The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Last week I had a friend reach out who was applying for a cool job with a professional sports team. Since I really like and respect this person, and I know people at the professional sports team, I volunteered to reach out on their behalf to my friends at the team and put in a good word.  Now, I didn’t bring this up to show off my altruistic nature and overall good dudedness. I bring this up because something very interesting happened, something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about ever since.  My conversation with my friend in pro sports, led me to wonder… Is Networking Dead? Here is the scene. I reach out to my friend, a former guest on the show by the way, and I tell them the details – got a friend in the final round, they’re great, wonderful addition to your team, hard-worker, experienced, can you put in a good word with the hiring manager? Their response: “Hey Brian, normally I would do this for you in a heartbeat, your friend seems like a wonderful candidate. But just two weeks ago there was a new company policy instituted whereby no employee can discuss or advocate for candidates to a hiring manager. The goal is to remove bias, and create a truly inclusive staff without favoritism, nepotism or cronyism. By keeping the process devoid of influence, we believe we will be stronger throughout our organization.” Ok, process that for a second.  My initial thought was…good for you and your organization.  I’ve long been an advocate of D, E & I – but have always wondered how it will happen, how do we do it?   I talked with Vincent Pierson who at the time was the Director of D, E, I at MiLB, and asked, this is all wonderful in theory but what do we do? Like, how does this become a reality? I’ve asked Kali Franklin, John Ferguson, Philicia Douglas, Dr. Bill Sutton and many others – what do we do?  This initiative right here, expressed by a professional sports team is the most concrete example I’ve heard to date of process change to adapt to a more inclusive workplace.  I’m here for it. But it begs the question – is Networking Dead? One more thing before we get into what this means. I have always hated the “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” concept. It drives me insane and is such 1990’s era thinking.  Bear with me as I repat a story some of you have heard. I started at CNN/Sports Illustrated in 1996. There were probably about 30 of us entry level production assistant and associate producers hired at the same time. 4-5 of them, were there because they knew people. One had a dad who was a famous sports media columnist, other had influential parents or uncles.  They were hired because of who they knew.  Guess what, they all bombed out in under a year. They didn’t have the skills or the aptitude to do the job.  Organizations got smarter and realized – hiring unqualified people really hurts us more than some intangible idea of playing favorites to some influencer. You can’t just know people and get by. You don’t get hired as a favor to your influential Mom or Dad. Skills matter. Just listen to last week’s guest, Michelle Andres SVP of the Baltimore Ravens, she said “I need to see your skill set on your cover letter, not just that you are a fan.” Now, let’s get back to the big topic – Is Networking Dead? 

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast... As I talk to young people across the country, there is an undercurrent of panic in their collective voices. It sounds a lot like pressure and fear.  I’m no neuroscientist, but anecdotally is sure seems negative news accumulates in our brains much faster than positive. Using myself as an example, I’ll remember the one review giving one star and commenting that the “host has a weird voice and delivery. His questions meander and lack any interesting quality.” That will stick in my brain FOREVER. It comes up in my subconscious as I write questions, it comes up live during interviews, it comes up during the editing process where I wonder if this person isn’t right. The hundreds of positive reviews lack the power to cut through this dissenting voice. Now let’s spin this to your existence.  Dot com Headline: Unemployment is High! Sports Hiring Manager: We get 400 applicants for each job!    Podcast host: If you don’t get the right experience, you won’t get noticed! The data you have coming at you is discouraging, panic inducing and amounts to pressure. I can hear the message you are giving yourself, “if I don’t choose everything perfect, from internships to majors to skill development to networking to interviewing technique...I’ll be lost and I will fail.” Wow. That’s heavy. But again, that’s the voice I hear coming from the young people I speak with today.  I did a little analysis with this thought in mind. I went through our podcast guests, who as you know are amazing people in the sports industry...and around 37% of them started their careers elsewhere other than sports. Even more than that, around 47% majored in something completely unrelated to their current career.  All of this is to say, take it easy on yourself. Your career is not a straight line, it is not something you can plan out perfectly, it is organic and takes shape as you live through it.  Have a plan, have goals, have accomplishments in mind like building your network and gaining the experience that matches industry demand...but don’t be rigid.   Today’s guest is a shining example of this pattern. Michelle Andres was a political science major. In fact, she so loved politics she received her Master’s in Political Science – Campaign Management.  But then, she didn’t love the work itself. I’ll let her give you the details...but think about that a second. She didn’t do 7 sports internships. She didn’t have a vast network of sports connections. But she landed a job with the Orlando Magic as the Assistant Director of Interactive Marketing, and her career has grown rapidly ever since, where she is now the SVP f Ravens Media with the Baltimore Ravens. Why?  She will explain that, and a whole lot more... here’s Michelle Andres.  

Question incoming from Brandon in Bellevue, Washington. Brandon, I lived in Bellevue for 10 years, we’re practically neighbors despite the fact I now live 2,882 miles away. Yes, I googled it.  “Hey Brian, I’ve been doing a bunch of mock interviews to prepare and there is a pattern that keep emerging. I’ve had two of my professors and three different family members conduct mock interviews, and they all asked me the same question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Is this a very common question, and if so how would you answer it because my first instinct is, “I have no idea.” Help?!” Let's dig into this!

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.Recovery starts with innovation. I read this the other day and thought, this sounds a lot like what my grandmother used to tell me when she’d cobble some new fandangled way of plowing her garden fields with a series of hoes tied on to the back of her 1940’s era tractor. Never short for an analogy or cliché she’d look at me and repeat, “Necessity is the mother of all invention.”That saying has always stuck in my mind, when there is need there are creative solutions.  Never before have we faced more need, and never before have innovative minds been more in demand. As teams and leagues and organizations look to pivot and change their revenue models and adapt to our new world — the innovative people in every organization are the ones leading the way to the future. That is not hyperbolic or overly dramatic. We need innovation. We need a new way to look at our games, our stadiums, our fans, our revenue streams, our products our marketing — everything needs a fresh set of eyes. I booked today’s guest, Josh Walker, President of Sports Innovation Lab because multiple people in my sphere of influence pinged me in April and said “did you read this article on how the sports industry will recover, it’s fascinating”The article was pushed at me from multiple angles from people I respect with excitement and fervor I couldn’t deny, so I read it and immediately thought — who wrote this! I need them for this show!The crazy thing is… Josh, the scribe responsible for the forward-thinking piece, developed the concept of recovery before there was a need for recovery. See Josh is the kind of futurist we need more of in sports, the ones who can utilize data and research and intuition to see what the industry needs to be, rather than what it is. Josh is the President of Sports innovation Lab who, along with his co-founders, former NFL linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski and former Olympian and 4-time gold medal winner Angela Ruggiero developed a fluid fan concept that sees sports in a way that earns the fans loyalty rather than expects it. You’ll see what I mean.. Here’s Josh — get ready for some incredible, in your face, honest…and some exciting ideas on how to mold our future of sports.Here’s Josh…

Today’s question, and it’s a good one, from Janell in Missouri. “Hi Brian, thank you so much for your show and the effort you put into its creation, it’s clear how much you care and want to help others. I have a question for you about interviewing for internships. I’ve heard you talk about asking follow up questions at the end of a job interview, and I wonder, do you ask different questions when it is for an internship versus a full-time job?” I love this question, now, I know I say that a lot, but I really love this one.  Why?  Because Janell brings up a very valuable distinction between what you want to know when you are in the internship process vs. full-time job process. It is different and we need to discuss it! Top Level Discussion: Motivation When you are applying for a full-time job and in the interview cycle, you are trying to discover long-term fit. Will this culture support your growth? Are there career growth opportunities? Does their business have a long-term revenue plan so they will exist in the coming years? You want to know these things before you commit!  For an internship, your motivation is different, your timeline is different. You need to make sure that your questions revolve back to the theme of, is this the right opportunity for me, right now.   As a college student you may only have the opportunity for 2-3 internships, you can’t waste that time stuffing envelopes for a nothing company. You need to maximize your opportunities, and the best way to know for sure, is to ask questions.   Quick tip: Sticky notes! Most job and internship interviews right now are utilizing video interviews, for obvious reasons. Here's a low tech strategy to keep yourself on track! Put sticky notes all around you computer screen with prompts for follow up questions, topics you want to bring up, experiences, anything to trigger your memory just enough to push you further in the interview.Have more questions ready than you think you need. If you only prepare for 2-3 follow up questions, and the interviewer handles them during the interview, what are you going to do, other than sweat profusely? Prepare around 8 follow up questions and you'll always have something to ask at the end, and sweating becomes optional.Follow up Questions to Ask After an Internship Interview 1: What type of responsibilities and expectations do you have for interns at your organization? 2: Are there cross-training opportunities in multiple departments or are we isolated to a particular group? 3: What does the training and professional development look like for interns? 4: Is there a history of past interns becoming full-time employees? 5: If yes, are there certain traits or qualities that made them stand out? 6: What does a typical week look like for an intern on this team? Listen in to the Work In Sports podcast episode 368 for more information and details on all of these talking points!

 Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast. There are two major assumptions that Americans tend to make about sports.  1: The big four – baseball, football, basketball and hockey - are the only sports that matter. 2: Sports happen within our borders, except the rare occasion of the Summer and Winter Olympics. I get it, American exceptionalism and all, but can we all, at least on this show, agree these are falsehoods? I love and appreciate the big four sports as much as anyone, but I refuse to submit to the premise that they ARE the sports industry. That’s it, just those four.  If sports represent activities involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment, and the industry comprises any one of thousands of roles surrounding these activities – our industry is much larger than say U.S. based basketball coach.  In sports, there are no boundaries. It’s a meritocracy. Whoever performs the best, while executing within the established rules – plays. Same in the vein of work, whoever performs the best, executes plans, supports initiatives – thrives.  You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again today, working is sports is a competitive choice. As a sports job candidate, you must actively think to yourself, “How can I make myself the best of the competition? What else can I do?” One suggestion – go global.  Imagine for a second you have relevant international experience. Put yourself in the shoes of an employer, trying to hire the best, most talented, staff. Would someone who worked in Barcelona for a bike race, or Milan for a marathon stand out to you? It’s not the big four sports, and it’s not within the US border – so does it matter? Of course it does, in fact it’s impressive. But how? How would you achieve this kind of game changing experience?  LivingSport. 7-10 international study abroad trips where it isn’t all just tours and sightseeing, it’s work. The kind of work that will find its way onto your resume, broaden your horizons and alter your perspective for life.     Who better to explain this amazing program that CEO and Founder Alicia Marinelli, this week's high energy, let’s get after it, guest. 

