Chris Valletta - Team WORKS!: The Gridiron Playbook for Building a Championship Business Team

Teamwork is a vital component for success, and the skill and insight required are vividly portrayed in this book. Give Team WORKS! your time and attention, and you will benefit a great deal from your investment.

Donald Trump, Chairman & CEO of the Trump Organization (excerpt from Foreword)

Having covered Chris since his earliest playing days at Texas A&M, I am not surprised by his business and personal success. Nor am I the least bit surprised that Chris Vallettaone of my all-time favorite quoteswould so eloquently put into words a business book that clearly illustrates the traits that make champions on the football field and in every business field. I absolutely love his sports analogies and how he applies them to business endeavors from Main Street to Wall Street. Chris is a winner, who truly has a game plan for success whether he is wearing a grimy uniform in the trenches on Saturday afternoon or dressed in his power suit for a Monday morning meeting in Manhattan.

Rusty Burson, Associate Editor of 12th Man Magazine at Texas A&M and author of 15 books

Chris Vallettas Team WORKS! shares the fundamental keys to building a great business with a true focus on the Little Things Chris is living proof that practicing the Little Things day in and day out builds the foundation for success in everything you do.

Warren Barhorst, CEO Iscential

After having an opportunity to start multiple businesses and currently in the process of building an internet software company Aajo I was looking for a way to get a leg-up in the process. Team WORKS! cleverly associates business with football, giving me new principles I need to manage and motivate the team and ensure that well be a champion!

Raj Verma, CEO/Founder Aajo

Nothing of any consequence happens without the involvement of other people. Wherever you go, you are going to get there with a team. Find out how to make the connections that matter most - and win - with Chris Valletta.

Chris Westfall, National Elevator Pitch Champion and author of The NEW Elevator Pitch

Team WORKS! is an inspiring read on the fundamentals of business principles written from the lens of a competitive professional athlete turned successful businessman and entrepreneur. Chris does a thorough job illustrating how lessons learned while playing professional sports have a direct correlation to business success off the playing field.

Van Adams, Principal at the VanAdams Sports Group

First published by Business Books, 2014

Business Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., Laurel House, Station Approach,

Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK

www.johnhuntpublishing.com

For distributor details and how to order please visit the Ordering section on our website.

Text copyright: Chris Valletta 2013

ISBN: 978 1 78279 669 5

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Chris Valletta as author have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design: Stuart Davies

www.stuartdaviesart.com

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

We operate a distinctive and ethical publishing philosophy in all areas of our business, from our global network of authors to production and worldwide distribution.

T o my parents, John and Michaela Valletta, who never missed a single game, from Little League to the NFL. Thank you for your love and incredible dedication as parents, for driving me two hours to practices and waiting in the parking lot, for enrolling me in skills camps, for teaching me the value of dedication, discipline and the desire to be as much a champion off the field as on. Your unwavering love and support not only paved the way for me to achieve great things in athletics, but also allowed me the incredible experience of learning what makes a team a TEAM, something that has translated to every facet of my life and without which this book would not be possible.

To my big brother, John Valletta, thank you for being a constant rock of encouragement and support. Thank you for beating me up on the basketball court as kids and teaching me the value of healthy competition. Thank you for seeing me through the toughest times, for standing by me in the best of times and for your incredible strength as a brother, husband, son and father.

To my wife, Lili, thank you for always believing in me, for your never-ending strength, for your constant encouragement, and for loving me for ME. You are the best teammate a guy could ever have. Te amo con todo mi corazon.

To my son, JD. You have changed my life in more ways than you can imagine and have inspired me to a level one could only hope to deserve. May you grow up to become a man of respect, humility and passion and may you always understand the value of hard work and sacrifice. While my fatherly advice will likely continue for a lifetime, but be memorialized in this text, just remember the cardinal rule of human interaction and teamwork: God gave you two ears and one mouth, which means he wants you to listen twice as much as you speak. I love you, son.

To my incredible friends, business partners and mentors, you have not only been fantastic teammates over the years, but you are truly some of the most incredible Rope-Holders Ive ever known. Thank you for your support, coaching and commitment. I am blessed beyond measure to have you in my life.

T eam spirit is a necessary ingredient whether you are an entrepreneur or a football coach. Getting things done with the right team can make the difference between a big win and a big loss, whether youre on a television show or working in a corporation. Chris Valletta knows what hes talking about in his book, Team WORKS!

I told Chris that I liked his choice for the title, because it has several meanings, and all of them are important. As weve all learned from watching The Apprentice, the teams that work well together always do the best. They have power and momentum, which proves that teamwork does work. It also represents collaboration and cooperation, which is a necessary step towards learning the art of negotiation, which is a crucial skill in todays marketplace. Lastly, teamwork also represents what it takes to create and maintain a thriving organization, and as the Chairman and President of The Trump Organization, I know what Im talking about. Teamwork is a vital component for success, and the skill and insight required are vividly portrayed in this book.

Give Team WORKS! your time and attention, and you will benefit a great deal from your investment. And one last word for Chris Valletta: Great job!

Donald Trump

President / CEO

Trump Organization