Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 08:25

That’s a true honor. So how’d you get started in the NBA?

Pat Williams: 08:31

Well, I spent seven years in baseball as a minor league catcher and then five years running minor league teams for the Phillies. And in June of 1968, I walked into my office one day at the ballpark in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where I was the GM of the team, and there was a message to return a call to a Jack Ramsay in Inglewood, California. And I thought, my, the basketball Jack Ramsay? And I returned the call. He was the GM of the 76ers at the time.

He explained to me he was about to become the coach. He was also out there to trade Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers. And he said I need somebody to run the front office. Would you be interested? I had never met Jack Ramsay. I was 28 years old. And after a couple of interviews, they hired me. And I left baseball. I didn’t think that would happen, but I did. And this was the first opportunity to go to a major league sport.

It wasn’t baseball, but I went there and that, gosh, that has started a 46 year run, you know, in the world of pro basketball. But it all started with that phone call out of a clear blue sky from Jack Ramsay.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 09:41

So obviously you made a huge impact and he found out about you. How did he hear about you?

Pat Williams: 09:46

Good question. And I once asked him about that. And all Jack said was there was a lot more known about you here in Philadelphia than you thought. The Spartanburg Club was a farm club of the Phillies, and we had good success. Some good young players had come through Spartanburg and were on their way to Philadelphia, and we had promoted well and gotten some ink nationally. And so I guess the Philly papers and media had picked up on that. And I think that’s what Jack meant.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 10:19

So what eventually led you to Orlando because you were with a few different teams, right?

Pat Williams: 10:25

Well, I spent that one year as the business manager of the 76ers. That was the ‘68-’69 season. And then in the summer of ‘69, I left to go to Chicago as the GM of the Bulls. Was there for four years. Loved Chicago. Still do. Still my favorite city. and we had a good run with those four years. But when that came to a close for me, I went to Atlanta, spent one year with the Hawks. That was the year we traded Pete Maravich to New Orleans. And then in the summer of 1974, the GM posted the Sixers was open, and I went back to Philadelphia and spent 12 years there.

We had three different ownership groups, but I survived and we spent 12 years. I got to the finals four times in the Julius Erving era, and then finally won the NBA title in 1983 after Moses Malone joined us. And then in the summer of ‘86, I moved down here to Orlando to take on the biggest challenge of my career, and that is trying to help create an expansion team from scratch, and we were successful in that venture. The Orlando Magic was birthed in April of 1987, and here we are now in our 25th season. We’re having a 25th anniversary season, and a lot has happened here in Orlando since we arrived in June of ‘86. So I’ve just walked you through Jeremy about, gosh, 46 years.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 11:53

Congratulations on the 25th year.

Pat Williams: 11:56

In about two minutes.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 11:58

Congratulations on that. I wanted to ask you this. Obviously, it’s a huge undertaking to start an NBA franchise. How does that process start? And what do you do to even begin that?

Pat Williams: 12:11

I think we felt that the most important thing we had to do here, because Orlando was untested as a sports market. There had never been major league sports here, and there really was no place to play. And, you know, we had a lot going against us. So I think we had to make a statement to the league and we had to get moving on it immediately back in June of 86. And we thought the best way to do that was to rally the community and get deposits on season tickets.

So we went around and pushed hard to get $100 deposits on season tickets. Now, this is to a team that didn’t exist in a league that hadn’t committed to expanding, where there was no history of sports and no place to play. So we didn’t have a lot going for us in that regard. But the community rallied incredibly, and by September of 86, when the owners had their meeting out in Arizona, we could go before them and say, we have deposits on 14,000 season tickets. Believe me, that got the league’s attention because most of those teams, if they had 3 or 4000 season tickets, you know, they’d have been thrilled.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 13:19

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 13:20

And so we’re saying to them, we’ve got deposits on 14,000. I think that really turned the league’s head. I think they really began to think maybe what’s going on down there in Central Florida, that we definitely got their attention.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 13:33

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 13:33

So that was the most important thing we did early on.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 13:36

That’s amazing in getting 14,000, you know, commitments like that. What was some things that you did to do that?

