The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Latest Episodes:

Your Sports Internship Final Checklist and a Special Announcement Jul 23, 2018

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Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Before we get into today’s question – I am so fired up about our Sports Career Accelerator event coming up in September.If you are an avid listener to the podcast or a member of our private facebook group, you know that the team at WorkinSports.com along with our friends at Tremont Global Education are working together to create Sports Career Accelerator events …and our first one is in Atlanta, September 13th and 14th!So what is this event?First a little background – we’ve all been to career fairs, whether sports related or not, and the event doesn’t usually live up to the hype and excitement. You go into it and think – this could be my moment! Then you get there and realize there aren’t any real opportunities, the teams represented aren’t engaged, or there are so many people you just don’t get any time to talk with anyone in a meaningful way.Well, we set out to do something different – very different.Our 2-day event will be intense and immersive – you will go inside the operations of the Atlanta Hawks, Falcons, Braves, United, Mercedes Benz stadium, Phillips arena, the college football hall of fame and more.You will meet and speak with high ranking officials within the teams, hiring staff, mid-level managers, and the important decision makers.We will submit a professional portfolio book, including your resume and detailed information to all executive speakers and guest hosts…Many of the team leaders will conduct micro interviews on the spotAnd here’s the big one – we are capping the event to the first 40 people who register. We want this to be the most impactful 2-days of your sports life and we can’t do that with hundreds of people – we want you to get one on one meaning impact with pro team executives, while learning and networking with them.Alright you probably have questions – here’s what I would ask:How much is it – I don’t have a final price yet, but I can tell you it’s much cheaper than I would have guessed originally. I should know later this week an exact number – and I will post it on our private facebook group.How do I register? – We are opening registration to the public on August 1st. BUT, listeners of this podcast who go to workinsports.com/atlanta and submit their email address will get advance access to pre-register before the public on July 31st.What about hotels? – The cost of a hotel or airfare will not be included in your registration, but we will have suggestions for you on where to book – once you submit your email to the page I just mentioned, we will start sharing more and more info with you.What about food? – Yes, you will be fed. Specifics on that to come… but trust me you will eat.What about transportation between all of the facilities? That is all included! I’ll tell you this too – we will be running some contests during the event for some really cool prizes so again, this is something you are not going to want to missI live on the West Coast – will you have any other events? Yes, we will. We’re mapping out our event calendar, and it will be exciting for all of you. BUT, if you can make this one… make it. I think every event will have similar structures, but with different teams and execs a totally different vibe. You may want to go to multiple events, but you have to start with your first!So final reminder – go to WorkinSports.com/atlanta for more details and to put your name on our interest list for advance knowledge and early registration!Alright now on to the meat of today’s program –The question –Hi Brian, I am John from North Carolina. This summer I’ve been honored to have an internship with a local minor league baseball team and it has been a blast. I’m entering the final month of my internship and I want to make sure I don’t miss any opportunities…can you give me a checklist of things I should do before saying goodbye for now?Hey John – thanks for your question,

Kelsey Smith: Your Ticket into the Sports Industry – Work in Sports Podcast e102 Jul 18, 2018

