The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers

Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports 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 at 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 week’s 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…

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…Obviously, we are in some crazy times right now, and it feels like a bit of a struggle to come up with new ideas that are related to career development when it feels like carers are stuck in neutral… am I right?I was reading a survey this morning asking millennials and college-age students words to describe how they feel about their careers right now, and the number one response was “frustrated”.I think that sums it up. You’ve been in school prepping for this moment to enter the world and start your new direction… and the world is like “Hold up, wait a minute...take a break while I ravage your global society”I have three kids, so I am constantly thinking about how this “pause” will affect their growth, and what I can be doing to help mitigate the lost classroom time… because no matter what anyone tells you, virtual learning is not the same. They are missing out on key social development, emotional intelligence, and straight-up learning. Side note -- we have watched a ton of documentaries though - anything from 13th - which is a documentary on the 13th amendment abolishing slavery - exploring the history of race and the criminal justice system in the United States.To Mission to mars -- which is more self-explanatory. It’s about the Mission to Mars. For a little context -- 13th was produced in 2016, and it is incredible. Hard to watch. We actually watched it over three days so we could stop it, have a discussion, answer questions..and then take a break. It’s some heavy shit, that can be tough but awakening for the kids. It’s made an impact. My 8 year old literally said to me on the 4th of July… shouldn’t Juneteenth be independence day since that was the day everyone in america become free?I wish I had that knowledge and perspective when I was 8. Ok, back on track… My point is, as I think about my kids and their growth, I also think about how tough it must be for high school, college and entry-level staff ages. People just getting started in their career getting things rolling, are being told … sorry go home, we’ll see where this takes us. High school seniors are evaluating what the fall means for them...is it worth it to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a virtual college education? College students are wondering does it make sense to take a year off and come back later? These are all perplexing questions...which brings us to the thrust of today’s conversation. Yeah that was just the preamble. Noah writes in …“Hey Brian, I’m a high school senior and what is supposed to be the best summer of my life full of parties and prepping for college… really sucks. I didn’t plan on spending my summer at home with my parents. Some of my friends are going to the beach still and doing things as normal, but I am not, and I am really missing out. True story - 4 of my friends got coronavirus after bragging about going out without masks and hanging at parties with strangers, so while I am bummed, I’m also fully understanding of my parents choice to keep me in and safe. Ok, my question, I had a plan to go to college in the fall, but I’m wondering if it may be smarter based on the circumstances to do a gap year, and if I did that, what should I do to enhance myself? Thank you, Brian, I love your podcast I really do.”Noah this is a really great question and I’m excited to dig into it. Two notes first -1: If you have questions you’d like me to handle on this here podcast you can email me at bclapp@workinsports.com -- make the subject line Podcast Question - so I can easily identify it from all the other stuff I get. If I read your question on the air, I’ll give you a free month of full access to our WorkInSports job board.  At the lowest point of the corona, we went from 25k jobs down to 8!

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.I very rarely listen back to our podcast episodes after I finish creating them. The neurotic side of me can’t stop analyzing the way I deliver questions -- I’ll be walking around with ear buds yelling at myself to “stop talking already and let them answer!”It’s not a good scene and not all that healthy, so I tend not to listen once the final production is done and published. But I’ll admit, Monday night I listened back to part 1 of Stu Grimson’s interview and despite having already listened to it multiple times during production… I was hooked again. I thought the 30 minutes went by really fast and I wanted to hear more. Stu is a fascinating person to speak with, and I couldn’t wait to publish and listen to, part 2. So I’ll take my own advice and stop talking  -- so you can hear Part 2 --here’s Stu Grimson. Questions for Stu Grimson, Cheif Counsel THIRDHOME and former NHL Enforcer10: Were former teammates and opponents surprised that you were becoming a lawyer, or was this the locker room secret – that the brawler who would beat the snot out of you was smarter than you too? 11: In the practice of law you deal with leverage all the time – was