Jesse Palmer's Secret For Longevity In The Broadcast Industry

 We cut through the noise to cover the topics that matter for your personal and professional growth.
 Today, we're diving deep with Jesse Palmer to unlock the playbook for success,
 discussing everything from his journey in college football and ESPN
 to becoming part of the most talked about franchise and pop culture, the Bachelor.
 I hope you enjoy this episode.
 You gotta be careful who your circles are. Every football player's got a tiny circle.
 You've got the team, you've got the offense, but you get like four or five dudes,
 different positions that you kind of run with. You gotta be careful who those guys are.
 I was always trying to make sure they were positive people that were appreciative of what we were doing
 and loved what we were doing.
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 There's a joy and a happiness.
 You know, some people, you feel like they carry the way to the world.
 They have issues or whatever.
 It may even be polarizing maybe for people with you,
 because I always just sense and have always liked this about you.
 There's just kind of like this.
 I'm in this moment and I'm enjoying it and I'm a happy person.
 And this always respected that about you.
 And the more I talk to you sitting here, it feels real.
 Even when I appreciate it.
 And I don't know if you've ever talked about that.
 I don't know.
 And I don't know where that comes from, just that joyous spirit or happiness.
 You're the first person that's ever actually asked me that.
 I try to think of myself as being a guy that's in the present.
 I try to stay cognizant of that.
 You know, it might have to do with playing football all those years.
 And just listening to buddies and teammates always talk about what it could
 have should have.
 I shouldn't have come to Florida, man.
 I should have gone to South Carolina.
 I would have been a starter and I'd be in the league right now if I'd done that.
 If I didn't come here, I wouldn't have torn my ACL.
 I should have never married that girl.
 If I didn't do that, I would have had this time to do these things.
 And on the flip side of that, people always just so worried about the next contract.
 What was happening way down the line.
 And it just seems so stressful to me.
 And I wasn't even the one saying those things.
 Those weren't even my thoughts,
 but just being surrounded by all that fear all the time.
 And that almost a negative energy, but the nervous energy.
 That's a good way to put it.
 It was draining on me.
 And I just felt happiest and the most comfortable when I just really thought about
 the here and now.
 And at ESPN, when we're in studio and we're doing a halftime,
 I'm just really trying to enjoy that moment and that halftime.
 And I'm not worrying about the one hour long college football final
 that's going to go live at 2 a.m.
 that we're all going to be dreading because we've been awake for 15 hours.
 You know, it's just people told me that's a very Buddhist way of thinking about things.
 And I'm not a Buddhist.
 It's just how I have tried to compartmentalize things
 because our lives can at times seem there's a lot going on.
 And it gives you that anxiety.
 I don't even have kids yet.
 I can't imagine who we're talking before we start.
 You've got four boys.
 Dude, I can't imagine you having to think about balancing that
 and your wife and your kids and now your podcast and your job and your family and your travel.
 How do I know how you do that either?
 You must be the same.
 You must just be in the moment.
 Is there a moment that sticks out one of your best moments?
 I'm sure you've had a ton now.
 Whether it's at a game or the interview is so high or maybe in studio,
 is there a moment or two that are standouts at this point?
 Yeah, it's funny.
 You can think back and I remember so many games and amazing environments
 that I was in at the time.
 There have been a few old crap moments though.
 The first was when I called my first game with Brett Mossberger.
 Oh, yeah.
 He's such a legend.
 Oh, yeah.
 And he's a guy that's called so many big games in college football in the NFL.
 He's been to like Ali Frazier.
 He's done so many different things, Olympics ever.
 But we were in South Carolina doing a Texas A&M South Carolina game.
 And the broadcast started and the place is going nuts.
 And they're playing space Odyssey.
 The place is absolutely freaking out.
 And all of a sudden, he comes on and you hear the classic.
 You are looking live.
 And I had this whole crap moment where I just froze crap.
 Like I'm in the booth with Brett Mossberger about to call this game.
 How cool is that?
 And then him and I called an Iron Bowl.
 We did a damn Auburn game, which was incredible.
 Him and I called the Rose Bowl,
 which I still can't believe I did that.
 It's like stuff that when I started at ESPN,
 my first game I called was Rice versus UTEP.
 And it was the greatest thing of all time.
 Yeah.
 Like it was, it was the greatest thing.
 You're definitely a junkie.
 If you told me that like down the road,
 I'd get a chance to be in,
 in Pasadena, Rose Bowl with Brett Mossberger.
 I mean, it's amazing the journey and how lucky I've been.
 Honestly, I don't take a second of that job for granted.
 What do you think attributed to your longevity with the ESPN?
 But you're easy to work with, I'm sure.
