What does it take to go from working 16-hour days in a hotel kitchen to building a global hospitality company with 110 properties across 26 countries?

In this episode of Same Game, Different Turf, I had the honor of sitting down with Euan McGlashan, co-founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality Partners, to unpack his journey that began in a tough working-class town in Scotland and eventually led to building a global hospitality management company.

Euan's path included leaving Scotland as a young man, moving to South Africa, helping open and lead the award-winning Cape Grace hotel, and eventually moving to the United States, where he experienced some of the most difficult years of his professional and personal life.

At 44, while navigating a negative career situation, Euan walked away from his job and started Valor Hospitality Partners. During this time Euan live off his kids college fund as he built a company that would eventually employ approximately 8,000 people across the globe.

But what makes this conversation interesting isn't just the growth of the company. It's how Euan's experiences shaped his perspective on leadership, humanity, confidence, and the responsibility that comes with building something bigger than yourself.

In this conversation, we explore:

* Growing up in Scotland and how difficult early experiences shaped Euan's approach to life

* Going from a hotel kitchen to leading Cape Grace in South Africa

* Lessons on humility, humanity, and leadership from Nelson Mandela

* Overcoming anxiety, self-doubt, and the need for external validation

* How The Power of Now changed his perspective

* Leaving a job at 44 and risking his family's financial security to start Valor

* Why pressure can be a privilege when you're taking action

* Building a culture where employees can grow personally and professionally

* Balancing kindness with the relentless pursuit of excellence

* Why businesses must constantly evolve rather than follow the status quo

* Navigating COVID and the importance of strong relationships

* Building a company that can continue to grow beyond its founder

From the importance of self-awareness to the idea that every stage of life and business is another diary entry, this conversation gives an inside look at how experience, adversity, and intentional growth can shape the person you become. Watch the full conversation and subscribe to Same Game, Different Turf for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, executives, and individuals navigating major transitions in life and business.

Matt Bronfman didn't set out to become a CEO or spend nearly three decades helping shape some of the most recognizable real estate projects in the country.

He thought he was going to be a lawyer.

After law school and clerking for a judge, Matt realized litigation wasn't for him. He became a transactional lawyer, started doing work with a small real estate company called Jamestown, and saw an opportunity. Instead of waiting for someone to ask, he raised his hand.

That decision eventually led him from general counsel to acquisitions, portfolio management, COO, and ultimately CEO of Jamestown, where he has helped shape places like Chelsea Market and Ponce City Market.

What stood out to me is how much of Matt's journey wasn't mapped out in advance. He talks openly about luck and being in the right place at the right time, but he also consistently put himself in position for luck to find him. He volunteered, stayed curious, took chances, and was willing to step into opportunities before knowing exactly where they would lead.

We talk about:

• Why you shouldn't wait for an engraved invitation • Realizing the career you prepared for may not be the right career for you • Raising your hand before you feel completely ready • How luck and preparation work together • Discovering strengths you didn't know you had • Why curiosity keeps you from becoming complacent • Finding opportunity in places other people overlook • The thinking behind Chelsea Market and Ponce City Market • Why creating places people actually want to be matters • Building relationships with tenants instead of simply collecting rent • Navigating COVID, changing work habits, and difficult real estate cycles • Why laughter and joy have been important throughout Matt's career • Becoming a better synthesizer as you gain experience • Bringing younger perspectives and new ideas into an organization • Making situations better instead of focusing on what's wrong • Staying open to AI, technology, and what's coming next

Matt's story is a reminder that you don't always have to know exactly where you're going. Sometimes you have to stay curious, raise your hand, and be willing to walk through the opportunities that show up along the way.

Episode: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

www.thevessol.com

• Growing up around fashion and culture in Paris
• Moving to Atlanta without speaking English
• Learning to become comfortable being different
• Turning isolation into education and obsession
• How confidence develops through knowing yourself
• Getting the opportunity to style Steve Harvey
• The thinking behind Steve Harvey's fashion reinvention
• Why great styling enhances someone's identity instead of replacing it
• Creating range and longevity instead of chasing one great look
• Styling men and women at the highest level
• Why Elly continues going to Paris Fashion Week for inspiration
• Handling criticism when your work is always under scrutiny
• Why you shouldn't rush your journey because other people think your moment will disappear
• Staying authentic as success and visibility grow
• Why Elly believes the picture matters

Former NFL Pro Bowler and No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick Ronnie Brown joins Same Game Different Turf to discuss what happens after achieving the dream you've worked toward your entire life.

From growing up in a small Georgia town to starring at Auburn and spending 10 seasons in the NFL, Ronnie shares what it was like navigating success, identity, and the transition into a completely different career as a financial advisor. We discuss purpose after sports, imposter syndrome, financial literacy, relationships, mentorship, and why the skills that make someone successful on the field can translate into success anywhere.

This conversation isn't just for athletes. It's for anyone navigating change, pursuing a second chapter, or wondering whether they can become great more than once.

