Episode #74 - Fired to Hired (Small town to the Big Time) by Pete Moris

On this episode of Survive & Thrive 8791, I welcome Pete Moris to the Buck & Honey's remote studios. Moris grew up an only child on the family farm in the small village of Mount Hope, Wisconsin, population 284. It was during a conversation with his college basketball coach that Pete’s dream of a job in the sports industry got its start. 

Internships with the Indianapolis Colts and the University of Florida would begin a career in professional and college sports that has left Pete very satisfied. He would get his big break in 1994 when hired by the Kansas City Chiefs, a career he spent 17 years building behind the scenes. However, at the end of the 2011 season, Pete along with many in the front office were sent packing. Leading up to his firing, he sensed the end was near. That unknown brought on anxiety, depression, and tough questions: What’s next? I’ve got to get back to work and find another job!

Instead of succumbing to anxiety and depression, Pete turned to the values he learned from internships early in his career– work harder than everyone else, don’t give them a reason to get rid of you, give them reasons to keep you, and grit. He put those skill sets to good use, and after a year of uncertainty, he found himself at the college level, with stops at the University of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech.

In 2022, Pete relocated his family back to his roots, the Midwest and accepted his current role as the Director of University Relations at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Today, he's thriving for the Panthers professionally and personally. A move that brought him closer to home and family.

Anyone interested in what it takes to get to the upper echelons of the collegiate or professional levels will learn a ton from Pete’s winning strategy. You won’t want to miss this episode of Survive & Thrive 8791. CAN’T WAIT!!!