Podcast appearances and mentions of brian clapp

Whether you're just starting out or seeking a promotion in the sports industry, Brian Clapp shares the top strategies for advancing your career during this week's WorkInSports Podcast. Calling upon his journey from the video editing room all the way to the director's chair for a sports network, Brian can provide first-hand experience of how to lock down promotions.It's not always a straight path in the sports biz, and there are simple steps you can take to get your foot in many doors without closing any behind you. From scripts you can use with your boss to general philosophies that put you on the path to advancement, Brian gives you everything you need to take your next step.

Making it to the national stage in sports broadcasting is a tall order. WorkInSports Podcast host Brian Clapp made it far in his career behind the scenes with CNN/Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports Northwest. However, doing so on camera is even more competitive, with fewer available jobs. To climb the ladder on air takes a lot of repetition to create an opportunity in the spotlight, potentially a bit of luck for said opportunity to materialize, and nerves of steel to take advantage of what could be your only chance to move up.Today's guest on the WorkInSports Podcast, Fox Sports Reporter/Host Jenny Taft, capitalized on her shot, and that translated into a meteoric rise from sideline reporter for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx to a fixture on national College Football (and BattleBots) broadcasts. On this episode, Clapp and Taft discuss:• How her background as a standout athlete helps her connect with her interview guests• Her first gig as one of the FSN Girls with Fox Sports North• What working as a social media contributor for? the Minnesota Timberwolves, Twins, and Wild did to establish herself in the sports industry• How she maintains work-life balance in the sports industry• What advice she would give to a young woman looking to fill her shoes in sports broadcastingEnjoy the full episode for Taft's perspective and experience of telling sports stories to a national audience. Also, subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice and check out our YouTube channel for additional content!

One of the allures of pursuing careers in sports is the uniqueness and unpredictability of the day-to-day work within the industry. Between popular events, a variety of roles that bleed over into other departments, and recognizable athletes bringing recognition to the organization/sport, no two days are ever the same.WorkInSportshas helped aspiring sports professionals make their passion their career since 2000. Today's guests on the WorkInSports Podcast, WorkingNation's Joan Lynch and Melissa Panzer, are showing what that looks like in their “How to Make Money Doing What You Love” series. Lynch, a former Vice President and Executive Producer at ESPN, serves as Chief Content and Programming Officer at WorkingNation. Panzer is an Executive Producer for WorkingNation who also spent time creating content for ESPN. In this episode, the two talk about the future of work in the sports industry with Brian Clapp, with topics including:The inspiration behind the “How to Make Money Doing What You Love” seriesWhether the sports industry is facing a crisis in the way it operatesHow the sports world has changed for employees and what the future of work holds in the industryListen to the entire episode for Lynch and Panzer's perspectives from their experience at WorkingNation. Subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more advice on careers in sports, and check out additional content on our YouTube channel!

Sports internships are the gateway to getting your foot in the door in the sports industry, and the more of them you secure, the better your career prospects will be upon graduation. The WorkInSports Podcast host Brian Clapp spoke at a few college classes and got this insightful question from Matthias at the University of Missouri-St. Louis:"Internships are a big topic on your podcast. From your near decades of experience in executive & management level positions seeing interns come and go through your offices, what are some anecdotes/ qualities of the "best" and "worst" interns who have worked for you, whose mistakes (or triumphs) we can learn from?"How to Have a Successful InternshipAn internship is an opportunity to grow into the professional you want to be while learning what position you want to have. However, regardless of what career path you want to pursue, some universal behaviors will benefit your experience and reputation, and others will harm it.Do: Show CuriosityInternships are an extension of your classwork; therefore, you are there to learn. Curiosity will serve you well and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job if a permanent position opens up while you are there. Take advantage of your time with the people doing the job you are learning to do and ask questions.Don't: Be a Know-It-AllRegardless of how much you know, you can always learn more. However, coming off like you know everything is not endearing and risks making your peers see you as arrogant and unwilling to grow.Do: The Tasks You Are AssignedYou are going to wear a lot of hats in sports internships. Being proactive in doing tasks (and finding others) will put you in a good position for a possible referral and allow you to build your skills.Don't: Act Like a Job is Beneath YouEven if your assigned work isn't glamorous, it must be done to keep the office running smoothly. Acting like you are too good to do something your intern supervisor assigns is a fast way to face an early exit from your opportunity and build a bad reputation when pursuing more sports internships (or jobs) in the future.Enjoy the full episode to learn how to have a successful internship and subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice. Additional content is available on our YouTube channel!

