Build It

Zac joins John and Nik, along with special guest interrogator Andy ,to discuss his work in North Carolina soccer, and in particular his efforts with Mountains To Sea FC.

This episode features an interview with Larry and Jacob Amon, who are launching a new club in the Maryland-Delaware region. They discuss their personal soccer backgrounds, the challenges of establishing a club in a less populated area with limited existing opportunities, and their strategies for securing funding, finding a venue, and building a strong community presence. The conversation also touc...

This podcast features an interview with Dan Carl, director of the DKCU Academy and coach of our successful women's soccer team. Carl discusses his coaching philosophy, which emphasizes building team chemistry and a positive environment to reduce pressure, and foster player development and growth. He also describes the academy's structure, its connection to the adult team, and the pathway it provid...

AnswerIn this episode of the Build It podcast, host John Hall welcomes Shannon Bohn, the Media and Community Relations Coordinator for Orthodontic Experts. They delve into the organization's mission of community engagement and educational outreach, which has been pivotal in their growth from one clinic to 26 across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana over the past 12 years. Shannon shares insights in...

In this episode, hosts Nik Myles and John Hall discuss the past season's performance of their soccer club, DKCU, and share their plans for the upcoming year. They cover topics like the men's and women's team results, the impact of relegation, fan engagement efforts, and the club's growth strategy moving forward. The hosts reflect on DKCU's journey so far and outline their key priorities and approa...

The podcast discusses building value for long-term success through emotional connections, market research, and branding. Dave, John and Nik decode pricing strategies and fan reactions, optimizing ticket prices for events. Insights on enhancing ticket value perception and strategies for season ticket sales are also explored, along with casual banter and a soccer club startup advertisement. 3 Takeaw...

A conversation between John and Andrew Grum. They discuss Andrew's background, his internship experiences with Dekalb County United and the minor league baseball team, Kane County Cougars. We hear about: Andrew's interest in sports, sales, and providing good fan/community experiences Differences between the casual, volunteer-based soccer club structure and the more corporate structure of m...

Sarah Levinger, a Consumer Behavior Strategist, discusses the power of perspective and long-term brand building, the importance of connections and attentional bias, the psychology of marketing and branding, understanding generational differences in marketing, and expanding the market and creating a different experience. She might also be a lunatic, in the most wonderful way. Big shout out to our s...

Zach Fisher joined us to talk about Year 2 with AFC Colombia, their merger with Missouri Reign, and the Midwest Premier League's announcement of intention to move toward a tiered structure https://afccomo.com/afc-columbia-and-missouri-reign-announce-merger-to-elevate-soccer-in-mid-missouri/ https://midwestpl.com/2030-plan-the-mwpl-announces-new-league-vision/

Introducing a New Soccer Franchise in Aurora, Illinois The podcast episode features an interview with the founders of Riverlight, a new soccer franchise in Aurora, Illinois. The founders discuss their soccer backgrounds and their goal of bringing a new USL team to the area. They explain that Aurora was chosen as the location due to its large population center and the presence of a strong youth soc...

Join Nik & John in conversation with Chicago soccer stalwart and pioneer of walking soccer, George Gorecki. The gents talk through George's time with his club, as part of Chicago's storied National Soccer League, and the merger with the Metropolitan Soccer League, before diving into the exciting world of walking soccer. You'll get the history, the growth, and the possibilities, all...

In this episode, hosts Nik and John are joined by special guest Jimmie Martin, host of the Bluegrass Soccercast podcast. The three dive into the Kentucky soccer scene, discussing the pro, semi-pro, amateur, and college teams in the state. Jimmie provides an overview of the different leagues and clubs, including Louisville City FC, Lexington Sporting Club, and Bowling Green FC. They compare the fan...

In this episode, we speak with Brad Seymour, President of the Windy City Bulls, the G League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls. Brad shares his insights on running a successful minor league basketball franchise, including how they approach ticket sales, promotions, partnerships, and creating a great fan experience. Key topics discussed: Brad's career path from baseball to basketball, and his phil...

Founder and managing director of Harpost Football Club, Johnny Freeston is our guest today as we discuss the club's history and its success. We touch on the challenges of running the club daily and the secret sources for its success. Freeston, who has led the club to over a dozen trophies and championships, emphasizes the club's goal of fostering community and providing opportunities for p...

John and Nik catch up after the season ends, talking about the highlights from this past year. The club had record fundraising, killer attendance, and some big wins against rival clubs when they were the home team. But they struggled to keep that energy going for away games. They talk about how they really need to actively invite and pump people up to come out each week, rather than just assuming...

The only way you stand out is to be different.

In this edition of the Build It podcast, Bruce Bodie joins us discuss Bruce’s impressive background as a soccer player, referee, and event producer. Bruce is the co-founder of the Illinois Referee Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting and training referees in the state. The hosts also dive into Bruce’s new role as the Executive Director with the United States Adult Soccer Association a...

Javi Bautista was a college soccer player at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. During his sophomore year, he realized that coaching was going to be what he wanted to do full-time. Nik and John welcomed him to the Buildit Podcast to discuss his brand, presentation, and why he chose to focus on certain things.  Javi explained that he has been passionate about soccer ever since he can remembe...

Jonathan Rednour is the President and CEO of Crescent City Football Club and Vice President of operations for the Gulf Coast Premier League. He talks about his passion for soccer and how he got into promoting and developing the sport in the greater New Orleans area. He and John discussed the challenges they face in their local regions, and both agreed that grassroots level clubs are the best way t...

John, and Nik speak with Joe about their preparations for the upcoming soccer season, discussing their progress and plans to create an amazing experience for players and fans alike. Nik, the marketing team leader, has been busy generating interest in the club through Twitter, podcasts, and photo shoots, and emphasizes the importance of community involvement. With 19 players returning and local kid...

Exploring Entrepreneurial Growth Through Community Engagement Nik and John interview Troy Talaga, the owner of Realize Athletics, a sports performance facility in DeKalb, Illinois, which caters to ages six to twenty-six, and discuss the importance of injury prevention and sports performance. During the interview, John explains their partnership with Troy's organization, which was built on a shared...

Christos SC Sporting Director Larry Sancombe: A History of Soccer Success Christos FC is a semi-professional soccer club based in Baltimore, Maryland. The club was founded in 1984 by a group of local players who wanted to continue playing at a high level after their college careers ended. Christos FC has won seven Maryland Major Soccer League titles, three USA SA National Amateur Cup titles, and t...

Fanbase is a new app designed to help with marketing and media for lower league clubs. We discuss why Ali and his team decided to create the app and how it can be used by clubs at our level to level up marketing and media content.  John, Nik and Ali discuss how the tool can help sports teams with ticketing, memberships, communications, and data management. Crawley explains that the tool is me...

Nik and Neil talked about the digital and social media sports podcast and how it is a catch little title. Neil is always up of the mindset to that as they learn what they are learning. Neil talked about the podcast and how it allows them to reach out to people they admire and wants to meet. Neil talked about the pain of asking for podcast numbers and said that every time someone says they listen t...

Rosevelt soccer club have humble roots and lofty ambitions. From a seed of an idea borne from travels in Iceland, John Morgan has earned his stripes coaching youth soccer in all manner of places, before starting up his own club in Gorham, Maine, 30 minutes outside of Portland. Disillusioned with the exclusive nature of local youth operations, John has worked tirelessly to grow his club to nearly 2...