leverage something you started learning about as a player as you assessed your own value to a team?12: To become an NHL player puts you in the rarest of categories – it is such a miniscule amount of people that make the pros. Then layer in becoming a lawyer, and again, you break all the rules of probability.Both of these roles require incredible discipline and work ethic - where did your work ethic come from, and is that a skill you can learn, or is it something you are born with?13: Your side gig beyond being chief counsel for ThirdHome is as a senior analyst for NHL network – this role as an analyst is a logical step for a lot of ex-players, was this part of your post-playing days plan?14: Is it hard to be critical of players, when you know how difficult it is to be an NHL player?15: Do you have a favorite player you like to watch right now?16: Ok, I have this weird curiosity with friendships and relationships – like I watch a movie and wonder if the two main stars are still friends because they seemed to have so much chemistry in the movie.I know, I’m weird.But it makes me wonder – are the majority of your friends from hockey former teammates, or the guys you got into brawls with? I picture you hanging out with Marty McSorley or Dale Hunter and it amuses me.17: We’ll finish up with this – we have a lot of student-athletes in our audience, people who dream of being a pro – looking back at your 20-25-year-old self, what advice would you give that guy that could be helpful to someone in those shoes today…

Stu Grimson was one of the most feared men in the NHL and now he's a fixture in the boardroom. Learn more about his transition from brawler to lawyer on the Work In Sports podcast.Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.I love contrast. Contradictions. The unexpected. It can be as simple as a flower in the desert, a kid quietly reading a book when all of their friends are on their phones, or Tom Brady going to the Buccaneers. Alright, maybe I didn’t love that last one so much.  But on a grand scale, I tend to seek these things out, always on the hunt for contrasting elements  - I don’t know why - just one of the quirks of individuality I guess.  These moments of contrast bring me great joy. I guess they remind me that the journey is not predictable, that patterns and assumptions aren’t finite - nature and people are always able to change and throw you a curveball when you are looking dead red. And isn’t that an incredible lesson -- doesn’t it harken you back to the idea your mother drilled into your head not to “judge a book by its cover”? That we as people are all the sum of our actions, and actions themselves are individual and unpredictable?Ok, maybe I’m going to abstract here and I need to reign it in, I get it. But if you haven’t noticed lately, our society is largely based on the superficial judgment of others. We see looks, and judge, we see patterns and assume.   Ugh. It’s so maddening. I can’t say we’ve lost touch with compassion, empathy, and understanding for each other, because I’m not sure we ever had it.  Well, I’m here to admit that I made the same mistake just last week and it was really enlightening. I assumed I knew someone based on my superficial knowledge of their past. Stu Grimson played 13 seasons in the NHL as one of the most feared enforcers in the game. 211 career fights, of which he estimates he won about 80% of them, and watch the videos, he’s right. His nickname is the greatest in sports -- the Grim Reaper. I mean come on, you are a fighter with the name Grimson, and you earn the nickname Grim Reaper. It doesn’t get any better. When I worked in the media during his playing days I would celebrate this man as the baddest MF’er in hockey -- and cheer on his vicious battles. I assumed he was a lug nut on skates. I born brawler with what little he had between the ears beaten out of him over years of repeated head trauma. I assumed that he may be addicted to painkillers somewhere. I assumed that he followed the predictable storyline of former player fallen on tough times. You know what I didn’t assume -- that he’d be a successful lawyer. Never entered my mind. We all do this. We try to fit life into predictable channels. We try to put our own conclusions on people based on our limited information. This is wrong at its core.What follows next is one of the most enjoyable and insightful conversations I’ve ever had on this podcast. Stu is amazing, and I’m not just saying that because I fear for my health after assuming he was a lug nut on skates - I’m saying that because over the last few weeks I’ve gotten a little glimpse into the man and I respect the hell out of him. Our conversation was long… so I’m going to break this into two parts -- I’m not editing out a simple word, part 2 will air on Wednesday!  Here’s Stu GrimsonQuestions for Part 1 Stu Grimson, Chief Counsel ThirdHome and Former NHL Enforcer1: There are so many topics I want to speak with you about, so I’m glad we have some time to truly dive into your whole journey and story.Let’s start with your playing days in the NHL - 13 seasons with 7 NHL franchises, we often talk about the glory of professional sports – the money, the fans, the winning – but as you look back what was the hardest part of being a professional athlete?

Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp, VP of  Content and Engaged Learning for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast…In honor of baseball returning, finally, I hope, I wanted to bring back one of my favorite episodes over the last few years with Tripp Keister from the Washington Nationals organization. I also want to state for the record, as Bill Simmons from the Ringer gets rightfully dragged this week on social media. Not all people from Boston are racist idiots. I’ve never liked Bill Simmons, always found him snarky, smug and elitist - and I see lots of people saying things like “he’s from Boston, what do you expect?”. Well, I judge people by their actions, not where they are from or what they look like, so don’t lump me in with that clown because we share an area code.     But let’s get into something a little more positive.   Tripp Keister is the winningest manager in Potomac Nationals history, but he doesn’t care about that, what he cares about is player development.Since the day we started this podcast I have had fans ask repeatedly – please get someone in player development.This has been one of my big failures to date – I’ve struck out a ton. I’ve likely requested interviews with 30 different people in player development, which resulted in 29 very polite no thank you’s.Dior Ginyard, Senior Player Manager for the NFLPA was my one success, and if you ask me one of our best interviews to date, primarily because player development is a very interesting subject. Helping elite athletes develop as people, serving them so they can be the best version of themselves on campus, or in the minors, or in the big time.As you likely have noticed I’m a little obsessed with the development side of people in general. That path from student to professional is fascinating to me – the steps people take to find their true calling and to master their art form. The influencers who have guided them, the tough love that drove them, the micro-decisions that have resulted in massive change.All of this fascinates me, which is why I, like you, wanted to have more guests in player development.This week's guest, Tripp Keister, is the single-A manager of the Potomac Nationals. He’s the winningest manager in Potomac Nationals history…but you know what it says on his LinkedIn account: that he works in player development.Not that he’s a master of double switches and pitch counts, but that he’s in the development of the young men that come through his dugout.And they all do.As the manager of the Washington National High A team, most if not all of their top draft picks and prospects start with Tripp.This again fascinates me.Think about this for a second, Tripp is managing a bunch of 18-year-olds embarking on their future, not just on the field but often in their first times away from home, their first time having to manage their own lives!This makes me wonder – how is that any different than Mike Judge managing the inside sales staff of the Cleveland Browns?Is it the same? Is management, management? Is motivation and technique and evaluation and discipline the same whether you are developing high powered athletes or entry-level employees?I found my conversation with Tripp fascinating, and his overall approach to developing young men into really good, productive people. Success is different for everyone, some will reach the majors, some won’t, but I think they’ll all look back and remember the influence of Tripp Keister.

Show outline:It’s time to be your own cheerleaderOld school -- work hard people will notice you and you’ll get promoted. I lived this way, I hustled, I worked the grind -- late-night shift, extra work, volunteer for more. Yes yes and yes. But I never leveraged any of it. I just hoped and prayed my bosses would notice and good things would happen.Not until I started to be more self-promotional did good things happen. I mean this honestly, businesses have a different objective than you do. Your objective is likely some combination of feel fulfilled making good many, enough to do things outside of work that I enjoy. Businesses have the inverse goal -- get as much positive production as they can out of each employee to generate revenue...and shareholder satisfaction.I’m not on some capitalism is awful rant, I’m just trying to show you, businesses don’t necessarily want to see you as more than a productive pice in their machine. It is upon you to be your biggest cheerleader, it is upon you to show you are deserving of more, it is upon you to know yourself, your accomplishments and your value ...better than anyone. All of you sit back and think for a second of people in your industry, co-workers, fellow interns -- who received more accolades despite doing lesser work. Likely it is because they are better at self-promotion and personal advocacy.  I know there are people in my space, podcasters in the career development conversation, who do far lesser work than I do, but they are way way better at personal promotion. They post videos of themselves, quote graphics of their wonderful thoughts, that are mostly cliche, pictures of them yucking it up with celebrities… and they have huge audiences. I am not slamming them, they have built a brand I haven’t. I am recognizing that this applies to all of us. It’s not just you, it’s me too! This concept of factual bragging applies to internships, jobs, opportunities, speaking engagements, etc. You have to be your cheerleader. Ok, so how?First, start with your goals. If you want to be a national audience guest speaker, that is a much different approach than if you want a promotion, or an entry-level job or an internship.Let’s stay focused on the jobs and internships part for this conversation. Imagine you need to be noticed more, and someone in charge of decision making needs to be able to see and understand your worth quickly. You must be an expert in you, no one else will be.Key components:* Don’t be afraid to say what you are proud of. * Don’t be afraid to tell people what you have accomplished* Don’t be afraid to tell people what you have done to improve yourself. * Subtle -- I read this book recently and was struck by the idea* In your face - in my two years with organization X my social media strategy helped us increase twitter followers by 47% * Get your own website and domain* Professional looking social media pictures that are all aligned.* LinkedIn - bulk it up, treat it like your personal domain, share accomplishments, videos, blogs, metrics, contact info. People, including recruiters, will look here!* Resume metrics* Employment or internship journal - keep track of your wins.* Remote interviews -- be quick to explain why you are a positive hire. How you not only understand their organizational goals, but will help them deliver on them, * Be excited about you * If you have a job right now and are working remotely, make sure you take the time to escalate your wins and your value to the org. You want them to feel like they have made the right decision keeping you on. Businesses have cover right now, they can lay off or furlough employees and no one thinks they are heartless, they think it’s just the times we are in. Well, if they've kept you on, that means they believe in you, make sure you validate that belief and are selling all of your wins. * Final point -- being your own cheerleader also means...

