The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

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Figuring Out Your Passion in the Sports Industry – Work In Sports Podcast Apr 06, 2020

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It's the most frequent question we receive -- "I love sports, what should I do for my career?" listen to this episode of the Work In Sports podcast for some ideasHey 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 notes before we jump into today’s fan question:Note #1: Quarantine kind of stinks. It is essential, I’m glad we are all taking it seriously, but this stinks. Note #2: So many of you that I know from our audience are posting that they’ve been laid off, or your job has been furloughed -- and this hurts me to my core. This feels like something I’m seeing every time I log in to LinkedIn - another person posting they’ve lost their job. I feel for all of you. We are all feeling a tightening of our belt. Reach out to me via LinkedIn, or our Private Facebook group and I’ll see what I can do to help. Our private Facebook group is a great spot to network, and fund support from your peers. Others like you, facing these times and looking for support and guidance. Search for the Work In Sports podcast on Facebook, answer a few questions and you are in!Note #3: In the same spirit, we have created an abridged version of our Work In Sports Academy courses -- we call it Academy Essentials. It is now FREE for all users to access, so if you are looking to increase your knowledge, learn some strategies and tactics that will help when it comes to getting hired in the sports industry, Academy Essentials is a great start and again, completely free.Alright, today’s fan question comes from Wyatt in Colorado -- “Hey Brian, I’m a junior in college, pretty early in my sports career and I’m trying to figure out my fit for the industry. I notice on your site WorkInSports.com that your tagline says “make your passion your career” I like that saying… I know my passion in sports...but what part of sports should I make my career in, that’s where I struggle. Any ideas that can help me.Also, I have to say your site actually has a lot of jobs right now, and I didn’t expect that, thanks for your continued hard work during these times.”Wyatt -- thanks for the kind words and good questions. I think the final side note is kind of funny -- “your site actually has a lot of jobs right now” that word actually always cracks me up, it’s like the ultimate backhanded compliment.You actually look nice today. Wow, that paper you wrote is actually pretty good! Your site is actually pretty good at this! I appreciate the positive response Wyatt, we are working really hard as a team right now, and always, to find all the potential opportunities out there. We know many of you are hurting, and finding your next opportunity can be a way to bring light to the end of this tunnel.As I mentioned last week on our special Friday edition, in normal times we add about 75 new sports jobs a day, which is a LOT of opportunities, and that number HAS slowed down, but it hasn’t stopped. We added 183 fresh sports jobs last week...and trust me, there is going to be a huge boom once quarantine lets up. There are opportunities now, and there will be more soon. Our site, WorkInSports.com is absolutely your best place to get the latest on opportunities. So let’s get into your question about passion, and then refine things further. This comes with the caveat of, I can’t answer this question for you, you have to discover it. Has anyone seen the movie Inside Out? It’s a Pixar movie, really really really well done. I have young kids, so I see all of these types of movies. Trust me, I have a point in here, just stick with me. The movie is, on a macro level, about your emotions and how your experiences to help frame them. One of the concepts they use to explain this concept to younger minds is that all of your experiences are marbles, and then you have a small group of “core memories” that are the most instrumental building blocks of your personality. So apply this to your own life… there are definitely ...

Finding Motivation and Focus During This Messed Up Time – Work In Sports Podcast Apr 03, 2020

