Makers of Sport®

There is perhaps no better way to end Makers of Sport's podcast then to provide what may be the most inspiring story in its history. Ali Rahmoun—3-D Designer, Creative Director, and Founder of Sports Templates, a digital asset company whose products are used by #smsports creatives in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and more—joined the show in 2021 to share his inspiring story. A native of Syria, Ali discovered the Internet in a war-torn, Isis-occupied country and began teaching himself graphic and web design as a teenager there. Initially, he fell in love with interacive Flash websites and frequented the niche platforms millennial creatives often found ourselves on during that time such as DeviantArt, Dribbble, and Behance. Overcoming many hardships, including once having to power his computer via a truck battery due power outages from war so he could meet the deadline of a client, Ali developed a strong instinct to learn under intense circumstances and persevere. His eventual passion for creative entrepreneurship eventually led to him creating Sports Templates, an online marketplace creating and selling 3-D assets as Photoshop templates such as uniforms, athletics courts and fields, sports equipment, digital apparel, and other items. Listen along as we discuss Ali's story, content marketing, the state of design tools, the importance of learning how to learn, 3-D's future in this new era of design, and much more. Mentions Include: Sports Templates Website Sports Templates on Twitter Sports Templates on IG "Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered" by Austin Kleon Ash Thorp Adam's Tinker Hatfield toy Blender 3d Software Ali's Basketball NFT project Ali's A.I. Logo Project Thanks again to Ali Rahmoun for coming aboard the show. Be sure to checkout his website in order to take advantage of holiday deals that Sports Templates is offering. Also follow Sports Templates on Instagram and Twitter, and checkout his upcoming logo A.I. project launching soon. As of now, there is no next guest on the podcast. Hosting and producing this show has been a tremendous blessing and I've been able to meet many amazing people and lifelong friends. For now, the show must end due to numerous life cirumstances and other priorities. Maybe this is for forever, maybe not. I truly don't know. But, I do plan to keep tweeting and hope to evolve MoS into something that is still useful for the sports design community as it has done so much for me both personally and professionally. I sincerely thank you for the support over the years. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Jessie Kavana (aka JKav) is a Senior Graphic Designer at BSE Global, the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets, NY Liberty, Nets GC and more. She joined the show to discuss her career and evolution as a creative. A native New Yorker with a passion for hoops and a dream to work in sports marketing for the New York Knicks, Jess began her journey at Skidmore College as a college basketball player. Stints in college athletics and ESPN would finally lead Jess to settle down in Brooklyn to work for the 'all black everything' Nets. It has been in there where Jkav has really found a home and has caught her stride as an in-house sports designer. Along with previously discussing her career path, we discuss how Jess has gained trust with her leaders and ownership group and it has allowed for her to take on some high-profile projects within the organization such as working on uniforms with Nike, designing the player entryway, and more. Jkav touches on how the Covid-19 shutdowns led her to experiment with a new discipline: illustration. We discuss how she used the quarantines to push herself and evolve her creative skillset. Lastly, we discuss Jessie's re-awakened past hobby of sneaker painting and customization. Sneaker painting is having its moment in sports culture and Jessie has been able to take this hobby and leverage it to work with professional athletes as a side hustle. Listen along as JKav shares her story. Mentions Include: JKav Portfolio JKav on Twitter JKav on IG Learfield IMG College ESPN Stats Twitter Ep. 24: Chin Wang, Sr. CD at ESPN Carol Boyl, ESPN CD Lucas Nickerson, MNF CD at ESPN Ep. 73: Tim O'Shaughnessy, College Football CD at ESPN Ep. 5: Steve Vollmer, Jr., (Current) Creative Director, Tampa Bay Bucs @BamBamBam99 Disney series illustrations My next guest is Ali Rahmoun, Founder and Creative Director of SportsTemplates, a company that provides 3d content and templates to the sports industry. Ali can be found on Instagram & Twitter. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Dexton Deboree, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Falcon, and director of the award-winning documentary, "Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1", joined the podcast to discuss storytelling, entrepreneurship and the role of filmmaking in sports culture. A lost youth in Florida, Dexton didn't have a path. He was unsure of his future; however, a revelatory moment in the middle of the night in college changed him forever and led him to creative pursuits and a transfer to a film school. Obsessed with the idea of being a screenwriter, Dexton became fixated on writing—almost to a fault—believing that if he wasn't writing he wasn't pursuing his destiny. This caused him to nearly miss out on a breadth of experience he would later gain as a P.A., which led to a wealth of knowledge about the business of film. Listen in as Dexton shares stories about the early years of his career and how his unorthodox path led him to eventually buy and rebrand a studio, and later leave that studio to found Falkon®. Dexton shares the things he's learned being an entrepreneur in film, including how unpredictabe business is and how no one truly has things figured out. Lastly we discuss two films Dexton wrote, directed and produced: "Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1", a film about the legendary sneaker and its alleged banning from the league featuring numerous interviews with famous personalities at Nike, the NBA and entertainment; and "Promiseland", a docu-series following 2019-20 NBA Rookie Ja Morant as he ventures through the first year of his pro basketball career which happened to include Covid-19 shutdowns, the NBA bubble, social justice issues and winning Rookie of the Year. Mentions Include: Dexton on IG Falcon on IG Falcon Website 'Range' by David Epstein Los York Episode 110 with Barton Damer Jimmy Smith, Ad Legend The Art of Flight documentary Unbanned: The Legend of the AJ1 My next guest is Jessie Kavana, a Senior Designer for BSE Global, the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, NY Liberty, NY Islanders and more. She can be found on Instagram & Twitter. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

"Apply what you learn [online] and actually do something—even if it's not for making money—just make something. Do something with what you're learning and practice it." Matt Halfhill, founder of Nice Nicks, is not a monolith or a cliche ‘sneakerhead’. The son of college professors who moved to California from the Midwest, Matt played in a Dixieland Jazz band as a kid, fell in love with sneakers in the Caribbean in Grenada, and dropped out of college to start the Internet’s first-ever sneaker blog. Today, what started as a blog has become a digital media brand that is one of the most trusted in the footwear industry with over 4 million followers on Instagram. From experimenting with web development in the late 90s to learning to sell overstocked sneakers on eBay from his first job, Matt developed a love of technology and digital communication as a youth. Halfhill joins MoS to discuss the story of Nice Kicks, its mission to be inlusive of all folks wanting to become a fan of sneakers no matter their level of knowledge about the industry, as well as how the company has evolved over the years. We discuss the shift of content marketing from brands, what it was like to open and then later popular brick-and-mortar sneaker shop, as well as why news is a commodity and our voice is all we have to sell that is truly unique when it comes to building a digital media brand. Matt's love of sneakers and his hacker-like mentality for figuring things out has led to a lifelong career in a billion dollar niche at the intersection of sport, culture and fashion. Listen along as Matt shares the story of NiceKicks.com. Mentions Include: Matt Halfhill on IG Matt Halfhill on Twitter Nice Kicks Website Nice Kicks on IG Converse Sky Rider Reebok Answer 1 "Navy Patent" Jimmy Smith, advertising veteran Nice Kicks Shop My next guest is Dexton Deboree, founder & filmmaker at Falcon Content; a content creation company born at the intersection of advertising and entertainiment with clients such as Nike, Brand Jordan, MLB, and more. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Tori Boykins is a creative with many layers. A boxer, entrepeneur, graphic designer and gritty midwesterner, Tori joined the show to discuss her long journey breaking into the sports design scene, first at the Kansas City Chiefs, and currently as a graphic designer with the Kansas City Royals. From majoring in interior design at a Big Ten university known for engineering, to starting a business in college and running it six years, Tori has had quite an eclectic career. We attempt to peel back the many layers of her story beginning with a love of art and geek culture as a kid in Cincinnati, Ohio. We discuss how she got sucked into "old school mentality" choosing to attend community college to get an associates in graphic design after already obtaining a Bachelors in Interior Design years earlier and founding a small business. Tori also elaborates on how a black-owned design studio in Texas gave her a chance as a design intern, as well as how pitching free projects to real, underserved sports brands such as women's boxing and a local basketball team led her to an interview with an NBA team and an eventual gig in the NFL. Throughout the episode, we discover a common theme of Tori's midwestern grit and hustle, as well as how important humility and risk-taking are when it comes to pursuing your dreams in the sports business. Lastly, Tori touches on the importance of learning new skills and why she hopes to leave a positive legacy for minorities that come after her in the sports design industy. Mentions Include: Tori Boykins Portfolio Tori Boykins on Instagram Tori Boykins on Twitter J12 Designs Alamo City Aztecs Tori's WBC & IBF women's boxing poster UnderConsideration's Brand New Ashley Strauss, Creative Director, Detroit Lions Ashley Strauss on MoS Jordan Giesler, Brand & Creative Manager, Kansas City Chiefs Jordan Giesler on MoS Caitlin Wienck, Design Manager, Kansas City Chiefs My next guest is Matt Halfhill, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Nice Kicks. Matt is an early 2000s Interent entrepeneur that has made a living his entire life working for himself providing breaking news, commentary and history in the sneaker industry. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

