Matt Vance: Joining us is Robert Turbin, legendary former running back for Seattle.

Matt Vance: So, there we go. Okay, we are in for a treat today. Joining us is Robert Turbin, legendary former running back for the Seattle Seahawks, thanks for joining us. Robert

Robert Turbin: Thanks for having me.

Matt Vance: So a little bit about Robert is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and former professional athlete. After an impressive career from 2007, to 2011 playing football at the collegiate level for Utah, State University, Go Aggies. He was inducted to the usu Athletic Hall of Fame. He was then selected by the Seattle Seahawks In the 2012 NFL draft in his rookie season Turbin ran for 354 yards on 81 carries and in 2014. He contributed to the Seahawks only Super Bowl championship, defeating the Denver Broncos 43 To 8 he continued professional play through 2018.

Matt Vance: Outside of the world of football. Robert’s passion for growth and giving have led him to many off the filled victories in 2013. He launched his first charity initiative, starting a Youth Football, Academy. And in 2014, he founded the Running for You Foundation, which focuses on accessibility in tech, and nutritional research that are beneficial to multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Robert’s multifaceted approach to work and play have also led him to be a brand ambassador podcast. Host tech advisor and sports commentator. That’s definitely a lot.

Robert Turbin: that’s quite the intro. I feel like I need to hire. You guys are like my PR team or something.

Robert Turbin: I appreciate that.

Matt Vance: We’re so glad that you’re here, Robert and now thanks for being with us for everyone listening.

Robert Turbin: Of course.

Matt Vance: I just wanted to tell a short story of how Robert and I actually connected. This was about a year ago. Robert messaged me just out of the blue on LinkedIn and it was something along the lines of Hey I noticed that you were in sports at Utah State and I like to connect with collegiate alumni and I was on the track team at a different level.

Robert Turbin: Right.

Matt Vance: I was a walk on just running, you had to run and fly football balls and not get tackled. So completely, but that message led to conversation, we ended up meeting up at a local restaurant in town, Angie’s restaurant, which is a great spot. And we’ve had some really fun conversations and are now working together at Moberm as well. We’re very fortunate.

Matt Vance: Grateful to have Robert as one of our advisors to the business. So just wanted to give that little background to Awesome guy and you really know how to just connect with people and we appreciate you for being here.

Robert Turbin: Yeah, I appreciate you taking the time and just your willingness to be open and meet with me and connect with me and then, fast forward putting me in this position, to be on the advisory board for Mobrium and it’s an exciting opportunity for me and for your defense. All right, I had the opportunity and pleasure to actually train with the USA track team.

Robert Turbin: In San Diego. They were in Chula Vista and…

Matt Vance: Wow.

Robert Turbin: I worked out. the opportunity to work out with some of the long jumpers and spinners and so although, I may be putting on a helmet and trying to do guys and run guys over for touchdowns track. Maybe one of the more challenging sports there is out there that exists. All right,…

Matt Vance: It definitely can.

Robert Turbin: so don’t cut yourself short on that. Back to these people.

Matt Vance: Yeah. You feel the burn for sure.

Matt Vance: I’ll give you that. …

Robert Turbin: Yes.

Robert Turbin: Yes definitely.

Matt Vance: Matt’s story just reiterates to me and Robert is such a personal personable bull guy and I had a call with him. He’s one of our advisors for the company that we are. Hurting and just that was, everyone’s first impression of you just how genuine you are. I mean, NFL champion. That’s no small feat and yet you’re still so genuine and personable. So we’re just super excited to have you here. And, no, I’d love to hear more about it. What’s your path been like? And what has it been like playing? The NFL? Winning is Super Bowl, all the work.