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Getting into the sports industry by learning the revenue creation side of the business - that's our topic today with Kelsey Smith, Tampa Bay Lightning Account Executive.Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…When do you get started? How do you figure out what you want to do?These are some of the most common questions I get each and every week from fans – what is surprising to most is that they are intertwined.You figure out what you want in your sports career by getting started doing something.So ask yourself what is available? Is there an athletic department at your college or university? Likely there is, so get involved – try media relations, communication, sales, sports information, ticket sales, operations, recruiting, fundraising.What about a minor league baseball team, or basketball team – is there a golf event nearby? Road race?By getting involved as early and often as you can, you figure out what you like and what you don’t like.Say you worked in sports information at your college and figured out…nope not for me! That doesn’t mean it was a waste of time, quite the opposite, it means it was time well spent.. because what if you spent your entire college career planning for ajob in sports information, then got a job and hated it.Now what? You’re out of school not like you can change course with ease!The earlier you get started the better suited you are to figure out your logical path. Don’t get crazy about exactly what, where or how --- just get in there and start doing!I’ve known too many people that waited and waited and waited…and then the moment passed them by.To further clarify this point – this week I’m bringing on friend of the podcast Kelsey Smith – Kelsey is in her second year as a Master’s student at University of South Florida and already has 10 legitmate experiences on her resume, including the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Lightning.And you know what… she’s changed career objectives over that time, because by doing the job she learned what she didn’t like which is just as valuable as what she did.Listen in and learn from this high riser in the sports industry – here’s Kelsey Smith!Questions for Aspiring MiLB General Manager Kelsey Smith1: The first thing I notice about you Kelsey, is that you have a clear vision for who you want to be – the very first words on your LinkedIn profile say “Future Minor League Baseball General Manager” – how important has it been for you to have clarity in your goals?A: When and how did you figure out who you wanted to be?B: Since you know where you want to end up, has it made your decisions on subjects like – where to intern, what courses to take – has it made those choices easier?2: You completed your undergrad at Miami Ohio from 2013-2017 – and right away in 2013 you began interning in the Athletic Department – what was that experience like as a freshman new to college but thrusting yourself into your career.3: After that you worked for the Hamilton Joes collegiate summer league baseball team in their communication department, then as a sports information director for the Miami of Ohio swimming and diving team, then for Penn FC in media relations – all during your undergrad – you were hella focused.These are varied roles, how important was it for you to get exposure to many different things in the industry in order to figure out what you really wanted?4: All this on your resume by the time you finished your undergrad – but instead of joining the workforce, you went for your Master’s – why?5: You and I have spoken before about Master’s programs and I feel many programs don’t do a good job preparing people for the real world – they don’t provide real experience, or hands on application of the classroom experience – but you’ve staunchly defended the University of South Florida program, why is that program different in your eyes and why did you choose it?6: OK,

A Different Look At Your Sports Career Journey – Work in Sports podcast e101 Jul 16, 2018

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Fan of the show Jordan asks "If you could go back and give your 22 year old self some advice, or things you would do differently in your career, what would they be?" I like this question, so I'm diving in. Come along and listen. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for Work in Sports.com and this is the WorkinSports podcast.Before I get into today’s question I want to answer a sub-question I get a lot – why does WorkinSports charge a subscription to access your sports jobs? This is a great question and here’s the straight truth – you know me, I’m painfully honest and I’m going to do that here.As a business we have two basic options:Charge employers to post their jobsHave a subscription membershipOn a surface level you probably think – yeah charge the employers! But think a little deeper. Many small to medium employers will say – no thanks, we don’t want to pay, or we can’t pay to post our jobs. Many big employers will say nah, we don’t have an interest in that.So what does that mean for you?A job board that only posts jobs from employers willing to pay them, is only presenting you a fraction of the total market. There are thousands of opportunities you’ll never see on their job board because they haven’t struck a deal with that particular employer.We’ve gone about it differently.Yes we charge our members, but it allows us to get all of the available jobs and bring them to you. Small medium and large size companies are all represented with us. You don’t miss a thing.Plus, sports employers love our members, because you aren’t just blindly applying to a free sports job that sounds cool….but you aren’t qualified. Our members are willing to pay for access which is a method of pre-screening and makes our employment friends very happy.So that’s it in a nutshell – we charge, but for good reason, and it benefits you in the long run and the short run. Alright enough of that – here’s this weeks question from Jordan in North Carolina, just a friendly reminder to our new listeners – email your question in to podcast@workinsports.com and ifyou have your question answered on the show – BOOM – you get a free month of access.Here’s Jordan’s question:Hey Brian, I’m a 22 year old grad student - over the last few months I’ve been following your advice on the podcast and it’s made a huge difference for me. I’ve been more confident in interviews, both on video and in person, my cover letters are better, my goals are clearer, I know where my weak spots are an I’m working to fix them…I can’t thank you enough, I’ve learned more from your podcast that I have in 6 years of college and grad school. I heard you mention on a show once that you have been in the industry for 20 years, so I guess you are around 40 year old. Which makes me wonder… if you could go back and talk to your 22 year old version, what would you tell them or what would you do differently?I love how forward Jordan is, YES Jordan I am 43 years old, which means I’ve been in the sports industry for 22 years. Yikes.I like this question.As a parent I think this way a great deal – what do I want them to know that I didn’t? or what can I teach them to do better than I did? or how can I inspire them to achieve more than I have?Same thing here – what can I look back and share with all of you that could change your career trajectory. Wow, that’s a big challenge…but here goes, here are 5 things I would have done differently.1: I would have asked more questions.2: I would have been more aggressive in college3: I would have worked for a team4: I would have taken more continuing ed courses5: I would have looked to the future moreListen in for more detail and explanation

