Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
Ryan Gonsalves
Former professional footballer Ryan Gonsalves dives deep into the unique challenges and triumphs of transitioning from elite sports to fulfilling careers. Through candid conversations with athletes, the Career Clarity Podcast explores their inspiring journeys, uncovering lessons on identity, resilience, and reinvention. Whether you're an athlete or simply seeking inspiration for your next chapter, this podcast will empower you to unleash your second wind.
Ryan Gonsalves transitioned from professional football with Huddersfield Town in the English Footbaal League, to a career in financial services by leveraging his adaptability, transferable skills, and willingness to embrace new opportunities.
While playing semi-professional football, he pursued education and began working at GE Money Capital Bank, where he gained global experience and developed expertise in Lean Six Sigma and process improvement. His sports background often helped him stand out during interviews, creating memorable connections with hiring managers.
Later, Ryan joined HSBC in Hong Kong, where he worked for nearly a decade in consumer banking, focusing on global projects such as researching homeownership behaviors. His ability to understand consumer insights and behavior became a cornerstone of his success in the financial sector. After over 20 years in banking (including back in Australia at AMP, Westpac, COmmenwealth Bank and NSW Treasury, Ryan transitioned into career coaching, inspired by helping fellow athletes navigate their post-sports careers.
Ready to take the next step? Connect with Ryan at [email protected].
All episodes
Best episodes
Top 10 Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
77: Monica Livingstone: From the Football Field to Entrepreneurial Success
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
12/05/23 • 45 min
What happens when a former professional American footballer swaps the field for the corporate world? Monica Livingston, a former professional American footballer who has on and off the field represented DC Divas, a professional Women's tackle football team. She is also a corporate trainer, culture coach, two-time winner of Comcast SportsNet ‘Funniest Sports Celebrity’ in Washington, And the founder and host of her international podcast The Huddle with Mo and Lo, a hilarious and interactive show that takes an inside look at athletes huddling up the corporate landscape.
After sustaining a devastating ankle injury that marked the end of her sports career, Monica determined to preserve the closeness with her sports family, took it upon herself to represent them, sharing her story of resilience and power in mindset and confidence, and even birthed a pseudo women's sports company. She has also redefined herself as an entrepreneur in the world of education, sports management, and corporate training using humor to educate, engage, and inspire.
Tune in to learn more about:
The evolving landscape of football accessibility, sponsorship, and funding to women during her time vs now
- How she confidently went to the bar and carved out her sponsorship deal
- The wellsprings of her courage and resilience during the post-injury and surgery period
- What changed for her after injury and the hardest part of this transformative journey
- Insights from how she has built her career, and strengthens the culture and mindset of elite athletes
- How she is not only serving athletes but making expansive influence beyond her sports family
- What drives her impactful contributions
- Insights to athletes navigating the trajectories to their next pinnacle of success
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out
Links:
Website: https://www.monicadlivingston.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicalivingston
Instagram: https://instagram.com/livingston3636?ig
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-huddle-with-mo-and-lo/
76: Vera Ignjatovic - Olympic Stardom to a Career in Medical Research
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
11/28/23 • 71 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Vera Ignjstovic, a former handballer representing Australia at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Negotiating her way into being a goalie in a male-dominated football team's inner childhood, Vera unknowingly laid the groundwork for her Olympic career and her later scientific ventures.
Fast forward 22 years, Vera is a seasoned Medical Researcher focusing on improving outcomes for children and is a groundbreaker in feet rarely achieved in the Medical Research realm; an internationally recognised expert in pediatrics, hematology, and proteomics. She is the Assistant Director for Translational Research at the Johns Hopkins All Children's Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University.
Tune in to learn more about:
How Vera put herself out to a male-dominated game till she was given the role of a goalie
- The resurgence of handball in her life after they relocated to Australia from Serbia
- How they navigated playing handball in the era it was an amateur sport
- What she had to delay or eliminate to find a balance between the Olympics and her Ph.D.
