How to Hit a Home Run: The Power of Teamwork and Embracing Roadblocks
In baseball, stepping up to the plate is an individual challenge – but what happens in the clubhouse can be just as important as what happens on the field.
On this episode of REAL TIME, host Shaun Majumder is joined by former Team Canada baseball players Tyson Gillies and Michael Crouse. From competing professionally to appearing together on The Amazing Race Canada and launching their own business, the two have learned firsthand how teamwork, trust and a positive mindset can make all the difference.
Now co-owners of T21 Performance, Gillies and Crouse share how their experiences on and off the field offer valuable lessons that extend to everyday life in real estate.
Rooting for each other
Baseball is a unique team sport. While payers share a common goal, individual performance can determine who earns a spot on the roster.
Crouse describes the challenge of balancing personal ambition with being a supportive teammate. When a player is struggling at the plate, their teammates can’t take those swings for them, but they can help them overcome the mental hurdles that come with failure.
Gillies recalls how his own perspective changed as he progressed through professional baseball. Rather than seeing teammates as competition, he began recognizing how supporting their success could benefit the entire team.
Why would you ever root for somebody's downfall? Once you start having that mindset, it picked everybody up.”
Tyson Gillies
It's a mindset that goes beyond baseball. In real estate, supporting colleagues, sharing expertise and celebrating others' successes can strengthen professional relationships and create opportunities for collaboration.
When things don’t go according to plan
The duo’s teamwork was put to the test during their appearance on The Amazing Race Canada.
Early in the competition, the team’s money was misplaced. With no cash to pay for transportation, they were forced to run 12 kilometres to the next checkpoint. Rather than pointing fingers, they focused on finding a way forward.
Right away, you can sense, right? It's just like, 'Okay, we're in this together.'”
Michael Crouse
For both athletes, overcoming roadblocks was nothing new. Crouse recalls recovering from an injury that kept him out of baseball for nine months, while Gillies reflects on growing up with hearing loss and later navigating serious injuries that affected his professional career.
These experiences have shaped the way they approach business and coaching young athletes.
Failure is part of success. You have to understand that failure, because that's what makes you become that veteran or that leader in the clubhouse, or in real estate.”
Michael Crouse
Building trust through action
After years of playing baseball, travelling together and facing ups and downs together, Gillies and Crouse have built a business founded on shared principles and complementary strengths. Their differences work because they share the same goal and know they can depend on one another.
For us, what makes us work so well is we're both very high-energy guys. We're both very driven, but we are still yin and yang.”
Tyson Gillies
In real estate, these principles reinforce the importance of being dependable, collaborative and genuinely invested in helping clients achieve their goals.
Whether it’s on the baseball diamond, racing across Canada, or working in real estate, a supportive team and a resilient mindset can make a meaningful difference. Listen or watch the full episode of REAL TIME to hear more about their experiences and the lessons they’ve carried into their business.
