In this high-energy and insight-packed episode of Success Unleash’d, hosts Zack Ellison and Shawne Merriman sit down with Christian Crosby of Live Life Nice, who became a respected presence across multiple industries by staying humble and authentic. He shares his unfiltered journey as an entertainer, entrepreneur, and the dynamic voice behind the NBA All-Star Weekend. From embracing failures to mastering discipline and building lasting relationships, this episode dives deep into leadership, resilience, and the mindset needed to thrive across different arenas.

Success Unleash’d Principles From This Episode

1.Be Selflessly Useful to Others

Christian’s first breakthrough came from simply helping others without expecting anything in return. By making people’s lives easier, he built trust and opened doors.

2.Build Your Network Carefully

Christian learned that the people you surround yourself with will either elevate or drag you down. Be intentional about associating with people who reflect your chosen values and goals.

3.Play the Long Game and Keep Your Integrity

Christian made a conscious choice to build his career the right way, even when it meant slower progress or fewer short-term rewards. Integrity might cost you in the short term, but it builds lasting success.

4.Embrace Gradual Growth Over Big Breaks

Zack emphasized that success is often not about one lucky break but a series of small wins that compound over time.

5.Be Delusional (In a Good Way)

Christian stressed that to achieve big things, you need to be a little crazy and believe in your vision, especially when no one else does. Your internal belief system will shape your reality.

6.Be Fearlessly Honest and Authentically You

In a world full of fluff, Christian wants you to be real. Authenticity builds trust faster than any polished pitch.

7.Master Discipline Despite The Many Temptations

Christian and Shawne both stressed that discipline separates high performers from the rest. Prioritize your long-term goals over short-term fun.

8.Take Action To Discover All The Answers

Momentum creates clarity. Christian and Shawne agreed that you cannot discover your strengths or find the best opportunities by standing still. Try new things and keep moving.

9.Your Mindset Creates Your Reality

What you tell yourself becomes your truth. Set your mental state to “I will figure it out,” and your actions will follow.

10.Identify and Own Your Unique Superpower

Shawne highlighted that everyone has a superpower. For him, it is his relentless mindset. Identify your very own superpower, double down on it, and use it as your driving force.

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Watch the Episode Here

Listen to the Podcast Here

The Power Of Staying Authentic With Christian Crosby

We have with us Christian Crosby. Christian is an entertainer and entrepreneur extraordinaire. We’re very happy to have him with us. Christian, thanks for joining.

Introducing Christian Crosby

A lot of people know me from hosting the NBA All-Star Weekend during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. My voice is the voice you hear in some of those iconic moments. I’ve been doing it for the last ten years. Three-point contest, skills challenge, and NBA draft, I’ve even done NFL draft panels and stuff like that. I’ve found ways to be a little bit of everywhere. I even played myself in Abbott Elementary as a 76ers in-arena host. I’ve coined the in-arena host role, but with this job at LIV Golf, I’ve expanded beyond in-arena. I’m traveling the world and broadcasting, and it’s been fun to join that crew. It’s been a wild ride. I probably left out a bunch of things, but I’m a Swiss Army knife in entertainment, for sure.

I remember seeing you at some of these events. For sure, the draft, but even a couple of All-Star games. At the time, I was the youngest drafted player ever. I remember coming in and feeling like a deer in headlights. You are at the top of the top in both industries, not just players, but also execs. How was building those relationships, getting in the door, and grinding like? What was that process like, being on that platform as big as it was, as young as you were?

I was super clumsy, super corny, and super cheesy. When I think back to that time in my life, I ask myself, “How in the world did I succeed?” When I did an audit, what I realized is that, naturally, I understood that you have to be selfless. It’s probably the most selfish thing you could do for yourself. I always looked at what others needed, and I tried to provide whatever it was they needed.

I was young and didn’t know what I was doing, but if I saw somebody struggling, I’d be like, “Do you need help? I got you. No problem.” I learned that the concept of making people’s lives easier makes people want to work with you more. As a young guy, I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing, but that’s what I was doing. Over time, I built trust. One day, they ask you to do this. Another day, they ask you to do this. Now, you’re friends with this guy. You’re hanging out with this guy. You start to learn things.

I was seeing things that, to your point, I had never seen before. I had no idea these parties, events, and investments existed. You said a deer in headlights. I was more like a kid in a candy store. I was like, “I’m not going to mess this up.” I saw the value in what I had. You then start to see your reactions from your friends and peers. I was like, “I’m locking in now. I’m going to make something of this.”