Hi everyone, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning with 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 composed 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  As John Milton in Paradise Lost wrote:“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.I just watched A Star In Born with my almost teenage daughter, and for those of you who have seen it, it’s a sad sad movie, I won’t ruin the ending for you. But I asked her afterward what she thought, and she said “you don’t always know someone by what you see on the outside”She made me cry just a little. 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… 

Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.A couple of housekeeping notes before we get into today’s sports career-focused question -- want to welcome the newest member of the Work In Sports team, Laura Wilhelm! Laura just recently joined us as an account executive, and she’ll be working directly with me to help sell some of our products focused on helping others advance in their career.  We have our sports career game plan, focused on the strategies and tactics necessary to get hired in the sports industry. We also have our student game plan, which is similarly focused on career and professional development, but for any industry. And we’ve also developed an entire suite of new tools to help sports employers hire the right staff more efficiently. As I know from going through the hiring process with Laura -- hiring is tough -- talent acquisition managers tell me all the time, we get tons of applicants, but most are not qualified. Well, we took that advice to heart and thought, how can we help sports employers find the most qualified candidates more efficiently. And we’ve done it. Laura will be reaching out to sports employers and helping introduce them to these new tools that can really help them hire more efficiently and effectively -- so welcome Laura, and if any of these products sound interesting to you, your organization, or for your school or university -- reach out and I’ll connect you with laura! Or you can talk to me - it’s not like I won’t talk to you -- I’m a talker, that won’t change. I just need help and laura is a boss. Ok, today’s topic -- Lots of people with time on their hands have been asking me -- how do I find out where I fit in the industry?Here’s a specific version of this question from Bart in Minnesota --“Hey Brian, big fan of the podcast thanks for your continued help and guidance. I’m a college sophomore and I love sports, but I have no idea what to do for my career path. Can you help me understand the future of the sports world, and where I may fit in it?”Jeez, Bart, that’s a heavy responsibility. First off, you don’t meet many Barts nowadays -- I had a great friend in high school named Bart, but I don’t think I know too many others. Bart Scott? I don’t know him, but that’s the only other Bart I can think of. Ok, back on topic -- Finding your fit in the industry is an important topic -- I started a few months back trying to make one of those cool diagrams, not an infographic, more of a choose your own adventure - based on sports careers.Like one of those -- do you like to talk to people -- yes or no -- follow that path, then different questions from there, with the idea it would land you in a category or bucks that could help you explore this area. It got too hard. I may resurface that idea later...but really when you start to break down all the possibilities, it’s like an ice cream headache waiting to happen.This is the advice I believe in wholeheartedly -- this is a personal decision, that is ultimately up to you, BUT I’ll help guide some. The first idea -- go to our site WorkInSports.com and enter in keyword searches for terms. NOT job terms, rather entry-level terms. Search for the word “associate” -- this will return a myriad of potential opportunities that are entry-level or close to it. I just did the search and came back with 1,852 sports jobs out of nearly 12k on our site.As I look through the openings I see:* Associate Product Manager* Associate Artist* Advertising Operations Associate* Production Associate* HR associate* Pro Tennis Operations Associate* Social Media AssociateThe list goes on… read these job descriptions, and see what stands out to you. When I was coming up I knew I wanted to work in Sports TV,

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…I find there is a certain spirit that I look for in my guests. Not everyone wants to, or is comfortable coming on a show like this and sharing their journey, with tidbits of wisdom and advice thrown in -- but that’s exactly what we need! We need guests willing to share more than what we can read on their resume or LinkedIn profile, we need guests who are willing to go there. People that will share their bigger thoughts, advice, nuggets of change through their journey and dig into more than just their career moves...but rather their how and why.Every once in a while I ask our private Facebook group -- which if you haven’t joined yet, you should - just search for the Work In Sports podcast on Facebook and join the fun. Anyway, every once in awhile I will post a question, asking our audience who their favorite guest was of all time. While there is a wide range of responses, there are also about 10 episodes that I could tell you beforehand would be the most popular. They aren’t the biggest names, they are the ones willing to go there and share their deepest insights, motivations, change moments and share...really really share. These are the moments that inspire me, those are the episodes that drive me deeper and further, for all of you listening. But how do you find more of these people? How do you find those willing and able to share real insight? I used