00:05:00

Robert Turbin: Yeah. You know what? It’s interesting. I first started playing football. I was 10 years old. And where I grew up. My home was right down the street, from a park. It was called Irvington Park. and we lived in Irvington district, that’s where all the schools, and so every Saturday, when I was young, I would recognize that the park was just full of people. and I thought that, there were just a bunch of kids playing at the park, And for whatever reason I never went down there to go and check it out. I just assumed maybe they were birthday parties going on and all of these things. So one day this is fourth grade. I think I’m nine years old

Robert Turbin: I’m at school and there’s a good friend of mine. His name is Justin Ramos and we’ve known each other since we are still really good friends today. In fact, he DJs at my charity event, every year, he comes down from Dallas now and…

Matt Vance: Nice.

Robert Turbin: I asked him at school, I said, Hey Jay what? Do you ever go to the park on Saturdays? What’s going on up? There is always crowded, And he says, there’s a football league that goes on every and the games are on Saturday. and I didn’t know and I was in a complete shot. Karim, this nine year old kid, I’m just like I play, can I be on the team, And not understanding that. There’s a sign up thing. You got to do prior to the season starting and all these things. So that’s how I got started that next year. It was actually him and his parents that did all the paperwork, for me, paid for me to get into the League and boom, my first year playing football at 10 years old. There I am planning for the Fremont Football League, Buffalo Bills.

Robert Turbin: And that’s where it all got started, for me. And so that’s where the journey started and went through the high school ranks and…

Matt Vance: Wow.

Robert Turbin: was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to play at Utah State, which was a humongous decision for me, which would be for anybody, choosing what college you want to go to, and, spend the next four or five years of your life. but I chose you to toss state. I wanted the challenge of going to a school and playing for a school that just hadn’t been successful in a long time. I had options and opportunities to go to the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. And a side note was that they wanted me to play defense. My dream was to play offense. and Utah State supported that and that was big for me. But also, I remember talking with my father about it.

Robert Turbin: And I said, these other schools Oregon Washington Nebraska, they’re gonna be good with or without me and I just felt like I say Utah State that’s somewhere that I can make a difference and so I chose to go to Utah State and God is good. It worked out for me and ended up getting drafted and my ringtone in high school Used to be the Monday Night Football theme, done. And so it was always the dream, always, it was like one of these days, I’ll be playing on Sundays and God made it happen for me. and then, you fast forward to my second year and we go to New York City.

Robert Turbin: Which was a dream for me. One of my favorite movies is Home alone, 2. Just for the simple fact that it’s in New York City. It is always this dream. I always fantasized about it. Being in New York and I don’t know, just doing big things, whatever it was the bright lights that always excited me, my profile on my bio I used to say for the location on your bio and social media, it used to say big games and bright lights, so that’s where to. I want to be in big time ball games, and I wanted to be under the lights, and there was no better atmosphere for that than being in New York City and playing in the Super Bowl. And we won. And it was the fairy tale kind of thing. Dream, come true. Because not only are we in New York City.

00:10:00

Robert Turbin: We’re in the Super Bowl, we win the Super Bowl, I’ve got my family there and it was just one of the great moments of my life.

Matt Vance: That’s just absolutely remarkable from start to. Now I won’t say it because your story is still going. And there’s a lot of things ahead that are really exciting and we’re excited to watch what comes next for you. but let’s change gears just a teeny bit here and talk a little bit about, you’ve been on so many different teams all the way from when you’re 10 to the Super Bowl team at the Seahawks, talk to us about teamwork. And how have you seen a good culture in a team impact, the dynamics and maybe a bad culture or not as good of the culture?

Robert Turbin: Good, cultures are willing to sacrifice for the next person. Everything that you do is about the next person. That’s both in sport and is in business as well. And that’s not to say A selfish mindset, doesn’t allow you to be successful. But it’s difficult to have an impact. When that’s your approach and the best teams that I’ve been on, they cared about having a positive impact on each other. And I think about the teams that I played on in high school and even in its the reason why we have these long-lasting relationships is because

Robert Turbin: We genuinely cared about one another and when we were out there practicing working out running school work, whatever it was, it was for the benefit of the other The teams that I’ve been on that. Weren’t good. or didn’t have a bad culture because the locker room was full of selfishness like I would say 2015, Cleveland Browns. I don’t communicate with any of those guys anymore. and maybe one or two, but that’s because one of the guys, Joe Thomas, he’s a legend and he’s a legend because everything he did was about the team. And he played 11 years with the same team because of his mindset. But overall, we weren’t able to be successful because

Robert Turbin: It wasn’t about the person next to you. It was a me thing. And when you have me, type of mindsets on any kind of team it’s gonna be very difficult to be successful.

