NBA agent Danny Gilmore has paved the way in a short span of time to become a prominent force in the industry, but it was not easy. Danny had to overcome the barriers with being a female in a male stricken force. “It was very hard, but I knew that I could compete with the best of the best. I work hard each and every day and put in the effort that others would not put in.” “I came into this business differently, most people are lawyers and simply decide to rep athletes. I had horrible grades all through school, but I knew I wanted to be an agent one day. I’m from Detroit, so seeing great players in horrible situations made me want to be the person to help them. At the time, I didn’t know exactly how I could help, but I wanted to help.”
“Eventually I learned how great I was at negotiating. I was young and persuasive. Being a black female was my biggest challenge. At one point, I was homeless in college, because I did not have enough financial aid.”
After she graduated, she received a blessing in disguise with getting experience with interning for a NFL agency and worked her way up to a full time position with the Miami heat. She worked within that organization for eight years, build her name, networked with any and everybody she could, and understood that her career path was not something that happened overnight, but something that needed to grow. Tim Hardaway was the person that told her she could be an agent. She learned, dissected information, applied it to improve her strategy in her career, and took a leap of faith. In order to receive your blessings, you have to understand the risks of life, progressions, and the make-up and molding yourself as an individual in this field. She could have quit and told herself that she tried, but she knew that this was something she was passionate about and loved.
Obstacles can define a person in a negative or positive way, but Danny exercises the act of blessing people and being in peace. “You have the capabilities of loving others, as you love yourself. So why not exercise “a peaceful aspect about everything in life.”
“The biggest mistake that people can do when they are attempting to reach their dreams are rushing them and not being patient. Honestly, you have to be patient in everything that you do, take risks, work hard, and perfect your craft.”
