On April 17th, while visiting the College Football Hall of Fame with my mentee Christopher Johnson, I was greeted by Jordan Devine, Director of Fan Experience. Jordan shared that a young man on his team named PJ Horne had a dream of starting a nonprofit rooted in basketball. I had the opportunity to meet PJ in person, and I challenged him to send me five questions he believed only I could answer. This blog is the start of our conversation, and we’ll unpack it further during an upcoming Zoom session.
- When your nonprofit was just an idea, what were the first five steps in creating a foundation for your organization?
I leaned into what I call the Critical Change Construct:
- Conviction – the heart: What are you passionate enough to suffer for?
- Connection – the head: Who can help you think clearly and strategically?
- Consensus – the heartfelt promise: Who’s committed to walk this journey with you?
- Collaboration – the hands: Who will help you build?
- Change – the hardest part: What impact do you want to see in the world?
For LEAD, our change goal was clear: increase graduation rates for Black boys in Atlanta Public Schools and develop them into Major League Citizens.
3-Pointers for PJ:
- Identify your conviction. What breaks your heart and motivates your movement?
- Map your connections. Write down five people who can help you think, not just cheer.
- Write your change statement. Describe the transformation you want your nonprofit to create.
- How did you transfer your skills from baseball into building a successful nonprofit?
Let’s break this down:
- Talent is what you do well.
- Habits are what you do well repeatedly—without needing to think.
- Skills are what you do well repeatedly, without thought, while under stress.
To build skills, you need 10,000 hours of deliberate practice—not just time spent, but intentional, focused training with feedback. I went from recreation-league nonprofit thinking to becoming a professional by clocking those hours over time—with joy, pain, and purpose.
In baseball, I learned to perform under pressure. In nonprofit leadership, the stakes are just as high—but the scoreboard looks different. I leaned on my discipline, development mindset, and resilience from baseball to stay in the game.
3-Pointers for PJ:
- Track your hours. Start logging your weekly hours spent building your nonprofit skillset.
- Practice under pressure. Volunteer to lead in high-stakes environments (e.g. events, fundraisers).
- Turn your habits into drills. Systematize 3 things you do well so they become repeatable and teachable.
- How much did baseball impact your success in development?
Baseball was my first love—and love, according to Dr. Tony Evans, is as much a decision as it is an emotion.
Baseball required commitment—a personal promise to stay in it, no matter what. That commitment became discipline: doing what needs to be done, even when I didn’t feel like it.
Development is the journey of being → becoming → being.
I was a player. I became a coach. And now I be—a thought leader, mentor, and builder.
Baseball gave me the rhythm and reason for that growth.
3-Pointers for PJ:
- Choose your “why sport.” Why is basketball your love and not just your hobby?
- Commit with a contract. Write down 3 non-negotiables you’ll live by in your nonprofit journey.
- Define your current stage. Are you being, becoming, or being again? Own where you are.
- How did your experience with anxiety change your outlook on life?
Anxiety is real. And for me, it became a portal to conviction.
Conviction produces confidence—not in what I hope to do, but in what I know I can do because I’ve done it before.
My anxiety sits inside my conviction. I don’t run from it—I run through it. Every time I choose to move forward, I deepen my roots and sharpen my focus.
3-Pointers for PJ:
- Name your fear. Write down the one fear that feels like a wall for you.
- Trace your victories. List 3 hard things you’ve already overcome to prove you’re equipped.
- Create a mantra. Craft a one-line truth that reminds you who you are when anxiety creeps in.
- As someone who looks like me, trying to start a nonprofit for at-risk youth, what’s your advice?
Be authentic. Be real. Be rooted.
And don’t be stupid.
Here’s my Steps to Significance framework:
- Stupidity – Knowing the right thing and choosing not to do it.
- Struggle – Making mistakes out of ignorance while pursuing a goal.
- Success – Reaching the goal.
- Significance – Using that success to serve others.
The bridge from stupidity to struggle is humility. You’re not less than—just willing to think of others more than yourself. Once you accept the struggle, you can slump your way to success and eventually create lasting change.
3-Pointers for PJ:
- Start with humility. Ask for help from someone you respect this week.
- Celebrate your struggle. Journal how your hardest moment made you stronger.
- Choose service. Identify one way your nonprofit can serve even before it launches.
Final Word to PJ
Your questions show maturity, purpose, and promise. Stay convicted. Stay committed. And remember—every 3-pointer starts with proper footwork. The foundation matters. Let’s talk more soon.