The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Most professional sports teams have sales academies where they train their entry level sales staff. The Oakland A's have gone way beyond the traditional sales training, creating a Sports Business Development Academy they call The CORE.Christopher Flynn, sales manager for the CORE, joins the podcast to share more about this unique program  Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.It’s kind of rare that you come across a completely unique process in the sports industry. Sure there are advancements in the business of sports, things like dynamic ticket pricing, analytics, even social media is an advancement on the method of communication and marketing.But truly unique doesn’t come around all that often, when it does, you take note.Want to work with a pro team? What’s the advice you hear all the time – look into sales. Right? I mean I’ve never worked in sales myself, but I’ve done enough of these interviews to see a pattern when it becomes obvious.Sales is the lifeblood of every sports organization because without sales there is no event. I remember going to a Major indoor Soccer League game as a kid – it was the Dallas Sidekicks vs. the Cleveland Crunch… now I lived in Boston, but it was a touring exhibition to try and get more fans nationally.The game featured Tatu, who was one of the greatest indoor soccer players in the world… and no one was there. I mean no one.It was pretty clear this league and this team wasn’t going to last… no tickets sold, no revenue, no operation.It makes sense why teams focus so much of their energy on sales and sales training.More than half of the entry level jobs in sports are in sales, and all teams both high and low, have sales academies for their entry level inside sales crew. This is where they get the hardcore training in how to become an elite salesperson in sports… or they find out it isn’t for them and they bail.But what about everyone else? What about someone who wants to work in a different department? Where do they get the training necessary to thrive in the industry?Teams have more than just sales people on staff, so what are they doing to train those people, and keep that talent in house?Well, the Oakland A’s identified this problem. They changed the typical pro team sales academy, deciding to take a holistic approach to training.The focus of their elite training program, called the CORE, wouldn’t be just on sales…it would be Communications, Corporate Partnerships, Marketing, Strategy, or Community Engagement. Why? Because they wanted to create an incredible staff, and keep them with the A’s. The best way to do that is by finding their perfect spot, not just spoon feeding sales.The CORE stands for Culture, Opportunity, Results and Education – and it is led by the Eddie Eixenberger and Christopher Flynn. Chris joins us on the podcast this week, to explain more about this incredible program:Questions for Christopher Flynn, Oakland A's Sales Manager, The CORE1: I’m a big fan of branding - giving product or group a name, purpose and tag line… at the Oakland A’s you’ve really done that, branding your sports business development academy “The CORE”… can you explain a little more about the program and how it was created?2: Almost every team has a sales academy where they train their inside sales staff to sell tickets…but you guys are going one step further than just sales, you’re also training these new academy members in Communications, Corporate Partnerships, Marketing, Strategy, and Community Engagement – why was it so important to have a more ...

Does it make sense to focus on one sport and become an "expert" or to branch out and work in any sport? That is today's question that we're tackling on the Work in Sports podcastHi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.It’s Monday, it’s grey and rainy here in Pennsylvania… and I am super pumped for this week. I know, I’m not the type to say things like super pumped, because it sounds forced and inauthentic… but I am so I will.Here’s why. I love booking great guests for our show. I love it. There is this sense of validation that comes from someone saying yes. And better yet, as our show grows and more and more people become connected to it, there is a huge ego boost that comes from someone saying, I love your podcast of course I will come on.You aren’t supposed to admit things like ego boosts, you are supposed to have more chill than that… but come on, I’m human like all of you, I get excited and geeked up when important people in the industry know and respect what we are doing here!You get excited right? Me too. I’m no different than you are.So, why am I excited… Let me count the ways.1: I just had an awesome, and I mean awesome interview with Christopher Flynn Oakland A’s Sales manager for the CORE. The CORE is their Sports Business Development Academy and it is cutting edge and super cool. I love it when an interview flows and is very natural… we crushed it.2: This week I’m interviewing –* Katie Gillen, Atlanta FC’s Manager of Social Media and Analytics – Atlanta FC is crushing it in fan engagement and social, but there is so much more to social than just tweeting behind the scenes photos -we’re going to get into that with Katie.* Kristina Wedseltoft – Indiana Pacers Community Relations coordinator – so many of you have expressed interest in community relations, so pumped to have Kristina on right as the NBA season is getting underway.