Credentials Only

Paul Woody’s career has seen him selling for a variety of properties, from college athletic departments to a racetrack that really is a year-round event facility to his current role as Vice President of Business Development for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.  Paul stresses there is one thing that is more important than anything else in having sales success. He understands the importance of telling the story of the property you are selling and relationships with key stakeholders, but above all else, he puts the greatest value on listening.  In this episode, Paul also discusses how he balanced working in sports while getting a doctorate degree, why he decided college athletics was not the dream job he thought it would be, the importance of momentum and much more.  

Bob Bryant has had a number of different titles in his career regardless of his role, he feels his job has always been to be a promoter. From working with the circus to connecting Cartoon Network with NASCAR to his current work as President & CEO of the 500 Festival, he feels drawing on all his past experiences has always served him well.  In this episode, Bob shares all that goes into planning the 500 Festival, a mission-driven series of community events throughout May leading up to the Indianapolis 500. He also describes how he works with numerous stakeholders – from corporate partners to government officials to volunteers – to put on the events.  Bob also describes how his roots as a promoter has helped him every step of the way, from selling minor league hockey tickets to bringing Scooby Doo to Wimbledon and shares advice about the importance of the right attitude when working in sports and how fulfilling it is to see creative ideas fully executed.  

Scott Kornberg says he sees a lot of fireworks shows each summer. Such is life working in minor league baseball.  Scott stays busy serving as not only broadcaster but also media & public relations manager for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. After Minor League Baseball was shut down in 2020 on account of the pandemic, it is back in 2021, and the new year is a big change for the Jumbo Shrimp as they move up to Triple A.  In this episode, Scott talks about balancing both his roles, staying well informed on the everchanging minor league rosters, the importance of everything but the game in the minor leagues and what broadcasters have served as inspiration for him. 

Simon Evans has covered a wide variety of sports in nearly two decades with Reuters, but his university background in government and political science may have been his most valuable training in the past week as he covered the Super League, the doomed breakaway effort by leading European soccer clubs. As Reuters football correspondent, Simon was heavily involved with Super League coverage, securing a byline on 19 stories over a four-day period. In this episode, he explains what Super League set out to be, why it failed and what the lasting impacts may be for the clubs that tried to break away.  Simon also shares how he has approached covering so many different sports during his career and what he has done to learn more about those he has not necessarily known much about. He also talks about how rare it is to be a foreign correspondent for sport and how working for an international wire service requires a very narrow approach to his writing. 

Dan Rossetti has built his career in sports working to get others their career in sports. The founder of Ascension Sports Partners, his agency has conducted searches for a wide variety of sports organizations. One of the unique aspects of his company is not limiting their placement work to only C-suite positions.   As so many others have, he recognized how COVID was changing the industry. As a result, he built up his career coaching services to assist job seekers, whether new college graduates or someone who may have been let go due to the pandemic after decades in sports.  In this episode, he shares a great deal of advice about finding jobs in sports, including about resumes, interviews and networking.  Click here for https://www.credentialsonly.com/post/ep-47-dan-rossetti (Show Notes).

Courtney Ksiazek works for a team that is still one year away from playing a game yet is one of the more recognizable brands in sports. In this episode, she shares how the high-profile investors behind Angel City FC have generated a great deal of buzz for the organization. In her role as Director, Partnership Marketing, Courtney is seeing firsthand the excitement for this NWSL team while also working with companies to implement agreements that include a commitment of 10% of all sponsorship dollars to be invested into the team’s community impact activities.  A college athlete herself, Courtney shares her thoughts of Name, Image and Likeness while also describing what makes soccer a great sport to watch and invest in. 

Kevin DeShazo broke into sports by consulting college athletes and athletic departments about social media. In just one decade, the conversations have changed from warning of the pitfalls to encouraging engagement, and even monetization, of the platforms. His work with Fieldhouse Media is expanding to focus more on the personal development of college athletes. Kevin has now also started Culture Wins to help organizations build leaders and establish cultures to better all who are involved.  In this episode he shares great advice on all these fronts while also explaining his unique path into the sports world. He also gives an overview of all three of the books he has written, including the 2020 release “Keep Chopping Wood.”

