Your Career Is A Long Journey...

I started my first sports business at 24 years old not knowing any other way besides coaching to break into the sports industry. Not sure at the time if it was the best timing as I was newly married, expecting our first child, didn’t have any relevant experience, limited contacts and no funding… but I had a burning desire and a greater sense of purpose to help high school athletes further their playing careers in college.
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This was all done before the internet and personal computers, so starting from scratch was an understatement. Our kitchen table was my office and our big dial house phone and US mail were my only sales tools. But what I built and sold was one of the very first high school sports recruiting services in the country.
During this crazy journey which started at that tiny apartment kitchen table, I was able to carve out a niche and follow a core purpose and passion for providing memorable experiences for athletes, families and fans. But what transpired between that humble yet exciting beginning and today was a massive cultural shift in global and amateur sports and how we participate, access, engage and invest in those “Experiences”.

The timing, relationships and understanding of the space put me on a path to work for some of the most powerful sports and entertainment companies in the world. Yet each stop on my career journey I seemed to be impatient on the next step. There were moments that were amazing and rewarding seeing ideas and concepts come together with clients and participants embracing the experience. There were also times that were frustrating and things didn’t always work out. That’s life and business…learn to enjoy the moments that are great and be thankful.

I have also learned the greatest asset from experience is patience and self awareness, which to me has become an incredibly powerful tool. Knowing what you are good at and what you stink at is important. You can think you “know it all” or fake it until you need execute. So with time you learn to hire or collaborate with those that know more than you or are just honestly better at executing a specific task.


You learn that situations and people change so having patience is critical on your career journey knowing that you really need to enjoy those great business partners, clients or bosses when you have them, and when you don’t you learn to play the game or change the game because it’s just that…A game!

So how can I help you on your journey? I advise National and International Governing Bodies, Pro Teams, Leagues, College Conferences, Universities, Youth Organizations, Brands, Properties and Media Groups by helping them create and execute revenue generating event platforms, unique activation ideas, practical social media strategies and grassroots fan/player development programs. I am always interested to learn more about your story, your big ideas, challenges, goals and explore ways that I can help…..even if it starts off at your kitchen table!


I am always looking for interesting people for my webcast interviews…send me a note if you would like to be a featured guest. Learn more about me, educational content and interviews at www.RobThompsonLive.comand please follow my SM platforms @robthompsonlive.

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