Matt Vance: So you mentioned that you had that desire to give an impact when you chose to go to Utah State, you recognize that they could use help right there in their program and just in their athletic performance. So, you had that attitude and did you feel like you brought that attitude kind of spread across the other team members or how was their culture? Were you able to identify that they had? Culture, that would support your desires, and, allow that to spread or do they already have that culture? how did that all work?

Robert Turbin: Yeah, that’s a really good question. that culture didn’t exist at first.

Matt Vance: Okay.

Robert Turbin: And it can be very challenging because, here you’re the new kid on the block, so,…

Matt Vance: Right.

Robert Turbin: So who are you to, try to, kind of change how we do things already. But I didn’t know any other way because that was the way that I was taught growing up. That’s the only way I knew. Once upon a time, I was like that. Like a me guy? I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Matt Vance: Bread is pretty great.

Robert Turbin: and I remember being a sophomore in high school.

Robert Turbin: We were at practice. And we ran a play, all right? and my coach Skip Kane, it was his name and a great coach. And there was a certain area after I got the ball where he wanted me to run, all right? And I did that the first couple times, and it wasn’t very successful. All right, yardage wise. And so the next time I took the ball and did what I wanted with that, I bounced it to the outside and we actually end up scoring a touchdown, right?

00:15:00

Robert Turbin: He says That’s not where I want you to run a football. And I was like, but I just scored a touchdown when he talked. so he says he wants me to run it again, so we run the play again and I do the same thing. I’m like, I don’t care. What Coach Skip Kane is saying, I’m turbin, I know what I’m doing. And so, he proceeds to again approach me and You’re not running the football, And so My response was. I’m the running back. You’re the coach. All right, you don’t tell me. I know how to run football. So then he proceeds to put me on the bench. Which that’s never happened to me before, all right? It’s age. And yeah,…

Matt Vance: I was humbling.

Robert Turbin: And another coach comes up to me and says, listen, I don’t care how good you are. Have you ever talk to a coach like that? Again, I’m gonna send you to the locker room and you’ll never play for this team. All…

Matt Vance: Wow.

Robert Turbin: Yeah, and that has never happened to me before, all right? Because I was always too good, And the first thing I thought about was my dad, who was a pastor? And who was always teaching me about this. Humble mindset humility and it’s also in the Bible a lot, right? And I also thought about not wanting to go home and tell my dad that I got kicked off the football team either. Okay, I didn’t want to have to deal with those consequences, all right? But it completely changed my mindset as far as being on a team. And so it took a little bit of time, but I think what happens is, once you start winning. You get a new staff for a similar mindset.

Robert Turbin: It’s able to trickle around the locker room and you’ve seen a change over the last decade.

Matt Vance: .

Matt Vance: That’s such an impactful story and I think it applies, honestly, very directly to company culture in the workspace. We just barely had a conversation with another guest on the show, Eva O’Brien and she was talking about finding your fit in a company and…

Robert Turbin: Right.

Matt Vance: that can apply to sports and a team. you have to have that conversation about what’s good for you and you did that when you’re considering going to Utah State, for example, and you found that fit your values. What you’re trying to achieve and a team that aligned with that. But there’s also this element of realizing regardless of what type of team you’re on, whether it’s a marketing team at a nursing team or a construction team, you will achieve more together if there is that care for each other. And that, you said, makes an impact collectively. Both what you’re trying to achieve,…

Robert Turbin: Yeah.

Matt Vance: What the work.

