AUBURN, Ala. – Convinced he'd written a best-seller, Jon Gordon shopped his book, "The Energy Bus," to every publisher willing to listen and read.
Thirty turned him down. Undaunted, Gordon self-funded a cross-country book tour. His largest turnout? Des Moines, Iowa, where 100 people showed up.
"They thought they were coming to see Jeff Gordon, the NASCAR driver," Gordon said, recounting his journey in a 75-minute session with Auburn's women's basketball team.
Relying on the grittiness he developed playing lacrosse at Cornell, Gordon stayed at it.
"I kept dreaming, kept hoping, kept working, kept praying," he said.
His book eventually became a best-seller. "In Korea," Gordon said.
Twelve years and 17 books - many of them best-sellers in the U.S. - later, Gordon still travels from coast to coast, but unlike that first book tour, now organizations pay to hear his motivational insights and upbeat message.
"It's about staying positive as a team," Gordon said. "You're going to go through adversity, challenges and obstacles, but the key really is to stay positive. Don't get discouraged, stay encouraged. Keep each other encouraged as you move forward.
"Also, stay connected. The more connected you are, the more committed you will be as a team."
Gordon's message resonated with the Tigers.
"Part of being a team of excellence, you sometimes need to hear it from someone putting it in a different perspective," said Auburn women's basketball coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, whose team is reading Gordon's "The Power of a Positive Team."
"It's really awesome for him to come in and speak the words he wrote in his book, for our kids to understand it and ask questions," she said.
Gordon's connection to Auburn began a few years ago when he met men's golf coach Nick Clinard, who arranged for Gordon's two-day stay on the Plains.
"He helps me become a better person, and a better coach and a better leader," Clinard said. "We have to be tough mentally. We have to be able to handle fear, we have to be able to handle doubt, and we're learning how to do that."
In his talks, Gordon said great teams require a shared vision and a greater purpose. Grit, the willingness to work hard for a long period, sustains individuals and teams during the journey, he said.
Sharing a lesson he learned from an Iron Man triathlete, Gordon said he has learned to talk to himself instead of listening to himself, feeding himself with positive thoughts instead of believing negative ones.
Expressing gratitude, he says, is one of the best ways to remain positive.
"If you're feeling blessed, you can't be stressed," he said. "When you appreciate, you elevate."
Gordon shared his four Cs for success: communication, connection, commitment and caring.
"I don't believe in calling each other out," he said. "I believe in calling each other up. Great leaders are demanding, not demeaning. You can't be accountable, unless you have a relationship with someone. We'll never have commitment without connection. We are better together. No one creates success alone.
"To work harder, we have to care more. If we care more, we're going to give more. We build greatness with love. Love casts out fear. We'll never be great if we don't love it.
"If you remember your why, you won't get burned out. If you know your why, you won't forget your way."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
"The more connected you are, the more committed you will be as a team."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) January 22, 2019
🗣@JonGordon11 recaps his message to @AuburnWBB
"If we love it...we're able to perform at a higher level."
📷: @wwader/@AuburnPix pic.twitter.com/P72FH5wdNt