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Hey everyone, before we get into today’s special Friday edition of the Work in Sports podcast a couple of notes:1: We developed this really robust curriculum focused on the strategies and tactics everyone should learn and utilize to get hired in sports. We’ll over the last month, I made an abridged version, and we’re giving it away for free on WorkInSports.com -- that’s right, Academy Essentials is 100% free to all users. 2: You also may be wondering -- why should I visit WorkInSports.com right now -- wit no games, there must be no jobs. That would be false. In the last week, we’ve added 183 sports active jobs -- now that’s way off our average, we’re normally closer to 75 fresh sports jobs a day. But there are jobs and opportunities out there, so if you need work, we have the opportunities.3: Which brings me to my third point -- starting next week, we’re going to make all part-time jobs free to access for all users. We know many of you working game day events have been furloughed or laid off, so we’re making access to all the seasonal and part-time roles free on our site.4: And finally -- look for an email from us early next week. We are dramatically dropping the price of a WorkInSports membership to serve you better. Yes, we are a service site, we provide a value of fiding all the sports jobs and putting them in one place for you...and we charge a fee for the service...but we are dramatically dropping the price to help as best we can.Ok, let’s start the countdown... ---Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is a special Friday edition of the Work In Sports podcast.So...I want to be really honest with all of you right now. I’m not one of those guys that always tries to act like they have all the answers and that their model for doing things is perfect. I get annoyed when I see “motivational speakers” always having all the answers, never sad, never conflicted…the world appears very black and white to them, and they are the only ones who know where the right color is. When you know in reality, backstage they are popping pills to get them ramped up. Or they have a failed marriage for cheating on their spouse, or they are miserable in their day-to-day. Not all, but many. All that is inauthentic to me. To come out and preach a system acting as if the sun is always shining in your world. It’s not. So, I try to be honest. There are things I am very confident in, and I speak on them as often as I can, with all the authority that I can. BUT, I am far from really having anything figured out. This week was tough. I’m struggling with motivation and focus, so trust me this is not at all an “I’ve got this figured out, come follow me!” It’s more of, I know I am struggling with this, which means you likely are too -- so let’s see if we can figure some things out together.I mean… my wife texted me a picture of an emoji yawn from upstairs in her office, and it made me yawn downstairs at the kitchen table. I’m so unmotivated right now. The weather isn’t helping, it’s been Seattle here for the last week. Light rain, grey, low clouds, cold, raw. I love Seattle, lived there for 10 years… but I moved for this reason. The weather is not happy. I’ve definitely realized that about myself, my own little self-audit, I am affected by weather. Sunny and cold, I’m fine. Grey and cloudy… not good.I watched a video of James Harrison crushing an egg in his biceps -- damn thing popped like a zit. And I thought to myself... I should try that, that looks like fun. That’s what our days have been reduced to!Now, I get it to all those people saying Anne Frank spent 761 days in a secret annex and I’ve spent 2 weeks in my nice home so suck it up...and I get that I should have some perspective, but I’m sorry some days it’s hard.I’m looking at things I am supposed to do and I’m like …”meh”. I could upload more videos to our youtube channel… blah. I could put together a more complex social media strategy for on...

Ryan Crelin, ECHL Commissioner – Work In Sports Podcast Apr 01, 2020

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.If you’ve ever heard me talk before about networking, you know that I believe there are 5 types of people you need in your network. One of those people I call the connector. They are the person who knows everyone and loves to connect the dots between who they know. This is a special attribute within some people. They are naturals at getting to know people and then figuring out ways their connections should get to know each other. For me, connectors are an extremely valuable part of my network. I need them. When i have my sights set on a guest for this show, the first thing I seek is… which of my connector friends may know them. A little over a month ago, I read a story on Ryan Creelin, commissioner of the ECHL. The story explained how he was an intern at the ECHL, and over 17 years worked himself up to eventually become the commissioner. That kind of story gives me tingles. Seriously -- isn’t that all of our dream? Get an internship at a great organization, then get hired, then advance, then become the boss. It sounds like something out of a cheesy movie on Lifetime, but this is real life. I had to land Ryan as a guest. My first guess was… Bill Guertin. Bill is a former guest on the podcast, he’s a sales trainer, one of the best in the business...and he is the very definition of a connector.I knew Bill did a lot of sales training with minor league hockey teams and leagues… so the chance he would know Ryan was solid. So I reached out. Within 30 minutes, Bill was connecting Ryan and I for today’s interview.Networking is more than just knowing the right people to help you get a job. It’s having advisors who can help you through tough decisions, connectors who can introduce you to the right people, insiders who know what’s happening in the industry at all times, idealists who see the potential in everything, and realists who keep you grounded when you need to be.Today's guest Ryan Crelin as I mentioned is the commissioner of the ECHL, a minor league hockey league with 26 teams spread across the US and Canada -- the teams roughly equate to a Double-A baseball team. A minor league feeder system for the NHL. As a reminder -- this interview was conducted before Coronavirus became a thing when their league was in operation and games were being played… so there is no mention of their suspended season or how it will affect them moving forward… but there is a ton of knowledge personally about Ryan advancing through the organization to become commissioner, and on how a minor league can survive on the sports scene…Questions for Ryan Crelin, ECHL Commissioner1: There something I really love about your resume. You graduated from Seton Hall in 2006, been working at the ECHL since 2005. There something really endearing about that.I talk to people who jump all over the place during their career- heck I’m one of those people – why has it been important for you to get into the ECHL and stay there?2: To start as an intern and develop into the league commissioner almost sounds like a lifetime movie script, a feel-good story, that seems somewhat farcical – but you are very real.What was your mentality and approach when you first started out in the ECHL – did you envision this?3: Give us a little bit of insight into your path – we know you were an intern, and we know you are now commissioner – but what specific skills did you refine, and roles did you take on, during your ascension?4: When you look around now, at the teams in your league, at your league offices – are you looking for people, like you, that have that extra drive and focus?5: I know of at least one member of our audience who currently works for an ECHL team, Scott McDonald with the Atlanta Gladiators – he’s in ticket sales now – how important is it for a young person getting going to show they can generate revenue for an organization?

