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The Pivot: The Playbook for Facing Life's Challenges and Coming Out a Winner
The Pivot: The Playbook for Facing Life’s Challenges and Coming Out a Winner offers readers a guide to navigating change with resilience and purpose. BJ Coleman, a former NFL quarterback, shares personal stories of reinvention—from being cut by the Green Bay Packers to becoming a healthcare CEO. His journey demonstrates that setbacks are not the end, but the beginning of new opportunities.
Coleman provides practical strategies to help readers embrace change, reframe setbacks, and build the mindset needed to thrive in new environments. With engaging exercises and actionable advice, The Pivot teaches readers how to "fail faster" and develop the grit to succeed in their next chapter.
Whether you're transitioning careers, re-entering the workforce, or seeking a fresh start, The Pivot is an essential guide for anyone ready to take control of their future.
Coleman provides practical strategies to help readers embrace change, reframe setbacks, and build the mindset needed to thrive in new environments. With engaging exercises and actionable advice, The Pivot teaches readers how to "fail faster" and develop the grit to succeed in their next chapter.
Whether you're transitioning careers, re-entering the workforce, or seeking a fresh start, The Pivot is an essential guide for anyone ready to take control of their future.
- GenresSelf Help
184 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
About the author
B.J. Coleman
1 book1 followerBJ Coleman is a former NFL quarterback turned healthcare CEO based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and played professional football before transitioning into the business world. His work in behavioral healthcare focuses on helping facilities improve outcomes, stabilize operations, and rebuild leadership teams.
He grew up in a disciplined household. His mother spent over thirty years in education, and his father coached his teams. He attended McCallie, then played at the University of Tennessee before transferring to UT Chattanooga, where he led the football program through a major turnaround. After the NFL, he worked in corporate sales before entering the healthcare sector. He later earned an MBA and now co-owns a working farm.
BJ is known for walking into broken systems and helping people find a way forward. His experience spans athletics, administration, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. He mentors young athletes and rising business professionals, especially those overcoming personal and professional hurdles after a significant change.
BJ lives in Chattanooga with his family.
He grew up in a disciplined household. His mother spent over thirty years in education, and his father coached his teams. He attended McCallie, then played at the University of Tennessee before transferring to UT Chattanooga, where he led the football program through a major turnaround. After the NFL, he worked in corporate sales before entering the healthcare sector. He later earned an MBA and now co-owns a working farm.
BJ is known for walking into broken systems and helping people find a way forward. His experience spans athletics, administration, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. He mentors young athletes and rising business professionals, especially those overcoming personal and professional hurdles after a significant change.
BJ lives in Chattanooga with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 6, 2026
BJ Coleman’s The Pivot: The Playbook for Facing Life's Challenges and Coming Out a Winner is a powerful, authentic, and immensely practical guide for anyone navigating the inevitable disruptions of life and career. Coleman translates the high-stakes resilience of a professional quarterback into a universal strategy for personal transformation, offering not just inspiration but a concrete game plan for turning setbacks into comebacks.
The book’s greatest strength is Coleman’s compelling personal narrative. His journey from the peak of professional sports, being cut from the Green Bay Packers, to the demanding arena of healthcare CEO provides a profound and relatable metaphor for reinvention. He doesn’t just talk about pivoting; he has lived multiple pivotal chapters, making his advice credible and deeply earned. His stories underscore the core message: that our lowest moments often contain the seeds of our greatest redirections.
Moving beyond memoir, Coleman delivers exactly what the title promises: a playbook. The book is structured with the clarity of a coach, providing actionable strategies to reframe failure, embrace change proactively, and cultivate the gritty mindset required to thrive in a new environment. The concept of “failing faster” is particularly impactful, shifting the reader’s perspective on risk and iteration. The inclusion of engaging exercises and practical steps ensures this is an interactive guide, not a passive read.
Written with the clarity, focus, and motivational energy of a seasoned leader, The Pivot speaks directly to those at a crossroads, whether due to career transition, personal loss, or simply the desire for a purposeful fresh start. It empowers you to take control of your narrative, viewing change not as a threat, but as the playing field where future victories are earned.
An essential and uplifting read, The Pivot provides the framework, the motivation, and the practical tools to not just survive life’s challenges, but to design a winning next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone ready to transform adversity into advantage.
The book’s greatest strength is Coleman’s compelling personal narrative. His journey from the peak of professional sports, being cut from the Green Bay Packers, to the demanding arena of healthcare CEO provides a profound and relatable metaphor for reinvention. He doesn’t just talk about pivoting; he has lived multiple pivotal chapters, making his advice credible and deeply earned. His stories underscore the core message: that our lowest moments often contain the seeds of our greatest redirections.
