Ep 9: A story of fearlessness and following your passion - with MARVIN SORDELL, former Premier League, England and Olympic footballer, turned creative producer, writer and mental health ambassador.

In this episode of our podcast, Donna spoke with Marvin Sordell, former Premier League, England and Olympic footballer, turned creative producer, writer and ambassador for mental health. Marvin shares his stories on leaving the footballing world, being fearless whilst striving boldly into a new industry and his advice on how we can all achieve our dreams.

Born in 1991 in Northwest London, Marvin achieved great success as a professional footballer, making more than 300 appearances and scoring a total of 73 goals over the course of his 10-year career. Highlights included playing in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers after signing for a fee of £3million, and proudly representing England Under 21s and Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. In July 2019, Marvin’s career ended prematurely at the age of just 28 after he decided it was time to retire, for his mental health's sake.

Following his decision to retire, Marvin channelled his efforts into setting up a new business, in a new industry – Oneighty Productions – with two of his close friends. The company focuses on producing story-driven content for a range of video projects and has already scooped two industry awards: for discover. film and the Independent Shorts Awards in 2019 and they masterminded the England Football’s film for Mental Health Awareness Day. He has taken great strides to raise awareness about mental health, he has become an Ambassador for CALM, and appeared in the BBC documentary entitled ‘Football, Prince William and our Mental Health’ broadcast early 2020. He also recently launched Transition FC, a platform for former footballers as they navigate changing careers.

Donna O'Toole is CEO of August, she has had the pleasure of supporting entrepreneurs, business leaders and teams to win the most prestigious awards in the world. Seeing first-hand how receiving awards and recognition has motivated teams, solved problems, supercharged brands and raised their profiles, helping businesses to grow and do even more good things for their employees, their industry and their community.

Transcript

Donna O'Toole: 0:09

Hi, I'm Donna O'Toole and you're listening to my exclusive winning awards podcast. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of supporting entrepreneurs, business leaders and teams to win the most prestigious awards in the world. I've seen firsthand how receiving awards and recognition has motivated teams, solved problems, supercharged brands and raise profiles, helping businesses to grow and do even more good things for their employees, their industry and their community. In this podcast, I'll be sharing valuable awards insights, tips, and inspirational stories to make sure that you get the recognition that you deserve, so that you can go on and achieve your dreams. So what are you waiting for? It's time to start winning. Hello, and welcome to this episode of our podcast. Today we're going to be speaking with Marvin Sordell. So Born in 1991 in northwest London, Marvin signed his first professional football contract at the age of just 18 years old, joining Watford. Over the next 10 years he achieved great success as a professional footballer making more than 300 appearances and scoring a total of 73 goals over the course of his career. His highlights include playing in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers, after signing for a fee of 3 million pounds, which was huge back then, playing for England under 21 and then proudly representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. His promising career then was tragically blighted by mental health problems and periods of depression, which were largely a result of the racist abuse that he suffered, unfortunately whilst playing. In 2019 marvins career ended prematurely at the age of just 28. Following his decision to retire, Marvin channelled his efforts into setting up a new business 180 Productions with two of his close friends. The company focuses on producing story driven content for video projects, and has already scooped to industry awards for discover film and the independent shorts awards 2019. They even recently masterminded the England footballs film for Mental Health Awareness Day. Marvin has taken great strides to raise awareness about mental health, he is a sought after speaker, and Ambassador for calm. He's appeared in the BBC documentary football, Prince William and our mental health, and is even inclusion advisory board member for the Football Association. So Marvin, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate it. So can you tell us how you got into professional football? Did you always want to be a footballer? And did the recognition of your talent make a difference to you are at such a young age?

Marvin Sordell: 2:45

Well, yeah, I mean, firstly, I've always wanted to be a professional football player. Since my earliest memory of my childhood, that was literally my dream. And you know, very fortunate that I was able to live my dream, and I didn't have recognition for my talent at young age, I was, it took me a long time to be, to get scouted to actually go and trial for a professional club. That took me until, you know I was playing for for waltham six. And it took me until I was 13 to get scouted. And even at that point, I didn't get assigned to it was only at 14 when I first got assigned that I guess my talent was being recognised and I had the opportunity to, to then proceed. And I think having probably a lack of recognition up until that point probably gave me more hunger to succeed and achieve my dream.