* Bill Guertin from Inspiration Sports Business Institute – Bill is the guy who teams hire to train their sales staff. He’s worked with over 40 professional teams, he knows the skills you need, what teams want and how to break in to sports.* And finally – Brian Killingsworth the Chief Marketing Officer of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights are crushing it in Vegas, and Brian is behind so many of their great ideas. So excited for that interview.So yeah, I’m pumped up. If you have any question you want me to ask any of those guests, post them in our private facebook group! Go to the Work in Sports podcast on facebook, join the group and post your question as a new thread. I will pick the best questions, incorporate them in the interview and give you a shout out for asking it.Pretty cool right?Justin Collier:Just wanted to connect and say thank you for the work you do. I just recently found your podcast and when I did I was wondering if I needed to relocate to succeed in the sports industry. I randomly scrolled down through the episodes, and amazingly the one I stopped on was “Do I really need to relocate for a sports career?” This was a sign to me that the podcast was what I needed in my sports career.  (Thanks Justin!)I am currently a seasonal Account Executive with the Tennessee Titans and as my time with the Titans comes to an end, my job search is kicking back into gear. So the one main question I have: Is it a good idea to stay in one sport so that you can master that specific industry, or is it a good idea to branch out and try multiple sports so that you can be well versed in every industry? Thanks again Brian! Justin it’s a good question and I’m going to be very very assertive with my ans...

Dr. Cara Wright, the Director of Business Operations for the LA Clippers G-League team, joins the show and discusses everything from buying a bus, to the changing roles for women in sports. Dig into this episode!Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I was listening to some other podcasts the other day, you know a little opposition research, and I was trying to figure out if I needed to change anything. Not because I wanted to, but just because I wanted to learn what people were gravitating towards.You know what struck me, most people who have guests on their show, the guests are there to sell something. Their course, their book, their speaking engagements, their conferences.Now of course, someone will point out, I work for a subscription sports job board, so my very presence is trying to sell memberships… fair enough, and we are the top sports jobs board in the sports industry so what’s not to love, but what I’m really talking about here is our guests.They are here for one reason, and one reason only – they want to help you. Not me, they aren’t doing me a solid, they are here because the like the idea of giving back to you. Of helping guide and mentor.When I listen to other podcasts you notice a different tone from guests who’s end goal is different. When their goal is to move product, they have an anxiousness in their voice, and a near over-exuberance that borders on being inauthentic.I listen to our guests and they don’t sound rehearsed, they sound raw and honest. They don’t sound scripted, they seem like they take pauses to get their thoughts together before speaking. They don’t sound slick, they sound vulnerable and open.That’s what I love about this show.Everyone gives a piece of themselves. Sure I’ve tried to sell tickets to our sports accelerator event, and I’ve mentioned the benefits of our membership a few times… but if you don’t think I’m giving back, I don’t think you’ve been listening well enough. And if you don’t recognize how dedicated and authentic our expert guests are, well, you don’t truly have an appreciation of how cold it can be out there, and how warm it is in here.This week’s guest is Dr. Cara Wright, Director of Business Operations for the Agua Caliente Clippers – the LA Clippers G-League team… she’s on the cusp of her season and she took 40 minutes to chat with me about her section of the industry, competing in a market so close to LA, and the growing role of women in sports. Why? Because she cares about helping… so do her the courtesy of listening and sharing!Here’s Dr. Cara Wright:Questions for Dr. Cara Wright, Director of Business Operations for the Agua Caliente Clippers1: Looking back at your beginning, you played D1 basketball at the University of Dayton – how much did being a student athlete prepare you for the sports industry?2: Many student athletes will say they don’t have time to intern and gain experience that is so vital to getting hired in sports, how did you overcome this challenge, and do you have any advice to the 460,000 student athletes out there?3: You made the choice to go further than most in your college education, getting your Masters and eventually your Phd. Only 8% of US citizens over age 25 have their Masters, and only 1.68% have their doctorate… why was this the right path for you, and has it helped differentiate you in your career?4: It’s pretty clear tracking your career that you are a big basketball fan – from coach, to camp administrator for Basketball without Borders in South Africa, to the Indiana Pacers and Fever, to the Clippers …with a few stops in between – how important was it for you to know what your passion is, and lean into those opportunities?5: As the Director of Business operations for the Clippers G-League team you handle the daily operations of the busi...