to send out 20 invites a week -- randomly selected, barely researched, and my success rate was about 10%. For 2020 I changed my process and the results have been incredible. Twitter.I’m being totally serious. Over the last 3 months, I’ve seen about 10 new podcasts launch which are focused on sports career advice -- so maybe I shouldn't share my secret formula - but what the hell. I start on LinkedIn, I research companies, people, and roles -- because in my mind, it often starts with some experience and credibility. I read I research, and then I go to twitter and look at their personal accounts.You see on twitter, I think you tend to find out a little more about someone’s spirit, passion, and enthusiasm. Sometimes you also find out they are a horrible person, and you are glad you didn’t ask them to be a guest -- that has happened. So I’ll give you an example of what I mean, using today’s guest Sean Halbmaier from the PGA Tour. I was searching for people at the PGA Tour - I like to make sure I cover different sports teams and leagues - it’s spring-summer, a good time for golf talk. I see Sean, with a pretty cool title -- director of advanced advertising. If I asked myself, self, what does a director of advanced advertising do? I would have no answer! That makes it interesting! I want to dig into new areas!So, then I head over to twitter and look for sean. His pinned tweet is an article he wrote breaking down his first 10 years in the sports industry -- ok good start, someone willing to share and give back!Then I see: 3 skills to acquire to be valuable to your employer…* Always be learning. * Be Curious * Be vocal. Have an opinion.Ok, now we got someone with a willingness to share guidance and advice.Next:This is why walled gardens are so insanely effective for marketers. They have your identity via login (the license), but they also have the full “wallet” of essentials based on your activity on their platforms.Ok, I have no idea what that means -- but I see a willingness to get into the weeds of his role, and a passion for explaining what he does.This is the ultimate mix!After all that, I make the invite and cross my fingers. Thankfully, Sean, and about 90% of the people I reach out to when I do this level of research and intentional booking -- said yes...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.I have some pretty big news before we get into today’s sports industry question -- We have completely overhauled our site WorkInSports.com!Background -- since 1999 we’ve been the leader for jobs in the sports industry, but as times change we have to be agile and adjust our approach.  That’s one of the benefits of being a small, family-run, company - we can make decisions and act on them quickly, not a lot of red tape. You may not know this - but WorkInSports is 10 people. That’s right, we’re not some huge media conglomerate, we are 10 scrappy people trying to change sports employment.Another cool stat about our business -- we added Jesus Guzman last year at this time to our staff as a front end developer, Jesus is awesome and has been instrumental in this relaunch, but my point for bringing this up… of the ten people on staff, Jesus is the rookie with 1 year on the WIS team. I am the next newest employee and I’ve been here for seven years. The rest of the staff has been with Work In Sports for 14 years plus. That is unheard of! But again, good people, good environment, good products… people stick around.Ok, so what is the big news -- I’ll get off my tangent and get back to the news --  we set out with a mission to be less of a list of jobs and more of an interaction hub between sports employers and sports job seekers - more connectivity, more interaction. And we are there. For a while, free members will still see the old site. All paid members and employers will see the new product. Couple of highlights to feature:Our matching technology is way ramped up - upload resume. When we post new jobs, active search through the databaseWhen you see a job you like, give it a thumbs up Sports selectFor employers, we have a ton of new tools -- all geared toward helping you find the right candidates efficiently. No more pushing through 1,000 resumes of unqualified people. We have THE sports resumes, and when you post a job with us, we will actively match your needed skills against our database of candidates.There are many other tools for employers we have developed I won’t get into them all here. But if you are an employer and want a new way to find the most talented people for your roles -- reach out to me, and we’ll schedule a demo of the new products -- bclappworkinsports.com.We’re excited -- and we are in active beta right now, so if you play around and have feedback - share it with us so s we can continually improve. And remember a premium membership with WorkInSports.com is more valuable than ever… and it keeps me employed! So check it out!Ok, on to today’s sports career-focused question…  “Hey Brian, this is William from Chicago, I know yours is not a political podcast but I respect your opinion and wanted to talk about what is currently happening in the world today. The company I work for in the sports industry, who I love to work for, has been completely silent about the George Floyd murder, the protests and the support of the black community -- this really, really bothers me. But I don’t know what to do about it. Any ideas how I can speak up respectfully, and not lose my job?”William - this is an intense question and I want to give it the respect it deserves. First I’d like to start with a story about voice. Last year in January  interviewed Vincent Pierson who at the time was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Minor League Baseball. It is one of my favorite podcasts to date, and Vincent and I have remained in touch afterward. He’s incredible. The FIELD program was an initiative that Vincent was highly involved in, and showed great progress toward diversity and inclusion for Minor League Baseball. I’ll read directly from their site to explain what the FIELD program is: Minor League Baseball's 'Fostering Inclu...