Andrew Merle has transitioned through different roles in the sports world, from public relations to athlete marketing to sports marketng to now working as the Director of North American Brand and Consumer Marketing at New Balance. In many of these roles, he was working directly with athletes, often as they served as endorsers. In this episode he discusses many facets of that, from athlete recruitment to working with them on activations and promotions. Andrew also describes how he was able to turn an internship while a student into a fulltime job, why he looked to leave Major League Baseball to work on the brand side and how he has brought an entrepreneurial spirit to his work with established organizations. 

Mary Carillo has won both a Sports Emmy and a Peabody Award during the career that has earned her induction to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. A tennis analyst for nearly every network that has carried the sport in the last four decades, she is also a key contributor to NBC’s Olympic coverage and a correspondent on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.  In this episode, Mary describes how while she is the face and the voice, there are many others working tirelessly behind the scenes to get any show she is a part of on the air.  Mary also shares what she enjoys about storytelling, the incredible importance of research in her work, how she got her start in the business and she explains her reasoning for selecting the work she does - from passing on a college football assignment to accepting a role on the Kitten Bowl. 

Brittany Allen has played a role in numerous major events during her career, including a Super Bowl, Final Four, Winter Classic and MLB All Star Game. Her experience has taught her that it’s thoroughness with all the small details – such as manhole covers – that ultimately paves the way for the big event to be a success. A Commercial Group Coordinator with the PGA of America, Brittany shares perspective on the events she has been a part of from the different roles she has had, from working for the government in the host city to her current job with a governing body.  In this episode she also describes what she has learned from all her experiences along the way, including working as an executive assistant and in ticket sales. She also shares some of what she has learned from having been mentored while working with some industry legends. 

Kelly Wolf considers a big part of her career to have been an investment of time and emotion as she has represented athletes at Octagon where she is now a vice president.  Many of the clients she has worked with have been tennis players, and Kelly explains how for that sport, representatives really serve as the front office for those athletes, working to plan schedules, hire coaches and support staff and book travel while also negotiating sponsorships and other deals.  Kelly shares details on that in this episode, as well as insight into her work on marketing and speaking representation with athletes and coaches from other sports. 

Jeff Chandler remembers when he started with Fanatics in 2008 it was best known for having stores in a couple Jacksonville malls. Today, he works as Director of Business Development as the company’s officially licensed merchandise business has grown to nearly $2.5 billion of revenue per year.  In this episode, Jeff describes how Fanatics uses a v-commerce approach along with data and analytics to maintain agility in order to respond to a wide variety of events across an array of sports. This model has resulted in tremendous efficiency, reduced waste and incredible growth.  Jeff also looks back on his own football career as a kicker at the University of Florida and in the NFL. He also shares how he works with Fanatics to help NFL players transition out of the league through the NFLPA’s externship program. 

Aaron Drogoszewski knows plenty about the importance of recuperation as a former athlete himself which is why he set out to create a recovery studio in New York City. Quickly he discovered it was not just athletes who were looking to better their performance through the use of the tools at ReCOVER. In this episode, Aaron explains what many of the different methods there are available to elite athletes and weekend warriors alike. He also shares how these same tools can also be beneficial to non-athletes for instances such as jet lag and stress relief. Self-professed to “geek out on the science,” there is a ton of tech talk in this episode as Aaron explains not only the technology but also the benefits of a variety of recovery techniques.

Erin Stone says she has the highest level respect for operations people who work in golf considering how they build a functioning venue for spectators and vendors around a golf course, often while accounting for the rolling terrain that runs alongside the pristine tees, fairways and greens. Making those areas spectator friendly is very important for Erin in her role as tournament director of the FedEx St. Jude Invitational, a World Golf Championship event held in Memphis. Working with a global partner such as FedEx as well as having a charitable partner like St. Jude’s are also part of Erin’s role at the tournament. In this episode, Erin shares insights from her time not only working with this PGA Tour event but also with an ATP Tour tournament as well as an NHL team and the common aspects of her work regardless of the sport.