We all struggle with managing our to do list and prioritizing our day. In this episode Brian shares some tips to make life more efficient! Isn't that the goal?!Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I just got back from Phoenix we had our quarterly business summit with our team at Work in Sports, and a couple of notes. We have some big things coming, which I am very, very excited about. There is still a ton of work to be done, but we have the framework in place for some dynamic changes that will serve all of you better.We’re a customer focused company, and when we have these quarterly business meetings all we ask ourselves is, “what can we be doing to serve our members and our partners better?”Last year, we focused hard on upping the quantity and quality of our jobs – we used to hover around 6-7,000 jobs, and in the last year we’ve added so many new employers to our site that we are now up to 10,000+ jobs.Think about that for a second – we focus in on many of the small to mid-sized employers in the sports industry, so when you come to our site you will find 10,000 available sports jobs from all kind of employers, many of which you may never have even known existed.I mean I had never heard of True North Sports and Entertainment, but when I go on our site I see they are hiring for a Manager of corporate partnerships. And right next to it I see a job with the Boston Celtics for a Sr, Coordinator of Community Engagement.Point is, we have them all. Big and small. And that was our big push last year, this podcast and upping our job totals. I’d say both have been a success. This year we have a new focus and it's going to be really cool.The second note I had from our business summit was this. 4 times a year I go to Phoenix, and it’s a total change from my norm. It’s dry, it’s hot, it’s sunny… no humidity, no rain, clear skies, bright sun.You know what happened this last trip. Rained the whole damn time. I’m inside most of the time anyway working… but come on. Can’t a guy get dried out a little bit?Alright let’s move on to this weeks question from John in Missouri – John’s going to get a free month on WorkinSports for asking a question and having his question answered… you can too!Email me, podcast@workinsports.com or hit me up on LinkedIn, or through our private facebook group. Many options.Sports Career Question from John in Missouri!Question from John in Missouri:Hey Brian, big fan of the podcast, thanks so much for what you do. I’m currently a senior in college and I’m probably trying to do too much. I’m interning for a local team, volunteering at the school paper and in the athletic department, I’m president of a few clubs on campus, have a full class load and …to be honest, some days I am way overloaded. I’m doing this all so I have notable experiences on my resume, but it brings up two questions:1: I feel like my time management is poor – do you have any advice?2: Is all of this necessary or am I just doing a lot of running around like a crazed man for nothing?John – I like both of these questions.For the first part on time management – I stress to people all the time that they need to focus on time management when they are in the early stages of your career (I view college as the start of your career – because time is your own to manage). The reason you need to focus on time management early on is because the workload and demands of your career and life will get harder from here, and if your processes aren’t well structured you’ll struggle to manage your own growth.

Ever wonder what it would be like to create the marketing plans for professional athletes and help develop connections to build their brand? Wonder no more, Jennifer Keene Octagon, VP of Athlete and Property Marketing joins the show. Questions for Jennifer Keene, VP of Athlete and Property Marketing at Octagon:Listen to the podcast episode for the answers to all of these questions and more!1: You majored in psychology at Cornell – which at first glance seems like an odd way to enter the world of marketing…but I wonder if it isn’t quite an asset being able to get into the minds of the audience, but also to connect with your athletes – am I giving this too much thought, or does that educational background help you still to this day?2: You are another in a long line of top level sports executives I’ve interviewed who started their career in sales – what would you say was your approach to your early career, and what stands out from your “getting started days” in sales?3: Next move NBA entertainment in licensing and then on to a major Washington DC law firm Williams and Connelly. Williams and Connelly is well known for representing clients on the business side of sports – leases, arbitration, litigation – but you were on the creative side in marketing…how did that role function and operate?4: Then, Octagon. I don’t think most people getting started in the industry realize how big and powerful of an organization Octagon is – take a moment and tell everyone about the breadth and reach of the Octagon empire. You guys are in everything sports!5: Your official title is Vice President of Athlete and Property Marketing – which I’m not going to lie sounds like a lot of fun – take us through your role and responsibilities.6: You’ve worked with numerous top athletes and celebrities on their marketing opportunities – Emmitt Smith, Steph Curry, David Robinson, Hannah Storm – what’s the process of onboarding a new client like? You sign a deal with a guy like Emmitt Smith…where does the road go from there?7: Forgetting the nuts and bolts of the job for a second – let’s get back to the basics, how do you gain trust with these top athletes who have probably been pitched all of their lives? How do you connect and build a strong foundation?hhh8:  I hear many people talk about wanting to work in Sales…or wanting to work in Marketing…as if they were different silos. But isn’t the line between each pretty blurry? Aren’t most sales jobs also involved in marketing and vice versa?9: As VP you have a much different set of responsibilities than when you were a sales associate at People Magazine in the late 1990’s. Looking back what were the major challenges you faced going from bright eyed new employee embarking on a career, to being a VP and having to manage so much more?10: Which part do you enjoy the most – the creative process of coming up with an idea or concept? Or the actual activation of the ideas? Why?11: So many people in our audience are interested in sports marketing careers – what parting advice would you give someone with a deep desire to someday end up near your shoes? 

