Meet Mark Smith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi mark, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor of my success is resilience. I have built both of my careers as a Professor and a Professional Bodybuilding through consistency and persistence. Giving up was never an option as each of these goals were aspirations I was never going to let up on. It took me 15 years of competing against the best armatures in the world to eventually win my IFBB pro card in bodybuilding. The same to become a professor I applied and applied for years with no opportunity until I got a shot at the University I still teach at today University of Advancing Technology. They gave me one class to see how I did and I made sure to make the most of that opportunity. Only a few months later I was full-time and never looked back.

All my success stems from me being consistent in my training, education and lifestyle. This has given me the discipline to never faulter and stay locked in to what my overall goals are I want to achieve. I made it a point to have all the tools needed to achieve whatever goals I set out. For my two careers it was making sure I had my doctorate and two masters degrees in order to have the expertise needed to be a professor. For bodybuilding it was building the size, density and definition needed to advance to the professional ranks of bodybuilding. Both are long term commitments and goals that you cannot take lightly or treat as a hobby.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m very proud to be a Senior Professor at University of Advancing Technology. Teaching is my passion and I love what I do and could never see myself getting tired of it. Being a professor is a privilege I do not take that lightly as I look at every students success with a set of personal responsibility to do my very best to ensure they enjoy their education experience and get the most out of my teaching. The students are gracious enough to validate my efforts in the semesterly comments I get to read each semester. These are priceless to me and really let me know that I’m doing a good job by them.

Even though I feel my passion for teaching and philosophy in life that everyone I interact with is positivity effected from knowing me is what I would like to be known for. The real most memorable thing that sets me apart as a professor is my other career as a IFBB professional bodybuilder. Having a doctorate, being a professor, and having a professional level physique for bodybuilding makes me a walking contradiction to brain Vs. brawn as I possess both. I used to shy away from the professor muscle persona that was always thrusted on me because of my large muscular stature but I eventually embraced it as an easy way for people to remember me.

Achieving the position of Senior Professor and earning my IFBB professional status was a very time consuming an challenging venture. Becoming a IFBB pro was much harder then becoming a professor as only a single digit percentage of bodybuilders earn this. An even smaller percentage have any success in the professional circuit which I have had thus far. To give context I started competing in bodybuilding at 17. I won my first local amateur show when I was 23. I won my first national amateur show when I was 35 and I turned professional at 36. I never took a break or stopped competing it simply took me that long to build the physique needed to be a competitive professional. Bodybuilding is a marathon not a race and most never get very far in it.

Now I do not want to portray becoming a professor as easy because it’s not. I have over 10 years of higher education completing a Bachelors in Business Management, an MBA, a Masters in Leadership and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Also, just getting the education doesn’t guarantee you a shot at being a professor. That is just the credentials you need to do the job. Keep in mind getting the opportunity to teach at the University level with no experience is like winning to lottery and I got lucky that they gave me a shot. I knew that I needed to make the most of my adjunct opportunity and I did and put everything I have into it which yielded a full-time position and now a Senior professor position.

What I have learned through my venture and successes is that you need to make the most of every opportunity that is presented to you. Even if you don’t feel ready or fully prepared you need to take the jump and put everything into and figure it out. Success and finishing your goals are not going to wait for you to feel comfortable and ready. You need to take the risk and bet on yourself in order to achieve and get to where you want to go.

I want the world to know me Dr. Mark “The Shark” Smith as proof you can be great at more then one thing. I also want my message of enriching everyone’s lives that you come in contact with.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a major shoutout to my Wife Rene’ Smith. She has been a beacon of light and kindness in my life that was very much needed during some difficult times. She is the single reason I feel complete and can love again.

Website: http://www.drmarktheshark.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.mark_the_shark/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mark-smith/

Twitter: NO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mark.the.shark17/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzzk-9Mvz5uoepAdUiAKugQ

Other: https://www.uat.edu/faculty-at-university-of-advancing-technology