Ninety-five conversations with the operators our interns learn from — athletic directors, CMOs, broadcasters and the people who actually run the business of sports.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts →Julie Bowerman is currently Chief Global Digital Customer and Consumer Experience Officer at the Kellogg Company, responsible for its $750M+ online e-commerce business, all-digital…
Episode 95 · 39:41
Corey Gibbs is Founder & CEO at Elite Entertainment Experiences, LLC. Gibbs graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies…
Episode 94 · 56:42
Andrea Brimmer is Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer at Ally Financial Inc. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, where she…
Episode 93 · 45:43
Jamael Hester is Chief of Staff, Office of The President of North America at The Coca-Cola Company. He graduated from University of Tennessee with…
Episode 92 · 21:55
J.W Cannon is Senior Director, Sports Alliances for American Cancer Society here in Atlanta!
Episode 91 · 42:37
Darin White is Department Chair, Executive Director, Professor of Marketing, and Director of Samford University’s Center for Sports Analytics (Brook School of Business). He is…
Episode 90 · 29:51
Ashley Smith is currently the founder of GSD Advisory, a marketing advising and strategy company. GSD Advisory leverages Smith’s passions and 25 years of…
Episode 89 · 54:51
Matt Roberts is Founder & CEO of Drive & Company and Co-Founder of SANIL. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville…
Episode 88 · 40:39
Rennie Curran is Keynote Speaker & Trainer for Game Changer LLC. He graduated from University of Georgia- Terry College of Business and was Team Captain,…
Episode 87 · 33:34
Hayes Johnson is the President at Swimmingly LLC, based in Raleigh-Durham. Hayes has been with Swimmingly for 7 years now, previously as VP of…
Episode 86 · 42:55
Josh Brooks is J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics at University of Georgia. He served 11 years at UGA most recently as Senior Deputy…
Episode 85 · 48:31
Frank Bracken is CEO of Foot Locker. He oversees Digital Transformation, Revenue Growth, E-commerce, and Digital Marketing as well. Frank graduated from University of…
Episode 84 · 52:47
Jim Allen is Senior VP of Corporate & Premium Partnerships for the Atlanta Braves. He graduated from the California State University, Fresno with degree…
Episode 83 · 44:08
Erin Levzow is Vice President of Marketing & Digital Technology for Del Taco Restaurants. She graduated from Illinois State with a Bachelors in Theatre.…
Episode 82 · 37:39
Jennifer Oliveras is Director-Global Sponsorships & Corporate Events at UPS. She graduated from Clemson University in 1999. Jennifer started her career as Sports Marketing…
Episode 81 · 38:36
Danny Wuerffel is Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries and President of The Wuerffel Foundation. Chris Welton is Vice-Chair of the Board & Chair…
Episode 80 · 40:15
Andrew Pudduck is Head of Digital Sales Transformation, Brand, Marketing, Events, and Partnerships for Cutter & Buck. Cutter & Buck focuses on making premium…
Episode 79 · 31:14
Rob Temple is Chief Executive Officer of FishBait Solutions. He recently joined FishBait as CEO after 19 years at ESPN. Temple graduated from UNC…
Episode 78 · 34:16
Michelle McKenna is Chief Information Officer of the NFL (CIO). She graduated from Auburn University with B.S, Accounting. Michelle worked as VP of Walt…
Episode 77 · 29:31
Tameka graduated from UNC and also received her Masters from UGA in Sports Management. She held various roles at UNC including 3 years as…
Episode 76 · 33:37
Steve Hogan is Chief Executive Officer at Florida Citrus Sports. Steve graduated from University of Central Florida in ’91 (Journalism). Hogan played Football at…
Episode 75 · 37:02
Emily Caron is a Sports Business Reporter at Sportico. Sportico is a leader in our industry providing sports industry news, data, insights, strategies, leadership…
Episode 74 · 38:48
Will Funk is Vice President at Turner Broadcasting, specializing in Sports Partnerships & Branded Content. Funk graduated from Bucknell University with B.A, Political Science…
Episode 73 · 38:02
Gary R. Stevenson is Major League Soccer’s Deputy Commissioner & President of MLS Business Ventures. He oversees the domestic and international commercial business of…
Episode 72 · 46:39
Harvey Schiller is Chairman at Charles Towne Holdings and CEO of Schiller Management Group. He is also Chairman of the Board for Air Force…
Episode 71 · 40:20
Dan Corso is president of the Atlanta Sports Council, the arm of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce that serves as a recruiter for…
Episode 70 · 37:19
Sharon Byers is CEO at Ongev. Ongev is the first-ever interactive digital healthcare company created by and for patients with chronic illness. Their mission…
Episode 69 · 43:22
Greg Powell is President/CEO of Fi Plan Partners. Fi Plan Partners is an investment firm specializing in financial planning, private wealth management and business…
Episode 68 · 47:17
Jack Markwalter is the CEO of CIBC Private Wealth Management, U.S. Jack earned a Bachelor of Science with highest honors from the Georgia Institute…
Episode 67 · 40:15
Tracy Deforge is the Founder & CEO of The Players’ Impact. The Players’ Impact combines an extensive and elite cross-sport athlete network with industry…
Episode 66 · 32:52
Kristen Kuliga is the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Vanguard Sports and the Managing Director for Charlestowne Holdings.