Dasmine Evans: Handling The Stress of Getting Hired in Sports – Work in Sports Podcast e100 Jul 11, 2018

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Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I’ll admit, over the 9 months and 99 episodes of this podcast I’ve been a hound for titles. I’ve wanted all of my guests to be people from the big leagues, the big brands and holders of big titles – VP of an MLB team, Director of an NFL team, Agent to Baker Mayfield --- I wanted to grab the movers and shakers in the industry to share big knowledge and big experience.I have loved it. I’m a sucker for these conversations and peeling back the layers of each individual journey. There is so much you can learn from someone once you start talking, stuff that isn’t on their resume or social media profile. The truth about them and their experience.What I haven’t done enough of, is talk to the people on the beginning of their industry curve. A view of the climb up the ladder, rather than from the perch atop it.So this week we are having a very different conversation, sharing a very different perspective.Dasmine Evans is a recent graduate of Florida State University where she earned her degree in sports management. She conducted internships with major sports leagues and brands, volunteered, built her personal brand…but getting hired in sports hasn’t been easy.As she put it in her recent article on LinkedIn titled 10 things to know about working in sports before you graduate, “Let me tell you, grab a bottle of wine because the stress is real.”The line made me laugh, but the article as a whole was a raw, honest, interpretation of the struggle to find work in the sports industry. It’s not as easy as “get degree, get dream job” it’s a journey of peaks and valleys, and to be honest at the start it’s often more valleys than peaks. The thing I have always promised to you on this show is that I will speak honestly about the industry I love and have worked in for over 20 years. I will not sugar coat the story. I will not say every day is a dream with kettle corn and rainbows.We will talk about the industry in a real, unfiltered manner, and that’s what we’re doing today with Dasmine Evans, so let’s get to it:Questions for Dasmine Evans:1: You wrote a very timely article this week that you published on LinkedIn – it’s graduation season and thousands of young adults are entering the workforce, or at least trying. Your article, titled 10 things to know about working in sports before you graduate is a raw honest informative piece about your journey after graduating with a sports management degree from Florida State.So let’s start at the beginning – when you were in your senior year of school, approaching graduation and the impending doom of real life – what did you think it was going to be like?2: Ok, so what was the reality of your experience?3: It sounds like you had a pretty great resume too – lots of internships, volunteer work, a great degree from a great school. Looking back what do you think was going wrong?4: Let’s work through some of the points you make in your article – the first one is “you don’t have to major in sports management to work in sports” – if you had to go back and do it again would you have gone a different direction with you major, and if so why?–spoiler alert, I didn’t not major in sports management. Now, that could be because I’m old and they didn’t have sports management programs back in the 90’s… 5: Your next point is a big one, and one I try to drill into people’s heads all the time – Professional Teams aren’t the only place to work in sports! – I actually got into an argument with Mark Cuban a few years ago, because he said there are only so many jobs with pro teams and people who get sports management degrees are setting themselves up for failure… my argument with him was… there are tons of careers in sports that have nothing to do with the pro teams!6: You talk a lot about the importance of finding a mentor – how did having a mentor make a difference for you? 7: What about your actual job search process?

