FOLIO
Words by Nicole Carroll
In a private home in Nassau County, Brian Sexton walked up to the front of the room getting ready to address the crowd. It wasn’t his common platform. He is used to being on the football field in his Jacksonville Jaguar gear covering the game of the day.
This stage was different. It was a room full of politicians, former NFL players, residents and family members. He wasn’t on a big screen broadcasting to millions as he has done for years. He was on a new mission, and it wasn’t an overnight change. Sexton took several years to get here and his story of change and how he got here is as follows.
Sexton realized in 2023 that his vision of where he wanted to be stopped growing in his 50s. He had worked as the voice of the Jaguars for over 30 years, and one day with new management, his role changed. That change dramatically affected Sexton. It was his thought he would be the voice of the Jaguars until he retired. He did not know anything else nor did he have a Plan B.
As many others, he was complacent in his life and was in a stage of shock due to a sudden unexpected change. A lot of us do not have a contingent plan. That’s where Sexton found himself: 55 years old and a shattered professional existence.
He retracted for years and focused on being a father. He was there to take his children to school, to sports, go grocery shopping, etc. because his wife had a very successful career. That all caught up to him one day. He realized he had to make a change. He couldn’t hide anymore and had to come up with his plan B, but he had no idea what that would be. His very existence and all he knew how to do was to be a sports broadcaster.
“Thoughts, feelings, actions and results.” Those are the four words to analyze your life. Sexton’s friend told him he did not want to change, he wanted to remain stuck because he wasn’t doing what he needed to do to move forward. His friend asked him, “Who are you? Who do you want to be and what are you willing to do to get there.” He was told to invest hours of time and think his way through.
What would it take to be 1% happier this time tomorrow? That was Sexton’s turning point. The time he realized he needed to make a change and to craft his vision of what his tomorrow would look like to make him happier that day.
Sexton stated, ““The critical numbers for me were 25, 45 and 55,” he said. “I got the job of my dreams at 25, lost it at 45 and at 55 found myself at a crossroads. My youngest was graduating, and I wasn’t the Scoutmaster or football coach any longer. I needed to let go of the past and embrace a new vision, a new frequency for the future. Once I did, I found a new purpose on the other side of what I couldn’t seem to let go of, and it’s exciting to share the possibilities with others if they’re ready to find their own frequency.”
During his time alone in focus and in his thoughts, Sexton came up with his mission statement and ran with it. His life mission began to change.
He dug deep into his NFL experience and thought of what he was taught by the greats of the game about the game. Football is all about focus and coming up with a new strategy because Plan A doesn’t always work on the field. As a player, you have to know how to pivot. You have to keep your focus, and you are trained to change your mindset and your strategy. It is all about winning in the end regardless of the way you got there, but that path is not a straight one. It come with tackles, injuries, rain delays and touchdowns.
Sexton understood from his reflections, he wanted to become a motivational speaker. He wanted to help others not hit the same road block he did and that’s what he started doing in 2024. Sexton’s audience changed but he dialed into his passion and his frequency. His frequency is: motivating and helping others.
Follow FOLIO!