Interview Qa Format

Q: As a father of four girls, what’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself? [00:01:05]

Interviewee: You know, it’s amazing. When you become a parent, life lines things up for you a little differently. Before you have kids, you have a very clear focus on yourself, but when you have children, it becomes about them. It’s a shift from being selfish to being absolutely selfless and doing anything you can for your kids. I’m creating content to teach them first and foremost, reading stories to them that I felt didn’t exist—stories about athletes that move beyond the fairy tale tropes of men saving princesses.

Q: What was something in your life that you were shy about originally or that took you a while to go head-on with? [00:03:13]

Interviewee: Writing Dear Basketball. That was a hard jump. I had been writing for 17 years, but mostly ads where there is a certain anonymity. Writing Dear Basketball was different—it was putting it out there for the world to see, and I didn’t know if I could do it. It was my daughter, Gianna, who put me on the spot. She said, "You always tell us to go for it." That gave me the final push.

Q: Did you envision when you started writing 17 years ago that you would move into this storytelling space? [00:04:36]

Interviewee: No, man. It was just something I enjoyed. I liked the challenge of trying to distill a message into 30 seconds or a minute for an ad, trying to speak to brand attributes while also hitting a deeper, philosophical message. I never thought I’d be writing novels or movies; I was just intrigued by the puzzle of connecting those dots.

Q: Sports is the greatest metaphor we have for life. How do you view that? [00:07:31]

Interviewee: You have to apply lessons in the here and now. You are faced with pressures, anxiety, and communication challenges moment to moment. You have to live it. I feel that in this day and age, our children have become less imaginative about problem-solving because parents and coaches are becoming more directive, telling kids how to behave versus teaching them how to behave.

Q: You’ve spoken about your father telling you that whether you score zero or 60, he loves you. What did that mean to you at the time? [00:08:52]

Interviewee: It gave me stability and the confidence to say it’s okay to fail because you’re going to be loved no matter what. That applies to everything—basketball, writing, being an entrepreneur. I’ve seen too many parents do the opposite, which paralyzes children with fear because they lack that security blanket of love and comfort.

Q: How have you been able to see past the "cloud of emotion" to execute on things? [00:10:08]

Interviewee: I try to be still and understand that emotions come and go. The important thing is to accept them and embrace them, then choose what to do with them rather than being controlled by them. When you feel fear, you should step back and unpack it. Ask yourself, "What am I really afraid of?" Usually, it’s nothing more than your imagination running its course.

Q: How did you develop the mentality of "getting over yourself"? [00:12:10]

Interviewee: Trial and error. You realize life has a cyclical nature. What you do on Monday is fantastic, but Tuesday might be a bad day. We have to stop living our lives in those highs and lows and understand it’s just a journey of evolution. It’s about constant improvement and curiosity; the results don't really matter—it’s the figuring out that matters.

Q: Where did you develop the ability to think strategically and look long-term? [00:15:28]

Interviewee: Growing up in Italy, I didn't speak the language and didn't have friends, so I spent a lot of time alone. When I came back to the States, I wasn't the most athletic kid; I was scrawny with major knee issues. I had to look long-term because, in the here and now, I couldn't compete with the other kids. I had to say, "Okay, this year I’m going to get better at this," and patiently, I was able to catch up.

Q: When you win, what goes through your mind to help you continue? [00:19:15]

Interviewee: In basketball, it was about expecting to win. When we won, I’d be back in the gym the next day working for the next one. Now, it’s not about the awards. I’m trying to create something that inspires someone, who can then inspire somebody else. That connection is more significant than any championship.

Q: You mentioned the importance of "self-negotiation." Could you expand on that? [00:26:55]

Interviewee: When you're training and you tell yourself, "My knee is sore, maybe I'm doing too much, I'll do extra sets tomorrow," that's dangerous. You just have to say, "I'm not negotiating with myself." The deal was made when I set the plan at the start of the summer. That is non-negotiable.

Q: What brings you the most joy right now? [00:36:20]

Interviewee: Family.

Q: What do you want your girls to think when they hear your name? [00:36:25]

Interviewee: Daddy.

Q: Favorite animated film? [00:36:30]

Interviewee: Pinocchio. They were in a zone when they made that film; it’s the greatest.

Q: The book that’s had the biggest impact on you? [00:36:40]

Interviewee: The Alchemist.

Q: Your one message to all storytellers would be? [00:36:45]

Interviewee: Create from truth.