The Most Efficient Way to Start Building Your Network – Work in Sports podcast e099 Jul 09, 2018

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People are struggling to build their network of contacts and relationships in the sports industry, but you know what I see? Missed opportunities. Learn the easy tricks to network the right way. This weeks QA session comes from Jones in Milwaukee –“Hey Brian, I’m a pretty new listener so forgive me if you’ve covered this subject before, but I’m not a natural at networking and every time someone tells me breaking into this industry is about “who you know” I feel like I’m going to break out in hives. Can you give me some rookie level advice on building a network?”Good question Jones, for more details listen in to the podcast where we cover these concepts:Networking is all about having a reason to connectLinkedIn is your best friendQuality over quantityFollow up is paramountImplement a gradual build up of the relationship and the questions you ask plus things you provideListen in to the episode to learn more about networking in the sports industry!

Dior Ginyard: Player Manager at the NFLPA – Work in Sports Podcast e098 Jul 03, 2018

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From traumatic brain injury to Forbes 30 under 30, NFLPA Player Manager Dior Ginyard shares his story of finding his true sports passion: serving others Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Imagine for a second you had complete clarity in your life at let’s say 12 years old.You knew what you wanted, you wanted to be a veterinarian. You studied, took classes, interned – worked and worked and worked to refine your craft.It became a big part of you, it defined you.While in high school your friends knew you wanted to be a veterinarian, your teachers knew and helped push you further into your goals.Guidance counselors helped steer you toward the best veterinary schools and you were accepted – because you were focused, dedicated, knew what you wanted and were driven to succeed.You could see how your future was going to play out.But then in a blink things changed. You were in a car accident and lost the use of your right hand, your dominant hand.You wouldn’t be able to perform surgical procedures, examine animals, diagnose issues. It was gone. Your dream of being a veterinarian – poof - all gone.What would you do? Everything you had pushed for, the dominant focus of your life was now physically unachievable.Would you wallow? Get depressed? Question your future?Probably all of those things – I know I would. Recalibrating would be hard. You’d be forced to change in an instant, after spending nearly a decade working toward something that felt like your purpose.How unfair – right? Easy to blame, get angry, lose focus and fall into a trap. Very easy.This week’s guest Dior Ginyard didn’t want to be a veterinarian, he had a very different dream and it was taken from him tragically.He had to change his focus, figure out a new purpose and drive forward with the same intensity he had reserved for his now unattainable dream.Now years later, Dior Ginyard is a Player Manager for the NFLPA and a 2018 Forbes Magazine 30 under 30 award recipient. He took tragedy and turned it into a new, unexpected chapter… but let’s hear the rest from the man himself – here’s Dior Ginyard Player Manager for the NFLPA –Connect with Dior Ginyard, Player Manager for the NFLPATwitter: @DiorNFLPALinkedIn: Dior GinyardInstagram: @diornflpaQuestions for Dior Ginyard, Player Manager for the NFLPA1: Before we get into the nuts and bolts of your role with the NFLPA – I think it’s vitally important to give our audience some background into the man behind the job. Before you got into player development with the NFL, you were a high-level football player yourself at Frostburg State in Maryland – but your story took a turn, can you take us through what happened after your freshman season?2: I’ve worked with many athletes over the years and one of the things I believe that makes the greats SO great, is their singular focus on their craft. For you, that craft that took so much of your attention and future plans was gone in a blink – how did you recapture and recalibrate your goals and dreams? 3: How much did your personal experience/tragedy help form your desire to get into player development? 4: Ok, so you have a traumatic brain injury, fractured skull, playing career over – and in a few years you’re featured in Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30. That’s a big story – let’s start at graduation, you get your degree from Bowie State, how and why did you end up at the NFLPA?5: A job opens in player development at the NFLPA and I imagine a lot of people apply – be honest, don’t be humble, why do you think the NFLPA chose you to be part of their team?6: Explain your role in player development, how are you tasked with helping NFL players improve themselves?7: I read a quote from you in the Undefeated -- “I’m not working with the Tom Bradys and the Odell Beckhams; I’m working with the guy that’s going to need a second career. I’m one person in their ecosystem of friends and managers and agents.