Many people in the sports industry will tell you that you must embrace the grind (code word: work long hours and always be available) but is that real? Also we dig into a fan question on standing out in a guest relations role with a pro team. Show notes coming soon....  

Philadelphia Eagles Talent Acquisition manager Colleen Scoles joined the podcast just over a year ago, but her advice on getting a job in professional sports needs to be heard. We're updating and rebroadcasting this episode because it was that good. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for Work in Sports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I have this personal mission statement – I tell myself all the time “Fix the Problem” and that is a constant reminder to me that it serves no purpose to blame, or make excuses, or whine about problems as they arise.My job is to fix the problem. Identify the problem, understand the root of it, and get to solving it. That’s life. Work life and Life life – things don’t usually go as planned.So who are you, are you the type that when problems arise you panic in blame… or do you go into solutions mode?I’ll give you two examples from just the last week for me. We had our Sports Career Accelerator event last week in Atlanta. Our first Work in Sports branded event like this, along with our good friends at Tremont Sports.Scott Gray from Tremont had worked for months on booking guests, facilities, transportation, lunches… we worked hand in hand in getting this event off the ground. I had planned to moderate a panel or two, but generally be in the background shaking hands kissing babies and taking some videos for our marketing efforts.Day of the event – Scott got sick, like really sick. The kind where you don’t leave your bedroom for a few days see you at the clinic sick. I found this out about 20 minutes before we were opening for registration.It was about 100% humidity, and I could feel my body going into heavy sweats, which is not a good first impression. I had a choice to make, panic or produce. So Michael Brown, the CEO of Tremont, John Mellor the CEO of WorkinSports and myself all just said – we have a job to do, lets figure this out.The event was awesome – sure we were uncomfortable at times behind the scenes but no one in attendance knew it. Fix the problem. We lost a main player – so what, time to go to work.Second example is this here podcast episode. I had a plan to record a few sessions from the accelerator event and package it up all pretty for an episode. Well, no one spoke close enough to their microphones, the audio was intelligible and no matter how I tried to edit and effect and enhance it… it just wasn’t happening.Fix the problem. Go to plan B.Yesterday I was supposed to interview Dr. Cara Wright, Director of Business operations for the Clippers. Great, I’ll turn that one around quickly and publish this week instead.5 minutes before our interview, my daughters school calls – accident out front of the school busses can’t get in, please come get your kids through the back access. Uh oh. Have to postpone with Cara.Fix the Problem -- Plan C.We’ve had over 100,000 downloads of this show... but so many of you listening today are 100% new to the show in the last few months or even weeks.  One of the absolute best interviews to date was in the first month of our existence. Colleen Scoles Talent Acquisition manager for the Philadelphia Eagles…not enough of you have heard this interview. Not enough of you have learned the secrets of drawing the attention of a major professional teams hiring department.So we’re bringing back one of our greatest hits this week. Get your pen and pencil ready – because here comes Colleen Scoles Talent Acquisition Manager for the Philadelphia Eagles.     

Our Atlanta Sports Career Accelerator is in the history books - in this episode of the Work in Sports podcast I'm sharing the top advice from our incredible speakers. Show notes coming soon!