Pat Williams: 13:44

I was speaking anywhere people would have me from blue light specials that Kmart to, you know, a hand of bridge somewhere. I mean, I was going wherever they invited me.

And delivering my message and encouraging them to get involved. I spoke hundreds of times throughout that period. The media was very good to us. You know, they definitely got behind us and, you know, really did a good job of helping us get the message out there. And that was awfully important.

And then we had some major people, the Disney people, for example, and other major corporations here who made some huge commitments to us early on that were invaluable. The Orlando Sentinel, the newspaper, got behind us in a huge way, in every way. I remember the very first day at the press conference, tip, who was the publisher, came up to me afterwards and said, put us down for 100 season tickets and a skybox. That was on the first day.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 14:47

That’s amazing.

Pat Williams: 14:48

And I thought, my goodness. I mean, that was incredible. So we had some very early community boosters who were so good to us.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 14:58

What was the hardest part about early on in the beginning, in the first few seasons, because it’s not easy to get that, you know, keep it rallied, I guess.

Pat Williams: 15:07

Well that’s a good point. And we, you know, the ‘89-’90 season, our first season, there was enormous excitement. We were sold out every night. We didn’t have a very productive season, obviously with an expansion team.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 15:19

Pretty difficult. Yeah.

Pat Williams: 15:20

But our fans were into it. And then they were so proud that we had a team and they were in the NBA, and they were just thrilled. It did get a little bit tougher the next year. You know, the novelty began to wear off, however, at the end of the third year, 1992, we won the draft lottery. And who was sitting there but one Shaquille O’Neal.

And that gave us a huge boost. And within a year, you know, we were contenders. We were making great progress and, you know, competing with all the big boys and Shaq, you know, brought that tremendous body of his and his skill and put us on the map. So we got a great break in ‘92 when we needed a lift. That lottery came just in time for us.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 16:09

Yeah I know you do a lot of speaking to big companies. What are some of the lessons that you impart on these big companies?

Pat Williams: 16:17

I speak primarily in three areas to corporate America: leadership, teamwork and winning. Extreme winning. I find that those are the three topics that corporate America is most interested in. So I’ve crafted my talks in those three areas. I’m constantly looking for new stories and anecdotes and information that would encourage or uplift or be valuable in the corporate world. I talk about the seven sides of leadership for the 21st century, and then I talk about the eight qualities of great teams and then the extreme winning.

And there’s a certain element that wants me to talk about that to their sales staff or other parts of their organization. What do the winners possess? What are the great winners in sports and other fields? What do they have? And I’ve made a pretty thorough study of that. I’m in the process of writing a book about it right now called Extreme Winning. And what does it take? What do the winners have that sets them apart?

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 17:27

So what’s one of the attributes that you found that winners have that you maybe be surprised about?

Pat Williams: 17:32

Well, first of all, they have an extreme dream in their life. Dreams are a big part. And I just shared with you where my dream hit me when I was a seven year old kid and had that dream of being a ball player. I think that every winter, somewhere in their life, a dream hit them, took over their life, captured them, just drove them, you know, the rest of their life. You check out the great winners.

And that dream was planted. Extreme preparation. I’ve noticed that they are so thorough in their preparation they leave nothing to chance. They’re on top of every little detail. Extreme focus.

The winners have the ability to really zero in on what’s going on, particularly what’s going on now. They’re not way out in the future and they’re not hung up on yesterday. They are really focused on what’s happening right now. They literally go through life with blinders on. You know, they are locked in and nothing’s going to divert them.

Those are some of the thoughts, Jeremy, that come to my mind.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 18:35

What are some of the things that I mean, obviously, you’ve had a really amazing long career and you don’t show any signs of stopping. What inspires you to keep going? Keep, you know, keep producing?