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. There are so many interesting conversations to have right now surrounding the abnormal sports world we are currently immersed in. The other day I was asked during a panel discussion what I thought were the most important skills someone in the industry should be utlilizing right now. Now, in normal conditions I say coachability, competitiveness and curiosity. Those are literally my three favorite terms when it comes to employment in any industry. But right now I’ve had to adjust my thinking some — those three terms are still incredibly viable – but I’m going to throw three more at you. Flexibility, improvisation and innovation. Let’s break these down a bit because they are all aligned, but subtly different. We’ll start with Flexibility – there is a narrative in every industry that we continue doing things because that’s the way we’ve always done things. Routine. History. Legacy decisions. This is not acceptable now. The assumption that we just keep plugging along without change is flawed. We need to entertain ideas and we need to be flexible in their deployment. We need to be flexible in the ways we generate revenue, allocate resources and more. Processes and objectives need to change. Improvisation — this is the act of coming up with ideas on the spot. We all need to open up and engage the parts of our brain that spark creativity and different thinking. We’ve been so long following patterns, that we need to spark the fire of improvisation. We all need to consider the unconventional. Look at high school sports — the NBA can have a bubble, the NFL can test daily, high school athletes are at higher risk of contracting and spreading. This is beyond doubt. That is not a political statement, it is fact. So when people say “have you considered playing in spring, have you considered a condensed schedule…have you considered …have you considered…” We have to turn on the thought provoking sides of our brain and say “we should consider everything” Innovation — chaos breeds opportunity — Where is it? This needs to be the mantra of all businesses and employees — where is the opportunity, how can we shift, re-align, change products, change approaches, INNOVATE. Companies that changed their clothing textiles to mask development, innovated. Sports business that created digital platforms and webinars and podcasts and virtual internships… they innovated! We need that spirit back. Innovate. Improvise. Be flexible. No one embodies that more than today’s guest. Melissa Silberman is the Director of Partnership Activation for the Atlanta Hawks — simply put, she works to make sure team sponsors have impactful campaigns that reach their audience with powerful messaging. Well, a big percentage of that is through in-arena activations — the 21,000 crazy fans coming to State Farm Arena on game night ar seeing and engaging with sponsor activities. So how does Melissa and her team show their sponsor there is great value in associating with the Hawks, with only 3,000 crazy fans coming to game night. Flexibility. Innovation. Improvisation. Here she is, Melissa Silberman! Questions for Melissa Silberman, Atlanta Hawks Director of Partnership Activation 1: There are so many topics I want to get into today about your career and journey to the Atlanta Hawks – but let’s start with this, you got your Bachelors and Masters in Sports Management at the University of Florida and for the last 7 years have been working in Partnership Activation. You clearly had a vision to work in sports – but did you choose Partnership Activation as your path, or did it choose you? 2: I’ll admit, I’ve been in the sports industry for 20 years but I don’t know much about Partnership Activation – so explain it to us all,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast... Question today comes from a regular of the show, someone I am personally very fond of, but who will remain anonymous for this conversation. Their question came directly via LinkedIn, which is a great way for any of you listening to get your questions answered on an upcoming show, connect with me and then message your question right on the platform! Alright here’s the question...and I know many of you will relate to it. This is from a recent college graduate: “I recently started in a shipping/inventory role at a local bike and ski shop. It’s not exactly the trajectory I thought I’d be in, but life throws you curveballs sometimes (like pandemics) and you have to work with the batting count you got. Anyways, I started in March and have taken on new responsibilities since then. It’s a small place but I think my movement shows my upward mobility and willingness to work hard. I haven’t updated my resume or LinkedIn yet, partially because I don’t know how long I will be here, partially because it’s such a small org, and partially (and I know this is silly and selfish) because I didn’t think I’d be in this position. Would really appreciate any legendary Brian advice on this situation. You’ve given me so much insight and knowledge over the years, I know you’ll have a great perspective on this." A little bit of background – this is a recent college graduate, who in my estimation has done everything right. They connect and build relationships, they’ve done really incredible internships, they’ve studied the market and know what is in demand, their resume and cover letter look awesome. I commend them, and I am enormously confident something more permanent and career-focused will come through soon. But it does go to show you, we are not in normal times. All this is to say, you sometimes have to throw out normal advice and adjust. Let’s start with this – in everyone I’ve talked to in hiring, they are more understanding than ever about the situations entry level job seekers are in. You all have been thrown into an untenable situation, something none of us could have imagined or prepared for. Now, that is not a "get out of pandemic free card" allowing you to take a year off still get a great job. Employers are willing to adapt and look at potential hires more open-mindedly, but you still have to show accomplishments over the last year. That is the number one question on interviews now, so what did you do during the pandemic? You have to have a story for that other than, I put on 15 pounds. To this specific question – I think you own this with pride. Put it on LinkedIn, show the upward mobility and turn this into a cover letter story. Let’s unpack this a bit. In the past I never would have suggested that you put temporary, non-transferrable jobs on your LinkedIn profile. Sharing that you worked part-time at Taco Bell or the Gap doesn’t really help tell your professional story. But these are different times. I would include that you are working at the local bike and ski shop (with a caveat – which I’ll explain shortly). And in so doing, I would try very hard to identify skills and opportunities you are exploring there that could be transferrable. For example, if you want to get into marketing for your career is there any chance to help with their google PPC campaigns in addition to your other work? Create some of their brochures or flyers? Any excel work you can do for them? Keep pushing yourself toward new skills you can highlight. I also believe this is your new cover letter. I can see it a little in my head – Something like, Two months ago, I accepted a position at a local bike and ski shop, and while it is not quite the career plan, I had for myself, I only know one way to work – fully committed.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. No surprise to say I grew up a fanatical sports fan. I have always loved game action. I remember vividly sneaking out of bed to watch Boston Celtics games when they were on the road, hoping my mother wouldn’t catch me. Homme games were on cable TV and we didn’t have it, only the road games. Sundays were jammed with NFL football, if my parents scheduled something that conflicted with games I wanted to watch, I was a pain in the ass. I vividly remember my mom getting us tickets to the ice capades, but in conflicted with a Cowboys – Redskins game, I was a pain the entire time, and got a massive lecture for being unappreciative of all she does for my brother and I. I deserved it, but I was, and still am addicted. I remember in high school watching late night west coast college basketball games, hoping to uncover some unknown but talented player that I could brag about knowing. Cedric Caballos is a perfect example, I saw him play a game for Cal State Fullerton, and then definitely name dropped him in conversations with fellow high schoolers to act as if I was some amateur scout, with more knowledge then they had. What a dork. My grandmother every year got me a subscription to Sports Illustrated and I read it cover to cover. Then I ripped off the cover and put it on my bedroom wall. All the iconic covers of the 80s and 90s were unceremoniously stapled to my walls, reminding me of those moments spent rifling through their pages. But... I could never get into the business side of sports. I tried. My mom would try to push me toward sports business shows or to read sports business content. Sadly, I admit, it bored me. Deals and TV revenue and sponsorships and marketing campaigns – not as exciting as Michael Jordan, John Elway, Wayne Gretzky, and Barry Bonds. Alas, as I have aged, rapidly some would say, my focus has shifted and now those same deals and decisions that bored me, represent the game happening for all of us. Sports business is the game we can all play, a language we can all speak, and forms the decisions that make everything possible. In June 2020, Sportico was formed with the mission of empowering readers with the context and insights needed to understand an evolving sports ecosystem – where teams are incubators and innovation labs, franchise values are soaring, players’ unions are accelerators and athletes will not stick to sports. Good write up there - - they did it, not me. Today's guest Emily Caron is one of the highly accomplished sports business reporters on the team at Sportico – Emily joined the sportico team at their launch after working for such high-profile brands as espnW and Sports Illustrated and she’s here today to share her journey AND insights into some of the biggest sports business focused stories in 2021! Questions for Emily Caron, Sports Business Reporter for Sportico 1: There are many important sports business topics to cover and I’m excited to jump into them with you, but let’s dig into your sports career journey first. From digging into your background and career, it seems clear you had a vision for your future self as a sports reporter from early on...why? What led you down this path? 2: While at University of Virginia, you completed an internship with espnW – that’s a coveted opportunity, how did you get the chance to intern for the worldwide leader and what was this experience like? 3: Most interns don’t write feature stories or find their way on to the set of Outside the Lines - you did both. I just went back and read your story on Penn State kicker Joey Juluis who struggled with binge eating and depression, and it’s wonderful. I was hooked at once. What drew you to the story and how did you pitch it and make it your own? I’ve been in hundreds of creative meetings and...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast... Super pumped for this week's expert interview with Emily Caron, a sports business reporter from Sportico.com. Emily has worked at espnW and Sports Illustrated before joining Sportico and she is awesome. What is fun about this conversation is that most of the time reporters are reporting on other people's opinions or the facts they can discover. But, in this episode, I probe Emily for so many of her opinions on what some of the big #sportsbiz topics mean for the future of our industry. Extremely exciting. Tune in for that episode on Wednesday April 21st. #Sportsbiz Stat Line for April 19th Three quick stats that give you an update on the health of the sports industry from a hiring perspective, and then three cool sports jobs posted in the last week on WorkInSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry and a proud member of the iHire talent community. Stat #1: 23, 581 jobs – increase of 2.3% and our highest total in over a year. Sportsbiz is back. Stat #2: 3,201 jobs added this past week an increase of 7.5% from the previous week Stat #3: which means there were 457 fresh sports jobs posted every day last week on average. Great reason to keep coming back every day to see what’s new. Three sports jobs that are incredibly interesting from the past week: Manager of Influencer Marketing for Brooks Running https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/brooks-running?id=548538 The Manager, Influencer Marketing is responsible for driving strategy and executing on influencer programming for the brand. You are responsible for creating and driving measurable strategies with clear KPIs to meet defined objectives, inclusive of building brand awareness and product discovery. All programming will be built in partnership with a cross-functional group of peers across marketing, including your colleagues in retail marketing, PR, sports marketing, social, sales and more. The ideal candidate will have proven experience identifying and engaging influencers, managing influencer outreach programs, and creating engaging, brand worthy content. Delaware State is hiring an Athletic Director https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/delaware-state-university?id=548442 General Description of the Position Under the Chief Operating Officer's supervision with oversight from the President, the Athletic Director (AD) is responsible for planning, developing, managing, coordinating, and supervising a competitive intercollegiate athletics program with 18 programs, 14 head coaches, and more than 400 student-athletes. The Athletic Director (1) provides visionary leadership, strategic planning, and policy development for the athletics program; (2) maintains an athletics program that is committed to the University's mission and strategic priorities; (3) works with the University's development office to raise funds for the Department of Athletics; (4) administers the overall athletic budget; (5) recruits and manages the coaching staff; and (5) ensures compliance with all University, national association and conference policies, rules, and regulations. This position also serves as a member of the President's Administrative Cabinet. Pittsburgh Knights Social Media Coordinator - LATAM https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/pittsburgh-knights?id=546819 Under the direction of the Social Media Manager, this position is responsible for the overall experience and value of the Knights' LATAM Social platforms. The Social media coordinator will focus on the daily maintenance, management, operation, and optimization of the Knights' LATAM socials and will play a crucial role in content creation. Assist in the creation of original, compelling content - such as static and motion graphics, as well as video - for the Knights' LATAM digital and social...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. I started to read a new book the other day and after about 70 pages I had to put it down. This is abnormal for me, I’m the type of personality that once I start something I have to finish it. I have to know how it ended. This is true for novels, movies, hikes to waterfalls you name it. I have to reach the moment of closure. I could be watching the worst Matthew McConaughey romantic comedy, which is slowly rotting my brain away with each passing line of dialogue (hello Failure to Launch), but I still have to see how it ends. This frustrates my wife, who can cut ties in a moment’s notice… but that’s another story. She’s from Philly, she doesn’t suffer fools. Back to the book. I had to put down this book for a very simple reason. And this is a book of great acclaim, an international best seller that was turned into a pretty darn successful movie. I put it down because it followed every generalized cliche you could possibly make about races, cultures, religions and creeds. The Japanese character was good at math and a whiz on computers. The Palenstinian character had been involved in terrorist acts. The Russian character was cold, calculating and emotionless. The Mexican character worked hard in the fields and then drank beer every night. The Jewish character was tight with their money and a shrewd negotiator. Of course, the American character was dashing, intelligent, and fearless — I’ll leave that to your own interpretations. But I didn’t make it much past those characters. This isn’t me being “woke” or pandering to our current culture war, I just really hate generalizations. I hate cliches, I hate lazy, boring storytelling. Spreading this narrative and reinforcing to people where they should fit, is a dangerous weapon, meant to discourage. I’m not having it. I may spark some outrage with this, but I fail to believe we are all pre-determined to fit into categories at birth. We can be whoever we work and are driven to be. Period. Of course, I am oversimplifying, there are systemic obstacles that prevent many of us from becoming exactly who we desire to be, but the over-arching point is simple — none of us fit into a cliche, we are all individuals. Generalizations like the ones exhibited by this trash book slide their way into our sports world often. I just finished reading an article where the EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, Renie Anderson, posted an opinion piece on NFL.com reminding people that “hey, women work in sports too, and there are lots of us in the NFL!” Let me repeat that – She is an Executive VP and Chief Revenue Officer in the NFL – which immediately qualifies her as a badass – and she had to write an article telling people that women really do work in sports. In 2020. Let’s break down some more walls, let’s get out of this generalized, homogenized world and invite in change, diversity, and something a little unexpected. Ameena Soliman has one of the most interesting jobs in sports. As a player personnel coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, she is an integral piece of the player personnel department, and I’ll let her explain to you what that means, exactly. I’ll sum it up from my point of view — I’m jealous. She is a Muslim woman working in football personnel, meaning she breaks all the rules of probability and smashes every stupid cliche. Now, let’s be clear about something — I didn’t invite Ameena on just because she is a Muslim woman working in player personnel. I invited her on because her role and experience are incredibly interesting and there are things we can all learn from her. Being a Muslim woman in sports is part of her story and we will talk about it some, we will talk about micro-aggressions and the way she...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. Big show last week, if you missed it go back and check out Dr. Bill Sutton on the show, if you are unfamiliar with Dr. Sutton, he is the Kevin Bacon of sports. Everyone tracks back to him. Seriously, I’d guess at least 20 of my prior podcast guests count him as a mentor. He’s been training and teaching the movers and shakers in the sports industry for decades. Doc Sutton knows how to help people find their fit in the industry, how to inspire and be an ally for diversity hiring, he consults with professional teams on their sales and marketing, he worked directly under David Stern at the NBA. He’s amazing, and we talked for a long, long time, but it’ll feel like 10 minutes. It goes fast. He is super connected, incredibly smart, and always pushing the industry forward. A lot of times you hear of someone who has been in academia for decades and you may think, subconsciously of course, that they aren’t up to date, that they don’t push modern ideas, that they may be stale. Listen to this show and you will be blown away. He’s talking about video as a sales tool, business intelligence, seeing potential in people beyond their test scores – it's awesome. Let’s get into today’s question from Tony in Missouri Hey Brian, big fan of the show, I only just found out about the Work In Sports podcast after listening to your interview with Zach Maurides from Teamworks. That dude got me fired up, and you asked the exact type of questions I wanted to know about. It was like you were reading my mind! Since then, I’ve gone back and listened to your interviews with Dan Duquette, Leigh Steinberg, Jack Mills, Kara Walker of the Boston Celtics, Celia Bouza from ESPN and more. But my absolute favorite was with John Ferguson VP of People and Culture from Monumental Sports and Entertainment. I’m a victim of covid layoffs. I had my first job after college, things were going well, but then you know the rest. Good news, I have had three interviews in the last few weeks and your advice has been awesome and helpful. In his interview, John said that candidates should follow up with their hiring manager or the person who interviewed them. I think he said “most definitely” when you asked him about follow-up. But he didn’t really say how. Any thoughts here on how I should follow up?” Tony – thrilled to have this question, we’ve been talking a lot about advanced stages of interviewing and the job seekers journey, which is a good sign, a really good sign. I have to say, this is anecdotal evidence, but when I am on LinkedIn lately, I’m seeing a lot of “I just got hired by XXXX”! Which I love to hear. There are really positive signs in the job market, so this is a good time to be reviewing your follow up approach and strategy. Here is the rhythm, you get an interview, you do great things, then you wait. It’s like dating, you have a good time, you meet someone nice, then you wait to see what happens next. This waiting, it’s not for me, I don’t like to wait. I’m what you would call, impatient. So, let’s talk action. Start with a Handwritten Card After your interview, send a handwritten card to every single person you interviewed with. Why is this important, well, the obvious is that it pushes you out there as someone willing to go the extra mile in communication, add a personal touch, connect on a deeper level. BUT the other great part is that it serves as a reminder of your existence about three days after your interview. Think about it, you have the interview, write up the card right then, put it in the mail, and chances are in three days the people that interviewed you will read and think about you. You will be top of mind. Your card is an active reminder to them that basically says, “don't forget about me!”

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast. My goal today, to write the shortest intro to a podcast interview ever. Dr. Bill Sutton joins me today, and we have an incredible discussion ahead for you. It’s meaty, there is a ton of info in here, life changing kind of stuff, and I’m not one for hyperbole. Dr. Sutton is synonymous with the sports industry. 36 years in sports academia at University of South Florida, Ohio State, UMass, Robert Morris, University of Central Florida – meaning he has taught, trained, mentored and placed, quite literally thousands of the people thriving in the sports industry today. But he’s not just a classroom guy, writing research papers and repeating the same axioms. He’s been a VP in the NBA working directly under David Stern, we’ll talk about that coming up, and he’s consulted with various pro teams ranging from Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia 76ers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Mets. Everyone goes to Doc Sutton for advice and insight. He’s honest, straightforward, knowledgeable and I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so committed to helping the people he believes in. Time for me to shut up – here's Doc Sutton. Watch the Full Work In Sports Podcast Episode with Dr. Bill Sutton https://youtu.be/vltgMjhChQo Questions for Dr. Bill Sutton, Sports Business Expert Outside of your illustrious career in academia, your professional background is in the sales, marketing, business ops side of sports. In 2020, no sector of our industry was more negatively affected than sales. Our job board is always full of sales jobs, but in 2020 those numbers plummeted. You are on the front lines working with many teams, leagues, and organizations as part of your consulting business. Do you think sports sales jobs are rebounding? What is your overall outlook for 2021 concerning sales and marketing opportunities? Dr. Bill Sutton on the Future of Sports Sales Roles in 2021 https://youtu.be/kM90HzBZAQ4 We so often hear the term analytics, and we are pre-conditioned to think player side analysis. Moneyball. Oakland A's. But in today's world, isn't it the business analysts, the revenue optimization specialists, representing one of our industry's real growth sectors? I've often remarked on this podcast the need to continually innovate and adapt – when I first started in the industry, social media, analytics, data-driven decision models, eSports – many didn’t exist, others were not common, now they are massive. While I don't expect you to predict the future, what do you see as the new emerging frontiers of the sports industry? Thirty-six years of experience in higher ed, but you are retired now from the college classroom experience, so you can speak freely and be honest. The program you founded at USF, the Sports and Entertainment Management MBA program, is a little different from most, having a co-op element and focusing on students gaining real-world experience. Laura Wilhelm, a staff member on my team and phenomenal graduate of your program, learned industry best practices and how things should operate while in your program and working for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She was ready to contribute; scratch that, she was prepared to dominate on day 1. Why is this style of education the exception and not the rule in sports academia? Dr. Bill Sutton on Modern Sales Techniques for Today's Sports Industry https://youtu.be/6fIg2Nd-7Z4 Your program at USF has been ridiculously effective at placing people in the industry – what was your approach to finding the right career fit for each student and then getting them set in careers where they could grow and thrive? You are a mentor to many people in the industry -- as you look back through your career, who would you say have been your mentors, and what were some things you learned from them?

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast... For those of you who haven’t listened to last week’s podcast with Zach Maurides, go listen to it. Seriously, now. Stop listening and start there first. Zach is the founder and CEO of Teamworks an athlete engagement platform that is currently working with over 100 professional sports teams and 200 full college athletic programs to be their student-athlete hub, managing their schedules, communication, itineraries, academics, nutrition and so much more. They are growing massively, and Zach, as a former student-athlete, an offensive lineman at duke, is so incredibly informative. Not convinced – I'll give you one nugget, one concept of many that Zach shares during this awesome podcast interview. “I want to hire confident people. Confident people put in the work, and know they are going to win because they put in the work. Arrogant people just expect to win. We don’t want arrogant people.” Now picture this coming out of a 6’6” 290 lb. former offensive lineman, trust me when I say this --- you are going to feel fired up and ready to put in the work. Ok, Wednesday – the godfather of sports business, seriously, I think you must kiss his ring before getting into the sports industry, Dr. Bill Sutton. For those of you who don’t know doc Sutton, he is the smartest most connected guy in the #sportsbiz I know. And more importantly, the most passionately supportive of his people. He has trained the best in the industry from GMs to sales directors, and he’s not just an academic, he’s worked for David Stern in the NBA and countless other organizations as part of his side hustle consulting business. One quick story – he and I really hit it off, it’s a great interview, and at the end, he said, "that was a lot of fun, I loved your questions and the way our conversation went, who else can I help you get to be a guest on your show?” Figuring I could aim high since he is offering, I said: “Would you happen to know Scott O’Neil, CEO of the Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Sixers and Devils, I really like his style and would love to interview him?” Within 30 minutes of the completion of our interview, Scott O’Neil emailed me to book a time. Now that is legit power. Sports Career Question from Amy in Boston: Let’s get into today’s question, which comes from Amy in Boston. Fun Fact, if I was a girl, I was going to be named Amy. “Hey Brian, big fan of the podcast and your various articles, I feel like I’ve gone back through your archive so many times to answer my pressing career-focused questions. What I think is great is that your show isn’t just about sports, it’s about culture, and decision-maker and planning and strategy...I find it so informative. Amy – you get me. Continue. “My question is pretty simple: I got pretty good at the career fair circuit in late 2019, I had a good flow, made lots of contacts, felt like I was on the edge of getting hired... and then, you know, stuff. I’ve seen and heard a lot about virtual career fairs but am yet to attend one. Do you think they are worth it, and do you have any strategies surrounding them?” Amy, I’ll be honest, at first, my initial impression of virtual career fairs was that they felt like a pivot for companies that used to rely on in-person career fairs, and they just to keep themselves busy and active. That they weren’t focused on the participant getting value, either as an employer or candidate. But oh, how wrong I was. See I can admit it, I have flawed theories sometimes. Neither Ivan Drago or I am machines. Yes, that was a Rocky IV reference which is about 20 years past its relevancy date...but I love it so. Benefits of Virtual Career Fairs The data is in, more people attend virtual career fairs than in-person career fairs,

