Be Your Own CEO: NFL Veteran Marques Ogden on Resilience, Rejection & Elite Performance

What separates average agency leaders from elite performers?

It’s not talent.
It’s not luck.
It’s how they respond under pressure.

In this high-impact episode of The Agent Leader Podcast, Brent Kelly sits down with former NFL player turned keynote speaker, author, and performance coach Marques Ogden for a powerful conversation about resilience, rejection, leadership, and ownership.

Marques’ journey is anything but linear. After playing in the NFL and building a successful eight-figure company, he lost everything. Bankruptcy. Rock bottom. Starting over with $400 and no roadmap.

Today, he helps leaders and organizations develop the mindset and discipline required to perform at the highest level - especially when things get hard - and the lessons apply directly to independent insurance agency leaders.

The Power of “Be Your Own CEO”

One of the most impactful lessons Marques learned came from his rookie NFL head coach, Jack Del Rio:

“Talent is not enough. Be your own CEO.”

For agency leaders and producers, that means taking ownership of your results — not waiting for motivation, market conditions, or external direction.

Elite performers don’t wait.
They act.

Why Rejection Paralyzes Most Sales Professionals

Rejection is part of the game. But most people allow it to shrink their thinking.

Marques explains that under pressure, your mindset either:

• Contracts and plays defense

• Or expands and creates innovation

The best sales professionals treat “no” as Next Opportunity.

The 4 C’s of High Performance

Marques breaks down four fundamentals that drive consistent growth:

Calendar – Are you proactively planning your pipeline?
Clock – Are you disciplined with your time?
Communication – Are you clear, direct, and responsive?
Consistency – Do you show up every day at a high level?

Your calendar isn’t just scheduling — it’s a growth strategy.

The BISON Mindset

When a storm approaches, cows run away.
Bison charge straight into it.

Marques shares the BISON framework for handling adversity:

• Boldness

• Integrity

• Self-awareness

• Ownership

• Never Quit

Leaders who face storms head-on shorten the struggle.

Escaping the “Good Enough” Trap

The enemy of great isn’t bad.

It’s good.

Many agency leaders hit their numbers and coast. They stay comfortable. They stop innovating.

Complacency quietly kills growth.

Marques challenges leaders to raise their standards, eliminate ego, and focus on long-term discipline over short-term comfort.

A Hard Lesson on Ego

When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Marques didn’t hesitate:

“Never let your ego get bigger than the good part of your soul.”

Ego destroys culture.
Ego damages relationships.
Ego blinds leaders.

True leadership requires humility, ownership, and the courage to grow.

This Episode Is For You If:

• You lead an independent insurance agency

• You want to build a high-performance culture

• You struggle with rejection or complacency

• You’re ready to raise your standards

• You believe growth starts with mindset

🎧 Listen to the full episode now and start charging into the storm.

Follow Marques Ogden on Get Authentic for inspiration, leadership insights, and personal growth strategies:


Podcast: Get Authentic with Marques Ogden  

Website: https://marquesogden.com/