If you watched HBO’s Hard Knocks this year, you probably fell in love with this week’s podcast guest – Devon Cajuste! Episode #14 of the Wild Business Growth podcast is HERE and features the breakout star and NFL tight end, who shared his story from training camp with the Cleveland Browns and beyond. Presented by Hippo Direct. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and your other favorite audio platforms – subscribe and leave a 5-star review if you’re pulling for Cajuste to make your favorite team’s roster!

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Hear how entrepreneurs & innovators unleash creativity to grow bigger and better businesses. Hear from an exciting new guest every single week who’s turning wild ideas into wild growth. Guests include startup founders, product inventors, social media influencers, and much more. Hosted by our digital marketing dude Max Branstetter – that’s me!

Episode #14: Devon Cajuste – Hard Knocks Breakout Star, Positivity Pro

Devon Cajuste, the NFL tight end and breakout star of HBO’s Hard Knocks joins the show to share the impact of his training camp journey with the Cleveland Browns. I, like so many others, became a huge Cajuste fan after seeing his story on Hard Knocks. I felt so bad for him after he didn’t make the final Browns roster, but was inspired by how positive he kept himself throughout the situation. I was also curious how much his Hard Knocks journey had changed his life. This episode covers everything from how to keep positivity to the max to how important social media is for sharing your message. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

  • Behind-the-scenes stories from Hard Knocks, the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns
  • What life is like as an NFL player trying to make a roster
  • How Devon’s life has changed since Hard Knocks
  • His up-and-down relationship with his dad
  • How to handle increased notifications on social media
  • Why it’s powerful to learn new hobbies
  • How to stay inspired and creative even in rough times
  • Why you need to take care of yourself first

Connect with Cajuste on Instagram at @DevonCajuste86, on Twitter and Facebook at @DevonCajuste, and at SeeYouAmplify@gmail.com.

Enjoy the show and start working on that 40 time! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

  • Intro
  • Hard Knocks
    • [9:55] HBO
    • [10:03] How the producers approached Devon and when he knew he’d be a big feature
    • [11:06] What made them start mic’ing him up all the time
    • [11:32] Most memorable moments from Hard Knocks
    • [11:47] What it’s like being mic’d and how other players reacted
    • [12:13] Todd Haley
    • [12:31] Rookie Talent Show video
    • [12:55] Baker Mayfield, John Dorsey
    • [13:04] What camaraderie was like on the Browns
    • [14:14] What the daily routine looked like during training camp
    • [15:42] How Devon’s life has changed since Hard Knocks
    • [16:30] What type of pressure he’s feeling right now
    • [17:09] Devon Instagram
  • Power of Positivity
    • [17:54] How Devon maintains his focus on positivity
    • [18:23] Crab analogy
    • [18:56] Why the struggle is important
    • [19:28] Why you need to love yourself
    • [19:50] Why internal change leads to external change
    • [20:27] The main message Devon wants to spread on social media
    • [21:48] How powerful social media has been for him
    • [22:57] Why social media is a great mirror
    • [23:39] How much Devon’s social media traffic has picked up since his Hard Knocks stardom
    • [24:30] What people struggle with everyday on social media
    • [25:05] Why Devon’s starting a website
    • [25:37] How he’s been managing the increased attention and notifications
    • [26:18] What Instagram could improve on the computer
  • Inspiration and Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
    • [28:34] The most inspirational people in Devon’s life
    • [28:44] Why his host families were so inspirational to him
    • [30:36] Who single-handedly saved his career
    • [32:17] Who’s taught him the most outside of football
    • [32:46] His relationship with his dad
    • [33:09] #TheWhistle on Instagram
    • [33:19] Ups and Downs with his dad
    • [33:58] Why his dad decided to change
    • [34:15] The different households he grew up in
    • [35:10] How long him and his dad didn’t talk before Hard Knocks
    • [35:32] Why separation is sometimes needed
    • [36:44] Why Devon and his dad made up and restarted
    • [36:54] The impact of saying “thank you” to your child
    • [37:45] How Hard Knocks picked up the story with his dad
    • [39:22] Favorite hobbies
    • [39:40] Logic Pro
    • [40:00] Why it’s powerful to learn new things
    • [40:33] Tim Ferriss
    • [40:49] Favorite books
    • [40:56] The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon
    • [40:58] The Book of Joy by Douglas Abrams
    • [41:02] Start with Why by Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
    • [41:15] Grit by Angela Duckworth
  • Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
    • [47:19] Devon’s biggest pet peeve
    • [47:29] Why manners are important
    • [48:45] Weird Talents
    • [49:05] How Devon geeks out on his crystals
    • [49:37] What 2 new methods he’s learning
    • [49:59] Why your mind is the most powerful thing after your heart
    • [50:02] Car battery story
    • [52:56] Power of a positive mindset
    • [53:29] Stories he’ll talk about on his website
  • Rapid Fire Q&A
    • [55:54] Favorite sport besides football
    • [56:01] Favorite track & field events
    • [56:17] What Devon would do professionally if he came back in another life
    • [56:25] Snowbird
    • [56:31] Favorite type of music
    • [56:42] Chance the Rapper, Logic, Kendrick Lamar
    • [56:46] Frank Sinatra
    • [57:02] Kygo, Hardwell, Morgan Page, Avicii
    • [57:26] Bill Walton Conference of Champions
    • [57:30] Toughest opposing stadium Devon played in
    • [57:45] Notre Dame
    • [58:26] Favorite Stanford football memory
    • [58:34] Stanford beats Oregon on Jordan Williamson game-winning FG, 2012
    • [58:45] Devon career high against Notre Dame
    • [58:52] Stanford beats Notre Dame on Conrad Ukropina game-winning FG, 2015
    • [58:58] Rose Bowl
    • [59:06] What major event Devon’s birthday often fell on
    • [59:44] What NFL team he’s a fan of
    • [59:50] His favorite number
    • [1:00:03] Whether he’ll keep short hair vs. long hair
    • [1:00:53] Devon Instagram
    • [1:00:59] Devon Facebook
    • [1:01:10] Devon Twitter
    • [1:01:13] Devon’s website is in development
    • [1:01:18] SeeYouAmplify@gmail.com
    • [1:01:55] Devon’s final thoughts
    • [1:02:39] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth podcast and leave a 5-star review on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) and more!
    • [1:02:47] Connect with Hippo Direct for fun on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
    • [1:02:55] Connect with me on Instagram and Twitter at @MaxBranstetter
    • [1:03:01] Sign up for the Hippo Digest for curated creative marketing content from across the internet!
    • Theme Song: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

Okie dokie…stay ready for a new crazy talented guest coming every single week! Let us know any guests you’d like to see on the show and follow along for all your favorite marketing tips and business tips on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Sign up for the Hippo Digest email newsletter for your weekly recap of creative marketing. Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!