Donna O'Toole: 3:39

So do you think it was it was? So I tell me what would be a what would be an average age then for a young person to be scouted for a football team? That seems young

Marvin Sordell: 3:49

Yeah, I mean, it does sound young. But most kids to me? who are scouting academies, now, I mean, kids signing from six, seven, until 10 years old, I remember someone saying lie you're at around the age, if you don't get scouted, or assigned to an academy by 10, or 11. You're just going to be playing catch up the whole time and you know, when I got to 12 13 thinking, you know, is this actually going to happen? Is my dream gonna be achieved? Am I going to get scouted, I know it was worrying, because maybe you're thinking that there's still a long time ahead. But you're being told that, you know, players are being signed from a young age and they're being coached a lot better than you would be getting coached up Sunday league team, so they're going to be improving at a faster rate. So it's gonna be harder to get in.

Donna O'Toole: 4:36

Wow, so what do you think what's holding you back then from getting scattered at that point?

Marvin Sordell: 4:41

I don't know, suddenly, is a combination of luck, timing and skill. You know, maybe at the time, I wasn't good enough. Maybe when I when I was being watched, potentially I wasn't good enough at that. Maybe on that given day. Or maybe the times. I was good. I wasn't being watched. Or maybe we're playing against a team that was good. Or maybe our team didn't play that good. And they're a combination of things that things have to align for the opportunity to, to come because it literally just takes a moment to be scouted a scout could be watching your game. And it might be one moment that makes him think, Okay, this play is good. And, you know, for me, that was the case, when I did eventually get scouted, it was a scout walking past the pitch in a Sunday league tournament. And at the time he was walking past, I managed to score and who knows where my life would be. Now, if I didn't score that Goal at that time

Donna O'Toole: 5:37

Wow, to think that's like one moment. One point in history completely could change everything. Amazing. So what happened then after that, so you've got scouted, you started your journey into professional football? becoming a professional footballer. So how did that sort of take its path after that?

Marvin Sordell: 5:56

So I got scouted at that time for Chelsea, I went on trial there, but didn't get signed. As I said, the next year I got scouted for Fullham, and got signed there. So I was signed for Fullham as an under 14 and was there until I was under 16. And then I was released as an under 16. So I didn't I wasn't offered a scholarship, which is, you know, big moment and big thing in football and. And at that point, I was at a bit, that's a bit of a crossroads, because I thought, am I going to go down the education path? Or am I going to have a last crack at football? And hopefully something, you know, sticks something sticks, and I went to think would exit trials where players who'd been released from their clubs at 16 go to pretty much have a trial game and loads of scouts come and watch, and it's literaly last chance saloon. And luckily I did well, and the scouts at Watford, they had liked me and I went to Watford and signed with them, of course then started my journey in professional football.

Donna O'Toole: 6:57

Wow, amazing. Goodness. And did you get I know, you know, did you get support from home to be a professional footballer cause I know with you know, some families it's well no, I don't want to go down sports road, I want you to you know, it's all about academia. It's all about going to college about that. Are you getting supported? Well, to get down that that sports route?

Marvin Sordell: 7:16

Yeah, massively. I mean, my mum supported me in everything that I wanted to do, and everything I wanted to achieve, and she wasn't necessarily keen on football when I was a young age because she didn't know anything about football and didn't actually think it was necessarily a real job. But fortunately, I was able to, to kind of go down that path. And but at the same time, my mum always said said that and maintain that I need to focus on my education alongside and if I didn't do my homework, if I didn't work, if I wasn't good at school, then she wouldn't let me play in in the games on a Sunday and play for my local team or, or go to training. So I didn't really have a choice but to be so

Donna O'Toole: 7:57

I bet there's boys up and down the, and girls up and down the country whose mum's are saying exact same thing to that? Absolutely. Oh, she must have been so proud than when you made it in, you know, into England under 21s. You know, what a huge moment to represent your country and then to the Olympics as well. So tell us about that experience. How did that all feel?

