Living off the Page

What drives someone to negotiate a winning roster? Implement technology into the sports industry? How about invest in European football clubs or become an advocate for mental health? Paraag Marathe, President of the San Francisco 49ers, continues to do all of these things and more. Through managing his family’s Round Table Pizza as a child, working as a consultant, and facing his sister’s fatal battle with mental illness, Paraag has developed the zealous, innovative spirit that has brought the 49ers enterprise the success it holds today. In this week’s inaugural episode of The Aconic Podcast, we are proud to host Paraag himself, delving deep into his life’s path and exposing what has driven him to lead with such remarkable innovation and spunk.

In this episode, Paraag discusses his “rock bottom” that, surprisingly, came about during a time of great success for his career. Despite building a cricket stadium in Dubai and even getting married, Paraag was the “most unhappy [he has] ever been in [his] life.” And he didn’t know why. After going down a path of internal struggle for years, he finally realized what was wrong and, in effect, was able to recover.

“The epiphany that I had…was how I got out of the rock bottom.

And that was a recognition that my career is simply and only what I do. It is not who I am”

He had been living to check boxes. Living to do what he thought he was meant to do for a successful career, in retrospect driven mainly by “duty and guilt.” Well, in today’s world, this is something that all of us struggle with. We keep our heads down and work ourselves hard for this promotion or that award. It can feel like an endless struggle, not really knowing what we’re doing or why we’re doing it, we just feel that it’s what we’re supposed to do. And when Paraag realized this, that his career does not define himself as a person, he was able to truly find passion and his career, in effect, flourished. 

“And it's because I'm okay jumping out of a plane without a parachute because it's not the end of the world, because I don't die in a professional sense, because it's just what I do.”

This detachment empowered Paraag to do many of the things that define him a maverick in his field. To name some, globalizing 49ers Enterprises, investing in Leeds United, and becoming the chairman of USA Cricket. But, even further, it empowered him to fully embrace his family and friends, leading his personal life with love and passion.

“We don't chase love with the same vigor that we chase our careers or our academics, and it's just too bad.”

From mental health to the NFL to Asian Culture, Paraag’s journey and wisdom have so much to teach us about passion, love, and breaking out of the mold. Hear Paraag’s own words about his life by clicking here.