A bonus episode for your enjoyment. On Episode 25, Joe Bosack of Joe Bosack & Co. turned the mic back on my tell my own story. This was a few years ago and Makers of Sport® was just getting off the ground. Considering I have many more listeners and the podcast has played such a big role in my life since then, I figured it was time for an updated story about the host of your favorite podcast. Enjoy the listen as I joined Sports as a Job Podcast to tell my own story of running a freelance design studio and starting a long-running podcast. Mentions Include: * [T/A Martin Studio](https://www.tamartin.studio) * [T/A Martin Studio on Instagram](https://instagram.com/tamartin.studio) * [Makers of Sport](https://linktr.ee/makersofsport) My next guest is Tori Boykins, a talented graphic designer for the Kansas City Royals. Tori has had a fast rise to becoming one of the most talented designers in professional baseball. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Dan Simon, Creative Director of Studio Simon in Louisville, KY, joined the show to discuss his lengthy career as a sports designer. Dan began his career at a west coast design studio who allowed him to freelance at night using their equipment. Him and an account rep wanted to pursue sports branding and ended up creating some mocked up work with acual sewn jerseys and it eventually led Dan down a 30-year path of designing for sports. We discuss how tough it is, even today, to win quality clients in sports design, why he chose his name for his studio instead of a made up name and why the former is important. Dan tells the story of working on three Super Bowl logos, including the patriotic XXXVI logo of the 9/11 season. Finally, we discuss how the industry has changed, burnout, and how to run a studio in a commoditized design industry. Dan is a treasure trove of stories and was the first-ever in-house sports designer for a profesional sports franchise. Listen along as he shares his story. Mentions Include: Studio Simon Studio Simon on Instagram Scott Mednick SME Branding Duffy & Partners Charles S. Anderson Design Co. Ep. 15 with Matt Stevens The Max 100 Project Ep. 84 with Ross Yoshida Ep. 74 with Brian Lindstrom My next guest is Tori Boykins, a talented graphic designer for the Kansas City Royals. Tori has had a fast rise to becoming one of the most talented designers in professional baseball. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

Dane Storrusten, Senior Creative Director at the NFL, joins this episode to discuss his multidisciplinary design career and path to "The Shield". From majoring in illustration in art school, to designing products at Microsoft, robot interfaces, and NFL brand identities, Dane has had quite an eclectic career. He believes in saying yes to every opportunity and how doing so can lead to amazing opportunities to learn and experience new things; something that has proved to be true for his career. We discuss the value of being multidisciplinary versus specializing, starting and running a design studio, and more; including how doing side projects Dane was passionate about led to a call from the NFL with a newly-created position for him in Los Angeles. Dane gives us a peak into the creative heirarchy at the NFL between the L.A. and N.Y. offices, as well as how the teams collaborate on various projects, and the importance of breaking down creative silos in large organizations. Lastly, Dane spends some time sharing about the processes behind NFL team rebrands, including how they handle leaks, the pitchesk, the league's involvement and more. It's a treasure trove of information for those interested in team branding and uniform design. Listen along as Dane shares his story. Mentions Include: Gridiron Labs Dane on Twitter Dane on Instagram Prologue 2advanced, Eric Jordan Ep. 94 w/ Shane Mielke Microsoft PixelSense Southern California Design Co. "Range" by David Epstein Ep. 22 w/ Fraser Davidson Helmet of the Future Case Study by Gridiron Labs NFL 100 Campaign 72andSunny My next guest is Dan Simon of Studio Simon. Dan a sports branding veteran that has designed everything from MiLB brands to Super Bowl logos. He's also full of stories. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

William Peebles, Founder & Maker at Huntington Base Ball Co. in Boston, joins this episode to discuss industrial design, being a maker in the sports product industry and turning his love of baseball into a lifestyle business. We begin with William's time in art school which led to working as a designer at Reebok during their prime when endorsers were athletes like Shawn Kemp, Shaq, Allen Iverson, Frank Thomas and more. It was here he decided to take a crack at making his own baseball as a side project. It was not good. In fact, it was so bad he thought he'd never make another one again and moved onto working in other industries for a decade. A couple of economic downturns and layoffs over the next 10 years would force Peebles into making taking a second chance. He read, he researched, he practiced; 11 years later, William's passion for revitalizing relics from baseball's past has turned into a business and well-crafted brand at Huntington Base Ball Co. Listen along as William shares his story. Mentions Include: Huntington Base Ball Co. Huntington Base Ball Co. on Twitter Huntington BBC on Instagram My next guest is Dane Storrusten, Sr. Creative Director at the NFL in L.A. Dane is also known online as Gridiron Labs, a freelance design studio where he takes on work and conducts creative experiments from time to time in the sports vertical. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support and keep the podcast sponsor free by joining the member community or purchasing merchandise from the Makers of Sport® shop. Additionally, if you enjoyed this episode, please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts and be sure to follow host @TAdamMartin and Makers of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

“We got in early on the digital brand stuff. We found it extremely important for us to know why we are who we are and tell that story consistently over time." Jordan Gielser, Creative Services & Brand Manager of Super Bowl LIV Champion Kansas City Chiefs, joined the podcast to discuss his lengthy career working for a historic NFL franchise. Jordan found his way into the Chiefs organization after majoring in commercial art in college; however, after a seasonal gig with the team he would find himself leaving sports design for a b2b industrial gig. Eventually, he returned to the Chiefs and would climb from junior graphic designer to creative services & brand manager which is his role today. The Chiefs had many successful campaigns this season including their 2019 Mexico City Campaign; which we discuss in depth. Jordan also touches on developing the creative for the historic 60th Season of Chiefs Football and how they were able to balance a completely different look for the season paying homage to the past but remaining true to the current brand. Lastly, Jordan shares his unique, behind-the-scenes insight into what goes into working as a creative at the Super Bowl. From the planning, to the potential unused creative in case of a loss, to the gameday duties; we get a rare glimpse into hectic weeks heading to up to and following the biggest event in sports. Listen along as Jordan shares his story. Mentions Include: Jordan on Twitter Chiefs in Mexico City Campaign Chiefs 60th Season Campaign Style Guide George Toma, Chiefs groundskeeper Lamar Hunt patch Tungsten by Hoefler & Co. Tad Carpenter Arrowhead Art Collection True North Vikings Creative Christine Zambetti, Manager of Design, 49ers My next guest is William Peebles, product designer & founder of Huntington Base Ball Co.. Huntington Base Ball Co. is a company that makes and sells hand-made baseball goods paying homage to American craft. In the meantime you can follow William on Twitter @HuntingtonBBC. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on  Podcasts. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and Maker of Sport® on Twitter & Instagram.

“Fear is good, you can feed on it and it makes you work harder to be good and be better. If you get too complacent and happy, that's where you get in trouble.” A special episode from MLC Connect 2019 with two of the keynote speakers, Amy and Jen Hood of Hoodzpah Design of Southern California. Through their studio the duo have worked with companies ranging from small California businesses to major brands like Google and Target. Jay F. Hicks, a digital strategist and content lead at Bayler University Athletics and also the host of Sports Creatives Podcast, joined me to co-host in the MLC media room in the Atlanta Braves' stadium. Listen along as Jay and I chat with the Hood twins as they share how they began their company,imposter syndrome, how they developed soft skills and emotional intelligence, managing imposter syndrome, how they collaborate seamlessly with one with another and more. Mentions Include: Hoodzpah Design Hoodzpah Design on Twitter Hoodzpah Design on Instagram Jay F. Hicks on Twitter My next guest is Peter Robert Casey aka PRC. Peter is the Vice Chairman at SLAM Magazine and is a digital marketer, tech startup founder and CEO of JDS Sports, a venture capital fund for sports-related companies. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

“Working with people is something you need practice with. Everybody has their own agenda, everybody has things that are important to them. You have to respect that but there’s times you have to fight for what you believe in.” Insung Kim joined the show to discuss his cross country journey from enivironmental design in Southern California to Kansas City to now working in the South as Senior Creative Director for the Atlanta Braves. Insung discusses how his immigrant parents supported his creativity leading him to attend art school and eventaully find a job as a designer in environmental graphics at a company where he stayed 15 years. Looking for a change, Insung moved his family to the middle of the country to work for internationally-known sports & entertainment architectural firm, Populous (formerly HOK Sport). While designing graphics for the Braves new Atlanta stadium, Insung struck up a relationship with Braves executives and was offered a job as Creative Director where he now leads a team of creatives and manages the Braves' iconic brand. He sheds light on how to have difficult conversations and what we as sports designers should really focus on and get joy in instead of the cool hero imagery. Listen along as Insung shares his story. Mentions Include: Insung on Twitter Insung on Instagram Seth Godin Harvest Crusade David Riley Associates Hunt Design Populous Robzilla Kev Roché My next guests are Amy and Jen Hood from Hoodzpah Design. The Hood twins are a graphic design duo running their own studio in Southern California. They also happen to be Kentucky natives which, y'all already know, makes me drawn to them. The interview was conducted at MLC Connect 2019 after their keynote. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Damer on getting work: "You have to be a hype machine. You have to create hype around yourself and most artists are very uncomfortable doing that because they feel they are bragging or they feel like they are going to get made fun of online." Barton Damer, founding artist and creative director of the boutique 3d animation and motion design studio AlreadyBeenChewed, joined the podcast for a chat about his career and how he has grown his company into one of the leading studios for producing motion content in sports and entertainment. Barton reveals how an injury skateboarding—a sport and culture he has always been passionate about—pushed him to learn graphic design and motion so he could continue to hang out with his skateboarding buddies. Damer touches on how he moonlighted nights and weekends for years while having a full-time job because he was the sole income supporting his family of 5 and how fourteen years into his career he began getting his first big brand work from sneaker companies as he developed a new style outside of his job. I ask Barton many questions about how one can get into motion, where to start, etc. as a total n00b on the medium and he shares some great advice. Lastly, Barton shares his thoughts on the future of motion including where VR/AR fit into the space. Mentions Include: AlreadyBeenChewed Barton on Twitter Barton on IG ABC on IG Computer Arts Digital Artist of the Year Peter Drucker, Business Author Andrew Kramer, Video Co-Pilot Troika DigitalKitchen Shilo Jab Jab Jab Right Hook by @garyvee GreyscaleGorilla Houdini by SideFX My next guest is going to be Insung Kim, Sr. Creative Director of the Atlanta Braves. Insung is a designer that began his career in the architectural space of sports working for Populous before joining the in-house team at the Braves. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you like this episode? You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and by writing a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Simon Dent shares his thoughts on the future competition of sports teams as it regards to selling attention and tickets.