Pat Williams: 18:48

Well, I’m 73 now, Jeremy. I think the best years of our life really should be that 70 to 90 period. You know, assuming our health is good. I think by then children are raised, in many cases, your grandchildren are raised. That’s not the case in my life, but your children are raised.

You’ve made your mark in your career. You know, whatever you wanted to establish or accomplish professionally, you’ve done it right. And now you’re in a position with some of that pressure removed to really zero in on what you like to do and what’s important and what you think is a major contribution. You’ve got wisdom that you didn’t have 20 years prior. You’ve got experience, life experiences.

In my case, I feel an obligation to invest back down in the generations coming behind me. So many people invested in me over the years and were so valuable in my life. I want to pass that on to those coming behind me. And I’m doing it primarily through my speaking and through my writing.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 19:54

Yeah. What big mistakes do you see people making in business?

Pat Williams: 20:00

Well, that’s a good question, Jeremy. I’m not sure I have a specific answer on that, but I think this control that which you have control over and let everything else go. You know, we have a tendency in business and in other areas of life to try and control everything that goes on. So I would say we have very little control when you get right down to it. Aside from our attitude, I think we can control our attitude every day, but just zero in on those things you have control over and release the rest of it because you have no control over it.

For example, we have no control over the weather. You really have no control over the economy of the world. You have no control over global warming or the ozone layer or the population issues of China. I mean, you just don’t have any control there. So I think that’s important.

And one other thing in regard to that question, keep it simple. You know, we have a tendency to get life so complicated. Get business so complicated. Keep things simple. You know, life really is basically pretty simple and don’t spend a lot of time complicating it for everybody.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 21:11

Yeah. I like that. Yeah. Oftentimes we do complicate things. What I mean, it seems like you’re you’re with your career just kind of grew and grew and grew. What were some of the roadblocks you ran up against?

Pat Williams: 21:25

Well, initially I wanted to be a major league ball player, so the first roadblock was probably curve balls. You know. I couldn’t hit them very well.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 21:33

Those are tough though.

Pat Williams: 21:35

So that was an immediate roadblock. I think the important thing, Jeremy, is to have a vision in your life. And in my case, my vision was I wanted to run a major league baseball team. You know, that was the vision. That’s where I wanted to get.

I ended up running major league basketball teams. But that means that they’re going to be lots of hurdles. You’ve got to be patient. You’ve got to be. You’ve got to pay your dues. Those are certainly roadblocks. You can’t get anywhere without experience and you can’t be in a rush. You can’t rush experience. You can’t rush wisdom.

And so probably the biggest hurdle I’ve always had is being in a hurry and wanting to get to my goal without paying the dues. Your dues. So you’ve got to have a good foundation, and the only way you can do that is to keep investing and not not get too rushed. Because if you get to a top spot and you don’t have a strong foundation, at some point you’re going to crumble.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 22:37

Yeah. What’s been a low point for you in your life or career that you had to overcome?

Pat Williams: 22:45

Well, I’ve had a number of them. My father was killed in an automobile accident driving home from my college graduation.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 22:54

Wow.

Pat Williams: 22:54

In early June of 1962. You know, that certainly was a blow to me. It was a blow to our family and, you know.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 23:02

Sorry to hear that. Wow.

Pat William: 23:03

A difficult time now, that was, you know, over 50 years ago, but it was still a very tough time in our home and our family. Most recently, three years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. So I’ve been involved in dealing with all of that and getting my health back and and then trying to be a good messenger to others about this whole issue of cancer. We never go through life, Jeremy. Untouched.

And I have learned a great deal through the tough times. Probably a lot more than I ever learned through the good times. Many years back, I went through a painful divorce and that was. That was a hard, hard time in my life. But, you know, you learn from that and you grow from that.

