“Faith, Family, and Love of People” - Scott O'Neil

Evolution would be the word that comes to mind most after this conversation with Scott. I had the opportunity to work as an intern a while back at Madison Square Garden Sports (NY Knicks, Rangers, etc.) when Scott was running the organization. I didn't know him that well, but my view of him was similar to most people who had only heard of him through the news and other public info. He was super successful, worked really hard, was very competitive, and enjoyed "winning" (e.g., closing the big deals, getting the big promotions, etc.). As Scott puts it sometimes, that was the "warrior" phase of his life. I don't disparage that at all and in many ways I can very much relate to it. What makes Scott so interesting though is, although he has been super successful (started his own company, was an executive with the NBA, was President of Madison Square Garden Sports, CEO of the 76ers/Devils, etc.), he has evolved as a person and redefined what "success" means for him. He seems to find a deeper sense of purpose and happiness from the things he now values most, "faith, family, and love of people." He is the first to acknowledge though that every one has a different path in life, so he is not preachy or judgmental. The big message he is trying to share (especially through his book "Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving") is it is about the process. We can never know for sure how things will work out; we can’t control all the variables. But we can be self reflective, we can be honest with ourselves, and we can be intentional about what matters most. If we can do that, the odds of us finding true happiness in life goes up significantly. Scott made this very real too because he was open about the failures and bumps he has had along the way. The journey is messy and is not always easy. He’s been broke, he’s been fired, and he’s had his best friend commit suicide. Despite how dark life can get though, he’s learned that there are things we can do for our own mental, spiritual, and physical well being that allow us to still find joy. It was really insightful to talk through all of this with him and get a deeper understanding of his approach to life.