The Time is Now! For a Self-Audit – Work In Sports Podcast Mar 30, 2020

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…It was March 11th that the NBA suspended their season and today is March 30th -- that’s 19 days without sports, the longest I’ve ever gone in my life. It is for the greater good, but man this stinks. I hope you have all been doing the best you can with social distancing and quarantine. It is the right choice, and I hope you are all following the guidelines set out by the experts.I’m not making any political commentaries here when I say -- trust the experts. Ignore the fluff, and pageantry, focus on the medical experts and scientists. Moving right along -- we’re trying to stay focused on the things you can be doing to advance yourself during this time of chaos.We are ramping up our content -- on Mondays, we’ll do our standard answer a fan question. ON Wednesday’s expert interview...and then we’re adding a Friday edition, which will either be a piece of advice relevant to our current world and situation or will be a timely guest. So far we’ve had special guests Kenneth Shropshire, CEO of the Global Sports Institute, I’ve done an episode on networking during the global pandemic, and just this past Friday I had on Greg Hylton, VP of Premium Seating with the NFL.I have to tell you, Greg’s one of my new favorite interviews and I hope you all have listened or will go back and listen to it today.Why this episode?Well, Greg works in the NFL, the one league with a season ahead - so his perspective is unique right now.He also really knows the importance of revenue-generating roles, and how they will be in great demand when we come out of thisWe talk about the smaller leagues can survive this, the strategy teams may use to make up the revenue shortfall, how attending games may have to change… and more. It was an awesome conversation, please check it out. Today, we’re going to handle what has become a very very common question. I’ve received this question in various formats about 1,000 times now -- “Hey brian, what can I be doing right now to advance my career prospects?”I’ve talked about networking during this time, I’ve talked about learning a skill that you don’t have, I’ve talked about online courses and training, especially in sales because that is where the demand will be.Today I want to talk about conducting a self-audit. I know, this sounds awful. Aa self-audit sounds like a root canal. I need to come up with some better branding. All it really is, is getting a deeper understanding of yourself, and how you match up with the needs of the marketplace. Step 1: The Heat Check Step 2: The resume review Step 3: Cover letterStep 4: Informational interviews

Greg Hylton, Indianapolis Colts VP of Premium Seating: Selling Sports in a Post-Corona World Mar 27, 2020