And one of the great lessons I’ve ever had is simply this: don’t waste your sufferings. Don’t waste them. Because in those tough periods we are so teachable. We are so eager, you know, at that point, to be taught and learned. And during the good times, we have a tendency to get very independent, that I’ve got all of the stuff solved. I know exactly how to handle life, but the hard times really give us a very teachable spirit.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 24:26

Yeah, that sounds like it was very difficult. What did you do to get through those treatments when you were diagnosed?

Pat Williams: 24:35

Well, at that point in January of ‘11, you know, after the shock wore off, I realized that I had to make a decision, you know, and it was a spiritual decision. Like God, why did you allow this? You know, how could you not protect me from this? Or, Lord, you allowed it. And now I’m going to really take advantage of this privilege that you’ve given me, you know, to be helpful to other people.

Listen, Jeremy, one out of one out of two men in America will end up with cancer.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 25:12

Scary.

Pat Williams: 25:13

One out of three women. Yeah. So I guess I want to be a voice of warning. I want to be an encourager to those people who are dealing and battling cancer. I want to be a voice in this world of illness related to cancer.

I want to be a difference maker. I have a book coming out soon called The Mission is Remission: Hope for Battling Cancer, in which I tell my cancer story and what I’ve learned. And so that’s really something that I feel called to do.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 25:46

Yeah. No, I appreciate that. That’s a really, really hard time, I’m sure. So what do you tell people like, I’m sure you speak to a lot of people who are fighting cancer. What’s one thing that they enjoy hearing or, you know, really impacts them?

Pat Williams: 26:03

Well, Jeremy, my prime message when I have an opportunity like this is to speak to people, particularly men. And the message is, do not neglect your yearly physical. That’s what I tell them, because in my yearly physical in January of ‘11, the doctor at the end of the day said, there’s something in your bloodwork that doesn’t look right. That’s what she said, and sent me to an oncologist. And he looked at it and said, yeah, there’s a reason that bloodwork doesn’t look right. You’ve got an illness. And I remember saying, me, an illness? Mr. Health?

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 26:42

Right.

Pat Williams: 26:43

And he explained to me that multiple myeloma was one of the blood cancers. So I encourage men, particularly Jeremy, who have a tendency to say, I don’t need a physical. I’ll take my chances.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 26:56

Right.

Pat Williams: 26:56

I don’t like doctors.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 26:57

Typical man. Right.

Pat Williams: 26:59

I’ll be okay. You know, and so I’m urging them, you know, get your physical and chances are everything will be fine. But if there is a problem, you sure want to know about it early.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 27:11

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 27:12

Rather than later, because later maybe too late. But with modern medicine, which is so wonderful these days. Jeremy, if you can get on stuff early, you know, it can be a lifesaver.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 27:25

Yeah. And you must have been surprised about that because you’ve run over, like, 50 marathons. You thought nothing can touch me. I’m a beacon of health, right?

Pat Williams: 27:33

Yeah, that was my feeling. Yes. And just prior to this, to this diagnosis, I had just finished the Disney Marathon, which was my 58th marathon. I was 70 years old at the time and finished my 58th marathon. And yeah, I thought I was indestructible.

Wow. So you can imagine when the news came that.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 27:53

Shocking.

Pat Williams: 27:54

That I was dealing with cancer, man, I was just stunned. Shocked. My family was. The community was. The Orlando Magic world was. Yeah. So at that point, you know, the main thing was too, I learned, was to have a good attitude.

And above all, listen to the doctors. And the good news is, in my case, there are new medications coming and new forms of chemo that are very effective. And they’ve worked very well for me. And right now my blood numbers are right on. And the doctors say they don’t see any signs of multiple myeloma.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 28:29

That’s great. Congratulations. That’s amazing. That’s great. Now you the good attitude. And sometimes it’s easier said than done. Like when we’re healthy. Yeah. We have a good attitude. But at that low point, it’s hard. What did you do to actually fight your, you know, fight your thoughts of thinking woe is me as opposed to the opposite?