I want to ask one thing about that because I know the feeling when you start getting noticed by your peers, and the people you knew. They knew you before you were in that position. Now, you are popping up and taking pictures with top athletes and big execs. You go to these exclusive events. This is a question to me personally because I had to deal with it. How was it navigating through that process? You had people around you who only knew you as Christian before you got on. How were you navigating through that process in your personal space?

There were a couple of times when I made some mistakes and trusted the wrong people. I saw how your circle is as important as your personal decisions. The decisions that people are making around you, you need to take those seriously. There were a couple of times that I got burned earlier in my career. I learned that valuable lesson moving forward. After that, I always killed people with kindness.

I don’t know how you move, but I got one of these things where I can feel stuff. When I’m around people, I can feel if they’re sad or if they’re going through something. I can feel if they’re genuine or if they mean what they’re saying. I can feel if they’re annoyed and they don’t want me to be around. I have that, so I started to tap into that intuition or whatever you want to call it.

When I feel like the energy’s not aligned or I feel like somebody’s capable of something that I wouldn’t be capable of doing, I remove myself from the situation. Keeping your integrity is hard because it’s a longer road. You don’t make as much money keeping your integrity. You’re not as cool for keeping your integrity. You might not be in the circles that you might want to be in.

I made a decision to play the long game at an early stage in my life. Not that I had it all figured out, but I did have some great mentors and guidance along the way in my earlier years. If anybody’s tuning in to this who is young and doesn’t have a mentor, that is also one of the most important things you should do. Proactively find someone who can guide you and give you some game so that you don’t make the mistakes yourself.

I want to touch on one point you brought up, which is this idea of your network is everything. Shawne and I had Bill Bellamy on. He’s very close with Magic Johnson, who is his mentor, speaking of mentors. Imagine having Magic as your mentor, one of the best athletes and businessmen of all time. What Magic told Bill, who was sharing this with us, is that your network is everything. You make sure you surround yourself with the right people. That’s somewhat obvious, but most people don’t do it. It’s obvious in a sense, but it’s also not executed upon because then you look at who people associate with.

Being Humble And Authentic

You guys, both being linked to the NBA and NFL in your careers, have seen how many star athletes there are who associate with the wrong crowd. It ruins them. The guys who are smart enough to associate with the right people early on wind up being much more successful. I wanted to highlight that as something that we’ve talked about, but I also wanted to ask you this. In terms of your success, it sounds like it was more gradual, and it wasn’t about a big break.

I want to dive into that a little bit because that’s how it is with most people. There’s this perception from people that successful folks get these big breaks. They get luckier, or they have stuff handed to them. The reality is it’s not like that in 99% of the cases, in my view. It’s about how you get incremental gains, and then you have to hustle to turn those into something more. I call that the mushroom effect.

You meet one person. You do a great job with them and add value for them. They like you, and then they introduce you to a couple of their acquaintances. Maybe it’s 2 or 3 people. You do a great job for them, and they each introduce you to 3 or 4 people. All of a sudden, 1 person becomes 10, which becomes 50, which becomes 100. Now, you’re established. That takes years, and it takes a hustle. I wanted to talk to you about the process that you’ve experienced, but also that you’ve observed in a lot of the successful people that you’re around.

To speak on the crowd and, to button that up, a quote from Disney that I love and live by is, “Everything speaks from the way you carry yourself, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the movies you watch, the music you listen to, and the people that you hang around.” On the tail end of that quote, it’s like, “What are you saying? If someone were to look at everything you do, what message are you sending without opening your mouth?”

Your circle is just as important as your personal decisions and the decisions being made by the people around you. Share on X

Thinking about that quote, I always try to surround myself, to your point, around people who were saying the things that I wanted to say, which is, “I want to succeed. I want to win. I want to be here. I want to help others around me succeed and win.” You have to tap into a belief that it’s going to happen. This is what we don’t talk about. You have to be a little crazy. You have to be a little delusional. You have to understand that no matter what is happening in front of you or what your reality is, you are going to get there.

It’s not even for yourself, but that energy and believing that, when you’re around other people, they believe it. What happens is, even if you’re full of crap, if you’re exuding this energy with confidence because you truly believe it, and it’s not a show, people feel that, and then they like you. They’re like, “I see he’s going to get it no matter what. I see in him and I see in his eyes that this guy is going to figure it out. Let me help him. Let me help him figure that out.”

