In this interview, Mark Blocker shares the journey from growing up in a military family and overcoming the challenges of frequent relocations to building a successful career. From founding Big Block Athletics to establishing the Mark Blocker Foundation, Mark Blocker discusses the motivation behind helping Detroit’s youth, the importance of mental health advocacy, and the experiences that shaped a path in business, coaching, and investing.
Early Life and Background:
We started by asking about your early life and how it shaped your journey.
Mark Blocker: I was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico into a military family, the youngest of 6 children. I moved around a lot, living in Okinawa Japan, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and to Macomb County, Michigan, where I currently reside. I was always known as the new kid in school growing up. It definitely took a toll on me since the friends that I did make wouldn’t last long. I ended up graduating high school from Henry Ford II High School in 2008. All my life, I played sports, from football, basketball, and baseball. I ran track in middle school and high school as well. After graduating high school, I went out to Cleveland, Ohio, and played college football at Lake Erie College. It was an experience that I would never forget. I stayed there for two years before returning to Suburban Detroit, Michigan, and decided to just attend school and pursue bodybuilding. I ended up winning a title in bodybuilding in 2013. A year later, I graduated from the University of Phoenix with two degrees, one in Healthcare Administration and the other in Health and Wellness.
The Inspiration Behind Big Block Athletics:
Curious about your entrepreneurial journey, we asked what inspired you to start Innovate Minds.
Mark Blocker: While I was working at McDonalds, which was my job when I returned to Macomb County, Michigan, I tried to get a job in the medical field. Each hospital and medical facility turned me down. They kept telling me that I had great talent, but no experience. One day, A college teammate reached out to me and told me about starting my own business. I was reluctant to do so and kept applying. When I got the same response, I decided to start Big Block Athletics
The mission of the Mark Blocker Foundation:
We wanted to understand the purpose and impact of your company, so we asked about the vision and mission behind it.
Mark Blocker: Mark Blocker Foundation’s mission is to help Detroit Teenagers become productive adults, and promote Mental Health. I believe that mental health is very important but, at one point in time, it was stigmatized and I wanted to get rid of the stigma around mental illness and show that it’s just like a physical illness except that it affects other people as well, whereas, the physical illness only affects the individual. It definitely is something that I’m very passionate about.
Balancing Roles: CEO, Success Coach, and Investor:
Balancing multiple responsibilities can be challenging. We asked how you manage your various roles.
Mark Blocker: Balancing CEO, Success Coach, and Investor isn’t easy. I simply make time for it all. Good time management skills really help me keep everything in order and do my jobs at a highly efficient rate.
Challenges in Building Big Block Athletics and How I Overcame Them:
Building a company has its ups and downs. We asked about some of the challenges you’ve faced and how you overcame them.
Mark Blocker: One challenge that I faced was sponsoring a rugby team. The director of the team tried to bully me. At the time, I couldn’t find a way to defend myself and be professional at the same time. With different methods, I found a way to overcome the situation and defended myself in a very professional manner.
Motivation to Become an Investor and How I Choose Investments:
Reflecting on your journey, we wanted to hear about a proud moment that stood out.
Mark Blocker: I always felt like I had a knack for it. It was one of those things that really sparked my interest and I believed that I could do well in it. Sometimes, you just know when you are cut out for something and you give it a shot. I choose the companies I invest in based on the idea behind it, the CEO’s confidence in presenting his or her idea, and whether or not it has great potential for high revenue and bottom line.
A Proud Moment from Big Block Athletics:
Here We want to know about a proud moment from Big Block athletics.
Mark Blocker: I always share this story: For the first six months, Big Block Athletics didn’t make a sale. I continued to press on until I was able to find my first customer. I tried selling on different platforms just to make a sale. One day, I decided to host a sale. Long behold, that worked. This person placed an order and I got about 20 dollars for the order but, it was the best 20 dollars that I have ever received. The person who ordered wrote us a review too and It was the greatest testimonial that my company has ever received. That right there, was my proudest moment in my career.
Vision for the Future of the Mark Blocker Foundation:
Here We asked vision for the future.
Mark Blocker: My vision for the future of Mark Blocker Foundation is to See mental health become a common thing for people to practice and care about, to see millions of Detroit Teenagers benefit from the programs and go out and do well in life.
Managing Time Between Businesses and Coaching:
Before going to the last questions We asked about time management between businesses and coaching.
Mark Blocker: I make the time. Since I’m working for myself, I feel as if I can schedule as much as possible. As long as I manage my time effectively, I’ll continue to make this work and do wonders.
Key Advice for Personal Growth as a Success Coach:
Finally, we asked if you have any words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Mark Blocker: Develop your self-confidence. It will be the key ingredient to you becoming a great success in life. You will have everything you need when you have confidence. When you develop your self-confidence, you will most definitely be unstoppable and will be able to create every opportunity that you need to succeed.
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