Marvin Sordell: 8:18

Yeah, I mean, that was just, it is more amazing to look back on it, I suppose. Than maybe it was at a time because it was such a very fast and whirlwind of an experience. You know, we were playing every three, four days in different cities. And so we would literally travel, train, train, and then have a game, and then straight away travel. And so there wasn't really time to think because every time we will, we'll always have preparation for a game. Even as soon as we finish one game we're in preparation for the next and before the tournament was the same, it was just such a big occasion and big, big thing that it's hard to, it was hard to really get to grasp of, of how big it was. And you know, when when we were knocked out and I was able to actually watch the Olympics on television, I realised like how big of an occasion it was and how amazing thing is and looking back on some of the videos and pictures I have of that time. And it's just just what an incredible, incredible time. You know, I remember I was in school, the day that it was announced that we were going to host the Olympics and growing up in London. It makes it even more special and you know, playing at Wembley and Old Trafford we just know it was a dream come true.

Donna O'Toole: 9:44

Yeah, it must have felt a bit surreal though as well. Like almost like a an out of body experience or something.

Marvin Sordell: 9:50

Yeah, very much. So you know, it's even when I talk about it now and even when people ask me about it now and you know being able to be a teammate of Someone like Ryan Giggs, for example. At that time I was, I was 21 you know, and he had this incredible career already behind him. And I was just a kid. You know, I don't mean, just

Donna O'Toole: 10:12

Were you the youngest on the team? I think I was one of the, I think I was one of maybe two or three youngest in the team. So, you know, it's just, Wow, what a dream to be on a team with these legends. Yeah. And, and, you know, it's so aspirational for you. So that was a really pivotal year for you, wasn't it? 2012 so what happened in your tell us about how how you journey then continued after the, the Olympics?

Marvin Sordell: 10:43

Yeah, so I was at Bolton at the time, and, and been the Olympics that summer. And, and after that, it was just a very much an emotional whirlwind, you know, in terms of my mental health, and, you know, I was battling depression, from from then on, and particularly around that winter period of time. And my career wasn't necessarily going that great. And I hadn't settled well, at Bolton, and there was just so many different things going on, it felt like, in my life that were just, I was just so out of control. And only being pushed and force, essentially, to go and see a therapist at that time, psychology, sorry. And that time helped me to, to recognise where it was at, and to really try to do something about it to affect it, and, and change it.

Donna O'Toole: 11:38

And who pushed you to go were you sport by the in the football world or more family?

Marvin Sordell: 11:44

It was my girlfriend, who's now my wife. She, she didn't know anything about football and or the industry really. And, you know, for me at that time, in my head, all I was thinking was that my football career is not going well. So that's the reason why I'm not happy. To her it didn't make sense because she didn't understand football. So everyone around me that did understand. I guess my journey with football so far in my football career in industry itself, probably accepted that as an excuse more so than she did. Because she just wouldn't understand why just a game of football would make someone feel like the- they're not they they're not themselves. And because of that, obviously, that then helped me.

Donna O'Toole: 12:27

Oh, amazing. And but so I'm assuming that there was not I mean, mental health awareness now is so much more than it than it has been in the past. Yeah, so I'm assuming there was not really any support, or even anyone looking out for that around you in football?

Marvin Sordell: 12:45

No, I mean, football at that time is was very different to what it looks like today. And mental health wasn't really a thing, you know, it was just, you need to be tough, and you need to handle your handle your stuff really whatever's going on, it doesn't matter, you just need to perform. And life and even performance of sport performance is very complex. No, it's not as simple as, you know, prepare, prepare your body, right, and just go and play, you know, your, your mindset is not in the correct place, if it limits your body from doing what it needs to do, you're not going to be able to perform in a way you need to perform. And at that time, that was the case for me. And, you know, it's looking back, of course, it's disappointing to not have had that support, but at the same time, I live through some very deep and dark emotional experiences which have helped to shape me and for my understanding of myself, and of course, the wider world is on and enables me to be able to have these discussions in the wider world. And push people, organisations and, and as, as well as individuals to really challenge that challenge just accepting not looking after your mental well being.

