How to Turn God-Given Talent Into Earned Results
Success often looks like a sudden breakthrough, but most of the time it is the result of years of quiet effort that no one sees. We are quick to call it luck, timing, or talent, because it feels easier than acknowledging the discipline, the repetition, and the long seasons of showing up without guarantees. Yet behind every meaningful achievement is a story of persistence, preparation, and choosing to keep going when progress feels slow.
Many people believe talent is the deciding factor. If someone is gifted, success should come naturally. If someone struggles, maybe they are just not built for it. But real life rarely works that way. Skill is built through effort. Progress is earned through consistency. And the ability to sustain success comes from grit, not just natural ability.
This episode reflects on a five-year journey from learning how to start a podcast to receiving Super Bowl credentials, and what that path reveals about growth. Drawing from the idea that “effort counts twice,” we unpack the difference between talent and skill, why hard work compounds over time, and how showing up, investing in yourself, and surrounding yourself with the right people changes what is possible. If you are building something and wondering if the work is worth it, this conversation is a reminder that grit, not just talent, is what turns potential into real progress.
“Without effort, your talent is merely unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is what could be done but has not been done. With effort, your talent becomes skill, and effort makes that skill very productive.” – Dr. Derrick Burgess
Topics Covered:
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:30) Suzette’s birthday and Black History Month
(00:01:49) From Super Bowl fan to media credentials
(00:02:54) Luck vs preparation in success
(00:04:00) Grit and why “effort counts twice”
(00:05:52) The danger of relying on “gifted” labels
(00:06:30) Advertisement: Struggling with your finances as a young physician? Doc2Doc Lending is here for you. Founded by doctors, we offer loans tailored to your unique career path, crediting your certifications and specialty training. Visit https://www.doc2doclending.com/ today.
(00:09:06) The act of becoming: Talented vs. Strivers
(00:10:24) Making skill achieve results
(00:11:53) A warning against relying on talent alone
(00:12:56) Effort turns potential into results
(00:13:40) Final encouragement
Key Takeaways:
“Talent does not trump everything else.”
“In the long run, you have to be more than talented to achieve at a high level and sustain that level of achievement.”
“Talent times effort equals skill, and skill times effort equals achievement.”
“Skill is developed over countless hours and hours of practicing your craft.”
“It’s not just continuing to show up to do the same thing the same way over and over again. It’s continuing to critique yourself. Continue to surround yourself with people that are doing it on a higher level than you are.”
Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:
Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.derrickburgess243
Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com
Other Links: https://www.hbcuendzone.org/about
This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.