We don’t talk about the delusion enough and how valuable a currency that is to success. I had that unknowingly, but I also had positive energy and a good spirit. I was humble. I wasn’t afraid to admit that I didn’t know stuff. That’s also a superpower that helped me, which is admitting when you’re wrong. We live in a world where we’ve seen everything happen already. It has already happened. It has already been done. We see guys in the league now, but we’ve seen it before. We live in that era.

What’s refreshing to people at this point in life is errors, flaws, real, and struggle. We’ve already seen every version of success. We’ve already heard of ChatGPT, emails, resumes, and pitch decks. We’ve seen it all at this point. When we’re talking on the phone and talking fluff, like, “This is how you become successful,” what’s going to get you in a room with people and make people trust you and know you is being honest. You’re like, “I don’t know the answer to that question. I can find out for you, but I don’t know. I got here because of X, Y, and Z.”

Being a real person and having real energy to you is going to get you way further than playing the game and being another guy that’s smart or successful, or has money. As an answer to your question, that has been a huge part of why people like working with me, have hired me, or have partnered with me because they understand that whatever I’m going to do is real. If it’s a good real, there’s going to be success behind it. If it’s a bad deal, they’re going to have real information to be able to fix the problem because I’m going to tell them the truth.

The fact that I’m saying that and that’s a thing tells you that we live in a world where a lot of things are fake. If you choose to be real, humble, and honest, that’s going to get you way further at this point. As an answer to your question, that’s been a huge part of my success and why I’ve been able to get in rooms and navigate. It’s why I’m on this call with you guys. I met you, Zack, through my boy, Nick. It’s a snowball effect. You never know where it’s going to take you.

Keeping A High Level Of Discipline

One of the things I picked up about you being a Jack of all trades is that the only way that you can be a Jack of all trades and be good at it is if you have discipline. I tell people all the time that athletes are the most disciplined people on the planet Earth. At eleven years old, we’re told when to get up, when to sleep, when to eat, and when to workout. That has taken me so far in everything I do.

I’m in the gym at 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning. If I know I got an 8:00 Zoom and I’m walking out of the gym, and it’s 7:28, I’m looking at my watch or looking at my phone and saying, “I have to leave the gym at 7:30 to make my 8:00 Zoom. I have to be on time.” That discipline factor has always been a priority and has been on the front street for me. I know for sure in your lifestyle, sometimes, you might have to get on the plane and get off the plane to host that, be at this luncheon, or host this panel. I know that lifestyle. How has discipline become a factor in that?

Don’t let the chain and the beanie fool you. You’ve got to not care about being cool. You’ve got to not care about having fun on the weekends. You’ve got to not care about what people think about you. You’ve got to be comfortable with looking crazy, inferior, dumb, weird, and inexperienced. You have to be fearless. The most important thing to you has to be the goal.

To your point, at 7:28, I’m like, “I have something I have to accomplish. I’m leaving this gym right now.” If somebody is trying to slow you down in your day, it’s like, “I’m sorry. I’ve got to get out of this car right now.” If your friends want to go out this weekend, it’s like, “I’m sorry. I can’t go.” If this athlete wants me to come with him on this boat in the summertime, it’s like, “I’m sorry. I got to lock in and I got to get this stuff done.” You have to prioritize what’s most important and be able to sacrifice every part of it.

We live in a world where a lot of things are fake. If you choose to be real, humble, and honest, you will go further. Share on X

I’ll tell you a quick story. Everyone has a story like this. In college, I had roommates. I was working to pay my own share of the rent. My two roommates were from families that had money, so they didn’t even have to work. It’s that whole storyline. I didn’t pay rent for one month. I didn’t pay rent for two months. My two roommates were like, “You’re going to have to go if you can’t make rent this month.”

I’m young. I start calling people, asking them for money. Everybody said no, but the last call was the one I was most grateful for because it was from my friend. He was like, “You can’t do this. What are you doing? It is not my responsibility to pay your bills. You sound crazy right now. I don’t ever want you to forget this feeling. A hard no. It’s a hard no because I love you. You’re better than this, and you’re talented enough not to be in this situation.” He then hung up on me.

At first, I felt disrespected, but I went on a walk. I was tearing up. I was young. I thought about it and I was like, “He’s right.” My life changed that day. At that point, I was partying, but I locked in and said, “I’m taking responsibility for what I’m doing.” With the discipline thing, you’ve got to be able to suffer. You’ve got to be able to deal with some stuff.