Tony Trabert was a fantastic tennis player and, by all accounts, an even better person. He passed away on February 3 at the age of 90. In 2014, I had the opportunity to interview Tony for what was to be published as a Q&A in the Western & Southern Open tournament program. However, Tony was so good at telling his story, I simply did my best to to stay out of the way.  This special episode is the entirety of the interview we recorded in his home office as Tony shared his story, from growing up playing on the public courts in Cincinnati to his ascendency to the No. 1 amateur ranking to his broadcast career which included three decades working for CBS.  As he was with so many people who he came across, Tony was very gracious and generous with his time. He was loved by so many people and he will be dearly missed. 

Matt Humphrey does not need a lot of motivation to get to work because the sensory overload he experiences from being on the infield of a track stands his hair on end and keeps him excited to come back as Director, Racing Communications at NASCAR.  In this episode, Matt discusses why he thinks NASCAR is at the dawning of a golden age, sharing how a revamped schedule and celebrity ownership, among other things, have a lot to do with that. He also provides an insider’s look at what was like to be one of the very first sports to return to competition following the initial COVID-19 suspension.  Matt also shares how he keeps up with drivers across a number of different racing circuits, how he and his colleagues prepare to handle a serious incident on a track and how it benefits NASCAR that so many people in all aspects of the sport tend to stay involved for many, many years. 

Michael Fiur’s work will begin when the Super Bowl ends this Sunday. For the 16th year in a row, Michael and his team will produce the Lombari Trophy Presentation in which the winning team will accept their trophy after the contest. In addition to the Super Bowl postgame, Michael was involved with producing several halftime shows during his time with Radio City Music Hall and we relive some of those shows in this episode. Michael also discusses his other production work, including the entire program around the College Football Playoff Championship and the US Open. He shares what goes into bringing life to the areas around the competition and how important he feels the entertainment component is to making games into events. 

Todd Martin knows plenty about tennis having played professionally for more than a decade before coaching both juniors and pros. While the sport is familiar, there has been a lot to learn for Todd in his current role as CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In addition to the standard fare for a Hall of Fame of induction ceremonies and a museum, Todd is also charged with overseeing many other facets of their operations including a tennis club, an ATP tournament, event rentals and all business related to the Hall such as sponsorships and fundraising.  In this episode, Todd, a former President of the ATP Players Council, also provides his view of the current governance of the Tour and also shares what he considers to be an issue he battled as a player. 

Kristen Fulmer brings a wealth of non-sports experience with her as the Founder of Recipric. Careful to distinguish it as an agency not a consultancy, Recipric is seeking to redefine homefield advantage by working with organizations to bring sustainability to many facets of an operation.  A big part of this effort is related to the environment and finding energy and waste reductions, but Kristen also works with teams to find efficiencies and opportunities to improve performance of both front office staff and players.  Kristen views the events of 2020 as a great opportunity to do things differently as arenas and stadiums slowly begin filling again. She also sees the past year as pivotal for athletes and teams pursuing social justice, which she feels is in line with sustainability goals. 

Matt Gardner is finding more and more ways to leverage touch points with fans in his role of Vice President, Digital Media & Emerging Technology at the St. Louis Blues. In nearly two decades in the space, Matt has seen firsthand how much closer fans are able to get as new technologies have come online and knows that many of those areas of growth have been made increasingly important because of COVID-19. Matt also shares how he found value in taking on work outside of sports during his career and gives great anecdotes on what it is like to work for a team during a championship season, from how his digital team covered the Blues triumph to his own experience with the coveted Stanley Cup.

Nick McCarvel makes his living telling stories, but his own story is a great lesson in perseverance, from pitch rejections to side gigs, that have led him to his current role as US News Producer for the Olympic Channel. In this episode, Nick shares how he got his start, showing up unannounced at the office of one publication in pursuit of an internship then cold calling an editor which led to his first byline in a major daily. He also shares how he has transitioned from his print roots to now working in broadcast. Nick also describes the unique aspects of his two most-covered sports, tennis and figure skating. He also outlines how he works to tell stories in a way that engages not only the audience but also the athletes he is working with.