The Extra Steps Necessary to Land Your Dream Job in Sports – Work in Sports Podcast e097 Jul 02, 2018

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I know you want to work in sports, but are you willing to do everything it takes? Listen in to this podcast episode and learn how to separate from the pack. Hi everybody I'm Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast!Let's jump into today's question from Wyatt Phillips:I hope this message finds you well and ready to start your day after completing your morning meditation and listening to your hype-up playlist (proof I'm staying up-to-date on the show).I've been passionate about pursuing a career in sports for about a year now. When I first started out, my professors and other mentors told me I needed to conduct informational interviews with accomplished professionals, volunteer where I could, and obtain a full-time internship for the summer. I'm thrilled to share I've accomplished all of those things. However, it seems that many other people in my position have as well.What can I do in addition to all of this to make myself appealing to an employer in the future? Although I'm very proud of what I've achieved thus far, I feel all of that has been expected of me. Is there something I can do that would go above and beyond what employers are looking for to separate myself from the competition?Wyatt great question, and since my youngest son is also named Wyatt, I feel it is my moral imperative to answer your question. My Wyatt is 6 years old and entering 1st grade so other than your names you have nothing in common.He’s also currently running around my house talking about how his dinosaur is misbehaving and needs to go to time out…but hey it’s summer vacation and he’s 6 so he can’t get a job or an internship yet. So instead if you listen closely you may hear him in the background. Anyway, I digress.What else? Isn’t that the big question?First things first, I don’t want you to discount the fact you have conducted informational interviews, volunteered and interned. That’s big, and it puts you ahead of about 50 percent of the people out there.I know your instinct is saying I feel like that is what everyone is already doing and in a way you are right, the best are.The top notch people you will be competing with for the best jobs are doing these things. There are also thousands of people who want to work in sports who are doing next to nothing except watching Sportscenter and expecting magic to happen.You are way ahead of them.Before we get into new ideas, let’s go a little deeper on the old ones.Resist the temptation to view suggestions as things on your to do list.Professor told me to do informational interviews – checkInternships – check!Volunteer – check!All done, what’s next.I don’t want to assume you aren’t, but just as a reminder to everyone, you want to do all these things thoroughly and completely.Here’s what I mean. When you do an informational interview, this is step one of building a relationship with someone in the industry. Step 1.You need to build off of this interaction. Send a hand written thank you card, if you find an article related to their industry send it to them within an email saying hey I was just reading this and it reminded me of some of the subject we spoke about in our conversation – hope all is well.Set up a google alert for their name or their business, and be aware of what is happening with them – be ready with congrats, or just saw this news that is so awesome! Stuff like that. Start a dialogue, not by asking for things but by providing them.If they are the right people, they will be firmly entrenched in your network, and that is much better than spending just 30 minutes with them one time over coffee.Same with internships – while you are on the internship are you taking the time to get to know the people at all levels of the organization, are you following up with them, are you taking on extra tasks, are you building your professional reputation?Are you still talking to the people you have met at your internship? If not,

The Best #SportsBiz Career Advice of 2018 Part 2 – Work in Sports Podcast e096 Jun 27, 2018

