I am lucky. Through social media, conversations digital and IRL, and through the grace of the inter-webs, I have connected with so many incredible people in the sports business community. Too many to count or ever list.
But among all these success stories, they all have something in common.
They did something
It’s easy to say you want to work in sports business. It’s good to take the best classes and enroll in the best programs. It’s admirable to read up on the latest trends and watch for best practices. But there comes a time to inquire and ask – 1) Are you really seizing upon all the opportunities around you? and [related] 2) What are you doing to stand out from the crowd? From the piles of resumes bound for every employer in sports business with even the most menial of job openings.
We’re all surrounded by opportunities, particularly college students. There are athletics departments, local teams of the minor or major variety across a spectrum of sports, there are countless ways to contribute and stand out online, there are organizations and events with which to help or volunteer. That’s what these impressive friends in the sports business community have done…
They started writing for prominent online publications (shout-out @markjburns88, @p_mcclellan, among others), they learned/networked/started conversations/sought to spread knowledge (so many – @WarJessEagle, @Caleb_Mezzy, @PeterStringer, @Tariq_Ahmad, and so many more), they proactively got involved with their college athletics programs and turned that into a career (kudos to @gracehoy, @studrew1, @samanthahughey, @kseay5, @kmosier42, and many others!), they found their passion and connected with others to create something around it (great work, @taylorhbloom and @sporttechie, @JStein209, @briangainor, and more!), they produced content to get their work out there (shout-out @WFNYJacob, @SportsTao, and many more great ones), and they got involved with the sports teams and organizations around them to gain experience and make connections (kudos to @NeetaSreekanth, @AJManderichio, @KatieCavender, and many more!)…
There is no secret to success. There is a clear line of separation between dreamers and doers. Which one do you want to be?
