From Basketball to Business: Joel Green’s Success Formula

In this episode of the Happy Productive Podcast, Jennifer Dawn sits down with former pro athlete turned entrepreneur Joel Green to uncover the powerful connection between athletic discipline, mental toughness, and building a thriving business. Joel shares his journey from growing up in an abandoned house in Philadelphia to becoming a professional basketball player, starting multiple businesses, and eventually founding Pro Level Training, which went on to partner with Nike.

Packed with actionable insights, this conversation dives deep into resilience, leadership, and how to turn failures into stepping stones for lasting business success.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
[00:01:00] Joel’s journey — from pro basketball to launching Pro Level Training and securing a game-changing partnership with Nike

[00:04:00] Lessons from failure — why setbacks in business are stepping stones, not dead ends

[00:07:00] Embracing fatigue — the mindset shift that transforms burnout into resilience and momentum

[00:10:00] Physical challenges and business growth — how Spartan races and athletic discipline drive higher revenues and sharper leadership

[00:16:00] Discipline drives results — how Joel’s extreme training routine elevated both academic success and business performance

[00:18:00] Overcoming adversity — from growing up in an abandoned house to building the mental toughness required for entrepreneurship

[00:26:00] Turning trauma into fuel — how the loss of his brother inspired excellence in business, sports, and life

[00:34:00] Writing his book — Filtering: The Way to Extract Strength from the Struggle and converting obstacles into opportunities

[00:37:00] Process over outcome — how documenting the steps lets you repeat business wins consistently

This episode is a masterclass in mental toughness, perseverance, and using challenges as fuel for success. Whether you’re scaling a business, rebuilding after failure, or simply looking for inspiration to push through, Joel’s story will give you the strategies and mindset shifts you need.

Tags:
Joel Green
business growth
entrepreneurship
mental toughness
resilience in business
overcoming adversity
athlete mindset
leadership
business success
motivation
productivity
discipline
failure to success
mindset for entrepreneurs
Pro Level Training
Nike partnership
turning trauma into fuel
happy productive podcast
Jennifer Dawn
business coaching