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…As promised we’re going to continue adding an extra podcast a week as we deal with social isolation and distancing. Our Friday podcasts will aim to inform and educate you specifically on how our current situation is affecting the future of the industry or techniques and strategies you can utilize right now in this unique time.I don’t know about you but time seems to be drifting into itself right now, I don’t know what day it is since they all seem the same. But, I am marking time personally based on podcast publish dates and I remember our last three Fridays pretty clearly -- The first Friday episode was an interview with Kenneth Shropshire CEO of the Global Sports Institute - he had deep insight into what this pandemic will mean for the sports industry moving forward. Last Friday we discussed ways to maximize your networking during this time ...and today, I have another special guest, Greg Hylton VP of Premium Seating for the Indianapolis Colts.Couple of major reasons I wanted to have Greg on.1: The NFL season is still in play, which means Greg is living a new reality right now and he can explain it.2: He can also explain what is going on inside of the teams and leagues that aren’t playing right now and what their strategies may be moving forward when we get back to work.3: I believe revenue-generating roles will be in high demand once normalcy returns, and that all of you should strongly consider sales training courses right now… and Greg teaches a sales training course with our friends at Sports Management Worldwide.So without further ado, let’s get to Greg..here he is Indianapolis Colts VP of Premium Seating, Greg Hylton...Questions for Greg Hylton, Indianapolis Colts VP of Premium Seating1: Wednesday, March 11 the NBA suspended their season, and since that time most other leagues have followed suit, it would take us too long to name all the events or seasons that have been affected.Your league, the NFL, hasn’t had to suspend the season as of yet – what has the last 2-3 weeks been like for you personally and professionally?2: This time of year, with free agency and the draft coming up there is a natural excitement that I’m sure would play a role in your ability to sell the upcoming season – in a normal year Phillip Rivers signing would be something you’d market and get behind – has the approach changed this off-season?3: While there is minimal disruption to the revenue streams of the NFL as of yet, put yourself in the shoes of the VP of Premium Seating for the Pacers, or the Cleveland Indians… what would you imagine their situation is like right now?4: When we get back to sports, if you were in one of the leagues that had to cancel their season, and lost a lot of revenue – what would be your strategy and approach?5: Prior to joining the Colts 28 years ago, you worked for the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League – I’m guessing that the NBA, NHL and other major leagues will survive this epidemic -- but what about the minor leagues, independent leagues, emerging sports – do you think they can rebound from the loss of revenue?6: I’m old enough to remember sports after 9/11 – there was a feeling in the initial aftermath that nothing will be the same, we won’t be safe at games, fans won’t come back etc, etc. but we got back to reality, sports continued to thrive – people came to the games.Do you see a steady return to normalcy once the worst of this has passed – or do you think it’ll take some convincing to get fans back to the stadium?6: What can teams do to ease any concerns and make it really worthwhile to attend games in person?7: I’ve been being asked all week by people who have lost their job or been laid off, what they should do now? And I’m of the belief revenue-creating sales jobs will be in even higher demand than normal coming out of this and that people should get sales traine...

Lisa Woodward: Anheuser Busch Director of Sports Sponsorships – Work In Sports Podcast Mar 25, 2020

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Hey, It’s Brian -- we are in some crazy times right now. No one predicted a sports shutdown, or the education system being closed for business. But here we are. I have three kids at home right now, who should be in middle and elementary school! But you know what we are doing -- we’re continuing to keep them on a learning schedule...and you should do that too. Now is the chance to update your resume, work on your network, make sure you are ready for video interviews and more. And one way you can do that is through our Work In Sports Academy courses. We are 100% online, which is the appropriate distance - and you’ll learn incredible strategies tactics and techniques that will get you hired in sports -- once the world gets back to normal.Check out WorkInSports.com/academy for more details. Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…Quick note: We’re airing three episodes a week, 1 out of the three will be corona free. That is today. Wednesdays will be our industry interviews and they will be a break from corona coverage. That is not to minimize the impact of the virus, it is not to downplay all who are affected, it is for two reasons -- one we all can improve in ways that are not corona related, which is the purpose of our industry interviews. And two, this interview was conducted before none of us could leave our houses. And if you are listening to this podcast -- please, isolate yourself. Don’t be foolish. I remember a few decades spent thinking I was invincible, and you know what, you may be… but the difference is you may infect someone who isn’t. Don’t be selfish. Stay home. Ok, so lets transition here. We all so often think of the sports industry in terms of leagues, games, and events. Makes sense in a lot of ways since that is what pretty much everything feeds off of.But there are worlds of jobs and opportunities that don’t directly involve the score of the big game. Mark Cuban wrote an article years ago about how sports management degrees were a complete waste and people shouldn’t strive to work in sports, they should get a business degree and work in sales. His theory was essentially, with only 100ish professional teams hiring about 200 staffers each, there are only 20,000 sports industry jobs period and yet we graduate 20,000 new sports management grads each year. Well, I couldn’t take this sitting down so I confronted the shark tank dude explaining his math was rudimentary at best and his analysis quite superficial. This was about a decade ago, we’ve both moved on from the debate, I won of course because I was looking at the complete picture and he was just trying to be clickbaity and bombastic. Look at our job board. Jobs with NBC Sports -- not a team. Red Bull, Blizzard, Kansas State, Arizona Sports Foundation, Discovery Communications, Twitch… none of these are teams, and yet they are listed on the first page of our industry sports job board right now. Yes, places are still hiring. The jobs in sports reach further than team. This isn’t an argument for sports management degrees, your degree is a personal decision, this is more of a discussion about how wide the sports industry cuts. The opportunities are out there in various ways… you have to be creative in finding them...or you can just get a membership to our job board and we do the work for you.Nonetheless! Today’s guest Lisa Woodward is a perfect example. She started out her career with the then St. Louis Rams and for 8 years was a major part of their marketing team.But her job now, as Director of Sports Sponsorships for Anheuser Busch, isn’t with a team… but it is deeply connected to sports. She works with her team to find the right spots and negotiate the right deals, to expose her brand to the right audience in the right way. These are the type of opportunities Mark Cuban didn’t calculate in his theorem. Lisa works for Budweiser’s sports sponsorship team… and she’s incredibly ...

