Peter Del Borrello: When Family Betrayal Tests Your Pro Mindset

I've sat across from NFL players who've faced career-ending injuries, entrepreneurs who've lost everything, and leaders navigating impossible choices. But my recent conversation with New Jersey Councilman Peter Del Borrello reminded me that some of life's biggest moments happen far from any stage—they happen right at home.

Peter's story isn't one you hear every day. In 2016, he discovered his oldest brother had been embezzling from their family business. Not just stealing money—systematically dismantling everything his father had built over decades. Peter was the best man at his brother's wedding. He was godfather to his children. And in one phone call, that entire reality shattered.

What struck me most wasn't the betrayal itself, though that's devastating enough. It was what Peter did next. He had every right to become bitter and resentful, to let that darkness consume him. Instead, he made a choice—the kind of choice that separates those who survive adversity from those who transform because of it.

Peter told me something that stuck: "You can't let it control you." His brother Chris and he lost nearly everything. Their income plummeted. Their father lost most of what he'd worked for. But Peter found something more valuable than what was taken—he found his purpose in service.

Today, Peter serves his community with a conviction you rarely see. He attends fifteen to twenty events a week, not to glad-hand or collect votes, but to genuinely help people. When constituents start conversations with "I didn't vote for you, but I need help," Peter doesn't flinch. His response? "My job is still to serve you."

This is Pro Mindset^® in action—rewriting your story when life tears up the script, raising your standards when it would be easier to lower them, and winning on your stage even when that stage looks nothing like what you imagined.

Peter's still writing his story. His brother never truly apologized. The wounds in his family may never fully heal. But Peter chose not to let that define him. He chose service over resentment, purpose over pain.

That's the thing about adopting a Pro Mindset—it's not about avoiding hardship. It's about what you do when hardship finds you, especially when it comes from the people closest to you. Peter's stage isn't a football field or a boardroom. It's his community, his constituents, and his own family dinner table.

And he shows up. Every single day.

That's what I call winning your stage.

To hear more from Peter DelBorello’s Pro Mindset^® Podcast, click here or search on your favorite podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

📲 Connect with Peter:

📸 Instagram: @councilman_peter_delborrello

📲 Facebook: @Councilman Peter Del Borrello III

🤝 LinkedIn: @Peter M. Del Borrello III

🐤 X: @councilmanDell

📢 Ready to transform adversity into your greatest asset? Peter's story proves that your biggest moments aren't always the ones you choose—sometimes they choose you. What matters is how you show up when everything falls apart. If you're facing your own version of betrayal, loss, or unexpected hardship and want to learn how to rewrite your story instead of being written off by it, the Pro Mindset^® Coaching Program will give you the framework and accountability to rise above.

I'll help you identify what's controlling you, raise your standards when it would be easier to lower them, and transform the way you show up—not just in crisis, but every single day.

👉 Learn more at https://craigdomann.com/Coaching

📖 Get the framework that transforms pain into purpose. The principles Peter and I discussed—choosing service over resentment, refusing to let circumstances control you, and finding purpose in your darkest moments—are the same ones I teach in my book Pro Mindset^®: Be Your Best In Your Biggest Moments.

This book will show you how to rewrite your story when life tears up the script, work your systems to build resilience that can't be shaken, and win on your stage no matter what adversity comes your way. Peter's journey from family betrayal to servant leadership is living proof that these principles work.

👉Order now by emailing Craig at Craig.ProMindset@gmail.com. Cost $15.99. Mention that you read the blog and Craig will personalize a note to you or someone you love and/or respect. Craig Domann, Pro Mindset Podcast, Sports, NFL agent, Mindset coaching, Sports psychology, Mental toughness training, Athletic mindset, Peak performance mindset, Visualization techniques, Self-belief training, Mental resilience, Pro Mindset, Performance mindset, Athlete mental training, Sports mindset coaching, Mental performance coach, Identity gap, Rewrite your story, Performance bubble, How to develop mental toughness like NFL players, Pro Mindset training for athletes, Craig Domann mindset coaching, NFL mindset training techniques, How to build unshakeable confidence, Mental training for college athletes, Sports psychology for peak performance, Visualization & Mental Training, Visualization for athletes, Mental rehearsal techniques, Sports visualization training, Pre-game mental preparation, Mental imagery for performance, Building athletic confidence, Overcoming self-doubt in sports, Confident athlete mindset, Self-belief training methods, Mental confidence building, Overcoming sports adversity, Resilience training for athletes, Comeback mindset, Mental toughness after injury, Athletic resilience building, Performing under pressure, Clutch performance mindset, Pressure situations in sports, Big moment preparation, Competition anxiety management, College athlete mindset, Professional athlete psychology, Young athlete mental training, Student athlete performance, Elite athlete mindset, Youth sports psychology, Coaching mental toughness, Parent athlete support, Sports parent guidance, Athletic development mindset, Executive mindset training, High performance psychology, Business athlete mindset, Leadership mental toughness, Professional peak performance, Mindset podcast, Sports psychology podcast, Mental training tips, Mindset coaching techniques, Athletic success stories, Performance improvement strategies, NFL mindset training, Professional sports psychology, Elite ProMindset, PeterDelBorrello, CraigDomann, FamilyBetrayal, OvercomingAdversity, RewriteYourStory, ServantLeadership, PoliticsWithPurpose, ResilienceThroughCrisis, RaiseYourStandards, WinYourStage, ProMindsetPodcast, Mindset, EmotionalResilience, ChooseService, PurposeOverPain, LeadershipThroughLoss, IntegrityInAction, TransformingAdversity, CounselingInTheCar, NewJerseyPolitics, FamilyFirst, Forgiveness, CharacterBuilding, IntentionalLiving, Peter Del Borrello, politician, and Earn Your Outcome