Dr. Dan Rascher has been involved in legal cases involving the NCAA and athletes rights rights since the mid-90s. In this podcast episode, Dr Rascher reviews the recent Supreme Court decision involving the NCAA, which struck down the NCAA's description of amateurism and throws open the doors to compensating athletes more broadly. We discuss the immediate implications, who stands to benefit, and whether or not this means the end of the NCAA.

Reviewing the Supreme Court's Verdict Against the NCAA with Sports Economist Dan Rascher

What do actress Natalie Portman, soccer legend Abby Wambach, and this episode's guest Jessica Smith all have in common?  They're all playing key roles in the launch of Angel City FC, the newest franchise in the National Women's Soccer League. 

As Head of Revenue, Jess is responsible for all forms of Club income. In this podcast, we hone in the role of sponsorship, and how ACFC's powerful story is drawing big name brands like doordash, Heineken, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Jane Walker to the team.

Inspiring and Upbeat Music

Jessica Smith, Head of Revenue for Angel City FC

It’s been a crazy few months for college sports: Name-Image-Likeness, more conference re-alignment, football stadiums are full again. From his perch as the SVP of Integrated Partnerships at the Pac-12 Network, David Perry has a unique look into what’s going on and how corporate partners are responding.

HotShot

David Perry, SVP of Integrated Partnerships @ Pac-12 Networks

Jeff Yocom has been involved in executive recruiting for sports businesses for over 20 years, so if you've ever thought about getting a job in sports, or needed to hire someone for an industry job, you really need to listen. We also discuss how he started Marquee Search, what led to its acquisition by SRI, and whether or not meteorologists are purposefully trying to terrify us.

Jeff Yocom, Partner at SRI

Megan Eisenhard began her sports business career working at the bottom of football stadium stairwell. 

From those humble beginnings, Megan's rise through the college sports ranks has been remarkable. Now a Senior Vice President at LEAFIELD, the largest media and technology company serving college sports, Megan now oversees an ever expanding portfolio of products, services, and partnerships.

In our conversation, we talk about her career journey, her outlook on college sports, women in sports she admires, and what continues to energize her about the industry she's been working in for over 20 years .

Megan Eisenhard, Senior Vice President, LEARFIELD

It’s safe to say that we’ve arrived at something of an inflection point for women’s sports. NWSL games are selling out. The WNBA just turned 25. US women’s soccer recently secured pay equity with the men. The KC Current are building the first women’s soccer-specific venue. And on and on.
 
Women’s sports are generating more attention (and more revenue) than ever before.

And no brand is perhaps better positioned to take advantage of this momentum that women’s sportswear brand Athleta. 

In this episode, we connect with Jen Rottenberg, Athleta’s Head of Partnerships, to discuss the brand’s approach to sports marketing. 

We dive into their partnerships with Simone Biles and Alison Felix and what makes them so impactful, why partnership depth is better than breadth, and what she’s looking for in new opportunities.

Hot Shot

Jen Rottenberg, Head of Partnerships, Athleta

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. "

That little pearl of Aristotelian wisdom is probably one of the most frequently used (or overused) phrases in the business world. But the meaning can be a little opaque at times. 

Well, unless you’re Jason Oberlander, the Chief Commercial Officer for ASM Global. He knows exactly what it means. 

You see, Jason is charged with generating commercial activity for ASM’s network of over 350 stadiums, arenas, convention centers and other facilities located around the world. Driving revenue is increasingly tied to constructing a single platform for his partners from all those different parts. 

In our conversation, Jason and I talk about how ASM plans to accomplish that lofty goal, lessons learned from the COVID era, what goes into developing a great partnership, and much more. You’ll even get a little French lesson.

Jason Oberlander: Chief Commercial Officer, ASM Global

How do athletes feel when their time as a competitor seems over? When the last fan leaves the stadium and the lights go out for the what might be the final time?

For British Olympian Margie Pedder, the period that followed competing in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney Australia was a bit uncertain. After training so hard for that singular goal, she found that what came next presented it’s own, somewhat unexpected challenges. 

Fortunately, the resiliency she’d honed in years of intense competition paid off in other ways. She moved the US, swam competitively for USC, got her degree,  and ultimately landed in the role she occupies today: leading Visa’s partnership efforts with the NFL. 

In this episode, Margie and I talk about her path the to the Olympics, the challenges associated with making the transition from the sports world to the Business world, and what makes Visa so effective with their sports marketing efforts.

Margie Pedder: Sr Director of Global Partnerships, Visa

Here's a little secret: high school football is a really big deal in Texas.
 
OK, maybe that’s not that much of a secret, what with the whole Friday Night Lights thing. But still: it’s a really REALLY big deal. 

