Advice from 14 Executives to Build Your Career in Sports
From deep in our video archives, all the way to our most recent uploads, we have some of the best sports and entertainment business insights. We have a little bit of everything:
- Skills to help you stand out
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion insights
- Adjusting due to the pandemic
- … and many more!
We’re excited to share with you a few of our favorite and most popular videos.
Toolkit for Success in Sports
Success in the sports business requires a complex set of skills. Here is some advice from executives on our platform to help you build your toolkit for success in sports & entertainment:
1/ Hiring Best Practices from Bernie Mullin — One of TeamWork’s earliest YouTube posts was in February of 2012 with Bernie Mullin, Chairman and Founder of The Aspire Group Inc., which specializes in Consulting, Ticket Sales, and Partnership Services. He shared his company’s model for hiring great people, which is based on an acronym called WHOPP. Any guesses on what it means? Watch and find out!
2/ Important Qualities for Success from Chad Estis — Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Dallas Cowboys & Legends, spoke about some of the attributes that he possesses that have set him apart and won him great career opportunities with the NFL, NBA, and NHL.
3/ What NOT to do in an Entry-Level Role from Michelle Qualls — She is the Manager of Enterprise Client Development at Spectrum Reach and has held other roles in the sports business. In this video, she shares the skills that have helped her thrive in her career and also speaks about what interns and entry-level hires should NOT do.
4/ Importance of Communicating Enthusiastically from Bobby Goldwater — President of The Goldwater Group. The trait he believes has benefitted him most in his career.
Advice for Job Seekers:
The job search process can be a complicated maze for a job seeker. Learning the best ways to navigate the maze can make the difference to land your dream job. Here is some advice for job seekers:
5/ How Networking Can Lead to a Job from Adam Vogel — He’s currently the Vice President of Ticket Sales with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In this video, Adam was the Director of Inside Sales for the New York Mets, and he talks about the importance of networking at career fairs/events, seeking out industry leaders, as well as hiring workshops as keys to landing a job in sports.
6/ Interview Best Practices from John Ferguson — One of TeamWork’s most frequented guests, John Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer for NASCAR. He was also part of the People & Culture executive team with Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Here he talks about things candidates should always be aware of during a job interview.
7/ A Day In the Life of an NBA Executive from Jonathan Tillman — Senior VP of Team Marketing Business Operations for the NBA, has worked in other sports leagues as well (MLB, NHL). He uniquely brings us through life in the league office and discusses how he approaches his many roles as an advisor to teams.
Advise from Women
Over the years, we have connected with many of the women who are breaking barriers and are moving the industry forward. Here are some of the best:
8/ Keeping an Open Mind in Your Career from Meredith Scerba — Another one of our most frequent visitors has been Meredith Scerba. She has held roles all over sports and entertainment. Now serving as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs for the University of South Florida, she has also held roles with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, World Rowing Championships, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2016, she shared how keeping an open mind allowed her to flourish.
9/ Learn from Peers in the Industry from Melissa Hobley — She is now the Global Chief Marketing Officer for the dating app OkCupid and is formerly the VP of Marketing for ticketing site ShooWin (now SI Tix). Hobley shares how to ask for insights from those in the industry, as she first started to do so with alumni from her alma mater, Fordham University. She also talks about how sharing your story is important, even if it takes you outside the realm of your work experience.
10/ How to Navigate a Non-traditional Career Path in Sports from Wendy Ross — Former VP of Consumer Marketing for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Wendy Ross has also held senior-level positions in the NFL (Washington Commanders) and NBA (Cleveland Cavaliers). She talked about making her way up through a non-traditional path, even as a former collegiate athlete.
Culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion
TeamWork is changing the face of the sports business by supporting the next generation of sports executives. Here are some insights on the changing landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry:
11/ How DEI Efforts Have Evolved in 2021 with Isabella Guedes — Sacramento River Cats Human Resources Director Isabella Guedes was a part of TeamWork’s Diversity and Inclusion panel in 2021. She discussed the DEI efforts the Minor League baseball club has brought forward, from staff training to the involvement of team owner Susan Savage.
12/ How USA Swimming Increased Diversity from President & CEO Tim Hinchey — He did not shy away from the lack of diversity within his organization and sport. Hinchey spoke with TeamWork Online Founder Buffy Fillipell about how USA Swimming has changed its ways, as diverse swimmers went from 12% in 2014 to roughly 20% in 2020.
“We have some folks who are from different backgrounds, different colors. But again, it doesn’t look like the United States right now, our organization does not. That’s something that we’ve talked about as a leadership team … we’re making progress, but I think like everywhere right now, it’s something that has to be intentional. I’m proud of what we’ve done from a gender perspective, but this is the next priority,” Hinchey said (2020).
13/ How to Grow Diversity in a Non-Diverse Region from Terry Prentice — is the Senior Associate Athletics Director of Athlete Brand Development & Inclusive Excellence at the University of Arkansas. Formerly the Associate Athletic Director/Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the University of Kansas. In this video, he talks about his time in Kansas and the challenges of building a diverse college athletic department in a historically non-diverse region.
14/ DEI Positions in Sports from Kevin Clayton — He has been creating new DEI avenues since joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019, and he is now the Senior Vice President as the Head of Social Impact and Equity. Clayton talked about the urge for DEI positions within organizations and how teams need to get creative to incorporate them.
Come back for more!
As the leading hiring partner for 1200+ premium organizations in sports & entertainment, we have insights and guidance from leading figures across the industry.
We will be back for more guidance and insights from our partners on how to navigate the changing landscape in sports.
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