Moving beyond memoir, Coleman delivers exactly what the title promises: a playbook. The book is structured with the clarity of a coach, providing actionable strategies to reframe failure, embrace change proactively, and cultivate the gritty mindset required to thrive in a new environment. The concept of “failing faster” is particularly impactful, shifting the reader’s perspective on risk and iteration. The inclusion of engaging exercises and practical steps ensures this is an interactive guide, not a passive read.
Written with the clarity, focus, and motivational energy of a seasoned leader, The Pivot speaks directly to those at a crossroads, whether due to career transition, personal loss, or simply the desire for a purposeful fresh start. It empowers you to take control of your narrative, viewing change not as a threat, but as the playing field where future victories are earned.
An essential and uplifting read, The Pivot provides the framework, the motivation, and the practical tools to not just survive life’s challenges, but to design a winning next chapter. Highly recommended for anyone ready to transform adversity into advantage.
August 7, 2025
The Pivot is a nonfiction book written by the former professional football quarterback and CEO of a behavioural health company, BJ Coleman. The Pivot is a book for anyone going through a change or anyone needing to make a change. It is written in a conversational tone, almost as if having a coaching session. It provides an honest reflection based on the pivot Coleman had to make after the sudden end of his NFL career. The book is full of sports metaphors, but you don’t need any experience of having played sports to understand the concepts and lessons. It is thoughtfully structured, taking the reader through the journey that encompasses the pivot. Topics include mindset, grief, discipline, humility, value, and support systems. Each chapter ends with practical exercises and reflection prompts, making the book especially useful for readers currently undergoing life changes.
It is easy to read but gets to the heart of the matter. Life is hard, and life happens to us all, often unexpectedly. This is Coleman’s playbook on standing up when life knocks you down, getting your eye back on the ball, and setting yourself in motion to chase and pursue new opportunities, to not let failure or missed opportunities hold you back. The book highlights that during periods of discomfort, we need discipline, vision, and focus. Some reflections I’m keeping are the concepts of "Failing faster" and focusing on "Value over success". These concepts and perspectives are especially relevant in today’s world, where careers are evolving rapidly due to changing economies, politics, and the advancement of technology, highlighting that adaptability is key.
This book is recommended for experienced players and complete beginners alike, for anyone needing to make a change, or anyone looking for insight on making The Pivot.
It is easy to read but gets to the heart of the matter. Life is hard, and life happens to us all, often unexpectedly. This is Coleman’s playbook on standing up when life knocks you down, getting your eye back on the ball, and setting yourself in motion to chase and pursue new opportunities, to not let failure or missed opportunities hold you back. The book highlights that during periods of discomfort, we need discipline, vision, and focus. Some reflections I’m keeping are the concepts of "Failing faster" and focusing on "Value over success". These concepts and perspectives are especially relevant in today’s world, where careers are evolving rapidly due to changing economies, politics, and the advancement of technology, highlighting that adaptability is key.
This book is recommended for experienced players and complete beginners alike, for anyone needing to make a change, or anyone looking for insight on making The Pivot.
August 2, 2025
As someone currently going through a career pivot, this book couldn’t have come at a better time.
BJ Coleman—former NFL player turned healthcare CEO—shares his journey from professional football to finding purpose beyond the game. He opens up about the uncertainty he faced after leaving the NFL and how he ultimately built a successful career in healthcare leadership. Through personal stories, powerful quotes, and chapter themes, he outlines the steps that shaped his own pivot process.
Each chapter ends with thoughtful exercises designed to help readers reflect on what they’ve just read and apply those insights to their own lives. I found these especially valuable—they’re worth taking the time to complete.
While this book may not have all the answers I need for my own career transition, it’s a strong starting point. It helped me clarify what I should be focusing on and gave me a renewed sense of direction. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about your next move, I highly recommend giving this a read.
BJ Coleman—former NFL player turned healthcare CEO—shares his journey from professional football to finding purpose beyond the game. He opens up about the uncertainty he faced after leaving the NFL and how he ultimately built a successful career in healthcare leadership. Through personal stories, powerful quotes, and chapter themes, he outlines the steps that shaped his own pivot process.
Each chapter ends with thoughtful exercises designed to help readers reflect on what they’ve just read and apply those insights to their own lives. I found these especially valuable—they’re worth taking the time to complete.