Matt Vance: Option is but also building each other up a little bit outside of that goal. But interpersonally, there are relationships that exist from team member to team member and…

Robert Turbin: Yes. and…

Matt Vance: and we want to be conscious of that and care for those relationships and…

Robert Turbin: Go ahead,…

Matt Vance: I would, sorry. I’m just gonna say and…

Robert Turbin: go ahead.

Matt Vance: also from your leaders like your coaches, they enforce that culture with you and,…

Robert Turbin: Right.

Matt Vance: because I think it can trickle negatively as well, but when they have the leadership buying in that they want that culture of teamwork and they enforce that then that’s how it will remain.

Robert Turbin: Yeah, and just a, I guess extend on that, you talk about fit which Leadership is really important as well. You have your coaches, you have your management, right? But the real accountability comes from, the people who are actually putting in the action, so on the field it’s the players and who’s gonna be the leader from a player standpoint and then the office, who’s gonna be that leader, as far as leading the sales team or leading the marketing team because we’re all in this for the same goal and…

Matt Vance: Right.

Robert Turbin: We’re all doing the same work, I’m not just being a tyrant and telling you what to do, each and every day. But alongside fitting in it’s buying in He talked about the role.

00:20:00

Matt Vance: Mm-hmm

Robert Turbin: from a sports example, it’s like Hey. I wasn’t a starter when I was a rookie Marshawn Lynch was the starter. I wanted to be the starter. But my role was to be the second string running back. and in order for me to be successful and then for the team to be successful, I had to buy into that role EXCEPT that as of right now, This is my role. And if I keep working hard, eventually. I’ll become a starter. And it’s the same thing, in the workforce everybody wants to be a leader. Some folks don’t want to start in sales because

Robert Turbin: They just don’t like it, but in order to get to where you want to go, as a manager or, a lead or whatever it is that you have to start somewhere and you have to buy into that role. I never forget when I was playing for the Indianapolis Colts 2016. And it was the first time in my football career, I thought for sure. I was gonna get cut. I was like, man, it’s over, and I remember a coach coming up to me because there were certain roles that I had that I came to the Colts because I wanted to be the starting running back and I didn’t want to play special teams kick off kickoff return pun. I didn’t want to do those things. And I remember Coach Pagano, who was the head coach at the time?

Robert Turbin: he says, Turbin, he says Until you buy into your roles. You’re not gonna be successful.

Robert Turbin: He was right. Once I actually,

Robert Turbin: Took a different approach each day, and I treated special teams. Just like being a starting running back. Everything changed and I ended up having the best career that year 2016. And so there’s a buy-in aspect as well. Once you find out where you fit in,

Matt Vance: And that is so powerful. I mean, it’s a change of mindset that can make all the difference, I mean, your position didn’t change. but your performance, sure did and…

Robert Turbin: Exact exactly. Yep.

Matt Vance: And that huge I think that idea of in a workplace owning your assignment or owning your position and…

Robert Turbin: Description.

Matt Vance: doing the best that you can at that, knowing that that’s going to achieve the goal that you have and everyone else’s goals as well. The whole team is the company’s goals, right? And so, do you have any advice and so for working professionals to strengthen their teams and it’s interesting how applicable. the sports team and the professional teams are.

Robert Turbin: I think it’s simple. You got to hang out. one of the great things that we used to do at Logic 2020, Was happy hours, and they were a little tedious, it’s like, we’re gonna happy hour again, but you get there, because people might want to, have other plans. And it’s leadership who’s organizing this. So it’s like you don’t want to miss this. But it does so much for you as a team as a unit as a group of people trying to achieve a similar goal. And the best teams that I’ve been on whether in sports or business. We hung out with each other in high school. It was in and out every Friday night after the game. It was

Robert Turbin: It was more better, which was a Hawaiian barbecue place in Utah when I was at Utah, State, and Those are the things that. Build camaraderie. about my charity event, the basketball game. And here it…

Matt Vance: Mm-hmm

Robert Turbin: Bringing together alumni who’ve graduated from various years. And we start practicing together from January until the game, which is in March, it’s like, why do you practice? you got to practice. In order to give yourself the best chance to win. But it also builds. Characters amongst you get these individuals and you become one. That’s what practice does.