Hey everybody, I am Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast... In the sports world we are all accustomed to being led by a coach. From early tee-ball or youth soccer to more intense high school competitions or club teams and then for some of us college – we are all accustomed to the coach archetype. As I say that, your first thoughts may go to a vision of a stern-faced sideline warrior, fussing and cussing at their horde of athletes. This is the common perception. Bob Knight. Lou Piniella. Mike Ditka. Bear Bryant. Notice something in that list – they are all bygones. Think for a second about the most important coaches of our era – Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, Gregg Popovich, Joe Maddon, Cheryl Reeve -- they are not the fire and brimstone types, sure they get upset and have human emotions, but they are teachers and leaders first. Today’s successful coaches are quite different than traditional bosses you may see in the workplace. This is one place where sports are ahead of other industries. Traditional workplace bosses master a particular skill, then up level to controlling others who are utilizing the skill. For example, a great salesperson will eventually be promoted to Sales manager. A wonderful software engineer gets promoted to managing other programmers. But successfully completing tasks, as they did as an individual contributor themselves, is different than leading. Which is why many traditional bosses can tend to be transactional vs. Transformational. In business your boss may want you to give orders, a list of transactional items to complete, to work harder, to dedicate more time and effort. Successful coaches on the other hand, teach the craft, empower, show how to work smarter not harder, focus on technique and approach to benefit the performance, and lean heavily on the broader team mission of success. Coaches teach. Bosses tell. The Atlantic Magazine highlighted the extrovert bias in corporate culture, concluding that aggressive outspoken business leaders are more highly compensated and promoted. But the science is quite clear on this – empowering your direct reports, in sports or in business, is motivating, builds confidence and enhances performance. Authoritarian demands, being aggressive and loud, may garner attention, but they don’t work. These techniques don’t develop cooperative and competitive teams. I lean towards Gregg Popovich’s view on this. “Competitive character people don’t want to be manipulated. That is what the leader that hoots and hollers is doing – manipulating, not coaching. Empowering athletes provides a psychological boost and a mental edge at the most important moments.” When today’s guest Zach Maurides was playing college ball at Duke as a 6’6” 290 lbs. Offensive Lineman he played for four offensive coordinators, three position coaches and two head coaches. He was exposed to different leaders and leadership styles, and from that, came to his own conclusions of what it meant to be a leader in today’s world. When he started TeamWorks, the athlete engagement platform that is currently used by over 100 professional sports teams, 250 NCAA d1 collegiate programs and over 2,000 D1 teams, he knew to find real success and to grow his company, he needed to lead like a coach, not like a boss. Which includes some fire you up, run-through-a-wall moments, which will emerge momentarily – here is Zach Maurides founder and CEO of TeamWorks... Questions for Zach Maurides, CEO and Founder TeamWorks 1: Zach very excited for this conversation, thanks for joining me. I’m a strong believer that the best innovation comes from those who live with and experience a problem first-hand that needs solving. So… let’s start back at your “problem facing” days. Back in the early 2000’s you were an offensive lineman at Duke,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Some big news before we get into the stat line and today’s question... As some of you may have read -- WorkInSports has been acquired by iHire. Now, before panic ensues, this was not a hostile takeover like in the movies. We wanted this, we angled for this, we pushed for this! iHire is an awesome company one we have long admired, In fact, our CEO and their CEO are good friends even before this deal. I’ll cut to the chase and oversimplify this whole process -- they have way, way, way more resources than we do, which means we can and will do more to help sports job seekers and sports employers. The tools and advantages of this deal will be explained in the months to come as we work through the integration process. I’ll be adding some quick segments to future shows to introduce you to new iHire/WIS tools aimed to help you land your dream job or hire your next great employee. If your organization wants help with their hiring -- call me. We will be set up to help you dominate more efficiently. If you have questions about stuff like this or for the Monday podcasts -- hit me up. I’m available in all sorts of ways --- there is LinkedIn, connect with me there. We have a private Facebook group for this here podcast -- you can connect with me there. And my email still works and will forever. FYI -- this podcast will grow. Our new team is highly committed to its growth and reach, which fires me up, so don’t worry about that. I’m still here. In fact, I’m already strategizing another career advice related podcast -- so if you have ideas on what you’d like from another career focused podcast. Speak! Time for the Stat Line! This is a massive week. Get excited. 1: 23,018 total jobs on WorkInSports.com--- I saw a competitor in the sports job board space brag all over social about how they bested 2,000 sports jobs. Who hoo pat yourselves on the back. We have 23,000. Reminder: sports jobs aren’t just with teams. Red Bull, Entercom, NBC Sports, Fanatics -- we have them all. 2: 3562 -- I started tracking this data for the stat line back in September of 2020 -- this is the highest number of weekly ads to the job board since I started tracking. 3,562 new opportunities added this week alone. Not every one will be a match for you -- but chances are you can find your match one WorkInSports.com. 3: Little quick math -- that is 509 sports jobs, fresh opportunities, added every day of the week, on average. First time over 500 jobs daily -- that’s awesome. Jobs, jobs, jobs! Here are three cool jobs added this week to the job board Job #1 Head of Corporate DEI - The Athletic The Athletic is searching for a Head of Corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to develop and execute on The Athletic's efforts towards diversifying our corporate team. The ideal candidate is a strategic, operations-oriented thinker that can successfully execute on existing strategies, as well as recommend, advocate for, and implement new solutions that support the company's DEI goals. This individual will work alongside the Newsroom DEI Director and will partner closely with the People, Talent, and Finance Teams, as well as liaise with Executive Leadership and employee-led groups to achieve a broad scope of objectives. Job #2 https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/3step-sports,-llc?id=538289 Marketing Coordinator - 3STEP Sports 3STEP Sports in Wilmington, MA is the largest youth sport event and club operator in the nation. Established in 2001, 3STEP operates more than 1,100 events and dozens of club programs for athletes ages 8-18 spanning 40+ states and across seven sports. We are looking for a Marketing Coordinator with prior sports content creation and marketing experience. A candidate who can have professional communication with clients while...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… What would you do if someone asked you to build a new pro sports brand from the ground up, AND build a new stadium in LA? Your budget is 350 million -- go! Me? I’d probably roll up in the fetal position and cry myself to sleep. This is a massive undertaking. Wrong steps have enormous ramifications. And I am known for my wrong steps, it’s part of my charm. You can’t do over a brand, it is a living breathing thing that gets established then takes on a life of its own through the local community and sports ecosystem. You can’t wing it on a stadium build, there are layers and layers of decisions that will have an impact felt for decades. Benny Tran, EVP of Corporate Strategy and Operations for LAFC is the mind behind these monumentally important aspects I’ve outlined for you. When you hear Benny explain it, as you are about to, it seems like a calm walk in the park. He is so even-keeled -- methodical, pragmatic -- but also gives off this vibe like he has his arms around everything just fine. Me I feel like I’m constantly sticking my fingers in holes, Benny just has a different air about him. Can you tell I admire this guy? Maybe it’s because in his life prior to sports, he worked on global initiatives like HIV/AIDS treatment in Southeast Asia, national health strategies and climate action. When you have your hands in issues of this magnitude, what’s getting a stadium built? There is a lot in this conversation -- from business intelligence, facility management, brand identity, community involvement, the importance oof daily workers and more. Here’s Benny Tran, buckle up. Watch Benny Tran on the Work In Sports Podcast https://youtu.be/JyYpreggcd4 Questions for Benny Tran, EVP Corporate Strategy and Operations LAFC 1: Undergrad at Emory majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic, MPA in public policy from Princeton, over a decade with the Clinton Foundation working on climate initiatives and Clinton Health Access Initiative – anything was in reach for you at any moment, so why sports? Why was being a part of the LAFC story the right move for you? 2: October 30th 2014, MLS awards a new expansion club to Los Angeles after Chivas USA dissolved. You were hired a month later in December 2014 to be the SVP of Corporate Strategy and Development – early on, with so much to do, does it feel like trying to boil the ocean? How do you even start to prioritize and focus? 3: Much of your background, prior to sports, was in international development. As you set forth to build a cutting-edge stadium in Los Angeles that would not only represent the city and the LAFC brand, but also employ thousands of people and open up the community – which proved harder your work in building public health infrastructure to treat people living with HIV/AIDS in SE Asia or getting a stadium built in LA? 4: I was reading through the stats of Banc of California stadium and I found myself saying “that’s cool” or “what a cool idea!” a lot. Every seat is within 135 ft of the pitch, it is an LEED silver certified stadium, over 1,800 full-time jobs created… As you consider all you and the LAFC team accomplished with this new organization and stadium in LA – what are you proudest of? 5: As you’ve watched this team develop from the beginning to what it is now, how much of an impact has it had on the local community? And is that something that doesn’t get talked about enough in sports, the positive local impact? 6: Peter Guber owner and executive chairman of LAFC told the LA Times a few years back “When you build an organization, you build a culture, culture is your business plan.” What does that mean to you, “culture is your business plan?” 7: The pandemic has affected sports in a myriad of ways, but one issue we don’t talk about enough are the...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast… Before we get into the stat line and today’s awesome question -- twoo upcoming guests I want to highlight. Last week I interviewed Benny Tran, EVP of Corporate Strategy and Operations at LAFC. Benny came from a world outside of sports, he has a background in public policy getting his Master’s from Princeton. He worked internationally for the Clinton Foundation battling climate change and global health initiatives. The dude is a genius. I don’t think I’ve been more intimidated for an interview, I was so afraid to say something stupid. Benny is an absolute delight my fears were unfounded. When Benny came to LAFC his big role was building the LAFC brand through the community, and what is now known as Banc of California Stadium in LA. Our discussion on the process and priorities of stadium construction and community involvement is fascinating. That will air Wednesday March 24th. And, today I also interviewed Zach Maurides, founder and CEO of Teamworks. If you are a student-athlete you likely know about Teamworks. They work with over 100 professional teams, from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco 49ers. And 250 D1 college programs, from Alabama to Stony Brook. Teamworks is the leading ATHLETE ENGAGEMENT platform, built by athletes, for athletes. Their software and app make everything easier for elite athletic teams – from scheduling and communication, to sharing files and managing travel. I am fired up to speak with Zach, who developed Teamworks as an undergrad Offensive Lineman at Duke. He’s an athlete, building products for athletes. And it’s awesome. Check that out...next week. Today’s question is from Neera in Illinois, Hi Brian, good news I had an awesome first interview with a sports company I really want to work for. I used so much of your advice and it really guided me through the process and gave me confidence. I researched, I reviewed my skills and accomplishments, I came up with stories to share that exemplified my soft skills,....basically, I channeled you and it worked, I got asked back for a second interview.So with that in mind, what should I do now?! Is it a totally different experience from the second job interview? Watch The Video! Second Job Interview Tips: https://youtu.be/-LWIrXug6sY Neera great great question! And congratulations Let’s get into it. (For more insights listen to the Work in Sports podcast episode or watch the Youtube video!) 1: Frame your mind that if you were competing with 25 people before, now it’s like 10. That’s a good thing. 2: You’ll meet with more decision-makers, different people, a cross-section of the business. 3: Lean into what worked during interview #1 4: Expect some repeats -- new people but similar questions from a different voice. 5: What did you learn from your interview about them? Company mission, goals, future plans? Lean into those to frame your answers and how you fit strategically. 6: Expect the questions to be aligned with how you will impact the business if you are hired -- the questions will be more forward-thinking vs. investigating who the heck you are. So instead of, tell me about a time when you had to overcome an objection, it’ll be more like, "What would you expect to accomplish in your first few months on the job?" Or, "what do you think makes you a good fit for this role?" They want to see your vision for yourself, how you fit and how aggressive you are. Better to overpromise here and show enthusiasm. Be confident. 7: Expect salary to come up 8: Have lots of questions

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports Podcast… This episode is about expansion. We in the sports industry so often out on our blinders and only think about sports. We tell ourselves it is so different than everything else out there, we are unique. Truth is, in some places we are, in others we are quite typical. A scout, a coach, an athletic trainer -- sure these are careers you only find in sports, but the vast majority of opportunities out there are bound by the same business and economic restrictions as every other industry. Finance, event management, operations, marketing, human resources, public relations, sales, these are all common roles in sports, and in every other industry in the world. So we’re taking off the blinders today and speaking with someone, clutch your pearls… outside of sports, GASP! Fawn Germer is a 9-time author, including multiple best sellers and Hard Won Wisdom, which Oprah herself recommends, and even if in sports “Oprah recommends…” doesn’t carry as much weight as say “Chris Berman recommends...” it’s still pretty amazing. She’s also been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative journalism 4 times -- that’s dope. Her latest book is titled Coming Back, How to Win the Job You Want, When You’ve Lost the Job You Need -- is really really good. We’re talking actionable career-focused content… right now with Fawn Germer… Questions for Fawn Germer, Best-Selling Author 1: There is a tactical discussion for us to have, the nuts and bolts of how our audience can thrive in the messed-up environment we call modern day life, but there are also broader strategies and mindsets that everyone can and should employ – let’s start there. Sound good? I, like you, speak to a lot of entrepreneurs and executives, and one thing that always sticks out to me is their wholehearted belief in themselves and their vision. They see why things can and should work and go after them fearlessly, rather than being consumed and stalled by self-doubt. Why don’t more of us embody that attitude? What is it that holds us back? 2: From your myriad of interviews and discussions with industry leaders, presidents, prime ministers – are there certain traits or attributes that stick out to you? And if so, how can the people listening apply these mindsets to their lives? 3: I read in your bio where you said “Life is all about our obstacles. They hold our greatest opportunities for success and growth, but we do have to earn them.” Can you go deeper there – what do you mean by ‘earning your obstacles’ and how does that lead to success and growth? 4: Confidence is not a constant. We all have times where we feel indestructible, ready to take on the world, and then things happen, life happens, and we get damaged. Our psyche isn’t as impenetrable. Right now, this is a reality for so many people. They had a job, they loved their job, now it’s gone. The spiral takes over – they read unemployment numbers, they hear competition is high for jobs, the bills pile up – it’s not enough to tell them “this too shall pass” --- what should they focus on to get through these crises of confidence that can weigh them down? 5: In sports we often define coaches one of two ways, they are the tough as nails, hard driving, tough love, in your face type …or they are the player focused coach, they laugh a little more, treat the players as equals, pat them on the back when they fall down type. You teach, you coach, what is your approach to getting through and motivating people to take action? 6: Congratulations on your latest book, COMING BACK: How to Win the Job You Want When You've Lost the Job You Need it’s a great read no matter where you are in your career journey. I like to share actionable advice on this show, I want listeners to learn and do things, not just hear me preach in abstract manner.

Hey Everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast … Daylight savings! A love-hate relationship here -- loved the fact the sun was out at 7:15 last night. Hated the fact my kid’s sleep schedule was a mess. Anyone who is a parent knows this dilemma, it takes a week for your kids to normalize to the change, and it is a painful week. Consider yourself forewarned all you youngsters. Old people problems here. If you missed it, last week’s podcast episode with Allison Bickford is a big hit. The people have spoken and they love the Seattle Kraken and Allison Bickford. Lots of great career insight and so much fun so check that out. I also come asking a favor, subscribe to our YouTube channel. I made it my goal to be super aggressive with video in 2021 and I want more of your to subscribe to our channel so my bosses don’t think my time spent in front of the camera is a waste. I like crafting videos, please make it worth my while. Subscribe! I think I’m supposed to say “smash that subscribe button and don’t forget to hit the bell so you are notified when new videos are posted!” I’m kind of joking here on the YouTuber techniques… but you get the idea, would love to have you watching and listening. Ok let’s get into today’s question… Hi Brian, my name is Joanna and I am a college freshman who was introduced to your podcast this year by one of my professors. I love it. I have learned so much. Funny story, I swear my professor takes your ideas and talks about them in the classroom like they are his...I think he forgets that he told us all to listen to your show.I do have a question though, and I hope you can get to it. As I mentioned I am a freshman, and since I’m paying for my college I want to make sure I get the most out of this experience. If you were going to set a strategy for a freshman in college to make sure they get the most out of the college experience and really, really really make the most of their 4 years - what would you advise I focus on? Joanna - this is a big question. You’re in luck, I love big questions! https://youtu.be/KdNeA8jk3rI I have 6 big concepts, lets get into them. 1: During your freshman year start to narrow down your main focuses and interests. Just saying you want to work in sports isn’t specific enough, and doesn’t set you up for success. You need to start right now, understanding what real options are out there and the demands of those roles. The choices you make to be an athletic trainer vs. a sports marketer will be incredibly different. Unless you know what you want, you won’t be able to make smart choices based on where you want to end up. Ideally, by the end of your sophomore year you’ll be able to say, OK, I want to work in sports marketing or sports operations, or sports technology, or become a sports agent. Right now, start researching and understanding what is out there. See what interests you. But by the time you hit junior year you want to be choosing internships that match your goals, you want to be choosing specific classes that fit the skill profile for who you want to be, you want to start being strategic about what additional skills you learn. Research freshman year. Clarity by end of sophomore year. Actions are taken by junior year. 2: Make a plan for experience. Again this is contingent on knowing what you want to pursue. So start there. But really, Joanna if you look at your resume right now, I imagine as a freshman it’s pretty light. I know my freshman year of college my resume would have said “Golf Caddy” and that would not get me hired anywhere...except to be a golf caddy somewhere else. Your goal is to gain experiences that fill up that resume and match the demands of your chosen path. You should have a mix of internship experiences, skills you have mastered, clubs you are part of, volunteer opportunities, and more.

