1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations Podcast

1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations

1-On-1: Sports Business Conversations
Finalist for the Sports Podcast Awards' Best Sports Business Podcast of 2024 In this podcast series, ADC Partners co-founder Dave Almy hosts conversations with sports business professionals who are shaping the future of the industry. With interviews featuring brand representatives, team presidents, sports marketers, and even mascots, the 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast has insights for everyone involved in the sports industry. ADC Partners is a San Francisco Bay Area based agency specializing in sports business, sports marketing and partnerships. More information is at www.adcpartners.com
Brittany Gilman: President & Founder of BG Sports Enterprises and BPOP List
I’ve had a lot of discussions lately about the meaning of the term “grit”. Like what it means, what it’s qualities are, and it’s relative level of importance. You know, things like that. Generally, most people seem to agree that grit is the thing that gives you the ability to respond when life throws you a curveball. The grittier you are, the quicker you bounce back. And let me tell you: this episode’s guest, Brittany Gilman of BG Sports Enterprises and BPOP List, has grit to spare. When her pro snowboarding career was derailed due to injury, she quickly pivoted to become a strength and conditioning coach for major college athletics programs. When she found that work unfulfilling after a couple of years, she joined a sports marketing agency as an intern. After 3 underwhelming months of that, she decided to open up her own agency. Like I said: gritty. In our discussion, we talk about how her competitive background prepared her for those numerous career pivots. We also go into how she continues to grow her business, the advice she has for athletes seeking to build their brands, her recommendations for other would be entrepreneurs , and much more. And, because this was recorded right before NYE, she even provides a NY resolution that EVERYONE should consider.
Jan 2
49 min
Chase Griffin: UCLA Bruin QB & 2x NIL Male Athlete of the Year
Chip Kelly, the Head Coach of the UCLA Bruins football team, once remarked that he wouldn’t be surprised if this episode’s guest Chase Griffin wound up as President of the United States one day. And after getting to spend some time with Chase, I think Coach Kelly’s expectations might actually be a little on the low side. Chase is currently a UCLA QB, and that on its own would be a pretty remarkable accomplishment. But it really just scratches the surface. You see, Chase is among the most successful college athletes in terms of name-image-likeness, the new ability of college athletes to make money marketing products and services. And with over 30 brand and charitable partnerships, Chase is VERY successful. So successful in fact, that he’s TWICE been named NIL Male Athlete of the Year. In our conversation, we talk in depth about both his football and NIL experiences, and what he believes contributes to his remarkable accomplishments in each. We also discuss the advice he shares with other athletes seeking to emulate his success, what he believes the role of universities should be in supporting athletes in NIL, his feelings on sharing media revenue directly with athletes, and much, more more. And in a bit of breaking news, we even talk about possible running mates choices should he ever decide to make that run for President.
Dec 5, 2023
41 min
Alisha Pope: Head of Sponsorship Strategy for MGM Resorts
When Alisha Pope was playing AAU basketball, her teammates would often share dreams about playing in the NBA and WNBA. But not Alisha. She dreamed about being commissioner. And let me tell you, after my conversation with her, I’m thinking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver better watch himself. Alisha kind of represents a perfect storm of how to succeed in sports business. She combined her innate competitiveness, familial support, and insatiable curiosity to examine every nuance and corner of the industry. And after stops at NASCAR, the NBA, WBNA and NCAA, Alisha is now Head of Sports & Sponsorship Strategy at MGM Resorts. In our conversation, we talk about her rise through the sports business ranks and the skills she believes that have been instrumental to her. We also go into her role at MGM, how changes in sports marketing have impacted her priorities, and what she’s most looking forward to when it comes to the future of her industry.
Nov 21, 2023
41 min
Dr Peter Belafsky: Professor of Otolaryngology and Co-Founder of Reflux Gourmet
I know, I know, I know. This is supposed to be a sports business podcast. The focus has always been on talking to people in the industry who are doing cool and interesting things. My challenge, though, is that I meet a lot of people from outside the sports business world who are ALSO up to cool and interesting things. And then my curiosity gets the better of me. Doctor Peter Belafsky is a perfect example of this. The renowned surgeon, inventor and physician is widely recognized as a leader in his specialty of …. Making sure I’m getting this right… Oto-laryngology. I’m told that’s science speak for the ear, nose, and throat. He’s treated kings, famous hip hop artists, athletes, and currently heads up the Voice and Swallowing Center at UC Davis. In our conversation, we’ll get into his origin story to discuss how he became a doctor, how he pursues ideas and innovations that lead to new devices and treatments, the launch of his new product Reflux Gourmet, and advice he has for people suffering from his area of focus, acid reflux. I’ll give you a hint: there’s GREAT news for coffee drinkers. So you’re welcome.
Oct 31, 2023
39 min
Tamzin Barriolhet: Global Sports Marketing for Basketball, Under Armor
At any given time, there are something like 120 categories of business engaged in sports partnerships. And of all those categories of business, I don’t think there’s any as competitive as sports apparel and footwear. It is NOT for the faint of heart. Books have been written and movies have been made about how intense it is. That’s why Tamzin Barriolhet, Under Armor’s Senior Lead for Global Sports Marketing, is so perfect for that industry. Tamzin is a fearsome competitor, a skill she honed on the basketball courts of her native France. After competing at the D1 level in the US and a brief pro career in France, Tamzin turned her eyes to the business side of sports. If you’re guessing that her competitive nature has served her well, you’d be correct. In our conversation, Tamzin and I talk about her early days as a basketball prodigy in France, the transition from playing sports to working in it, her current role at Under Armor, the evolution of the brand’s partnership with global superstar Steph Curry, and how she stays on top of an industry that changes by the minute. Our conversation takes off quicker than a Steph Curry crossover, so brace yourself. And enjoy.
