Future Friday: Q&A with Robbie Reid
4/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 8, 2016
Robbie Reid
After representing the block M with pride while they competed for the Maize and Blue, our student-athlete alumni have gone off to become professionals in different areas of their lives. Whether they continued on in their sport, helped to build up a company or started a family, they are building a future. They are building our future. As they leave the University of Michigan campus they go forth with all they learned here to create a better future for us all.
After playing baseball and basketball at BYU and a two-year, Latter-day Saints mission to Greece, Robbie Reid moved to the Ann Arbor campus in the fall of 1997 as a junior at the University of Michigan to once again take up the role of a dual-sport student-athlete.
Along with being accepted into the Ross Business School, the 1997-98 school year was riddled with moments that would last a lifetime for Reid. They included a 25-9 record, 12 weeks ranked in the AP poll, a huge Big Ten victory over Indiana and winning the inaugural Big Ten Tournament (later vacated).
Reid is a Michigan man to the core and continued to excel after graduation with a professional basketball career in Europe, as a New York financial analyst working brutal hours on Wall Street, a MBA student at Harvard, a hedge fund analyst and now a business owner.
Reid has worked hard his entire life and his return has been rich in achievements, pride and success.
Q. What did the University of Michigan mean to you?
A. The University of Michigan was an incredibly valuable experience and meant growth and development for me on and off the court. Athletically, I was blessed to be on successful baseball and basketball teams that won games and did so with all the dignity and sportsmanship that playing for Michigan demands. Away from the field of competition, I was challenged academically in the Ross School of Business, and developed friendships that continue to this day. In short, Michigan gave me a powerful educational foundation that launched me into the working world with the skills to succeed.
Q. What are some of your fondest memories from Michigan away from the court?
A. I was blessed with great baseball and basketball coaches and teammates, so I always felt like I was around friends and people who genuinely cared about my growth and development away from the court. And because I spent so much time with baseball and basketball, there wasn't much time away from the court that wasn't spent in the classroom or at the library. But I loved the challenge of Michigan academics, so I loved studying in the library and walking around the beautiful campus in the fall with some good tunes in my headphones. I also enjoyed meeting with church friends on campus to talk about our common challenges with learning and life and love. Being social with my teammates and school friends was important to me, so I loved going out on the weekends and hanging out at the football games and taking in the incredible tailgating experiences.
Q. After your mission you chose to play your final two seasons with Michigan, what was the draw to Ann Arbor?
A. I had four important criteria: academics, baseball, basketball and my spiritual development. Michigan excelled in each of these areas. I loved the returning nucleus on the basketball team, and the coaches really went out their way to make me feel needed and wanted. Coach (Geoff) Zahn was a lefty like me on the baseball field, and shared my vision to continue playing in the field and throwing out of the bullpen. The undergrad Ross business program was ranked No. 1 according to U.S. News and World Report while I was there, so I was incredibly excited about the potential business acumen I would gain.
Q. In basketball, what was the strength of your game?
A. I think being a competitor with a zest for winning was my best skill. That translated to doing whatever I could to help my teammates and coaches exploit our advantages game-to-game. In basketball, I tried to play great defense and be a leader by example in terms of effort and hustle. From there, it was making the right pass at the right time and hitting timely shots. I also continue to pride myself on my play in the postseason. In my three NCAA Tournament games I had 17, 18 and 19 points on 20-of-32 from the field, including 14-of-21 from three and was named the Chevy Player of the Game against Davidson.
Q. Any memorable basketball moments?
A. Winning the inaugural Big Ten Tournament was certainly the biggest highlight. It was made extra special by the fact my dad was in attendance. As a basketball coach, he had few opportunities to see me play in person during the season, so the fact he could be there and watch me play live and go 10-for-15 from three was a moment I won't soon forget. Playing Bob Knight and his Hoosiers in Bloomington on CBS Sunday afternoon was a childhood dream come true. I had friends come out for the game and hanging out before the game the night before was pretty surreal to trace the path from Spanish Fork, Utah, to that hallowed basketball arena in Bloomington, Indiana. Hitting my first home run at Bowling Green was also a pretty special moment. The wind was blowing straight out, so when I launched the ball high into the air, I think it took a couple days for the ball to land.
Q. Are you still in touch with the members of that team?
A. Of course! I still check in regularly with Louis Bullock, Travis Conlan, Maceo Baston and Brandon Smith, as well as our managers Steve Grialou and Josh Stoler. I miss the late Robert Traylor.
From left: Louis Bullock, Darius Taylor, Robbie Reid
Q. Do you follow the program today?
A. I do follow the program, and I couldn't be more proud and excited at the state of Michigan basketball. Coach (John) Beilein has done a masterful job rebuilding the program and the last several years of success are a testament to his skill and artistry.
Q. You recently returned for the 100th anniversary, what was that like?
A. It was truly special. From the moment I arrived at the Crisler Center, Coach Beilein and his staff made sure that I was welcome and knew they were excited to have me back on campus. The events they organized were first class, and having the chance to connect with so many Michigan basketball alum was amazing. The new facilities and upgrades to the Crisler Center were impressively jaw dropping. Hanging around practice brought back a flood of good memories, and seeing a huge upset win over a very good Purdue team was icing on the cake.
Q. Can you discuss what you have been doing professionally for the last few years?
A. I have been in the private equity world the last several years, mostly on the operation side. I enjoy finding the tension points in businesses, and working with the people and processes necessary to design a plan for improvement and then oversee its execution.
Q. You have started your own company -- orbz -- how did that come about?
A. It was an idea born in conversation with friends. How do we create an energy product so we get all the energy we need, but without the unhealthy ingredients or side effects? We discussed some options and I decided to run with the idea from there. I like to tell people that anyone who has taken a warm shower has a good business idea. But are you willing to take the risk to execute on your idea? That's the hard part. I founded orbz with a unique appreciation for the importance of a powerful burst of energy in all kinds of circumstances. As a high school valedictorian, an intensely-focused student-athlete playing both basketball and baseball at the University of Michigan, a professional basketball player in Europe, a New York financial analyst working on Wall Street, a MBA student at Harvard and a hedge fund analyst involved in millions of dollars of investment, I think I understand that there are times when you need an extra burst of energy to perform your best. But that extra push shouldn't come at the expense of doing harm to your body. So I founded orbz with one simple mission: to promote lives filled with healthy energy. And that extends beyond individual performance to helping create opportunities for others to have powerful, life-changing and high-energy experiences. For more, check out www.energyorbz.com or order us on Amazon!
Q. Are you still actively playing?
A. Yes. I try to get up and down the court at least a couple times a week. I have a couple pick-up runs I hit, and then I put a team in the Utah Pro-Am every summer, and am looking forward to that starting up again in June.
Q. Any other hobbies you into at the moment?
A. I'm passionate about a lot of things in life. I love music and hit a few concerts every month with my brother, mostly indie and alternative stuff that he writes about on his blog. I do Bikram yoga regularly and love the combination of meditative properties and keeping my body limber enough to still be a threat on the court. I golf when it's not snowing in Utah, and love getting on the course with my dad and brothers. I also enjoy taking guitar lessons from my good buddy at his school -- Rock University. Working on some Pete Yorn and Ryan Adams joints at the moment. I'm a big film fan, and get a package of tickets to the Sundance Film festival every year, as well as always watching new releases in the theatre, and putting on old black and white films when I'm home.
The 2015-16 academic year marks the 150th anniversary of Michigan Athletics. We invite the University of Michigan family to celebrate the passion that fuels us, rediscover the stories and traditions that unite us, and imagine what the future holds for us. We look forward to celebrating "This Michigan of Ours." To share a memory of Michigan Athletics, please fill out our online form or email goblue150@umich.edu.
