When former Ohio State standout Mike Kudla sat down to write his life manifesto of sorts, the parallels he found from his days on the field to those in the business world were almost the same.

A 2005 first-team All-Big Ten defensive end who still holds the record for most sacks in a Fiesta Bowl (3 in 2006 against Notre Dame), Kudla, 31, is the principal chief operating officer and senior vice president of Hplex Solutions.

Hplex Solutions is a healthcare development company based in Lewis Center, Ohio. Kudla travels the country every day to make sure more than $400 million in projects are running smoothly.

The former All-Ohio Defensive Player of the Year in high school looks back to his days with Jim Tressel and uses things learned from his 2003 championship to his final days on the field with what he is doing now.

Essentially, his 400-word manifesto broke down to three key points.

To become the best, you have to be willing to do what your competition is unwilling to do. Are you willing to outwork them or just say you did? What are you willing to give up to become the best?

As a player, Kudla approached every day looking to be better than the day before. Whether it was one more rep in the gym or on the field, he was always looking to excel.

They are the same philosophies he uses in the business world.

“It’s that innate work ethic,” Kudla said. “You can’t do common things and expect uncommon results. You cannot just show up and work an 8 to 5 or 9 to 5 job. You have to be able to pour yourself into it. The thing that Tressel taught, and I got this from my parents as well, you represent an entity — at Ohio State, Jim Tressel said you wear Ohio State on your jersey and in your heart and your name on your back. It takes years to develop an entity, but it takes 10 seconds to destroy a reputation.

“The thing I’m proudest of is that what I represent is that integrity and relationships are the most important things that we have. Once you strip away the fluff in the life, none of that matters. All that matters are relationships and how much integrity you have. Do you follow through with what you say or are they just words?”

You will find in sports and in life that you are your own driving engine and you are your own break, meaning that you are the only one who can determine your future. You have to embrace the process and the months and years of tireless work that it takes to reach your goals. 

From a hamstring injury that kept him from longevity at the professional level to his constant need to be better than the day before, Kudla has never been a stranger to adversity.

He’s used all of it to never give up and better his situation. That’s why it’s no surprise to see him succeed in the business world.

“In business and in life, there are adverse moments,” Kudla said. “You can’t control them, but you can control how you handle those situations. Are you calm and can push through when things are tough? I’m someone who never gives up. No matter if it’s sports or business, you can’t say, ‘I’ve done everything I can. I’m just going to give up. Did you really give everything you have?’ You have to divulge everything you have. With me, I am Hplex just like I was at Ohio State. That was part of me.

“Rather than going to a gym or breaking down film, you have to do that in the business world. Are you able and prepared mentally to be ready to go when the moment is there? Can you train your mind to keep going? There isn’t a playbook to how we do it. We just work really, really hard. Those are the things that become part of who you are.”

You have to fall in love with the process of what it takes to become the best. And it's not a once and a while thing, it's an all the time thing.

In falling in love with the process, it’s crucial for successful businesses to look at their companies as teams. Where one fails, everyone will fail.

Essentially, businesses are as strong as the age-old “weakest link.”

“We all work to move things forward,” Kudla said. “It’s not work. It’s who you are. I just wake up and I go. I have a, ‘When my eyes open until they close attitude.’ That’s how it was when I played football. Then you get up and do it again. Tressel always used to say consistency is the hallmark of a champion. Anybody can be good for a day or a week, but a true champion year in and year out is someone that can do it year in and year out.

“Instead of going out in a sport mentality where you’re putting on your cleats and shoulder pads, I just put on another uniform. I put on the Hplex hardhat and walk with the site manager. Our end goal is not just to grow the company, it’s to grow the relationships with people. I have to make sure our employees here are happy and that we provide a great place to work, but more so than that we want our clients to feel that same respect and inclusion. It’s a genuine care and true relationship.”