Ramp Up Your Networking Efforts – Work in Sports Podcast Mar 23, 2020

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.A little housekeeping before we head into this episode… at WorkInSports we had multiple leadership meetings last week to say “what can we do that helps”...well here it is, you are the first to hear our plan.#1 We are ramping up our content, because I think right now, in social isolation, we all need it. We’re going to do three podcasts a week -- Mondays and Fridays will be focused on surviving and thriving in these nutty times as it relates to your career. So for example, I’ve done episodes on how to properly work from home, interviewed Kenneth Shropshire CEO of the Global Sports Institute, advice for conducting video interviews and more. If you haven’t listened to those yet, you should, it’s all very timely information.On Wednesdays we will stick with our expert interviews -- for right now they are not going to be coronavirus related -- these will be more of the normal career-focused expertise. ~ I’ll also be very active on our private Facebook group -- which you can join by searching for the WorkInSports podcast group on facebook...answer a few questions, and I’ll grant you access to this wonderful network of former guests, and aspiring sports professionals who are all trying to help each other get ahead and survive.~ And if you reach out to me on LinkedIn, I’m going to try and do an even better job of being responsive and helpful during this time. #2: You are hearing everywhere, and I couldn’t agree more, to be honest, that now isn’t a time to sit on the couch, wallowing in self-pity, or watching Stephen A Smith -- times are not that desperate. Everyone on the advice side of the industry is telling you -- learn a new skill, master your craft, use your time wisely...and that is good advice.To that point -- One way you can do that is through our Work In Sports Academy courses. We are 100% online, which is the appropriate distance - and you’ll learn incredible strategies tactics and techniques that will get you hired in sports -- once the world gets back to normal.In fact, over the last week, I built out an abridged version of this curriculum which in the next few days we are going to be giving away for FREE to all of our current members with either free or paid accounts. All you have to do is upload your resume.We did this to help. We are in this together. The full coursework is available at WorkInSports.com/academyand like I said, we’ll be making a essentials version available for free coming this week.#3 We also recognize that many of you who had part-time or gig type jobs at events are now out of work. So, starting later this week we will be making all gig and part-time jobs free to access for anyone on our job board. We’ll send out more info on this as it comes live… but if you are struggling right now due to this outbreak and isolation, check out the free PT and gig jobs...and you can contact our customer service at 1-855-220-JOBS#4 We are also doing our best to keep up with the status of all jobs. We’re double-checking openings to make sure they are still being filled. Now, with that said, things are changing very rapidly, so cut us some slack if you hit a job on our site, follow the link to apply and find out it’s no longer available.We’re doing our best, to keep up.Alright - we’ll keep coming up with new ways to help in the coming weeks, for now, let’s get into today’s subject.“What can I be doing during social isolation?” -- You can be networking. This is a GREAT time to be relationship building and doing informational interviews. Right now, countless sports industry workers are sitting at home unable to perform their normal tasks… I keep seeing pictures of various friends of the podcast, like Chris Grosse, Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing at Penn State, making marble races with his kids and putting twitter polls out there asking which will win? His track of his sons?

