Shannon Sharpe is calling the shots now.

The former NFL player, who is now a commentator and media personality, has found greater security by turning his full attention towards his own media company, Shay Shay Media, and through podcasts such as “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap” featuring former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson. Notably, the Katt Williams interview with “Club Shay Shay” on Jan. 3, 2024, became the most-watched interview in YouTube history, with more than 68 million views.

Sharpe’s accomplishment followed a challenging exit from “Undisputed” after the 2023 NBA finals. During a panel discussion hosted by “The Black Money Tree” podcast, he acknowledges the sacrifices he made for his prior job and how he had to find the light at the end of the tunnel, which inevitably led to his next career breakthrough.

“I’d be lying if I told you I thought I would be where I am right now at this point in time,” he mentioned on the panel. “Did I think it was possible? Yes, but I thought it was going to take me a lot longer than what it actually took me. It’s tough. See, people are like ‘Well Shannon why did you get so emotional?’ If you knew what I put into that job, you would understand it. You see, the greater the expectation, the greater the hurt when it doesn’t work out. I poured so much into that. I gave up everything… It cost me a lot, but someone tweeted me a quote the other day that I said, and I forgot I had said it. I said, ‘The thing that you have to understand is you have to be willing to accept disappointment the same as you accept prosperity.’ So, although I was hurt, I knew the old saying, ‘Sunshine follows rain.'”

Looking back, Sharpe’s departure turned out to be advantageous for him. He emphasizes that he can’t be fired from his current media roles because he holds ownership and prioritizes partnerships over just earning a paycheck.

“It hurt me to lose because I had put so much into that job, and so now I look at it, I say, now I’m no longer talent,” Sharpe added. “You can’t fire me from Shay Shay Media cause I own it. You can’t fire me from ‘Nightcap.’ You can’t fire me from ‘Club Shay Shay’ ’cause I own it. So that’s the way I look at my business now. You’re going to be my partner. You’re no longer just going to cut me a check to do something, we’re in partnership.”