Hey Everybody I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast… The idea of a sports startup isn’t exactly new, there a fledgling agencies, marketing companies, tech companies all popping up throughout the year. But what about a professional sports team that functions like a startup? The Seattle Kraken -- and yes, I’ll be saying that name as often as possible over the next 45 minutes because I love it -- are the latest darling of the NHL and the entire Pacific Northwest. But let’s digest that for a second. December 2018, the NHL approves a proposal to grant Seattle an expansion NHL franchise In any normal situation, it’s a mad dash to the start of the first season. There are stadium renovations to complete, staffs to hire, teams to draft - and that is barely scratching the surface of all the needs to be done. It is the beginning of a franchise story. A startup business. Brand new, everyone figuring out through some levels of trial and error what will work and what doesn’t. Now, for an NHL franchise like the Kraken, they are gathering the best, most experienced talent from around the world as part of their spunky little startup, so it is a little different than a new tech company like say last week’s guest Eric Stark began with Slate. But, beginning something new is a huge challenge, and now layer in doing that during a pandemic. Today’s guest Allison Bickford, Director of Corporate Partnership Activation has been with the Kraken since August 2019...but has yet to meet many if not most of her fellow co-workers outside of zoom. Is operating in a new city, without the ability to really go look around and see the area. These are the challenges we deal with right now, and, at least in theory, make us stronger. So buckle up -- we’re talking Corporate Partnerships, #Startup mentality, Pacific Northwest excitement, and more with Allison Bickford! Prefer to watch? Here is the full Work In Sports VODCAST episode with Allison Bickford, Seattle Kraken https://youtu.be/zfZr4Qzbm-o Questions for Allison Bickford, Seattle Kraken Director of Corporate Partnership Activation 1: A few weeks back a fan of the show wrote in saying, “you need to have a guest on from the Seattle Kraken” …Allison Bickford, you are that guest! Welcome! I lived in Seattle for 10 years and it was during the time the Sonics left town. Seattle is a great sports town, and the people were heartbroken then. Now, there is a palpable excitement people are thrilled to have hockey coming to the Northwest – what has the energy and excitement been like for you? 2: Let’s talk about your role – Director of Corporate Partnership Activation – sounds fancy, tell us a little more about what it means to be in your role, your primary focuses and what you love… 3: Would you consider Corporate Partnership Activation more of a sales type role? More customer service? Marketing? How do you identify yourself when you explain it to people outside of sports? 4: How did you land here, in this career path? I think so many in our audience struggle to identify their proper fit, or path, so how did you land in this area of focus in the sports industry? 5: You are working with a bevy of corporations as they come on as new partners and make sure they have a successful relationship with the team – how would you weigh the importance of relationship building and communication vs. coming up with new creative ideas, or broader strategies? 6: You are still months away from acquiring players and truly forming a team… at this stage and for your role, how important was it to get the name and brand out there AND have it be as cool as the Kraken? 7: When I first got into the sports broadcast media, I stopped being able to watch TV the same way. All I saw was edits and techniques and cuts and effects everywhere I looked. It drove my wife nuts.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Thanks for joining me this lovely Monday, that’s not even sarcasm, the sun is out daylight saving is around the corner, I’m feeling lovely. Quick confession before we get into the stat line and today’s question… for those of you watching on our YouTube channel, and it would be great if you all subscribed to our youtube channel at Work In Sports, it makes my bosses proud of me, but if you are watching on our youtube channel, you may notice a very different look to my set. So the confession. I had this weird dream a couple of weeks back that was inundated with a look, a vibe, a feel. And I tried to translate that into a new set design. After I completed it last night, I realized it may have been a nightmare, I’m not sure it’s working. But the idea was this -- when I used to live in the city, Atlanta first and then Seattle, I loved the look of light poles covered with overlapping concert flyers, record releases, announcements. You get this chaotic mass of colors and shapes and disarray that was kind of beautiful. So, I decided to re-paint my walls with black chalkboard paint, buy an assortment of picture frames and about 1,000 stickers. Most are sports-related, but some are superheroes, nature, and other stuff I’m into. And on the frames behind me, you’ll see the result -- it looks pretty graphic and cool -- but I’m not sure about the black walls. Overall, I was feeling like you see the same zoom backdrop about 100 times a day and I just wanted to make something that was really different. So if you don’t mind -- check it out on our youtube channel, and let me know if you think it is cool, ridiculous, or something in between. I’m not a graphic or interior designer -- but I do listen to my dreams and it kind of inspired me. I will add -- my 13-year-old daughter is an amazing artist and is going to do some artwork on the chalkboard, then we’re going to layer the frames over it -- so you get an almost graffiti look behind. So we’ll see if this is insane, or insanely cool. Watch the Work In Sports VODCAST: https://youtu.be/vsQNOZD1X5o A second quick note before the stat line -- big thanks to Ron Robert Jr and Jeff Fellenzer for inviting me to be a part of their Sports Industry Showcase event, 39 speakers over many industry-focused panels, of which I played a small, but vocal, you know me I don’t hold back, part. Really great session -- lots of incredible students, many of which I have already started to speak with and engage -- I’m looking at you Mayan, Johnpaul, Jennifer, Leyla, Sarah, Caroline, Luke, Jonathan, Lynne, and Kennedy -- you guys and gals are rockstars. Ok, let’s get to the stat line…. 1: 22324 2: 3168 3: 453 Three cool jobs posted this week: Summer Camp Soccer or Baseball or Golf Director -- Camp Westmont https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/camp-westmont?id=504894 Camp Westmont, a co-ed traditional sleep-away camp in the Pocono Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, is currently looking for qualified, experienced, energetic individuals to teach and run our Soccer program. Competitive salary, room, board, three meals a day, and laundry service are included. This would no doubt be the best summer of your life! With how crappy the last year has been, can’t we just look forward to summer camp and laundry service? On a serious note, if you want to work with kids, community relations, non-profits -- this is also a great experience. Job #2: Athletic Trainer for the North Texas Bulls Baseball Organization https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/north-texas-bulls?id=523657 Lots of people in this audience are not sports management majors, they may be kinesiology or exercise science -- and in pursuit of jobs as trainers, etc. I talk a lot about starting out in small college athletic programs to...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports Podcast... “It is one thing to have a good idea, and quite another to turn it into a reality…” This thought kept bouncing around my head last week as I prepared to interview today’s guest Eric Stark, co-founder of Slate, a sports and entertainment social media tool that we’ll be talking a lot about. We’ve all had jobs where we identified issues. A problem with a workflow, an inefficient tech solution, a supply chain issue. This moment of discovery doesn’t make us unique, we all see problems that need solving all around us. Awareness is common. The better question is, what do you do with this information? As I see it there are two distinct paths. Complain or solve. This isn’t me being preachy, and simplifying issues down to a right way and a wrong way, and shaming you all for not picking the right way enough. Let’s be clear, I have done my share of complaining over the years. Loudly, so everyone in the back could hear me. This is a normal part of the human condition. We don’t always know how to fix things, so sometimes we complain to motivate others with the power to fix things to take action. Am I right? Sound familiar? When I was a production assistant, I would complain about our editing system loud enough for the boss to hear, in hopes she would do something. It was like a cry for help. Not exactly mature or professional, but I was young and trying to affect change in the way I knew how. But you know what impresses me? Someone who identifies a problem, and then has the entrepreneurial ambition to solve it… like legit, create a solution. So let’s get into this Eric Stark story -- Eric worked in the NFL for 7 years, digital account coordinator with the league, digital media manager with the Chiefs, digital and social media strategist with the Niners, then back to the league offices to be the Director of International marketing and content strategy. Career path, on the rise. But during this journey in the digital and content space, Eric found many problems with the process. Getting social media moments out to the audience fast, and with proper branding had a lot of friction points. It took too long and involved too many people. All kinds of areas for failure. He didn’t complain, well maybe he did at some point I can’t confirm or deny, but that doesn’t fit my story right now, we’ll stick with he didn’t complain… he set out to fix. He began developing his own solution to sports social media process friction, with 3 co-founders, his squad, which resulted in Slate. Now, as I stated earlier in this intro, it one thing to have an idea, and quite another to execute it well and turn it into a reality. Eric and his team identified a problem, solved it, and now have teams like the Golden State Warriors, Denver Broncos, NYCFC, Premier Lacrosse League, Atlanta Falcons, ole Miss, and many more using their product in their social media efforts. That’s the overview, now let’s jump into the details with Eric Stark, COO and Co-Founder of Slate… (this is the point you listen to the podcast) Prefer to Watch? Here is the Video Episode of Maximizing Social Media in Sports with Eric Stark, Co-Founder of Slate: https://youtu.be/BWQpZfCBZF4 Questions for Eric Stark, Co-Founder & COO, Slate 1: After graduating from UC-Santa Barbara you’ve worked for the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL league offices. You were the Director of International Marketing and Content Strategy for the NFL – a dream job for many -- and you said to yourself, let’s go the entrepreneur route and start a business from scratch. Simple question, are you insane? 2: We’re going to get into Slate a lot, I want to learn about it and explore the process of creating it – but let’s go back to that beginning for a second.