Pat Williams: 28:52

Dr. Robert Reynolds, is the oncologist that I’ve been working with. He told me on the first day he said, you’re going to do well with this illness. And I remember saying, why? He said, well, he said, I know you speak and write about optimism and having a good outlook on life and a good attitude. He said, that’s going to be extremely valuable to you, you know, in this, in this battle with multiple myeloma.

And he was right. He made that call. So I’ve learned down in the trenches of life, you know, when life appears to be turning against you, you’ve got a choice. I’m going to have a negative, defeated, pessimistic attitude or I’m going to approach this in a positive, optimistic, upbeat way. And that’s what I elected to do.

And I’m really convinced, Jeremy, that the mind and the body, you know, really are connected. And that your body responds to an outlook that is positive and is upbeat and enthusiastic and passionate about life. I think your body responds to that.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 29:55

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 29:56

And the doctor said to me, and this was so important, they said, you go on and live your life. You just live your life by doing what you always do to the best of your ability. And he said, and we’ll tuck the medical stuff around that. and that’s what has happened. I’ve been able to keep my speaking schedule and my Orlando magic work and writing books, all the things that I love to do and have been doing for years.

I’ve continued to do that. And they’ve tucked all the medical stuff around my schedule and that I think, I think that’s an important way to go. You don’t want to just sit home and fuss and fume and just ruminate over the fact that you’ve got a cancer issue, get out and continue to live your life.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 30:40

Yeah. Going through some of those low points, what’s been a really proud accomplishment pad that you’ve had?

Pat Williams: 30:48

Well, I think the proudest accomplishment, Jeremy would have to be related to our family. We have over the years, we adopted 14 children and right now there are 19 children.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 30:59

It’s unbelievable.

Pat Williams: 31:00

We have raised 19. They’re all adults now. The youngest is 28, the oldest is about to turn 42. Two and they have presented us with 14 grandchildren, 13, I guess 12 of the 14 live here in Orlando and the other two are over in Sarasota, Florida. And that we’re very proud of the grandkids.

And, you know, we want to make a difference in their life. So we’re helping them, you know, get educated at a fine school here in Orlando. Right. We get them to church and Sunday school every, every Sunday. And we’re fully committed to investing in the lives of the grandchildren.

So that’s probably been the most interesting and rewarding and exciting thing that’s going on in our lives. Now. The grandkids are aged from six months up to nine years of age.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 31:50

Holy cow.

Pat Williams: 31:51

So we’re going to be involved in their lives for quite a few years.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 31:55

Yeah. Yeah. If you didn’t bring this up at some point in the interview, I was definitely going to bring this up because when I read it, I had to reread it three times to make sure it was the correct number. Like, is that true? It says 19 and then it obviously goes on and lists all the names and ages.

So when people have a hard enough time raising 1 or 2 kids, how do you even begin to raise 19?

Pat Williams: 32:17

Well, that’s a good question. I look back and sometimes I wonder how we did it, but we did. There was one year when 16 of the children were all teenagers at the same time. God for 12, for one full year. That was the year I realized why some animals eat their young.

I think the best advice I can give really comes from one of the Psalms of Solomon. In this 127th Psalm, the third verse, he said, lo! Which means, listen, children are a heritage. And that means they’re a gift. They’re an assignment of the Lord.

And so I keep encouraging families and parents look upon your children as an investment. The best investment you’ve got. Really look upon them in that manner and everything you’re doing in their life, everything you’re teaching them, every activity they’re involved in, every meal that you serve them. I mean, every piece of wisdom you pass on, you are investing in the lives of your children. So I tell them, no matter if you’re getting no response, no encouragement, no positive signs, keep investing, keep investing, keep investing because you are getting through even if you don’t think you are. And eventually you’re going to see returns on your investment.

And it’ll be a wonderful, fulfilling, proud moment when you begin to see those returns. So don’t get discouraged. Keep investing. And remember, your children are a gift from the Lord. And and your job is to keep pouring yourself into their life and it’ll pay great dividends, believe me.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 33:53

So what motivated you to have 19 children?

