This week’s episode of How Success Happens is quite the banger, thanks to a man who has delivered his fair share of hits on the field for the San Francisco 49ers.
I sat down with tight end superstar George Kittle and his wife, entrepreneur and influencer Claire Kittle, in Pittsburgh, PA, site of the NFL Draft Day 2026. Our chat was set up by U.S. Bank, the official bank and wealth management partner of the NFL. Their partnership focuses on helping players win off the field through the U.S. Bank Financial Edge program, which delivers financial education and guidance throughout a player’s career. As U.S. Bank’s President of Wealth Management Scott Ford put it, “We’re proud to have a program built to support players throughout the full arc of their careers—from the beginning to life after football.”
There may be no better example of people who are planning for sustained success than George and Claire. George has become one of the most prominent and entertaining personalities in the NFL. He has had multiple 1,000-yard seasons and All-Pro selections, and has the third-most receiving yards in 49ers franchise history, behind Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. Off the field, he co-founded Tight End University and serves as creative director of football at apparel company Chubbies. Claire has built her own thriving career as an influencer, content creator, and model (see her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover), connecting with fans through YouTube and Instagram.
George and Claire do not take any aspect of their success for granted. Watch or listen to our chat to get their playbook and read on for key insights so you can start scoring your own wins in three, two, one!
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Three Key Insights
1. When You Win, It’s Time to Work Twice as Hard
George told me that the biggest mistake people make after that first big win—whether it’s a contract, a promotion, or a big client—is thinking they’ve arrived. “Anybody can be successful once or for a couple of days,” he said. “When you find that first sense of success and you’re feeling yourself, that’s when you work twice as hard so you can continue to experience that.” Claire sees it the same way, adding that the opportunities his on-field success creates off the field are “incredible,” but only if you keep treating the work like a privilege, not a guarantee.
Takeaway: The moment you taste success, double down on your preparation, so your next big break feels like a repeat performance, not a lucky bounce.
2. Quiet the Noise, Tighten Your Circle
George was brutally honest about how easy it is to lose your edge when life gets noisy. For him, the key is avoiding “lifestyle mistakes” that follow you into the building and making sure you have a small, trusted circle that keeps you grounded. Claire told me that having that inner circle is just as important off the field, saying that being around “big-time games and big-time business people” can be surreal, so they make a point of looking around, soaking it in, and staying grateful instead of getting distracted by the hype. Together, they use that tight circle to keep each other humble, focused, and ready for the next challenge.
Takeaway: Audit your life for unnecessary noise and build a small circle that keeps you grounded and grateful, not distracted by your own highlight reel.
3. Reset Fast and Choose Your Fate
George opened up about crushing sports anxiety in college, and how it almost kept him from playing at all. A sports psychologist had him draw a big red reset button on his wrist tape so that after every play—good or bad—he’d physically hit it to flush the previous moment, a ritual he still uses today with a Joker tattoo on his arm. Claire brings a sharper-edged pep talk to those moments. As she put it, “You’ve been training forever for this moment. Go out and seize it or they’re gonna have it. You choose your fate.” That simple line—choose your fate—has become a shared mantra they lean on in everything from playoff games to business decisions.
Takeaway: Create a simple reset ritual and a bold one-line mantra—like “You choose your fate”—so you can let go fast and step into big moments like you actually belong there.
Subscribe to the free How Success Happens Newsletter for weekly inspiration.
Two Free Resources to Learn More
- Follow the power couple on Instagram at @gkittle and @clairekittle, and learn more about U.S. Bank’s Financial Edge program at usbank.com/about-us-bank.
- Dive deeper into the power of mindset and find out how Steph Curry used being overlooked early in his career as a powerful motivator.
One Question to Ponder
What’s one mistake, setback, or disappointment you’re still carrying that you need to flush so you can fully show up for what’s next?
Send your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com, and we may read it on a future episode.
About How Success Happens
Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.
This week’s episode of How Success Happens is quite the banger, thanks to a man who has delivered his fair share of hits on the field for the San Francisco 49ers.
I sat down with tight end superstar George Kittle and his wife, entrepreneur and influencer Claire Kittle, in Pittsburgh, PA, site of the NFL Draft Day 2026. Our chat was set up by U.S. Bank, the official bank and wealth management partner of the NFL. Their partnership focuses on helping players win off the field through the U.S. Bank Financial Edge program, which delivers financial education and guidance throughout a player’s career. As U.S. Bank’s President of Wealth Management Scott Ford put it, “We’re proud to have a program built to support players throughout the full arc of their careers—from the beginning to life after football.”
There may be no better example of people who are planning for sustained success than George and Claire. George has become one of the most prominent and entertaining personalities in the NFL. He has had multiple 1,000-yard seasons and All-Pro selections, and has the third-most receiving yards in 49ers franchise history, behind Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. Off the field, he co-founded Tight End University and serves as creative director of football at apparel company Chubbies. Claire has built her own thriving career as an influencer, content creator, and model (see her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover), connecting with fans through YouTube and Instagram.