Each episode of Credentials Only concludes with the Set Pieces, the same half dozen questions for each guest. We turn the tables this week, with editor Mike Meuché taking the reins to ask our host, Pete Holtermann, for his answers to these pressing questions. Pete explains what he was hoping for when he came up with these questions, then reveals his own picks for podcasts, newsletters, social media follows, books and shows he is streaming. He also shares his favorite childhood sports memory and shares where he keeps his credential collection. Also in this episode, Pete and Mike break some news - one Set Piece question is being retired and replaced with a new question in 2021.

Michael Cvitkovic feels his communications background has served him well even as his career has grown beyond public relations. He has used those skills as he has taken on a number of leadership roles, including his current position as President of the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. In this episode, Michael shares how not just communications but also relationship building has been key to his professional growth. He also discusses how several of his career stops, such as the Pan Am Sports Centre and the North American Indigenous Games, have included legacy projects. Michael also shares how throughout his career mentors have helped advise him as well as insights into the challenges of taking on leadership roles.

If travel headaches are not your thing, you definitely should not get a job like Melissa Beasley’s. As Director of Operations for the Cross Country and Track & Field teams at the University of Georgia, any snafu with a bus or a flight for the traveling party of as many as 70 is her problem to solve. In this episode, Melissa shares how she enjoys planning all the details related to her team’s travels as well as how much she enjoys seeing the success of her athletes she works with during competition.  Melissa also discusses her time working at USA Track & Field, including at three Olympics, and at ESPN. She also considers relationship building very important in her career and she shares some great advice for students looking to get into the sports industry. 

As Editor in Chief at SportsBettingDime.com, Matt McEwan oversees a team that looks to provide as much information and insight as possible to bettors. That ranges from their Betting 101 content that explains how it all works to providing in-depth analysis of upcoming contests.  In this episode, Matt offers a brief tutorial about wagering on sports, offering definitions of many of the common terms one will encounter during a foray into sports betting. He also explains what information his site provides and how it can help a gambler make better decisions and, hopefully, find more success. Matt also shares his picks on several sports, including not only who he expects to see in the Super Bowl but also which teams he considers to be good value bets to play for the NFL Championship. 

We have asked each of our guests to recommend some books they think others should read. From classics to autobiographies to plenty of books on leadership and motivation, to date more than 60 titles have been mentioned. Just in time for the holidays, we have compiled all those book recommendations in one place for this special episode with the Credentials Only Reading List. You can find more on each of the titles mentioned in this episode by following the links in the https://www.credentialsonly.com/post/rl1-the-credentials-only-reading-list (Show Notes on CredentialsOnly.com). Happy reading!

Jason Fein has been Director of Athletics at three different universities, currently serving in that role at Bates College. All of Jason’s athletic department work has been at the Division III level and he explains how it is different than working at Division I. He also shares how his role compares to being a CEO, all the facets of an athletic department that he needs to oversee and what it is like to work within the governance of the NCAA. Jason also shares how he stays very active beyond his role at Bates with work on NCAA committees and at other events, ranging from the Olympics to Final Fours and the College Football Playoff.

Tara Baker feels she has millions of stories to tell as part of her work with Special Olympics as Director of Marketing & Communications. In her role, Tara liaises with North American chapters of the organization, providing her a constant feed of stories about athletes, coaches and volunteers within Special Olympics, an organization that provides inclusion opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Her role also involves being a key member of the communications staff at major Special Olympic competitions, including the USA and World games.  Tara shares how her storytelling began during her time at ESPN where she was a member of creative content team doing feature stories and other elements across a variety of sports.