Last week I was invited to speak to a Sports Information Management class at the University of Florida, the class peppered me with questions, great questions, about their sports career. Listen in to what happened.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…We are totally mixing things up this week.Last week I was invited into the classroom of Professor Eric Esterline’s Sports Information Management class at the University of Florida …and it was a blast.His class had a bunch of questions ready to ask, and I intentionally said – I don’t want to know what they are in advance, I want this to be totally organic and raw, honest and in the moment.So here it is – my time at the University of Florida. Subject discussed include:* Sports job interview preparation* The most important thing you should do while in college* A strategy for internships* How to organize your networking efforts* How long you should wait to follow up after a job interview* Getting feedback from a job interview* Gaining experience while a student athleteAnd much more. This is a really robust episode with many different topics discussed -- enjoy! 

The skills that got your hired to do an entry level job are different than the ones which will get your promoted to manager - here's what you need to develop.Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast!I got called out this week.It’s OK, really it is, I loved the feedback and honest opinion of one of our longtime listeners.It went like this - He wrote in to me on LinkedIn and said, I’ve been listening to your podcast from the start, but since I have a job in sports now, it seems like a lot of your advice is geared toward people trying to get in to the industry, rather than growing once they get in it. How do I still get value out of your show?Now, without trying to sound defensive, I explained a few things:* The advice on the show is more global and career spanning than you think.* That if I talk about how to make a great impression, or how to perform on an internship – these still apply to your world now because you are making impressions every day…and while not on an internship, the tips and ideas of how you should act and show spirit are very applicable.* And most importantly, the expert interviews should be up your alley... these are the pro's sharing their journey, lots of nuggets in there that you should be focusing on as your grow in your career.But all that said, maybe he’s right. Maybe I should focus a little more on once you get in, how do you go up?So let’s talk about that exact subject. How do you go from entry level employee – to mid-level management? What skills do you need?Because the skills that got your hired to do an entry level job, are different than the ones which will get your promoted. Get your pen and paper out because here comes your game plan.* Supervision – When I’m promoting someone to a mid-level manager, I have to identify in them the maturity to work with and lead other staff. Are they mature enough to handle controversy, questions, attacks on them and other things that come up as a manager. Can they supervise others and hold them accountable in a respectful manner.* Communication and Intellect - A manager is seen as a resource for employees to get answers – can this person spread and share proper information and be in line with company messaging?* Can they Control the Room – I look at a mid-level manager as someone who has to represent me when I’m not available or on. Can this person control the room? Get everyone moving in the right direction? And stand tall on their own?* Budget Management – if you are a mid-level manager that means you have control over a small team…and that takes budget management to understand financials, operating costs and more. Plus you need to value costs as a metric in your decision making as well. Can this person do that?* Organized – Can this person manage multiple workflows, needs and demands of multiple employees and keep a proper paper trail of everyting from communications to financials?* Collaborative – Can this person work well with others in different departments? So can a sales person integrate well with marketing or pr or community relations staffs? If not, not a* Think long-term – the biggest jump for managers, outside of managing people, is in thinking long-term and strategically. Not just to get through and execute on today’s goals, but to set the goals for the future and hold people accountable.* People person – I don’t promote people who aren’t relatable and good listeners – managers listen, managers help, managers see what needs doing and do it. If you aren’t a people person, get back in your spreadsheet, you aren’t a manager.* See the broader business – as a new employee you see your silo, you become the master of your segment. But at some point, to be promotable, you have to see the business as a bigger entit...

Emily Jaenson, General Manager of the Reno Aces, Triple A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks and highest ranking female in Minor League Baseball, joins the podcast!Spoiler: We talk about a lot more than just being a woman in sports, we go deep into her role, accomplishments, traits she looks for in people and the art of being intensely curious. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast ---I want to keep this intro from being too self-aggrandizing – but this is a pretty cool day. One year ago today we launched the Work in Sports podcast.My good friend Carl Manteau, senior director of group sales for the Milwaukee Bucks was our first guest…and he was great. I was a little dicey, but Carl was great.On one year we’ve had over 100,000 downloads, about 1,000 people in our private facebook group for fans of the show to discuss sports career issues and network, guests like super agents Leigh Steinberg and Jack Mills. Sports recruiters like Dan Rossetti from Prodigy sports and Colleen Scoles Philadelphia Eagles Talent Acquisition Manager,  Sales Managers like Mike Judge from the Cleveland Browns and Chris Valente from the Boston Red Sox, marketing experts, branding experts, pr experts… you name it.In the next year we really want to push the envelope – so please send me your guest suggestions, who do you want to learn from, because that’s the goal, getting these experts to teach and share their knowledge. You can email me at podcast@workinsports.com – but also, join our private facebook group, if you haven’t already you are missing out – search for the Work in Sports podcast on facebook, answer a few quick question to prove you are in fact a real human… and you are in!One thing I have really learned over the 1st year of this show is that there are two different types of people out there – there are learners and there are tellers.They are pretty easy to distinguish – and before you think this is a good vs evil comparison it is not. One is not better than the other, they are just different characteristics and personalities.Learners are really curious, always seeking out new information, new mentors, new challenges…and never really feeling comfortable in their professional status because they always feel like they need to know more. They are likely surrounded by shelves full of business books and can quote Malcolm Gladwell with ease. They are also the ones who stay on the line and chat with me after the interview, ask questions, talk shop… good times.The tellers have a little more confidence, they feel like they’ve accomplished things that are worthy of sharing. They learned by doing - and have a little more of a stubborn streak for how things should be. They probably look around at popular business books and think – duh, who doesn’t know this stuff already?Learners sometimes can lack confidence and don’t exude a presence. I had a mentor once that used to say, a leader changes the temperature in the room when they enter it. Learners can sometimes be uncomfortable in that role, of personality dominance.Tellers can sometimes lack listening skills, or an openness and flexibility when change comes knocking.Is any of this feeling like I’m hitting a nerve?I think it’s clear we should all strive for a balance of both – confidence and openness – but that’s a rare breed indeed. I’ll admit, I’m a teller. Hell I preach on this show twice a week – I guess that one is obvious. I’m stubborn, a little set in my thoughts, and I’d like to think I exude some presence. But every day I try to improve as a listener,

Super agent Leigh Steinberg joins the podcast to talk about leadership, what motivates him, climbing back up the hill after crashing, the patterns of success and a whole lot more.We also discuss his new online course -- The Leigh Steinberg Sports Business Certificate - follow the link for more information on this robust course that will take you deep inside the world of sports business! It's the most cutting edge education program on the business of sports to ever be produced. This course will teach you the ins and outs of the sports industry, how to land the job you want, and how to create a successful legacy working in sports.Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast!My wife has this saying – she probably stole it from someone else, I’m not trying to say she’s Socrates or anything – but it’s always in my head.She says “there is power in vulnerability”Think about that for a second. We are all so preconditioned to toughness, both physically and mentally, that we don’t often allow ourselves to be really honest with ourselves and others.But you know what happens when we face up to our true feelings and express them? You find out the world is actually more accepting and welcoming than you had ever imagined.By facing up to and admitting your fears, needs, wants and pains… you actually gain strength. Because burying emotions doesn’t make them go away, it just lets them fester.Gimme a second… I want to figure out who said that quote because I’m giving my wife too much credit… “there is power in vulnerability”…ok, google has the answer it is noted author Brene Brown.She’s a boss.She also adds – “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change”Which fits into why this particular topic is so relevant today.You all know me for my public persona, rock star podcast host and helpful fella on social media. But I’m as nervous and often neurotic as they come, I’m fragile, sometimes broken and easily emotionally intimidated. In some ways I’m a fraud, since in the early days of my career I acted like a know it all because I was afraid to admit I didn’t know anything.The old fake it til you make it BS. I took that catchphrase pretty literally.This isn’t meant to martyr myself. This is meant to show honesty, so that you can open up the same in your own life.Never before has this fear and nervousness been more evident than this past week. I found out Leigh Steinberg was coming on our podcast. His people had ignored my request for months, but then one day it happened they said yes and here we are.The truth is, I started to panic. I wasn’t consumed with joy and a sense of accomplishment. I was paralyzed…like when you are sitting in the waiting room for a job interview and all you can think of is what will go wrong in the near future.You picture nothing but failure.What if he hates my questions? what if he is bored with me? What if he doesn’t answer his phone? What if I stumble, or forget, or stutter, or blather on?I’m 43 years old. Over my years I’ve learned how to harness this fear into focus, but the earlier version of me couldn’t. I failed. A Lot. I made an ass of myself A LOT because the nervousness and fear consumed me. A unwavering need to be liked and respected prevented me from being honest and doing simple things like asking for help.But now, good things happen when I talk about fear instead of burying it. Good things happen when I talk about and admit to myself and others I’m nervous.I went on to our private facebook group and said as much – I told the community 2 hours til my interview with leigh Steinberg and I’m not gonna lie I’m a little nervous.You know what happened? Outpouring of support.

