Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominic Morais
Hi Dominic, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back, it’s clear that my upbringing in Dayton, Texas, laid the foundation for everything that followed. My parents prioritized education and always encouraged me to be involved in whatever interested me. They enrolled me in activities like karate and football, and their constant support helped shape my approach to life. Growing up in a small town taught me values like hard work, integrity, and the importance of community—lessons that still ground me no matter where I am.
After high school, I was accepted to Vanderbilt University, where I walked on to the football team as a freshman and earned a scholarship by my senior year. My experience at Vanderbilt was a turning point, not just because of football, but because of my academic studies in Human and Organizational Behavior. I became fascinated with how people work together in teams, how culture is built, and how leadership shapes outcomes. We didn’t just talk theory; we got into the details—how psychology, sociology, and group dynamics intersect to create powerful, functioning teams.
That academic focus laid the groundwork for everything I do now. I learned how to approach complex problems by breaking them down, considering human behavior at both the individual and group levels. My education really taught me how to create group culture and approach leadership in a way that blends psychology, human development, and the dynamics of community. These insights shaped my understanding of how to lead effectively, whether on the field or in a professional setting.
I continued exploring these intersections through my master’s in Sports Administration at Eastern Illinois University, where I also coached student-athletes. Later, I earned my PhD at The University of Texas, focusing on Physical Culture and Sport Studies. Throughout my academic career, I was constantly learning how individual psychology interacts with group behavior, how communities influence personal development, and how leadership drives performance. This was where I really began to understand how all these pieces—psychology, sociology, human development, community—fit together.
After years in academia, I felt the need to apply these ideas in a more practical setting, which led me to Spurs Sports & Entertainment. That was a major transition, but it gave me the chance to put my academic background into action. I also co-founded MindReady, a company that uses sport as an educational tool to teach socioemotional learning and foster leadership development. I’ve always believed that sports are one of the best ways to teach resilience, leadership, and collaboration, and I’ve carried that belief into my work at MindReady. I even envision creating schools that use the experiences of student-athletes as a foundation for their academic growth.
Today, I’m at Tesla, where I’m focused on scaling leadership development across North America. This role allows me to draw from everything I’ve learned along the way—from my small-town upbringing to my academic studies, and from my time with the Spurs to my work at MindReady. My experiences have taught me how to blend theory and practice, how to create culture within teams, and how to lead with a deep understanding of human behavior and group dynamics. It’s been a journey, and I’m eager to see where it takes me next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s a question I’ve been asked often by younger folks looking for advice: “How do you make big career and life decisions when there isn’t a clear answer?” And I always tell them that I’ve never had a perfect roadmap. I just made the best decisions I could with the information I had and followed my passion. But passion doesn’t mean the road is smooth—it often means having to make hard decisions when there’s no easy path in sight.
One of those moments came during my PhD. My advisor suggested I switch to studying sport management because it would likely make me more marketable. But I had a deep passion for studying fitness, sport culture, and history, and I chose to stick with that, even though it wasn’t the more straightforward option. It was tough, but I’ve always believed that when you’re driven by something you care deeply about, you’ve got to follow that, no matter how uncertain the outcome.
Another pivotal decision came after spending about nine months as a strength and conditioning coach during my graduate assistantship at Eastern Illinois University. I realized that career path wasn’t the right fit for me, even though the expectation was that I’d stay for two years. My boss was pretty upset when I shared my decision. But I still volunteered my time to finish out my commitment, and although that period was difficult, it was the right call. Today, that same boss is someone I value as a friend, and I look back on that time with a sense of pride for honoring the commitment I made.
Leaving academia to pursue leadership development was another huge turning point. It was a decision that didn’t come easily—especially when people I respected told me I wouldn’t find a job outside of academia or they didn’t understand why I wanted to make the shift, and what I would be doing in that line of work. That was tough to hear, and it hurt at the time. But looking back, that experience forced me to reckon with myself and my values. I had to ask the hard question: “Who am I living this life for?” Once I answered that honestly, I knew the direction I needed to go in, even though it wasn’t the easiest path.
The last big, difficult decision I made was leaving Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E). I learned so much there from my first boss; I became polished. After about one and one half years, the organization hired a new head of HR, who became my boss after promoted me to a new position during a restructure. I thrived. I grew so quickly, in fact, that I ended up presenting two different positions I could potentially be promoted into. To my boss’s credit, they were incredibly honest with me. They told me that while I had grown a lot, the organization just wasn’t moving fast enough to match my pace of growth, and if those were truly my goals, I should keep looking elsewhere. That kind of leadership is rare, and it gave me the assurance I needed to move on. That’s how I ended up at Tesla.
Each of these decisions—whether it was shifting from academia to corporate leadership or choosing to follow my passion over what seemed more practical—came with challenges. But I’ve learned that by staying true to what drives me, even when the road isn’t smooth, I’ve been able to navigate those difficult moments with clarity and purpose.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MindReady?