- The unspoken anticlimax when one is not a professional athlete
- Vera's bold decision to walk away from her first professional opportunity in Denmark opting instead to try her luck as a scientist
- Landing her first technical job based on an interview skewed towards her Olympic exploits
- Pearls of wisdom from her amazing journey and multiple transitions
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-vera-ignjatovic
69: Matt Hemsley - Transitioning From Competitive Sports to a Tech Career
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
10/10/23 • 41 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Matt Hemsley, a former Scottish professional footballer. With the dream of playing for Leicester, Matt was picked to enroll in the Northampton Center of Excellence before playing professionally. Matt credits his smooth transition from sports to the gradual steps he took whilst in his sporting career and he has an amazing story he shares with us today.
With the zeal to pursue his business adventure, Matt began as a generalist marketer in a small firm before branching into digital marketing. He currently works for US tech firm, Asana, where he is best described as the marketing ops guru :)
Tune in to learn more about:
Matt's earliest memory of street football in Bedfordshire
- How and when Matt decided to pursue football as a professional career
- The structure of youth football in England
- His experience leaving home at the age of 16 to be a full-time footballer
- Moments that sparked after sports thoughts in him and the gradual steps he took to secure a smooth transition
- Skills and capabilities he has brought to the corporate world from football and what he had to leave behind
- Wonderful insights for a smooth transition based on his journey
...and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out http://www.2ndwind.io
EP 40. Finding Success On and Off the Pitch with Former International Footballer Eyong Enoh
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
03/14/23 • 72 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Eyong Enoh, a Cameroonian former professional footballer. Eyong is the CEO of 4P Baller, an investor, a keynote speaker, a life coach, and the host of the Enoh Reunited Podcast. During the span of his career, Enoh experienced top-level football on four different continents.
At the age of 28, Enoh found himself on the unpleasant side of the market window and had to spend half a year at home. During this period, he had a chance to pen down his journey, identify the gaps, and launch 4P Baller. 4P Baller is a sports management and educational agency which helps aspiring, active and transitioning professionals escape the pit hole of bankruptcy at retirement.
Tune in to learn more about:
- Getting laughed at during his initial football experiences
- The challenges athletes face when scaling up
- Taking the risk to opt for his football career and putting aside his academics despite opposition from loved ones
- How his dad's tough motivation drove him to explore his dreams at different levels, places, and cultures.
- Stepping from Cyprus to South Africa and Amsterdam with his focus intact
- How staying at home due to the closed market window helped him delve into his 2nd wind
- Penning down his sporting journey into a magnificent book and how it has formed his 2nd wind trajectory
- How he is helping professionals achieve all-round success
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out
Links:
Website: www.4pballer.com
LinkedIn: Eyong Enoh
Instagram: @eyongenoh_official
Podcast: ENOH REUNITED - AFC JAX
Resources:
How to Become a Successful Professional Footballer: The 4p's to a Successful Career by Eyong Enoh
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Overcoming Type 1 Diabetes to be a Pro Cyclist and now Global Ambassador & Coach, with Justin Morris
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
12/13/22 • 49 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Justin Morris, a former professional cyclist based in Michigan. With his dreams being threatened at the tender age of 10 by type 1 diabetes, Justin found his healing in cycling. In 2009 he signed his first professional contract with Australian MACE/Wilson racing and joined team Novo Nordisk the following year.
With a wealth of stories and experience in dealing with challenges on and off his bike, Justin's organization, Mind Matters Athlete Coaching, offers a more holistic approach to athlete and personal development. Justin is also a public speaker, and blogger, and runs the Mind Matter Athlete Coaching podcast whilst continuing to be one of Novo Nordisk Global's standout ambassadors.
Tune in to learn more about:
- The crush of Justin's childhood dream (to be a jet fighter pilot) after being diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes at age 10
- How the diagnosis rid him of competitive sports and changed his perception of life
- How riding his bike to evade being teased led him to his professional career
- Slowing down his degree to focus on cycling and his perfect blend of the two
- How he used the storing accumulated in cycling in his storytelling and how he uses it in his mentor role
- How Justin turned rejection into motivation and start his cool business Mind Matters
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out
Links:
Company's Website: https://mindmatterscoach.com/
Justin's LinkedIn: Justin Morris
Justin's podcast: Mind Matters Athlete Coaching Podcast
From Rugby League to Co-founder with Mick Griffin
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
11/01/22 • 57 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Mick Griffin, a former professional rugby football league player in Salford, England. Mick is also a keynote speaker and educator in sales and Business development. His journey through sales began when he looked for a career that didn't require a degree but could play to his core strengths around resilience.
He is a consummate e-commerce and e-marketing professional. Mick has also ventured into the world of Recruitment Tech and ATS and is now the co-founder and chief growth officer at a tech company based out of Poland.
Tune in to learn more about:
- How Mick's opportunities in professional rugby led him to turn down his levels course
- The end of his professional sports career
- How being a sportsman landed him a role in sales with no degree and zero qualifications
- Why and how young professionals are romanticizing their opportunities in sports
- Mick's great insights and valuable perspective on how parents, players, and clubs should help young players identify and practice their 2nd wind career whilst in the game
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out www.2ndwind.io
Links:
LinkedIn:Mick Griffin
Twitter: @MickGriffin
Creating Opportunities from Triathlete to Management Consultant with Sarah E. Alexander
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
06/14/22 • 63 min
In today's episode, Ryan speaks to Sarah Alexander, an accomplished skater, rower and triathlete. Sarah rowed for Dartmouth and as a Triathlete her peak ITU World Ranking was 62, and was 4th in the Elite National Championships before the COVID-19 pandemic became a drag on her progress.
Sarah is currently a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Combining the drive of a former professional athlete, the resilience and agility of an entrepreneur, and the analytical problem-solving skills of a Chicago Booth MBA, she is on a mission to bring meaningful change. Sarah is passionate about women’s empowerment, health and wellness, sustainability, and the future of mobility. This is why she’s set to identify opportunities for impact that others have previously overlooked.
Tune in to learn more about:
- An amazing sport, triathlon, and Sarah's journey as a professional triathlete
- What propelled her to start thinking about branding and building her business as an athlete
- Her transition to consultancy and the skills she brought from her sports experience
...and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out 2ndwind.io
Links:
Instagram: @sarah_alxndr
LinkedIn: Sarah E. Alexander
101: Taj Dashaun - How a Sense of Falling Short Lead Me to Thrive After Sports
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
06/04/24 • 49 min
Today’s episode marks our 101st episode of the podcast. So what's better than creating a 101 of Athletic Career Transition. In this episode, Ryan, along with Taj Dashaun, founder of Thrive After Sports Life, peel back the layers of the athletic mindset, sharing their own pivots from competitive play to carving out new professional identities. Their dialogue illuminates the critical steps in crafting a 'second act' that's as fulfilling as the first. Whether you're a former athlete or someone seeking to channel your drive and passion into a new vocation, this heart-to-heart promises to shed light on the beauty of reinvention.
With a football journey that drove him to drugs, depression, and a blurred vision of life beyond College football, Taj now turns out to be the solace and guidance he lacked at his corner during his second wind. Therein he founded Thrive After Sports, a holistic one-on-one program for retired athletes that is driven by the simple but transformative mission of equipping athletes with the tools to thrive in life after sports. He goes beyond helping players find jobs and start businesses to help them find fulfillment in every area of their lives.
Tune in to learn more about:
The motivation behind launching Thrive after sports
Challenges faced during his college football career and their impact on his resilience and coping strategies
Roles undertaken during the emotional aftermath of college graduation
Strategies for discovering one's off-court path, thriving within it, and finding fulfillment
Transitioning from discussing second winds to actively assisting athletes through those phases
The significance of viewing the end of a sports career as the start of a lifelong journey
Toughest aspects of supporting athletes during their transition
The importance of athletes recognizing and being open to trustworthy individuals who have their best interests at heart
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out www.2ndwind.io
Links
Website:https://www.tajdashaun.com/
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajdashaun/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/
Email: [email protected]
142: Rachel Lewis: "Why Can’t We Dream Bigger?" – Olympic Sacrifice, Identity, and Life After Sport
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
04/08/25 • 59 min
What happens when the roar of the crowd fades and the Olympic dream becomes a memory? For Rachel Lewis, the transition from elite athlete to "what’s next?" wasn’t just a career shift—it was an identity crisis, a financial struggle, and ultimately, a mission to change the game for future athletes.