In this episode we dig into the deeper purpose of college. How to really leverage the college experience into a sports job.Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…The purpose of this show, our mission statement you could say, is pretty simple – we’re trying to help people like you start or grow their career in the multi-billion dollar global sports industry.For all the similarities that the sports industry have to any other business, there are also many subtle and not so subtle specifics that can help you become the person sports employers want.Why sports? Why should you pursue a career in something like sports? I’ll break it down to you like this:From an economic standpoint – the sports industry is consistent, in good times and bad economically, sports still thrives. In fact during the last major US recession… The Economist said “the sports industry by and large is holding up to the recession better than most industries.”Why, because people still pay to see their heroes perform, to entertain, to escape the troubles of life or to add to them. Sports do well in various market conditions.But on a more emotional standpoint – why work in sports? Because it’s something you feel passionate about. It’s something you choose to do. When you pick up your phone in the morning, you check ESPN.com, when you flip through channels you go to FS1 – sports doesn’t feel like work, because it’s something you are genuinely interested in.But it is, it is work. It is a huge global industry – it does take specific skills and methods to achieve greatness – which is why we are here.If you aren’t familiar with our site – WorkinSports.com – let me learn you a little something. We work with over 8,000 sports employers to promote their job openings. We put all the active jobs in one spot, so you can easily find and apply for your next dream position. We’re a service, saving you time and money, by helping you find sports jobs you wouldn’t otherwise know about. We’ve been doing this for almost 20 years… we can really help you.As for this podcast – Mondays are question and answer day – you ask the questions, I answer them. Who am I? Well, I’m Brian, I’ve been in the sports industry for 20 years primarily in the sports media, at CNN/Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports. I’ve been in charge of staffing, budgets, producing content, managing workflows, interviewing and a whole lot more. Plus I’ve interviewed 200+ sports executives on what they look for in employees… so I’m a source of information for you.On Wednesdays I interview industry experts – for example this Wednesday – Leigh Steinberg, super agent. If you haven’t heard of him…you don’t know sports. (Jerry Maguire was based on him).So that’s the rundown – I don’t do this everytime, but we are getting tons and tons of new listeners each week and sometimes I like to set the table for everyone.Now let’s get into today’s question –“Hey Brian, this is Aaliyah from Alabama – I’m going into my freshman year of college and I really want to make my college career productive and efficient. You’ve talked a great deal about how someone should prepare for their job search while in college…but I’m curious, are there other things we should be doing while in college to make ourselves really attractive to employers and marketable?”This is a fun question Aaliyah and as always…I have a few ideas that can help:1: Frame your mind around this – your GPA doesn’t mean squat2: Avoid as much debt as you can3: Play a sport…on the real team, club team, intramural team – whatever4: Use your Career Center5: Become really good friends with LinkedIn6: Work on your listening and conversational skills7: Define your ideal companies early… study themListen to the whole episode for all the details on these points!

