It’s finally Friday! Lots happened this week, the Dodgers won the World Series, Borat broke the internet (again), and more people showed up for early voting than ever before! 2020 has been a doozy, and we are exactly 4 days until the biggest election in our lifetime. That’s why we wanted to focus this edition of the Game Plan on tips to prepare you to vote! Check out our tips below and let us how you plan on voting this year by tweeting at us @meltatl
In this week’s issue:
Tips Before Hitting the Polls on Tuesday
Alumni Spotlight featuring Kelsey O’Loughlin
Episode 14 of the MELTDOWN
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Oh, and BTW there is a full moon for Halloween tomorrow.
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Make your Plan to Vote
This election, don’t leave anything to chance. Follow these quick steps to make sure nothing comes between you and your right to vote.
1. Know the Candidates
You know who’s running for president on November 3, but what about the other elections on your ballot? See all your upcoming elections on the Pollen app and find out what candidates in your district stand for. Pollen can find any ballot in the country and match you with candidates based on your values, not existing political affiliations.
2. Locate Your Polling Place/Check Your Voting Deadline
If you choose to vote in person, find where your polling place is located right now. (It might have changed since the last time you voted.) If you’re voting absentee, check your ballot for a dropoff location or, if you intend to mail in your ballot, the address and the date by which it must be postmarked. Find your polling place
3. Secure Your Ride
How do you plan to get to your polling place? If you’re taking public transport, visit your transportation authority’s website to confirm routes and hours of operation–many cities have reduced service during COVID-19. If you’re driving, don’t assume street parking will be available, and be prepared to pay to park at a meter or garage. Better yet, scope out the parking options ahead of time. Last but not least, consider offering a ride to a friend or neighbor.
We love it when a plan comes together!
MELT U PODCASTS THIS WEEK
Catch up on all of the MELT U Podcasts here – new podcasts posted bi-weekly on Spotify and iTunes!
MELT U Episode #59: Rick Jones is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and grown numerous agencies focused on sponsorship and fan engagement. Rick is known as one of the best sponsorship idea generators in the business today and combines empathic consumer insights with crisp empirical data. His clients have included MasterCard International, numerous Olympic Games sponsors, Bank of America, ESPN, and dozens of others. . LISTEN HERE
MELT U Episode #60:
AJ Maestas is the Founder and CEO of Navigate. Navigate is the industry leader in evaluating and measuring marketing investments, primarily in sports and entertainment. Based in Chicago, navigate helps clients determine the value of their partnerships and understand how they are performing. LISTEN HERE
MELT U ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Kelsey O’Loughlin
Kelsey O’Loughlin graduated from the inaugural virtual MELT U class this past summer and is a current student-athlete at Bucknell University. Inspired by the MELT U speakers, O’Loughlin created TheAthletesOutlook.com, where she blogs about athletes’ stories and the human-interest side of spots. She also volunteers with Bucknell Athletics marketing events in her spare time. Always thinking four years ahead, O’Loughlin is already looking at using her extra year of eligibility to pursue an MBA and extend her volleyball playing days. Read More about Kelsey
MELT U WEEKEND READING LIST
Expand your horizons with our curated collection of helpful articles, videos, and other essential recommendations.
How to Do School When Motivation Has Gone Missing: Here’s what teenagers can do to equip themselves to move forward during this difficult and frustrating time.” READ MORE.
LinkedIn’s new tool helps users make a career change through overlapping skills: “LinkedIn launched a new tool aimed towards helping recently unemployed Americans make a career change.” READ MORE
How Covid-19 May Affect Spectator Sports in the Coming Years: “The potential impact on fans, salaries, college athletics programs—and more.” READ MORE
Do American colleges need a reboot?: The pandemic has thrown higher education in the U.S. into a state of disarray, with declining enrollment forcing universities to cut budgets, eliminate positions, and reconsider the way they function altogether.” READ MORE
Dealing with job search rejection: “A job seeker will likely face some level of rejection during their hunt for work. A job search can end up taking longer if a person doesn’t know how to deal with those rejections..” READ MORE
MELTDOWN
Weekly Web series on YouTube hosted by Vince Thompson, covering the business of sports and the business of college sports
The MeltDown Ep. 14:
Vince cooks up a hearty stew for this #MELTDOWN! Watch now as he shares his view on the upcoming College Basketball season, talks about the acceleration of legal sports wagering, and more!
VINCE LECTURING AT A CAMPUS NEAR YOU!
Vince and virtual MELT U are heading to a campus near you soon!
Tuesday 11/17: UGA PRSSA Virtual ZOOM
Book a live or virtual keynote or training session with Vince Thompson, MELT Founder and CEO! Hear from Vince on a variety of topics such as career development skills, student-athlete branding, collegiate sports marketing, and more! LEARN MORE
Looking To Land Your First Job After College? Start Here
What’s MELT?
It’s a high-powered sports marketing agency that’s based in Atlanta and works with the world’s biggest brands, teams, and events. MELT, which I founded in 2000, has become one of the nation’s leading sports marketing agencies, including a 20-year representation of The Coca-Cola Company, the activation of 17 (would have been 18) consecutive Final Fours, seven seasons of ESPN College GameDay, AFLAC’s sponsorship of The Southeastern Conference (SEC) and much more. We have won a collective 20 industry awards since 2017, including CEO of The Year, Event Marketer IT list of Top 100 Event Marketing Agencies, Chief Marketer’s Top 200 agencies, and many more. MELT and I sit in a unique position in the sports and college sports marketplace, offering insight into the significant business issues in sports and college sports.
What’s MELT U?
It’s a one-of-a-kind virtual internship program offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the world of sports marketing. This Summer MELT U educated 1,100 students with 50 podcasts of industry leaders, live Lunch & Learns from my upcoming book, “Build Brand YOU.” MELT U will now extend the offerings to be year-round and to include newsletters, video series, seminars, student-athlete branding, and much more.
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