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast.Recovery starts with innovation. I read this the other day and thought, this sounds a lot like what my grandmother used to tell me when she’d cobble some new fandangled way of plowing her garden fields with a series of hoes tied on to the back of her 1940’s era tractor. Never short for an analogy or cliche she’d look at me and repeat “necessity is the mother of all invention”That saying has always stuck in my mind, when there is need there are creative solutions.  Never before have we faced more need, and never before have innovative minds been more in demand. As teams and leagues and organizations look to pivot and change their revenue models and adapt to our new world -- the innovative people in every organization are the ones leading the way to the future. That is not hyperbolic or overly dramatic. We need innovation. We need a new way to look at our games, our stadiums, our fans, our revenue streams, our products our marketing -- everything needs a fresh set of eyes. I booked today's guest, Josh Walker, President of Sports Innovation Lab because multiple people in my sphere of influence pinged me in April and said “did you read this article on how the sports industry will recover, it’s fascinating”The article was pushed at me from multiple angles from people I respect with excitement and fervor I couldn’t deny, so I read it and immediately thought -- who wrote this! I need them for this show!The crazy thing is… Josh, the scribe responsible for the forward-thinking piece, developed the concept of recovery before there was a need for recovery. See Josh is the kind of futurist we need more of in sports, the ones who can utilize data and research and intuition to see what the industry needs to be, rather than what it is. Josh is the President of Sports innovation Lab who, along with his co-founders, former NFL linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski and former olympian and 4-time gold medal winner Angela Ruggiero developed a fluid fan concept that sees sports in a way that earns the fans loyalty rather than expects it. You’ll see what I mean.. Here’s Josh -- get ready for some incredible, in your face, honest...and some exciting ideas on how to mold our future of sports.Here’s Josh…Questions for Josh Walker, President, Sports Innovation Lab1: There is so much I want to get into regarding your background and sports innovation lab, but let’s start with some of the big stuff. You wrote an article on LinkedIn back in April about what recovery may look like for the sports industry – and it is fascinating.There is a lot to unpack so let’s take it slow.You state early in the article that “This crisis will fundamentally reshape how the sports industry operates and generates revenue.” In a broad way I think we can all see that things will change – but specifically, how do you see this current situation reshaping the way the sports industry operates?2: We often think of sports as having two main experiential avenues: in person at the event in a stadium, or at home through the broadcast media. This runs relatively parallel to the revenue streams… you’ve got your media deals and you’ve got your tickets, sponsorships etc.But you and your team are embracing a new concept of the “fluid fan” – can you explain what that is?3: Did you have this fluid fan concept hypothesized and researched prior to COVID, or was this an example of where the situation met opportunity?Follow: So in a way, you saw the changing landscape of the sports industry prior to this current pandemic – w...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast. After a few decades of living in cities, I now live out in the country a bit. I have 4 acres of land, the grass is green, I have woods and a stream for my kids to play in. It can be a bubble. We can tune out the world - the hate, the racism, the unrest, the divisiveness - should we choose. But we can’t. I can’t. We all play a role, and we can’t just opt-out. Silence is being complicit. I know you didn’t come here for this discussion, there are other reasons you are here. But I want all of the people in our audience, our return listeners, our subscribers, who have gotten to know me over time - to know that I support and love them.I have cried over and over again watching the videos that have become all too common in our society. It isn’t just George Floyd or Eric Garner or Philado Castile, it’s the multitude of other horrific examples of police brutality against Black Americans that have happened without cameras rolling. There are systemic issues that allow for heavily armed white men to enter a state building in Michigan, protesting the fact they have to wear a mask while carrying automatic weapons - and being treated civilly and with calm respect, while an unarmed, handcuffed black man gets murdered on the street over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. How does this happen?    