Tao of Sports Podcast

NASCAR has few tracks that stand up to the legendary status of Talladega, which in racing lore may also be cursed in the minds of some drivers and racing fans. Josh Harris discusses how to sell a massive track in the Deep South, especially when all eyes go on one of the centerpieces in the state of Alabama annually. Not just for racing, but for tailgating culture, which can extend two entire weeks...

When it comes to corporate sponsorship activation, having a shorthand with sports franchises can be a key asset. Ben Shapiro relates back to his experience at selling The Golden State Warriors, first in the ticket sales office, before rising in the ranks to the executive vice president level overseeing corporate partnership revenue streams. Shapiro discusses where his company, PIVOT, can help orga...

For 12 of the last 15 years, Jim McNamara has been part of the Lakewood BlueClaw's success in leading in the South Atlantic League in attendance amid all fellow Single A clubs. McNamara discusses his start, as a Group Sales Assistant with the BlueClaws, and rising through the ranks, until serving at his current position as the Vice President of Ticket Sales for the past 2 seasons. McNamara talks a...

Morris White III has his second stint on the podcast (Ep. 190), and has a new title at a new university to talk about. White discusses some of the nuances of his position at North Illinois University, as well as ways to promote the various fan experience options available to fans. White talks about the BDSE, which is part of the National Sports Forum, and how mentoring a diverse group of administr...

Every sports league in the United States should be vastly concerned about the elimination of physical activity hours in the nation's schools. It is not just a matter of obesity, but also of whether that lack of participation will eliminate the interest level and become a lost generation of fans. Christy Keswick isn't alone in trying to address the issue, but her company Good Sports has made stride...

The Fort Wayne Tin Caps are the essential honor to one of Indiana's greatest legacies: John Chapman, known as "Johnny Appleseed." Apart from the Disney version of Johnny Appleseed, The Tin Caps have incorporated various components of the Chapman's history into their ballpark and brand. David Lorenz, Tin Caps Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, discusses the ways in which The Tin Caps rebrand...

Markeisha Everett returns to the podcast for a second go-around (Ep. 361). Back then, she was at West Virginia. Now, two years later, Everett is the Director of Marketing, Sales & Fan Development at Georgia Tech. Everett talks about the transition in her career, going from a tailgating culture to a budding opportunity of on. Everett discusses some of the issues surrounding how young people engage...

GovX presents a revolutionary way to both secure tickets as well as ensure that there is a well-coordinated outreach to the military and first responder communities. Founder Tony Farwell explains how GovX implements an across-the-board approach toward compliance for specific authorization of ticket offers. Farwell talks about the challenges and the upsell of implementation of the platform. Farwell...

The Tulsa Oilers are one of the ECHL teams owned by a single entity. Oilers Vice President of Corporate Partnerships discusses how that actually helps each of the teams, including his own, reap the rewards of an advantage when selling through the Southwest. Duffy talks about ways to create activation by building up not only a credible fanbase with the public, but also with the business community,...

Bryan Blair returns for his second stint on the podcast (Ep. 251), and speaks about his transition toward becoming focused on being an athletic director. Blair talks about some of the issues surrounding the world of the compliance, while also understanding and engaging on the revenue side. Blair discusses some of his thoughts on the issues surrounding minority hiring at the top level of sports and...

The development of executive search in the sports space has become a vital component of both the college and professional ranks over the last decade, especially when it comes to universities going after the best candidates for athletic directors. Prodigy Sports' Vice President of Recruitment Mark Gress talks about the expansive nature of the sports industry executive search process, as well as the...

The more that athletes are transforming themselves into brand sponsors, the more that they need to heed the advice of Vickie Saunders, who has consulted with several professional athletes looking to make a transition toward more sponsorship affiliations. Saunders talks about the current marketplace, especially when it comes to the defining category of social media as well as attention of the local...

Live sports remains one of the stallworths of terrestrial radio, specifically because they are less likely consumed as recorded content. As with call-in show sports talk, Jason Barrett says that the producer behind the scenes can play an important part of the development of a quality show that draws big listenership. Barrett uses his 20-year-plus experience to convey some of the ways in which a ho...