While this book may not have all the answers I need for my own career transition, it’s a strong starting point. It helped me clarify what I should be focusing on and gave me a renewed sense of direction. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about your next move, I highly recommend giving this a read.
September 22, 2025
Motivational
The book offers practical strategies, exercises, and clear advice for embracing change, reframing failures, and strengthening the mindset needed to thrive in any environment. With an approachable and motivational style, Coleman teaches how to “fail faster” in order to gain experience and move forward with resilience. Ideal for those going through a career transition, seeking a new beginning, or simply wanting to face life with more determination, The Pivot is an essential guide to regaining control of your future and emerging stronger from any challenge. This book shares a powerful lesson: setbacks are not the end, but the prelude to new opportunities. His personal story, from being cut by the Green Bay Packers to reinventing himself in the business world, becomes an inspiring roadmap for those facing decisive changes in their lives.
The book offers practical strategies, exercises, and clear advice for embracing change, reframing failures, and strengthening the mindset needed to thrive in any environment. With an approachable and motivational style, Coleman teaches how to “fail faster” in order to gain experience and move forward with resilience. Ideal for those going through a career transition, seeking a new beginning, or simply wanting to face life with more determination, The Pivot is an essential guide to regaining control of your future and emerging stronger from any challenge. This book shares a powerful lesson: setbacks are not the end, but the prelude to new opportunities. His personal story, from being cut by the Green Bay Packers to reinventing himself in the business world, becomes an inspiring roadmap for those facing decisive changes in their lives.
September 22, 2025
Former NFL quarterback BJ Coleman is at the helm for this book, which describes how you can pivot in your life to better align with your talents if life throws a monkey wrench into the works. The author was cut by the Green Bay Packers, but he didn’t let that derail him. Incredibly, he not only changed course, but he went on to become a healthcare CEO.
While you might not be an NFL hopeful, virtually everyone has had a setback at some point, and more than anything else, this book serves as practical advice for what you should do if something like that happens. Those who read it will learn how to absorb the feelings that come with a significant setback. They will also come to understand how to best channel those feelings as they map out a logical new course for themselves.
While you might not be an NFL hopeful, virtually everyone has had a setback at some point, and more than anything else, this book serves as practical advice for what you should do if something like that happens. Those who read it will learn how to absorb the feelings that come with a significant setback. They will also come to understand how to best channel those feelings as they map out a logical new course for themselves.
September 23, 2025
The power of adaptation
Reading this book made me realize how important it is to know how to adapt when life changes. Many times, we feel that an obstacle is the end of the road, but in reality, it can be an opportunity to start something new. The author shows that losing something does not mean failure, instead, it can be the push needed to discover new strengths. I learned that the key is not to stay stuck but to take control and keep moving forward, even if it is scary. Every change brings challenges, but it also brings the chance to grow and learn more about ourselves. This idea reminded me that resilience is not something we are born with but an attitude we can build every day. Changing direction can be hard, but it can also be the best decision.
Reading this book made me realize how important it is to know how to adapt when life changes. Many times, we feel that an obstacle is the end of the road, but in reality, it can be an opportunity to start something new. The author shows that losing something does not mean failure, instead, it can be the push needed to discover new strengths. I learned that the key is not to stay stuck but to take control and keep moving forward, even if it is scary. Every change brings challenges, but it also brings the chance to grow and learn more about ourselves. This idea reminded me that resilience is not something we are born with but an attitude we can build every day. Changing direction can be hard, but it can also be the best decision.
September 26, 2025
Amazing book.
This is a very incredible book. I think everyone has to read this type of book since it teaches you that failures are not bad, we will always have these moments to learn that we can do it much better or that we can rethink things so that they come out better. I find it motivating that the author presents us with all his failures and also victories in a didactic way where we can learn much more about him and his lived experiences. Throughout the book, he tells us about a value that is very important and that of resilience. Which we will need a lot if we want to turn many of our defeats into future victories. In general terms, this book is one that is very worth reading and always keep in mind to read it again.
This is a very incredible book. I think everyone has to read this type of book since it teaches you that failures are not bad, we will always have these moments to learn that we can do it much better or that we can rethink things so that they come out better. I find it motivating that the author presents us with all his failures and also victories in a didactic way where we can learn much more about him and his lived experiences. Throughout the book, he tells us about a value that is very important and that of resilience. Which we will need a lot if we want to turn many of our defeats into future victories. In general terms, this book is one that is very worth reading and always keep in mind to read it again.
September 28, 2025
The Pivot Doesn’t Happen to You, You make it happen.