This is a problem. We can’t ignore it, and as a middle-aged white man I can’t sit here in my bubble pretending this environment is fair and just. It is not. I have many friends who are honorable, respectful, caring police officers, who got into police work to make a positive difference. We can’t make sweeping generalizations against all police, that does not help. That is the exact same problem that got us here -- racial profiling is generalizing a group of people… doing the same to all police isn’t the proper response. But we can be angry. We should be angry. And the best thing we can, from this perspective, is to listen, love, and vote. That’s how we change things. Vote. I hope everyone out there with anger and disgust and fear and dismay -- will take this energy to the polls in November. Everyone needs to vote. That is your power. And everyone needs to love and listen.JusticeForGeorge hell yes justiceforgeorge … but in concert with that -- let’s change the system to be more equitable and fair. It’s past the time for those of us on the outside to just empathize - we need to understand, we need to help the change become reality. One last thing -- as someone who has worked in the media for a long time, you will see the worst worst worst images, because they get eyeballs. I guarantee you 90% of the protests across the country are peaceful, but all you’ll see is burning buildings OR on the flip side people hugging police officers. Those are the edges of the story -- look for the middle. There is no easy transition here so I’ll just make it. Coming up on Wednesday is a conversation I am very excited about, I interviewed Josh Walker president of sports innovation lab, a market research company, about how we recover as a sports industry from our global pandemic -- oh right, amongst all of this chaos we are also still in a global pandemic. Yeah for 2020!Anyway, the interview with Josh is so insightful -- he and his team at sports innovation lab are changing the way we see, feel and experience sports. And teams are catching on to this new way of understanding fan needs. You are going to be way into this conversation, I know I was.As for today’s topic -- here is James from Nevada“He Brian, when coronavirus first became a thing you talked about revenue-generating roles being super important in the near future -- is that still the case? Is that what you see being the leader in the sports industry over the short-t...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…With the NFL draft in the rearview mirror I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time researching and understanding the fit of the players my team, the New England Patriots, selected.And before you get all bandwagoney on me -- I’m from Boston and been a Patriots fan long before the annual trips to the Super Bowl.But back on track, I’m researching these players, even down to the undrafted free agents and how much guaranteed money they signed for, yes I am a dork, and I’m realizing a theme. I think a lot of prospects get bad info. Here’s what I mean -- I hear a lot of this “well, my agent told me he thought I’d go in the 3-4th round, so I was a little disappointed going in the 6th and now i have a chip on my shoulder to prove everyone wrong.”Now this isn’t limited to the Patriots, and it isn’t limited to this year. I’ve been listening to these same quotes for the 25 years I’ve worked in the sports industry. Every year it’s the same routine, a lot of overpromising to hype their player, and then underdelivering and blaming it on the process. It’s maddening to be honest. And kind of a theme for our world right now, over-promise and pat yourself on the back, stretch the truth or flat out lie to get someone to like you, and when it doesn’t go as you predicted  -- look to blame someone else and avoid responsibility.Sound like anyone you know? We all know people like this. But let’s relate this to player agency -- there should be power in honesty. There should be situations where the most honest, researched, competent, and thorough agents get the clients. Maybe that happens, but I fear more often than not, the agents that over-promised and over-hype land the deals.In a sad way it makes sense -- picture yourself as a 20-year-old headed to the NFL draft deciding who should represent you. One agent hypes you up big time, you are a 2nd round draft pick, teams love you and I’m going to help you get sponsorships and fast cars!Then the next agent says - based on my research, teams will start showing interest in you in the 5th round, but the 6th-7th round is likely. Here are the teams you fit best with, here’s what your contract could look like in those rounds, here’s what these teams fear about you, and here’s what you need to tell them, let’s get prepped for the combine with my team and see if we can’t get you in that 5th round or higher.”You, the prospect, may think -- person B doesn’t believe in me...and therefore pick the human hype machine.This is frustrating, but an understandable cycle. Telling people what they want to hear, is more effective than telling them the truth. Every once in awhile, athletes see through the facade. I’m sure there are hundreds of these examples, but one that comes to mind is Baker Mayfield. Leading up to the 2018 draft Mayfield had a decision to make on an agent.His family was approached by every major agency in the country and many of those agents promising that they could get him drafted No. 1 overall. And according to published reports at the time, this puffery didn’t go over well with the Mayfields.I like this. Their BS meer was on high, knowing what agents can and can’t accomplish. Don’t over commit on things you can’t control, tell me what you really can do for me. Mayfield ended up choosing today’s guest - Jack Mills - an OG of the agency game. Over 50 years in the business, Jack Mills doesn’t have to pump up anyone. He’s represented #1 draft picks before -- Irving Fryar in 1984 and George Rogers in 1981. Heck in 1984 he represented the #1 and #2 pick ...and in 1983 he represented the #2 pick in the draft, a guy you may have heard of Eric Dickerson. The best thing Jack and his son Tom were able to do for Baker, was to be honest...and help him with an overall strategy to the process.