"On a Saturday afternoon when every sports fan is going to watch their chosen sport, there are thousands of brands barking at them whether it's a print paper, online, in stadium on LEDs, in the matchday program; there's all these messages and presumably only the best are going to get taken home with fans and that's what our job is: to be the best messengers." Simon Dent is a former sports business lawyer & agent turned creative agency founder in the U.K. As managing partner of Dark Horses, Simon leads a team of world-class creatives working with brand such as Peloton, PUMA, City Football Group, Southampton F.C., Under Armour, Nissan and more. Whilst working as an agent, Simon realized that brands were missing opportunities to better engage fans via athletes he represented, so he founded an advertising agency. Simon discusses the emotional aspect of sport and how consumer brands can leverage those emotions to engage consumers in a more authentic way rather than simply sharing a logo on the scoreboard. We also chat about how an outside agency can bring a different high-level, strategic perspective to clubs and avoid being pigeonholed as production creatives like so many in-house creatives do with team marketing execs. Simon elaborates on why sporting brands should be vary weary of the competition for attention in future fans now that the internet offers attention grabbers like Fortnite, YouTube and Netflix. Lastly, we discuss creative culture and more specifically how Dark Horses uses it to recruit and keep creatives. Mentions Include: Dark Horses Simon Dent on Twitter Dark Horses on Twitter Dark Horses on IG Lucky Generals BBH Sport Fornite brand activations Droga5 My next guest is going to be Barton Damer. Barton is the founder of AlreadyBeenChewed, a 3d animation and motion shop in Dallas, TX that has worked with many major brands such as Nike, Marvel and more. Sign up for the email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

"It's 100% about relationships. Probably the most important part of Mitchell Bat is the people I've met along the way that I consider true friends or trusted advisors." Jeremy Mitchell, agency creative director, web designer and most notably founder of Mitchell Bat Co., joined the podcast for episode 100 to discuss his passion project; a company that provides custom, hand-painted wooden bats to passionate & passive baseball fans, corporations and brands alike. Jeremy discusses how his college degree in sports management, playing in a band in college and a crush on a graphic design major (who eventually became his wife) eventually led him to pursue a post-grad career in design. A passionate baseball fan, Jeremy created a mockup of a hand-painted, striped bat one night and posted to his Instagram. The post got some likes and requests on where to purchase the bat, whom fans thought was a real physical product. Thus began the quest to start Mitchell Bat Co. We discuss the social mission of MBCo, how a conscious effort should be put into building a brand, and how passion projects lead to incredible opportunities and collaborations that one would not always expect or receive from a full-time paying job. Lastly, we discuss the value of relationships and how important they are to any career, let alone a side project. Mentions Include: Mitchell Bat Co. Twitter Mitchell Bat Co. Instagram Mithcell Bat Co. Website Salemtown Board Co. Todd Radom BLDGrefuge 199c gallery Mattingly Chartities MBCo collaboration with Louisville Slugger "Kern & Burn" book Episode 97: Chris Do, TheFutur Leatherhead Sports Billie Creek Bats USE CODE "MOS" AT CHECKOUT ON MITCHELLBATCO.COM AND GET 20% OF A BAT. My next guest is going to be French designer & illustrator, Caroline Blanchet. Caroline is the founder of Ptitecao, French design studio that focuses on creating visual design and digital illustrations for the sports industry. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

"There's so much emphasis on people getting a job right after they graduate and getting into the workforce. You'd be hard pressed to find a lot more real life lessons than working at a restaurant...the real life world lessons and the things that you learn by serving people is something that can refine skills." Starting a business as a young person takes a lot of courage. You are often looked down upon by older professionals as having too little life & professional experience and too great expectations. It takes grit, perseverance and hard work. These are the key traits of an entrepreneur. Adam White has those traits. The founder & CEO of Front Office Sports joined the show discuss how a failed goal to be a member of the U.S. Coast Guard eventually led to starting one of the sports business's leading online publications. Adam tells the story of how FOS began as a schoool project and later scaled to a much greater audience demanding more content. He also touches on how he worked full-time at a UMiami restaurant where he climbed through the ranks of fry cook and kitchen trainer before eventually becoming manager all while traveling the U.S. creating content for Front Office Sports and working on his bachelors degree. We chat about the common entrepreneurial stategy of faking it until you make it, being comfortable speaking the language of business and interviewing professionals and the importance of focus. Lastly, Adam discusses where he sees the future of Front Office Sports and more. Mentions Include: Adam White on Twitter Adam White on LinkedIn Front Office Sports on Twitter Russ Wilde, Jr. on Twitter The Rathskeller at University of Miami Adam Martin on Front Office Sports Win Without Pitching Manifesto "The One Thing" My next guest is going to be Jeremy Mitchell, founder of Mitchell Bat Co. While working as a creative director at a Nashville ad agency by day, Jeremy creates custom-pained wood bats for consumers, clients and brands on the side and it has grown into lucrative brand. This show will also mark the 100th episode of Makers of Sport Podcast. We will be giving a way a commemorative MoS bat to a lucky listener. Follow @makersofsport on Twitter for details. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

"What makes a successful brand from a brand identity and visual language standpoint is having consistent style that can also be fluid and flexible where not everything necessarily looks exactly the same but everything should "feel" the same." Sam Silverman, assistant director of creative media & branding for Ohio State Football, joined the podcast to discuss his work with one of the nation's top football programs and how classic typography inspires his work. Sam touches on how his passion for cars & sneakers and how they led him to a degree in the prestigious industrial design program at Ohio State University. We discuss his transition to graphic design, learning typography skills and being inspired by historic design movements such as Swiss typography and the Bauhaus Movement, and how he is applying these things to the football brand at Ohio State University. The ethics in sports design are a very hot topic in this episode as Sam & I chat about respecting and knowing the history of the discipline, denounce the braggadocious nature of sports designers and try to determine why rip-off culture runs rampnat in college athletics marketing and design. Lastly, we go deep on Sam's work with OSU and specifically discuss the new intitiative, BrandU, a program that helps teach college athletes about the importance of their personal brands. Mentions Include: Sam Silverman on Twitter OSU football on Twitter Dieter Rams 12 Principles of Design Bauhaus movement Swiss typography aka International Typographic Style World Wildlife Fund logo Jason Mayden, former Jordan brand designer BrandU My next guest is Adam White, the founder and CEO of Front Office Sports, a new era sports business media platform bringing readers insight, news and authority at the intersection of sport and business. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

Chris Do elaborates on why creative people should value their services more and charge accordingly without feeling guilty.

"Designer as maker is what is celebrated in school, not designer as entrepreneur; designer as business problem solver. To me, when you're in the mechanics, when you have your hands in the work, it's all production and I make no distinction between doing that versus becoming a brick layer." Creative therapy. That's how I refer to this episode as it takes us down a path MoS hasn't been on before. Chris Do, Emmy award winning creative director, entrepreneur and founder of TheFutur & Blind studio, joins the pod to share his views on many topics including higher education, entrepreneurship, money, self-worth, depression, and how designers can win the battle of business. We come in hot discussing the often divisive topic of higher education and wonder if a college degree is important any longer. Chris also discusses the value of time and we why should understand that value is in the eye of the beholder and oftentimes, we aren't the beholder of the work we create. Lastly, we discuss the modern state of design criticism and how if designers want to win in the war of business, we have to start thinking more about strategy and less about aesthetics. Mentions Include: Chris Do on Twitter TheFutur Blind TheFutur on YouTube ArtCenter College of Design Value of designer vs. art director debate "The E-Myth Revisited" "Real Artists Don't Starve" by Jeff Goins Blair Enns, Win Without Pitching Mathias Omotola of Cinema4d on TheFutur Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement Jim Rohn Chris Do's F-1 logo crit Evolving the Google Identity My next guest is Tim Tadder, an advertising photographer for sports, commercial, CGI portrait photography. He has worked with brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, NFL, adidas, Under Armour and more. You can checkout his work at his website. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport.

“The Internet is a great tool but you can only learn so much. Actually going to a place physically where you have someone that has [designed] at the highest level, you learn so much more…that experience is invaluable.” FYI: Sneakers are a passion of mine. It's no secret. This episode is quite nerdy on the sneaker talk. Xavier Jones, footwear designer at Reebok, joined the podcast to discuss the footwear design industry and his path to designing for athletes like Shaq and Allen Iverson. Xavier's story begins in the Michigan basketball mecca of Flint. He let's us in on his story and how SLAM Magazine, And One and Ballislife inspired and led him to pursue a dream of designing sneakers for a living. We chat about some of our favorite kicks, discuss the evolution of the Jordan Brand, reminisce about the prime of the And One Mixtape and discuss how sport influences mainstream culture and hence sneaker culture. Xavier and I also discuss the unfortunate topic of violence which often happens at rare sneaker releases and how scarcity mindset and poverty effect the violent aspect of these events. Xavier also chats about some of the design processes as a sneaker designer; including what software designers use, why attending Pensole is vital, the collaboration dynamics of teams working on footwear products & more. Mentions Include: Xavier Jones on Instagram Pensole Footwear Design Academy D'Wayne Edwards, Pensole Footwear Design Academy Jason Mayden, Co-Founder, SuperHeroic Jordan XXI commmercial by W+K Wieden + Kennedy Bob's Classic Kicks Kith NYC Ronnie Fieg, founder of Kith And One Mixtapes Alex Bogusky, Crispin Porter + Bogusky Hot Sauce, And 1 Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge Suzette Henry, Pensole Reebok Classic Rbk Aliens Project the Reebok S. Carter My next guest is Chris Do, founder and CEO of Blind Studio, a brand strategy and motion design firm and TheFutur, an online business education platform for designers. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"Share your story, share your process; there might be somebody out there who's like you trying to find out where to start and you might have some insight they can use. Don't be afraid." Britt Davis, senior designer for AMB Sports + Entertainment (i.e. Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Utd. F.C., Mercedes-Benz Stadium, joined the show to discuss her quick climb to being one of sports design's most notable designers. Her story begins with a creative childhood, supportive family and an undergraduate degree at NC State in industrial design; which, due to my own curiosity about industrial design leads to a conversation about our shared interest in sneakers, as well as how design, even though it has many disciplines, has very similar principles that translate well to one another. A 6-year stint as a marketing designer at UNC Charlotte eventually influenced Britt to obtain a graduate design degree from SCAD; which led to an internship at Viacom's SpikeTV, a repositioning of her work as a sports designer, a mentorship with Todd Radom and a senior thesis honoring the 100th anniversary of baseball's Negro Leagues called "Heritage on the Move") We reminisce about one of our first interactions together as Britt voluntarily experienced an intimidating critique environment at an Irish pub in Columbia, Ga. while attending Creative South, where some of sports design's top designers discussed her thesis project and offered feedback on her sketches for Heritage on the Move. Britt also discusses how she landed a gig with the Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports + Entertainment as we opine about our mutual love of the city of Atlanta and how it was ready and in a unique place culturally to embrace a professional soccer team such as Atlanta United FC. Lastly, we end with quite a bit of soccer talk. Mentions Include: Britt Davis on Twitter Britt Davis on Instagram Britt Davis on Dribbble Britt Davis on LinkedIn Falcons Creative Heritage on the Move) Todd Radom All Def Digital Kith NYC Episode 87: Oliva Brestal, Sporting KC My next guest is Xavier Jones, a graduate of Pensole Footwear Design Academy and a current sneaker designer at Reebok. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

On this episode, we have a crossover episode of sorts as I bring you the raw and uncut audio from a Q&A on SportsLogos.net I conducted with Brian Gundell of Brian Gundell Graphic Design Co. and Brandon Moore of the Miami Dolphins regarding their open branding freelance project for Baseball New Zealand. We discuss how the idea came about to publish a public log of process work for branding a sports organization like Baseball NZ, as well as chat about the challenges of working across 3 timezones, including one that is 18 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. We also chat about how the designers are compensating for the cultural knowledge and differences in having never been to New Zealand or being intimately familiar with NZ heritage. In addition, we discuss how the designers plan to veer from New Zealand's biggest sports brand, the All Blacks, in order to build a brand of its own for baseball. Mentions Include: Baseball New Zealand SportsLogos.net Open Branding Project The Open Branding Project Q&A with Makers of Sport Chris Creamer, SportsLogos.net Māori people My next guest is Britt Davis, senior designer for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United F.C. at AMB Sports + Entertainment. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"I think that the best design is design you don't notice most of the time, so I have no problem just putting up a beautiful photo if it's a beautiful photo." Marissa McClain, Sr. Designer/Brand Specialist for the Boston Red Sox joined this episode to discuss her passion for fine art & photography, and how it led to a gig with the Red Sox. We discuss her past as a student photographer for the Michigan Wolverines and an intern at Complex Media; as well as how she ended up shooting the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series win which led to an art-loving, non-sports-liking kid to end up working full-time for one of baseball's historic teams. Marissa touches on why she pushes herself and her creative team to make things with intent, why we should let photography do its job sometimes and go easy on the textures and filters, and how design principles are the same no matter the discipline (i.e. motion, graphic design, etc.) We also discuss the fear of being a "jack of all trades, master of none" and how having an inherent curiously is good for creativity. Marissa touches on how the Red Sox incorporate motion, GIFs and animation into their social media, as well as their strategies for Instagram stories and when to balance very produced work with raw, candid images. Lastly, Marissa discusses her "34 x 34" project for Big Papi's retirement and her creative friendship with NFL tight end and The Imagination Agency owner, Martellus Bennett. Mentions Include: Red Sox Creative Services Marissa McClain Twitter Marissa McClain Instagram Complex Media Four Pins MLC Connect Episode 24: Chin Wang T-shaped skills, IDEO Episode 62: Michelle Cruz, NY Red Bulls Font Review Journal 34 x 34 Big Papi Martellus Bennett, The Imagination Agency "A Whole New Mind" book Refinery29 My next guest is tentative right now but hoping to interview Tom Bookwalter, designer of the Kansas State "powercat" logo. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"The main job of a typeface is obviously to convey some information; but the second part of that is that it has to convey information with a specific tone or a voice." Tal Lemming, the designer of the sports industry's favorite typeface, joins the podcast to talk typography, designing fonts and type's role in sports design. Having got his start as a graphic designer in the agency scene in Baton Rouge after gradating from LSU, Tal eventually moved to Delaware to become a print designer at renown type foundry, House Industries, where he designed print collateral by day and refined his type design skills at night. He shares a few stories from his House Industries tenure; including working long hours, receiving blunt art direction from a House Industries co-founder and creative director, as well as the tough job of making things for graphic designers. Oftentimes which result marked up work being mailed back or vitriolic comments and unsolicited feedback. Needless to say, resiliency is something Tal has built up throughout his career. We discuss how designers' need to build thick skin and remain resilient in this day of keyboard critique, especially sports designers. Tal touches on how typefaces convey different meanings and how brands may use the same typeface; however, the pairing of images and color can make them feel very different. Lastly, Tal gives some of his thoughts on the infamous United typeface and how it led to a project with the US Soccer as he discusses 90 Minutes, the custom typeface he built for the US Soccer Federation. Mentions Include: Type Supply website Type Supply Twitter Type Supply Instagram House Industries Ken Barber, letterer Andy Cruz, Co-Founder, House Industries University of Kentucky rebrand with Nike GIG FedEx logo by Landor Gretel branding for Viceland 2014 US Soccer World Cup Identity using United United typeface Stone Ward, US Soccer's agency of record US Soccer's 90 Minutes My next guest is Marissa McClain, brand specialist and senior designer for the Boston Red Sox creative services group. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"At the end of the day, I consider myself a creative person. I've taken the time to grow these skills slowly over time and I want to have as much fun as I can on all aspects of a project—whether that's design, animation, etc., to me it's all fun. That is what is going to stop me from burning out." Shane Seminole Mielke does many things—from coaching big-time high school football, to being a Crossfit athlete, to being a designer, developer & animator; he is a jack of all trades. Shane is not, however, a master of none as the cliché states; instead, he uses his time effectively to master his many different interests which includes building websites and animations for movies such as "Suicide Squad", "Dunkirk", "Kong" and more; as well as working with Lucasfilm (on the "Star Wars" franchise), Blizzard Ent. and Riot Games. He has won numerous awards which include: 6 Adobe Sites of the Day, 2 Awwwards, 36 FWA Sites of the Day, 4 FWA Mobile Sites of the Day, 2 FWA Sites of the Month and 3 Adobe Cutting Edge Awards. In this episode, Shane discusses the value of time and how he balances personal life with growing in his many creative skillsets, as well as how we should deeply focus on one thing in order to master that thing before pivoting to the next. We discuss the early days of the web and some interactive shops that were pushing the limits of technology. We also touch on how today interactive design has become very stale with a lot of the same stuff being created over and over and how at one point in time, the work made you famous, not your writing, tweets or Dribbble/Behance networking skills. Lastly, we discuss Shane's book, "Launch It: 300+ things I've learned as a Designer, Developer and Creative Director". The book includes so much wisdom from Shane's career and we go in depth on some of that wisdom including discussing college degrees and if they are worth the time and money. Mentions Include: Shane Mielke's website Shane's Twitter 2advanced Studios Eric Jordan, 2advanced founder Firstborn Interactive Gmunk Julie Zhou, VP of Design at Facebook "A Season of Satudays: A Brief History of College Football" "Launch It: 300+ things I've learned as a Designer, Developer and Creative Director. A Handbook for Digital Creatives" My next guest is Tal Lemming, a type designer working under his own foundry, Type Supply. He is also the creator of the typeface, United, an LSU alumnus and creator of many custom typefaces in sports & entertainment. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

On this week's episode, I bring you a front seat at MLC Connect 2017 for "The Future of Sports Design" panel with Chin Wang (Creative Director, ESPN the Magazine), Todd Radom (Designer/Illustrator, Todd Radom Design), Joe Bosack (Creative Director, Joe Bosack & Co.) and Jon Contino (Creative Director, Jon Contino Studio)—all former guests of Makers of Sport. The panel is short (about 30 min.), but a lot of knowledge and experience is shared as the panelists touch on how they build relationships, manage collaborating with creatives in multiple disciplines, mistakes they've made and more. You'll hear Joe Bosack mention Tom O'Grady of Gameplan Creative and Bill Frederick of Fanbrandz who were in the audience. Enjoy. Mentions Include: MLC Connect Chin Wang's Mos Episode Todd Radom's MoS Episode Joe Bosack's MoS Episode Jon Contino's MoS Episode Tom O'Grady's MoS Episode Bill Frederick's MoS Episode My next guest is Shane Mielke, an independent creative director and interactive designer in Southern California. Shane is a bit of legend in the interactive design space. Once a creative director for renown interactive firm of the early 2000s, 2Advanced Studios, Shane now freelances full-time, is a high school football coach at a prominent SoCal school and world-class Crossfit athlete. More on Shane can be found at his site. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble. *Correction: I mentioned Todd's episode in this podcast as episode 3, it's actually episode 4.

"In the past designers were thought of as craftsmen only and were the 'make it pretty department'. We have an uphill battle to convince other people...I think our job and obligation is to showcase the fact that we can be involved in much more than the 'make it pretty' projects. That involves us having different tools in our toolbox and craft shouldn't be the only one." As design director at The Coca-Cola Co., Alex Center has had quite an interesting journey. His story begins with passing up an internship at renown design legend's studio, Milton Glaser, to intern for the New York Knicks; and eventually, led him to Glacéau to design for vitaminwater where he had an interesting run-in with 50 Cent. Glacéau was later acquired by by The Coca-Cola Co. and Alex worked his way up to Design Director for the brands vitaminwater, Powerade and smartwater where he is today. He shares a few stories about art directing professional athelete photoshoots, including challenging Big Papi to a cannonball contest at his pool and waiting 9 hours for Kobe Bryant to show up to a shoot. A champion for in-house design—something many sports designers are familiar with working for teams—Alex elaborates on design's role in business and brands; as well as discusses some tips on how designers can get a seat at the decision-making table. Lastly, Alex touches on how sport & hip-hop (he's a big Kanye fan) influence his work and discusses some of his side projects which include working on the "ESPN 30 for 30: When the Garden was Eden" with Michael Rapaport. Mentions Include: Alex Center's website Debbie Millman, Design Matters Milton Glaser Clinton Shaner, Nike Art Director Bethany Heck, The Eeqhus League Victory Journal David Butler, former Coca-Cola VP of Design Turner Duckworth Viceland branding by Gretel My next guest is Shane Mielke, an independent creative director and interactive designer in Southern California. Shane is a bit of legend in the interactive design space. Once a creative director for renown interactive firm of the early 2000s, 2Advanced Studios, Shane now freelances full-time, is a high school football coach at a prominent SoCal school and world-class Crossfit athlete. More on Shane can be found at his site. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"It's a right of passage to know that you're good at executing, but also challenge yourself to understand that at the very root of what we do as designers—whether our medium is physical, digital, websites, billboards or t-shirts—at the end of the day, design is a method of communication, and the design is a manifestation of that communication." riCardo Crespo is a world-class creative director and he is very secretive online. In fact, you won't find much on him at all and he prefers it that way. Referring to himself as a "creative ninja" (he is an MMA fighter), riCardo has worked at global agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson, Chiat/Day; and he was the global chief creative for Mattel and 20th Century Fox before starting his own shop, Th13teen. riCardo enightens us in this episode with his incredible experience on the differences between branding, marketing & advertising and where they fit together as a part of a venn diagram; as well as why it all starts with brand & purpose. Crespo has an interesting take on portfolios and he doesn't put much weight in them as he touches on subjectivity, explaining & communicating your work. He also discusses being courageous as a creative and how sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone, making a decision on your environment and whether you can find a diplomatic, respectful voice with marketing execs or if you need to find a new environment to collaborate & thrive. Lastly, we discuss the democratic culture of design today, why change for change's sake is bad and why if change is a good strategy then the brands need to suffer through the online criticism. Truthfully, this episode is so jam-packed with value it's hard to find quotes for. Get out your notepad & pen. Mentions Include: riCardo on Twitter Avatar movie Juventus FC rebrand by Interbrand "Designing Brand Identity" University of Cal logo controversy Miami Ad School talks "1000 True Fans" by Kevin Kelly EP45: MLC Panel '15 My next guest is Alex Center. Alex is a design director at Coca-Cola Co. working on Powerade, Vitamin Water & Smart Water. Checkout of some of Alex's work. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin & @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble. ORDER NOW: Sports Designers United t-shirt.

"As a designer, we think as a brand...so I always try to make myself a brand." Olivia Brestal is a multi-talented midwestern creative that grew up in the soccer capitol of the U.S., so it's only fitting she has spent the entirety of her post-grad career creating for professional soccer clubs. As a sr. designer & photographer for Sporting KC, Olivia joins the podcast to discuss how she developed her work's aesthetic, her inspirations in illustration and sports photography, and her move to Texas where she worked for FC Dallas. We touch on the unfortunate practice of stealing fonts, the sameness of visual aesthetic in sports, design criticism and the needless sensitivity most sports designers have with their work being critiqued. Olivia also gives us some insight into how they are faciliating a creative culture among their creative team including their office environmental decoration. Lastly, we go deep into the world of soccer (football for non-U.S. listeners) discussing everything from the growth of soccer in the U.S., our favorite boots, youth development programs and how the visual aesthtetic of soccer leagues like the MLS and Premier League are the best top-to-bottom aesthetically in the world of sport. Mentions Include: Olivia Brestal on Twitter Olivia Brestal on Instagram Olivia Brestal on Behance Sporting Kansas City Mikey Burton, illustrator Jeremy Darlow, Brands Win Championships Episode 66: Jeremy Darlow, adidas Wolff Olins Landor & Associates Erik Davila, former FC Dallas, current Advocare FC Dallas Scarf of the Month Hatch Show Print Men in Blazers Generation adidas Episode 85: Samir Gole, VP Digital, MLS DixonBaxi Premier League branding Manchester City FC hackathon My next guest is RiCardo Crespo. RiCardo is best known as a creative ninja. You find much about him online and he prefers it that way as he consults with Nike and many other global brands. He has been global creative director for Mattel, 20th Century Fox and has spent time agencies like McCann Erickson, Saatchi & Saatchi & more. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"Two things that helped us be really successful were that we treated the players like people—like everyday guys—[we] had fun with them and didn’t put them on a pedestal. And the second thing is we got them in and out of there fast." There is nothing better than a good story. And boy does John Costacos of the Costacos Brothers have plenty of them. The Costacos Brothers were a legendary poster company in the 80s/90s as they sold 30 million posters of numerous hall-of-fame professional athletes to kids around the U.S. On this episode, art director John Costacos comes aboard the podcast to share how him and his brother's company was inspired by Prince, how they were able to push athletes to pose in over-the-top concepts that in some cases risked their bodies, and how they inspired the entire sports industry to push harder conceptually through their work. It meant something to be in a Costacos Brothers poster. They created a brand. All sports designers & art directors owe a debt of gratitude to John and his brother, Tock. As an older millennial, many Costacos Brothers posters adorned my childhood bedroom's wall. Enjoy the many stories John has for us in this one. Mentions Include: Costacos Brothers Twitter Costacos Brothers Website Poster Boys on SB Nation Bill Smith, Chicago sports photography NFL Films Presents: The Costacos Brothers Amy K. Nelson, reporter Costacos Brothers art exhibit by Adam Shopkorn Russell Wilson featured in Costacos Brothers poster My next guest is Olivia Brestal. Olivia is the creative lead for the MLS team, Sporting Kansas City. Having worked in soccer her entire post-grad career, Olivia is one of the most talented designers and photographers in Major League Soccer and prior to Sporting KC, Olivia spent time with FC Dallas. More of Olivia's work can be seen on her Behance. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“I started tinkering with our own processes, embracing an iterative approach and knowing that nothing is finite & complete — everything that we do is always in the hope of iterating and moving forward in an incremental way.” The first ever VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS), Samir Gole, joins the podcast to discuss the next wave of digital intiatives at the MLS. Having worked in digital products at DirectTV and Viacom (MTV, Nickelodean, etc.) previously, Samir brings his experience leading digital products to grow the game of soccer in North America. We discuss the recent MLSsoccer.com redesign and how Samir moved the organization from waterfall development processses to agile processes as he touches on the benefits of this new approach; something he learned during his time at DirectTV. Samir also touches on the importance of writing and how the MLS Digital Labs blog is both a recruiting tool for them, as well as a method of getting their thoughts out to executives and others within the organization. The MLS unapologetically targets millennails. Samir elaborates on why they target this demographic, how they are doing so with new technology and how the MLS has the youngest fan base of any U.S. professional sports league. Lastly, Samir discusses their recent implementation of hackathons—a common practice in the tech startup world—and how they important for ideating and solving long-term problems quickly. Mentions Include: Samir Gole's Twitter Samir Gole's LinkedIn MLS Digital Labs on Medium Introducing the new MLS Digital Product Team Design Sprint by Google Ventures MLS Try/Days Redefining the Replay by POP Episode 7: Hans Anderson MLS Rebrand Premier League rebrand My next guests are the Costacos Brothers. The Costacos Brothers revolutionized the sports poster industry in the late 80s and early 90s. Their work has become valuable sports ephemera as they shot over-the-top images pre-Photoshop. They are back in the design game and will be joining on the next episode. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"You want to have as much control as possible as an in-house design staff...there is so much talent out there and talent isn't exclusive to well-known agencies on the market." Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the L.A. Dodgers, joins the podcast to discuss his break early in his career into the sports design industry for his favorite team. We chat about Ross's 10+ years with the organization and how he started off as a part-timer in college answering phones for ticket sales, which eventualy led to his design gig. Ross touches on how protective he is of the Dodgers brand as a fan and now the design leader of the organization, and he discusses some of the nuances of the visual history of the team including the history and several tweaks of the Dodgers' script, the red numbers on the uniforms and the practical decisions made when it comes to making changes to an iconic brand. Lastly, Ross gives some advice to in-house creatives on how to get your ideas heard with executives and why there are advantages being a part of the brand and knowing the quirks of the brand in regards to creating seasonal campaigns vs. outside agences. We wrap by discussing the imprortance of sports design criticism as well as how the industry has changed over the years; including what Ross looks forward to in the future of uniform design and sports branding. Mentions Include: Ross Yoshida's Twitter Ross Yoshida's Behance Palotta TeamWorks Lon Keller, fine artist The Inside Story on the Dodgers' Logo Tweaks by UniWatch Todd Radom Episode 4 Todd Radom Todd Radom blog on the Dodgers red uni numbers Fanbrandz Episode 18: Fanbrandz Manuals 1: Design & Identity Guidelines Branding & Belong: Country, Color & Confusion Dodger Stadium 50th Anniversary Logo My next guest is Samir Gole. Samir is the VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS) where he leads a team of designers, technologists, strategists and more looking to improve the soccer fan's experience through digital technologies. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"I do the podcast for my clients, my past clients and my future clients. If they're listening, then I'm happy...I'll unashamedly say it's a lead generation for Sports Geek." In the first ever crossover episode of Makers of Sport, Sean Callanan of Sports Geek joins the show for Part 1 of a two-part series. Sean tells his story of how he went from programmer to notable digital consultant in the global sports business as we discuss the founding of Sports Geek—Sean's consulting company. We chat about our love of podcasting in depth; including the effect starting a podcast has had on both of our services businesses in regards to asserting expertise. Sean also shares the interesting story of how he landed epic guest Mark Cuban on Sports Geek Podcast. We touch on Sean's recent trip to the U.S. at Podcast Movemenent and the SEAT Conference as we discuss the current state of podcasting, its future and sports tech industry. Lastly, Sean gives us some of his thoughts on Snapchat and how it is a great chronological storytelling tool. NOTE: The second part of this crossover where Sean interviews me is on Sports Geek Podcast. Mentions Include: Sean Callanan's Twitter Sports Geek Twitter Sports Geek Pat Flynn, Smart Passive Income The Basketball Jones Podcast Rich Clarke, Colorado Rapids Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner Mark Cuban on Sports Geek Podcast CyberDust app Bill Simmons, Every Given Wednesday Malcolm Gladwell Podcast Movement Gimlet Media John Lee Dumas, Entpreneur on Fire Radiotopia SEAT Conference Christine Stoffel, SEAT Founder Shane Harmon, CEO of Westpac Stadium Peter Sorckoff, CCO, ATL Hawks My next guest is Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ross is a vocal voice in the sports design community and is on the board of MLC Connect. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

On this week's episode, we go behind-the-scenes at Major Level Creative Connect (MLC Connect) 2016 with a panel that Todd Radom, Brian Gundell and myself were asked speak on called "Ambassadors of Sports Design". We come together for a no-holds-barred discussion on the state of industry, how each of us are ambassadors of sports design and what we can do gain credibility and drive industry forward in regards to professionalism and advocacy. For visual reference, the deck for this presentation can be found here Mentions Include: MLC Connect MLC Connect's Twitter Todd Radom, Episode 4 Todd Radom's Twitter The Sports Show @ NYC's Chelsea Gallery Brian Gundell, Episode 71 Brian Gundell's Twitter Brian Gundell's Dribbble Boyd Erickson, Arizona State Jon Willey, Miami Dolphins IMG College Surf Melendez, Episode 58 RiCardo Crespo Megan Magiera's Twitter, Indianpolis Colts The next interview podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"In the environment, things need to be simplified, they need to have a quick read. You scale things very differently in environmental graphics than typical graphic design applications." Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith and Molly Mazzolini—co-founders & creative partners of Infinite Scale—join the show to tell the story of their environmental design firm. The three partners give us a view into their individual backgrounds and tell the story of how they met and what led to eventually founding their own design firm. Cameron & Amy discuss how they landed their first major project for a the NFL and shares a bit about their design and pitch process, including assessing a city and the opportunity for design. Additionally, Molly shares how they approach branding from a strategic and relationship perspective; as well as explains what a brand activation is. Amy gives us some insight into their work culture and why it is very important to growing and sustaining a reputable design firm. Lastly, we discuss ReScale; the green initiative of recycling and repurposing one-off environmental assets into other products. Mentions Include: Infinite Scale's Twitter Infinite Scale Utah Jazz uni unveiling College Football Playoff by Pentagram Sports Business Journal article on CFP Playoff design 2016 NHL All-Star Identity by Fanbrandz Paul Conway, NHL CD Hatch Show Print Kyle Field wayfinding signage Populous, Kansas City University of Cincinnati DAAP ReScale NHL Green The Green Sport Alliance The next podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"There's money & there's smart money. We believe there is capital, then there's creative capital." Dylan Boyd, Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, joins the show to talk tech startups in the sports industry. Dylan tells his story and how he got into startups beginning with founding a digital agency that he grew to 80 people. We define some common terms in startups to give listeners who may not be familiar a basic education for beginning to understand the industry. In addition, we discuss how accelerators work—specifically the Dodgers Accelerator elaborating on their business model, R/GA's role in the joint venture, as well as what stage a company should be when they choose to apply to the Dodgers Accelerator. We touch on why accelerators are growing exponentially and how creative services providers can break into startups either working with companies or creating their own. Lastly we discuss what college athletics can do to innovate and invest in their own student bodies to create sports companies. Mentions include: Dylan Boyd's Twitter Dodgers Accelerator Dodgers Accelerator's Twitter R/GA Urban Airship TechStars Nike+ Accelerator AKQA Publicis Group PIE Portland Wieden+Kennedy True Ventures Kliener Perkins Caufield & Beyers (KPCB) First Round Science Inc. Ustwo Monument Valley Google Ventures Coachbase Nike entrepreneur-in-residence Can Tech Entrepeneurship Level the Playing Field of College Athletics Stadia Ventures My next guests are the founders of Infinite Scale. Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith & Molly Mazzolini join us to tell their stories and give us some insight into a few of their projects such branded environments for the College Football Playoff and the NHL All-Star Game. For more on Infinite Scale, see their site. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"For us it's gotta be about innovation across the board...for 'The Tour', we've gotta make sure we're doing everything we can to meet our fans on the platforms where they are and bring them some amazing stuff." Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content at the PGA Tour, joins the show to discuss her storied career working in digital for brands such as Coca-Cola, Harry Potter, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dell and more. Beginning agency-side, Sloane gives us some insight into transitioning from working with many brands to working on one brand. She also touches on the conference she founded, as well as her choice of incorporating social good into her work and how that continues with The Tour's mission of charity. Golf may not be widely known as an innovative and tech-driven league; however, Sloane begs to differ as she lets us in on some of The Tour's digital strategies elaborating on how they are very tech-driven using analytics, mobile, social and storytelling to enhance the fan experience. Lastly we touch on the future of the game and the hot topic of virtual reality (VR) as Sloane briefs us on how they are using VR, including some pointers on how content creators in other sports can begin to experiment with it. [You'll notice my dog Missy barking early in the episode. I typically edit things like this out, but she died of congestive heart failure at 11 yrs. old 24 hrs. later so I felt it a fitting tribute to leave her in as that was reflective of her personality.] Mentions include: Sloane on Twitter BFG Communications GeekEnd The Creative Coast "Start Something that Matters" by Blake Mycoskie Warby Parker The Players Championship The Masters Oculus Rift SXsports Ep.56: Rebecca Feferman, Director of SXsports Strivr Labs Miguel Angel Jimenez Top Golf Ep.33: Tim Oliver, Golf Digest AD SkratchTV My next guest is Dylan Boyd. Dylan is the Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, a sports startup accelerator in partnership between the L.A. Dodgers & R/GA Ventures. Prior to R/GA, Dylan ran the Nike+ Accelerator and is an advisor to many startup companies. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

COMMUNITY CONTENT PREVIEW A rare public Halftime episode as they are for paid Community members only now. I just felt this initiative is something worth sharing to everyone that may be interested. Many of us have worked hard in our creative discipline of choice to hone our skills and get better project-by-project. We often get frustrated when we see big-revenue companies or organizations soliciting spec work and running design contests for creative they can and should pay for. However, sometimes non-profits and causes we believe in fall into doing that very thing as well due to lack of resources. This Halftime is about taking initative and volunteering services, giving them in-kind for charities, causes and non-profits we believe in. Each of our stories consist of some particular cause we deeply care about. Be it family member who had cancer and was helped for treatment from a local cancer foundation, or a youth sports organization that helped mold us into better people when we were younger. The Makers of Sport Community is tackling something we care about deeply in the near future with The High School Project: a branding and visual identity campaign donated to 2 U.S. public high schools per year in rural or inner cities that are particularly underfunded by their state. Our breadth of services, talent and passion for sport and its inflluence on culture and society takes precedent as we begin to volunteer our services for the greater good. Listen to this episode to find out more and learn how you can become involved. Mentions Include: NO!SPEC Sports Matter by Dick's Sporting Goods My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"You need to put food on the table. You need to do things you need to do to have a life. But, at the same time you need to feed your soul a little bit too." Brian Lindstrom, art director at Trek, joined the podcast this week to discuss his career designing for physical products in the consumer brand space for brands such as Oakely, Skullcandy and now Trek. We discuss Brian's education pursuing an M.F.A. in Design, how being a California kid with Midwest roots plays into his work, why he prefers working in consumer products rather than agencies and more. Brian also gives us some insight into has many side projects including Bases Loaded Series and 50Built as we touch on the importance of creating for passion. Lastly, we discuss naming companies, trends in naming and how our work is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. Mentions include: Brian on Twitter Brian on Dribbble Newbaric Agency Lindstrom Works Bases Loaded Series 50Built Infinity Surfboard Co. Screwball Press Dan Cassaro Ryan Katrina Maker's Row Mark Hemeon, Product Designer Maketime, Inc. Fuzzco Luba Lukova James Victore Episode 8: Darrin Crescenzi Perky Bros. Duffy & Partners Planet Propaganda 199c by BLDG Refuge Dave "The Cobra" Parker print Episode Bethany Heck, Eephus League Elias Stein Jeremy Reiss Huntington Base Ball Co. Episode 10: Ben Jenkins, Warstic Bat Co. My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“You should start spending a half-hour a day learning Cinema 4D to advance your design repertoire. It's not hard, it will make you better.” ESPN College Football, Mike & Mike, NBA on ESPN, the 2014 World Cup—do these brands ring a bell? Our guest this week is Tim O'Shaughnessy, broadcast art director at ESPN, and has worked on graphics packages for each of these TV brands. We discuss Tim's undergrad degree in psychology and how it aids him in his work as an art director and empathizing with his intended audience or designers he art directs. Music is an art that influences many designers. Tim is no different. We chat about why designers tend to either be musicians or appreciate music so much, including recognizing creative patterns and applying them to their own work. We touch on the trend of amateur animaged GIFs in college sports and what makes an actual "animation" vs. turning off a layer in Photoshop. Lastly, Tim gives us deep insight into some of the processes the broadcast department uses at ESPN including working with agencies or freelancers, rendering matte paintings, developing an overall vissual language for a show or event, animation engines & software being used, as well as the behehmoth of a project he worked on with LoyalKaspar for the new ESPN College Football motion package which is up for an EMMY. Mentions include: Tim on Twitter Tim's website Chris Radcliffe Photography Cinema4d Chin Wang, ESPN Magazine Creative Director Episode 24: Chin Wang ESPN Front Row article on 2014 World Cup 2014 FIFA World Cup Crest Animations 2014 FIFA World Cup Rombus Flag Animations 2015 ESPN College Football Animation Package Reel ProximaBDA article on ESPN College Football rebrand Jordan Giesler, Kansas City Chiefs Brian Gundell My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“The best designers are always problem-solvers...[our] job is to figure out how to make this [project] the best it can be.” On this week’s podcast, freelance sports designer Brian Gundell joined the show to discuss his career working in a few different limbs of the sports industry. From agency side to Nike to the MLB to college football recruiting, Brian has an varied history in this niche of design. Brian touches on the importance of SportsLogos.net to his entry into sports design, as well as the importance of networking and building relationships with folks in this very small industry. We laugh about the ridiculousness of college football recruiting graphics and Brian elaborates on this newest position for designers in sports. Lastly, we touch on the lack of upward mobility in college sports and Brian leaves us with some insight into his move to full-time freelance. Mentions include: Brian on Twitter Episode 52: Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net Episode 67: Aaron Masik, Upper Deck How Magazine Print Magazine Smashing Magazine Old Hat Creative Episode 13: Kris Bazen Episode 11: Adam Clement, Under Armour Todd Van Horne, Nike Episode 8: Darrin Crescenzi Episode 44: Torch Creative Episode 37: Matt Lange, Alabama Football Episode 58: Surf Melendez, Miami Dolphins Jon Willey, Miami Dolphins Brandon Moore, Miami Dolphins Episode 57: Ashley Strauss, Tennessee Titans Sammy Silverman, Ohio State Football Alex McLeland, STN Digital Boyd Erickson, Arizona St. Create Legal My next guest is going to be Tim O'Shaughnessy. Tim is a broadcast art director at ESPN where he has worked on motion packages for brands such as ESPN College Football, Mike & Mike, NBA on ESPN and the 2014 World Cup to name a few. Some of Tim's work can be seen at his site here. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“You can always learn from anyone — you can learn from people older than you, you can earn from people younger than you — always be open. Always be open to critique.” On this week’s podcast, Mekale Jackson from St. John's University athletics joins us to discuss working for New York's college hoops program. Mekale gives us some insight into his background prior to St. John's where he discovered graphic design & Photoshop in college as an English major at the University of Michigan by stumbling across a fraternity flyer. Detroit, Mekale's hometown, is a place of inspiration for creativity and art despite the negative stereotypes the Internet & media says about the city and Mekale shares his love for the city with us including a few fav artists he follows. We also discuss Under Armour's relationship with St. John's basketball, its value to the school for recruiting and brand recognition, as well as that one time Steph Curry practiced in their facilties. Lastly, Mekale explains why he chooses to self-brand himself as a "sports creative director" rather than a graphic designer or sports designer. Mentions include: Mekale on Twitter Mekale Jackson's website Episode 3: Jason Fierman, LSU Creative Services Justin Bua, artist Block Nation, Detroit artist Kenneth Cole Mekale's blog Brands Win Championships Episode 66: Jeremy Darlow My next guest is going to be Brian Gundell. Brian is a freelance graphic designer in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining the freelance ranks, Brian had stints at Old Hat Design, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the University of Washington football program. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“When you get to work in pro sports, these players are their showcase...the message, putting people in the seats, getting people interested in the team and buying merchandise comes before cool graphics.” On this week’s episode, Aaron Masik joined the podcast. Aaron is a senior graphic designer at The Upper Deck Company. Prior to Upper Deck, Aaron had stints in-house at the San Antonio Spurs and the San Diego Padres before making the move into consumer products. We discuss Aaron’s big break into the sports industry, what it’s like working in a consistently winning organization such as the Spurs (including an interaction with Coach Pop himself), as well as the differences between working with the NBA versus the MLB. We touch on some of the pain points working in sports as a creative person and have a very real & raw conversation on the frustrations that are prevalent when one makes the decision to work in team sports; including the way our personal and career values change over time and how sometimes it might be best to move on. Lastly, Aaron gives us some insight into working at Upper Deck as we discuss design & printing processes, timelines, as well as the passion of the sports collectibles industry and how it has had a reawakening. Mentions include: Aaron on Twitter Aaron on Behance Austin Spurs identity MLC Connect Episode 42: Chris David Garcia Todd Radom on Twitter Episode 4: Todd Radom SportsGeek podcast Beckett Dan Simon, Studio Simon My next guest is going to be Mekale Jackson. Mekale is the Associate Director of Athletic Communications for St. John's University in New York City. In addition to St. John's, Mekale freelances for numerous univerities including his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"Everyone is trying to find their own 15 minutes online with their channel...it's not about that 15 minutes, it's about that 15 years and what are you doing right now to build something that lasts..." On this week's episode, Director of Brand Marketing for Adidas Football & Baseball joined the podcast, Jeremy Darlow. Jeremy is also the author of the book Brands Win Championships. Jeremy brings a psychology background to the world of branding and gives us some insight into how important it is to build a brand and tell your story over the long haul, including digging into your brand's past. We touch on how a smaller athletic program can use the same principles as big schools to build their brand and how sometimes being "second best" isn't so bad in the world of marketing. Lastly, we discuss the importance of design in the world of branding and more specifically, why design deserves a role at the executive level on teams and in college athletic departments. You can buy Brands Win Championships here. Mentions include: Jeremy Darlow on Twitter Brands Win Championships Michael Bierut, Pentagram What Makes a Truly Great Logo via Vox Texas A&M Icy-White Uniforms by Adidas Makers of Sport Community My next guest is going to be Aaron Masik. Aaron has extensive experience working in team sports with stints at the San Antonio Spurs and the San Diego Padres as a designer. Most recently, he moved to the consumer brand side as a senior graphic designer at Upper Deck. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers or show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

The Internet has given us an uncanny ability to connect to others that share our passions in different regions of the world. Joining online communities is vital for networking purposes, cultivating relationships and professional growth. It has been a long time coming, but today I'm excited to announce the launch of the Makers of Sport Community. Benefits include: Halftime episodes (all will be accessible to community-only from this point forward), transcriptions of those episodes, monthly Google Hangouts, private Q&As with future & former guests and an invitation to the Makers of Sport Slack channels. Support the podcast by joining today. Mentions include: Slack Halftime: Cultivating Relationships Halftime: Working Remotely Twitch Under Consideration's Brand New SportsLogos.net Seanwes Community My next guest is going to be Jeremy Darlow. As digital brand marketer for Adidas football and baseball, Jeremy works with numerous college athletics programs around the U.S., including some professional Adidas athletes such as RGIII and Lionel Messi. He is also the author of Brands Win Championships, a book educating college athetic departments on the importance of brand strategy and marketing. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Support the podcast by joining the community. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"There's a lot of talented people out there. A lot of smart people. A lot of great writers. A lot of great editors. You gotta work... [Ben on side projects & growth]." On this week’s episode, it's basketball, sneakers and hip-hop as Ben Osborne, Editor-in-Chief of SLAM Magazine joins the podcast. Having been a subscriber of SLAM since 1994, Adam geeks out with Ben on the founding and history of the magazine, as well as how it worked to gain credibility in the world of sports journalism. The two discuss the publication's swagger and its role in pioneering sneaker culture. As well as SLAM's long-time existence as a thorn in the NBA's side as it regards to portraying players as who they are, rather than who the league wanted them to be leading them to many epic cover shoots. Ben elaborates on his role as Editor-in-Chief, design's importance to the magazine and Adam even reads a letter he wrote to the magazine that was published in 2006 reflecting on how SLAM shaped much of who is he today. Lastly, Ben discusses some of his many side projects and how important it is to have such creative outlets. Mentions include: Ben Osborne on Twitter SLAM Magazine SLAM on Twitter Scoop Jackson Dennis Page, SLAM founder Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports Michael Bradley, SLAM writer Lang Whitaker Russ Bengston, SLAM writer Ryan Jones, former EiC) Melissa Brennan Medvedich, former creative director Kicks SLAM Kicks book by Ben Osborne Swee' Pea Daniels Documentary My next guest is going to be Jeremy Darlow. As digital brand marketer for Adidas football and baseball, Jeremy works with numerous college athletics programs around the U.S., including some professional Adidas athletes such as RGIII and Lionel Messi. He is also the author of Brands Win Championships, a book educating college athetic departments on the importance of brand strategy and marketing. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

The world is about relationships. Plain and simple. We have relationships with family, friends and even objects. In our professional lives, building relationships are vital for growth both fiscally and skill-wise. In today's Halftime, I discuss why cultivating relationships over time is extremely important and why the "hard sell" is a downfall of creatives in the digital economy. Mentions include: ENFP Personality Richard Branson, Virgin 8 tips for relationship building in business Slack My next guest is going to be Ben Osborne. Ben is the Editor-in-Chief of SLAM Magazine, a longstanding basketball publication that has cemented itself in basketball and hip-hop culture since the early 90s. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"I take a lot of pictures...I think for designers, drawing and taking photos is so, so important because you can go back to those photos and find some inspiration and find some great idea." On this week’s episode, Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls, joins the podcast to talk about her long career in sports design. Being Puerto Rican born, yet raised as an Army brat in Germany, Michelle brings a unique perspective to sports design drawing inspiration from her time in Europe visiting art galleries and watching BBC and Spanish television. We discuss Michelle's long tenure at ESPN as a broadcast designer, creating 1000s of broadcast graphics, some of which are still in using today and working across multiple sports such as Nascar, Cricket, Soccer, the NFL and the NBA. Michelle gives us some insight into the difference between a motion designer and an animator, and touches on the breadth of work she worked on when she first to moved to NYC to become an art director for the New York Knicks. Lastly, we discuss Michelle's time at Red Bull, the pressures of creating for one of the most creative brands on the planet and what it's like working for a consumer brand that owns multiple teams. Mentions include: Michelle Cruz on Behance Alex Mount, NFL Alex Mount on Makers of Sport SCAD Ford F-150 spot on YouTube Se7en title sequence Wolff Olins London 2012 case study Tarek Awad, New York Knicks Design Director Jason Freeman Robinson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Red Bull Creative Red Bulletin Red Bulls (pro teams) The Art of Flight documentary Doubleday & Carwright Chris Isenberg, D&C, Episode 4 My next guest is going to be Ben Osborne. Ben is the Editor-in-Chief of SLAM Magazine, a longstanding basketball publication that has cemented itself in basketball and hip-hop culture since the early 90s. Having been at the magazine for 9 years, Ben is in charge of overseeing each issue in regards to both content and concept, as well as overseeing the digital brand. I haven't missed an issue since the 3rd publication in 1993. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

Design is about communication. It is about articulating decisions made from a professional perspective in order to sell something, or have a user do something. Other than speaking verbally, writing is the most important skill set to have when communicating ideas or opinions. On this Halftime, I discuss why the people that are the best at their craft are also good writers and why writing is designing words. In order to be great at what you do, you also MUST be a good communicator. Being able to articulate and construct your ideas in written form are very important to our growth as creatives and as human beings. Mentions include: Slack Medium Basecamp Richard Branson, Virgin Warren Buffett Jillian Michaels Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook Dave Ramsey Tina Fey Mark Ecko Jeffrey Zeldman, Happy Cog Founder A List Apart Jeremy Keith, Clearleft Pencil vs. Pixel podcast Todd Van Horne, Nike GIG Google Design Episode 59: Subjective vs. Objective Episode 25: Interception Show Joe Bosack, Joe Bosack & Co. My next guest is Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls. Prior to the Red Bulls, Michelle spent many years at ESPN as a broadcast designer working on much of the visual work still in use today, as well as the New York Knicks as an art director. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“You need to sketch...you just need to doodle…don’t even go to the computer until you absolutely know you’ve flushed it out in your head and run through every iteration you possibly could…the computer and Illustrator and Photoshop are just tools…the solution comes from your head, not from the pixels.“ On this week’s episode, Eric Bodamer joins the podcast to give us some insight into his career as uniform designer for the NHL. Having worked at major brands Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Gap, Target and now Adidas; Eric sheds some light on apparel design and especially uniform culture. From breaking into the uniform design industry by answering an open call from Nike in an L.A. newspaper, to creating iconic Hall-of-Fame uniforms for the Czech Republic, to designing the most recent Stadium Series uniforms for the last year of Reebok's NHL contact, Eric has had an extensive and interesting career in uniform design. He is truly one of the pioneers in the industry. We discuss the public’s obsession with uniforms, the cultural impact on designing uniforms for international teams, as well as Todd Van Horne’s legacy at Nike. Lastly, we touch on the latest release of the NHL Stadium Series jerseys, a set of uniforms Eric and his team created at Reebok/Adidas; including discussing their thinking behind the concept, as well as functionality of hockey sweaters, and debate the potential future of uniforms under the Adidas contract. Mentions include: Todd Van Horne MoS Ep. 9: Rodney Richardson Tinker Hatfield Charles Goslin, American Graphic Designer, Pratt professor Paul Rand Saul Bass SME Branding Houston Texans logo by Verlander Design MoS Ep 40: Jon Contino Dominik Hasek, 1998 Olympic Jersey Mike Jeffries, Former A&F CEO) Ricardo Crespo Aaron Masik Charles S. Anderson Design Jony Ive, Apple Dieter Rams, Braun Massimo Vignelli Stadium Series NHL Our next guest is going to be Michelle Cruz, Senior Art Director of the New York Red Bulls. Michelle has had an extensive career in sports with stints at ESPN and the New York Knicks before joining the host MLS franchise. Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers. Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.