 It's kind of where I was wanting to go like this nature
 and nurture thing with you, man.
 I can't quite put my finger on it.
 You know, both your joy in doing things, your attitude.
 I'm almost kind of getting at what makes you successful.
 While also asking that longevity is not easy
 in this sport, the ESPN is described.
 This kind of goes back to my football.
 I just work really, really hard at it and I study a lot.
 I watch a lot of tape.
 I watch so much film.
 Every year I've got just books and binders of notes
 that I've taken watching teams.
 I put a lot into it and a lot of people that do this job,
 everybody sort of has their own path
 and their own way that they operate.
 Some guys are great at just not studying
 and just kind of showing up and watching the game
 and just giving it to your rod and live.
 I do it the way I used to play quarterback.
 Where you watch film, you study the opponent,
 you do it for a week,
 and then you're able to sort of take everything
 that you've studied and you've got in your head
 and you sort of kind of spit it out on game day
 with respect to what you're seeing.
 So I hope part of my longevity has to do
 with the product that I'm putting out
 and a lot of that really is preparation
 and really really hard work.
 I'm not the guy that just kind of shows up and wings it
 for the fans and the viewers at home.
 Hopefully that comes across.
 No, it does.
 I always feel like you're over-prepared.
 It does come across.
 It's a compliment.
 Robotically.
 Not because you're a robot, but the detail.
 Yeah, it's there.
 Is it nature and nurture for you, man?
 Is this all like is your parents just raise you well
 or do you just built this way?
 I was very, very lucky.
 I had two incredible role models
 and my mom and my dad.
 They definitely instilled a lot of discipline in me,
 a lot of work ethic and a lot of gratitude and appreciation.
 Growing up at a very young age and I think staying close
 to them throughout my entire life
 and having the messages reinforced over and over
 I think has definitely helped a lot
 and I think trying to be around like-minded people.
 We talked a lot about my teammates back in the day
 and football's a funny thing.
 College football especially.
 There's like 120 dudes in the locker room
 and there's a lot of guys.
 You got to be careful who your circles are.
 Every football player's got a tiny circle.
 You got the team, you got the offense,
 but you get like four or five dudes,
 different positions that you kind of run with.
 You got to be careful who those guys are.
 I was always trying to make sure
 they were positive people
 that were appreciative of what we were doing
 and loved what we were doing.
 I think family and I think my circle,
 my teammates and my buddies I think are
 and my wife, families,
 is really the biggest reason.
 I remember like playing for Sean Payton with the New York Giants
 and I remember like he would grind.
 He was like a John Brittan disciple
 who would grind all hours of the night.
 We'd be in our quarterback meeting Friday morning.
 Sean had the biggest eye bags.
 He was crushing dip coffee.
 It was like double-fisting coffees
 and was going through it
 and he would put so much work into our game plan.
 Our playbook for that was huge
 and we would lose a game
 and be really disappointing
 and just put up six points
 and just all 160 yards.
 And I said thank to myself,
 man, how's he going to change?
 Obviously that was not a good outcome.
 We lost the game.
 That was embarrassing.
 How's he going to change his preparation
 the next time into his credit?
 He never did.
 He just trusted the process.
 He went back in the office at 4am on Monday
 and just started the whole thing again,
 trusting that in believing
 in what he was doing was right.
 That really sort of taught me
 you've got to find whatever it is
 that it gets you ready
 and just believe in it.
 And I have good days in studio
 and I have bad days in studio
 and I have good days in the booth
 and I have bad days in the booth.
 But I don't try to deviate too much
 from what got me here
 and what's allowed me to be successful
 these last 15 years.
 Yeah.
 I think it's good for people to hear that
 because, dude, man,
 you look like you got it all together.
 You're a good-looking guy.
 You've been on the bachelor
 which we're going to get to
 and it's like,
 but no, this guy has busted his ass
 working hard preparing
 and it doesn't just get handed.
 It's hard work.
 It's good for people to hear that
 from you because, you know, you deal.
 I'm sure you've dealt with that
 on your life.
 Oh, you're easier or something.
 Yeah, for sure.
 Listen, no doubt about it.
 And I tell people to sell the time.
 My career at Florida
 and playing in the NFL
 and being on the bachelor
 to some extent,
 did that help me land the SPN?
 Absolutely, it did.
 Of course it did.
 Yeah.
 But once you get there,
 what do you do with it?
 Because we've also had a lot
 and we've had NFL Hall of Famers
 at the SPN that got a job
 because of that,
 but they didn't last very long.
 Yeah.
 Because they didn't work very hard.
 But at the end of the day,
 it's your resume.
 Your game tape, your film,
 and what you put out on camera
 at the SPN in studio
 and in the booth,
 that is your resume.