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I went back and listened to our last 10 expert podcasts and picked out the best pieces of sports career advice. This is all the great actionable advice you can put to work for your sports career, right now!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I wonder all the time… is it working?Is the advice I share really getting in there with you and making a difference, am I helping flatten your learning curve so that you are more efficient and successful in finding opportunities in your sports career, or nailing an interview, or hustling for a networking opportunity, or building a relationship with someone in the industry.Obviously, it’s worked for me, and it’s worked for the people I’ve hired… because that’s where I get my concepts from…my real life over 20 years in the sports industry.But does it work for you? That’s the real rubber meets the road question.Many of you have posted on our private facebook group to say thanks, I’ve received cards in the mail to say you liked something I had to say, and others have told me I’ve made their road trip better.That’s all great. But I wanted to hear someone say – your advice, it helped me get a job.I know, maybe I’m needy, which would be true…I am a bit needy, but in reality we are all inspired by something and for me, the opportunity to make a difference for all of you out there listening…is really motivating.And then it happened. I received an email yesterday from Jackson Amos a student at the University of Florida…and he shared a story:“The main reason for reaching out is that I want to thank you and let you know that your advice really does work! See, I have a huge creative side that most people that know me have no knowledge of. I have been using programs like Photoshop for a few years now but have never published my work (which seems very silly to me now.) After to listening to your show I created a professional Twitter (@Jax_Graphics) and started posting my creative content for the world to see and the craziest things have happened. I have reached over 8,000 views on some of my videos and it actually landed me a job. The Gator Basketball team reached out to me through Direct Messages asking if I wanted to join their team as their Graphics Coordinator. It has been about 3 weeks with them and I have completely run away with it. I want to seize this opportunity and never look back. My hobby has now turned into a job and I couldn’t be more excited to walk into work everyday. Just wanted to share this with you and let you know how much you are appreciated and how your podcast really does help students! Looking forward to hearing more of your content and putting your advice to work." The idea here isn’t to say ‘hey look at me, my advice works!’ --- everyone will pull something different from our content, every one of you will find something that speaks to you and makes you take action…so find that thing, and act on it.I was at a conference once, and I was feverishly taking notes… and a friend leaned over to me and said 20%. Since that didn’t feel like a complete thought I asked – what the hell do you mean? And he explained, you’re never going to act on 100% of what this dude says, so just pick out 20% that really resonates with you, a few topics, and really lean into them.That meant a lot and put a laser focus on actionable items. Now I present to you 100% of my ideas and you guys get to figure out your 20%...and it’ll be different from person to person.Let’s get to the rest of this episode – I went back over my last 10 interviews, listed to them all again – cringed at some of the points I babbled – and picked out my 20%...the actionable items from our guest expects that really resonated with me.Episodes used in this episode:Chris Valente, Boston Red SoxDeandra Duggans, Baltimore RavensKarl Keating, NikeAndrew Howard, NFLScott Rego, Philadelphia 76ersAmie Wells, Tennessee TitansJack Mills, NFL agentDr. Samuel Todd,

Bombing Job Interviews? Here’s How to Fix It. Work in Sports Podcast e095 Jun 25, 2018

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If you are getting job interviews but not getting the job, it's time to do an analysis of your interview technique. Listen in, we'll show you how it's done.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of content for WorkinSports.com and this is the work in sports podcast… It’s a Monday QA session!Here's this week question from Delaney in Missouri:Hi Brian, I love the podcast and have learned so much from listening to you and the other experts you bring on. You make road trips better and walking my dog much more entertaining. [Delaney, you rock] On to my question – I’m a recent college graduate, like within the last few weeks, but I’ve been looking for jobs for the last 3 months to be ready for this point. I’ve had two interviews, both for jobs I was really excited about, but I think I bombed. I felt caught off guard and unprepared and basically blew it. I’m worried that if I don’t turn this around I’m going to miss out on opportunities I am a good match for. Panic is setting in. Can you help?!Delaney – congrats on finishing college! That is a huge step in itself, and deserves to be celebrated.My first instinctual response isn’t related to the interview process itself, it’s related to you. You are losing the battle of nerves, and this effect is steamrolling you.The worst thing you can do is have the pressure multiply on you.Think of each event as an individual event, rather than the end of the line or the “one”Stop fortune telling, you don't know what is going to happen A few ways to boost your confidence:Get comfortable with rejection.Meditate/breatheVisualization – (including humanize them)Now let’s get into some interview techniques to help you out.First impressions and charisma matter more than you think. If you got the interview, they know you have the skills.Smile, make eye contact, get comfortable, don’t fidget.Practice – if it’s video this is especially important. Find a friend.Know your resume. Most interviewers will ask questions right off your resume. So tell me about a time you struggled with a decision while at company X? Get comfortable with you, that’s what this whole thing is about.In advance think of real world experiences and examples you can weave into the discussion. You’ve looked at the job description, if it’s a marketing job you know they are going to ask about your experience on a campaign or something, so have examples ready. If it’s a sales job you’re going to be asked about a time when you dealt with an unruly or upset customer – so have an example ready.Change your thinking – so many people go into an interview expecting to be grilled and hated and loathed and embarrassed. Get that out of your head – the person on the other side wants you to be a match! They want you to be the one!If I told you to call me tomorrow and practice an interview, you wouldn’t feel the pressure of the result, so you’d probably put a very comfortable “you” out there. You need to think during each interview this person is on my side, they aren’t out to get me.It’s funny I had a job interview a few years back, it was for a great job, high level, but I had already determined beforehand I wasn’t going to take it if it was offered. I took the interview anyway, and because there was no rreal pressure, I was loose, relaxed, confident, speaking comfortably…and probably did the best I had ever done in an interview. They not only made me an offer, it was 10% above the range they had previously given me.The point is, being nervous and tight doesn’t represent you well – being the king or queen of calm, confidence will. MUST HAVE: follow up questions.Leave with the right impression, have follow up questions ready in advance so you don’t have to think about them on the spot.