Hey everybody I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. A couple of quick shout-outs to my people before we get into things, if you are watching on our YouTube Channel -- and you should -- you can see that I am representing a very cool Bismarck Larks t-shirt sent in by friend of the show Joe Zollo. Joe recently landed a job with the Larks as a fan engagement coordinator - I am now a fan of the Larks, and you have engaged me, Joe, so you are off to a really good start. Since I’m a t-shirt guy -- this will be in heavy rotation -- thank you Joe! And a second shout out to my guy Scott McDonald. I’ve gotten to know Scott through this show over the last couple of years, an incredible dude working with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, and he sent me this amazing bobblehead. For those of you not watching on our YouTube channel it is a Gladiators goalie, but with a Dia De Los Muertos style skull as the bobblehead. I love this style of artwork, and Scott sent me one which was super cool -- this will live next to Lebron’s bobblehead which is from his first game ever. If NBA top shot highlights are worth something...how about a bobblehead from Lebron’s first career game?! Anyway thank you Scott and Joe -- I don’t like to ask for gifts, but if you want me to rep your team on a show -- I won’t say no to a t-shirt -- men’s large, thanks. Ok let’s hit the stat line… Three stats for this week to get an idea of where we sit as a sport industry #1: 21,269 the total number of jobs on WorkInSports.com -- the leading job board for the sports industry -- up 2.8% from last week and approaching our ALL-TIME high. #2: 2,669 jobs added since last week - that’s up 11% from last week -- #3 and that is an average of 381 jobs added each day of the week on average. I have a theme for this week’s three jobs… In September 2020 when you conducted a search on WorkInSports.com for the keyword sales, you know how many jobs came up? 630. Makes sense based on market conditions, but this is way way way below normal. Guess where we are in March 2021 - 5 months later -- when you enter the keyword sales and conduct a search that way, meaning sales are in the job title or job description the total on WorkInSports.com - the leading job board for the sports industry ---- drum roll ---- 8,762. We’re back baby. Sales jobs are so important to sports. This feels like we have really rounded a huge corner in our industry so let’s focus on three cool jobs...in sports sales: #1: Texas Motor Speedway -- Ticket Sales Account Executive https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/texas-motor-speedway?id=522363 Texas Motor Speedway is seeking a positive and motivated individual to produce revenue for the company through a variety of inbound and outbound sales efforts. Damn right they are. Knowledge Skills and Abilities: #2 Cincinnatti Bengals Digital Sales and Marketing Coordinator https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/cincinnati-bengals?id=522975 The primary focus of this position will be to oversee all aspects of the online ticket purchase experience for the Cincinnati Bengals. This individual will be responsible for building and optimizing a customer journey that maximizes page views, clicks and conversions across our website and app. Driving incremental revenue, lead generation and increasing fan engagement are all key metrics to success in this role. #3 TopGolf Sales Account manager https://www.workinsports.com/search-jobs/view/topgolf?id=494233 The sales Account Manager (AM) is responsible for selling the exciting experience of Topgolf primarily through contracted events. The primary event market of focus for AM will be corporate clients which the AM will work directly with to build their perfect event. The AM will also assist with social market bookings as demand dictates in accordance with the company's...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. A few years back I was watching a pretty lame movie with Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana called The Words. It was predictable, kind of boring, not as interesting as they thought it would be on paper… but there was one moment in it that stuck out to me. You see, I’m that kind of guy that tries to find one piece of value in every moment. One thing you can learn, one thing that changes your perception. Despite this movie receiving, and truly earning, a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, I still had to find some value in the experience. In this movie, Bradley Cooper is a writer, I won’t get into the details, but in one scene he says “this is my reading day”, meaning, to be a good writer, he needs to read what else is out there. Often. I've kind of adopted his philosophy at that time. I don’t spend an entire day reading, but I do dedicate an hour of every workday to reading what is out there -- long-form pieces relating to the sports industry, data studies, content techniques -- I like being a continuous learner and being open to knowledge. You never know where you’ll find incredible little nuggets of information. For example, I was reading this morning about how Yale is going to offer their most popular online course, titled “Psychology and the Good Life” which presents a scientific explanation of happiness, to 500 low-income high school students for free. A feel-good story, right? Nice way to start the morning. Well, the more you read the more interesting the gets. Near the bottom it says something very relevant to my ears: The course -- which was developed in partnership with the University of Connecticut and the National Education Equity Lab with support from the Arthur M. Blank Foundation -- will "present students with scientifically validated strategies for living a more satisfying life and examine what psychological science shows about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to flourish more," according to the university. The unexpected nugget -- Arthur Blank Foundation. Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, making a difference in the lives of people. Maybe that changes my perception of billionaire owners, maybe it changes yours, it’s definitely a little nugget of information wrapped up in a story where I wasn’t expecting it. Good for you Artie! Another unexpected nugget in the past few weeks was an extremely informative survey and data report put out by our friends at Prodigy Search, leaders in sports recruiting -- and published in the Sports Business Journal. The team at Prodigy Search conducted a 23 question survey – comprised of chief people officers, human resources and talent acquisition executives, COOs or chief administrative officers at nearly 200 major league teams, league offices, agencies, venue and event operators to discover their feelings about how their respective organizations had handled staffing during the past year and what some of their plans are for the future. It was fascinating and I’ll link to it in the show notes of this episode. But it also inspired me to book today’s guest, Mark Gress Jr., Partner at Prodigy Search to discuss sports hiring trends in 2021 and their survey results -- here is my friend, Mark Gress Jr. A Few Select Clips from the Work In Sports podcast with Mark Gress Jr., Partner, Prodigy Search: Mark shared a lot of perspective on the recent survey conducted by hand his team at Prodigy, in this clip we discuss one surprising and upsetting response: https://youtu.be/RumjDlTPBI0 Mark Gress Jr. Partner at Prodigy Search shares insight into sports leagues and organizations that are thriving right now despite the pandemic: https://youtu.be/IfbSUa9ILYY Mark Gress Jr. Partner at Prodigy Search shares his thoughts on what it will take for entry-level sports job seekers to get hired...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… A couple of quick housekeeping notes before we get into it today - sorry I missed last week’s episode, it was President’s day, which is technically a day off, but I would still usually create a podcast episode. Truth is, I didn’t have any fan questions that were really jiving with me, and it was snowing...so I had an epic snowball fight with my kids instead. Call me selfish -- I call it having balance. With that said our Monday episodes thrive off of your questions - I’m here to answer what you need and want to know about working in the sports industry so please send me your questions -- bclapp at workinsports.com -- that’s my direct email, don’t abuse it. Or you can message me on Linkedin, DM @workinsports on Twitter -- I will get your questions! BTW - a side note if anyone out there is connected to Twitter support, our account was hacked in November, and our 25k followers stolen. Seriously, it still makes me want to cry - 10 years of work down the drain. We’ve filled out countless forms, I’ve reached out to multiple people in the industry, a couple of contacts at Twitter...nothing. No one is helping us. If you know anyone at Twitter who can help or have gone through this before -- this is my beg for help. I want our followers back. And last note before we get into the stat line -- the awesome guests keep coming. Coming up in the next few weeks --- Mark Gress Jr. Partner at Prodigy Search --- an incredible recruiting agency for the sports industry Dr. Bill Sutton -- Doc Sutton is one of the elite thought leaders in our industry and so many of my previous guests count him as a mentor. Alison Bickford - Director of Corporate Partnership Activation for the Seattle Kraken! Eric Stark - Co-founder of Slate, a content creation platform for real-time social media used by the Golden State Warriors, Premier Lacrosse League, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, NYCFC. The SEC -- amazing company, excited to talk to Eric And Fawn Germer - author of the book Coming Back! How to win the job you want when you’ve lost the job you need. INcredibly interesting lady… So we’ve got a pretty sweet line-up as we transition to Spring -- I say this with 2 ft of snow on the ground right now...Wishful thinking. Prefer to Watch the Work in Sports podcast? Here's this Week's Episode: https://youtu.be/b_9talAS2SE Ok, let’s jump to the Stat Line! Three statistics that’ll help you understand the current state of sports employment -- data provided by WorkInSports.com -- the leading job board for the sports industry… #1: 20680 -- up 3.6% #2: 2388 #3: 341 -- Let’s talk about three cool jobs that are fresh on our job board at WorkInSports.com - since we started doing this segment I’ve had a lot of people email me and say “wow, you talked about a job on the show and I applied for it right afterward, so cool!” To which I tell them, and you, we have 20,000 active sports jobs on workinsports.com -- if you think me picking out three a week is informative, think what you could accomplish with a premium membership! Ok - three jobs I like for this week: Event Manager - Pro Golf Hospitality - Octagon https://www2.workinsports.com/jobs/view/octagon?id=519789 We're looking for an engaging and energetic Event Manager to join our Events & Experiences team to support a brand new professional golf event in Las Vegas, NV. Now, I bring this job up for a few reasons -- sports isn’t a job it’s an industry -- there are jobs in sports that are common in all other industries, accounting, hr, operations, etc. But one of the things that make our industry unique is the events. And so many of you love this part of the sports industry, the energy, and passion that comes through at events. A job like this, with a huge and powerful organization like Octagon,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. Look, I hate to do the old…”I remember when I was kid…” start to a story, I hated it when others around me did this when I actually was a kid, and I hate doing it now. But, with all that qualification out of the way...I’m about to do it, so forgive me. Thanks. I think we all have moments where we graduate from being solely sports participants and fans to having a more broad appreciation of the business of sports. The first time I started to realize the entanglements between sports and business was as a little league youngster. No, it was not the sponsored names on the back of our jerseys from Valpak or Sylvester's restaurant. Rather the memory that vividly sticks out for me is the cheesy local ads created by the stars of my then-favorite team...the Boston Red Sox. I remember vividly watching Wade Boggs, before he became a traitor and went to the Yankees, reading an advertisement for Hood Ice Cream. He’s standing on the field, clearly reading from off-camera cue cards and telling everyone how they should eat more Hood ice cream and that if you came to an upcoming game, you’d get a free mini red sox baseball helmet sponsored by Hood. This was a lightbulb moment for me, and I wondered aloud how much extra ice cream was sold because of Wade Boggs telling kids like me to do so. I told my mom we had to buy Hood because Wade Boggs said so. Frankly, she didn’t give a crap about Wade Boggs, so she bought the store brand at Country Fare Star Market in Stow, Mass if you are wondering. I found myself paying more and more attention to this connection, this association, after that point. Dwight Evans endorsing local car dealerships, Jim Rice talking up OceanSpray juice box night. Brands have always sought out sports franchises to build their reputation, move more products and grow awareness of their brand. These mutually beneficial partnerships between brands and sports have done nothing but grow since my halcyon days. The revenue of the North American sports sponsorship market was estimated at approximately 17 billion dollars in 2018 and is expected to grow to over 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2022. This figure, in 2018, accounts for around 70 percent of the total sponsorship market. So that means, sports partnerships comprised the vast majority of the sponsorship market -- far more than entertainment, causes, the arts, festivals, fairs and annual events. Sponsorships are activated today in far more robust ways -- the advertisements have improved, but so have the in-stadium, social media, and digital marketing methodologies. The only limit is creativity. Notice, in the stats I referred to earlier - over 17 billion dollars of revenue was from the North American sports sponsorship market. The growth market, the exciting place to be right now in sports… is the global market. In 2018, global sponsorship spending was 65 billion dollars around 70% of which was spent in sports - so the total market for sports sponsorship across the globe, was around 45 billion dollars. Teams are investing in their global reach more than ever - and it’s a perfect relationship. Here to talk about the growth of global sports sponsorships is my man Jason Clerkin, the Orlando Magic’s Sr Manager Global Partnership Activation -- here’s Jason: Questions for Jason Clerkin, Orlando Magic Sr. Manager, Global Partnership Activation: 1: So excited to speak with you Jason – this has been a long time in the works! Let’s start a bit at the beginning and work our way up – undergrad at UCF in Sports Business Management – I’m pretty sure at that point you weren’t saying to yourself, I’m going to be the Sr. Mgr of Global Partnership Activation for an NBA team – you may not have even known what that was! So take us back a bit – what was the plan then,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… When I say cornhole, flag football, spikeball and breakdancing -- it probably sounds like the planning stage for an epic fourth of July party, right? Add in some axe throwing, a little karate combat and the party starts to get a little intense. The reality is, these competitive activities that are well-suited for a decked out summer affair, are taking the sports industry by storm. These aren’t fringe activities, they are high growth sports properties popping up around the globe, invested in by major brands, broadcast in prime slots and making their way into the Olympic Games. Yes, you heard that right, Olympic Games. We so often focus on the major sports and normalize them as standard. Hitting a little white ball with a club towards a hole 500 yards away seems normal, but tossing a bean bag toward a hole 24 ft apart is “fringe”. Bouncing a rubber bladder covered in leather, and throwing it into a basket at an arbitrary 10 ft height, is extremely normal... but tossing an axe into a wood block target 15 ft away seems strange. As today’s guest, Gabby Roe, President and Founder of Maestroe says “every sports was a crazy ass idea at one point.” Truer words have never been spoken. Roe himself is a little on the fringe. A highly competitive lacrosse player, he played professionally for the Philadelphia Wings in the National Lacrosse League, spent several years as a chief executive with the AVP professional Beach Volleyball circuit, and helped launch Major League Lacrosse. He’s always gravitated towards sports with upside. Slightly off the beaten path, but with the potential to be great. His company, Maestroe, focuses on these high-growth sports properties and assists them in all the various stages of their growth cycle -- sponsorships, venues, business planning, marketing, broadcast deals -- this is a fascinating discussion into a side of the sports industry we don’t often talk about. Here he is, Gabby Roe, President and founder of Maestroe... Questions for Gabby Roe, President and Founder of Maestroe: 1: I’ve read where you’ve described your company Maestro as a “growth engine for high-growth sports in various stages of their development.” On a podcast you get more time to expand and articulate, so tell us all – what is Maestro? 2: What led you down this path? Where did the intrigue for growing fringe sports come from? 3: Let’s define “growth” a little – are we talking revenue growth, or visibility growth? And even broader, do those require different approaches? 4: You played lacrosse at powerhouse University of Virginia and in the National Lacrosse League for the Philadelphia Wings back in the 80’s– what traits from your playing career have served you well in the business world? 5: For the various sports you work with, you and your team at Maestro have helped them secure sponsors like Uber, Monster Energy Drinks, Chipotle – massive brands. To make these deals, is it more important to know someone on the inside of the business and have a powerful network of connections – or is it about having a good story and connection to their brand? 6: What is it like when you get Chipotle on the phone and say, “I want to pitch you on being involved with the Pro Breakdancing tour?” is there ever a moment of self-doubt? 7: How important is data when you are in a pitch? I’d imagine these huge brands want to be convinced of their reach and impact, not just sold a cool story. 8: Are you able to take the knowledge you have working with one sport, like curling, and apply it to another growth project like ultimate frisbee? Are there techniques and knowledge that cross-over or is it complete different each time? 9: What about the audiences? Are there similarities across fringe sports, or are they completely different animals? 10: OK,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…First Super Bowl Monday in a long time that I’m not hungover, so thanks to that. Quick take before we get into the stat line, and today’s fan question. So far 42 emails, texts, and DM’s all asking me how I feel about Brady and Gronk winning a Super Bowl as non-Patriots. For those of you not in the know, I’m from Boston, a big Patriots fan, and a lover of all things Gronk. Well, not the GRONK branded football that doubles as a bluetooth speaker -- that was one of the dumbest inventions I’ve ever seen -- you’re playing music in your football, and then you throw it away from you… not well thought through. Don’t believe me -- search Gronkball on amazon. You’ll see what I’m talking about. It also proves review can be manipulated since it has a 4.4 out of 5. Seriously, a $90 football Bluetooth speaker with Gronk’s name on it. Off track. So how do I feel? Thrilled to be honest. Look, there is always context needed. I wanted the Pats to keep Brady for his entire career, but in a way that was selfish, and no one expected that to happen. From 2014-2019 the Patriots have had terrible draft classes. Terrible. This means their current roster is depleted of talent and depth. They were not built to win, even with Brady. If you go back and look at the 2018 season, there is no way that teams should have won a Super Bowl. They were 3-5 on the road that year, 11-5 overall, lacked any punch, looked old...and then dialed it up in the playoffs. 2019 - lack of talent, 12-4, incredibly weak schedule - lose in the wild card round vs the titans. This roster didn’t make sense to keep Brady. If you sign him to a multi-year deal, it delays the fact you really need to rebuild the roster from scratch… and you still aren’t good enough to really win. Brady makes you way better than Cam Newton, but not Super Bowl good. It made sense for him to move on. Both sides needed this. Forget all the tough love, personalities, and drama -- they were no longer made for each other from a football sense. As for Gronk - the Patriots tried to trade him to the Lions prior to the 2018 season, so they already sent the message they no longer valued him. He helped them win the 2018 super bowl and retires. Took a year off, a different team values him more than the Pats did, he could play in his comfort zone with Tom. Deal. Bottom line, I hold no grudge against either. I wish it would have worked out better -- but if the Pats had developed a better supporting team around Brady over the previous 5 seasons… it may have. If they still valued Gronk, it may have. This is just people making football decisions that make sense all around. In 100 years we’lll talk about Brady like we talk about Babe Ruth… and I got to see a whole hell of a lot of him playing. Pretty cool. Congrats Goat. Ok, the stat line… Three stats to keep you updated and in the know on sports employment -- provided by workinsports.com the leading job board for the sports industry. I’m also laying in pieces of advice and strategy for your job search throughout this segment so don’t you dare skip oover it. #1 -- 19,971 active sports jobs on WorkInSports.com -- now, I promised you last week we’d eclipse 20k, and we did earlier in the week, Right now we are at 19971 which is pretty flat week over week. And that includes a little over 300 active sports jobs in florida right now -- once you are done celebrating. #2 - WorkInSports.com added 2,828 sports jobs over the last week, which is pretty much flat... #3 But means we added 404 sports jobs on average every day of the last week -- that’s a lot of opportunity. OK, now three jobs that stood out for all the right reasons...to me. Job #1 Corporate Communications Coordinator for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment -- if you are wondering who in the heck is Harris...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… For the last year you’ve heard me talk about the decline in sales jobs in sports. This is not breaking news, rather an obvious reality based on all of us being in the grips of a global pandemic that restricts public gatherings. No tickets to sell, no suites to sell, no group packages, fewer sponsorships, less in-stadium marketing activations -- this result is clear. Revenue was lost. Lots of it. Jobs were furloughed, lots of them. Sales, as a sector of the industry, a dominant sector of the industry, was hit the hardest by far. But let’s put some numbers on that, rather than just logical conclusions. According to Team Marketing Report, a sports business intelligence firm, The Washington Football Team, it is estimated, lost 124 million dollars in unrealized game-day revenue. To put that in perspective, if you add up the 2020 contracts of Alex SmithLandon CollinsKendall Fuller Morgan MosesChase Young Arguably, their 5 best players, You get 63.8 million. They lost 124 million minimum. That was tops in the NFL, who TMR estimated lost 2.7 billion as a whole. Those calculations, that 124 million in game day revenue losses, does not include the hit to other revenue streams like suites leases, secondary market ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, media rights, non-NFL events, revenue sharing, off-site sales, licensing, or preseason and postseason money. The amount of revenue lost by sports teams is staggering. NBA - $694 million in unrecognized game day revenue MLB - $5.2 billion! 162 games cut down to 60 without fans… big hit. All of this is to say - as I tell my kids - save your money, you don’t know when things are going to turn upside down and you’ll need that buffer. Actually, what this is realy to say, although saving money is a good tip - is that it’s easy to see why sports jobs plummeted. BUT -- as Kali Franklin VP of HR at NYCFC said in last week’s podcast episode, a business that isn’t hiring talented people, isn’t growing. The sports industry is finding its footing and hiring again. We aren’t back to normal, far from it, but we are finding new ways to emerge. What is amazing to me, in the face of all these losses, is that so many of the businesses I have spoken to recently are proud of the fact that they didn't lay off any staff. Clearly many of you lost your jobs, I’ve heard from so many of your personally and I hurt for you, but let this be a marker in the moment -- hiring is coming back, numbers are on the rise, and teams, leagues, sports tech firms, sports websites, athlete marketers and more and hiring people like you. Back in November, I saw a LinkedIn post from today’s guest, Philici Douglas, Manager of Inside Sales for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, and it caught my eye. If you are a graduating senior or already graduated from college I want to get to know you! If you are looking to work in sales in sports I am going to begin hosting interviews for our Inside Sales Consultant positions. Book a time on my calendar below. Seeing this, not just the aggressive approach, but the hiring signal as if she was saying -- we’re open for business, was a light at the end of a pretty crappy tunnel. Right then I said -- let’s get her on the show! So here she is Philicia Douglas, Manager of inside Sales for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. Questions for Philicia Douglas, New Orleans Saints & Pelicans Manager of Inside Sales - Sports Sales Jobs: Yes, We're Hiring! 1: Let’s get into it! There is so much I want to get into with you on your career and how you got where you are, but let’s start in the now. 2020 was a mess. Sales jobs were a mess. But in December, I saw a glimmer of hope in the form of a linkedin post from you basically saying, “you want to work in sales? We’re hiring!”