And no one knows that more that Rudy Klancnick, the VP of Sales for Sports in Action. In his role, Rudy creates partnerships for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, a brand that may be more Texas than the Dallas Cowboys, Dr Pepper and What A Burger all rolled up into one. 

We talk about the unique opportunities and challenges associated with developing partnerships at the HS level, the essential role that authenticity plays in that, and the amazing legacy of Dave Campbell, a true Texas legend.

Rudy Klancnik: VP of Sales and Marketing, Sports in Action

Trying to stay on top of the Name-Image-Likeness market for college athletes is just brutal. That marketplace is more complex than reading Shakespeare in ancient Greek while juggling on 1 foot. 

I suppose it takes someone like Lyle Adams, the CEO of Spry, to not only make sense of it all, but to build a product that can help others make sense of it all, too.  

A former D1 college soccer player, Adams knows first hand the hurdles that NIL and it’s ever changing rules and regulations present to athletes and administrators. As a problem solver who was an early Uber employee, he also saw how technology can help remove these same obstacles.

In our conversation, Lyle and I talk about the creation of his company Spry, his soccer career, his transition from being an athlete to working for technology start ups, and where he sees both the opportunities and challenges for name image likeness. 

He’ll also reveal why your most interesting Uber ride will probably never match his.

Lyle Adams: CEO of Spry

When I ask you what the most dominant sports league in the US is, I suspect you’d probably say the NFL. And if I asked what sports agency more or less created sports marketing, you’d probably say IMG. How about the  world’s biggest sportswear brand? Nike, right?

And what do all these blue chip sports businesses have in common? They all hired this episode’s guest, Marc Reeves at one point or another.

Throughout his career, Marc has been almost unerringly “in the room where it happened’. Whether it’s at the start  of the NFL’s International strategy to place a team in London by the middle of this decade, or Nike’s decision to make Colin Kaepernick the iconic face of the 30th anniversary “Just do it” campaign, Marc has both been there and done that. 

In this episode, we talk about these and other standout moments of Marc’s fascinating sports business experiences. We’ll also dive into his latest ventures, including his new role as Head of Global Partnerships for live event discovery platform. Fever. 

And if you hear Marc’s family in the background of this episode, it’s only because it was 6a in Australia, and everyone was getting ready for school. What can I say: The man is busy!

Marc Reeves: Head of Global Partnerships, Fever

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.

Dr Darin White: Exec Director, Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University

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.

Joe De Sena: Founder and CEO, The Spartan Race

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.

Yao Williams: VP of Global Partnerships, ESL FACEIT Group

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.

Megan Sheffield: Director of Brand Partnerships, Zappos

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…?

Solly Fulp: Executive VP, LEARFIELD

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.

Tamzin Barriolhet: Global Sports Marketing for Basketball, Under Armor

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.

Dr Peter Belafsky: Professor of Otolaryngology and Co-Founder of Reflux Gourmet

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.

Alisha Pope: Head of Sponsorship Strategy for MGM Resorts

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.

Chase Griffin: UCLA Bruin QB & 2x NIL Male Athlete of the Year

Do me a favor: close your eyes and picture the most famous sports and entertainment venues that have been built over, say, the last 40 years. I bet some of the places that come to mind are stadiums like Camden Yards in Baltimore, Oracle Park in SF, Tottenham Hot Spur Stadium in London or even the Sphere in Las Vegas. 

One thing they all have in common? They were all designed by Populous, the most legendary sports and entertainment architecture firm in the world. 

Populous is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, and my guest, Populous Sr Principal Brian Mirakian, is celebrating his 20th year with the iconic firm. 

In our wide ranging conversation, Brian and I talk about the evolution of stadium design, and how it changes to address the wants and needs of the modern fan. We also talk about the importance of physical spaces in an increasingly virtual world, balancing design for different types of fans, and the rise of eSports specific design. The Kansas City resident also has thoughts on how much credit Taylor Swift should get for the Chiefs’ latest NFL playoff run. 

All this, and the legendry Reflux Gourmet Lightning Round at the end, too. Thanks for listening!

Brian Mirakian: Senior Principal, Populous

Let’s get one thing out of the way, right off the bat: sports and “purpose” have always been intertwined. For all the moaning from the “shut up and dribble” crowd, athletes and sports have ALWAYS provided a platform to shine a light on the issues of the day. 

Think about it. Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics. Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in Mexico City. Billie Jean King’s match with Bobby Riggs. Yes, of course, these were sporting events. But in the end, they were So. Much More. And the images and memories of those events are indelible because of it.
 
That intersection of sports and purpose is where this episode’s guest Brianna Salvatore Dueck lives. As Head of Strategy for 17 Sport, she’s helping brands and sports properties realize the true potential of their partnerships by ensuring that “purpose” is front and center. 