Pat Williams: 33:57

Well, it was not. We had three birth kids, right? And life was good. We were about to win a championship in Pionship in Philadelphia. My wife talked endlessly about adopting children that didn’t look like us. Endlessly. And I just couldn’t fathom it and wanted no part of it. And for ten years I squelched it. However, at the ten year mark, it became a huge issue. And I had to do something, you know, to keep the ship afloat.

And so I took the initiative. I found out that South Korea at that time was the nation where you could most readily adopt, talk to the agency. We discovered that they had a picture of two little girls who had been abandoned at a police station in Seoul, South Korea. And the social worker came and showed us the picture and said, would you, would you like to adopt these two little girls? We had a vote of the three children.

I mean, it was unanimous. Five to nothing. Let’s go get it done. And so in September of 1983, these two little girls arrived at the Philadelphia airport, and I. And I was smitten, Jeremy. I mean, it didn’t take much. I was converted very quickly. We had another birth kid and had six children. When we moved here to Orlando in June, in the summer of ‘86. And then we kept hearing about other children, and I guess we just had a hard time saying no.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 35:22

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 35:23

You know, I think people ask, how did you, why and how? And that’s the best answer I can give you. We learned about them and saw pictures and we just said, you know what? What’s two more? What’s more, you know, the next thing you know, we had 19 later.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 35:40

Yeah. That’s unbelievable. Logistically, I can’t even picture that. But. I also want to know, Pat from you, you’ve, you know, done a lot and you’ve probably had a lot of mentors. Who are some of the mentors you’ve had throughout your life and career?

Pat Williams: 35:56

That’s a good question, Jeremy. I was very fortunate growing up. Ruly Carpenter was my best friend. His father, Bob Carpenter, owned the Philadelphia Phillies, and I was a huge baseball guy. And Ruly and I were close friends.

And so Ruley’s dad, Bob Carpenter, was a huge mentor in my life and a and a and a man that, you know, nothing would have happened in my sports career without him. When I got to Spartanburg, there was a wonderful man there, owned the ballclub in Spartanburg. His name was Mr. R.E. Littlejohn. And he took an interest in me far beyond baseball. And for four years, he just taught me and educated me and poured himself into me and I to this day, I’ve written two books about Mr. Littlejohn. And to this day, I mean, not a day goes by. I don’t think about him. Think about something that he taught me. And I find myself now kind of a Mr. Littlejohn to a whole other generation. Bill Veeck was a huge mentor, the great baseball owner and flamboyant promoter. He took an interest in my life.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 36:59

And for the Chicago White Sox, right?

Pat Williams: 37:00

Yeah, he owned the Sox on two different occasions. And baseball Hall of Famer. I’ve written a book about Bill Veeck. It’ll be out this spring and called Marketing Your Dreams. And Bill had an enormous effect on my life. Still does to this day.

Those are a few that come to mind. The current owner of our team here in Orlando is Rich DeVos. The co-founder of the Amway organization. And he and his family have owned the magic now for over 20 years.

And Rich is the kind of mentor. Just watching his life and just observing him and seeing how he runs a team or runs a business and deals with people, you can’t help but come away without wonderful lessons from this man. He’s been an enormous influence in my life as well. So as you can see, Jeremy, I’ve been very, very fortunate to have a number of these people around me who have made a huge difference in my life.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 37:54

What’s one of those lessons from Rich that really strikes you?

Pat Williams: 37:58

Well, I think the greatest lesson you’re going to get from Rich is about empowering people. He is often asked his role with Amway, and Rich will say, I’m the head cheerleader. And for 50 plus years, you know, that’s what he’s been doing traveling around the world, traveling all over America and either in a group setting or in an individual setting. Rich is there to cheer you on. And even to this day, he’s 87 now.