Karl Keating: Exploring the World of Sports Brand Marketing – Work in Sports Podcast e094 Jun 20, 2018

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Karl Keating, Brand lead for Nike's House of Hoops joins the show to discuss international sports marketing, the challenges of leading teams and the various corporate cultures in sports apparel and lifestyle. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…The Silicon Valley is a pretty well-known technology hub in California, maybe you’ve heard of it. Google, Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Cisco, Oracle, Netflix, PayPal, Yahoo and hundreds more tech companies all residing in the southern San Francisco bay area.The region has become identified for their tech personality. And their expensive real estate. The average sale price of a home sold is about $1.440 million – that is nuts.That right there is enough to tell me, no thanks, I don’t want to start a career in tech and be forced to live in an area that’ll put me in debt for the next two generations.Now let’s put that same lens on the sports industry – is there a region that you think of when you think of sports?With teams spread out across the nation, it’s hard to pinpoint an area that is synonymous to the sports industry. Say New York and LA is gonna get pissed. Claim Dallas and Chicago is going to revolt.Most leagues and major organizations have corporate headquarters in New York so they may have the best argument, but I’m going to go in a different direction with the discussion. Just up the coastline from the Silicon Valley is what could be called the Sporting Goods Forest.Portland, Oregon.Home to Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Columbia Sportswear, Keen footwear and many other sports lifestyle brands.The northwest has become the hub for a very large segment of the sports industry. Walk down the street on a weekend, or go to a high school or college campus -- look around how often do you see Nike, Under Armour or Adidas gear…pretty often right?Nike made 32 billion in sales revenue in 2016Adidas 14 billionUnder Armour 4.3 billionNike is the supreme leader…but the other two are in the billions so don’t shed a tear.The point is, if you want to work in sports product marketing, branding, design, digital marketing, public relations, media relations and a host of other big business sports jobs – the Portland area may be worth migrating towards.Oh and the extra good news – the average price of a home in Portland is 430k…much more affordable.All this brings us to today’s guest – Karl Keating, Brand Lead for the House of Hoops Nike joint retail venture with Foot Locker.Karl has worked in Portland for both adidas and Nike… two of the big boys…but his experience isn’t limited to just Portland…or even just the US…Karl has ventured abroad to work in Germany and the Netherlands, adding international marketing experience to his portfolio – he’s a wealth of information, so let’s get to it already – here’s Karl Keating:Inspirational Videos Shares by Karl Keating:The Art of Innovation: Guy Kawasaki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtjatz9r-VcCreativity: Sir Ken Robinson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&t=410s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, University of Oregonhttps://sportsbusiness.uoregon.edu/warsawQuestions for Karl Keating, Nike Brand Lead for House of Hoops1: Let’s start with the basics – tell us a little more about your journey to end up in sports marketing on a global stage, and specifically why you entered the world of sports apparel & lifestyle brands like adidas and Nike.2: You received your MBA from University of Oregon with an emphasis in sports marketing – The Northwest, and more specifically the Portland region, has turned into a hub of sorts for the sports lifestyle and apparel brands adidas, Nike, Columbia, Keen and many others are in the area – you got your start at adidas, how much of an asset was it to get your MBA right in the backyard?3: Let’s talk about that first role with adidas – you interned there and then were offered a full time role as a Brand Marketing Communication Specialist -- why do you th...

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