Bret's Journey
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WHO IS HEDi? Bret Hedican is “HEDi.”
The brand, and the man.
We could tell you Bret Hedican is a friend, father, husband, son, brother, cousin, Stanley Cup Champion, and two-time Olympian. But you could find most of that on Wikipedia.
So, instead we’re just going to tell you Bret Hedican is passionate. Like really, really, passionate. The sort of passionate that can make you drink too much. Probably tequila or maybe espresso martinis. The sort of passionate that can keep two or three plates spinning all at the same time. The sort of passionate that borders on obsession, and would make a Labrador tired.
On any given day, odds are that Bret Hedican is excited about something. And Hedi has the kind of infectious energy that can galvanize a team. If he’s focused on a goal in front of him, he’ll go get it.
But Bret wasn’t always the leader he is today. During Bret’s 20-year NHL career he played over 1,000 games. One of the biggest lessons hockey taught him was to always be genuine. It was a lesson Bret had to learn the hard way, as he didn’t always feel comfortable in his own skin lacking confidence early in his career.
It was only once Bret began to think about who he was and what he stood for that everything changed.
Years of physical and mental reps, and plenty of self-talk shaped the 5 ingredients that make Bret who he is today. And it’s these attributes that brand HEDi is built on.
Humility.
Humility is having the curiosity to pursue incremental improvement. To want to learn, and to know you don’t have all the answers. Humility is the realization that all of this, is a lot bigger than me.
Character.
Character is the contribution and effort we make, the responsibility we take, and the leadership we show. Simply put, character is doing what you say you’re going to do and owning the outcome.
Selflessness—M.O.B.
M.O.B.—Make Others Better. Greatness happens when we’re more concerned with the people around us and their success than our own and have a willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team.
Respect & Love.
Dig deep enough and you’ll see the cornerstone of any winning environment is rooted in these two words. Respect and love don’t happen overnight, they take time to grow. They are earned. It’s respect and love that separate great environments from not-so-great environments.
Guess it makes sense a guy with a value system rooted in humility and a desire to wander the world because it’s bigger than he is would create a backpack built to reveal your character, defining moments, and the contributions you’ve made along the way.
Everyone has a story, and the story gets better the more curious we are. That’s Bret. That’s HEDi.
