Christian Lopez

My name is Christian Lopez. Born and raised in Miami, Florida to Cuban immigrant parents.

I am a former professional athlete who spent 10 years playing the game I love for a living: baseball.

I felt that I was put on this Earth solely to do one thing, to be a baseball player. It was my passion, my job, my career, my hobby, the thing I did for fun--it was everything. So, inevitably, when my career came to an end so did my identity and my purpose.

Without a uniform on my back and baseball mitt on my hand, I had no idea who I was nor what I had to offer the world. I never had a Plan B because I never wanted a Plan B, I wanted to play baseball until I just could not anymore, make some money, retire and enjoy the rest of my life. Well, it didn't work out that way. Because what plans ever work out exactly as intended?

After baseball--because I felt empty and still craved the fortune and fame that I never acquired--I decided I would move to Los Angeles to become a Hollywood movie star. That experiment lasted a couple of years before I realized I didn't enjoy it and did it for all the wrong reasons.

Then I tried my hand at becoming a firefighter... that experiment ended in a rejection.

I was at a crossroads in my life. Who am I? What am I doing? What am I good at? What's my purpose? All these questions ravaging my mind on a daily basis, making me feel so scared, insecure, shameful and worthless. One day, after a deep talk with a great friend, I decided I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and I vowed to make some positive changes in my life.

Those changes have led me here. I I began reading a bunch of self-improvement books (love me some Brené Brown), listening to TED Talks, meditating, journaling and doing anything I could to become a better and truer man. I enrolled and completed a life coaching certification course and that led me to wanting to help other men battle and overcome some of the same struggles I've faced. Being a former pro athlete, I know the importance of a good coach and teammate.

Ultimately that led me to starting my own podcast where I open up about the negatives and struggles I've encountered--not just the positives and successes--and invite other men to come on and share their own personal struggles with fear, failure, insecurity and unworthiness that they've suppressed and hidden because that's what men are supposed to do. Because although those failures and struggles don't define who we are as men, how we respond to them does, and they undoubtedly shape our character.

I look forward to having a conversation and going a little deeper with you.