Katie Spellman credits her work as a newspaper editor in helping her be very effective in her current role as a sports communication consultant where she works with both athletes and events on their PR and social media.  On the event side, Katie has been hired by tennis tournaments to oversee not only their media relations outreach but also media operations during the competition all while creating unique and entertaining content for digital platforms.  Katie’s athlete clients include two players in the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings, and in this episode she explains what that work is like. Katie also goes into great detail about her work with Petra Kvitova, from the highs of her two Wimbledon titles to the trials that came when Petra suffered a career threatening injury during a home invasion.  

Carrie Taylor has been part of a number of firsts during her time in soccer. As a collegiate player, she helped launch her school’s first varsity women’s soccer program, then was a coach involved in starting both a college and a professional team. Her coaching career has also involved her twice being one of a very limited number of females working with men’s teams.  Carrie explains what it is like to be part of a “Team One” project and shares how she wants to be perceived for her work with men’s programs. She also describes how her career trajectory has not necessarily been a straight line and how valuable that has been for her growth.  She also describes the push for the 2023 World Cup in her current coaching role as a technical consultant to the Jamaican Women’s National Team. She also shares her hopes for her latest project, Women in Soccer, an organization to connect and support females working in the sport. 

Julia Fry has experienced sport in some incredible locations around the world, but she’s about to take that to a new level with her work in the new motorsport series Extreme E. Due to launch in 2021, the circuit will hold electric off-road rally races in areas of the world impacted by climate change, ranging from Greenland to the Amazon.  Julia shares how, as Head of Communications for Extreme E, she and her team have been working  to keep content flowing in the two years before the organization’s first race. She also describes some of her previous work, including an around the world boat race, several marathons and Olympic Games. 

Blair Henley grew up in tennis and has stayed involved in the sport with a career as a host, writer and reporter.  Today she works for professional tournaments to provide a variety of services, including serving as on-court emcee, corporate event hosting and social media content production. Each facet of her work requires a unique approach, from following the twists and turns of a match before conducting an interview in front of a packed stadium to building up trust with athletes to get them to answer sometimes uncomfortable questions.  Blair explains how she approaches these different roles as well as how she pursues new gigs and organizes her work life as a freelancer. 

Stephen Duckitt describes it as a blank canvas on which to make art as he works to develop the newly formed World Table Tennis as its Head of Event Strategy.  With a remit to operate a tour of events around the world, Stephen is involved as the start-up determines everything from rankings to optimal seating manifests at its events during this phase of its infancy.  Stephen, whose background is in professional tennis in communications and as tournament director of events in China, shares both the opportunities and the obstacles that come with creating a brand-new organization. 

Jason Beck has a background in newspapers but for more than two decades, he has been an online journalist, including nearly 20 seasons covering the Detroit Tigers for MLB.com. With 162 games over six months, plus additional weeks with spring training, free agency, and like this season, a managerial search, there’s plenty to cover on the beat.  With that much action, there are also a lot of data points and storylines to keep track of, to say nothing of expenses. Jason shares how he manages that load, reveals his favorite players and managers to get quotes from during his time in baseball and shares what rule change he would like to see brought into the league

Nick Hessler treats each season as its own storybook in his role as Digital Strategist and Social Media Community Manager for the NCAA. Working for the governing body of collegiate athletics, Nick considers the role of his team to be the voice of all 352 teams across a variety of sports. In addition to sharing the process his team using to develop their approach to each season, Nick also describes how the NCAA works to stay on top of all the action that happens on any given night across the country and gives insights into how his team analyses their work at the end of a season.

Isabelle McLemore has spent much of her career working with individual athletes, from professional tennis to UFC to now working as the Director of Communications at USA Swimming. Similar to her previous time with Tennis Canada, her work at USA Swimming involves not only working with top-flight athletes but also supporting grassroots participation in the sport which require distinct PR strategies. Isabelle shares insights from her public relations roles, from working with star athletes to managing communications efforts with executives. She also recalls her experience working for the Canadian Olympic Committee when her homeland hosted the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

"If you’re standing next to 50 other photographers, why are the people that are hiring you paying you what they’re paying you versus the 50 other people standing next to you?" Ben Solomon has built a career as a sports photographer by taking advantage of any opportunity he has been given. He now shoots not only for media outlets, but also gets corporate work and serves for the official photographer at various events. In this episode, Ben shares how he goes about filling his calendar to keep a steady stream of work throughout the year. Ben also describes how to make photography into a business and how to find the best image when one of many shooting an event. He also shares advice about building a portfolio for people who aspire to get into sports photography.