Working From Home Like a Boss – Work In Sports Podcast Mar 20, 2020

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I let my homebound 11-year-old name this episode, and I think he nailed it. That's what we're talking about in the special edition of the Work In Sports podcast, working from home like a boss! Hey It’s Brian -- we are in some crazy times right now. No one predicted a sports shutdown, or the education system being closed for business. But here we are. I have three kids at home right now, who should be in middle and elementary school! But you know what we are doing -- we’re continuing to keep them on a learning schedule...and you should do that too.Now is the chance to update your resume, work on your network, make sure you are ready for video interviews and more. And one way you can do that is through our Work In Sports Academy courses. We are 100% online, which is the appropriate distance - and you’ll learn incredible strategies tactics and techniques that will get you hired in sports -- once the world gets back to normal.Check out WorkInSports.com/academy for more details. ---Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is a special edition of the Work In Sports podcast.Our goal during the coronavirus outbreak and isolation is to provide additional content that will help you through this time. I, like you, am dying for content! I want fresh things to watch and listen to, that don’t involve Tom Brady leaving my beloved Patriots. I mean seriously, could this be a worse week?Anyway, the point is, we’re going to add a Friday podcast for the time being -- it may be a timely interview, like last week with Kenneth Shropshire CEO of the Global Sports Institute, or it may be insightful advice that is very specific to the times today. Today we’re going to share some tips on working from home. As many of you know, and many of you don’t, I’ve been working from home for the last 6 years. WorkInSports.com is based in Phoenix, I live in Philadelphia. It took me a long time to get comfortable with the change in normalcy, but you don’t have time… you have to get good at it now, so I’m going to share some things I have learned to make your transition easier. 1: You are saving time on your commute -- don’t just add that to your workday. The biggest mistake I see people make when they work from home is to add the time they saved in commuting onto their workday. They think to themselves -- I get an hour back each day, I’ll finally be able to get more done!Trust me, this is not how it works. Take the time you saved by not having to commute and sprinkle it into outside time. Here’s why -- when you work from home, especially during the transition to this new style, you go from being around people, noise, interaction, laughter, yelling... to being completely by yourself. It can feel lonely in a way, and the solution is NOT locking yourself in and working longer. This makes you a robot, you are not a robot. In fact, you need to remind yourself you are not a robot, by sprinkling that saved time back into your day. If you normally commute 30 minutes each way, you have an hour to sprinkle throughout your day to activate your mind in a different way. Every hour or two, take 15 minutes and walk around. Get out of your space, get off your computer screen. In a normal workday in the office, you don’t sit in front of your computer the whole time. Don’t start thinking you have to now. Trust me there is a negative return after a while… I think they call that the point of diminishing returns?2: Going deeper there -- Make yourself a schedule.I spend the first 30 minutes of each day building out my day. I prioritize what I want to get done and schedule it out amongst the video meetings and breaks I want to take. Every day is different, it’s not routine, there are different challenges and tasks… but by giving myself some structure helps me stay on task. When you are home there are easy distractions -- other parts of life you can get done -- laundry, cleaning, cooking -- First Take. OK, that’s a lie,

Gordon Barfield: AMB Sports and Entertainment Director of Business Strategy – Work In Sports Podcast Mar 18, 2020

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Hey, It’s Brian -- we are in some crazy times right now. No one predicted a sports shutdown, or the education system being closed for business. But here we are. I have three kids at home right now, who should be in middle and elementary school! But you know what we are doing -- we’re continuing to keep them on a learning schedule...and you should do that too. Now is the chance to update your resume, work on your network, make sure you are ready for video interviews and more. And one way you can do that is through our Work In Sports Academy courses. We are 100% online, which is the appropriate distance - and you’ll learn incredible strategies tactics and techniques that will get you hired in sports -- once the world gets back to normal.Check out WorkInSports.com/academy for more details. ---Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…Right now I’m about to lead into this incredible podcast interview with Gordon Barfield, Director of Business Strategy for AMB Sports And Entertainment -- that’s the ownership group for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. Gordon is incredible. He’s a West Point grad, got his MBA at Wharton and has been crushing it with AMB. We’re going to talk about how the Falcons look to the future of their business, the strategy behind cashless transactions inside the stadium and how they build their fan base and community. All extremely valuable conversations. We will not be talking about Coronavirus, because when I recorded this interview three weeks ago ...it hadn’t really happened yet. So take this as a break from all the chaos. Learn more about sports business, find out if this is a side of the industry that interests you...because we will get back to normal, hopefully sooner rather than later, and you want to be prepared.Here’s Gordon BarfieldQuestions for Gordon Barfield, AMB Sports and Entertainment Director of Business Strategy1: Before we get into your world in business strategy and all the steps you took to get there – I want to talk about your military background and the synergy you find between the military and sports.You are a West Point grad and active duty in the Army until 2014 – we have many, many people with a military background who transition into the sports world – why do you think that is, and why was it that way for you?2: Your background was in Mechanical Engineering, and then after the Army, you got your MBA from Wharton – why this step? Problem-solving traits3: At this time had you figured out who you wanted to be when you grew up, or were you still searching for your long-term fit?4: You joined AMB Sports and Entertainment just about two years ago, which is the parent company for the Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes Benz stadium and some of Arthur Blanks other ventures, you joined them as Director of Business Strategy.This was your first true gig in sports – were there any eye-opening moments when you first got started with AMB?5: What would you say is the main thrust of your role with the organization? What does it mean to be the Director of Business Strategy, seems like a pretty broad title…6: I interviewed the talent acquisition lead for a Major League baseball team and she said the role that was in highest demand for their organization was business strategy and analysis. Since you are in this side of the industry – tell us, what traits or skills make someone successful in business analysis and strategy?7: I’ve worked with people throughout my career who are great at ideas, but not as strong in execution, and then others who were the opposite, no ideas, great at execution --- how important is it in your eyes to be able to balance both sides? To be able to come up with ideas that can help the organization and be able to execute on them?8: You led the transition at Mercedes-Benz stadium to a cashless transaction model, which is truly groundbreaking. Why was this important for the long-term goals of the operatio...