 And it speaks for itself.
 Let's talk about the bachelor.
 You were the bachelor
 and you're the host of the bachelor
 placing Chris Harrison.
 I don't know how old you are.
 How are you 40 yet?
 Are you getting there?
 I'm in there.
 You're in there.
 I'm getting in there.
 I know there's somewhere.
 We're in there somewhere.
 But Chris Harrison looks
 whatever,
 but he's done the bachelor
 for 28 years or whatever.
 So you got to follow him up
 and think you've done a great job.
 I don't know.
 Just talk about that
 bachelor experience.
 What's that's been like?
 Yeah, it's been wild.
 I mean, going back to 2004
 when I became the bachelor,
 that was kind of this.
 That was this amazing opportunity.
 It's funny.
 I've always sort of been a guy
 that just kind of tries
 to take opportunities
 and make the most out of them
 and just kind of have fun
 with again,
 kind of being in the moment
 not worrying about
 what the repercussions are of it.
 I'd be lying if I told you
 that in 2004,
 I knew what I was doing.
 If I had said,
 trust me,
 I'm going to do that.
 I'm playing in the NFL right now.
 I'm going to do this job.
 And in a couple of years,
 this is totally going to open doors
 for me and my broadcast and group.
 I had no idea in 2004
 that I wanted to be on television at all.
 That whole thing happened.
 Beyond a shadow of his doubt,
 I don't know if it really helped me
 with ESPN,
 but it definitely helped me
 with Food Network,
 with Good Morning America.
 And obviously,
 being the host of the bachelor now,
 years and years later,
 Daily Mail and some of these other shows
 that I've been associated with.
 It has been so cool this year,
 coming back years and years later
 to be part of the franchise again.
 And the amazing thing
 has just been how much bigger
 the show is now.
 Dude, when I did it in 2004,
 reality TV was like a brand new thing.
 Yeah.
 And I remember being in the locker room
 with all the guys in the New York Times,
 like Michael Strahan,
 Tiki Barber,
 and Monty Tumer.
 I'm having to explain to them
 what reality TV is.
 And then also what the bachelor is.
 What is that?
 So wait, you're going on a reality show
 to get a date?
 Is that kind of what you're doing?
 Like, it's a little bit more than that.
 Like, you're going on,
 you're hopefully going to get married.
 It's all on reality TV
 and explain all that.
 And then today to fast forward,
 the budget's obviously way bigger, obviously.
 The travel's crazy.
 It's still the nuts and bolts are the same
 and the concept of it is the same.
 But the fans and bachelor nation
 is just grown by leaps of bounds.
 They've multiplied.
 I can't think of another show
 that has a fan base
 so into it
 and just so so emotional about it
 and so invested in it.
 It's like a Clemson fan base
 or an SEC fan.
 And that's what it feels like.
 Yeah, right.
 It's just they are so passionate about it.
 And that's been really, really cool
 to sort of be back part of that.
 I think you've done a really good job.
 Last thing I want to say
 because I didn't know
 because your charismatic guy
 and you've been the bachelor
 and I was like, how's he going to be
 Switzerland?
 Because that's kind of what
 Chris Harrison
 like his greatest attribute was
 he was so switched.
 That's why you respect him.
 How is Jesse going to do this?
 Not because you're arrogant
 or you got to be a center of attention.
 It's just more of a you're that guy.
 I think you've done admirable job
 of finding that neutral zone.
 So I'll give you.
 I appreciate it too.
 Yeah, try to not make it about me.
 I don't want to be like the old Uncle Jesse.
 He was like,
 but in my day,
 I would have done this.
 Yeah.
 This is what you need to say.
 He says Clayton's this is his game.
 This is his deal.
 He's got to figure it out.
 I'm sort of there to try to keep him.
 Trying to give him the seven hire
 as much as I have over the phone.
 I'm like, dude, just lay out.
 Yeah, lay out.
 Yeah.
 But times he's swinging for finances.
 Jesse, everybody knows
 probably where to find you.
 But where do you direct people
 when they're wanting to keep up with you?
 Oh, just Instagram.
 Jesse Palmer on Instagram
 and Jesse Palmer TV on Twitter.
 This is pretty much it.
 Hey, yeah.
 Hey, I really enjoyed this.
 I hope we can do it again down the road
 and would love to stay in touch.
 Absolutely, brother.
 Thanks so much for having me on.
 I really appreciate it.
 We really appreciate him.
 You don't want to find us.
 Search for Jesse Palmer.
 You'll find all of the content from today.
 I'm Ryan Alfred on all the platforms.
 We'll see you next time on the Radcast.
 This has been right about now with Ryan Alfred,
 a Radcast Network production.
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