Move Swift-LY with Aswand

Aswand Cruickshank is a speaker, educator, author, and workforce development strategist who helps organizations improve team culture, leadership, and hiring systems through sports-based performance principles.
Through Move Swift + LY, he has built programs focused on communication, accountability, discipline, and workforce development—earning attention from educators, business owners, coaches, and organizational leaders looking to build stronger teams.

The Move Swift-LY Workshop teaches every staff member a mentality that lets them deeply understand and appreciate their role in the organization. Furthermore, Aswand implements a system where staff members clarify their capabilities and goals for the company, and pair up with accountability partners who push them out of their comfort zone.

 If you would like to connect with Aswand then search "Aswand Cruickshank" to explore articles, interviews, podcasts, leadership content, and published work online. 

Also, can connect through all his social media platforms below

​Facebook: Aswand Cruickshank
IG: swift_ly44
Linkedin: Aswand Cruickshank



  1. Describe your mentality and some of your journey after graduating from college.
When I graduated from Stony Brook University, my mentality was simple: take everything football had taught me and apply it to life. The commitment, teamwork, discipline, accountability, and drive that helped me compete on the field weren't supposed to stay there—they were meant to become the foundation for my career and my life.
That mindset was tested almost immediately. A few years after graduating, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. I left my hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland, and moved to South Florida without family, without friends, and without a job waiting for me. Most people thought it was a risk. They were right—it was. But football had already taught me that growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone.
Looking back, that leap of faith changed everything. It forced me to build relationships from scratch, embrace uncertainty, and create opportunities instead of waiting for them. Today, whether I'm speaking to organizations, coaching students, writing books, or building businesses, I still approach every challenge the same way I approached football: prepare relentlessly, trust your teammates, stay disciplined, and keep moving forward. The game ended, but the lessons never did.

    2. How did your journey shape identity? 
For years, I identified myself as a football player. Eventually I realized football wasn't my identity—it was my training ground. The discipline, resilience, leadership, and accountability I learned on the field became the foundation for everything I do today. My identity isn't tied to a profession or a title. It's tied to helping people perform at their highest level, regardless of the environment they're in.

   3. As a 6- time author, why is education and literacy so important for athletes? 
As a six-time author, I believe literacy is important because it expands the mind and opens the door to possibilities you never knew existed. Athletes spend thousands of hours training their bodies. However, Reading gives you access to mentors you've never met and ideas that can completely change the direction of your life.
As an athlete, it's natural to become consumed by things that feel urgent—playing time, your position on the depth chart, who showed up to the game, or what the coach thinks of you. Those conversations have their place, but they shouldn't become your entire identity. Literacy keeps your eyes on what's best for your future. It teaches you to think beyond the next game and prepare for the next chapter of your life.
Every book I've written is designed to challenge the way people think about leadership, performance, and personal growth. Athletic ability may open the first door, but education and literacy give you the ability to stay in the room long after your playing career is over.

   4. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Stop worrying so much about proving yourself to everyone else. Invest more time building relationships, learning from mentors, and developing skills that can't be taken away. Your career won't follow a straight line, and that's okay. Every setback will eventually become part of your story if you're willing to keep moving forward.

   5. What level of influence can parents and coaches have on athletes? How can their influence help prepare athletes for life after sports?
Parents and coaches have tremendous influence because they shape how athletes define success. If success is only measured by wins, scholarships, or professional contracts, athletes may struggle when sports end. Great coaches and parents teach character, communication, financial responsibility, leadership, and problem-solving. Those lessons last much longer than championships. The greatest coaches prepare athletes for life, not just the next game.

    6. I always believed athletes are artist, what’s the key for athletes to tap into their creative side?
One of the biggest mistakes I made was specializing too early. I wish I had competed in more sports growing up. Every sport teaches different movements, different ways of thinking, and different ways of solving problems. The more sports you play, the more patterns you begin to recognize.
Whether it's football, basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, or boxing, you'll find common denominators—timing, spacing, leverage, balance, anticipation, and teamwork. Once you start seeing those patterns, your creativity takes off because you're no longer limited by the way one sport teaches you to think.
That lesson extends far beyond athletics. The people who become the most creative leaders, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers are often the ones who learn from a variety of experiences instead of staying in one lane. Don't be afraid to explore. The more perspectives you gain, the more creative you'll become.

   7. What are some ways athletes can venture into sports marketing? Any tips or insight you can share?
Start by telling your story before trying to sell a product. People connect with authenticity more than advertisements. Learn how branding, social media, email marketing, and partnerships work. Volunteer with local organizations, interview people in your sport, create educational content, and focus on building trust. Marketing is simply helping people understand the value you bring. The relationships you build and the value you consistently provide will create opportunities long after your playing career ends.

  8. Looking back at your athletic career, what qualities or experiences have been most valuable in helping you succeed as a business owner?
Discipline has been the biggest advantage. Business isn't about motivation—it's about consistency. Football also taught me how to prepare, accept coaching, recover from failure, and perform under pressure. As a business owner, those lessons show up every single day. Entrepreneurship rewards the people who continue executing long after the excitement wears off.

  9.  Many people say entrepreneurship is like a sport. How do you see the connection between competing as an athlete and building a successful business?
The similarities are everywhere. You need preparation, teamwork, accountability, resilience, and the ability to make adjustments. The biggest difference is that there isn't a scoreboard telling you how you're doing every Friday night. In business, you have to create your own standards of excellence. The entrepreneurs who succeed are usually the ones who embrace delayed gratification and stay committed to the process, just like successful athletes do.

 10. If you encountered a football player who’s just not willing to give up the dream of playing, what advice would you give him.
My advice is simple: keep chasing the dream. Give it everything you have. Train harder, prepare better, and never let anyone convince you to quit on something you truly believe in. But while you're chasing it, document everything. Record your workouts, your failures, your victories, the people you meet, the lessons you learn, and the obstacles you overcome.
Whether you make it to the highest level or not, you'll have something just as valuable—a living blueprint of how to set a goal, commit to it, overcome adversity, and create opportunities for yourself. That blueprint can become a book, a business, a coaching philosophy, or simply a roadmap for the next challenge in your life.
The dream is worth chasing. Just make sure you're capturing the journey along the way. Success isn't only measured by where you end up—it's also measured by what you're able to teach others because you were willing to pursue it.

 11.  Why the word SWIFT-LY?
Swift +LY represents much more than moving fast—it means moving with purpose. Football taught me how to compete, education taught me how to think, and entrepreneurship taught me how to adapt. Swift +LY became the philosophy that connects all three.
It's also an acronym built from the lessons I learned on the football field.
S. stands for “Skilled” Workers—the wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs. They're the playmakers everyone notices. Every organization needs talented people who can produce results.
W I. stands for “Well Informed” Workers—the quarterbacks, linebackers, and tight ends. These are the leaders who understand the bigger picture and put the skilled workers in position to succeed.
F.T. stands for “Front Team” Workers—the offensive and defensive linemen. They're the least celebrated people on the field, but every great team is built because of their work. One of my favorite plays in football is seeing a running back break free for a long touchdown while a wide receiver is blocking downfield. That's a skilled worker doing Front Team work because the team's success matters more than individual recognition.
Finally, +LY means Lift Yourself. Every day is an opportunity to become a better teammate, leader, and person. When everyone commits to lifting themselves, the entire team, business, or organization rises together.
That's what Move Swift +LY is all about—using the lessons of sports to build better leaders, stronger organizations, and people who are committed to growing every single day.