Sandy Brown just led Major League Lacrosse through an eight-day, single venue season during the Coronavirus pandemic. The commissioner shares from his experience of working with players, coaches, owners, sponsors, broadcasters and government officials to develop protocols to be able to carryout the season. Sandy also discusses the value of collaborating with other professional leagues to help find the path forward during this unprecedented year, and how some change brought about by the virus may well stay with MLL in the future.

Mike Mulcahey spends a lot of time getting ready for game days, but as the assistant athletic trainer at the University of Dayton, he definitely prefers to not be pressed into duty during the action. From prehab to rehab and recovery, Mike prioritizes education and communication to develop trust with the athletes in his care. He also brings his unique brand of humor into the training room in an effort put the players at ease. Mike discusses his approach to his job in this episode, as well as his work with the NFL as a spotter and the heartbreak for the Dayton Flyers when their historic season was cut short by COVID.

Dr. Kristi Sweeney has a unique lens on the sports world as the program director and a professor of Sport Management at the University of North Florida.    Because sports is ever-changing, so, too, is Dr. Sweeney’s curriculum. And the COVID pandemic has certainly raised a number of issues within sports, and she shares her view on many of those topics in this episode. That discussion ranges from the pro games all the way to youth sports.    Dr. Sweeney also discusses her work as a professor as well as what she views as the benefits of pursuing a degree in sports and how to maximize that experience when transitioning into the profession. 

Scottie Rodgers has just started as Director of Communications for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, but he has already worked more than 20 of these Dallas bowl games. In his career, Scottie has worked at the highest levels of collegiate athletics, from the College Football Playoffs to Final Fours, and he has represented a number of entities along the way, including three different college conferences. In this episode, Scottie describes what it’s like to work for the NCAA on their championships, the variance when working the Ivy League compared to the SEC, how today’s media environment has changed the work of a PR practitioner and the importance of experience and networking to find success in this industry.

Ben Nichols is an international sports communications specialist who has worked with a wide variety of global entities. Ben’s experience includes Formula 1, a Middle Eastern tennis tournament, the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the World Anti-Doping Agency.  During our conversation, Ben talks about working with international properties both in terms of cultural adjustments and the fact someone is always working in one time zone even if it is the middle of the night in yours. Ben shares a number of lessons from all his experiences, including the efforts to stay ahead of the narrative on a subject like doping and the pressures related to working in crisis situations. 

Jennifer Carper packs a ton of insight into this episode. The industry veteran has built and managed small to mid-size agencies focused on integrated marketing in the lifestyle space with expertise on  brand management, global sponsorship and consumer engagement. Her portfolio includes traveling the world on behalf of sponsors in professional tennis, working with sponsors on New York Fashion Week and being involved with negotiations for the naming rights to one of the most iconic sports venues in the United States. Jennifer shares from her wealth of experience in this episode, providing insights about all facets of working at an agency, from identifying clients and prospects to negotiating and leadership.

As a racket stringer, Nate Ferguson is responsible for ensuring the equipment in the hands of some of the most successful tennis players in the sport’s history is finely tuned every single time they step on the court.  From his days as the personal stringer for Pete Sampras to founding his company Priority One - which works with Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and John Isner, among others - Nate’s clients have seen plenty of success. He calls that job security.  In this episode, Nate shares how he lands clients, the odd hours that are involved to keep players well stocked with fresh rackets, what it takes to set up a stringing operation at tennis tournaments all over the world and what the right equipment can mean in the hands of rec players. 