Matt Vance: Yeah.

Robert Turbin: But also along that journey, we do what’s called a team event. We’ll go to Topgolf, we’ll go bowling. We’ll go. To Dave & Buster’s. and why do we do that? Because it’s an opportunity for us to hang off the court, away from practice, away from work, right away from the business side and really connect to the personal because everybody has that, we’re all human at the end of the day and so it’s connected with that personal aspect. Obviously, everybody’s not gonna be your best friend but it’s about All From that aspect that I think really brings a team together and can build a winning culture.

00:25:00

Matt Vance: So, for companies listening, if they want to achieve their goals as a company, invest in your employees spending time together. Doing something too.

Robert Turbin: 100%. Absolutely. Absolutely, I doubt about it.

Matt Vance: I love that. It’s so powerful. We’re all people. We need to build those relationships with trust so that work, whatever type of work you’re doing, whether that’s on the field or off the field, can be more efficient. You’re more familiar with each other. You can understand each other’s needs and work together as a team. I think that’s very powerful. any other final words before we wrap it up today?

Robert Turbin: Absolutely. just a big time. Thank you to the both of you. And I really enjoyed this. I appreciate being a part of your team at Mobrium and Also being able to have that personal connection as well and every time we talk, it’s not about mobrium, it’s not about the running for you foundation, it’s about the kids, It’s about, the studio that I’m building, it’s about the review cycle, the book that you wrote all the things and I pray you guys are on number five now, right?

Matt Vance: Yeah, yeah. pa I think you’re gonna be somewhere around episode 12 or…

Robert Turbin: It is.

Matt Vance: maybe even 15.

Robert Turbin: I’m talking about kids.

Matt Vance: Are you talking about kids or yes.

Matt Vance: We are number five, right? We’re getting our full basketball team. The same page. Yeah. Sorry I’m outside here. You guys good? Number five comes in later this month.

Robert Turbin: Yeah. Yeah.

Robert Turbin: Right. That’s awesome.

Matt Vance: Yeah. Good memory. Robert.

Robert Turbin: Congratulations on that And that’s what it’s all about. That connection.

Matt Vance: And I really enjoyed hearing more about what led you to football, and as a nine year old, I think that’s just so cool. And probably I guess it came pretty naturally to you when you joined that team. Is that right?

Robert Turbin: It did, I mean, I was a little bit scared to hit at first, cuz physical sports. So I’m not gonna lie. Yeah.

Matt Vance: Urban here to hit what?

Robert Turbin: My speed was what I was trying to utilize more than anything. All right. But now I got used to it and it has been my dream pretty much ever since. Sophomore year, high school. I started playing at 10. but, my actual commitment to, I decided said, what, I’m gonna be a professional football player. I was a sophomore in high school because there were others, I mean, I love sports, I love baseball so much. I wanted to be a pro baseball player at first. My favorite player of all time is Ricky Henderson, who is still the all-time steals leader, all and…

Matt Vance: Man.

Robert Turbin: 

Robert Turbin: stolen bases. played for the Oakland A’s and then a guy named Michael Jordan started winning championships and there was nothing I wanted to do more than that someday but Yeah, I don’t know. Then the pigskin came along after and I just kind of fell in love with it and there was

Matt Vance: I’m sure you could have done any of those that you set your mind to. But it’s really cool to hear about your whole path and all your experiences and of course we love that you supported the Aggies. That’s awesome. but so great to learn from you today and see the direct ties between the teamwork on an athletic team and then the teamwork that we can have. The workplace. So, thanks for all your insights today, Robert.

Robert Turbin: Of course, till next time.

Matt Vance: Yeah, and for everyone listening, make sure to follow the culture profit.

Robert Turbin: Yes.

Robert Turbin: Awesome.