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Super Bowl 50 is here, and as the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers face off, there are some great business lessons you can learn from this year’s big game.

1. Age is Nothing but a Number

You’re never too young OR old to do what you love. Okay, maybe football isn’t the best example, since starting quarterback for the Broncos, Peyton Manning, is considered very OLD for football, at a whopping 39 YEARS old. But the age difference Manning and Cam Newton, starting quarterback for the Panthers, is 13 years and 48 days. It is the biggest age difference between starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers’ receiver, Devin Funchess, was just 4 months old when Peyton Manning played in his first game at the University of Tennessee in September of 1994.

The fact that these players are all starting in the same Super Bowl just goes to show you that age is nothing but a number. You’re never too old or too young to start a business that you believe in.

2. Don’t Burn Your Business Bridges

While technically there are no former Panthers on the Broncos and no former Broncos on the Panthers, many college teammates will face off with each other in Super Bowl 50.

• Broncos offensive guard Evan Mathis and Panthers safety Roman Harper were teammates at Alabama from 2002 to 2004.
• Broncos left tackle Ryan Harris and Panthers long snapper J.J. Jansen were teammates at Notre Dame in 2005 and 2006.
• Broncos offensive tackle Michael Schofield and Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess were teammates at Michigan in 2012 and 2013.
• Broncos defensive tackle Sylvester Williams and Panthers safety Tre Boston were teammates at North Carolina in 2011 and 2012.
• Broncos safety T.J. Ward and Panthers running back Ed Dickson were teammates at Oregon from 2006 to 2009. And both were teammates with Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart in 2006 and 2007.
• Broncos center Sam Brenner and Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei were teammates at Utah from 2010 to 2012.
• Broncos linebacker Corey Nelson and Panthers offensive guard Daryl Williams were teammates at Oklahoma from 2011 to 2013.
• Broncos edge-rusher Shane Ray and Panthers defensive lineman Kony Ealy were teammates at Missouri in 2012 and 2013.
• Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby was a teammate of Panthers offensive guard Andrew Norwell 2011 to 2012 and a teammate of Panthers receiver Philly Brown from 2011 to 2013. (source)

So what does this show us about business? In the business world, you never know who is going to be meaningful to you in the future. Every person you meet or engage with presents an opportunity, so always be polite, cordial, and positive with each one of them. Although all of these players are facing off AGAINST each other, next year they could be on the same team! When networking, you want to build as many bridges as you can. Always keep people in mind for future projects and connections, nothing is worth cutting someone off completely.

3. Success is in the Eye of the Beholder

As a franchise, the Denver Broncos have the most Super Bowl losses in NFL history (five losses). However, they already have two Super Bowl wins, something only 11 other teams have done. AND, if they win Super Bowl 50, they will be only the ninth team to have at least three Super Bowl wins (source). So depending on how you look at it, they either have a horrible record, or a pretty good one.

The same ideology can be applied in business. You can dwell on the things you failed at, or you can focus on your successes. Personally, I’m a glass half full kind of girl, so I think celebrating your wins makes all the difference in how you move forward in the business world.

4. Never Give Up!

You’ve probably heard it over and over again, never give up on your dream. But as just a reminder, listen to the story of Mike Remmers, starting right tackle for the Carolina Panthers:

He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent was signed by the Denver Broncos back in 2012. The Panthers are the FIFTH team he's played on. Before coming to Carolina, he was on the St. Louis Rams PRACTICE squad.

If that doesn’t scream tenacity, I don’t know what does! When you feel like giving up on your business dream, just remember that you could end up in the business Super Bowl one day.

5. Superstitions Sometimes Matter

Last but not least, you may have noticed that every other year the Super Bowl’s numbers have been in Roman numerals, but this year it’s the number 50. Well, that’s because 50 in Roman numerals is a big capital L. After doing a lot of market research, the bigwigs at the NFL found out that most people associate a capital L with loser, losing, or loss. So that’s why it’s a 50 this year. So the lesson we can learn from this, is sometimes, you just have to go with your gut feeling, and maybe even do something silly just because that’s what the public wants!

Here’s hoping you can learn something from Super Bowl 50, and we hope you have a great Super Bowl Sunday!