Neil Stubley is the Head of Courts and Horticulture at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.  In that role, his most high-profile function is to prepare the grass courts each year for Wimbledon. Neil feels if he and his team have done their best work, you will have no reason to talk about the playing surface and instead can focus on the players.  In this episode, Neil discusses the work that goes into having the courts in their peak condition for the Wimbledon fortnight, the challenges grass presents in being a living surface, the lengths the Club goes to in an effort to ensure it's not just the courts that look spectacular for the British summer and he even admits that his own lawn at home is nothing to brag about!   

A classics professor at the University of Vermont, Dr. Jacques Bailly serves as the pronouncer at the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.  A former champion speller himself, Dr. Bailly explains what goes into his role at the event, from introducing the words to supplying additional information such as definitions and language of origin to helping put the spellers at east to allow them to enjoy the event.  In this episode, Dr. Bailly explains how the supplemental information he can provide helps the spellers, how much the spellers are supportive of each other and he will share a number of words that were fascinating to learn.  (Photo by Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee)

The Golf Channel’s Cara Banks looked for any chance she could to get herself close to broadcasting, then took full advantage of each and every opportunity to eventually make her way on camera. From transcribing meetings to being a show runner, Cara took any work she could get behind the scenes to get herself involved in productions. Once there, she was determined to make a big impression.  Before long, she was in front of the camera on Golfing World before moving to the U.S. to join Golf Channel, where she started with Morning Drive and now hosts Golf Central.  In this episode, she describes the perseverance that helped opened doors for her, what the sleep schedule is like when hosting a 7 a.m. show, what on-air talent she has looked up to and how she got used to doing live hosting after working on pre-produced shows. 

Paul Tesori will walk well over 1,000 miles a year for his job and will carry a 40-plus pound bag on his back for the vast majority of those steps he will take. Such is the life of a PGA Tour caddie. Paul, a former college golf standout who still competes at the mid-amateur level, has worked with Webb Simpson since 2010. His tenure with Simpson has included a Players Championship, a top-five finish at the Masters and already one title in 2020.  In this episode, Paul explains the business model for a caddie on tour, describes his day-to-day during a tournament week, recalls some of the best rounds he has seen from his unique vantage point and shares his off-course charity efforts through the Tesori Family Foundation. 

Joel Lamp, the author of a fictional book about college football titled “Chasing Glory,” has an incredibly diverse portfolio of events that he has been a part of during his career, ranging from football and basketball to motocross and curling.  He also has represented a number of different organizations in staging those events, including universities, city government and now the private sector with Airstream Ventures, where he is Senior Director of Events and Tourism.  In the sports tourism field, Joel’s work has involved seeing projects all the way through, from idea generation to a fully executed event. His range of experiences gives him a very unique perspective on event management and has left him with plenty of stories to share. 

Vince Cicero’s career has taken him across the spectrum of sports, including amateur, college and professional with work in a number of leagues, including the NBA, NFL and now MLS as the Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Broadcasting at FC Cincinnati. A very unique trait to Vince’s work is his involvement with four major facility projects during his career, including the opening of three new facilities. From a new arena where a college would move its basketball team to fan-facing amenities at a professional tennis tournament to being involved with building two new stadiums for two different organizations in the same city, Vince shared the insights he has learned from each of these projects.  In this episode, Vince talks not only about those construction projects but also the importance of relationship building during the sales process, how he cultivates a team approach to all aspects of sponsorship and all his previous experiences work to inform his current dealings. 

Tricia Cullop has a job that involves a lot of unseen work, but it would be wrong to describe her as “behind the scenes.” As head women’s basketball coach for more than a decade, she is certainly the face of the program at the University of Toledo. The winningest coach in school history, the Rocket program has also grown to be among the national leaders in attendance annually, which is just the start of her off-court work that is part of being a head coach. In this episode, Coach Cullop explains what else is part of her job, from the academic balance for student-athletes to charity initiatives to team travel to recruiting.  She also helps grow the game and the industry in her role as president of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.  In this episode, Coach Cullop will also share some lessons she has learned from other coaches and how she handles making the big decisions that come with being the Head Coach.