MindReady is a sport psychology coaching and culture company, built on the belief that sports provide one of the most powerful environments for personal and leadership growth. Our focus is on helping student-athletes develop the socioemotional skills they need not only to succeed on the field but also to grow as individuals. What sets us apart is our commitment to using sport as a tool for experiential learning. We apply concepts like leadership, resilience, and emotional intelligence in real-world situations that athletes encounter both in sport and life.
What really distinguishes us from others in the industry is our approach to athlete development. There are a lot of motivational speakers out there who can get people fired up for a day, but that excitement rarely leads to lasting, measurable change. The money spent on those types of engagements often goes toward creating short-term energy, but athletes are left without the real tools to continue growing afterward. At MindReady, we’re committed to ensuring that the investment in an athlete’s development leads to actual, long-term progress. We don’t just aim to inspire for a moment; we focus on creating lasting growth that sticks with athletes well beyond the initial spark.
One of the key principles that guides us at MindReady is that true development starts with self-leadership. We help athletes cultivate their internal leadership skills—fostering self-awareness, social awareness, and emotional intelligence. This focus on self-leadership is crucial because, before athletes can lead others, they need to understand how to lead themselves. We’re dedicated to helping them build the internal compass they need to face challenges with confidence, both in sport and in life.
What I’m most proud of is how we integrate culture-building into everything we do through a systems-thinking approach. We use the metaphor of a plant to explain leadership development: an individual’s leadership potential is like a plant’s growth, but if the “soil”—the culture surrounding them—is infertile or if the “pot”—the environment they’re in—is too small, they will only grow so much. We can water the plant all we want, but if we don’t change the culture, we limit the growth of that leader. At MindReady, we’re focused on shifting the entire system—coaches, teams, and even parents—so that every part of the athlete’s environment supports their growth. If the culture isn’t conducive to development, we work to change it because that’s where the real transformation happens.
Brand-wise, I want people to know that MindReady is more than just sport psychology coaching. We specialize in helping athletes tap into the lessons they’re already learning in sport to become stronger leaders, better teammates, and more well-rounded individuals. While our focus is on athletes, the principles we teach—like leadership, collaboration, and resilience—are universal and can be applied to any area of life.
Our goal goes beyond winning games. We’re thinking about how sport can be used to teach life skills that last long after the competition ends. I even envision this approach extending into education—creating schools where athletic experiences are integrated with academic learning. Imagine a place where student-athletes use what they’ve learned on the field to study subjects like physics or communication. That’s where I see MindReady going, and I believe it’s what sets us apart in this space.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
When it comes to the future of high school and college sports, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) will undoubtedly continue to dominate the conversation. Athletes are now able to monetize their personal brands, and we’re seeing this trend push younger athletes to think of themselves as businesses from an earlier age. This focus on “brand development” is rapidly accelerating the commoditization of athletes, but it’s also part of a broader trend that’s been part of the sport landscape for a long time.
Commercialization in sports isn’t new. It’s been around since the first intercollegiate competition in 1852, a regatta between Harvard and Yale sponsored by a resort. The game hasn’t fundamentally changed—it’s just wearing a different name today. Athletes at all levels are embracing opportunities to secure financial gain as quickly as possible, knowing that injury or other circumstances could cut their careers short. This reality is driving the current wave of commercialization, fueled by professional athletes who have diversified into entertainment, media, and other industries. Younger athletes are following suit, looking to position themselves as multi-dimensional brands.
In college sports, this is shifting how athletic programs operate. Athletic directors are now judged not just on wins and losses but on how well they manage the new NIL landscape. This trend parallels the facilities arms race we saw in the 90s and 2000s, where schools competed to build the most impressive stadiums. Now, programs are in a race to help athletes maximize their earnings and exposure, solidifying the role of money in shaping the future of college athletics.
While NIL has the potential to elevate the financial standing of many athletes, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, it raises important questions about the future of athlete development. With so much emphasis on short-term financial gains, the risk is that the personal development that sports traditionally offer—leadership, resilience, character-building—could take a back seat. But I don’t think we’re losing sight of the original purpose of sports in education; it’s more that commercialization is simply evolving. The commercialization of sport has always been there, but now the methods have changed.
At the same time, I believe there will be a minority of college programs that use this moment to differentiate themselves by pushing a focus on athlete holistic wellness. These schools will attract athletes who may not be going pro but still want to play high-level sports while preparing for a successful future through their education. For these athletes, mental wellness, leadership development, and a well-rounded experience will be more valuable than short-term financial gain. Some of these programs will see this push as an opportunity to set themselves apart, offering something that the big money-driven programs can’t.
And for the schools that are smart, this focus on mental wellness and holistic development won’t just be about the athletes. They’ll begin to see sport as a tool for building community on campus, using athletics as a model for student engagement. By focusing on the wellness of their athletes and integrating that philosophy across campus, these schools can create a culture where sport becomes a central piece of the student experience, enhancing connection and engagement across the board.
At MindReady, we’re positioned to support both paths. We excel at helping schools that are committed to holistic student-athlete development, fostering leadership, emotional intelligence, and mental wellness. But we’re also here for those programs that are navigating the commercial pressures of NIL and the realities of branding and financial gain. At the end of the day, we’re here to help athletes become their best selves—whatever that path may look like for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindready.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindready_us/
