to overcome adversity and beat the competition.

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So, when you think about Gummi Bears, do you look at them like the Jets, and you just want to kill?
Yeah. I was hands-on from the start with GOAT Gummies. It was super important to develop something that I would eat. that my kids would eat. I want things to be accessible, fun, and with Gopuff, they’re delivered to you in 15 minutes, so what more can you ask?

How does hoisting a bag of GOAT Gummies compare to hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy?
Oh man. The Vince Lombardi trophy. Seven times in 23 years is pretty great, but it’s only less than a third of the time. Hopefully, we hoist these GOAT GUMMIES up much more than a third of the time. We’d love to have these in people’s hands every single day. There are great flavors. There’s a sweet version, a sour version, a tropical fusion. And they’re way better for you than the crap you mentioned earlier.

Credit: GOAT Gummies

If you could share one piece of advice for entrepreneurs who are looking to level up their business game, what would it be?
Just assume that things will never work out, and that you always have to continue to reinvent yourself and find different ways to succeed. So even when things are good, always look for where the problems could come from and never take your eye off the ball. You don’t want to spend all the time looking in the rearview mirror, but you’d better understand and learn from all your mistakes. And, you know, that windshield up ahead of you is big and wide, and that’s where you need to focus, but also know that there are always people tracking you down. And it’s the same way in sports. You’ve got to stay ahead, don’t ever think you’ve got all the answers and things are figured out.

I spoke with Shaquille O’Neal recently about how he set the tone in the locker room when he went to a new team. He said, “I tell them to do things my way or I’ll punch them in the face.” What’s the Tom Brady approach?
Well, I’m not 7′ 2″ and 350 pounds, so it’s not necessarily my style. Mine is probably to introduce myself and to get to know the other person so that they can develop some trust in the way that I see things as well. I think there’s a collaboration. It’s always about understanding what people want and their motivations. That’s what teamwork’s all about. And that only comes from trust and shared experience.

What does the word success mean to you?
I think everyone has different versions of that. And your actions reflect your priorities. Everyone has different goals in life. Some people want to win seven Super Bowls, some people want to be in business, some people want to be in politics. When you wake up, whatever priorities you have, do you work your day toward what you want to accomplish? Do you eat, breathe and sleep it? And if it’s an off day, is it a good off day? And if it’s a travel day, is it a good travel day? So I think those are all the important things. And no punching anybody in the face.