Local Author Profile // Mark Eaton

Mark Eaton, former Utah Jazz center, retired in 1994 but didn't drift far from the spirit of the game. He worked in broadcasting and was often asked to speak to various groups which led to his transformation into a motivational speaker and now an author.

Mark is a 7 foot 4 inch poster boy for persistence and his personal journey is phenomenal. He claims it wasn't so much from having confidence in himself, but having other people who believed in him. “I was still trying to figure it out. My mantra was basically to keep going until all the doors were closed. Fortunately, one always kept opening.”

Fellow athletes on the speaking circuit suggested Mark consider doing it as well. “My story is an unusual one and I wondered what it would be like to tell it myself. When I began, it was just notes on a legal pad and took 3 to 4 years to formalize the process.”

Mark's leap from motivational speaker to author was a logical one. THE FOUR COMMITMENTS OF A WINNING TEAM is his first book, and draws on the many parallels between basketball and business.

“The main objective in both basketball and business is to get everyone on the same page, going the same direction at the same time,“ explains Eaton. “The word team is used a lot in business, sometimes overused. I understand teamwork at the highest level which is what I share in the book.”

The take away is the importance of getting rid of internal competition. “Both individual and corporate success come directly from the feeling you get from being part of something bigger than yourself. That's what I teach you in the book.”

John Stockton, teammate and friend was asked to do the forward. “For one thing,” said Eaton, “he's a Hall of Famer! But more than that, John epitomizes the meaning of teamwork and what it means to be a great team player. He makes everyone around him better. “

What team or company wouldn't want a roster of people like that? Hopefully, THE FOUR COMMITMENTS OF A WINNING TEAM will serve as a playbook to propel individuals and corporations down the road to success.

More information about Mark's speaking events and book is available on his website.