Now Adams shares his life story -- and his secrets to help anyone find success in any endeavor -- in his new book "Think It, Believe It. Do It." Part memoir but mostly a guidebook for readers to achieve their own brand of success, Adams shares his inspiring stories of how he overcame the odds to achieve greatness, offering ideas and guidance that readers will find motivational and practicable.
Meet Carl Adams
Carl AdamsHow did his latest book -- "Think It. Believe It. Do It." -- come about?
"I outlined the book about three years ago," Adams told InterMat. "When the (BU wrestling) program got cut, I had time on my hands. From April through August, I had nothing on my plate, so it seemed to be a great time to bring the book to life."
"I wanted to write a book that's motivational, about how much potential each of us has," Adams continued. "I talked about my mentors -- my parents and coaches. I had a great high school coach, and a wonderful college experience."
An entrepreneur is born
"That process showed me the importance of things like solving one problem at a time, sticking with something until completion. That mindset helps individuals with any endeavor, whether it's coaching or business."
"I saw Coach Nichols put together successful wrestling camps," said Adams, who worked a number of his Iowa State coach's summer camps. "I thought I could do something similar."
"As I started to write this book, it occurred to me that there things I did in the sport of wrestling that would be applicable to readers outside wrestling," said Adams. "Take the Seven Pillars of Winning (described in the book). I put it in terms of what worked for me, yet is information that can work for others."
"We all need to do things to make ends meet, put our kids through college, purchase a home, etc." Adams continued. "I wanted to let folks know you don't need a ton of money to start a business. In fact, I did it without debt, without loans. If you believe what you want to do, and stay with your task, you can achieve great things."
Carl Adams was a two-time NCAA champ at ISU"People set goals but don't always think of how to achieve things," according to Adams. "Commitment is a word that's all-important. Take wrestling. It takes so much to be successful in the sport. Commitment to your goals."
"I wanted the book to be for anyone -- not just those in the wrestling community -- who wants to succeed."
"Everything starts with the mindset. Knowing that you can achieve anything with the right mindset drives everything. If people have that mindset, they can figure things out, and get things done."
"This is my fourth book," said Adams. "The other three are instructionals. All my products -- books, equipment, instructional videos -- are designed to help people do better."
"I've been so blessed. I want to share those blessings -- and what I've learned from wrestling, and as an entrepreneur -- to do what I can to help others. I feel I should pass along what I've learned."
Guided by great mentors
Carl Adams with Ben Peterson and Harold Nichols"Nick was like a second father to me. He hired me for his equipment business, to work his (wrestling) camps. I learned the business from Nick."
"He was very much an entrepreneur -- his wrestling camps, real estate, even his pottery collection."
"I showed him the drawings for ADAM, and he backed me financially."
"My dad worked the s--- out of us," Adams chuckled. "He put us to work in the businesses he started and ran. That, and my experience working with Coach Nichols, really shaped me and my entrepreneurial attitude."
Adams' list of mentors didn't stop there.
"When I was 23, I wrote my first book, because I had seen Bobby Douglas writing books."
"I was blessed to have been on the (Iowa State) team with Gable," Adams added. "To watch him was to learn how to win."
A new book ... and a new position at BU
As if writing and promoting a new book weren't enough, Adams still has a career position ... at the school where he had coached for three-and-a-half decades.
"BU offered me a new position, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Services. Coaches have me talk to their athletes, as well as to their recruits. I have the same office, the same desk, the same computer. The only thing that has really changed is that I'm no longer coaching."
"I don't feel empty at all," Adams continued. "I feel I gave all to wrestling. My angst is for the alumni, wrestlers and parents, now that BU no longer has a wrestling program."
Not everyone will have the opportunity to pick the brain of Carl Adams, a man who has achieved so much as a wrestler, coach and business professional who has shared his experience and expertise in the sport with the wrestling community. "Think It. Believe It. Do It" is about as close as most of us will come to that opportunity to have Adams as a mentor. Using his own life and experiences as the foundation, Adams builds on those cornerstones to share what has worked for him, in an upbeat, positive presentation that can inspire anyone who wants to achieve more. You don't have to be a wrestler or coach -- or even a fan of the sport -- to gain from "Think It. Believe It. Do It." It has practical, actionable guidance that can help any would-be entrepreneur.
Carl Adams' "Think It. Believe It. Do It" is available in e-book format for the Amazon Kindle, as well as in paperback from CarlAdams.com.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now