Episode 65 · 36:46
Erica Tuggle has been the Brand Director for The Coca-Cola Company since May of 2018. As Brand Director, Erica develops strategy and growth agenda…
Episode 64 · 35:23
Matt Wolff is the Founder and CEO of Ticket Time Machine. Ticket Time Machine™ is an Entertainment company that specializes in souvenir tickets/credentials for…
Episode 63 · 36:57
Michele Elrod is the Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing for Regions Bank. Regions is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of…
Episode 62 · 40:20
Episode 61 · 52:31
AJ Maestas is the Founder and CEO of Navigate. Navigate is the industry leader in evaluating and measuring marketing investments, primarily in sports and…
Episode 60 · 44:04
Rick is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and grown numerous agencies focused on sponsorship and fan engagement. FishBait celebrates its 17th anniversary in 2020,…
Episode 59 · 31:16
Steve Pacheco is the President/CEO of the American Advertising Federation. Pacheco is tasked with designing a future-forward organization consistent with the changes impacting the…
Episode 58 · 43:44
Edward M. Kull was named Interim Director of Athletics at Fordham on July 1, 2020. A former Senior Vice President at GENYOUth Foundation, previously…
Episode 57 · 43:36
Burke Magnus was named executive vice president, programming and scheduling, of ESPN in May 2015, having served as senior vice president, programming and acquisitions…
Episode 56 · 47:55
Kimberly Beaudin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame.Kimberly graduated from the University of Central Florida with a…
Episode 55 · 35:40
Kasia Horner is a Director in the Public Affairs and Communications function at The Coca-Cola Company. In her more than 16-year career with The…
Episode 54 · 38:43
Cory Moss joined CLC in 1995 and been instrumental in growing the company’s licensing business, but more importantly, led its re-engineering over the last…
Episode 53 · 45:58
Steve Koonin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club. Koonin, oversees all business, financial and strategic operations of the Atlanta…
Episode 52 · 36:41
Randy Bernard is the currently the manager of Garth Brooks and has been for almost 5 years. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis…
Episode 51 · 49:40
The leading reporter covering the dynamic business of college sports, Michael Smith joined Sports Business Journal in 2006 after having spent 18 years with…
Episode 50 · 42:33
Eric Jackson is the Sports Business Reporter for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Eric graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in Journalism. While…
Episode 49 · 40:50
David Adler is the Chairman and Founder of BizBash. BizBash is the leading trade media for the event industry. BizBash publishes magazines and e-newsletters,…
Episode 48 · 42:37
Dennis Dodd has covered college football for CBS Sports since it was CBS SportsLine in 1998. He is one of only seven media members…
Episode 47 · 46:26
Robert Irvine is a world class chef, fitness authority, author and philanthropist. Robert pioneered a new genre of programming for Food Network with his…
Episode 46 · 56:03
Darryl Cobbin is the CEO and Managing Partner for the Brand Positioning Doctors. The Brand Positioning Doctors are a specialized brand building and brand…
Episode 45 · 43:45
Isaac Morehouse is the founder and CEO of Crash, the career launch platform. He previously founded and currently serves as an advisor to Praxis, a startup…
Episode 44 · 39:47
Tony Barnhart was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and currently appears as a college football insider for SEC Network on their college football coverage.
Episode 43 · 47:02
John has worked for the Alabama Media Group for six years. During those six years he has filled the roles of college sports editor…
Episode 42 · 40:31
Kevin Eastman is a basketball coaching legend and author who continues to instill greatness in young athletes by sharing his knowledge and experience.
