Meet the man Tom Brady described as ‘most influential’ in his life

Tom Brady was just 18 when he first started working with life coach Greg Harden. 

Super-talented but shy and uncertain, he had sought out Harden to help him make the grade in pro football.

Harden’s response was telling.

“Why should I believe in you,” he asked the teenager, “if you don’t believe in yourself?”

Three decades later, Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion and a bona fide NFL legend who describes Harden as “one of the most influential people” in his life and career.

In his first book, “Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive” (Blackstone), Greg Harden reveals what made Brady, as well as 120 Olympians from 20 countries, 50 NFL First-round draft picks and some of the biggest names in sport seek his transformative services.

It’s not exactly been an overnight success, though. 

Harden was in his early twenties when he realized he possessed a rare talent for working with people.

“For reasons beyond my comprehension, folks seemed to believe that my opinion and advice was useful,” Harden tells The Post. 

“The gift I had received was the ability to see and to read people better than most.” 

From working on personal development programs with students at the University of Michigan to helping major corporations manage troubled employees, Harden then turned his attention to helping athletes become “peak performers.” 

“The magic, if you can call it that, was transferring all I had done and then go beyond physical training to embrace mental health and fitness as an advanced formula for developing high performance.  

Today, Harden’s client list reads like a who’s who of sporting greats, including Brady and 23-time swimming Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps. 

“Who knew that Tom Brady would become ‘Tom Brady’?” says Harden.

“What an outstanding career that stood the test of time, controversy, losses, injuries, doubters, haters and the curse and blessings of stardom.  

“I am so proud of who and what he became.”

“What I learned from Greg is still a part of who I am today,” writes Brady. 

“The world needs more Greg Hardens.”