In this episode:

* Why becoming great doesn't have to happen only once

* The identity shift after leaving professional sports

* $187 to a $19.5 Million Signing Bonus

* Transitioning from the NFL to financial advising

* Why purpose matters more than titles

* Building wealth and changing financial habits

* The power of mentors, teammates, and relationships

* Why mastering the fundamentals creates long-term success

* How athletes can prepare for life after sports

* Raising kids through sports without losing the joy

* Nobody Prepares You for the End

* Don't Fear of Your Own Greatness

#RonnieBrown #LifeAfterTheNFL #AuburnFootball #FinancialLiteracy ##CareerTransition #AthleteTransition #WealthBuilding #SelfDevelopment

This episode features Frank Brown, CEO of Communities In Schools of Atlanta, one of the nation's leading organizations focused on helping students overcome the barriers that prevent them from succeeding in school and in life.

Frank's story is one of education, relationships, and purpose. Growing up in a single-parent household in Charleston, South Carolina, Frank’s brother was sentenced to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter after killing his stepfather. Same house. Same parents. Similar upbringing. Yet their lives took very different paths.

Frank discusses how he experienced firsthand how one opportunity completely changed the trajectory of his life. That opportunity led him to college, law school, Capitol Hill, and ultimately to leading one of Atlanta's most impactful nonprofit organizations.

We discuss why relationships often matter more than talent, how education can alter the course of an entire family, what it takes to lead through complexity, and why solving generational problems requires long-term commitment instead of quick fixes.

Themes from this episode:

• How one opportunity can change an entire life
• The power of education to break generational cycles
• Why relationships compound over a lifetime
• Growing up in a single-parent household
• Leadership lessons from Capitol Hill
• Building trust before creating change
• The hidden barriers preventing students from succeeding
• Why nonprofit leadership should operate like a business
• Data, accountability, and measuring impact
• Mentorship and changing the trajectory of young lives
• Leading with purpose instead of ego
• Developing future leaders
• Building organizations that outlast you
• Why service is one of the highest forms of leadership
• Creating pathways to the American Dream

Subscribe for more conversations exploring leadership, resilience, purpose, and the transitions that shape extraordinary lives.

This episode features Justin Anthony, founder of Yebo Beach Haus, Lion's Head Private Club, and several of Atlanta's most recognized hospitality concepts.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Justin's life revolved around soccer. From the age of six, he knew he wanted to become a professional player and spent years pursuing that dream. But after a serious knee injury changed the trajectory of his career, he was forced to confront one of the hardest realities athletes face: what happens when the identity you've built your life around begins to disappear?

What followed was a journey of reinvention. Justin went from professional athlete to waiting tables, learning the hospitality business from the ground up before opening the first South African restaurant in America. Over the next three decades, he built a hospitality empire rooted in authenticity, service, resilience, and a willingness to evolve.

This conversation explores transitions, humility, entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, and what it takes to build a meaningful second chapter when life doesn't go according to plan.

Themes from this episode:

• Navigating life after sports
• The identity challenges athletes face after retirement
• Why humility is essential for long-term success
• Learning a new industry from the ground up
• Building the first South African restaurant in America
• Entrepreneurship, risk, and betting on yourself
• Ownership versus letting others control your future
• Leadership and building high-performing teams
• Knowing when to persist and when to pivot
• Growing through adversity and uncertainty
• Lessons from COVID and leading through crisis
• The power of authenticity in business and life
• Building culture through hospitality
• Why success looks different at every stage of life
• The connection between athletics and entrepreneurship

Watch and listen: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Subscribe for more conversations exploring transitions, leadership, resilience, and building a meaningful life beyond the labels we place on ourselves.

From the 1996 Olympics to OutKast, TLC, Usher, Pink, Babyface, T.I., Nike, and Adidas, DL Warfield has spent decades helping shape culture through art and creativity.

In this episode of Same Game Different Turf, I sit down with fine artist and creative director DL Warfield to discuss creativity, resilience, authenticity, relationships, and what it takes to build a career that stands the test of time.

DL shares stories from designing the Olympic album cover, working with some of the biggest names in music, staying culturally relevant across multiple decades, and why approaching creativity like an athlete helped him sustain success.

This conversation is a reminder that success is rarely about one moment. It's about continuing to evolve, staying true to who you are, and doing the work long enough for your gifts to compound.

In this episode:

• Designing the 1996 Olympic album cover
• Working with OutKast, TLC, Usher, Pink, and T.I.
• Creativity, culture, and artistic evolution
• Why athletes and artists think more alike than people realize
• Staying relevant over multiple decades
• Creative instincts and trusting your vision
• Building a career through relationships
• Authenticity and creative longevity
• Finding where your gifts are celebrated
• Balancing creativity with business
• The importance of resilience and consistency
• Why good taste matters

DL's story is a masterclass in staying authentic while continuing to grow.

Hosted by Mohamed Massaquoi