Sarah Shinguruyi (left) and Bobby Okereke (right).
Josh Sobel.
Coming into his first season with the New York Giants, outside linebacker Bobby Okereke was named a captain despite never having played a game for the G-Men. In return, Okereke repaid the team’s faith with 149 tackles (11 for loss), 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed. Moreover, Okereke is one of only two NFL players (along with teammate Xavier McKinney) to play every snap on a team’s defense.
The great thing about Okereke is that his success hasn’t just been limited to the football field: A few months before his tenure with the Giants began, the soon-to-be sixth-year linebacker founded Presidential Travel Services (PTS).
But what is PTS?
“We are a full-service black car chauffeur and concierge company based out of Miami, Florida,” Okereke told Forbes in an interview. “We do both chauffeur and concierge services, so our chauffeurs not only transport clients to different locations, but they also run errands for clients and perform a variety of other tasks.”
PTS provides chauffeur/concierge services to celebrities vacationing in Miami, and as a celebrity himself, Okereke found himself relying on such services frequently and realized there was a need for such a business in the market.
“Since I was in the NFL, I used to vacation in Miami every offseason and used a similar service,” Okereke said, “so I, as a provider of that service, saw an opportunity there and thought maybe other celebrities could use this type of service.”
Bobby Okereke.
Josh Sobel.
But more than seeing it as a market shortage in the Miami area, Okereke saw it as an opportunity to gain some much-needed repetition in the business world.
“It was a kind of experiment. I felt called to it because it was a service I was using and I knew people would use it. But it was also a way for me to gain much-needed experience in running a business. It was like a kind of baptism of fire. Now I can apply what I learned here in my future endeavors,” Okereke admitted in a Zoom interview.
That last quote is what makes Okereke such a fascinating figure in the sports business world: At a time when athletes are more financially literate than ever, Okereke stands out above the rest.
Interestingly, despite being a Pro Bowl caliber player in the NFL (he was ignored last year!), some would argue that Okereke isn’t the most accomplished member of his family: his father, Kingsley, is the financial director for the City of Garden Grove (California), and his three sisters hold degrees from the University of Southern California (USC), Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.
Okereke himself studied business science and engineering at Stanford University for four years, making him the perfect person to talk about how the skills he gained as a top-level athlete can be applied to the business world.
During our conversation, he offered some insight into how captaining the Giants’ defense (along with his business partner and PTS chief operating officer, Sarah Singley) helps run PTS.
Great product and service
It goes without saying that to be a great football player you need to perform well (a great service) and to get people to watch you need to give your fans something worth watching (a great product). The same is true with PTS.
“At PTS, we offer great products and great service,” Okereke emphasizes. “We have the finest vehicles available, the 2024 ESV Cadillac and the 2023 ESV Sport Platinum Cadillac. We pride ourselves on being able to fulfill any request, even if we can’t reach you 20-30 minutes in advance.”
Execution in this area is especially important because, as Single pointed out, much of the business at PTS comes from word of mouth. “It’s a very relationship-based business, and word of mouth is key. The last experience a client has with you is what makes you good or bad,” Single said in an interview.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on being top-notch and having a sophisticated selection of vehicles, so our customers are great at promoting us. As you know, referrals are always key to growing business.”
Bobby Okereke (left) and Sarah Single (right).
Josh Sobel.
Clear and concise communication
To deliver a great product and a great service, you have to be able to organize all the pieces on the chessboard. Football is great practice for that because you’re often trying to get your message across in fast action with the noise of thousands of screaming fans in the background. This crazy backdrop allowed the defensive linebacker (one of the main communicators) to hone his articulation skills.
“On the football field, everything moves so fast that you have to communicate loudly and effectively. The clearer and more concise you can be, the more likely you are to be successful,” Okereke explains. “Learning that in a high-pressure environment like the NFL prepares you for the business world.”
Good communication skills also help you build strong relationships with people in the organization and those you work with (this also helps with referrals).
“I have always grown through the strong relationships I have built over the years with various organizations that have supported me and my clients,” Single added. “We have strong relationships with very high-end hotels and have been able to partner with many organizations, including other entertainment organizations, and PTS has received significant media coverage.”
Preparation
Have you ever wondered why NFL teams typically take six days off between games? One reason is that games take a toll on the players’ bodies. But another reason is that it requires intensive preparation to become familiar with the next opponent. Some may think that’s excessive, but getting into the habit of over-preparing like this can be useful in business situations.
“The level of preparation you undergo for a football match is the same as the level of preparation you need to be successful in the business world,” Okereke stressed.
Adapting to and overcoming adversity
No matter how much you prepare for your coach or team, there will always be tactics you didn’t anticipate. Should you just give up and say you’ve done your best? No, not if you want to be one of the greats. The best players and teams are the ones who adapt to unexpected obstacles and find ways to overcome them. Do this enough times and you’ll be resilient enough to withstand any challenge in the business world.
“Football also teaches you how to adapt and deal with adversity. In a game, things don’t always go according to plan,” Okereke told me. “You need the ability to adapt to unexpected fluctuations, which often happens in running a business.”
“Just like in the auto industry, if there’s an accident or something goes wrong with a driver, as a leader in the company you have to be able to handle that adversity. You have to be able to persevere through it.”
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – January 7: New York Giants player Bobby Okereke (number 58) celebrates after winning… [+] Defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on January 7, 2024. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Organization
The final skill Okereke highlighted (as the headline suggests) is organization. When you compete against the best athletes in the world, you need a military-level schedule to stay above water. The business world doesn’t demand such discipline, but being comfortable with those rigorous conditions can give you a competitive advantage over others.
“When you join a college football program, your day is very structured, from the elevator to a meeting to the cafeteria to another meeting,” Okereke said in an interview. “Bringing that into business has helped me be very successful, because when there’s structure to how things are organized in a company, mistakes are less likely to happen.”
Oprah Winfrey once wrote, “No experience, no matter how horrible or painful it may seem, is wasted.”
Being a professional football player who gets paid millions of dollars annually (Okereke signed a four-year, $40 million contract in 2023) is by no means a risky experience, but it’s an experience nonetheless, and Okereke has wisely parlayed the principles he learned in football (and his strong partnership with Shingluy) into a successful business venture with PTS.
Personally, I can’t wait to see what he does next.
(Sidenote #1: In the future, Okereke and Single hope to expand PTS to other major cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.)