First, this is an interesting title; it gives Ross' voice the whole time I read it. The book itself is thought-provoking and full of valuable information. Knowing and understanding that nothing in your life is fixed, what you do to escape your struggles is all on you. You have the power, you are in control. This book teaches many great lessons that will empower the reader to make change happen and love and enjoy the journey through it. The best thing I learned from this book is to find my value. The pivot exercises put you in the mindset of a training montage before you reach your goal in the movie. The book is well organized and easy to understand.
First, this is an interesting title; it gives Ross' voice the whole time I read it. The book itself is thought-provoking and full of valuable information. Knowing and understanding that nothing in your life is fixed, what you do to escape your struggles is all on you. You have the power, you are in control. This book teaches many great lessons that will empower the reader to make change happen and love and enjoy the journey through it. The best thing I learned from this book is to find my value. The pivot exercises put you in the mindset of a training montage before you reach your goal in the movie. The book is well organized and easy to understand.
September 26, 2025
This isn't your typical motivational book filled with pretty phrases you'll forget the next day. The Pivot by BJ Coleman is a direct, sincere, and incredibly helpful guide for anyone facing change, a setback, or just feeling a bit lost. What I liked most is that BJ doesn't try to glamorize failure. He shows it for what it is: hard, confusing, uncomfortable... but also as a door that, if you learn to see it clearly, leads you to better places. I really like it because the book is full of practical tools, exercises, and reflections that make you think, but also push you to take action. I highly recommend it.
September 26, 2025
A great and helpful guide
BJ Coleman has penned a helpful book for people who feel frustrated after failing in something. He puts into words his personal stories of reinvention to show that setbacks are necessary to understand that behind them there are new starts or opportunities. “The Pivot” teaches readers to see the glass half full and trust that despite the setbacks, there is always a way out. It also prepares readers for the future, to embrace it with resilience, purpose and I’d like to add, faith which is very important to me.
I found it excellent and I highly recommend it for people who feel lost or who are tired of failing, there is a lot to learn here.
BJ Coleman has penned a helpful book for people who feel frustrated after failing in something. He puts into words his personal stories of reinvention to show that setbacks are necessary to understand that behind them there are new starts or opportunities. “The Pivot” teaches readers to see the glass half full and trust that despite the setbacks, there is always a way out. It also prepares readers for the future, to embrace it with resilience, purpose and I’d like to add, faith which is very important to me.
I found it excellent and I highly recommend it for people who feel lost or who are tired of failing, there is a lot to learn here.
August 29, 2025
The Pivot was an interesting read, though it didn’t fully land for me. Coleman has some strong ideas and a clear passion for the subject, and there were definitely sections that made me stop and think. That said, the pacing felt uneven at times, and I found myself drifting in a few chapters. Still, there are some worthwhile insights here, and I can see it connecting with readers who enjoy reflective, idea-driven writing.
October 8, 2025
A practical read
The Pivot is an inspiring and practical read that offers real tools for dealing with life’s inevitable changes. This book helps readers turn obstacles into opportunities. My only critique is that a few sections felt a bit repetitive, but the overall message is motivating and grounded.
I recommend The Pivot to anyone looking for a confidence boost or a clear plan for reinvention. It’s practical, positive, and full of heart.
The Pivot is an inspiring and practical read that offers real tools for dealing with life’s inevitable changes. This book helps readers turn obstacles into opportunities. My only critique is that a few sections felt a bit repetitive, but the overall message is motivating and grounded.
I recommend The Pivot to anyone looking for a confidence boost or a clear plan for reinvention. It’s practical, positive, and full of heart.
December 16, 2025
I got a kindle version of this book as a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. It is accessable and interesting. For me there was way too many football analogies, but that is probably more my problem than the books. Also sometimes, it sounded a little like bragging.
#goodreadsgiveaways #ThePivot
#goodreadsgiveaways #ThePivot
November 7, 2025
The Pivot is an insightful, motivational, easy to understand book with concepts and exercises to guide us through changes in life. It gives practical strategies and reflections to help get through grief of a person or loss of a job, discipline to make changes or to improve our mindset.
November 9, 2025
I won this book in the contest. I've read it already and it's an excellent book. Excellent life advice within this book. If you're looking for life advice on certain choices in your life, then I highly recommend reading this book.
July 31, 2025
💯A #MUSTREAD #MUSTHAVE BOOK WE ALL CAN USE FOR SURE 💯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2025
Thank you so much Goodreads for my book Pivot! I throughly enjoyed this book! So many great views and takeaway's!
October 9, 2025
insightful, helpful.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews