At an age when most NBA All-Stars’ time in a garage is spent weighing what Lamborghini or Ferrari to add to their fleet, Mark Eaton was busy talking to customers about whether they wanted regular or high-performance motor oil in their Fords and Chevys.
At age 21, the man who now owns the NBA record for most blocked shots in a season only laid claim to one record of distinction: World’s Tallest Auto Mechanic.
However, the 7-foot-4-inch Eaton would go from a mechanic to a 12-year career with the Utah Jazz where he was named the NBA’s Two-Time Defensive Player of the Year and selected to play in the 1989 All-Star Game. Along the way, Eaton learned what it takes to succeed both on and off the court as a player and successful businessman.
This year at October Research, LLC’s 2014 National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), Eaton will share his secrets of personal and professional success in his keynote address: “The Four Commitments of a Winning Team!”
“The commitments are the things I learned both personally and professionally that made the difference in my ability to go from someone who really had no idea on how to compete on a professional level to someone who excelled on a professional level,” Eaton said. “So, if you’re looking for what’s going to take you and your career to the next level, you really need to come listen to this presentation.”
Eaton says his message of redemption is particularly applicable to the settlement services industries, which are just bouncing back from the housing downturn.
“When things weren’t going well, you had to focus back on the fundamentals,” Eaton said. “There are things that you do have control over. In my presentation, I will show you how to refocus on the fundamentals and the most important aspects of your business that are applicable to any economy.”
Besides sharing his business strategies for personal growth, Mark’s presentation will be focused on ways to bring your entire organization together to increase cohesion and efficiency within your office — essential skills for succeeding in today’s regulatory environment where seamless communication and collaboration are a must for all settlement services professionals.
“The core message is how to end that internal competition that plagues most organizations — the infighting, being more worried about the person next to you or what’s going on in management than you are about really focusing on getting real results for your efforts,” Eaton said. “And that message was something that was core to being in the NBA. You just can’t be on a winning team and have any of that stuff going on inside your team.
“Everyone that I speak to talks about how they are a team at work. You hear that term all the time: teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. Well, I have the unique experience and background of playing on a team at the highest level. It doesn’t get much higher than playing on an NBA basketball team, and so I’m able to take those lessons and clearly apply them to your business today,” he said.
Sign up for the 2014 National Settlement Services Summit to hear Eaton’s “Four Commitments of a Winning Team!,” and meet him after the show, where he will be signing pictures and have CDs of his presentation for sale.
Click here to get more information about the 2014 National Settlement Services Summit in New Orleans June 9-11, including the agenda and a list of speakers. You can register for the Summit online or click here to get information about how to register via mail, fax or phone.