In this episode, Brianna and I talk about her work at 17 Sport, and the path she took to get there. We touch on what goes into crafting effective, purpose driven campaigns, why they’re no longer a luxury, and even how they can be measured. The former D1 hoops player even shares her go to shot for beating her 6’ 8” husband in HORSE.

Brianna Salvatore Dueck: Head of Strategy, 17 Sport

Back in the day, if you wanted to call yourself a sports team owner, one of 2 things had to happen. You either had to be born into a crazy rich family that already owned a team, or you had to make a fortune somewhere else and buy the team from one of those previously mentioned crazy rich families. 

But my guest in this episode, Christopher Zook, wants you to know that’s not necessarily the case anymore. 

Here’s the deal.

Christopher is the Founder and CIO of CAZ Investments, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. He’s also just written a book with legendary leadership guru Tony Robbins called "The Holy Grail of Investing". 

The book feature interviews with some of the world's most prolific and successful investors, and reveals the secrets behind their successes, their challenges, and (perhaps most interestingly) where they’re looking for their next wins. And, as it turns out, one of those places in professional sports ownership. 

In our conversation, Christopher and I talk about how professional sports first got on his radar as an investment opportunity. He also goes into what he’s anticipating for the growth of sports businesses, and how smart investors can position themselves to take advantage of pro sports.

Christopher Zook: Chairman of CAZ Investments & co-author of "The Holy Grail of Investing"

Imagine, for a moment, what goes into launching a new business. Think about it. All the excitement, stress, time, details, ideas, and millions of other  unknown hurdles that can’t be planned for or strategized about. And when you think about all that, who would you turn to for  help?

Does your sibling spring to mind?

For Mather Wiswall and Ruby George, the sibling founders of the United Grid League, that’s exactly what happened.  

I had chance speak with Mather and Ruby about the UGL and the rapidly growing sport of Grid. We go into the twists and turns involved with running your own sports league, what keeps them up at night, and what gets them most excited about where the sport is headed.  

And yes, we go into what it’s like to run a business with a sibling, and what they’ve learned about each other (and themselves) along the way.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Ruby George & Mather Wiswall: Founders of the United Grid League

If you have kids who play sports, you know all too well the special kind of crazy that brings to the household. When my 3 kids were younger they tried just about everything: lacrosse, tennis, golf, baseball, ice hockey, basketball, irish dance, football, volleyball…. I think I got everything…. Anyway, suffice it to say it could get a little chaotic. 

And like a lot of sports parents, an app named TeamSnap was part of our every day lives. I suspect a lot of you listening have it on your phones, too, because it helps bring some order to that chaos. 

And that right there brings a smile to the face of this episodes guest, Peter Frintzilas, the CEO of TeamSnap.

Frintzilas joined TeamSnap in 2020, when we were in the midst of a pandemic and youth sports effectively ground to a halt. For most people, that would have made joining the company a kind of a non-starter, right? Oh, our entire audience has more or less evaporated? Yeaaaaah, no.

But not Frintzilas. He saw the opportunity to put TeamSnap at the center of a youth sports industry that by some measures might be worth $60 billion annually in the near future.

In our conversation, Pete and I talk about the growth of youth sports, how he first encountered TeamSnap, how recent acquisitions are performing, how he sees the youth sports market evolving, and most importantly how he sees his company taking advantage of it. He also reveals how he got his start in movies (turns out being able to remember your lines is pretty key…)


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Peter Frintzilas: CEO of TeamSnap

If you’re in this industry, you know that Sports business is a really dynamic industry. Change is happening all the time. New trends emerge, different technologies are adopted, audience tastes change on what seems like a minute-by-minute basis… it can be a lot.  

And nowhere is this more true than in college sports, particularly in terms of name-image-likeness, or NIL. In the last couple of years, the ability of college athletes to make money promoting products and services has fundamentally and (to the consternation of some) irreversible reshaped college sports. Everyone seems to have an opinion about it. And, let’s be clear:  lots of those opinions are from people who aren’t, or never were, college athletes.

So let’s change that up and hear from my guest, Sabrina Oostburg. Sabrina is currently enrolled at Belmont College in Nashville Tennessee, a small school you probably never heard of. She competes in track and field throwing events like the hammer toss, and event you’ve most likely never seen. 

Yet somehow Sabrina, competing in an esoteric sport for a little-known school, is an incredibly successful NIL athlete. She’s currently managing a stable of over 20 NIL deals, many of which she pitched, negotiated and developed herself.

In our chat, we talk about her NIL journey, and the advice she gives other athletes wanting to replicate her success. She reveals what brands should consider to make their NIL campaigns more successful, her perspective on what makes an athlete Creator different from an Influencer, and what concerns her about the future of NIL. 