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp, VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast…Prepping for this week’s interview was unlike many of my other weeks. Most of the time I have a pretty good vibe for the person I am going to speak with, their role, their struggles, their big goals - and can lean into that in my question development. But sometimes when you reach outside your comfort zone, it can be quite exhilarating. I’ve made it clear on this show multiple times prior that I am not a gamer. I don’t know the lingo, the leagues, the competitors -- but I am fascinated by the eSports ecosystem and subculture. Not in a - I want to give that a go way - more of a, this thing is huge, fans are dedicated, brands are flocking to it...I want to know why and better understand it. I’ll admit, and my wife will concede, that sometimes I avoid doing things I am afraid to fail at. The challenge of rebuilding our staircase I put off for quite some time because I was afraid to put tons of time and effort into it, and have it look like crap in the end.The challenge of researching and understanding eSports, and booking more guests connected to it, is something I’ve put off because what if at the end of it all, despite all the research and attempts, I come off sounding like an out of touch moron.Our internal monologues protect us from failure, but also sometimes prevent us from trying. Well, thanks to our awesome graphic designer Chris Culp who designs all of the podcast episode artwork for us, he broke me out of my shell without me even knowing it. He basically booked today’s guest and said - “hey I think you should do this” -- panic panic panic. Truth is, I went through my normal routine -- reading articles on the person, videos, background, social profiles and become quickly inspired to ask the questions you’ll hear shortly. What I found stupefying through my research, was the patronizing manner most people of my generation and older, speak to the youthful gaming audience. It’s like this stunned question repeated over and over again “so you can make money playing video games… ha!” or “Did you ever think wasting your youth on video games could work out for you like this?”The implied nature of the questions is that even though you are my guest and I am interviewing you because you are important, I want you to know, i think you are not important. Kind of made me mad. Offended. Ashamed. Funny thing is, I asked today’s guest about it and he couldn’t have been more mature and gracious. Jake Lyon is a 23-year-old retired gamer who played for the Houston Outlaws of the  Overwatch League, and is now part of the Overwatch broadcast team as a caster.  Financial Review called him "the perfect poster-boy for the sport as it tries to dispel the prejudice that computer-gaming is a lonely pursuit of wastrels and slobs" and in July 2018, Lyons was selected as one of two Overwatch League players to attend a summit between the International Olympic Committee and the esports community. He is an ambassador for eSports, a charismatic, mature, well-spoken passionate young man -- who is also our guest this week. Here’s Jake …Questions for Jake Lyon, Overwatch League Caster1: There is so much I want to get into regarding your background and how you got where you are – but before we jump into your story, I’d like to start out by discussing eSports in the current landscape.We keep sharing the quote around our office that “there is opportunity in chaos” – and when I say this out loud, I think this exemplifies eSports.Is esports ‘having a moment’ because it is perfectly suited to thrive in this current environment?2: I saw that the annual competition for the gam...

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning for WorkInSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcastOver the last few weeks I’ve been part of a handful of great webinars sponsored by various schools -- Northwestern, Neumann, IE just to name a few - thanks to all of them for having me and thanks for a great discussion.One pattern that kept coming up was this -- My summer internship has been canceled, and that was a major part of my plan to gain experience, what should I do?This is a really great question and I want to dig into it with some ideas. In these webinar settings, I have to be pretty quick with my points, but in this setting, which I control,  I can expand. First, let’s get specific about an Internship and what it represents. Internships provide a lot of value -- you learn some things, you meet some people, you get exposed to company culture, you start to learn what you like and don’t like career-wise  - all important stuff. So first off, let’s see what we can replicate from what you are missing in the internship.1: What experience were you expecting to get? We can’t recreate what it’s like to be working in the box office on game day, but we can recreate sales techniques, we can learn graphic design, we can learn specific skills.Reach out to your intern contact, tell them you are disappointed but understand and ask f there are specific software or tools, or techniques they use at the organization that you may continue to learn even if not on site. It’s not a 1:1 replacement, but in these times you need to adjust. 2: Meeting people -- well, you don’t get to meet the people face to face at the organization, but you have an in to network with them via social -- we always talk about how you need an angle to network, a reason that connects you to them -- well, it’s pretty clear what this would be. Reach out to people in the organization you were going to intern with via LinkedIn, add a note -- hey I’m Brian I’m a college junior and was going to be interning with your org this summer -- that’s not happening but I still want to get to know and learn from people like you. Once you connect, ask for an informational interview. Employers and sports workers are sympathetic to what you are going through right now and will help you. -- So we can replicate some of the experience, and the networking. Replicating culture or learning more about what you like and don’t like -- we’ll we can’t really replicate that, but information interviews with people you would have been working with can help. Ask some questions in those areas -- how did you figure out this is what you wanted to do? What is the culture like at the organization, and how does that differ from other places you’ve worked. You can learn a lot from asking questions of the right people. Now let’s talk about preparing in the now and some other strategies you can utilize1: If your college has a career center -- lean into it, see if you can set up a virtual meeting with a counselor, and talk through some ways you can make up for the internship experience. They have tools and research available to you!2: Be ready to act quickly -- Usually setting up a summer internship happens in late winter, early spring -- well, things may start to happen fast and opportunities may come up quickly, looking to fill roles. No guarantees here, but if we start to see more sports come back in some ways, and socially distanced workplaces come back to life… they may very well be a quick supply and demand issue for interns. Be ready to move on opportunities quickly. On WorkinSports.com we keep all the sports internship data and opportunities up to date - it’s a great resource for you to stay in the loop on opportunities. You must stay flexible and adapt to these times -- if you see something pop that interests you, go for it,