He spends most of his time in a wheelchair, but still sharp and still very much with it and rich. You know, every time I see him, you know he’s cheering you on. Pat doing a great job and couldn’t do it without you. And we’re so grateful to you. I mean, that’s how he talks to you.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 38:44

Yeah.

Pat Williams: 38:45

And I mean, that’s the top guy. And, you know, when you’re addressed in that manner and when you’ve got a man like that cheering you on, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 38:55

Yeah Pat, I appreciate your time. I have one last question for you. But before I ask it, where can people find out more about you? What’s exciting now for you?

Pat Williams: 39:06

Well, I have a website. It’s PatWilliams.com, and I invite your viewers and listeners to plug in anytime. PatWilliams.com. The Twitter page is @OrlandoMagicPat. And I love emails, Jeremy. So if anybody wants to drop me a note it’s [email protected]. And I’m always happy to hear from people.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 39:33

So what type of talks or companies, you know if someone’s looking to have you come out and speak. What kind of companies do you like to speak to or work with?

Pat Williams: 39:45

Well, I find, Jeremy, that it’s a wide range. It may be an insurance group or it may be a real estate group. Could be a high tech gathering, lots of meetings in the field of health care that I’m always enjoying chatting with. And so, you know, it’s a wide range. But I think my three topics are universal leadership, teamwork, extreme winning.

I think that affects every corporation, whether, you know it’s a fortune 500 company or a mom and pop widget factory, right? I think those three topics are relevant to everybody.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 40:21

Yeah. So Pat, my last question, which a lot of you has always asked me to ask the guest is, I mean, you’re so busy, you know, marathons, the Orlando Magic, books. What’s your daily routine look like? How do you get so much done?

Pat William: 40:39

I get up in the morning, I do my devotional, my Bible study, Jeremy, very early. I’ve got five newspapers sitting at the end of the driveway. I’m still a newspaper guy. I do check my emails and, you know, the sports update in the morning.

I have an exercise bike at home and I have got a little home gym. And so I get my workout in right there. And it’s that way it’s done for the day. I’ve got my physical workout head to the office. The children are all raised, so I don’t have any obligations at home at night.

And so I work late, you know, I’ll work many nights, you know, til 8: 30, 9:00, have dinner with my wife. On some nights she works and travels as well. So we’re gone a lot. I come home, watch a little bit of college basketball or what might be going on, do a lot of reading at home. I try and read at least an hour a day from good books.

I’m generally in bed by 11 and sleep. I need eight good hours of sleep, at least eight, you know. So I’m sleeping well and a lot. And then many weeks, Jeremy. Most weeks I’m on the road, you know, traveling somewhere to speak.

Yeah, I spent a lot of time in the Orlando airport and flying to this city or the next, you know, to deliver my next talk. So and then of course, during the basketball season, we’ve got 41 home games and, and I see probably, oh, 37 or 38 of them. My schedule allows that. So I’m at the games every night as well. So it’s a full schedule. And then in the meantime, you know, the writing of books takes time as well.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 42:28

Sure.

Pat Williams: 42:28

So I’ve got to find time for that as well. So it means that I guess 16 hours a day, you know, I’m locked in and, and focused on what has to be done for that day.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 42:42

Yeah. So where can people check out? Everyone should check out Coach Wooden’s Greatest Secret. Where can people get it? Where can people check it out?

Pat Williams: 42:50

Well, Jeremy, the best way to order books is Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, booksamillion.com. Although I am a fanatic about bookstores, I still love to go into those Barnes & Nobles and Books-A-Million. I just pore through bookstores and I want to physically see what’s new and what’s out there and hold it in my hand. And, you know, I buy many, many books in the course of the year as well. And I’m constantly reading.

So this book, Coach Wooden’s Greatest Secret, will be in bookstores as well.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 43:23

Well, Pat, I really appreciate your time. You have a very busy schedule. It’s a true honor. Thank you so much for joining us.

Pat Williams: 43:30

Thanks for having me, Jeremy. I’m glad I can visit with you.