She’ll also reveal the name of the YouTube video that fundamentally and forever changed her life.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Sabrina Oostburg: Division 1 Athlete & Athlete Creator

This episode’s guest is probably going to make you feel like a slacker. In fairness though? Bonnie-Jill Laflin can make just about everyone feel that way. Santa Claus on Christmas Eve looks like a lay-a-bout compared to Bonnie Jill. 


We’ll get into her many MANY roles during our chat, but I will say that the first (and still only ) female NBA scout recently added another experience to her already poly-hyphenated career: author. 


Bonnie Jill’s new book, “In a League of Her Own” is a testament to the many female “firsts”  in sports and sports business. In it she features insights and interviews with iconic figures like Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, and Jackie Joyner Kersee. 


In our conversation, we talk about Bonnie Jill’s remarkable sports journey, the common threads she saw in the women she interviewed for the book, and even what she learned about herself while writing it.  We’ll also find out if she’s a ninja. Her answer probably won’t surprise you…


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Bonnie-Jill Laflin: Author of "In a League of Her Own"

As we get started on this episode, I want you to take a second and think about the qualities that define you. What are the different things that make you… you? Do you love those qualities? Or are they something you feel like you need to battle?


For my guest Ryan Neiswender, it took time for him to learn to love the quality he hated most about himself. But when he did, he reached the loftiest heights an athlete can reach.


Ryan was born with Arthrogryposis, a rare condition that impacted the development of his legs. By the age of 8, he would need to use a wheelchair to get around. But rather than feel constrained by his chair, Ryan felt he could move effortlessly. 


Then one day his parents took the sports obsessed Ryan to a nearby wheel chair basketball clinic, and the rest is history. Actual literal history, because Ryan went on to not only excel at the sport, he ended up winning a gold medal for Team USA at the 2020 Paralympic games in Tokyo. 


In our conversation we talk at length about Ryan’s journey and what he’s learned about himself along the way. We go into the highs of winning a gold medal, and more recent lows associated with the sport. But most importantly, we talk about the mindset and strategies he’s developed that prepare him to deal with those emotional peaks and valleys.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 


Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Ryan Neiswender: Team USA Gold Medalist in Wheelchair Basketball

From the outside looking in, working in sports can seem a little glamourous, I suppose. You know what I mean. Multi-billion dollar media rights deals. Major events located in sparkling new stadiums in global capitals around the world. New companies focused on delivering sports in totally different ways mushrooming up all over the place. Yeah, seems pretty sexy. 


But the success of everything I just described rests on the back of the two things that are absolutely indispensable in sports business: the humble event ticket and the ability to sell that humble event ticket. 

And few people know more about the importance of those t
wo things than my guest in this episode, Travis Apple, the Chief Revenue Officer of digital ticketing platform Logitix. 


Travis has spent his working life honing the craft of ticket sales for teams in the NBA, MLB, NHL and more. Now with Logitix, he’s taking that knowledge and combining it with new tools that make sure teams are getting the absolute most revenue from their ticketing programs. 


In our conversation, Travis talks about his career arc, and drops some legendary industry names that have mentored him along the way. He touches on the transition from working FOR  sports to working WITH sports at Logitix, and how that company is altering the ticketing market. He also takes time to drop more essential sales wisdom than any 35 minute podcast should have.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Travis Apple: Chief Revenue Officer, Logitix

There’s been so much change so quickly in sports business that there’s a bunch of stuff that seems normal now that I wouldn’t have even believed possible just 10 years ago. Paying college athletes. Watching games on your phone. Pro teams in Vegas. 


And there’s online gaming, a market that is currently estimated at about $10B a year, and is projected to grow by 12% annually through the end of this decade.


That kind of growth is what puts a gleam in the eye of this episodes guest, Kyle Christensen, the Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer of Splash, Inc. 


With a rapidly growing user base that recently surpassed 2 million, Splash is turning heads in the online gaming industry with a social approach to their contests. It’s a strategy that falls right in the wheelhouse for Christensen, a veteran of the entertainment and social media industries.  


In our conversation, we talk about how his experiences at companies like Warner Brothers, Meta and Netflix prepared him for taking the reins at Splash. We also go into how Splash is differentiating themselves from the industry’s biggest players, what draws him to companies that like to throw bricks through the windows of the status quo, and why maybe breaking down that firewall between personal and business is a good idea. 


And if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to incur the wrath of hard core comic book fans, he’ll let you know what that’s like, too. 


Just a heads up, there’s some explicit language in this episode.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. 

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners

YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Kyle Christensen: CRO & CMO for Splash, Inc

Winner of Sports Podcast Awards' Best Sports Business Podcast of 2024: Silver Medal.

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

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