Business
From Professional Athlete to Entrepreneurship: Art Morrison III’s Journey
As a former professional athlete, Morrison III has leveraged the wisdom he gained from basketball to pursue entrepreneurship.
Basketball gave Morrison III purpose and instilled the values he needed to transition into an entrepreneur who owns multiple businesses in real estate, business consulting and more.
Here are 5 values he embraced as an athlete and used to become a successful entrepreneur.
Adversity
“We don’t lose the vision or waver, because our eye is always on achieving the end goal.”
In his senior year of college, Morrison III experienced a knee injury that put him in a tough position as he had dreams to go pro. His injury made it near impossible for an agent to pick him up and help him sign with a professional basketball team. Yet, he still signed a professional basketball contract. How? With persistence.
Persistence
“If your WILL to succeed is strong enough, you WILL NOT fail!”
When no agent wanted to work with Morrison III after his knee injury, he took matters into his own hands. He pretended to be his own agent, sending emails to nearly 13,000 teams in the basketball world. He ended up receiving only 2 offers. One contract was for a basketball team in Portugal, which he took.
The same energy he put out to sign with a professional basketball team is the same energy he applies to his business ventures. No matter what your business is, sometimes you have to create the opportunities that others refuse to give you.
Consistency
“No matter how good you are, you’re not going to be able to compete with someone who is consistent, even if they’re less talented.”
Never as a kid did Morrison III think to stop playing basketball. It started as a hobby, and then became his passion, and then his livelihood. Getting up every day and practicing is what allowed him to go pro. Understanding that there are no positives without consistency is what continues to help him succeed as an entrepreneur.
Your WHY
“It’s amazing what Purpose combined with Passion can do.”
Morrison III was the first in his family to go to a 4-year college. His dream was to become a professional basketball player to make a lot of money and repay his mom for all the sacrifices she made for him during his childhood—and that’s what he did. This childhood dream is what pushed him to work hard, never give up and go after what he wanted.
Leadership
“A boss says ‘GO!’ A leader says ‘LET’S GO!!’ Ironically everyone wants to work for a leader. Team players know how to be leaders!”
In sports, whether you’re a team captain or not, you are part of a system of valuable parts. Athletes understand what it means to be a coach because they had one. They know the dynamics of a team and the important role that each member plays, including the coach and team captain. This helped Morrison III lead himself and others throughout his entrepreneurial ventures.
Get to Know Art Morrison III
Art Morrison III is a former basketball player and entrepreneur who owns multiple businesses. He is the author of the book “Overcome” and is passionate about giving back to his community through youth basketball training giant, “AboveMAX Basketball.”
He also provides small business solutions to corporations with twenty employees or less through Morrison Enterprise, LLC.
Learn more about Art Morrison III by visiting www.morrisonenterprisellc.com
Business
Turning Tragedy into Triumph Through Walking With Anthony
On the morning of February 6, 2010, Anthony Purcell took a moment to admire the churning surf before plunging into the waves off Miami Beach. Though he had made the dive numerous times before, that morning was destined to be different when he crashed into a hidden sandbar, sustaining bruises to his C5 and C6 vertebrae and breaking his neck.
“I was completely submerged and unable to rise to the surface,” Purcell recalls. “Fortunately, my cousin Bernie saw what was happening and came to my rescue. He saved my life, but things would never be the same after that dive.”
Like thousands of others who are confronted with a spinal cord injury (SCI), Purcell plunged headlong into long months of hopelessness and despair. Eventually, however, he learned to turn personal tragedy into triumph as he reached out to fellow SCI victims by launching Walking With Anthony.
Living with SCI: the first dark days
Initial rehabilitation for those with SCIs takes an average of three to six months, during which time they must relearn hundreds of fundamental skills and adjust to what feels like an entirely new body. Unfortunately, after 21 days, Purcell’s insurance stopped paying for this essential treatment, even though he had made only minimal improvement in such a short time.
“Insurance companies cover rehab costs for people with back injuries, but not for people with spinal cord injuries,” explains Purcell. “We were practically thrown to the curb. At that time, I was so immobile that I couldn’t even raise my arms to feed myself.”
Instead of giving up, Purcell’s mother chose to battle his SCI with long-term rehab. She enrolled Purcell in Project Walk, a rehabilitation facility located in Carlsbad, California, but one that came with an annual cost of over $100,000.
“My parents paid for rehabilitation treatment for over three years,” says Purcell. “Throughout that time, they taught me the importance of patience, compassion, and unconditional love.”
Yet despite his family’s support, Purcell still struggled. “Those were dark days when I couldn’t bring myself to accept the bleak prognosis ahead of me,” he says. “I faced life in a wheelchair and the never-ending struggle for healthcare access, coverage, and advocacy. I hit my share of low points, and there were times when I seriously contemplated giving up on life altogether.”
Purcell finds a new purpose in helping others with SCIs
After long months of depression and self-doubt, Purcell’s mother determined it was time for her son to find purpose beyond rehabilitation.
“My mom suggested I start Walking With Anthony to show people with spinal cord injuries that they were not alone,” Purcell remarks. “When I began to focus on other people besides myself, I realized that people all around the world with spinal cord injuries were suffering because of restrictions on coverage and healthcare access. The question that plagued me most was, ‘What about the people with spinal cord injuries who cannot afford the cost of rehabilitation?’ I had no idea how they were managing.”
Purcell and his mother knew they wanted to make a difference for other people with SCIs, starting with the creation of grants to help cover essentials like assistive technology and emergency finances. To date, they have helped over 100 SCI patients get back on their feet after suffering a similar life-altering accident.
Purcell demonstrates the power and necessity of rehab for people with SCIs
After targeted rehab, Purcell’s physical and mental health improved drastically. Today, he is able to care for himself, drive his own car, and has even returned to work.
“Thanks to my family’s financial and emotional support, I am making amazing physical improvement,” Purcell comments. “I mustered the strength to rebuild my life and even found the nerve to message Karen, a high school classmate I’d always had a thing for. We reconnected, our friendship evolved into love, and we tied the knot in 2017.”
After all that, Purcell found the drive to push toward one further personal triumph. He married but did not believe a family was in his future. Regardless of his remarkable progress, physicians told him biological children were not an option.
Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Purcell continued to look for hope. Finally, Dr. Jesse Mills of UCLA Health’s Male Reproductive Medicine department assured Purcell and his wife that the right medical care and in vitro fertilization could make their dream of becoming parents a reality.
“Payton joined our family in the spring of 2023,” Purcell reports. “For so long, I believed my spinal cord injury had taken everything I cared about, but now I am grateful every day. I work to help other people with spinal cord injuries find the same joy and hope. We provide them with access to specialists, funding to pay for innovative treatments, and the desire to move forward with a focus on the future.”
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