Preparing for the New Reality: Video Interviews – Work In Sports Podcast Mar 16, 2020

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of content and engaged learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.Well, we all have a lot of questions… and a lot of time to listen to podcasts!I’ve been trying to think about my tone in the next few weeks of podcasts -- to be honest, I don’t want to be all dour and dramatic. I don’t want any fake enthusiasm either -- so I’m just going to do my best to be myself. The goal over the next few weeks -- give you all lots of content, and make it especially relevant right now. With that said, I conducted about 8 expert interviews with incredible guests… BEFORE the coronavirus outbreak. So, when I publish my interviews with Ryan Crelin Commissioner of the ECHL, or Lisa Woodward the manager of sports sponsorships at Anheuser Busch, you may think to yourself… how did he not ask about how this will affect the ECHL or Budweiser?! Well, it didn’t exist when I did the interview!I still think they are incredibly valuable so we will still air them on Wednesdays. I’m going to attempt to sprinkle in some extra fresh episodes on Fridays that are timely. For instance, on Friday I interviewed Kenneth Shropshire CEO of the Global Sports institute to discuss the economic ramifications on the sports industry - we talked about layoffs and changes in the hiring process moving forward. It’s a great interview and you should go back and listen -- I’ll try to do more of these in the coming weeks so we can stay on top of how this will affect all of us into the future. Obviously revenue is being impacted, and there will be some contraction… how much, we don’t know, but I’ll be staying on top of our job listings, talking to employers and relaying whatever I find out back to you. Now is a good time to subscribe to the podcast and tell your sports interested friends the same. OK, so what about right now. I this episode I’m going to do a brief overview of things we can expect, and also hone in on tips for video interviews since that is the direction we are headed for the time being. Let’s start with a broad overview.In the major sports leagues, a vast majority of their revenue comes from long-term media rights deals and sponsorships. These have insurance built into them, so they will continue to generate revenue. Yes, they will be affected by the loss of ticket sales, concessions and merchandise, but they’ll survive this. The big hit will come to the smaller leagues and organizations. Those with razor-thin margins, who exist barely as it is. I worry about those leagues. I’m not being flippant at all when I say this -- but just prior to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s there was a company that launched an appetite suppressing candy bar, meant to help people on their diet, called AYDS. They couldn’t have had worse luck. You kind of feel that way for the XFL -- they launch, they’re off to a pretty good start - and then this. All momentum lost. That is some awful luck. You also worry about the Professional Lacrosse League, minor league hockey, YMCA’s fitness clubs…Now, to put it all in perspective -- this hurts right now, especially for those of you working directly for teams and not having a job now. That is awful and I hurt for you. I mean thatBut let’s have a forward-looking perspective because sports will return. Sales jobs.Revenue generating rolesIf I were you, college seniors, or recent graduates, I would take a class on sports sales -- SMWW, ISBI 360 The demand is going to be huge, and the appetite for fans to return will be huge. There is a great opportunity… eventually... so get ready now. As for hiring right now, I think you’ll see timelines pushed back. If someone was expecting to hire in the next 30 days, expect it to be 60-90 days. Thisng will slow down for a bit, but then it will likely spring back. We’ll be exploring other opportunities in the coming weeks -- like how to stay organized when you work at home, resources for online learning and more. Today though,

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