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Welcome to February - it is snowing like mad here in Pennsylvania right now -- about 8 inches so far and another 10 expected today, so as you listen to this, picture me pushing a snowblower and shoveling, since that’s what I’ll likely be doing as you listen. I’ll likely be listening to someone else’s podcast as I do that because it would be weird if I listened to myself. Quick thanks to Grand Canyon University, University or Arkansas, University of Florida and University of Missouri - St Louis who have welcomed me into their classrooms over the past week to share career advice with their sports management students. Always a great thrill for me, seriously, I love speaking directly with the students and being able to answer their questions and provide help. If you are listening and you are a professor, don’t be shy, reach out. If you think I can provide value to your students, I want to help. As for content -- my speciality -- in January we busted out some amazing episodes - with a theme! Looking forward to hiring trends in the sports industry for 2021 -- Kali Franklin VP of HR at NYCFC, John Ferguson VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Matt Resnick sports talent acquisition executive formerly at Madison Square Garden company … and we tossed in Nigel Eccles Co-founder of Fanduel, because, well, he’s Nigel Eccles. It’s a great month of content -- if you are new to the show, start there. Then, start looking for your targeted content. You want to work in sales? We have interviews there. Marketing, Partnership Activation, Scouting, Coaching, General Managers, Agents… you name it. We’ve got it. Alright -- before we get into today’s question, it’s time for the Stat Line - Meredith Johnson’s favorite segment. Ok, three stats, data pulls, information -- that will help you understand where we are as a sports industry, right now. We’re giving you context! Stat #1 - 19,896 active available sports jobs right now. We will pass 20,000 this week. Why is this an important benchmark? Because the last time we were over 20k jobs was in early March of 2020. When Covid first started to become a reality and change the sports world. This is huge progress, we are coming back, and that should get you energized for your search. Just to track january increases so far -- Week 1 - Sports job total jumped 8%Week 2 - Sports job total jumped 6.5%Week 3 - Sports job total jumped 4.7%Week 4 - Sports job total jumped 6.8% Total for the month of January, we at WorkInSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry, went from 15,573 active jobs...to 19,896. That’s what I’m talking about. Stat #2 - Over the lasxt week we added 2,865 new fresh jobs to the job board. Stat #3 - that is an average of over 400 new fresh opportunities every damn day of the week. Your job is out there, we’ll help you find it. Whoa that could be a tagline. Not bad. OK, three jobs that are fresh on the job board and interesting! Yes that is subjective, because I alone determine what is considered interesting. Job #1 -- The Athletic is hiring a Staff Editor for the NFL. TThe candidate will be involved in all the day-to-day operations, including collaborating with writers, planning, editing and publishing of content. Generate thoughtful, smart and relevant story ideas • Line edit stories from start to finish for quality, context, style, and grammarFollow best practices on headline writing and SEO optimizationKnowledge of WordPress and photo editing skills is a plus Job #2 -- Production Coordintor, Content Production -- Adidas The Production Coordinator is responsible for supporting the Content Production Team as an integral part of the in-house creative agency. The role supports the In-House Producers in driving key projects, workflow,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… One of my favorite parts of my work week is writing the intro to our Work In Sports podcast guest interviews. Gives me a chance to dig into the coming topic, set the stage, throw out some thoughts and opinions -- it’s awesome. Well, this week, I’m going to shut up and hand over the reins to our guest, Kali Franklin VP of Human Resources for NYCFC -- this interview is on the longer side, because Kali is amazing, informative and so, so passionate about her role in Human Resources representing and working with the people inside NYCFC. We’re going to discuss hiring trends for the coming year, diversity and inclusion, their organizational approach to coronavirus and staffing, how you should handle a video interview...and so so much more, so buckle up and get your notepad ready - I took four pages of notes from this conversation… Here’s Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources at NYCFC. Questions for Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources at NYCFC 1: I love origination stories, to look back in someone’s past and see their path to who how they’ve become is fascinating to me. Your career arc makes a lot of sense, you were a sociology major at Georgia State, and have worked in HR most of your career – did you always have a pretty clear vision of who you wanted to be? 2: You’ve held high-level roles in HR at Target, Microsoft, and others – then in 2017 you jumped into sports with AMB Sports and Entertainment and now with NYCFC – what drew you to the sports industry? 3: When you first got into the sports industry, were there any “Ah-ha” moments when you thought to yourself, “Ok this is a little different than Microsoft”? 4: I don’t want to spend a ton of time looking backward, we all know 2020 was a mess and I’d rather spend most of our time talking about how we move forward, but I would like at least a little peek into what it was like for you on the HR side during the start of the pandemic. In September 2019 you join NYCFC, On February 29th your first season starts, on March 12 the league suspends play. What were your initial fears from an HR viewpoint, and how do you think NYCFC and the MLS at large weathered those initial fears over the past year? 5: The pandemic hasn’t been the only headline-grabbing event this year, protests, social justice, massive issues surrounding racial inequality, political upheaval – themes that are hugely important for the direction of the sports industry. With athletes using their voice, teams, leagues, and organizations taking a stand and using their voices, how important was 2020 in terms of establishing a clear corporate culture? 6: Roles focused on Diversity and Inclusion are relatively new in the sports industry, sometimes we assume these roles have been prevalent throughout the years, they haven’t. In my view, this is one of the better developments ever in the sports industry. Why did it take us so long to give diversity and inclusion the focus it so desperately needed? 7: D&I isn’t just a feel-good initiative – I’ve read studies that say diverse workforces increase revenue, productivity, retention, morale, and more – why do you think having a diverse workforce makes such a positive impact? 8: What other initiatives would you like to see grab hold in regard to our approaches to staffing and culture? 9: I’ve worked at companies big and small with all kinds of cultures. Some good, some really bad – and you know the difference for sure when you are in it. I know at NYCFC you are working to establish a best-in-class culture…what are the components of a good corporate culture and how do you work to establish them? 9: Aren’t culture wants and demands different for every employee? I’ve had staff members who wanted to work in a quiet corner and others who would shrivel up and die that way.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… It’s almost the end of January, one of my favorite months of the podcast season… why, you ask? Well, January is when our download numbers and traffic to our site, WorkInSports.com are always highest. We get a lot of new highly motivated listeners, and subscribers to our job board, so it’s on me to impress the hell out of them with our content. Well, this month so far we’ve delivered -- Matt Resnick, sports talent acquisition executive, Nigel Eccles, co-founder of fanduel, John Ferguson, VP of people and culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment...and coming up later this week, Kali Franklin VP of Human Resources for NYCFC. See a theme? We are highly focused on executives connected to hiring and understanding the trends for 2021. My goal was to make a month of talent acquisition executives… but when Nigel Eccles people call you and say, hey we want Nigel to be on your show -- the best laid plans go out the window. He gets on the show. BUT, Matt, John and Kali are sharing all the trends in hiring that matter to you. This is the information you need, so if you haven’t listened yet, go back and listen. Set yourself up for success. But first -- the stat line -- and a great question on common job search mistakes. Ok, three data points regarding the overall health of the sports industry through the lens of employment, provided by WorkInSports.com the sports industry’s leading job board for the last 20 years. Data point #1: 18,622 jobs currently active on WorkInSports.com - that is an increase of 5% over last week and a jump of near 18% since the beginning of the month. The trend line is pointing up -- more jobs early in 2021, this is really good news. Data point #2: 2,529 fresh new jobs added over the last week… that’s a down alittle from last week but still pretty amazing. Data point #3 -- that’s an average of 361 new jobs added every day of last week. Think about that a second, our site pulls from over 8,000 sports employers -- there is no way you could replicat that work. That’s why we are a service worth considering, your time is worth it, and you get exposed to opportunities you may not have known about. Ok, let’s get into three cool jobs for this week -- One piece of advice I give a lot when I speak in college classrooms is when you are getting started and trying to find your fit, search utilizing keywords like “coordinator”. Everyone searches for job terms like social media, marketing, operations -- but if you are getting started in yoru career, still trying to figure out who you are aand where you fit, the best way to do that is search for terms like “coordinator” which aligns with entry level roles. Do that and you’ll find things like… marketing coordinator, social media coordinator operations coordinator -- and then you can rad these entry level jobs and see what strikes you as interesting. So let’s do that as the theme this week! Digital Media Coordinator for Comcast Spectacor in Philly -- this job is working with the Philadelphia Flyers - which is awesome. Multi-talented content creator with experience in copywriting, photography, videography, and/or graphic design. Has a finger on the pulse of emerging digital trends, Philadelphia's social audiences, and is dedicated to increasing the connection to our current fans while attracting new fans through engaging content. BTW quick aside -- we have this new feature for our premium members which I love. When you select a job and look at the description, on the right nav, we also show more details that can help you in your search. For example on this job: Jobs near Philadelphia : 1250Jobs in Sports Media: 3213Jobs that Match Your Resume: 135See all jobs: 18622 Click any of these and you’ll be directed to the search results. Love this feature -- simple but oh so effective...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Do you ever say a word over and over again so that it becomes common in your mind, but if you take a moment to really think about it, it’s arbitrary and weird. Take the word spoon for example. Yes, I know this is a strange start to a podcast intro but you should be used to that about me by now, so stick with me. We all know what a spoon is, but when you say it a bunch of times you start to realize -- that’s a weird word. Who the heck came up with calling that scoopy you eat with a spoon. We normalize things in our brains the more we say them or experience them. We become desensitized over time to their uniqueness and just accept them for what they are. We don’t often challenge what has become normal. Spoon. Not to go too far down this rabbit hole - but spoon is of Germanic origins meaning “chip of wood” which doesn’t help things at all. Alright, I have a point here. Let’s spin this forward to this conversation, and throw another phrase out at you: Human Resources. Think about it for a second -- it’s kind of cold, isn’t it? Objectifying just a little? People are people, not just resources to be managed. Human Resources makes it sounds like “Hi I’m Jane, I manage the Human Assets, John over there manages the Material Resources, and Bill manages the Software Assets” Kind of cold, right? And yet the Human Resources departments of every organization are the people that care most about the employees! These are the living breathing hearts and souls of an organization! But their title, their sector of the industry... I don’t know, kind of sounds menacing when you really think about it with a fresh set of eyes and ears. Smarter people than me, I think, have started to feel this same way. I’ve seen more and more titles break away from straight up Human Resources, and break toward something more akin to -- Chief People Officer or People and Culture. Look there is nothing wrong with Human Resources, I’m not getting upset over it, I’m not staging a walkout, I just like to question some of the things we accept as normal. Watch a movie from the 80’s and you’ll see people smoking at their work desk or on airplanes -- that was really normal for a while, until someone said -- maybe we need to do this a little differently. Again, not conflating human resources with smoking on a plane, but I just find myself enamoured with norms and accepted behavior and terms...that when you really think about them are a bit out of place. This brings me to today’s guest -- John Ferguson, who is the VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports And Entertainment, one of the biggest ownership groups in sports -- Washington Wizards, Mystic, Capitals - arenas, esports teams, conferences, TV networks -- they dominate the sports scene in the DC region. And John, one of the coolest most down to earth people I have ever spoken with in my life, cares about the people and the culture of his operation. He cares so much about every person that comes into the organization and creates a culture that brings out the best in everyone. Gear up -- this is one of my favorite discussions of all time -- here’s John Ferguson: Clips from Monumental Sports And Entertainment, VP of People and Culture John Ferguson on the Work In Sports podcast John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment sharing his thoughts on Video Interviews, why they are beneficial, and how best to prepare: https://youtu.be/YXKDXa3-nvg John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment on what you should focus on during a job interview: https://youtu.be/-ExopqDMlSE John Ferguson, VP of People and Culture at Monumental Sports and Entertainment on his favorite question to ask when conducting a job interview: https://youtu.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… So quick update before we get into the stat line and this week’s fan question. Like so many of you I made a resolution this year. A kick off the new year with a new attitude resolution. Well, I’m here to report, I’ve already broken it. That’s the problem with resolutions, it’s usually something you are very drawn to and therefore difficult to cut cold turkey. Mine, was a reduction in sugar intake...both desserts and alcohol. The desserts part isn’t too hard for me, I’m not a big sweets guy, thankfully, but I do like the wine, the bourbon and the tequila. I lasted 16 days… which actually was better than I thought I’d do. Football is just really hard to watch without something wonderful in the palm of your hand. I made it through wildcard weekend drinking lots and lots of tea. But two glorious football weekends was too much for my resolve, Aaron Rodgers and I had a little bourbon together, then Tom Brady and I had some red wine. I’ve come to the conclusion, resolutions can be kind of silly, especially dramatic ones. Just make incremental positive choices, keep your vices in moderation, and set goals for yourself that are based on accomplishing something positive… and you’ll be better off. Ok, enough about that -- let’s get into the stat line! Alright people -- let’s jump into three stats that will help you see exactly what the sports industry employment situation looks like right now -- Stat #1 17.783 jobs currently active on WorkInSports.com the number one job board for the sports industry. To put that in context -- that’s a 6.5% jump over last week. We are in the upward trend right now, lots of positive activity in the sport industry, lots of opportunity. Stat #2 The first full week of January we added 3,002 new jobs to the job board, and I was pumped -- that is a great sign, January is always a huge month, but I was a little fearful of things being flat. Well, for the second full week of January we beat that number, 3,022 fresh jobs added last week. Now this isn’t just a puff out my chest and brag about our job board and product moment - although I am feeling pretty puffed up -- now for real, these stats are too show you what’s happening in the industry. I’m showing you trends and patterns so you can have a more educated knowledge of what is out there for you. Stat #3 -- Every day of the week last week we added 432 new jobs to the job board. Sports specific jobs all across the country - including 1,518 currently in or near Los Angeles California, and 206 in Miami, Florida. This is the absolute right time to be a workinsports.com premium member -- we work with over 8,000 sports employers, if you think you can search the job postings of 8,000 sports employers yourself -- good luck. We do the work for you, that’s just one of the huge benefits of our site! Ok - - next step -- let’s talk cool jobs and internships! Job #1 -- Have you heard of the O’Fallon Hoots. Nope, neither had I. I was looking on our jobboard and say O’Fallon Hoots and thought, that is a typo. It is not. The O’Fallon Hoots a collegiate summer league baseball team in the United States Prospect League, are hiring a broadcaster and media relations intern. Work in Sports VODCAST: Rather watch the video version? https://youtu.be/hLZ9v2W90v0 If you are wondering where O’Fallon is, because it sound slike the bad guy in an 80’s movie with Patrick Swayze -- O’Fallon runs this town! Or like the bully in BIlly Madison, O’Fallon rules! Yes, I know it was O’Doyle who rules, but you get the drift. Anyway, O’Fallon is in Missouri. The show me state. Ok - why does this opportunity stand out. Well, now is the time to start planning for summer internships, and your internships have to provide real honest to goodness training and opportunity.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. I’m no psychiatrist, I barely understand why I do what I do, but I can tell you that fear is a pretty insane driving force. Chased by a bear, you’ll run faster than ever before. Have a big test tomorrow that determines the status of your scholarship - you’ll study harder than ever. Fear is a strong motivator. Well, scratch that, fear makes us uncomfortable, and we try our hardest to return to comfort, that is the human condition, get into comfortable spots and build a house there. So yes, fear contributes to the motivation, but really it’s the idea of staying in a fearful state that motivates us to get out of it. OK, let’s not get all nuanced and into the psycho-babble -- suffice it to say, if you are sitting on your couch doing nothing, and a racoon comes in through the window, after screaming, you’ll move, fast. The fact the remote was just out of reach, or you needed water, or the doritos on the countertop didn’t get you to move… but that damn racoon sure did. Fear works. I’ve interviewed many entrepreneurs over my career, and they are a different breed. You think their motivation comes from money - I’m going to make this thing and sell it to Apple for a billion dollars -- that’s not it. It’s not the money. Success is the goal. Legacy. Developing something completely new, disrupting a marketplace, changing the world. That is what entrepreneurs seek. Like an artist, they are consumed by their passion for their vision. And more importantly, to put a fine point on it, they are ruled by fear. What if this isn’t it? What if my idea doesn’t work? What if it doesn’t disrupt? What if i am not special? This fear drives Entrepreneurs to work harder and with more passion and focus than most others can reach. Failure is not an option. Because of this passion and focus many entrepreneurs aren’t willing to pivot. They stick to their vision with steadfast determination, determined to find success where they thoughtit would be. Today’s guest, Nigel Eccles co-founder of FanDuel, Flick and StarStock, is a serial, and successful, entrepreneur, but he’s also a pragmatist. FanDuel, the multi-billion dollar daily fantasy sports company, wasn’t a pure idea created on the cliche cocktail napkin during a discussion amongst friends over adult beverages. FanDuel was HubDub - the original idea was an online political prediction market. It failed because as nigel himself said “HubDub didn’t really have a good business model” I can see where that would be a problem. But Nigel isn’t the type to just pack up and turn off the lights. He looked at what they had created, and how to pivot it into a new and different market. Sports. He and his HubDub team pivoted. I’m guessing, and he may not admit this, because his fear of failure drove him to see other options for his success. https://youtu.be/Qe-LqEodZFQ And FanDuel has been successful. At the time Nigel sold his interest FanDuel had around a 450 million dollar valuation. A few years later, it is now valued at 11.2 billion. His creation has changed the world. And like most entrepreneurs, one genius move isn’t enough. Nigel is now focused on new start-ups, Flick, The Ultimate Chat App for Sports Influencers and Their Fans, and StarStock, the stock market for sports cards. Both incredibly cool ideas -- let’s get into it, here’s Nigel Eccles co-founder of FanDuel, Flick and StarStock… Questions for Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of FanDuel, Flick & StarStock 1: I’ve read about 20 different articles on you and your background as prep for this interview, and the most common describer for you is “math geek”. I’ve also seen “the most controversial player in the world of sports entertainment.” How would you describe yourself and your journey to where you are now?

