Business & Tech

Famous Athletes and Business Collide in New County Networking Group

For athletes, a wealth of business connections come alive. For businesses, the face of pro sports brings customers through the doors.

When Peter Grandich's impressive list of professional athlete clients continued to grow, he noticed an opportunity beyond his financial investment expertise. Grandich saw that these athletes, while intelligent and successful, were struggling to find a place in the business world.

“You’re one play away from being out. I’ve watched a lot of these athletes go from 6 and 7 figure incomes, and then realize they can’t make 6 figure incomes out in the real world," Grandich, of Freehold, said.

So Grandich began the Athletes and Business Alliance, currently stemming out of Wall Township, with the help of the professional athletes and business professionals on the board of his finance planning company, Trinity.

For athletes, a wealth of business connections come alive. For businesses, the face of pro-sports brings customers through the doors.

Grandich, a well-known finance expert and author of Confessions of a Wall Street Whiz Kidhas had athletes such as Colts Neck's own Joe Klecko and his son Dan, former New York Giant David Tyree, former New York Ranger Nick Fotiu and many more join him in the young networking group.

Now, Grandich said, it's time to get the businesses on board.

"I think at the end of the day, businesses hope to have someone either as a leader or part of a team, who has the skills of leadership and also working as a team. Athletes have been so trained for such a long time, between competition and goal orientation, and translating that into the business world comes easy to them."

Grandich added that in his experience, athletes are a "magnet" for interest in any business. And for the athletes, an appearance at an event could mean more than simple dollars and cents; it could mean creating meaningful business relationships.

On Nov. 15, Grandich will do just that at Bella Vista Country Club in Marlboro Township when he partners with ABC Networking to bring Jets legend Joe Klecko and three-time Superbowl champion Dan Klecko into the business world from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event is free.

Grandich hopes this is a step to provide career guidance to retired athletes, something most professional athletic organizations don't offer.

“These athletes can bring a method to business that a lot of other people don’t," built by being a professional athlete."


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