Donna O'Toole: 14:07

Yeah, that's fantastic. It was amazing that you've got to this stage now where you can use this experience that you've had for good to be able to help other people. And that's hugely commendable. And we need more of that we need more people talking in this way so and openly to show you know, to show everyone that that's good, it's okay to do that. And it's, it's more than okay to do that. So then you you've, you've gone through this really difficult journey, but you've taken them taking yourself out of football, and you've come into an entirely new world, which I have to say I think I mean, I don't know entirely, but sounds quite unusual for a footballer to have this really creative, lovely creative edge. I know you write and you do poetry, and then you in 2019 I think it was you launched your own production company 180. So what inspired you to go down this route? Cause it's such a divergence.

Marvin Sordell: 15:02

I've always loved film, I've always loved stories and storytelling and, and I'm, I'm a massive fan of art, music and I like to read and I like to write as well. And, you know, when you bring all of these different elements together, you get film. And film was always fascinated me and I, but it never for me, I never thought it was something that was, I guess the possibility for me to do to create until I did, you know, I wrote wrote a poem called Dennis pros. And at the time, when I was playing Burton Albion, one of my teammates, who is now my co founder, he, he's a singer, songwriter. And at that time he'd been, he'd created a couple, was in the process of creating a couple of music videos for some things that he'd written and sang. And he saw this poem that I wrote, you know, I thought, we had a conversation, I shared it with him. And he said, this would work really well as a short film. And he would really bring it to life. And I didn't think that was something that was, I guess, within my capabilities or possibilities at that point. But having that conversation, and actually going down that process made me realise how possible it was, no, no one person needs to do everything. Yeah, I don't need to be a wizard of the camera because there are videographers, cinematographers, DOPs, that can be amazing at that, I can be amazing at the things I do, maybe whether it's producing, writing, just bringing ideas to life, or kind of adding a creative element to it, I can, I can do that. And we have loads of people that can do amazing things in their ways. And for me, it's just about continuous growth and learning, to be able to become a better filmmaker, to be able to tell stories and push boundaries in so many different ways.

Donna O'Toole: 16:56

So, and that's amazing. And yeah, I'm just like you say actually I think that's a really good point that you made, you don't have to be brilliant at everything, you know, your strengths and your skills and it's actually about finding the people around you to complement those, isn't it and then all working together, which you're used to doing with football. Yeah, it's, you know, to make to make something happen. So then you've ended up both sides, really, of the camera, because you've you appeared in the documentary with Prince William. So that must have been, I don't know, quite awe inspiring, intimidating how did that feel?

Marvin Sordell: 17:30

I, it's funny, because at the time, I didn't realise quite how groundbreaking I guess, or maybe quite how big a deal, deal he was or that was that conversation essentially. You know, I sat down, and we just spoke for an hour. And at that time, we didn't really feel like anything more than just now I'm having a conversation with someone who's also a dad, who also grew up with one parent. And that was it. We're just gonna have a chat about that and talk about football and mental health and things that we're interested in. He has, he has a massive passion for film as well. We had the conversation about all of these things. And it was only afterwards I realised that how, how big a deal it was, because I had a lot of people message me. A lot of people were, I guess, shocked, surprised, whatever. And, and there's only at that point, I thought wow actually, that was, maybe maybe it was a good thing I didn't feel that way beforehand, because maybe I wouldn't have been able to ask him the questions I did ask, because I was just genuinely genuinely intrigued by his story as well, because as much as he is going to be the next king, he's still a human being, and he still has had this emotional journey that he's had to live through. And, you know, a lot of it he would have done in the public but there had been so much that, you know, is behind cameras as well.

Donna O'Toole: 19:00

Yeah, absolutely. I watched the documentary and I have to say, I mean, you're so super laid back. But you're right. I think it's really good. You didn't overthink it, you just completely you, natural. But he came across like he was wasn't, you know, he was just completely being natural and honest and open as well. So, which is really nice for us all to see, like you say he's, you know, he's a young man who's been through a lot and I think we forget we think that you know, the Royals or any kind of celebrities and and footballers have some kind of outer shell or something that, you know, they can take anything and just keep going but they're humans, and we're all humans.

Marvin Sordell: 19:38

Yeah, that's exactly it. You know, everybody, everybody has their story. So one thing like I continuously, consciously try to remind myself every day you know, regardless of what is going on around me, you have to remember that everybody has a story. Everybody has had somewhere that they've come from and somewhere that they're going to and you know, you don't know what that is. So you shouldn't, or you should try your best not to judge them for what you don't know. Because that's what we often do is we judge people for what, what what we see, you know, whether it's a small glimpse or maybe slightly larger glimpse, but we judge people on that without any context. Yeah. And definitely that we need to be very conscious of it.

