Corey Dissin Is Teaching Life and Business Through the Discipline of the Ring

Rooted in a lifelong love of boxing and the underdog mentality, Corey Dissin has built a philosophy where consistency, structure, and humility matter more than hype. Through his book GOING THE DISS‑TANCE and his straight‑talk coaching style, he helps entrepreneurs and high performers who aren’t broken—but exhausted—install better habits, sharper routines, and a stronger fight plan for life. Drawing lessons from the ring, Corey reminds people that real wins come from showing up daily, taking hits without ego, and moving forward one round at a time.

Hi Corey, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us again. You’ve built a career blending branding, performance coaching, and your lifelong love of boxing. When did you first realize that the ring wasn’t just a sport for you — it was a philosophy you could build a life and business around?
I’m not ashamed to admit that my affinity for the sweet science of boxing and the underdog mentality was born from the Rocky movies. And I’m old enough to remember seeing them in the movie theater when they originally came out. I mean what’s not to love about Rocky?  Philly guy. Check. Tough guy. Check. Underdog. Check. Hard worker. Check. Overcoming adversity. Check.

Your new book, GOING THE DISS-TANCE, breaks success into “10 rounds.” Which round do you think people struggle with the most, and why?
That’s a tough call because each of the rounds reveals a very important life lesson, but if I have to pick one, I would say the round that talks about being consistent.  A lot of attention spans are so short and patience is so thin, that folks continue to aimlessly float from one shiny object to another, spraying and praying for the next big that that will hand them the win that they think they’re entitled to.  The ability to stick with doing small things, ridiculously well, for a sustained period of time is a skill that is life-changing.

You’ve said many high-performers aren’t broken — they’re tired. What are some of the first signs that someone needs a new “fight plan,” and how do you help them reset before they burn out?
I see this all the time.  People that are excellent in their performing their service or craft but they are stalled because they made the mistake of leaning in too hard into the idea that proficiency is what drives the success.  The reality is everywhere you throw a rock, there is someone that is “good” at what they do.  What separates the wheat from the chaff are those that are successful IRRESPECTIVE of that.  Those that rock an iron-clad routine.  Those who know how to manage their time. Those with a thick skin.  Those that are unapologetically relentless in their pursuit of their goals and dreams.  New goals require new habits, systems, and an upgraded mindset.  That is what we work to install starting day one.

Your coaching approach is part grit, part structure, and part straight-talk Philly honesty. For someone stepping into your corner for the first time, what does that experience actually look like?
I’m not your typical stuffed-shirt academic that’s going to recite what I read in a book or absorbed in a lecture.  I LIVED what I teach.  I’m LIVING PROOF that what I teach works because I talk the talk AND walk the walk. Although I have achieved a certain level of success, I am a huge proponent of “If I can do it, you can do it.”

When you couple that attitude with my allergy to complacency and wasted talent, you get a powerful but pragmatic approach to push beyond your limits and win in your life and career.

With all that said, those who choose to “Go Get It” with me can expect one-on-one guidance that consists of bi-weekly calls and as-needed text, email, or DM access to me throughout the entire time.

Boxing legends like George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Tim Witherspoon have shaped your mindset. What’s one lesson from the boxing world that you think every entrepreneur or leader needs to hear right now?
When the production company I worked at was based out of Infinity Broadcasting in Philly, my office used to be right next door to the office of legendary radio host John Debella.  He would often be a spectator to the shenanigans that took place with me and the other radio station employees.  One time, a skinny sales guy challenged me to an arm wrestling match.  John was in earshot of that challenge, and he thought it was so absurd that this little guy thought he could hang with me that he decided to turn it into an on-air bit.  We had “ring entrances” with music.  It was a hype fest for sure.  Long story short, I buried that guy’s arm in like two seconds.  After the show, I confidently told John, “If you ever want to win money, bet on me in arm wrestling. I’ve never lost.”

Fast forward around 6 months later, John called me into his office.  He said “Do you remember what you told me about arm wrestling?”  I, of course responded “Hell yeah.”  He then said, “You’re gonna arm wrestle the guy on the back of that book today on the show.”   When I saw the book, my jaw dropped.  It was George Foreman!

Well I sat in the studio when John was interviewing George and I was in AWE.  George was a mountain of a man. . . his knuckles looked like walnuts!

At the end of the interview, John said to George, “Have you ever met someone who said they couldn’t be beaten at anything?”  Here’s where the lesson comes in. . .George said “The guy who said that is either real young or real dumb.”  (George was alluding to when he said something similar prior to his bout with Muhammad Ali and Ali famously knocked George out.)

The moral of the story is there’s a fine line between confident and cocky, and you should be humble enough not to flirt with it.

You talk a lot about learning to take a hit — professionally and personally. What’s one setback from your own journey that taught you how to “keep moving forward,” Rocky-style?
At one point early in my career, the production company owner told me I had to start finding new clients to justify paying me my growing salary.  When I was unexpectedly thrust from being a creative producer into sales, I had to get used to being told “no” a million times more than I would hear “yes.”  That calloused my mind and forced me to take the daily actions necessary without emotion because I was not always going to get a positive result.

With your expanded coaching services, who is the ideal person to work with you right now — and what kind of transformation do you hope they walk away with after a few rounds together?
Entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals who are good at what they do — but stuck. Stuck in careers that aren’t going anywhere. Stuck knowing they’re capable of more but unsure how to make it happen. Stuck drowning in overwhelm, disorganization, overthinking, and procrastination. Stuck in life. They don’t need another pep talk. They need a wake-up call. A reality check. A system built on discipline, consistency, and execution — one that demands results and doesn’t let them quit when the going gets tough.  After a few rounds with me, that’s just what they get.  A process to scale their own personal Mount Everest without focusing on the summit, but concentrating on their feet, taking one step at a time.

You’ve been behind the scenes helping others build brands for 25+ years. How does it feel to step more into the spotlight yourself with this book, coaching expansion, and media outreach?
Although behind the scenes as a production company VP, I was still the face and the voice of the company, so being center-stage is nothing new.  Now I’m just on my own stage.  It’s like the being in the same corporation, but now I’m just in a different department.

What’s next in your corner — more books, more coaching, or something new you’re training for?
I’ve been fortunate to have had a successful career that has spanned over 3 decades.  I’ll always being doing something to help people in some capacity, but my aspirations of scale and manifest destiny are in the rear-view mirror. It’s a blessing that I’ve reached a level where I get to schedule my work around my life and not the other way around. My “next” is nothing fancy.  Keep the rent paid, the fridge full, and gas in the car. Spend as much time with my wife, my kids, and hopefully soon, their kids.