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Well, I could surely get used to back to back NFL triple headers - I kept trying to get out of my house and doing other things, but the games just kept drawing me back in. And then it’s 8:15 on Saturday night and I’ve got Brady and Gronk to watch? And then it’s 8:15 on Sunday night and I’ve got Steelers Brown to watch? I mean the good news is, I could turn off the Steelers-Browns after the first quarter, sorry Steelers fans, and get off my ass. What a weekend. For those of you who haven’t listened to last weeks interview with Matt resnick, I suggest you go back and listen. For 5 years Matt was the People Acquisition Director for Madison Square Garden, [Knicks, Rangers, MSG Network, MSG] and knows his stuff when it coms to getting hired in sports. We shared a ton of tactical advice, plus some strategic thinking and planning that can really make the difference for your career. Go listen Coming up this week - Nigel Eccles. Name sound familiar? Well, it should. Nigel is the co-founder of FanDuel. Yes, that FanDuel. The one he sold for 450 million, and has a current valuation of ...wait for it… 11.2 billion dollars. Spoiler -- I did not ask Nigel why he didn’t wait a few more years to sell FanDuel and make an extra couple billion. I’m figuring that could be a sore spot for him. But we did talk a ton about leadership, creativing, establishing a culture, the growth of tech and his new start up -- Flick, a sports focused chat app which looks super cool. Tune into that on Wednesday. One last note -- Because i want to brag a little. As we start the spring semester for college students across the globe, I am proud to announce our sports career game plan is now bing used in the curriculum of over 30 sports management programs. University of Florida, Grand Canyon, Ball State, Graceland, Dean, Findlay, East Carolina, -- and many more -- sorry if i didn’t mention your school, I’m going off the top of my head here. Our course is on professional development for the sports industry, and if you are a college professor listening and I’ve piqued your interest, email me. If you are a student, talk to your professors and have them email me. If you are just an interested person, we can sell it to you direct. Boom! Ok, enough of me talking -- well, that’s not true, I’ve got a lot more talking to do, enough of me pitching… let’s get to the stat line… [music] Here we go, three stats to give you an update on the overall health of sports employment… Stat #1 16,705 active sports jobs on WorkInSports.com the leading job board for th sports industry -- that is an increase of 8% over last week.,..that’s a big jump, and I told you it was coming. January is always huge for new jobs. Stat #2 We added 3,005 active new jobs in the last week. That is a jump of… wait for it… 215% week over week. Like i said, here come the jobs. First week on January, 915 jobs added, this week, 3,005. Stat #3 That means we added an average of 429 new jobs every day of the week last week. That is worth checking in on. We’re back baby! Ok, second part of the Stat Line… jobs! Job #1 Public Relations Coordinator for the NWSL - The NWSL office is growing to meet the demands of the changing global landscape of professional women's soccer. We are looking for individuals who desire to make an impact on the future of sport in the United States. Coordinator role, looking for 2 years of experience, which can include relevant internships. Great gig to learn and have on your resume. And it’s in Chicago, and I like chicago. Job #2 Lead Writer Consumer Direct Creaative Studio at Nike -- look this isn’t entry level, you are going to need some real experience for this. But imagine for a second, As our Lead Writer for the Global Jordan Brand Consumer Direct Creative...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… There is a theme already clearly presenting itself in 2021 - get back to work. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time workshopping that theme, there wasn’t a lot of debate or struggle -- it’s clear as day. 2020 wrecked a lot of people. Careers were put on hold, bills became hard to pay,health was in question, it became hard to see a bright future --- everyone, in some way or another was knocked down. I don’t mean this to sound trivial, and I’m not minimizing the pain people are going through -- but it’s time to get back up. I tend to be someone who visualizes a lot. I’m what you call a visual learner, if I drive somewhere once, I’ll never forget how to get there again, because I can see it in my mind. If I am shown how to do something, whether that is fixing the plumbing or running a report in google analytics, it sticks. Because I know myself and what impacts me the most, I conduct a lot of visualization exercises throughout my day. Sometimes certain visuals get stuck in my mind on a loop, and there are two that keep resonating with me, and are indicative of 2020. #1 is from my fav movie of all-time, Good Will Hunting, if you haven’t seen it, go, now, do it. It holds up. Some movies don’t stand the test of time, this one does. There is a scene where Robin Williams who plays a psychologist, is trying to help the troubled boy genius Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, by looking him in the eyes and saying over and over again each time with more meaning and feeling “it’s not your fault”, which eventually makes the tough skinned Hunting break down and cry. That’s 2020 for you people. It’s not your fault. That’s a realization we all need - but it’s not enough. Just realizing it isn’t your fault is a good start, but it also puts you on the edge of excuse making. It’s not my fault… so let’s go grab another bag of doritos and watch UNC-Greensboro play Wofford on ESPN plus. Nope - that’s not the visualization, or reality, we want. It’s time to channel your inner Herb Brooks. The rousing pre-game speech from the movie Miracle, about the MIracle on Ice when the US defeated the Soviets in the 1980 Olympics. I’ll summarize it thusly -- “This is your time, now go out there and take it” It’s not going to come to you, it’s not going to find you buried in a pile of misery, self-doubt and Cheetos and offer you salvation. It’s on you to take it. https://youtu.be/-FkgrqSFx84 This month, to get you focused on all the steps, strategies, and trends in hiring for 2021 we will feature interviews with three incredible people connected to sports Talent Acquisition. John Ferguson, VP of people and culture from Monumental Sports and Entertainment [Wizards, Capitals, Mystics, TV networks, eSports teams you name it] Kali Franklin, VP of Human Resources for NYCFC of the MLS And today’s guest Matt Resnick, former Director of People Acquisition for the Madison Square Garden company -- Knicks, Rangers. After graduating from Florida State in 2004 Matt has really done it all in sports -- he started out in inside sales, worked in youth sports, transitioned to the agency side, and then for the last seven years has been focused on recruiting and talent acquisition, most recently with the Madison Square Garden company which is about as big as it gets in sports. What is really cool and unique about this interview, is that Matt and MSG decided to part ways in the fall, so he is taking all of his knowledge and applying it right now to his own personal search… and he’s really had to look deep inside into what works and why… and he’s sharingit during this conversation. Here’s Matt Resnick. Questions for Matt Resnick, Sports Talent Acquisition Executive 1: There is a ton I want to ask you about talent acquisition in the sports industry,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Let’s see if I remember how to do this… it feels like I haven’t pushed out a new episode in a while, yes, I took a break, a little vacation, my first and only one of 2020. That means, I totally 100% disconnected...which means, there is a ton of work to do today. You ever notice that? Vacation is awesome, but the work just piles up, and then when you get back… it’s rough. Today so far, rough. But enough about me -- who’s ready to start 2021?! I’m feeling pretty pumped, even if a bit overwhelmed right at this moment. Let’s start this out right with our first stat line of 2021! This is important, this will give us baseline data for the year...so as we continue talking throughout the year we can observe the trends as they relate to right now at this moment. Kind of cool. Let’s get into it. For those of you new to the podcast, welcome! Every Monday I provide a snapshot of the data behind sports employment. We’re WorkInSports.com, the number one job board for the sports industry, and we’ve been doing this for 20 years, so we have tons of current data and historical trends. So let’s get started… Datapoint #1: 15,473 active sports jobs right now on WorkInSports.com -- that number is down about 7% from our last stat line, and don’t worry that is to be expected. Between Christmas and New Year, employers aren’t really posting jobs, so it is no surprise that number is down a little. The rebound, starts now. Data Point #2 - We’ve added 954 jobs in the last week -- that is WAY down, down 58% from the previous week...but again, I’ve already explained why. We need to go one step deeper… This brings us to data point #3… 954 jobs added last week, divided by 7 days would be an average of 136 jobs per day. BUT, let’s add some recency to the trend line. 278 jobs added today, and I’m recording this at around noon eastern time. This is when things pick up, activity starts going through the roof, and it is the most important time for you to be on top of the job action. OK, part 2 of the Stat Line -- for all you new listeners -- I also provide three cool jobs that are fresh on the job board, just to give you a little taste of what’s out there. I guess it is misleading to make this part of the stat line since it’s totally subjective, but this is where I want to put it, so I do. Job #1… Director of Fan Experience At Stanford University -- this position will oversee a team whose ultimate charge is to create a compelling in-venue experience for our student-athletes and fans alike. This team will design, program, and direct events that satisfy the evolving preferences of fans, create long-lasting memories, and persuade the community to continue to attend. I find so many of the people I get to know in sports, love the live-action, the pace, the creativity, the engagement with fans -- this job is ideal if you have that spirit and experience. And, if you have kids, maybe you get a discounted tuition to Stanford! Talk about benefits. Job #2...Marketing Associate at Burton Snowboards -- Ok, so this is a short term temporary remote role...which may not sound ideal, but hear me out. Burton is looking for an individual to assist us in keeping in touch with our community through social media. In this role, you will be primarily focused on social community coordination. This is a chance to prove yourself, gain experience, and get the proverbial foot in the door of an amazing sports connected company. Especially if you have a thing for winter sports. Start to picture a role like this developing into a full-time gig in Vermont, one of my favorite states in the US, and Burlington is a super cool city. I know it’s temp remote to start, but it could turn into something great...and if nothing else is a little cash in the pocket, experience on the resume,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast -- where we are celebrating our best sports industry interviews of 2020. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about perspective. We all grow up in different conditions, different families, different stresses, and challenges...and it is this foundational time of our lives, our youth, that gives us our first dose of perspective. Growing up in, I guess I would say, a lower-middle-class home in Massachusetts...pretty rural, parents divorced, predominantly white neighborhood, gives me a totally different experience than some rich kid in Beverly Hills, or some poor kid anywhere in America. Or some kid who grew up with abusive parents, or someone who was a victim of crime early in life. We may see the same things through very different lenses because of our foundational perspectives. What we see and experience alters the way we move forward through life. But perspectives are a fluid thing, they change as we go through life and expose ourselves to different people, cultures and situations. Living in a rough area of Atlanta for a few years changed the rural kid in me. I saw different things, and they challenged me to think differently. They challenged me to open my mind up to the struggle of others. To understand that not all kids played sports on the weekend and ate orange slices on the sidelines. That some kids struggled to get by, period. Working with different types of people in a corporate culture like CNN exposed me to different faiths, backgrounds, upbringings, educations… and overall different perspectives. I wonder, again this is where I probably spend an inordinate amount of time contemplating things like perspective, but I wonder, how much our perspectives alter our career choices, or who we are in the workplace. Your perspective and the upbringing you endured, steers you. I was asked recently how many people who work in sports, played sports in college or high school. I have no data, other than the anecdotal story of my life working in sports for the last 20 some odd years… but I’d say around 15% played in college and 90% played at least in high school. It is that perspective that gave us love. The competition, the teamwork, the grind, the community, the coachability -- you thrive on it all. If I hadn’t grown up playing every sport available… I probably wouldn’t have worked in this industry. Sports gets into your bloodstream. Not just playing, but being around it. The smell of a gym makes me think back to my youthful perspective. Hearing a certain song on the radio, makes me think of the drive to a game, or post-championship celebration. It’s no wonder today’s guest circled back to sports. Tim Duncan was a division 1 basketball player at Memphis State, teammates with Penny Hardaway and a 2-time participant in the NCAA tournament. He was one of the elite competitors in the game, making it beyond those of us with only high school memories. For those of you who are confused… Yes there are at least two people in the world named Tim Duncan who played high-level basketball...but this is not that Tim Duncan. For our Tim Duncan, after graduating and starting a successful career in marketing, the sports world beckoned. And because his perspective was on the court, and in the stands and at the arena… the jump back in was natural. Over the last decade plus he’s made a name for himself in college athletes, and just last year was named Athletic Director of the University of New Orleans. It is my honor to have him on the show this week… here’s Tim Duncan…

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Before we get into the stat line -- I want to whet your appetite for January podcasts. December continues to be the Best of 2020 -- this Wednesday, Tim Duncan Athletic Director for the University of New Orleans… a great guy and a great interview. For January, I’ve lined up multiple talent acquisition executives, a co-founder of one of the biggest sports tech companies ever, a global partnership activation manager in the NBA, a manager of inside sales in the NBA who is hiring staff and gearing up... January will be huge. Also just a heads up - this Wednesday my good friend and former guest Chris Grosse, who is Associate Athletic Director for Marketing at Penn State has asked me to be part of a panel discussion on sports industry resume’s -- if you are interested in checking it out, connect with Chris on LinkedIn and he’ll share info with you. So with that in mind let’s get into the stat line... Alright, we’re taking a bit of a left turn with the stat line today, data as normal, but instead of highlighting three jobs, we’re doing to discuss a major news story that will change the future of the #sportsbiz. First the data…. Three data points helping you understand what’s happening in sports employment right now... #1: 16,508 active sports jobs on WorkinSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry -- that is a decline of 1% from last week, a slight drop, but this is the time of year when orgs are gearing up for the new year, so no surprise here. #2 -- we added 1508 jobs in the last week, that’s a decline of 10% week over week. #3 - which is still an average of 215 fresh new sports jobs every day of the week, which actually seems pretty good considering the time of year. Expect big bumps in January. Ok, as I mentioned, instead of giving you three jobs that caught my eye this week, I want to discuss a major change happening in the world of sports that will fundamentally change our business moving forward and that includes jobs and opportunity. I try really hard not to speak to specific events, or newsy items because it makes the episode content dated and somewhat irrelevant in a month’s time… but this is important and represents a massive sea change in the industry. We’re talking about Names, Images, and Likeness legislation. Quick primer -- throughout my life and longer, student-athletes can’t make money off their name, image, and likenesses. They can’t hire agents and negotiate endorsement deals with sneaker, apparel, merchandise, video games or summer camps. They can’t do social media deals and rake in ad or sponsorship revenue. When it comes to athletes making money and leveraging their brand -- they can’t. BUT - schools can absolutely use a student-athletes name, image, and likeness to make money. So the school’s profit, but the student-athletes don’t. Finally, this is changing. Now, this get’s tricky, and there are details and nuances I am going to leave out for this discussion. If you want to learn more, I suggest you visit sportico.com and check out the great write-up from my legal go-to guy Michael McCann. We’re going to take a high-level stab at it, and really the point here isn’t just to keep you aware of changing trends but to consider what this means for you as far as career opportunities. Ok, so where are we? Well, Senator Roger Wicker from Mississippi is sponsoring the Collegiate Athlete Compensation Rights act. Wicker’s bill would create a federal NIL right - which is important because if this is rolled out state by state, or just by the NCAA, there are going to be problems. For example -- Let’s imagine California and Florida pass state-sponsored NIL legislation that is wide open, and Texas and Alabama pass something more restrictive. That would change the competitive landscape massively.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning with WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Let’s talk about retention. In the business world -- retention is a big deal as it relates to customers and employees. Let’s take our business for a second, WorkinSports.com. We provide a premium service, we have over 17,000 active sports jobs and internships all in one place, we match your skills to job openings, we connect you with sports employers, we have career training -- we do all kind of cool things to help you develop in the industry. Once someone decides to be a member of our site, it makes sense for us to work to retain them, because it way way way easier to keep a current customer than create a new one from scratch. Businesses focus heavily on retention through elite customer service, increased value, exclusive offers, and more. Now think about this concept in terms of a sports team… if you have a premium suite sold to a business in town… which do you think is more beneficial to the organization, getting this business that has already been committed to your experience and knows the process and value, to renew for another year. Or having to go on 20 sales trips to different businesses, make pitches, presentations and negotiate deals to get someone else in that spot? Retention matters. But retention isn’t just for customers - it’s also for the employees. There is nothing worse as a manager of people than having one of your best employees leave for another opportunity. When I started at Fox Sports Northwest back in the day, I was coming cross country from Atlanta and inheriting a staff that the GM had told me during the interview process had very low morale. Most didn’t feel good about working there. When I came in I made it my mission to figure out why, figure out who could be the pillars of the staff, and figure out how to fix the overall problem. After identifying a complete stud in the building and elevating him to a higher role with more authority and leadership in the organization -- 6 months later he left. And it crushed me. James Rafferty I’m still mad at you. His wife Melissa also worked for us on the assignment desk and was amazing, so this was a double gut punch as they both left and went to new jobs in Montana. This is when it became very clear to me, that doing everything you can to keep your best people is an absolutely essential way to operate. You’ll never be at 100%, people leave for reasons you can’t control, James and Melissa left for Montana to go back home… I couldn’t control that. But you can sure as hell try. So how do you influence retention? There are many ways really because everyone on your staff will have different triggers for what is important to them. Culture. Do people enjoy working here? Do they like the environment, do they have a smile on their face at work? Accountability and process -- if you have an efficient system and hold people accountable for their performance, people are more likely to feel satisfied. Training - teach them how to be a stellar performer, show them what you want, and set them up for success. Career Paths - let them see their future, what could be out there for them at your organization. These are all methods to retain staff, and great organizations do all this and more -- because the people are what matter most. One of the organizations doing more than most is ESPN - the ESPN Next program is a big part of ESPN’s retention plan -- it’s the company's premier leadership development program, bringing in the best of the best from around the globe and training them to be even better. The Director of the ESPN Next program is today’s guest Celia Bouza...buckle up, we’re getting into this. Here’s Celia. Outro There is so much I loved in that interview. Seriously, you know in the first minute or two when you hit it off with someone,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Before we get into the stat line and today’s question -- I have something I want to put into your brains that I’ve been thinking a lot about. A few months back, I had on Josh Walker President of Sports Innovation Lab, and he discussed the fluid fan concept - that essentially sports has to go where the fans are and change the entire experience. It’s not just a buy ticket sit in seat world, it has to be fluid and follow the fans through social communities, immersive experience, and more. This is one of my favorite episodes, I loved talking to Josh. And, this past week, it really got me thinking about the future of sports and how everything will change. Not just because of COVID, this need to develop and change was emerging anyhow, COVID just sped everything up. Look at the news from the world of entertainment this week -- Warner Brothers announces they will concurrently release all of their 2021 movies in the theater, and streaming on HBO Max. This will likely start a wave where you’ll see other studios align with other streaming services -- but let’s apply this to our world, sports. Just like the movie world uses the theater model, sports has a main outlet for its programming -- traditional network and cable TV channels. Sports leagues have long term deals with broadcast partners and it is a major source of their revenue. But, we may start to see a similar model expand to sports -- taking live events and simulcasting them in multiple places - not just CBS and ESPN… but social channels and more. Look to these changes, see what opportunities they present, and how fan engagement changes. Right now, I’m looking to the entertainment world and eSports to set the trends the sports industry will follow. eSports is better at capturing and engaging young viewers, and entertainment is incredible at finding revenue streams -- sports will follow these models, so keep an eye on those fields. Ok - let’s get to the stat line… [music] Three data points that help inform us as to the strength of the sports industry as provided by WorkInSports.com the #1 job board for the sports industry. Stat #1 -- 16,730 active sports jobs on WorkInSports.com -- this is pretty much flat from last week, but that’s a lot of jobs. Stat #2 -- 1,666 new active sports jobs added in the past 7 days, which is a 35% increase from the previous week -- which isn’t all that surprising, a big uptick from Thanksgiving week when most employers aren’t posting jobs. Stat #3 - that is an average of 238 fresh new active sports jobs added each day of the week -- which is pretty awesome. Ok, let’s get to three fresh new jobs that sound awesome and are currently live on WorkInSports.com -- Job #1 -- Production Trainee for the NBA -- I love starting gigs like this. You guys know my affinity for big-name employers, when you get something like this on your resume it stands out for life. You learn the best practices of the industry and are ready to take on the world. This position is part of the NBA Emerging Media group which focuses on identifying, creating, distributing, and publishing content for the NBA's social and digital platforms and its many domestic and international partners throughout the world. Look this is just me, but I wouldn’t care what they are paying, this is the opportunity i would absolutely 100% jump on if I had any interest in content, digital marketing, social, journalism… and loves basketball. I would be so all over this. Job #2 -- Strength and Conditioning Fellow for United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee -- if you wanted to work in strength and conditioning, any kind of athletic training, does it get any better than the USOC? I’ve been to their facility in Colorado Spring and it is chills inducing to know the stars and athletes that have walked that...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… There is a bit of an unfortunate truth in the sports industry… sometimes job titles can mean very different things to different people in different organizations. Take the term marketing for one. People tell me all the time, I want to work in sports marketing! And I say...OK, what specifically in marketing, because that is a very broad term. Marketing could be project managing billboards, or email outreach, tossing t-shirts on game night… or it could be google paid advertising, social media campaigns, sponsorships and activation. So when you see a job listing for a Marketing Manager -- make sure you read the job description and tailor your resume and cover letter for that specific role and the demands of it. Another term that has a pretty wide berth is player development. Taken on its surface, you are in charge of developing the player. Makes sense right? But there are really two different aspects of this -- on the field of play, and off the field of play. You will see player development roles that involve assisting athletes, whether they be in college or in the pros, adjusting to their new life, getting settled, knowing their way around town, where to get food, how to get set up with a financial advisor. These are vitally important roles that colleges and pro organizations take on to make sure they get the most out of their investment. If a player is worried about having a place to live or knowing what classes to take - they are more likely to be distracted and not perform at their best. But there is another type of player development, and that’s what we are going to focus on today. That is the magic that happens in organizations between acquisition and true potential. Let’s use baseball as an example. Player gets drafted, they are 18 years old just graduated high school, and now they are in your system. Unless their name is Mike Trout, it is a long way to a major league city. Player development is everything that happens between acquisition and making the major leagues. How to playHow to eatHow to trainHow to mentally prepareHow to practiceHow to identify and work on your weaknessesHow to understand game strategy and organizational philosophy These development plans are all customized for each individual in the organization. Having a plan, and executing it, is the best way to make your investment in a player reach its true potential. It’s a fascinating process, one that happens behind the scenes of sports organizations at all levels. Because success equates to value...and failure costs time, money, and effort. Over the last 40 years, one of the most respected men in baseball team management and player development has been Dan Duquette, former GM of the Red Sox, Orioles, and Expos. The list of players he has acquired and developed into major league talent is stunning. I won’t list them all here...it’s too long. Dan joined me earlier this year to talk about his career, becoming an executive, his decision-making process, trusting yourself and a breakdown of player development. During the month of December, we’ll be running back some of our most popular episodes from 2020, and we kick it off with 2-time MLB Executive of the Year...Dan Duquette