In this raw and inspiring conversation, Rachel opens up about:
- Writing "Olympic volleyball player" in her yearbook at 15—before she even knew how to play the sport.
- Training with boys, living in fire stations, and riding bikes to fundraise—just to keep her Olympic dream alive.
- The brutal reality of professional sports vs. elite competition—and why she felt like a "commodity" in Europe’s leagues.
- The moment her team "ceased to exist" after London 2012—and how she grappled with losing her purpose overnight.
- Hiding behind a "cape" in her post-sport career—why she buried her Olympic past to fit into corporate life.
- Her mission today—helping athletes avoid the pitfalls she faced by building fulfilling lives beyond the podium.
This isn’t just a sports story. It’s about reinvention, resilience, and the uncomfortable truth: most athletes aren’t prepared for life after the final whistle.
🎧 Why You Should Listen:
- If you’ve ever felt lost after a major life change—Rachel’s journey from "Who am I now?" to empowerment is a masterclass in self-discovery.
- For athletes (or anyone) fearing transition—her hard-won advice on planning, curiosity, and asking for help is gold.
- Behind-the-scenes of elite sport—the untold sacrifices, the politics of funding, and what really happens when the uniforms are packed away.
- A wake-up call for the sports industry—why Rachel is fighting to fix a "broken system" that leaves athletes adrift.
Where to Find Rachel:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-lewis-972257162/
Ready to explore your own second act after sport? Connect with Ryan Gonsalves and the 2NDWind Academy to discover how your athletic experience can become your professional advantage here: www.2ndwind.io
100: Allana Ferguson and Jeremy Latimore - How to Embrace Life Beyond the Game: From Rugby Star to Broadcast and Business Success
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves
05/28/24 • 69 min
When the stadium lights dim and the roaring crowds become a memory, what's next for the athlete whose life was once defined by the game? Our 100th episode marks a celebration of such journeys, featuring Allana Ferguson, a former professional rugby league and rugby union player, now an Australian sports commentator, radio personality, and mom. Jeremy, who enjoyed an 11-year career in professional rugby league in the NRL, transitioned to the corporate space as a mortgage specialist before co-founding Unite the Dream. We explore the richness of life after sports—balancing broadcasting, business ventures, and family, all while holding onto the essence of identity and passion that fueled their athletic endeavours.
Tune in to learn more about:
- The current endeavors of the Jeremy Latimore and Allana Ferguson
- Their earliest sporting memories and paths to professional Sports
- What to hold onto on the women's sports
- The experience and emotions of changing clubs and dealing with rejection
- Allana’s realisation of her personal brand and the role she could play in supporting others
- Sneak peek into Jeremy's structured approach to his day-to-day life
- What they would have done differently to set themselves up better for life beyond sports
- The opportunities Sports avail to athletes and how to best leverage them
- Gems on having the thirst to learn from others and continuously network
... and so much more!
Are you looking for Career Clarity for your next step, for more information, or to book a consultancy, make sure you check out www.2ndwind.io
Links:
Allana: https://www.instagram.com/allanaferg_
Jeremy:https://www.instagram.com/jeremy_latimore
Allana's X: https://x.com/Allanaferguson
Jeremy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-latimore
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves have?
Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves currently has 146 episodes available.
What topics does Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Career, Fitness, Podcasts, Business, Careers and Transition.
What is the most popular episode on Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves?
The episode title '88: David Smith - Conquering Change from a Paralympian's Glory to Wellness Coaching Inspiration' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves?
The average episode length on Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves is 50 minutes.
How often are episodes of Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves released?
Episodes of Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves?
The first episode of Career Clarity with Athletes: A 2ndwind Podcast with Ryan Gonsalves was released on Apr 6, 2022.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