Brian Clapp is the President of CCI Consulting. 

Brian Clapp is the President of CCI Consulting.

Nicole from Minnesota slid into Brian Clapp's inbox searching for some job search strategies: “Hey Brian, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but after graduating in May, I've kind of slacked off the last three months. September is the month to get me back on track. Can you help me build a job search strategy?” When searching for a job, you naturally want to hit the ground running and blast out as many resumes as possible. However, doing so without a strategy is not advisable. Brian shares his strategy to get your job search started properly on this episode of the WorkInSports Podcast.

Networking is important in any industry, and sports are no different. One effective way to make connections is through informational interviews. But, once you have secured one, what are the best practices? That's what Jean-Christian from the University of San Francisco asks the WorkInSports Podcast: "First, I wanted to say I love your WIS podcast. You bring an energized and dynamic vibe to the great content, and it makes it always enjoyable to listen to every week. "I've started to reach out to professionals in different fields for informational interviews and try to take a different and personalized approach with every generous professional willing to take a few minutes on a call with me. But I sometimes feel like I'm running with the same shallow questions. What would you advise for informational interview preparation and how to approach them?" Subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast to hear Brian Clapp's sports career advice when a new episode is available. Select episodes can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.

The #sportsbiz is fast-paced, and successfully working in the field requires adaptability in terms of work hours and constantly changing circumstances. Unfortunately, that non-stop pace can lead to burnout if you aren't careful at managing your mental health in the workplace. On today's WorkInSports Podcast, VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp addresses how to avoid burnout and care for your mental health while still excelling in the sports business. Clapp covers: What situations frequently lead to burnout at work How to determine if a company values its employees' mental health What you can do to maintain your mental wellbeing Catch each nugget of sports career advice from Brian Clapp by subscribing to the WorkInSports Podcast. Additional content is available on our YouTube channel!

Journalism in all forms is constantly evolving as consumer demands change, and the sports industry is no different. For decades, the way sports fans kept up with everything going on with their favorite teams happened like this: •   Watch SportsCenter (probably multiple times). •   Subscribe to magazines such as Sports Illustrated or ESPN The Magazine. •   Catch the beat reporter's insights in the newspaper. For the longest time, that was basically it, you paid to consume sports content, and that's just how things were. Evan Parker, The Athletic's Senior Vice President and General Manager, joined Brian Clapp on the WorkInSports Podcast to discuss how The Athletic found its niche, how the content philosophy of The Athletic has worked despite the challenges this model faces, what the job landscape looks like for sports content creators and how to break into and advance in this part of the sports industry.

On the latest episode of the WorkInSports podcast, host Brian Clapp recaps the Hashtag Sports conference that he spoke at last week in Las Vegas, and dives into a lively discussion on how to handle the interview question, "Why Should We Hire You?". Tune in and learn a little something!

WorkInSports Podcast host Brian Clapp extolls the virtues of having multiple versions of a resume and diversifying your experience with a strong internship strategy, but how do you ensure a human set of eyes is reading your resume? In this episode of the podcast, Clapp explains how to get through the applicant tracking system by: Matching your skills and experiences on your resume to the keywords in a job description Formatting your resume in a way that doesn't get discarded by the ATS Catch the full episode for detailed resume writing tips on how to get your materials through the ATS. For more sports career advice, subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast!

Monday is Fan Question Day! Rafael in Miami considers himself and early adopter of technology and thinks of his sports career journey in the same way. He wants to know which career paths in sports feature the most innovation, and WorkInSports podcast host Brian Clapp happily obliges with four career paths that stand out for their cutting edge nature. Listen in NOW!

As our name suggests, we offer sports career advice to help people find jobs in the sports industry. However, the sports industry is broad and has opportunities for a variety of specialized roles within it, so finding your niche is important. That's the spot Layne from Cleveland finds himself in with his question for the WorkInSports Podcast: “Hi Brian, you came and spoke in my college classroom a few weeks back and was so into the info you were sharing, I started listening to the podcast right away. You have hooked a new listener and fan! "I have a question for you; I love sports, I'm majoring in sports, but I have no idea what I should do in sports. I'm not asking you what I should do. I'm asking you what can I do to figure out what I love and want to pursue?” Here are 6 things you can do and host Brian Clapp can explain them in detail: 1. https://www.workinsports.com/search?k=&loc=&rem=false#!/search/c=&k=&loc=&rem=false&p=1&o=14&d=50&st=aggregation&levels=4 (Search for entry-level roles) using key terms associated with these positions. 2. Focus on jobs that match what you are passionate about. 3. https://www.workinsports.com/resourcecenter/jobseeker/pages/the-importance-of-a-good-sports-internship-strategy (Do a lot of internships). 4. Research salary information (check out our https://www.workinsports.com/candidate/salary (salary research tool)). 5. Decide your priorities in life and how the job you choose factors into those priorities. 6. Upload your resume and see what matches come up.

In this episode, Trine Center for Sports Studies Director, Brandon Podgorski, talks with Vice President of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com, Brian Clapp. In this episode, Brian provides invaluable advice for anyone looking to land a job in sports. WorkInSports.com is an industry-leading job board and also provides resources for job seekers.

Having a polished resume highlighting your professional attributes is job hunting 101, but Jim's question for the WorkInSports Podcast takes it a bit further this week. “Hey Brian, big fan of your podcast. I have a professor who is advising us to have multiple versions of our resume. I'm a junior in college. He gave us this advice, but he couldn't explain why. I pressed him on why and he said he heard you talk about it on one of your podcasts. I would like to ask why should we have multiple copies of our resume?”As a premium job board geared towards matchmaking between aspiring sports employees and organizations hiring them, WorkInSports Podcast host Brian Clapp naturally dives into a football reference regarding his resume writing tips. Football teams have a basic scheme for how they want to play (your base resume) and they tweak their game plans based on what they see in their upcoming opponent each week to maximize their odds for success (highlight different skills based on the job posting). Fundamentally, you want a basic (maybe even boring) resume that won't trip up the Applicant Tracking Systems where you apply along with a visually appealing version of your resume that you can show to a human being that will entice them to look at it.

Adversity. Everyone has had to overcome it in some form or another in their lives, but the amount of barriers differ between people. On this episode of the WorkInSports Podcast, Brian Clapp speaks with someone who has overcome countless obstacles throughout his life to excel, and he is paying it forward. Desmond Dunham turned to running as his way through those obstacles, an elite cross country athlete turned inspirational coach, Dunham has mentored over 100 Junior Olympic All-Americans and over 100 high school All-Americans, with myriad other accomplishments on the course and track. His new book, Running Against All Odds, is coming out soon and I'm thrilled to have him share some of his story on here.

On the WorkInSports Podcast, we pride ourselves on offering career advice to folks looking to break into or move up in, not only the sports industry, but wherever talented workers ply their trade. Our question from Jonathan in Texas is one that definitely applies to everyone finishing up a job or internship application: “Hey Brian – I'm Jonathan; I am a junior in college who is just starting to apply for internships this year. I've been listening to a lot of your advice, partially because my professor talks about your podcast all the time! (He's right, it's really informative). But one thing I couldn't find in your archives was any information on asking for and getting professional references. I've started applying for internships and I was asked for references which caught me off guard. I was not prepared – what should I do? And what should be my strategy to handle this in the future?”  This is a great question. People spend so much time updating and reformatting their resumes. They will write countless cover letters and tweak their formulas each time. Those things are extremely important and completely within their control. Using references, though, is something that requires input from other people who are willing to speak on your behalf or take the time to write you a letter of recommendation. It can also be what puts you over the hump when employers start evaluating their applicants.  Catch the full episode of the podcast where Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports, covers: Why Do References Matter? Etiquette of the Process

Last week, WorkInSports.com released its inaugural https://www.workinsports.com/employerlp/the-state-of-sports-hiring-2021-report?utm_campaign=SOSH21&utm_content=report&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2021-09-08 (State of Sports Hiring Report). Naturally, Brian Clapp leaned into the data it revealed in the latest episode of the Work In Sports Podcast to determine what the findings mean. One takeaway: A Lot of Movement is About to Happen Industries nationwide have been dreading a “Great Resignation” that is supposedly fast approaching, and the data in sports is bearing that out as nearly 60% (58.1%) of our State of Sports Hiring Report respondents were currently employed and either actively or passively searching for a new job. Additionally, only 5% of the respondents were employed and NOT seeking a new job. One area that is having some difficulties within the sports realm is college athletics. There is a lot to unpack in that area as college athletics is a massive sports employer. If you look on our job board today, you can find roughly 5,000 jobs in college athletics, more than one-sixth of the over 29,000 sports jobs featured on WorkInSports.com. Downsizing hit them over this pandemic and some sources that we spoke with in our look at the https://www.workinsports.com/careeradvice/pages/after-covid-college-athletics-moves-forward-wiser-this-fall (current landscape of college athletics) are struggling to build their staffs back up. Sports are fun to watch and experience and additionally should be fun to be around at work. Yeah, the hours are long and non-traditional at points, but people who enter it generally do so because they enjoy that atmosphere. So when you hear that almost 60% of the people we surveyed are currently working in sports, but are at least considering leaving their post, that ties into the culture of the job they are at.

With every sports gambling enthusiast's favorite season kicking off this week, the WorkInSports Podcast is doing a repost of Brian Clapp's Jan. 13 conversation with Nigel Eccles, Co-Founder of FanDuel. Strap yourselves in for an inside look at how he helped start up the sports book and daily fantasy sports service that boasts over six million users today. He takes us through the journey to disrupting the sports industry with FanDuel, pivoting to make this business model successful, and the changing world of sports business and what it means going forward.

On this week's expert podcast, Brian Clapp gets within two (or three?) degrees of separation from Jay-Z as he chats with Roc Nation Sports VP of Operations Michele Rinchiuso. On this WorkInSports episode, Brian discusses his journey in the world of sports marketing at Puma to pivoting over into Jay-Z's empire on the sports side of things and the traits that can help you get to where you want to be in your career journey.

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. In 2015 Ishveen Anand brought to market her dream of an open marketplace for brands and athletes to do business. Brands have messages they want to get out in support of their products, athletes of all levels are great spokespeople – let's bring them together in a transparent and accessible way. Simple right? Not exactly. There is a lot that goes into taking an idea and making it a reality, a reality that businesses like Anheuser Busch, Groupon, The Vitamin Shoppe Draft Kings, Verizon and thousands more feel is reputable and credible enough to do business with. The first 4-5 years were about growth and expansion, both of credibility and business opportunity. Then as the business matures, you get into a “what's next” mentality. Do we need to cross into other verticals outside of sports, like entertainment? Is there new technology we need to develop? Do we need to change our staffing and our process? Leading a business as the CEO requires a constant mindset of “where are we going, vs. Where we have been. There is no such thing as comfortable. Challengers emerge, technology changes – it's all fluid. And then, the biggest change of them all. Names, Images and Likeness legislation. Think about this for a second, Ishveen's business OpenSponsorship, was dependent on a limited number of professional athletes able to leverage who they are to generate business for other brands. Now, enter in 460,000 new collegiate athletes able to do the same. As of July 1st, college athletes can use their name, their image, and their likeness to earn money! This opened up a huge opportunity for Ishveen and the great folks at OpenSponsorhip. And, amazingly, it isn't just the big stars and the big brands who are making money, for example, Jackson State DE Antwan Owens struck a deal with 3 Kings Grooming! Hadn't heard of either before I recorded this, but I love this, every bit of it. For long-time listeners you know I had Ishveen on the show two years ago, she is amazing, I learned so much then. Now we're checking back in to learn more about what has happened in the NIL world over the first couple months of wild west action! Here's my good friend, Ishveen Anand...

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the WorkInSports podcast! Just as much as change is a constant, so too is resistance to change.  Every generation, to some degree, fights against change. They like how things operated in their youth, that is what they see as their perfect combination of how things should be.  This definitely applies to sports, and unfortunately just about everything else. A lot of the discord in our society comes down to many people being unwilling to change, they like the powerful seat they have, and change could disrupt that.   In sports, it's often about nostalgia, memories of going to the game with their dad and getting a hot dog vs. sharing memes on social media.  I remember vividly how upset the generation before mine was about the wild card being introduced in baseball... it was going to ruin the game! The Wild Card, really? The game is so fragile that introducing more teams to the playoff format can break it?    This resistance is nonsense, things change. The world changes. Demand changes.  The fact you carry around a supercomputer in your back pocket capable of giving you real time game results, means you don't have to wait for Headline News to give you updates on the sports news of the day at the 10's and 50's of each hour. And you surely don't have to wait for tomorrow's newspaper.  Anyone that is resistant to these changes is stuck.  Now, that said, I'm not always a social media maven, I still like to watch a game instead of just highlights, I still like a well-crafted story...and every once in a while, when I'm feeling nostalgic, I'll turn on SportsCenter and remember the olden days.     That was a bit of a rocket shot at ESPN... sorry, love you guys!  Today's media and fans are changing, their appetite their interests. Do you think commissioners like Adam Silver can afford to sit back and think, man I loved the days those fans acted in this particular way. That was great.  No! They are constantly evolving!  That bring us to today's guest Jack Settleman, CEO and Creator of SnapBack Sports. Jack hosted a panel right after mine, at the recent Hashtag Sports conference, and he captivated me. Jack was talking new media, new fans ad new levels of attraction...I was hooked and wanted to learn more.   Snapback sports tagline: a new way to consume sports – does just that, really well. Snapback is the largest sports Snapchat account in the world totaling over 500M+ views YTD. And Jack and his team leverage other social channels, collaborations, memes, experiences, betting, fantasy –it's amazing, and it works.  Let's learn a little something about fandom with Jack Settleman CEO f SnapBack Sports!          

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.   We've got a good question coming in this week and I want to jump right on it, it speaks to the urgency of this moment, and it comes from Michelle in Boston.   “Hi Brian, huge fan of your podcast you have given me guidance and confidence as I traverse this super strange time in the sports industry. My question for you is simple, but I also hope profound enough to pique your interest. I have been getting a lot of job interviews, I had three last month for example, but I am not getting the job. I'm panicking a bit because every time I go on LinkedIn, I see another person landing their dream job and celebrating. It seems like everyone else is landing their dream opportunity and I'm still on the bench. What am I doing wrong and how do I step up my game?”  Michelle, wonderful question and we're going to dive in deep.   Topics we'll dive into: Why the interview process is the most important step.  What do the interviewers know about you right now?   What do they need to know about you?   What is the experience like for your interviewer? Put yourself in their shoes.  Executive summary – do you have stand out skills, traits, message?  Pick two to three things you want to make sure you hammer home – leadership and technical skills – passion and organization – project management and attention to detail.   How do you know which 2-3 to focus on? Study the job description, the company, the news surrounding the company. Do your research.  Stay flexible – if the interviewing is leaning you in other directions be able to adjust. You keep talking about your leadership skills and they are throwing a vibe, that's nice but we need someone strong in execution. PIVOT!  Tell stories surrounding these traits  Walk through your thought process, why you did the things you did, how you learned and progressed. Don't just walk me through the X's and O's -- share your process, let me learn more about you! Get into your how and why!  You want to be memorable.    Listen in to the full episode to learn more about how to nail the interview process.

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.  Over the last year, I, like many others, have spent time contemplating my own preconceived notions and unconscious biases in every walk of my life.   We all have them, it is a part of the human condition, but where do they come from, and why are they allowed to stay?  This question has perplexed me as I've tried to open up my lens and question myself every time an instinctive thought comes into my psyche.   While the social justice issues of 2020 may have sparked my internal curiosity, it would be naïve to think bias only comes into issues of race, gender and culture. When you pay attention to it, and the way your mind processes information, unconscious bias and preconceived determinations are everywhere.   I did some digging, and studies indicate that many children by five years of age have entrenched stereotypes about various social groups. The world we are exposed to forms our foundational beliefs and hen becomes a tool to make snap judgements and conclusions on sight.  Kind of spooky right? It's like our brain is hardwired by societal influence.   We watch Saturday morning cartoons and don't see any black or asian children, OK, white people hold more important statuses, got it.  We don't see women in positions of power, OK, men are more powerful, got it.  But it can even be simpler and more pervasive than race and gender, we see a hard charging, demanding CEO on TV and start to lump information together, OK, CEO's are smart, but mean and cutthroat, got it.  We see sales people represented in pop culture as in your face buy, buy, buy, and we think, OK, that's not me.   Our belief structures become formed, not out of some nefarious agenda, but because we as children are trying to make sense out of our world and the easiest way to do that is draw conclusions from what we see and hear.   As children we have no choice, we lack the cognitive ability to evaluate the validity of our assumptions.   As adults we do, if we pay attention to their existence.   I'll use a personal example. A couple of weeks back I had on Dr. Bill Sutton, one of the absolute best people in our industry. After our interview was complete we chatted a bit, and he suggested today's guest Scott O'Neil CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment as someone he could connect me with.   My instantaneous reaction was hell yes, but my subconscious notion was – he's the CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, he's going to be tough, he's not going to have time to really do this, I'm going to get canned answers that aren't authentic, he's not going to be all that interested to talk to me, and this may very well sound better than it is in practice.  This is what ran through my head immediately!  Within a day the session was booked. Dr. Sutton came through. Scott and his team were kind, gracious, courteous and attentive. He sent me over a copy of his new book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving...and I was blown away.   I really like meditation, being intentional, paying attention to your mind and the energy you throw off to others around you – but to learn Scott, this Harvard educated, top of class, wildly successful guy was contemplating true happiness alongside me?  I was blown away and read his book from beginning to end.   And there it is, preconceived notions, drawing unfair conclusions about people or evens before you KNOW a damn thing.   It's all I've been able to think about since I concluded the interview with Scott. I've read his book, it is insightful, so introspective, vulnerable, it is authentic, and I'm not just saying this, I'm not selling books for Scott. His book impacted...

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

Hey everybody, I'm Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for http://workinsports.com/ (WorkInSports.com) and this is the Work In Sports podcast. Recovery starts with innovation.  I read this the other day and thought, this sounds a lot like what my grandmother used to tell me when she'd cobble some new fandangled way of plowing her garden fields with a series of hoes tied on to the back of her 1940's era tractor.  Never short for an analogy or cliché she'd look at me and repeat, “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” That saying has always stuck in my mind, when there is need there are creative solutions.   Never before have we faced more need, and never before have innovative minds been more in demand.  As teams and leagues and organizations look to pivot and change their revenue models and adapt to our new world — the innovative people in every organization are the ones leading the way to the future.  That is not hyperbolic or overly dramatic. We need innovation. We need a new way to look at our games, our stadiums, our fans, our revenue streams, our products our marketing — everything needs a fresh set of eyes.  I booked today's guest, https://www.linkedin.com/in/walker7/ (Josh Walker, President of Sports Innovation Lab) because multiple people in my sphere of influence pinged me in April and said “did you read this article on how the sports industry will recover, it's fascinating” The article was pushed at me from multiple angles from people I respect with excitement and fervor I couldn't deny, so I read it and immediately thought — who wrote this! I need them for this show! The crazy thing is… Josh, the scribe responsible for the forward-thinking piece, developed the concept of recovery before there was a need for recovery. See Josh is the kind of futurist we need more of in sports, the ones who can utilize data and research and intuition to see what the industry needs to be, rather than what it is.  Josh is the President of https://www.sportsilab.com/ (Sports innovation Lab) who, along with his co-founders, former https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaiahkacyvenski/ (NFL linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski) and former Olympian and 4-time gold medal winner https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamruggiero/ (Angela Ruggiero) developed a fluid fan concept that sees sports in a way that earns the fans loyalty rather than expects it.  You'll see what I mean.. Here's Josh — get ready for some incredible, in your face, honest…and some exciting ideas on how to mold our future of sports. Here's Josh…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode, Don and Brian talk candidly about the job search process.  Listen as they discuss several job seeking tactics that may get you thinking differently about the way you approach the sports industry's job market.  During their conversation they touch on important topics including the first step you should take before starting a job search, construction of a resume, impact of a cover letter, effective strategy for building a professional network, differentiating yourself in an interview, if an advanced degree gives you an advantage, helpful resources, and much more!

We talk with our friend Brian Clapp, a skilled Masters athlete, CrossFit Judge, and weightlifting competitor about a wide-range of topics including his experience visiting over 500 different CrossFit boxes around the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gettingswolder/message

1967 – A little boy leaned on his elbows in front of a black-and-white TV in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, unaware that Walt Disney was dead.How could he be dead? I was watching him on TV. Looking right into my eyes, Walt told me about his purchase of 43 square miles of Central Florida, an area twice the size of the island of Manhattan, and his plan to build there an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT.) He was standing in a Hollywood film studio in front of a floor-to-ceiling map of his Florida project when he said, “Welcome to a little bit of Florida here in California. This is where the early planning is taking place for our so-called Disney World Project. Now, the purpose of this film is to bring you up to date about some of the plans for Disney World.” A little later, he said, “The sketches and plans you will see today are simply a starting point, our first overall thinking about Disney World. Everything in this room may change time and time again as we move ahead, but the basic philosophy of what we're planning for Disney World is going to remain very much as it is right now…” That was the part I never forgot: Walt Disney knew his plan would evolve into something different than he imagined.Eighteen years ago Princess Pennie decided to buy some land and build a non-profit school for entrepreneurs, storytellers, and educators. We knew it would have a classroom tower with a library mezzanine and on-campus housing so that students wouldn't have to sleep in hotel rooms. Everything else was an afterthought. Chapel Dulcinea was chosen by 1,111 brides in 2017, making it the most popular wedding chapel on earth. A free wedding chapel wasn't part of the original plan, but if you've ever walked the campus at Wizard Academy, it's hard to imagine it not being there. A certification course for the training of whiskey sommeliers (storytellers) wasn't part of the original plan, either. Nor was The Crowded Barrel whiskey distillery.* And we could never have dreamed that Wizard Academy's YouTube channel, The Whiskey Vault, would become the #1 whiskey-review channel on earth. We couldn't have imagined it because streaming, online video did not exist in the year 2000. And now the Rocinante gym. A couple of years ago, Brian Clapp donated state-of-the art gym equipment but it never got used because it was housed in a part of the campus where students never go. The solution? Build a sleek, cantilevered gym covered in glittering silver metal with an 18-foot glass wall looking at Chapel Dulcinea, and put it next to the sidewalk between Spence Manor and Engelbrecht House. And of course we'll be starting The House of the Lost Boys – your third student mansion – as soon as the gym is complete, probably in about 60 days. But that's not the big news. No, not by a long shot.In late spring, 2019, the American Small Business Institute will be launching an important new certification course, The Ad Writer's Masters Class, a one-year online course – 26 modules, followed by 26 essay assignments – followed by a three-day, face-to-face working examination by a board of Master Ad Writers. This is a really big deal. And very expensive. (12k, minus alumni discount) When you finally pass your board exams – and you can try as often as you want – you will be certified and admitted into The Ad Writers Guild, with appropriate pomp and fanfare and physical glitteralia. Because after all, the American Small Business Institute is an extension of that wonderful dreamscape called Wizard Academy. Indy says you should visit him in the rabbit hole. You know http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/rabbithole/ (how to get in,) right? Roy H. Williams PS – If you want to be notified when the Ad Writer's Masters Class is about to be officially announced, email Daniel@WizardAcademy.org * The Crowded Barrel whiskey distillery isn't technically located on Wizard Academy property. It was built with private...