I want to say this because the discipline on your side is hard. It is harder for the normal person. Let’s take a normal CEO or something like that, or a normal entrepreneur who’s getting off the ground, that people don’t know. You’re around the top of the top athletes. You’re around the top of the top entertainers. It’s not like you’re saying no to going up the street to the bar.

Those yachts are there in Miami. There are those flights like, “Jump on the jet with us to St. Tropez.” There’s crazy stuff like that that you’ve got to say no to. When I asked that question, I’m asking that for experience because I’ve been a part of those conversations where I said, “I can’t. I got this thing.” That takes a lot of discipline. People don’t understand that.

Sometimes, social media can mess up the minds of these young guys coming up. They see successful guys doing that. They can do that. They’re successful. They have money, accolades, or a reputation. You don’t have any of that. You do not need to be there. You need to lock in and get to work. It’s not fun and games. It’s a long road before you get there. That guy can do that. You can’t. That athlete was inviting me, but he has a ring already. I have no reason to be on that boat right now. Lock in.

It’s interesting. Let me tell a quick story about this LIV Golf job because people think it’s fun and games. They see my energy. They see me smiling and laughing. I’m dressed like this, and they think it’s all fun and games. My agency calls me and they’re like, “We got this job. We know you’re not a golf guy. Take this call. Get cool with them. No big deal.”

I get on the call, and we talk. As I said to you guys earlier, I am brutally honest. I’m like, “I’m not a golf guy. Here’s what I am good at. I’m good at disarming people and making them feel comfortable. I’m good on camera.” I get off the phone and go about my life. I get another call from my agency, and they’re like, “They want to do a second call.” I’m like, “Nah.” He’s like, “Yeah.” I’m like, “Okay.” I do a second call, and I’m even more honest. I’m like, “I want to make sure you guys understand.” They’re like, “We understand that.” I hang up the phone and go about my life.

I go on vacation for my birthday with my girlfriend. I’m in Hawaii, living my life. I get a call and they’re like, “Greg Norman wants to get on the call with you.” I’m like, “Oh my God.” They’re like, “Tomorrow.” I stop everything I’m doing and lock in. I knew who Greg Norman was. I wasn’t that clueless. I polished up a little bit and had the best call with Greg Norman ever. It was a 45-minute call. We did a mock interview. He was like, “This is what we need in golf. We need someone like you. This was incredible. You have the job.”

Mind you, the job was starting a week later, so I had to leave Hawaii, I had to leave my vacation, and then I had to lock in. This is the part people don’t see. You got Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm out here, and I’m locked in my hotel room, going over my notes and getting prepared to host the golf show as a non-golf guy. You have to believe that you can get the job done, but you also have to cut out distractions and make it happen.

The Immense Power Of Mindset

Christian, I’m writing down notes because there are so many things I wanted to touch on briefly. Bear with me for a second because you went over so many good things, and I want to make sure that people pick these up. They should be writing these things down, and they should be applying them. The first thing is when you were talking about how you got to be a little bit delusional as a business builder, I 100% agree.

You have to believe you can get the job done. Cut out the distractions and make it happen. Share on X

To be a founder and an innovator, you have to have a vision that other people don’t have by definition. Shawne and I talk about that a lot. People aren’t going to necessarily see what we see at this stage. They can’t even fathom how much we’ve built. We were talking about this earlier. We were on a business call. It’s amazing how many people don’t even understand how Shawne could have built Lights Out Sports to where it is. They don’t even believe it, in a sense, because they’re like, “We couldn’t have done this. How the heck did you do it?”

I know what’s going on because I’m behind the scenes and seeing all this stuff. I’m like, “This is why I’m all-in because I know that it’s happening,” but other people have a hard time believing that. I wanted to bring that up, too, to say that you do have to be a little bit crazy. Don’t worry about what other people think in the beginning, because if they agree with you, they probably would’ve done it already. You have to have people pushing against you. Otherwise, you’re probably not right.

Congratulations on everything you guys have been building.

We appreciate it.

I’m waiting for that call. Whatever you need.

As you were talking about a Jack of all trades, my mind is already running. I said, “If you could jump to golf like that, then you should be able to move around.”

I’m loving it. It’s easy now. The power of your mind is everything. Whatever you think in your head is true. If I think I can do a job, it’s true. I can do the job. Immediately, if those are my beliefs, my actions are going to follow, and vice versa. People talk themselves out of so many opportunities, business ideas, and relationships because either they’re overthinking or they’ve already chosen their reality by thinking in their head, “This isn’t going to happen,” or, “I can’t do this,” or, “This isn’t possible.” It’s like, “You’re right. It isn’t. You chose that.” I don’t think people understand that first, you have to make the decision in your mind what your reality is going to be, and then your actions are going to follow.

Whenever you’re hit with a roadblock, that’s all it’s going to feel like to you. It’s going to feel like a roadblock, not the answer. It’s going to feel like, “That’s not it. Let me look over here,” until one day, you find it. I don’t think that gets enough credit. People are searching for validation way too much from successful people, from smart people, from social media, and from people who deserve respect, but that doesn’t mean those people are going to give you the answer to what’s in you.

They won’t give you the validation until after you’ve already accomplished everything.

I was about to say that. It’s always like that. It’s like, “I knew you could do it.” That wasn’t the conversation you had or the attitude you had early on. You talk about the mindset of already making it happen and not talking yourself out of it. People don’t understand that half the battles are already made up in your head, whether you can do it or not.

I got this saying. Some people have a problem with every solution. Every time you have a solution, they find a problem in it, and they already talk themselves out of it without going out and doing it. I’ve seen you over the years. I give you a lot of respect and credit for also being able to transition into another sport and picking up the knowledge.

People are searching for validation way too much from successful and smart people on social media. They cannot give you the answer to what you can do. Share on X

Trust me. I’ve been there in situations where those producers or those researchers are laying a big pad somewhere, and then you got to know all this information about whoever it is, and then also be able to articulate enough where the public can understand not only the knowledge that you have of it, but articulate it to a point where they’re going to listen.

There are a lot of those things that people don’t understand when it comes to TV and a personality or somebody that they can transition into multiple things. If you can jump from LIV Golf and jump back to basketball, and you can talk at the NFL draft, you’ve got to know a lot. People don’t understand. You do not just know it, but you have to be able to articulate it to the audience.

Embracing A Relentless Mindset

They come to you and they’re like, “That’s not happening anymore. This guy is coming now. He’s right here, right now. Go.” You have to be like, “All right.” You have to figure it out. I want to ask you this, too. Before I worked around athletes, athletes were superheroes and superhuman. People are like, “They get paid a lot of money. They can deal with it. They’re not human.”

I then work in sports and realize these are humans that have families, lives, problems, and issues. Their schedule is unreal and makes no sense. They’re working their bodies to limits that none of us could even comprehend. My question is this. Once I realized that, my respect for athletes in general went up. You guys weren’t these robots to me anymore. It was like, “Oh,” and then it was like, “Wait, but how?”

My question to you is, what kept you going? Every athlete has their thing. I’m curious to what yours is, especially not just when you were doing your thing, but now with this. What is that thing that makes you say, “I don’t care. I’m doing it anyway. I’m getting it done. I’m going to be at my best. I’m pushing through this.” What is your why?

I got a bunch of friends who are athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and a lot of sports. I also got a lot of friends who don’t play, so they all see it. They all see the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. I can have a bad week like everybody else. The only difference is that I got to go out and perform because my job depends on me performing. Those same arguments with your family, your sisters, and your cousins, and all the arguments you get from people calling you with their problems, it’s the same exact thing. The only difference is that we have to go out and perform no matter what.

For me, I’ve always been a relentless person in general. I was blessed to have the tools to be big, be strong, and be fast. I’m explosive and athletic. I can do those things. My ability to push past limits and be relentless no matter what, that attitude, once you have that, you can’t turn that part of it off. That part, for me, gets transitioned right on to whatever. It’s like getting a double-team blocked by tightening a tackle. I’m getting to the quarterback. No matter what problems I have, I’m going to get it done. When you develop this mindset of being relentless, it never turns off.

I’ve tried so many times not to even back down from things or sit back. It won’t let me. I don’t know how to. I start to have these mental battles if I even think about it. It’s like, “You’re soft.” That’s the athlete’s mindset. It’s like, “You can’t get out of bed or work out? You can’t go to this meeting because you’re a little bit tired. You can’t go pitch now? You can’t go to whatever panel? You can’t do it? You can’t get on this plane and go to 3 cities in 2 days? You’re soft.” It’s this mental battle that always played with me to be relentless. Those things, for me personally, have never turned off.

Do you think that you can learn that, or do you think that comes with you?

It comes with you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be relentless. Everybody has a quality about them that is very specific and detrimental to them, like their own superpower. My quality has been relentless, pushing through, and getting anything done by any means. Somebody else’s quality may be to be compassionate or understanding to other people around.