Donna O'Toole: 20:24

Yeah absolutely. So that's led you then to this year, you've also obviously got the mental health awareness film by England football. So how did that, that must be so nice, because now you're you're actually connecting up all those skills and experiences into into one amazing film?

Marvin Sordell: 20:41

Yeah, I mean, pretty much how it came about when this was, I'd been a part of the heads up campaign, I've done a lot of interviews, and the documentary was part of that as well, anyway, but I had spoken a lot about mental health and was a big supporter of the campaign anyway. And you know, I had the meeting with the guys of the FA, in like, September of last year, and just brainstormed about the campaign and some ideas around it. And I said that we'd love to be able to create something from 180s perspective, because, you know, we're quite creative and we know this space and an opportunity came up in January, to pitch a, you know, amongst other agencies and other companies to pitch to, you know, when the possibility of making this advert, and it was the first time that we'd ever gone through that process. And, you know, we're very lucky that we, firstly, that we were even involved, but then yeah, on it as well and match the brief. And then, of course, when we put it out to to get such an amazing response as well was incredible.

Donna O'Toole: 21:49

Yeah, fantastic, and what timing. So you were planning that in January back before the coronavirus pandemic hit, and now it's been released. And we've watched it and actually, you know, in a year that we probably couldn't have needed it more. You know, so how has this year been for you what, what's been happening, and, obviously, you know, you've been locked down like the rest of us.

Marvin Sordell: 22:14

I mean, it's been, it's been both good and bad, and good in the sense that it's given me real opportunity to take a step back. I think, particularly the beginning, it gave me an opportunity to step back and really look at life assessing, you know, think about what I'm doing where I want to go. And it's given me time to, I guess, plan properly, and really have more conversations around what the things I'm wanting to do. It's given us time as a company to really grow and to build from 180 perspective, of course in that time as well, I launched two other companies.

Donna O'Toole: 22:51

Exciting, do you want to tell us about them?

Marvin Sordell: 22:54

Yeah, I mean, one is a platform called Transition FC, which is to help football players essentially go from playing to not playing and so everything they need, so to help them prepare, whether it's financial, emotionally, or physically, or understanding what they need to do, how they can just accelerate that, that process of exiting the game, and leveraging what they know, and what, what, what they know, who they are, and what they're passionate about, and kind of combining that and accelerate.

Donna O'Toole: 23:31

So is that something that you feel there's a real gap?

Marvin Sordell: 23:36

I created a platform pretty much based on my experiences. So of course, I've been in this process for a year and a half since I retired now. And you know, about two years since two to three years already and you know, since I first started thinking about retiring, and in that time, there are so many things that have popped up, I think, why? Why is there not a place to answer this question I have? Why is there not somebody that can help me with this? Or that? Or why didn't I know about this? Why didn't I do this when I was playing? And kind of bring in all these bits of information together in the same this is pretty much what has helped me to get to where I am today. And I've gone on a journey very, very quickly, you know, I can't, you know, ignore that and, and pretend that I've been very lucky and very blessed to have done the amount of things I've done in the in the timeframe that I have since I retired. And that's because of the advice I've been given from you know, I'm lucky to have a very wide network of people in multiple industries who give me amazing advice. And I know people who can support me and push me in the right direction. And for me, it's just passing on all of these things, all these little tips and bits of advice rather than having to spend a year finding it. It's right there for you to read in five minutes.

Donna O'Toole: 24:55

That just sounds fantastic because I guess you're coming out from a coming out from a situation where you're surrounded by people, and you've got the whole processes and everything that you're following. And then and it's funny to hear you say the word retiring almost because as a footballer, you're so young, you know, and then you've still got all this time to have a whole other career, and take yourself in a different direction. But I can imagine sounds a little bit like you sort of hear people talk about when they come out of the army, something like that, like you come out of this whole culture and now you've got to sort of find yourself again.