Michael Ferguson has just about sold it all. That includes not just sports and concert tickets, but booking venue times and in-arena corporate sponsorship. Ferguson shares his tenure as the General Manager of a minor league baseball affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at the Jamestown Jammers, the VP/GM of the Buffalo Blizzard professional soccer team, the GM of the Wichita Wings soccer, handling Lake...

Jamel Jodah may also go by "Jay" but his hard-charging way of selling tickets is never mistaken for anything other than revenue generation. Jodah discusses his thought process in attacking the New Orleans market for ticket sales for Tulane University, as well as ensuring that there is equal communication between the campus athletic department and the Aspire Group, the third party that he works for...

The New Orleans Zephyrs are looking to re-ignite their AAA franchise in 2016 and captivate the entire city. SVP and General Manager Augusto "Cookie" Rojas sets the tone with his viewpoints on marketing and promotions, eliminating the complimentary tickets from years past, and going aggressively after businesses throughout Southern Louisiana. Rojas talks about some of the challenges that the Zephyr...

Getting into the mindset of how to lead takes a lot of initiative. Executive coaching guru Tanya Wheeless explains some of the pitfalls that await many leaders when they are attempting to run an organization, across the board, from vision to staff. A former SVP of the Phoenix Suns, Wheeless presents her thoughts on how to engage workers that each supervisor manages, as well as how to properly eval...

In the annals of baseball history, nothing even comes close to the regular season winning success of the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 2005. Former AP Writer and SABR member Dan Schlossberg details the unprecedented success of the Braves in his book, " When The Braves Ruled Baseball: Fourteen Flags Over Atlanta " starting with General Manager Bobby Cox's trade for John Smoltz, to David Justice, Terr...

Jeff Ianello has experienced an evolution from his time in sports. While at the Phoenix Suns as a Vice President of Ticket Sales and at the NBA's TMBO, Ianello was on the primary side of the business. Now, Ianello sits on the opposite end, advocating for why digital distribution and the secondary market can help grow revenues for teams. Ianello talks about his catharsis into the world of resale an...

When the legendary H.B.C. (Head Ball Coach) retires mid-season from your school, it can change a marketing plan in short order. South Carolina Associate AD/CMO Eric Nichols talks about the differences in a global and local sense, then examines how to best develop a marketing plan that will stand the test of time. A former president of NACMA, Nichols discusses his thoughts on drawing out audiences,...

A recognized industry thought leader for digital sports in Asia, Maurizo Barbieri dissects some of the different strategic and tactical capabilities across a burgeoning media landscape. Barbieri discusses his drive to build one of the primary resources for Japanese sports fans, with most than 350k users, on LiveSports Japan, and then describes the effort of launching a sports channel for cable and...

Analytics and membership represent the cutting edge of what sports business is turning to in the fit to earn revenue from the elusive fan. Fred Gambino Fred Gambino is part of a team that oversees analytics & business strategy for the Miami Dolphins, the ultimate test at creating a sports fan experience and generating enough information to build a credible, authentic customer profile. Gambino disc...

If there's one person who can own a room simply by walking into it, Wayne Stickney has that title outright. Long Beach State's Sr. Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts & Revenue Acquisition, "The Stick" talks about how to engage donors from the lowest giving levels and earn their trust enough to build a base of solid support through a multi-level, multi-year engagement. Stickney discusses s...

The role of the deputy director is explored with Dan Satter, who is in his first year in that position. Satter shares his vision of developing communication with the coaches and staff at Boston University, as well as how to make sure that he is help facilitate dialogue with the athletic director. Satter also discusses how to engage student athletes with students as well as the campus in general, i...

A Super Bowl is not run only in one week, its a two year race. Part of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee for SBLII, Britt Carlson has had a major sports business impact in the Minneapolis area with the Vikings and Timberwolves since 1997. Carlson discusses her involvement in the entire Bold North campaign, the history of Super Bowl XXVI which was held in 1992 at the Metrodome, along with the...