Sports marketing takes on many forms, in this episode we delve into the marketing efforts behind big time college athletics, from'dorm storms' to data mining, with Evan Feinstein Wake Forest Assistant Director of Marketing. Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the work in sports podcast!I have to deal with a pet peeve off the top of this episode, and I know I’m not alone in my hatred of this cliché…When people say ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ it makes me want to throw up.This to me is the classic old school thinking, that if you network and schmooze and have the brightest smile in the room you’re the one that’ll get the jobs.I think this is crap.Back in the 90’s when I first broke into the sports industry… yes, that long ago … this saying way kind of true. I worked with at least 10-15 people who were related to famous people in the industry. Former players kids, sports columnist kids, sports executive kids.You know what… they all stunk at their job. They didn’t last – they stunk and they flamed out. Their parents worked hard to get where they were, and earned their success, but not the kids. Just knowing someone back then, got them in the door… but they failed.  All of us nobodies were the ones who worked hard, scrapped and clawed for everything we got, worked long hours and proved ourselves day in and day out.We survived, but more than that we thrived.Maybe I’m giving too much credit to employers, but I think they began to openly question at some point… why are we treating hiring as a favor? We need staff that can achieve, we need staff that will work, we need staff that has talent.I saw this change take place first hand. No longer were people being hired based on who they knew…they had to prove they could do the job or else.So again – this theory of who you know superseding what you know is complete bunk – shared endlessly by old school thinkers.The truth, as it is with most things lies in the middle. The saying should be “learn the right skills and meet the people – that’s the formula for success” but that doesn’t fit as nicely on someone’s seascape meme in airy cursive print.I didn’t know anyone coming out of college, and I was hired by CNN. Why? Because I had the skills they needed.Every employer I talk to says they are looking for people with “it” – and when they say that, what they mean is the intersection of skills and passion.That is the formula.I can’t deny that networking is important and getting to know people in the industry is invaluable… but unless you combine that with the right skill and experience, it just doesn’t matter anymore.Just networking isn’t enough.Just having a parent in the industry isn’t enoughJust knowing a guy in the sales department at team X…isn’t enough.You need all of it.So to say it’s not what you know it’s who you know just makes me angry. Because it is what you know. And it is who you know. And in most cases neither survives very long without the other.This weeks guest Evan Feinstein Assistant Director of Marketing at Wake Forest University knows this better than most – he was fearful he’d struggle to get a job in college athletics because he didn’t have the contacts… but you know what he did have? Internship experience, passion and a willingness to put in the work.I’ll let him tell you the rest of his story…But first!Registration is open for our Sports Career Accelerator 2-day event!   For just $398 you will experience a 2-day immersive learning and networking event with the Atlanta Hawks, Braves, Falcons, United, College Football Hall of Fame and more.Get behind the scenes access to team operations and facilitiesLearn from and ask questions of top executives from the major sports teamsWe will submit a personal portfolio for you to all of the teamsTh...

Want to know the secret to improving your likability with potential employers? We have it on this episode of 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…Before we get into this weeks question I want to give you all a really really good update.We opened up registration for our Sports Career Accelerator event last week… and the response was excitement, coupled with some anguish. Many of you said, I love this event, I want to come… but it’s a little expensive, I’m not sure I can afford it.Well, we heard you so we got to work over the last week trying to figure out how to reduce costs and pass savings on to all of you.I can’t get into all the details yet, but suffice it to say we got really creative, and we did it.We are dropping the price by $200!So now you can register for our Sports Career Accelerator event, spend two days with me in Atlanta…plus executives with the Braves, Falcons, United, Hawks, College Football Hall of Fame and more, learning and networking…for just $399.Many of you also asked for a payment plan… so guess what, we did that too! You can pay in two installments of $199 and spread out the costs.We want you to be at our event, it’s going to be special, so we’re doing all we can to make it work for all of you. So please visit workinsports.com / Tremont / atlanta and get this thing rolling!Now onto today’s question – from Tony in St.Louis – Tony before we get into your question.. a round trip flight from St. Louis to Atlanta… $200 on Expedia. Not too bad!“Hi Brian – I’m a big fan of your podcast, thanks so much for all the help you provide all of us listeners and aspiring sports workers! My question is related to soft skills, so many of your guests talk about the importance of things like attitude and charisma and work ethic… which makes sense. But I find some people light up a room naturally, and I envy that from them. I’m not that guy, I’m a little shy, a little reserved, a little less gregarious than others…but I am no less smart and no less talented than they are. So how do I get across my soft skills so that people can see how talented I am and deserving of a job?”Damn Tony – I love your open and honest vulnerability here. on the podcast episode we discuss:* Two words - Be Curious. * When to ask questions* How to ask thoughtful questions* Open ended questions* Avoiding the sports talk radio conundrum* Being a good listener* Start with whyListen in and you'll get some great advice from Brian on increasing your likability and soft skills with potential employers.You want to stand out from the crowd, be likable and emotionally intelligent? You want to master the soft skills? Practice these techniques and ask thoughtful questions – that’s how you will warm yourself up to people.