From Lineman to Businessman, with Hunter Goodwin
Hunter Goodwin
Hunter Goodwin is an owner of Oldham Goodwin Group, LLC and currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer. Hunter also serves in the capacity of Director of Hospitality. Hunter is responsible for implementing the company’s business strategies, launching new ventures and initiatives, overseeing ongoing company operations, and developing synergistic business relationships. Hunter specializes in the asset management and development of commercial, multifamily, and hospitality properties utilizing his extensive experience in construction management and business operations. Hunter is responsible for the asset management and operations of all hospitality properties in his role as Director of Hospitality. Prior to real estate, Hunter was a professional athlete for eight years and was a team captain for the Miami Dolphins from 1999-2000. He served as a Miami Dolphins representative to the Player’s Union from 2000-2001. Hunter served as a Fox Sports College Gameday Analyst in 2005 and was also a consultant commentator for the 2003 NFL Draft for KVET—Austin, Texas. Hunter enjoys fishing, hunting, and lives in College Station, Texas, with his wife, Amber and two children.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Hunter’s playing career that included being an offensive lineman at Texas A&M from 1993 to 1996, being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, and playing for the Miami Dolphins until a hip injury ended in his career in 2005
- As "the best blocking tight end in the NFL," Hunter focused on being a team player and devoting himself to each play
- Hunter brought his focus and his team to hotel operations, as the president and COO of the Goodwin Group, a Texas commercial real estate company
- The constant feedback and criticism Hunter experienced in the NFL that taught him to tackle problems head-on rather than stress over possibilities
- How team sports create a level of accountability and transparency that's also critical in the management of a successful business
- Doing a job that society might have deemed as beneath you in order to be successful in business
- The hard work Hunter had to do after his hip injury to not be seen as just an athlete and to be taken seriously in business
- Why it's less about intelligence that denotes success and more about consistency and drive
- How a significant portion of business lies in mental strength: in the ability to turn feedback into effective change
- How being around other successful people can teach you things that you didn't first expect, about a variety of things
- Why sometimes it requires tough love to get to where you want to be, especially if you have handicaps that you need to work through
Ways to contact Hunter:
