The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Lauren Sisler, sports reporter for the SEC Network, hasn't had an easy road to her award-winning career on camera. She's battled, persevered and thrived through tragedy. This is a story you won't forget.   Hi everyone, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…We all have a public persona, the one we let the world see.Our work personality, our behavior at parties, our disposition in challenging moments, our temperament when dealing with others.These are all part of how we are seen by others.But we are all much more than that. Every one of us is comprised of formative experiences that build our character…but aren’t as apparent or evident to the people around us.While you may think your friends are an open book - sharing with you their dreams, loves and fears – chances are there is more to their story that they are unable or unwilling to share. They may not even realize how formative certain experiences have been.We are all much more than our public persona.We are all forged through our unique experiences and even deeper, our individual interpretation of those experiences  I read this quote this morning and was moved by it… it’s from John Milton in Paradise Lost:“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”Perspective matters.To one person an experience makes them stronger and more resolute, to another going through the same thing…it may break them.Today’s guest Lauren Sisler is an award-winning sports reporter for the SEC Network. 2-time Alabama Sportscaster of the Year. Emmy award winner. 2-time Alabama Associated press Best sports anchor.She is a Rockstar in the sports media.But she, like you, is much more than that. She is an amalgamation of events and experience and interpretation.Remember earlier when I said the same experience can break one person, and make another stronger? Lauren Sisler is the embodiment of that. She dealt with unspeakable tragedy early in life that could have, and maybe should have, broken her. But it didn’t.She found a way through it all…and not just through it, beyond it, to a heralded life on the other side.This story is about much more than just being a high-profile sports reporter… yes, we will talk about that, and yes, Lauren will share incredible career advice…but it’s also about the person inside all of us.   The unification of events that creates us… and then, what we do choose to do with the experience. We aren’t just the standardized results of our experiences, we have a choice in all of it.At some moment, maybe she can pinpoint it or maybe not, Lauren Sisler decided that she wasn’t going to be defeated by her experiences. She would persevere, and she would thrive.  Let’s let her tell it… here’s Lauren Sisler…Questions for Lauren Sisler, SEC Network Reporter1: Before we get into your role now with SEC Network and what that’s like covering such major college events – let’s go back to your beginning and your reasoning for getting into this side of the sports industry – you were a highly recruited gymnastics athlete in High School, with a plethora of options for your college experience. To make it in division 1 sports takes a great deal of discipline, looking back, what did you learn about yourself as you pushed toward college?2: You chose Rutgers and eventually earned a role team captain of the gymnastics team – when during your school experience did you figure out you wanted to make sports a career choice?3: It’s hard being a student-athlete, heck it’s hard being a college student and being far away from home for the first time, but you dealt with something unimaginable your freshman year, the death of both of your parents to prescription drug overdoses within hours of each other.

Attitude matters! In this episode, we're explaining the attributes of a "Walk On" attitude - listen in!Hi, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Quick March Madness bracket update ---- I still stink at brackets.Now back to the show.I’ve been thinking a lot about attitude lately and its role in our collective definition of success.My daughter just had this 6th-grade field trip to the Pocono’s for a stayover at the Poconos Environmental Education Center… the entire 6th grade and I was one of the chaperones. For those of you without kids, 11-12 years old is a really interesting age. They are starting to develop independence, feeling out their own confidence levels, how they fit in the bigger picture, where their true interests and passions lie, and they aren’t as complacent as they once were – they will challenge you.At this age, you can observe so much, especially when they are all together away from home and under outnumbered supervision. It’s like a petri dish of Group Dynamics.  You see the factions, the separation of types, the mean kids, the attitudes, the kids who are lost and still finding their people.You see the formation and foundation of attitude.Attitude matters a ton in life. It forms your perspective and approach to all things in your life.   Even at a young age, you can see the kids who have developed with an attitude of entitlement. They should get things because they want things.You can see kids who are gracious, community-focused, natural teambuilders.You can see others who believe they are leaders because they yell the loudest or tell someone else their idea is stupid and take over the dialogue.There are others who work really hard and are curious, embrace others and are welcoming.These are all attitudes. They aren’t cast in stone, these aren’t permanent features of their personality…but they are forming a solid foundation and start to define who this person will be.We all carry that attitude with us every day and in every interaction we have. What do we emit? What is the vibe we give people when we meet them, what is the energy we radiate as we walk through life?Negative, entitled, grumpy attitudes are easy to identify in people and do not speak well to their future.But there are other more subtle attitudes that can be just a negative to someone career arch: those who make assumptions, are self-defeating, always compare themselves to others, who linger in the past, feel like a victim, blame others,  and are paralyzed by a fear of failure – these aren’t the mean kids, but they will struggle with attitude through life, just in a different way.This all fits into our question this week from Amanda in Brooklyn:“Hi Brian, love the podcast, you have some incredible guests but I really feel myself draw to the Monday episodes where you get real and raw. Thank you so much for what you do!My question is pretty simple, I’ve had two internships and it’s been an incredible experience for me, in my next internship I want to make sure that I make it an incredible experience for them, and they hopefully want to hire me. Anything you advise to help me stand out for the right reasons?”Amanda, I love the way you put this. It sounds like your first two internships helped you gain experience and likely find some direction for your sports career – that is incredible. And for you to have the perspective that your next one, you need to earn the respect of the employers and focus on impressing them and providing value… is really great.I’ve talked in the past about building your skills and relationships and following up and who to connect with on an internship… so let’s go a different direction. I want to go deeper into the idea of attitude.

West Coast Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez is the first Latina commissioner of a Division 1 conference - but she's much more than that. In this episode of the Work in Sports podcast, we go beyond the labels.Today's Sponsors:* To learn more about the Georgetown Master's program, you’re invited to attend an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, April 3, at noon Eastern Time. Visit scs.georgetown.edu/sportswebinar to RSVP.* WorkinSports.com! Check out our latest promo connected to March Madness, we call it #JOBMADNESSHi, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I’ve never really had a big goal. I know it sounds weird for a guy that shares career advice all the time to share that…but it’s real.I went through college day by day. I had an inkling of what I wanted to do in the sports industry, but I never had some lofty aspiration.I started working at CNN/Sports Illustrated and all my goals were short term. Get this game edited on time, I have a press conference coming up, the show starts in 20 minutes.Maybe every once in a while I’d start to think about being a producer someday…but more often than not, I was living exactly where my feet were on the ground.Looking back, I don’t have a perspective on whether this was good or bad… it just was. I eventually became a producer, and then a news director. But I still never had these high aspirations to own a network, or become a CEO… I always felt I had so much to learn right where I was.Most people will tell you to set goals, write them down, read them, aim high – all the clichés – and they are right. You should. I’m not telling you, you shouldn’t.But you’d be amazed at how many people, how many successful people, don’t really think that way. Most people I speak with in the industry speak of flexibility, being liquid and following opportunity, being versatile and fitting into the roles that need fitting.Most of the people I talk to share their stories of doing whatever needs doing, of emptying trashcans that needed emptying, of changing lightbulbs, of picking up the slack around the office.Most people don’t say – I knew when I was in college that I wanted to be the Chief Marketing Officer of an NHL team.I don’t think people process information that way…no matter how many books, and other podcasts, tell them they should. I believe most people think at most 6 months ahead, not 6-10 years.And you know what, I think that is smart.Getting locked into a career concept can be limiting. Convincing yourself there is only one way to achieve, can make you look the other way when opportunities arise.Today’s guest Gloria Nevarez, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference didn’t set out saying, someday I’ll run this league you’ll see!She took her steps. Undergrad in sports management. Law degree. Compliance officer. Assistant Athletic Director. Associate Commissioner.She worked to gain experience and figure things out along the way. She learned sponsorship, fundraising, negotiating, relationship building and so much more. And you know what, these were all qualifying experiences to become commissioner.At some point along the way, maybe when she was Sr. Associate Athletic Director at the University of Oklahoma or Senior Associate Commissioner at the Pac12 -  I’m sure she started to think… maybe I can be a commissioner. But she discovered her path while she was on the path.The point is, stay open,

How do you earn a full-time role after an internship or a seasonal role finishes up? Great topic! Listen in.Hi, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Before we get into today’s topic a few notes…We’re running a March Madness bracket on ESPN.com and anyone who plays in the bracket and beats me gets a free month at WorkinSports.com.Well…right now I’m in 219th place. Seriously…my bosses are unhappy with my decisions. The good news for me is I have 12 remaining teams. I did not have Virginia Tech, Oregon, Florida State or Texas Tech – so the rest of my bracket looks pretty OK.Last year I finished 49th out of 400 plus…so I’m gearing up for a late charge.If you are in the Bracket Challenge, we don’t have a way to contact you directly – so if you end up beating me you can email us at bracket@workinsports.com with the subject I beat Brian.Now, if you are not in the bracket challenge, or just don’t want to wait, you can get a 2-week membership to WorkinSports.com for just $5 right now…this instant.Go to WorkinSports.com/promo/jobmadness  to sign up – 2 weeks $5 a great deal.I have to admit, I’m a little sad today. Rob Gronkowski is by far my favorite player in the NFL. I loved watching him play the game. He’s like a superhero out there, bodies bouncing off of him, incredible hands, agility, and ability…and he just had so much fun. You hear him in press conferences and he’s trying to be serious, but kind of snickering through the jokes he has in his head…that are eerily reminiscent of 13 year old boys saying poop and laughing that they got away with it.The guy is like the living embodiment of a yellow lab.Always happy and smiling, he bounds around breaking shit in the house like a big ball of uncontrollable energy…but you can stay mad at him, you just want to hug him and roll around on the ground with him.Sometimes he’s awkward and clunky – but he’s always good hearted and just wants to have some fun.Guy made me laugh, made me cheer, made me envious… I mean who wouldn’t want to be a 6’6” 270 lbs wrecking machine who is also the life of the party.Here’s the thing about joy. That dude had it in spades – and I’m not sure the rest of us are that good at it. I don’t want to go too deep down this tangent today… but he enjoyed his moments. He celebrated his success.I get that it’s harder when you are working paycheck to paycheck – trust me, I get that more than you know – but we, as a working class, don’t stop to celebrate victories enough. We don’t enjoy our success.I ask almost every single one of my industry experts – how do you define success and what does it feel like? Do you celebrate it? Do you enjoy it? Or do you just move on to the next assignment?I tell you, no one has really handled that question all that well. It’s like success is a bad word, like admitting it is akin to complacency.That’s bull. Celebrate your moments. Laugh more. Enjoy the people around you more. Cherish your hard work, and the steps you are taking to get to your next level.Have a little Gronk in you.Alright – today’s question comes in from Joseph McGrath –Joseph asks…“I just completed Week 3 as a merchandise assistant with the Wilmington Blue Rocks.   Our home opener is April 4.  It is a seasonal role and my position runs through September.   When is it appropriate to start asking about a full-time role with the team, and if they don’t have opportunities, when can I start asking for a referral to other teams?”Joseph this is a very good question, one that many people deal with as seasonal and temporary roles are popular in the sports industry,

Bryan Srabian is the guy behind the San Francisco Giants digital media and content success story, and he joins us this week on the Work in Sports podcast!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Today's Sponsors:Temple University - Master's in Sports Business!WorkinSports.com #JobMadness promoWorkinSports.com Bracket Challenge -- Beat my bracket, get a free month at WorkinSports.comOver the last decade or so there has been a greater emphasis on culture and environment in the workplace, especially in business but more recently in sports.Not to get all “when I was a young whippersnapper” on you…but when I started my sports career back in 1996, everything was task oriented. Get the job done. Period. My boss didn’t really care about my feelings or how I fit in or whether I felt comfortable taking chances in my role.And I didn’t expect her to.  If you messed up that was bad… if you messed up multiple times you’d be labeled as unreliable and never given the fun games to cover, or the next opportunity. That was sports and that was the media… we couldn’t really afford to be wrong.Failure wasn’t seen as a pathway to creativity, it was seen as a pathway to a different career.Around the early 2000s, my wife, then girlfriend, was in the dot com industry where they played ping pong in the office and totally changed the concept of failure…this new wave believed failure was a necessary part of true growth and creativity.This idea of failing as an acceptable result always confused me. She played Half-Life around her office and I sprinted around the newsroom trying to get a story on the air and not miss a deadline.We lived in very different work worlds.But…despite 90% of them going out of business, the dot coms may have been on to something.The sports world has come in this direction as well – there is more concern than ever for happiness, inclusion, cultural fits and more.In fact, the same concept the dot com industry embraced in the early 2000s of failure being a necessary indicator of pushing yourself, finds its way into the sports world modus operandi too as we constantly try to push new boundaries in social media, content creation, branding, advertising, and marketing.We can’t just recycle – we need to push new boundaries, we need to try new things, we need to be free to fail in the spirit of refining and developing.It’s not the same as “do crappy work and it’ll all be ok” – it’s the concept that to be unique means you have to try things and you won’t always hit.  I heard someone say the other day – “if you want to see something new, better go to a different planet” implying it’s all been done before. I don’t buy this. I see new often. I see teams and brands and leagues pushing past normalcy daily.And I see failure.I think back and wonder if these things are inextricably linked – was I afraid to fail back in my early career and therefore less impactful? So I now feel more emboldened to fail and am more creative?Hell if I know.But one thing I know about myself is I do like an environment where I’m not self-censoring every move fearful it will result in my downfall. I do like running a group of people and trying to get them to work fearlessly.Not carelessly, we still have to be accurate, we still have to do things the right way and be careful what we say and who we say it about… but the idea of trying without fear makes sense to me.That is the philosophy of today’s guest.I believe wholeheartedly that for a creative person, you could have no better leader and role model than Bryan Srabian San Francisco Giants VP of Digital Media and Brand Development. For 18 years he’s been a fixture with the Giants, and get this he started his career well before the internet,

When is the right time to start applying for sports jobs? Good question - let's handle it on this Work in Sports Podcast episode.Hi, everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…I’d be crazy not to talk tournament this morning. The Monday after Selection Sunday is a very special day in the sports world and should be a national holiday.In the spirit of such a joyous occasion, well that is unless you go to NC State or Clemson and are feeling a little left out, sorry about that, we have two really cool promos going on.Work in Sports Bracket Challenge on ESPN.comWork in Sports #JOBMADNESS Promo - 2 weeks, just $5The first one you have to earn.We’ve created a Bracket Challenge on ESPN – the group name is WorkinSports #JobMadness  there are no spaces in WorkinSports, so it’s WorkInSports #JobMadness – I will link to the group in the show notes for this episode, I’ll post it in our private Facebook group and on Twitter…if you still can’t find it…the internet is pretty tricky after all…you can hit me up on LinkedIn.Here’s the deal, I’m going to create a bracket this morning. Zion. And at the end of the tournament. Zion. If you beat my bracket. Zion.  You’ll get a free month at WorkinSports.com. Zion.What does that mean for you? – it means full access to 10,264 active sports jobs from thousands and thousands of different sports employers and the ability to apply with ease. Upload your resume and we’ll match you to jobs your skill profile fits. Pretty magical right?Now about beating me in the bracket challenge.Two years ago we did this… and I came in tied for 370th.Last year… oh my, I think it was worse.So you don’t have much to fear. The last time I won a bracket was in 1993 during my freshman year of college. Seriously. I remember it well, I had picked Jason Kidd’s California Golden Bears to upset Grant Hill’s Duke Blue Devils in the 2nd round… and had picked UNC to ultimately defeat Michigan in the Championship.That year I was a baller. This also shows how old I am, since both Jason Kidd and Grant Hill are now well into retirement.  This also began my theory that ball dominant guards control the NCAA tournament and top big men can be controlled easier than a top-notch guard. Which has led me to bank on Chris Paul’s Wake Forest Deamon Deacons, Lonzo Balls UCLA Bruins, Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers, Damon Stoudamire’s Arizona Wildcats…hell even Steve Nash’s Santa Clara Broncos I had pegged for upsets…which actually worked out pretty well if you go back through the history books.My point is, my brackets always skew this direction… and it almost always fails me. I’m learning from this that I am hella stubborn. I think it’s time to give up on this theory of ball dominant guards and head to the wing. Hello Zion! Then again…it; also means I probably have overvalued Murray State and their stud in the backcourt  Ja Morant.Alright, enough about the bracket --- if you don’t want to wait for the tournament or risk your chances at beating me one on one… We also have a more straightforward approach – get 2 weeks of access to WorkinSports.com for just $5.   Now that’s easy.Head over to WorkinSports.

Josh Rawitch, Arizona Diamondbacks Senior VP of Content and Communication joins the Work in Sports podcast!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…When I have a guest on the show I spend an inordinate amount of time studying them. I’ll be honest, fear drives this obsession…I am so worried I’ll ask a bad question, or miss something important, or not dig deep enough into a subject that I pour over articles, research, social media feeds and more.We all have this, an internal voice that says… do more, dig deeper. I believe this is a voice you have to listen to.I guarantee you feel this as you apply for jobs.You’ll have decision making moments… should I recraft my resume? come up with a new angle for my cover letter? Research who the hiring manager is and connect with them on LinkedIn… or…it’s a really nice day outside, and my friends are playing beach volleyball on the quad…or there is this really cool music festival going on.Then the voice comes in… you know you should go the extra mile right?That’s what happens to me through this process. I can write questions all day long… but if I just sit down and write them from the inner workings of my brain…they’re good, but I know they could be better with more research…so I go back to the lab.It may surprise you to know that I go back and listen to each episode multiple times and critique my interview technique. I try to figure out patterns for what evokes a good answer, how my phrasing could have improved, whether I dig deep enough in the follow-up, or stepped on their words.I listen to other interview style podcasts and see how others perform their tasks… Bill Simmons, Adrian Wojnorowski, Adam Schefter, Peter King – sometimes I like their techniques and pick up a little something, other times I wonder how they made it to the top.But it is all learning, it’s all self-scouting with a goal of improvement.Are you doing this? Are you competing at this level?Please tell me you study your performance after a job interview. I don’t mean clutch your pearls and freak out over the thing you said wrong. I mean really think about what they asked? why did they ask it? what were they driving towards? did you hit the mark with your answer? Will you be better prepared the next time?Maybe if you don’t get a call back on your application – instead you get the dreaded   "after careful consideration...we will not be moving forward with your application..." – maybe after receiving that response you should go back and look at the job description again, figure out if your resume hit the mark on what they needed. Determine if your cover letter told them a story of how you can help drive their organization forward.If you weren’t a match – ask yourself WHY!All of this takes work and is humbling. Trust me when I go back and listen to myself on the show, I cringe A LOT. I beat myself up over my questions, I wonder why my voice got so high, I pinch myself for interrupting right when someone was about to go deeper.BUT – I also listen to myself back when I started, and listen to myself now…and see improvement. Not perfection, improvement.This is what you need – to have an attitude of improvement, and that only comes from self-analysis. No one else will do this for you. No one else will take a deeper look into your WHY – the employer or interviewer isn’t going to give you a grade after they are done, and no matter how badly you want them to, they aren’t going to give you a reason why they chose someone else. That’s on you to figure out.Put yourself in the shoes of the employer. Change your perspective and evaluate …YOU.Part of what launched this thought process for me this week was my desire to bring back an old episode…and after listening to it again, the guest was incredible…and I had some major flaws. But that’s OK, that part of growth,

Where you choose to go to school is extremely important, but does it determine your career success? We investigate.  Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I’ll admit March Madness kind of snuck up on me this year. I was trying to book a guest for the show and her publicist said: “She’s at the conference tournament all next week and then on the March madness – can we wait until after that?”Of course, I played it off, sure sure sure, but in my head, I was thinking…wait we’re in March already?Then we sprung forward our clocks last night, so when I got up with my daughter this morning to take her to school it was pitch black… I’m all out of whack.Tangent.I’m a weirdo, so I decided to read a bunch of articles on this history purpose and intention of the daylight savings shift.I’ve always thought that it was related to farming, more daylight hours for the farmers, which if you think about it makes no sense because farmers can regulate their schedule based on available sunlight, not what the clocks say… it’s not like they punch in and punch out, and furthermore, it’s not like changing the time on the clock provides more sunlight… it just hits at a different time of day.Anyway – I’m enjoying this tangent so I’m going to continue. Fact: people are more active in the daylight, which means they spend more money. Adding the hour of daylight to the evening, versus the morning, dramatically increases consumer spending.To tie this into sports – way back in 1986, when even I was only in 6th grade -  the golf industry argued that an extra month of daylight savings would increase their revenue by 200-400 million per year – just one month! Adjusted for today’s economy that’s 450 to 900 million for one month of daylight savings!You’ll hear people share that it was a move to reduce energy consumption – the theory being people awake during the time of most daylight would result in fewer lights being turned on etc. …but over time that has been debunked.A Yale economist found that there was actually a 1% increase in energy consumption when Indiana switched to daylight savings time statewide in 2006 - estimating a cost of $9 millionI guess Ben Franklin forgot to include air conditioning in his economic forecasts.How’s that for a tangent this Monday morning! Nothing wrong with being curious about things that aren’t just sports.Alright on to today’s question ---Daniel from New Hampshire –“Hi Brian – big fan of your podcast, I’m a high school junior and our entire athletic department and all of my friends listen as often as we can.  I’m starting to narrow the field for my coming college decisions, I want to major in sports management, and pursue a career in Major League Baseball. What suggestions do you have for this process and how I should go about it?”Daniel, great question, in fact, I get this one about once or twice a week, so it feels like a good time to have this conversation again.For all of you who are already in college, or grad school, or out of school – there are parts of this conversation that will be extremely relevant to you as well, so don’t tune out. For those of you with education decisions still ahead of you… buckle up and listen.A little history lesson to start. When I want to college in the early ’90s there was really no such thing as a Sports Management degree. There were business and management courses, but nothing with a focus on sports.In fact, between 1980-2010, the number of undergraduate sports management programs grew from just three in the U.S…. to over 300.I just did some quick research on our sister site DegreesinSports.com and they have over 600 sports-related bachelor...

Dior Ginyard, NFLPA Senior Player Manager joins the Work in Sports podcast! Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.Imagine for a second you had complete clarity in your life at let’s say 12 years old.You knew what you wanted, you wanted to be a veterinarian. You studied, took classes, interned – worked and worked and worked to refine your craft.It became a big part of you, it defined you.While in high school your friends knew you wanted to be a veterinarian, your teachers knew and helped push you further into your goals.Guidance counselors helped steer you toward the best veterinary schools and you were accepted – because you were focused, dedicated, knew what you wanted and were driven to succeed.You could see how your future was going to play out.But then in a blink things changed. You were in a car accident and lost the use of your right hand, your dominant hand.You wouldn’t be able to perform surgical procedures, examine animals, diagnose issues. It was gone. Your dream of being a veterinarian – poof - all gone.What would you do? Everything you had pushed for, the dominant focus of your life was now physically unachievable.Would you wallow? Get depressed? Question your future?Probably all of those things – I know I would. Recalibrating would be hard. You’d be forced to change in an instant, after spending nearly a decade working toward something that felt like your purpose.How unfair – right? Easy to blame, get angry, lose focus and fall into a trap. Very easy.This week’s guest Dior Ginyard didn’t want to be a veterinarian, he had a very different dream and it was taken from him tragically.He had to change his focus, figure out a new purpose and drive forward with the same intensity he had reserved for his now unattainable dream.Now years later, Dior Ginyard is a Player Manager for the NFLPA and a 2018 Forbes Magazine 30 under 30 award recipient. He took tragedy and turned it into a new, unexpected chapter… but let’s hear the rest from the man himself – here’s Dior Ginyard Player Manager for the NFLPA – 

Relationships are the gear that turns the engine in everything you do...but not enough people are focused on them, and the repercussions are immense.Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content of WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Wow, what a week. We’ll get more into the details of what was a crazy last week in a little bit. But first, the normal flow of the Monday shows is pretty simple, I read through the myriad of fan questions that come in either through my LinkedIn, our private facebook group, direct email – however you want to get your questions to me, I listen and I read them all.I pick one out to focus in on that I think will appeal to the greatest number of listeners. So if I don’t read your question that is super specific to your situation, it’s generally because I’m trying to create content that helps everyone. Most of these question I answer personally, just maybe not on the show.The people who send in questions and have them read on the show get a free month at our site WorkinSports.com the number 1 job board for the sports industry for the last two decades.Right now we have near 11,000 active sports jobs – just checking some of the most recent postings –I see a video producer for a regional sports network…Communications coordinator for an NFL team…senior analysts for a popular online sports site…a baseball marketing intern for a sporting goods company who I never realized was based in Chicago… huh, learned something new.Anyway, I wanted to set the stage for what our Monday shows are… because I’m not doing that today.I make an effort to read a lot. Not just sports stuff and not just headlines, politics, news, science, Pulitzer prize winning books about three generations of a Greek-American family in Detroit with a deep family secret…it’s called Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and it’s incredible storytelling.I think reading makes me a better writer and communicator and introduces me to thoughts and point of views that need considering. So often when I scan through my favorite sports sites, I’m the guy who passes by the UNC-Duke analysis and reads the long-form SI story on Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer.This isn’t come attempt to give myself a pat on the back or sound more important, it’s just trying to give you context for this conversation we’re about to have.I stumbled across a headline this weekend from the Sloan Sports Analytics conference at MIT from the interview Bill Simmons conducted with NBA commissioner Adam Silver – the headline: At Sloan, NBA commissioner Adam Silver talks candidly about players’ mental healthThe subhead is a quote “I think it’s a generational issue”In the last few years you’ve heard Kevin Love and Demar DeRozan speak about their mental health issues and I wonder – what the heck is going on here?Silver shares:“When I meet with them, what surprises me is that they’re truly unhappy, A lot of these young men are generally unhappy.’’        What is at the root of these issues, what are we doing wrong here and what is it about the NBA in particular that is seeing this issue?Is it that they are just more vocal and these problems exist everywhere in sports, or is there something bubbling under the surface of the NBA experience?I’m not naïve, I know people are unhappy, I know depression number are n the rise – one study last year informed that depression is on the rise among Americans from all age groups but is rising fastest among teens and young adults.But maybe I am naïve, because I always thought…sports helped with issues of depression.

When you own a sports marketing agency you have to stay up with the changing demographics of your target audience. In this weeks podcast, Zac Logsdon, founder of Old Hat Creative sports marketing agency, and I dig deep into today's sports audience, how to attract them to games, engage and grow with them. This is sports marketing. Thanks to our sponsors for this episode... Temple University's Master's Program!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…Could you imagine being five years out of college and starting your own sports marketing agency? Forget even being that specific – could you imagine being five years out of college and trying to run anything completely by yourself?I’ll admit, I was totally co-dependent in my 20's. I needed someone else, thank you Sandy Malcolm if you are listening, to steer me, guide me through my career decisions, help me focus and understand the larger business around me.Not Zac Logsdon.This guy – that’s my Jon Gruden impression, how was it? This guy, graduates from University of Oklahoma with a degree in advertising and starts working for a big advertising firm. I’m guessing he missed sports, so he left his big firm after two years and starts heading up the graphic design team for his Alma Maters athletic program.Three years later – eh, I think I can do this myself – let’s start an agency from scratch.Are you insane?I’ve always thought I was a pretty motivated and confident dude, but I would not have had the ability to do what Zac Logsdon has. But then again, starting an agency isn’t the same as owning a successful agency. Many go under in a short time frame… but not Zac’s.Fast forward 17 years and not only is Old Hat Creative still thriving in the sports industry, working with college athletic programs across the country, but he’s also written two books, hosts a podcast and every once in a while…sleeps.Here’s the fun part – in this interview, we aren’t just going down memory lane discussing how he got where he is, sure we’ll do some of that, but primarily we’re talking about the now. Understanding fan behavior, marketing to today’s generation of sports fans, the direction of the sports industry and more…After this podcast is over, if you are anything like me, you’ll probably subscribe to Zac’s podcast Winning is not a strategy, and buy one of his books… I did, and I’m not great at endorsing competing podcasts…it takes a lot for me to tell all of you to listen to someone else so you know I mean it!Here’s Zac Logsdon…Questions for Zac Logsdon, Old Hat Creative Sports Marketing Agency1: Before we get into the finer details of sports marketing, fan behavior and your career, we’ll start with a little more of your personal story – the when and why.When did you figure out you wanted to get into the marketing side of sports… and why did this become your passion and goal?2: You were an advertising major and after graduating from University of Oklahoma started working at one of the largest advertising firms in the region – Ackerman McQueen – how much did this experience at a major firm help form you and your personality in marketing and advertising?3: Pretty quickly you turned that big firm experience into a role with the Oklahoma athletic department as Director of Graphic Design...and then wham, just 5 years after graduating college started your own marketing agency, Old Hat.How often did you cry yourself to sleep in the early days of starting your own agency?

Passion is great, but it isn't enough. It's time to get your discipline up to speed with your passion.HI everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a sports junkie as I imagine many of you are. But last night, is a night off from sports and a chance to watch the Oscars.I’ll admit, and this is totally cliché, but my interest in the Oscars was piqued when I found out the Best Supporting Actor nominee Mahershala Ali was a division 1 basketball player at Saint Mary’s. Yes I watched his career highlights, and yes it made me want to see him win, and win he did.I’m not making light of his acting chops, I loved him in Moonlight, like really loved him in that. But I haven’t seen any of the adult movies for this year’s run of Oscar movies. I have three children, 11, 10 and 7, which means I have seen the Incredibles 2 and Ralph Break the Internet…but not Green Book or Bohemian Rhapsody.  Quick synopsis of those movies – Incredibles 2 – cute had some funny moments, a little chaotic, but endearing.Ralph Breaks the Internet – Terrible. Seriously Terrible. I’ve never seen a movie work harder in product placement than this. It was basically an advertisement for every internet entity and an inside joke for kids that sit around and play video games all day. The indoor generation – my kids didn’t like it, but maybe that’s because, well, they go outside and they read books – I know, what an elitist snob I am.Anyway, back on track – Mahershala Ali – played college ball at St. Mary’s which is a pretty amazing tie in to what I have going on later today. St. Mary’s plays in the West Coast Conference, and in just a few hours I am interviewing West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez for the podcast.Nevarez is the first Latina commissioner in division 1, first ever. I read a profile on her in the LA Times, reached out to a LinkedIn contact I saw was connected to her, and within about a week had her scheduled for an interview. Thank you Lisa Rodriguez.Obviously I’m selling the fact we have this great interview coming up – and that it’s connected to the Oscars, which is timely – but really lets make a point here. I talk about LinkedIn as an asset to each and every one of you, and I hope by now you are leveraging this tool for your betterment.This is how you build your network and increase your reach in the industry, you find a thread of connection between you and another person of interest and you connect. Lisa Rodriguez and I connected because she once worked with my CEO at the Phoenix Coyotes, she listened to the podcast, liked it and thought – huh, I should connect with this dude.In that time frame her and I have had many conversation – we talked strategy for landing Theo Epstein on the podcast (he’s my white whale, I may close down the show if I ever get him on) we’ve talked industry comings and goings. And then I asked her about Gloria Nevarez and she made it happen.I owe Lisa one. But the bigger point here is, without that tool, LinkedIn, none of this would have happened. There would be no platform for us to converse in a business sense, we would not have seen the interconnectivity in our networks, we would not have been able to discuss challenges we faced, or help each other out or connect with others.I’m not just saying this stuff for something to say, I really believe it, and I use it…and I don’t get paid a dime by Linkedin just to be clear… but if you are listening, I’m open to it.Use the tools you have to build your career in sports.

Sports Analytics is all the rage in the sports industry - but what does it really look like to be in research and development? Lewie Pollis, Lead Quantitative Analyst, Amateur Scouting for the Philadelphia Phillies gives us an inside look at the world of sports analytics.Today's sponsors:Temple University Masters in Sports BusinessGeorgetown University Masters in Sports Industry Management Questions for Lewie Pollis, Philadelphia Phillies Lead Quantitative Analyst, Amateur Scouting1: So excited to have a chance to speak with you lewie – research and analytics are all the rage in the sports industry and it’s great to share with our audience details on your role and background – let’s start there, your background – you’re an ivy league guy earning your degree in economics and political science from Brown University --  was a sports career in your focus at this point, or were you headed down a different path?2: I wrote an article a few years back studying the background of all the GM’s in Major League Baseball and it was really interesting to see the trend – more and more top-level executives were being hired with an economics background rather than a guy who spent his entire career sitting in minor league bleachers with a radar gun.Did this come into your thinking as you pursued a less than typical degree for the sports industry?3: Let’s get into the internship you did with the Cleveland Indians while in school – the Indians are a very forward thinking organization, in fact Keith Woolner their principal data scientist is a bit of a legend in the baseball analytics side of the industry. What was this experience like for you to be with a major league team, with a developed and valued staff in analytics… and for your home town team no less?4: During your college years you interned with the Indians and the Reds – it’s hard to get major league internships, and you got two different ones. What was your key to getting these roles – how did they come to fruition?5: You’re at a top university studying some heavy subjects in economics and political science – and then you go intern with two different professional teams – I imagine you’ve been crunching numbers your entire life, but was it different to see how it all works within the context of a major league organization?6: For the last 4 years you’ve been with the Philadelphia Phillies as part of the baseball research and development staff, so you’ve had experience with three different MLB teams. Without naming specifics, does the organizational impact of the analytics department come from the top down and therefore vary from team to team? I’d imagine some teams embrace it more than others and that would affect your impact, right?7: How have the analytical capacities of your department, and the influence your group has, changed or developed over your 4 years with the Phillies?8: You were recently promoted from Analyst, Baseball Research and Development to Lead Quantitative Analyst, Amateur Scouting – let’s start with your former role, break it down for us, what were the major parts of your role in Baseball Research and Development?9: Ok let’s flip to now, sounds like you’re focused in the amateur scouting side – is this role primarily focused on the player evaluation and acquisition via the draft? 10: How much of your role requires you to present the data and make your case to others in the organization? I think many people believe analytics is an introvert’s job, but in my experience talking with people in the industry, you have to able to defend your position and articulate your research…right?11: Our audience is comprised of many people who want to be where you are – what advice would you give someone who has an eye for a career on the analytics section of the industry?

Everyone needs a follow up plan to build relationships. Lucky you, we're sharing ours.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.We are brought to you this week by WorkinSports.com – the leading job board for the sports industry. We currently have 10,145 active sports jobs on our website and another 649 internships – that is a lot of opportunity.Let’s play a quick game – I’m going to pick out a keyword – let’s say, communication, I was a communication major in college, so let’s plug that in to the keyword search tool.1,024 results – not bad, I see a VP of marketing for an NBA team, Communications Director for a running shoe company, Publicist for a major sports network.But 1,024 that’s a lot of jobs to sort through… let’s add another filter – I’m going to add just in the Northeast – since I live outside of Philadelphia, this is my area.311 sports jobs with the term communications in them located on the Northeast. Now that’s a manageable list. I see sports radio stations, major sports leagues, teams, colleges, online sites like fanduel, basketball training facilities like Zero gravity – that’s the beauty of our product – we get them all.Not just teams and leagues -  smaller agencies, sports radio stations, training facilities, online sites, start-ups. You get the whole sports marketplace on our site.  If you are a student – visit workinsports.com/students – and sign up for a 6 month membership for just $30. $5 a month – totally worth it.Let’s get to today’s question…This question comes from Alisha in Texas – Alisha contacted me through LinkedIn, which is a great way to send in your questions. Or you can join our private facebook group by searching the Work in Sports podcast on facebook, answering a few easy questions to prove you are human, and the joining in the conversation. You can post questions there for sure!We also have a podcast@workinsports.com email inbox…but I lost the password, so wait a minute on that one.If you have your questions answered on the show… boom you get a free month at WorkinSports.com – which is an awesome site, but I’ve already made that case.Hi Brian – this is Alisha from Texas and I love your podcast! I’m going to try out your Facebook Live sessions on Thursday night as well – thanks for all you do.Alisha thanks for the reminder – for all of you listening, every Thursday at 7:30pm EST we go LIVE from the Work in Sports facebook page – I discuss a topic on the sports industry, like networking or internships or interviewing… and then opening it up to LIVE audience questions. Lots of fun, come join me.Back to Alisha’s question –I am an extrovert – I am very good at meeting people, and frankly am fearless talking to anyone. But, I am not good at the next steps of following up and building on the relationship. Can you help me create a plan that makes all my efforts to meet people more effective?I am a checklist guy – I use my calendar to schedule out activities, build myself lists, and execute on a consistent, but humanized plan. No communication is automated or formulaic, but the system I create to remind myself to take action is automated.Does that make sense? Because it’s a core principle – every time you speak to someone it has to sound like you and represent you. It can’t be cut and paste, it can’t be a formula you follow. It has to be your voice.BUT, creating an automated system to remind you to do the steps is 100% ok and I recommend it.  So here it is, your easily executable networking follow up plan that will help you build and maintain relationships with the people you meet in the sports industry!Within 24 hours of meeting someone you have 3 things you have to do.

The role of corporate social responsibility in sports has taken on a larger profile in the industry, now representing a bigger, more impactful role in sports organizations of all sizes.Learn more about these sports roles from Tiara Brown, Charlotte Hornets Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility.For more information on the Master in Sports Business Leadership program at Seattle University, email their team at MSBL@seattleu.edu or call 206-398-4610 to learn more about how we can help you work in sport. Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for Work in Sports.com and this is the WorkinSports podcast…Corporate Social Responsibility.It’s a big term with a lot of weight, but for a long time Corporate Social Responsibility was a “nice-to-have” part of an organization. A “check the box” procedural decision of large corporations in sports and in business.These massive organizations figured Corporate Social Responsibility, or Community Relations, was a way to feel good about their org, to do good in the community and grab some positive press here and there.Now, times have changed, Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer a separate piece of the business strategy, it is an integral part.It is no longer a division of the organization kept separate from the larger organization plan, it is part and parcel.It is no longer just a desire to do some good, it is an essential part of a business being successful.Why? Why this fundamental change?If you ask me the reason is two-fold – competition, and current events.Even in sports there is competition for the almighty fan dollar. This isn’t the 1980’s where if you are a fan of a certain team you have to go to the game to see them play. There are alternatives to spending money at the arena.There are other sports, you can watch  on TV, heck you can even bypass your local team and watch out of market teams in a myriad of ways or you can choose completely different things to invest your money in.Competition is huge… if your team isn’t likable, if it doesn’t have a soul, if it is mired in controversy… people will turn away. Corporate Social Responsibility aims to fix this.. to give a heart and soul to the big business.  In addition, current events demand someone keeping an eye on the decision making of the organization and making sure it aligns with the expectations of society. Sexual misconduct, race relations, freedom of speech and countless other issues are in the forefront of our day to day society.Never before has it been more important for sports teams, leagues and organizations to lead in this regard rather than react from behind.This weeks guest, Tiara Brown, Charlotte Hornets Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility sees this all happening first hand. She and her team with the Hornets aim to strengthen the Charlotte community by supporting education, military, hunger and wellness initiatives – and they are doing one heck of a job.Here’s Tiara Brown…Questions for Tiara Brown, Charlotte Hornets Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility1: You attended the University of Louisville and graduated with a degree in Sports Administration – clearly it was your focus to work in the sports industry – where did that love come from?2: You interned in the Louisville athletic department while you were a student – do you think it was helpful to go to a large school with a large athletic department… do you believe this afforded you different opportunities that could help you reach your career goals?3: While in school you also interned with the Charlotte Hornets in Community Relations --  internships with pro teams are very competitive, how did you get the role?4: Was Community Relations something you fell into via the opportunity, or was this always a part of your plan?5: You transitioned from intern to full-time employee,