• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Marques Ogden Speaks From Experience Falling From the Top

Marques Ogden Speaker
Photo Courtesy Marques Ogden

Marques Ogden felt he did everything right after he retired from the NFL. The former offensive lineman lived on a budget, retired with plenty in the bank and started a multi-million dollar business after his playing days were finished. 

Then things came to a screeching halt. In 2012, the construction company he started while still in the league ran into financial problems, in part he claims because of a partner company that wouldn’t pay. He tried to keep the company alive out of his pocket, but he lost $2 million in just a few weeks, eventually filing for personal bankruptcy. 

Now, Ogden is using that experience to help people of all walks of life as an executive coach and keynote speaker. Following his bankruptcy, he was working as a janitor for $8 an hour when he realized he needed to make a change. 

“If your past is your best days, you’re not doing anything in your present or future,” he said. “I started speaking to help athletes not end up the way I did because so many go through that, but eventually I saw many different people have those same issues – not just athletes.” 

In his presentations, Ogden draws on his business education from college, success as a professional athlete, building – and losing –  an eight-figure business in his late 20s and from a leadership certificate he secured from Penn State University.  

Ogden secured his first paid speaking gig in April 2015 and has been building on that ever since. He now speaks 40 to 50 times a year to companies large and small, including J.P. Morgan, Siemens and Home Depot. As he built his speaking platform, he released a memoir called “Sleepless Nights,” which he said has only furthered his accreditation. He’ll have a second book, “The Success Cycle,” out in January 2020.

“‘Sleepless Nights’ was me telling people exactly what happened to me, not to feel sorry for me, but to learn from me. That was my big opening forum and it’s helped catapult me innate a better direction and onto bigger stages,” Ogden said. “‘The Success Cycle’ will detail the three main things you need to be a success.”

One of those success points is ambition, and Ogden has set his own heights far beyond where he’s been in the past, 

“I’m going to continue to speak and coach and pour as much information into people as I can,” Ogden said. “I want to build up my platform through business ownership and equity stakes and help myself create.”

As he builds his personal brand and coaching network, Ogden said he uses three main forms of marketing. First is word-of-mouth referrals and in-person networking. He also is involved heavily in email newsletters. And now social media marketing, especially LinkedIn. 

“It’s great because businesses are always on there trying to leverage an opportunity to create value,” he said.

On top of his corporate clients, Ogden said he still works extensively with athletes, including retired NFL players as well as current basketball, football and hockey players. He’s also intent on reaching young players. He didn’t speak at any camps this year, but the previous two years he spoke to rookies on the Buffalo Bills, one of his former teams. 

READ: Former NFL Fullback Jed Collins Wants to Make Sure Wallets Stay Full

As the director of player engagement for the Buffalo Bills, Marlon Kerner is always looking for speakers to relate to the team’s players. He said Ogden has a unique perspective because he did everything right, yet things still went wrong. 

“He speaks about doing things right, taking care of your brand and being smart about what you post on social media, making sure you understand the things you’re getting into with money,” Kerner said. “He talks about starting a construction company and having no idea about what it entailed and how that hurt him.

“Beyond that, he’s a mentor. He’s not just giving great stories, but someone they can talk to outside football. Once he makes that bond, he’ll give it his all,” Kerner said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bears, Without State Funding, Officially Pivot Stadium to Suburbs

The NFL team formally abandons its plans for a downtown stadium.
Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Senators Rip WNBA Handling of Sun Sale

The Senators are urging the league to stay out of the negotiations.
April 27, 2025; Anfield, Liverpool, BRITAIN; Liverpool player Mohamed Salah scores the fourth goal against the Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘Not for Sale’ Amid Takeover Interest

Two groups made offers in just the last week.

Cowboys-Eagles Misses Record TV Ratings Due to Weather Delay

The weather delay thwarts what would have been a record audience.

Featured Today

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.

Alcaraz and Sinner Have More to Gain in 2025 After Splitting Slams

Alcaraz and Sinner have split the last eight Grand Slams.
Angel Reese
September 5, 2025

Angel Reese Suspended For Half-Game After Ripping Teammates

The team is disciplining Reese for criticizing her teammates publicly.
September 7, 2025

Alcaraz Beats Sinner, Wins $5M Prize, Reclaims World No. 1

Alcaraz won a record $5 million first prize at the US Open.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Caitlin Clark
September 4, 2025

Caitlin Clark Says She Won’t Return From Injury This Year

She only played 13 games this season.
James Harden
September 4, 2025

James Harden’s Houston Restaurant Shut for Falling $2 Million Behind in Rent

A sign on the door says the locks have been changed.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Angel Reese Faces Uncertain Future In Chicago After Publicly Torching Teammates 

Some sources say Reese’s future in Chicago may not be reparable.
September 3, 2025

No American Men in US Open Semifinals After 2024 Breakthrough

Two American men played in the semifinals last year.