Oct 17, 2023
47 min
Solly Fulp: Executive VP, LEARFIELD
A couple of years ago, the NCAA did something CRAZY. After some legal defeats and legislative challenges, the NCAA finally threw up their hands and started allowing college athletes to make some money by using their name, image, or likeness in different marketing activity. What happened next was a veritable explosion of new companies, brands, brokers, collectives and athletes all trying to gain a toehold and this new and potentially lucrative marketplace. It was, many said, the new Wild West of college sports. Well, if there’s a sheriff in town trying to bring some order to the chaos of NIL, it might just be Learfield’s Executive Vice President Solly Fulp. It’s safe to say college sports is woven deeply into Solly’s DNA. Before landing at Learfield, he was a D1 wrestler at Oregon and later a Deputy Athletic Director at Cal. And it’s those experiences that position him so well to work on both the opportunities and challenges associated with NIL. In this episode, we talk all about those opportunities and challenges, how Learfield is approaching the quickly evolving NIL market, how Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders fits in, and much much more. And, if you stick around long enough, you’ll even learn how depriving yourself of water affects your teeth. You wouldn’t want to miss that, right? Right…?
Oct 3, 2023
43 min
Megan Sheffield: Director of Brand Partnerships, Zappos
Let’s take a second and define the meaning of the word “bananas”. Yes, it’s a yellow fruit you need to take care not to slip on. But that’s not the definition I’m thinking of right now. I’m thinking of the bananas that means “crazy”. “wacky”. “Bonkers”. And so, with that definition in mind, you know what’s truly bananas? Pitching an extensive partnership with the Savanah Bananas, a sports property that didn’t even do sponsorship, to a brand you don’t even work for. But that’s exactly what Megan Sheffield, now Director of Brand Partnerships for Zappos, did. And the result is Zappos incredible partnership with the social media darling Savannah Bananas and their World Tour. If you’re not familiar with either Zappos or the Bananas, my conversation with Megan will get you up to speed. It’s hard to imagine a better fit between two organizations, and Megan was the first to see it. We talk about that moment of “aha!” when she first encountered the world’s most irreverent sports team, what the Bananas understand about the future of sports and entertainment, and what lessons teams and leagues can learn from their partnership. So settle in, listen up, and let’s go bananas. And Zappos.
Sep 12, 2023
41 min
Yao Williams: VP of Global Partnerships, ESL FACEIT Group
You may think you’ll do anything to close a sports marketing partnership, but how about eating bullfrog soup? That’s what this episode’s guest Yao Williams did once. (Yes, just the once). Currently the VP of Global Partnerships for eSports juggernaut ESL FACEIT Group, Yao’s path through the sports business world has been a remarkable one. He started out like so many of us do in this industry: in ticket sales. But his unique blend of grit, competitiveness, and thoughtfulness is what has put him at the center of one of the most dynamic parts of this industry today. In this episode, Yao and I talk about his origin story in sports business, and the skill sets he employed to aid his rise. We discuss how those same skill sets helped him succeed in China, a country he’d never visited or had any language skills. We also review the state of the ever shifting eSports business, and where he sees that industry headed. Oh, and he provides some tips on what to do if ever served that steaming helping of bullfrog soup. So bon appetit.
Jul 25, 2023
39 min
Joe De Sena: Founder and CEO, The Spartan Race
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Joe De Sena thinks you’re soft. And he wants you to suffer. In fairness, the founder and CEO of the obstacle competition empire Spartan Race thinks just about everyone is soft and can benefit from some suffering. Because he believes it’s in those moments, when you’re exhausted and at what you think are your limits? That’s where real personal transformation occurs, and the tightest possible bonds are formed. It's for those reasons, that Joe and Spartan Race are on a mission to change 100 million lives. In our conversation, we talk about his own personal transformation, the twists and turns of making Spartan Race the global brand it is today, the challenges of running and events based business coming out of a pandemic, and where things head from here. And why that may or may not include bears.
Jul 5, 2023
22 min
Dr Darin White: Exec Director, Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University
Lets start with a tortured analogy: using data and analytics is a little like going to the gym. You know it’s important and good for you, but MAN can it be hard to get started. No one knows this better than Dr Darin White, the Executive Director of the Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University in Birmingham AL. In his role, Dr White has created THE leading sports analytics program in the nation. But it’s not your typical ivory tower stuff. Far from it. Dr White and his students are working with sports teams and big sports marketing brands to make the best use of the oceans of data that surround them. The result has produced measurable results for everyone involved in these partnerships. In our conversation, we talk about the evolution of sports marketing from being a CEO’s plaything to an integral part of the marketing mix, how that evolution has placed new demands on teams and brands, and why the effective use of data and analytics is now critical to sports marketing partnerships. You can also calm down because he explains why Artificial Intelligence isn’t coming for your job. Yet.
Jun 20, 2023
39 min
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