Marvin Sordell: 25:28

Yeah, I mean, it's massively, massively in that sense in terms of really understanding your identity, and thinking about where you're going to go is so important. And I think what most people, particularly players in the football industry don't understand is, the possibilities for what you want to do is endless. You know, I think most people think that they can't have another career in a specific industry, because they either haven't got the experience, or they've not done it before, or whatever it may be, you know, and if I had that mentality when I started writing, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have written. Yeah, I mean, at this point in time, I've written I've written articles for fourfourtwo, I've written for The Guardian multiple times, I've written for BBC, and I have no experience in writing. But I love to write. And that's allowed me to, and because I have a voice in a specific area, and trusted, entrusted to write in on that topic. And that has allowed me to do work in an area in the same way. And I do a lot of talks and, and public speaking and deliver workshops around mental health around identity around performing under pressure. Because I've lived experience in that area. Not because, I'm not a public speaker, it's not what i'm trained in. I just, I'm passionate about telling stories and this is a form of telling the story for me. And I'm entrusted to do that. Yeah. And same way with filmmaking. I'm not filmmaker by trade, I didn't go to uni, I don't understand this, as technically, as well as a lot of other people do. But I listen a lot, I watch a lot, I digest a lot of information, I asked for advice, I help, I learn. And I got an experience. And that's allowed me to do what I'm doing now. Yeah. And when you tell someone that is, and if you say to someone, anything is possible, they say, Yeah, of course everybody says that. But when you show them that, that's another story.

Donna O'Toole: 27:33

Yeah, absolutely. It's inspirational Marvin, because you've got such an open mind. And you come across as someone who's very intuitive about what feels right so it's not necessarily about having this, like you say about filmmaking... but you just know, the feel of the story, how it's going to go, you know, what sounds good, what feels good, what's what resonates with people, I guess. You know,

Marvin Sordell: 27:57

I try to. All I can do is all I can do is try, you know, that's, that's all any of us can do. No, to, I think one thing that maybe sets me apart, in, in my approach to a lot of things is I'm not scared of failing. That's, that's something that I, I think, because I failed so much in my life to be as a, in my early years, is something that I've just become accustomed to, and I'm very comfortable with is failing. So I push myself out of my comfort zone a lot because I don't I don't see how I'm going to lose anything by doing so. Either I gain success and things happen or if it doesn't work, then I'm going to learn from the experience. I'm going to ask questions about why it didn't work, I'm going to find out why it didn't work, and then implement that to the next time. So um, either way, I'm gaining something.

Donna O'Toole: 28:57

Yeah, definitely. I love that. But one of our little kind of slogans, actually, the we have at work is you either win or you learn. Yeah, and either way, you're a winner. Because if you learn you can get better if you win then brilliant, you can go on to do more, you know. So it Yeah, absolutely the right attitude. So in the context then, you you've got the context of being an entrepreneur now and running your business and these amazing films. So what have you got coming up for next year? Have you got any plans?

Marvin Sordell: 29:26

Yeah, I mean, at present. We've got a, we've won a won got short film that's in post production. We've got a miniseries we co produced of Yahoo, that's due to come out. We have a mini documentary that's due come out. We are then looking to push on a lot of the projects that we have in, you know, concept stage or pre production to documentaries and more longer form stuff as well. We're really trying to break forward in that space and then for transition FC looking to push in that space, I'm looking to continue to do a lot of work around mental health, whether it's delivering workshops and talks, or writing or speaking, whatever it may be, just to continue to raise awareness in that space and, just just continuing on this journey and see where it takes me.

Donna O'Toole: 30:21

Yeah. And as a final word, then, as someone who's, you know, through everything you've been through everything you've experienced, and then everything you've achieved since thinking about all the young people, boys and girls out there who want like you did to be that professional footballer, or any kind of sports player, what would you be advice to them? How would you guide them?

Marvin Sordell: 30:44

Be fearless, and just love what you're doing. You know, I think those those are the two things if you maintain a passion a love for something, and you're fearless, then you can go anywhere. Those are those are two of the most powerful traits that you can have.

Donna O'Toole: 31:00

Fantastic. Thank you so much, Marvin. It's been a real pleasure to talk to you. And I think you've got so many interesting stories, you could tell your a real inspiration.

Marvin Sordell: 31:09

Thanks I appreciate it

Donna O'Toole: 31:10

Thank you very much.

Marvin Sordell: 31:11

No worries

Donna O'Toole: 31:16

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