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Hope you all had a really great and safe Thanksgiving - I did. Just our family was here, we kept it safe, no entertaining which meant more pie for me. I was in full-fledged beast mode last week. I destroyed the meal. A guy I knew in high school, kind of a meathead, would always say he was going to eat so much that he puked, and then eat some more. That doesn’t sound healthy to me, but it was a philosophy I kind of embraced this week, sans the puking part. I’m not down with that. Christmas lights were hung this weekend, despite it being 60 degrees in Pennsylvania… which is really weird this time of year. But I’m on track, lots of black Friday and cyber Monday shopping, good times. Alright enough blather from me, lets get to the stat line… Three data points to help you understand the health of the sports industry. #1 16,840 active jobs posted on the #1 job board for the sports industry -- WorkInSports.com -- you think that’s puffery? That I’m just boosting the name of the company I work for -- Ha! The truth is in the numbers -- Our closest competitors: one has 2,048 active jobs and the other has 922 jobs. We have 16,840. Where do you think you should spend your time? #2 1,082 jobs added last week. Now, that is a down week for us -- which stands to reason... It was thanksgiving. Who among us says, now is the right time to publish our job opening? #3 even with that, we still have an average of 155 fresh new sports jobs added each day. Ok -- three really cool jobs that stood out ot me this week Job #1 -- Director of Athletic Multimedia at Marist College in New York - I have to say, there is no better time to be a sports content creator. There are so many opportunities. In this role, you’ll develop and produce video content, digital media, and marketing elements for the athletic department. You’ll go to college games and create awesome content to share through digital channels. Awesome. Need more proof on sports content jobs -- director of content for the premier lacrosse league, social media director for the drone racing league, director of creative strategy for NBC Sports, video content creator for pac12 network, director of social media for university of pittsburgh -- all these jobs posted in the last 12 hours. Job #2 - Partnership Analytics Fellowship at NYCFC -- I had to look at this one because a fellowship sounds fancy and partnership analytics sounds interesting. The Partnerships Analytics Fellowship is a one-year position within the Business Intelligence group at NYCFC. The fellowship will focus on equipping the candidate with all the tools necessary to continue a career within multiple verticals of the sports industry such as Strategy & Analytics, Business Intelligence, and Sponsorship Sales and Service. Ding-Ding! The fellow will research and discover new prospects for the Partnership Sales Team to pursue by identifying and creating individual company profiles, performing category analysis, and tracking industry trends. I keep telling ya’ll business analytics is the wave you should be riding in sports. I’m not smart enough for it but you might be. Job #3: Sales jobs are on the rise again -- they are up 10% week over week and I think the news of a vaccine on the horizon is telling teams, time to add staff for the coming spring when thighs could start to open back up again. Remember, jobs are predictive, they tell you what is happening in the eyes of the marketplace 3-6 months from now, if organizations are posting jobs for sales staff that means they think things will be improving in 3-6 months for tickets, partnerships, and sponsorships. I’ll list a couple of jobs to prove my point: Director of Sales for FC Tucson, Florida Panthers Account Manager, Saints and Pelicans Inside Sales team hiring,

Hey everybody - I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. Show note -- as you likely suspected, there will not be a show on Wednesday. My game plan for this week is to work a full day today, half-day tomorrow, bake pies all day Wednesday, eat pies all day Thursday, and then sleep all day Friday. For those of you wondering -- yes, I am the chef in our house - that is actually one of my other passions. I’m like an onion with multiple layers, in addition to sports fanaticism and podcast hosting, I am also an organic gardener who really really likes to cook. So yes, lots of pies, lots of food, lots of cooking in the next few days… no new episode on Wednesday. Alright - let’s get to the stat line! Three data points to help you understand what’s happening in the sports industry, and three cool active jobs on our job board at WorkInSports.com. #1 -- 17,011 active jobs currently on WorkInSports.com - the leading job board for the sports industry. That’s down about 2% from last week, but that is a minor dip considering it’s the holiday season. Did I mention I’m making pies? #2 -- 1,526 new jobs added this week -- quick scan, seeing a lot of lifestyle brands that are hiring right now, Adidas, Nike, new balance, Skechers -- makes sense right? Big time of year for product companies. I think my favorite pie is Pecan Pie. #3 -- An average of 218 jobs added to our site every damn day of the last week. I’ll also be making a classic pumpkin pie and a chai spiced apple pie with bourbon whipped cream. See if I can get the kids a little tipsy. I’m kidding! Do you have a favorite pie? Before I get into my three favorite jobs of the week -- I just mentioned all the reasons a membership to WorkInSPorts.com makes sense -- 17000 jobs, over 200 added each day etc etc… let me add one more. Our Black Friday deal! You can get a three-week membership for just $5 -- that’s our best discount of the year. 83% off the regular cost. Head to https://www.workinsports.com/promo/blackfriday.asp Ok, three amazing, cool, incredible new sports internships for this week -- aha, you thought I was going to say jobs. No, this week, I’m going to focus on some internships because this is the time of year you should be prepping for your spring internships. Internship #1 - Amateur Scouting intern with the Tampa Bay Rays -- I get asked all the time, how do I become a scout, well, often a lot of scouts are retired players or former lower-level coaches. In lieu of that -- how about an internship in Amateur Scouting with one of the best in Major League Baseball the Rays? Yeah, I thought that might excite you. Internship #2 - TV Broadcast Intern for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters -- which if you didn’t already know is a collegiate summer league baseball team. Again, I get asked a lot about how to get play-by-play broadcasting experience -- well, in this internship you’ll be the play-by-play voice for 36 home games on the Northwoods league TV network. That is the experience you need if you dream of working in play by play. And internship #3 -- I always talk about your high-/evel strategy for internships should be - complete at least two during your college career, hopefully, more, and make one at a big company with high name recognition, and one at a smaller company where you’ll be forced to do more. Well, here’s one on the big-name side - Turner Sports is hiring an intern who will intern will play a vital role in assisting the HBO show “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.” Research and develop stories Avid work; logging and screening Assist with local shoots (content, equipment, etc) Complete tasks on a deadline for time-sensitive material Conduct independent research to pitch potential stories Contact reporters, media outlets, and sports teams for information If you have a hankering for sports journalism -- this is the internship for you.

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast Back in the early 2000s, which seems like yesterday, but in our fast-moving world was actually, like, 100 years ago, I was the executive producer for a TV show featuring NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. Shaun is an incredible dude, and I loved working with him, but that’s not why I brought this up. I bring this up just to show how much things have changed in the last 15 years. Back then, athletes had very few channels to share their personal stories, their point of view, their personality or perspective. Just a few of the top stars would have their own TV show, like Shaun, others may have weekly segments on sports radio, or maybe work with a local sports reporter for a newspaper feature. Most everything from a personal branding perspective worked through the media. And then it all changed. Social media played a huge role – players could now voice their own stories, share their own vision, create their own videos – and have a channel to distribute them. But even more than social media as a tool – there was also a shift in attitude, utilization of the leverage players have, of the demand THEY create. Many in the media call this the player entitlement era, where they now call the shots. The athletes make the demands and they have shifted the leverage of every negotiation. I find that term kind of insulting, player entitlement. The word entitlement gives it a negative connotation, like how dare they express themselves or want for themselves, or demand for themselves. Entitlement to me has a connotation of being something that isn’t deserved, like a child acting like they should get the toy because they want it. It is their prerogative. In the instance of elite athletes, they are the product, they are the brand, they have every right in the world to express themselves, brand themselves, leverage themselves, for their betterment. And they are doing exactly that. Sites like the Players Tribune give all players a voice to share the world through their eyes. More and more athletes are creating videos, negotiating deals, creating documentaries and building a huge personal brand – even college student-athletes will soon begin to profit off of their names, images, and likeness. Alas, the players don’t all go it alone. They often look for trusted advisors, creative visionaries who can enhance their portfolio and build their reach beyond what they imagined was possible. One such visionary is today’s guest – Rashida Gayle, founder of Twenty Six marketing agency, a boutique full-service marketing agency servicing best in class talent [in sports and entertainment]. They maximize brand opportunities through smart marketing initiatives. Rashida works with stars, like MLS MVP Josef Martinez, NFL Running back Devonta Freeman, N’Keal Harry of the New England Patriots, Justice Hill and Miles Boykin of the Baltimore Ravens, and many others. Time to find out how she got where she is today, and where she sees the world of marketing heading — here’s Rashida Gayle. A quick caveat, when we first recorded this interview, Rashida was the Director of Talent Marketing at GSE Worldwide – she’s only recently started up her own agency and it is really exciting to watch her grow – Here’s Rashida…

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Vp of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast… Quick note before we jump into todays episode -- i get a lot of questions about starting and growing a podcast, questions I love to answer because this is a really fun part of my work life. I don’t answer those questions here, because it doesn’t really fit… but i do have a piece of advice today… Have you heard of Zombie Skittles? Yeah, they are skittles with halloween themed flavors -- pretty tasty -- but the trick is, hidden amongst the joyful little sweet oval candies are scattered some that look like regular flavors but are actually “dead zombie” flavor. My 12 year old son, has a jar of these on the kitchen counter with a sign above it that says “zombie skittles” try if you dare. My big recommendation for all of you interested in podcasting -- don’t tempt fate with a zombie skittle right before recording. I literally have the taste of teenage body odor mixed with rotting flesh and skunks ass swirling around my mouth right now, and apparently water doesn’t help. This is awful. I may need to wash the flavor away with a reese’s peanut butter cup -- or I may have to resist that urge so I don’t put on the COVID 300. So far I am weigh neutral during quarantine which I’m pretty happy about. Ok, enough delay, lets get to the stat line Three data points to help you understand the state of the sports industry and three fresh jobs that are super cool as determined by me. #1 -- currently on WorkInSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry - we have 17,367 active sports jobs -- quick side not on that, big shout out to Shelbei Reicks who runs the blog Her Shot at the Top and shared on twitter this past week comparing the various spots job boards -- I’ll summarize for you, we have 15,000 more active sports jobs than our nearest competitor. #2 - in the last week we added 1,807 new sports jobs an increase of 1% which is essentially flat. #3: Which is an average of 258 new jobs added each day of the last week. Not bad. As i told you all last week, expect numbers to decline slightly as we approach the holidays, don’t panic, this is normal seasonality. Ok, three fresh cool jobs this week…Oh and before i get into that, special thanks to Ed Olson and his class at Arizona State, who welcomed me into their sports marketing classroom last week -- we talked resumes, interviewing, gaining the right skills -- great class, super fun. In about an hour I’ll be speaking in Eric Esterline’s class at the University of Florida -- which is always a good time too. Sun Devils and Gators not a bad week. Three cool jobs -- Sports Betting Senior Content Coordinator at NBC Sports -- look, I don’t know sports betting AT ALL. I’m that guy that hears the Vikings are -175 for tonight’s game and thinks, that sounds bad, only later to have a friend say, no they are favored to win. Anyway, my point is that I won’t be competing with you for this job -- AND that sports betting is a growth sector of the sports industry. There are great opportunities here, even if I am a dolt. Business Strategy Internship for Austin FC -- ok, now this is cool, Austin FC joins MLS officially in 2021, and as I’ve said many times on this here podcast, sports is just a huge business… AND… jobs in business strategy, business analytics, revenue optimization etc etc are on the rise. This is a great way to start building your knowledge and experience on the business side of sports. AND if any of you get this internship, I want a T-shirt, because I really like their logo. Speaking of great logos! The Seattle KRAKEN are hiring a digital specialist -- great entry entry role. You aren’t writing the content, you are managing the flow of the content. So for example, they have writers and video editors and creators -- in this role you take their work and bring it to the world.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. In January of 2020, which feels like 10 years ago, I had a plan to double up our podcast episodes for the month. January is a big month for WorkInSports.com - so many people coming to our site looking for a new opportunity to gain sports employment and follow their dreams. January is a month so many of us say -- I’m going for it! I want to lose weight, I want a new career, I want to make more time for myself... it is the month of affirmations. The thought was, let’s capitalize on that attention -- let’s get everyone feeling motivated and ready to conquer the sports world with a double dose of top podcast guests. So I built a target list and started aggressively reaching out to guests I thought wouldbe great to kick off the year. My first goal was to book Hannah Huesman, someone I had really grown to admire in the world of sports mental performance training. Hannah is so motivating -- she posts 1-minute clips on her social media channels every Monday called Mental Sweat Monday, where she gives her listeners actionable tips to improve their mental performance, AND she works for the Philadelphia Phillies traveling to all of their minor league teams and helping their players become their best. Perfect guest. She said yes almost immediately. We conducted the interview...and I was so so so excited. Hannah is awesome. She explained how she got into sports mental performance, so it’s interesting from a career standpoint, but she also shared her background as a student-athlete, and gave incredible tips on how we can all improve. I mean come on?! Last week was stressful. Between the election and increasing casualties and sickness from the global pandemic we are still facing, this felt like the right time to bring back some positivity. Hannah has a plan, listen in.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast… Hey everybody -- it was a stressful week last week, so I completely understand if you didn’t yet listen to our Wednesday podcast with Joan Lynch from WorkingNation -- but you have to go back and listen to it. We are highly focused on the future of employment, the trends, the ideas, the analysis -- Joan is incredible, she was a VP and Executive producer at ESPN, instrumental in the 30 for 30 series and over the last few years has been more focused on the data and content behind employment. She is awesome. Make sure you listen. Alright -- before our question this week on phone interviews, let’s get into the stat line… Three data points helping you understand the health of today’s sports employment market #1 Total number of sports jobs on WorkInSports.com the leading job board for the sports industry since 1999…. 17,285. Now, this number has been flat since right around the 12th of October -- meaning we’ve been hovering around 17,100-17,400 active jobs for the last month. #2 We added 1,792 new jobs during the past week.. Again, week over week flat. And #3 -- that is an average of 256 new sports jobs added to our job board every day of the week. Before you let this worry you, the fact numbers are flat, that growth has stopped and we aren’t picking up new jobs, this is all very easily explained by seasonality. In fact, I will warn you, these numbers will likely decrease for the coming weeks, only to rebound in January. Think about it logically -- do you want to be hiring someone new at your organization as you approach thanksgiving break, holiday distractions et all? It’s hard enough to integrate new staff remotely, now do it during the holidays. The bottom line, don’t panic over the active job number. Keep up your job-seeking activities and be prepared for all that might come your way. Ok, three cool jobs I found this week. Shout out to the University of Missouri Saint Louis students I spoke with last week -- I heard from their professor, Dr. Karen Boleska, that they really like this segment, and I hope you do too… Job #1 -- Social and Community Manager for St Louis FC - if you didn’t know, St Louis FC will be the 28th team added to MLS and is majority female-owned, and female-led. Pretty cool. Now, why do I love this job -- first off, the idea of being the one to set and develop the social media and community strategy for a new team and organization, is so, so, so intriguing. Secondarily -- their job description, and I’ll link to it in the show notes, is a perfect example of why I tell you all to make a list of the skills that are in demand, see how you stack up, and then adjust your decision. So, if you are one of the UMSL students I spoke to last week -- take a look at this job, understand what skills they are demanding and make a plan for yourself to acquire these skills.That’s how you stay market relevant. Job #2 - Video Coordinator - Milwaukee Herd the g-league team for the Milwaukee Bucks -- look, I love game video. My wife jokes that she could sit in a room analyzing spreadsheets all day long, and I say, I could do the same with game film. If you are into coaching or scouting, OR even the other direction, content, and analysis -- working in the video room for a team is a great place to start and learn. Job #3 -- Email Marketing Coordinator - Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment -- the owners of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils - I bring up this job for a couple of reasons. 1: People tell me all the time they want to work in sports marketing -- and if you are one of those people, marketing is a very broad term so consider learning some specifics. Email marketing is a specific aspect of sports marketing and has different requirements and knowledge than other roles.