Conversations with Shawn Harper

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Harper.

Hi Shawn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is really a story of grace, grit, and God. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, in a single parent household with five siblings. We faced poverty, rejection, and a lot of challenges early on. I struggled in school with learning disabilities and a stutter. I repeated the first grade, was bullied, kicked out of schools, and was even voted most likely to fail.

But I believe what Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” What looked like failure was really preparation. Football became one of the vehicles God used to teach me discipline, resilience, and identity. I went from being an average player with no accolades to playing junior college football, then Indiana University, and eventually in the NFL with the Rams, the Colts, and NFL Europe.

After football, I built a security company in Columbus and began speaking, writing, and teaching people how to shift from a survival mindset to a winning mindset. Today, my mission is simple: help people understand that their start does not determine their finish. I wasn’t disabled. I was uniquely enabled. And now I help others get out of their own way, unlock what God put inside of them, and play to win.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A rough road does not mean you are on the wrong road. Sometimes the road with the most resistance is the road that is developing the most purpose in you. Do not let a hard season convince you that you have a failed life. God can use every setback, every rejection, every closed door, and every tear to build something greater in you.

A big part of my struggle was rejection. I grew up not feeling like I fit in. I did not fit in at home the way I wanted to. I did not fit in at school. I struggled with learning disabilities, a stutter, poverty, bullying, and the labels people placed on me. I was voted most likely to fail, and for a season of my life, I started to believe what people said about me.

But here is what I know now. Rejection can either break you or build you. It can make you bitter, or it can make you better. I had to learn that just because people did not see my value did not mean I did not have value. God had already put something in me. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Another struggle was learning how to align my dreams with reality. I had big dreams, but I also had real obstacles. I was not the best student. I was not the most celebrated athlete. I did not have people lining up to hand me opportunities. So I had to temper my expectations without killing my vision. That means I had to be honest about where I was, but still believe in where God was taking me.

I learned that dreams do not come to pass just because you want them. You have to work. You have to adjust. You have to mature. You have to take rejection, setbacks, and closed doors, and use them as information, not condemnation.

So no, it was not smooth. But it was necessary. The pain taught me purpose. The rejection taught me resilience. Not fitting in taught me that I was not created to blend in. And every struggle became part of the strategy that helped me play to win.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My professional life has really been built around one word: winning.

I am a former NFL offensive lineman, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and what I call a Winologist. I specialize in helping people shift their mindset from surviving to winning. Whether I am speaking to corporate teams, leaders, students, athletes, or churches, my message is the same: you were not created just to exist. You were created to win.

After playing professional football with the Rams, the Colts, and NFL Europe, I transitioned into business and leadership. I have directed a security company in Columbus, Ohio for nearly 20 years, and I have had the privilege of speaking to organizations like FedEx, JP Morgan Chase, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Sonic, and many others.

What I am known for is taking the principles I learned in the game of football and applying them to the game of life. Discipline, preparation, vision, teamwork, resilience, and execution. Those principles work on the field, in the boardroom, in the family, and in your personal life.

What I am most proud of is not just that I made it to the NFL. I am proud that I became the man people said I would never become. I was voted most likely to fail. I struggled with learning disabilities and a stutter. I did not fit in. But God took what looked like a weakness and turned it into a weapon.

What sets me apart is that I do not just teach theory. I teach from scars. I teach from the field. I teach from failure. I teach from getting knocked down and getting back up again. My life is proof that your start does not have to determine your finish.

As Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” That scripture is not just something I quote. It is something I have lived. My career is about helping other people believe that same truth for their own lives and teaching them how to play to win.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe risk is necessary if you are going to win. But I do not believe risk should be reckless. To me, risk is when faith, preparation, and action all meet at the same place.

I have taken major risks in my life. One of the biggest was believing in a future that did not match my present reality. I was not the best student. I had learning disabilities. I had a stutter. I was not the most celebrated athlete. I was voted most likely to fail. So for me to believe I could play college football, then professional football, that was a risk. I had to risk being laughed at. I had to risk failing publicly. I had to risk hearing no over and over again and still keep moving.

Going to junior college was a risk. Sending out hundreds of letters to schools, hoping somebody would see something in me, was a risk. But sometimes you have to put yourself in position for favor to find you.

Another major risk was life after football. A lot of athletes struggle when the cheering stops. I had to ask myself, “Who am I without the jersey?” I stepped into business, built a security company, became a speaker, wrote books, and started teaching people the principles that helped me survive and win.

My perspective is this: risk is not the enemy. Fear is. Comfort is. Complacency is. Count the cost, prepare yourself, pray, get wisdom, then move.

Every great thing God has allowed me to do required me to leave something familiar. You cannot win the game if you are afraid to get on the field. At some point, you have to stop rehearsing failure and start practicing faith. So yes, I am a risk taker. But I am not just taking risks to prove something. I take risks because I believe purpose is always on the other side of obedience, preparation, and courage.

Pricing:

• $10,000 Speaker

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shawnharperwins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnharperspeaker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnharperspeaks
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnharper75/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShawnHarperSpeaks
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnspeaks75