Get All Access for $5/mo

How Brian and Michael Orakpo Tackle Business Together Brothers Brian and Michael Oprako shed light on how their experience as athletes prepared them to launch their own businesses.

By David Meltzer

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Former NFL player Brian Orakpo and his brother Michael talk about their recent business ventures, including Athlete Connect and Gigi's Cupcakes, as well as their vision for the future of those businesses. The pair discuss how they strive to separate their family matters and business operations, as well as their views on how to effectively bootstrap a startup.

The brothers and The Playbook host David Meltzer provide insights on when to give away equity in a project and how to be successful when working with your family members, as well as how the best ventures will evolve and expand after their initial launch.

Related: How to Find the Right Job in Sports

David Meltzer

Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, Speaker, Author and Business Coach

David Meltzer, co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and host of Entrepreneur's podcast, “The Playbook”, is a Top 100 Business Coach, global public speaker and three-time international best-selling author who has been honored by Variety as “Sports Humanitarian of the Year”.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

More from The Playbook

This Yogi, Mystic and Founder Explains How to Become One With Everything, Understand Your Destiny and Live a Long Life

How This Water Company Is Helping the Environment by Eliminating Plastic Waste

3 Things Investor Look for When They Hear Your Pitch for the First Time

The Future of Lacrosse and Sports Media With Paul Rabil

Business News

The Most Downloaded News App in the U.S. May Have Published Dozens of Fake, AI-Written Stories

The stories were fake but had real-world consequences for the app's 50 million monthly users.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Business News

She Tracked Her Missing Luggage With an Apple Device — Straight to an Airport Employee's Home

Paola Garcia flew into Terminal 4 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport last month when she noticed her luggage never made it to the carousel — then her Apple Watch started pinging.

Business News

Google's Chief Privacy Officer Announces Sudden Departure Amid Leaked Internal Privacy Documents

Keith Enright has held the position with the company since 2018.

Business News

'Pay Off My Debt' TikToker Explains How Much Money He Made from His Viral Video and the Inspiration for the Trend

Jake Burgett told Entrepreneur how he came up with the idea for the personal finance trend sweeping social media.

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.