I may not be so compassionate. I’m like, “Everybody stop complaining. Get this stuff done.” My mentality has always been like, “Stop complaining. Stop whining and get it done.” Somebody else might be able to go put their hand on somebody’s back and say, “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be all right.” That’s also a superpower. That’s a superpower for them. Everybody is equipped with something that makes them special, whether they know it or not, or whether they have identified it or not, but everybody has it. That, to them, is their superpower.

You will not uncover the secret recipe within you unless you are moving and doing. Share on X

I agree with you. I also think the only way you uncover that is by taking action and not having analysis paralysis, where you overthink so much that you don’t do anything. It is taking action even when you don’t know the answer. It is doing whatever you think is the best thing to do and not stopping. When I was younger, I tried everything. I’m still doing it, and I learn something new about myself every single time. Something good, something bad. I try to work on the bad, and with the good, I double down on it. I do agree with you that you’re not going to uncover what that secret recipe is within you unless you’re outside. You’re activating, moving, and doing.

You’ve got to be identified. No doubt.

That’s good stuff. That’s good. Zack, what do you think?

I wish we could talk about this more, but we’re out of time. We’re going to have to do a part two.

Episode Wrap-up And Closing Words

I watched you from a distance. No joke. I’ve been watching from a distance and seeing you hustle over the years in all these events. You know me because I am in so many different places. I know what that schedule looks like to get up and host this or host that, and being able to have the knowledge and all that stuff. Keep shining. Keep doing your thing. We’ve got to do a part two of this. At some point, they’re going to call you over for cricket. You’ll be doing something else. I’m sure of it. We want to circle back when that time happens. I appreciate you coming on.

Give me that call. Come on.

I’m already thinking.

Don’t forget about me. What are we doing?

Zack is over there taking notes. I am, too. I got some ideas, too. I appreciate you.

This was dope. Let’s talk soon.

Thanks, Christian.

Important Links

• Zack Ellison on LinkedIn
• Zack Ellison on Instagram
• The 7 in 7 Show with Zack Ellison (podcast)
• Applied Real Intelligence (A.R.I.) website
• Shawne Merriman on LinkedIn
• Shawne Merriman on Instagram
• Lights Out Sports TV website
• Lights Out Xtreme Fighting website
• Christian Cosby on LinkedIn
• Christian Cosby on Instagram
• Achieving Enduring Fame: Longevity Secrets In The Entertainment Industry With Bill Bellamy

About Christian Crosby

Christian Crosby: Purpose-Driven Creative, Host, and Entrepreneur

Christian Crosby is a modern renaissance man—an actor, musician, marketer, and media force—anchored by purpose and driven by connection. A native of South Jersey and graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Crosby began his entertainment career at just 17. His on-screen credits include Netflix’s Hustle, Nick Cannon’s Wild ’N Out, and the Emmy Award–winning Abbott Elementary, among others.

Known for his magnetic energy and ability to connect with people across all walks of life, Crosby’s natural charisma shines whether he’s commanding the mic as the in-arena host for the Philadelphia 76ers or leading major events for NBA All-Star Weekend and USA Basketball.

“I was one of the worst basketball players in my friend group,” Crosby laughs. “No one thought I’d ever have a connection to the NBA. But here I am, in the middle of it all.”

That blend of irony, humor, and humility defines Crosby’s approach. His signature style—equal parts authenticity and charm—makes him a standout interviewer, able to draw out genuine, spontaneous moments from anyone. That same energy led to a creative partnership with DJ Jazzy Jeff, culminating in a summer music residency where the pair recorded over 50 songs.

At the heart of Crosby’s journey is his unwavering commitment to positivity and purpose, a value system shaped in part by his homeschooling upbringing. In 2014, he launched LiveLifeNice, an apparel and lifestyle brand created to counteract negativity with kindness. With simple messages like “Call Your Mom” or “Tell Someone You Love Them” stitched into each piece, the brand quickly grew—securing collaborations with KicksUSA, Foot Locker, and the 76ers.

“Nice can change someone’s mood. It can change someone’s day. It can change someone’s life,” Crosby says. “And collectively, it can change the world.”

With over 250,000 subscribers across platforms and millions of monthly impressions, Crosby’s influence continues to grow. But at the core of it all – whether through acting, music, content, or philanthropy – is a deep-rooted belief in living with intent.

“It’s an extension of what my parents taught me,” he says. “Always have a purpose.”

And that purpose continues to guide every move he makes.