Episode 41 · 58:26
Raleigh Anne Gray, the Senior Director Athlete Exchange at Wasserman, discusses her non-linear career path to Twitter and then to founding her own company,…
Episode 40 · 55:31
John Mount, the Vice President of Sports Marketing and Region Assets for The Coca-Cola Company, talks his path from former student athlete to the…
Episode 39 · 43:33
A lot of us have had a celebration at a Chuck E. Cheese. David McKillips is the CEO of the pizzeria and today he…
Episode 38 · 36:11
She is the queen of Olympic marketing. Dina Gerson, one of Vince’s best friends, chats with him about the many Olympic games she has…
Episode 37 · 50:36
Co-Founder, President & CEO of Select Films, Mark Ciardi, discusses his pivot from professional athlete to movie producer.
Episode 36 · 40:49
Blake Lawrence, Co-Founder and CEO of Opendorse, reflects on his entrepreneurial journey from selling candy bars on the school playground to co-founding one of…
Episode 35 · 53:04
TJ Abrams, the Head of Global Brand Strategy and performance for IHG, discusses the value of really strong relationships and to always show up…
Episode 34 · 39:21
The Chief Media Officer of the PGA TOUR, Rick Anderson, chats with Vince about approaching your career with an open mind and the value…
Episode 33 · 38:50
Rachel Boucher, Executive Editor for Event Marketer Magazine, talks with Vince about the future of event marketing in a post COVID world.
Episode 32 · 35:30
Tim Zulawski, the Chief Revenue Officer for AMB Sports and Entertainment, discusses his path to the Falcons and gives his advice to be willing…
Episode 31 · 58:45
He’s responsible for pretty much everything you see on TV. He has won multiple Emmys. He is Craig Silver, and today he reminisces on…
Episode 30 · 59:42
Jordan Bazant, co-head of William Morris Endeavor Sports, speaks about how he went from answering phones to being one of the top sports agents…
Episode 29 · 36:39
Shannon Watkins, the senior vice president of creative services at Aflac, discusses being “intellectually hungry” in order to stand out and how to cherish…
Episode 28 · 56:24
The Host for ESPN’s College GameDay, Rece Davis, talks his path to ESPN and how you can leverage alumni connections to reach your ultimate…
Episode 27 · 41:58
Steve Phelps has had a long career in NASCAR and risen through the ranks to now be the president of the entire sport. He…
Episode 26 · 42:15
Commissioner of the SEC, Greg Sankey, is a busy man that truly loves what he does. He and Vince talk about what his plan…
Episode 25 · 35:00
The man who gave Vince a chance to first work with the Coca-Cola Company, Jim Dinkins, joins us to have a conversation about the…
Episode 24 · 32:44
Being the athletic director of Auburn comes with its perks and problems. Allen Greene talks with Vince today about his journey and how he’s…
Episode 23 · 50:22
An NFL first round draft pick turned inspirational ESPN College Gameday host, David Pollack, hops on the podcast with Vince today to talk about…
Episode 22 · 56:11
From Goldfish to Coca-Cola, Jamael Hester has done it all. Today, he discusses his passions and his path in a wonderful conversation with Vince.
Episode 21 · 42:40
Katie Bayne is one of the most successful marketing moguls in the world along with being one of Vince’s guardian angels. Today she sits…
Episode 20 · 1:00:52
A former olympic speed skater, Mike Plant, sits with Vince to talk about a time where he fell off his horse and how he…
Episode 19 · 49:48
One of the country’s best brand marketers, Seth Freeman, reminisces about his work experience and how someone should “bloom where you’re planted.”
Episode 18 · 41:55
Greg McGarity, the athletic director for the University of Georgia, tells our students how he first got involved with Georgia, and what prospective industries…
Episode 17 · 36:14
The founder of the Hangout Music Festival, Shaul Zislin, remembers his documentary-like story of the 2010 BP oil spill and how he had to…
Episode 16 · 46:57
One of the greatest American entrepreneurs, Ben Sutton, gives his take on the state of the world and much more on today’s episode.
Episode 15 · 59:20
Gary Stokan, One of the most influential ATL-iens, sits down to discuss Chick-Fil-A, and his incredible story on becoming the CEO of Peach Bowl…
Episode 14 · 56:44
The founder and CEO of INFLCR Inc.,Jim Cavale, speaks to Vince about what the top three rules of social media are today.
Episode 13 · 30:57
Tia Cummings, a top tier marketer, discusses how she wanted to be an engineer but then changed her mind and became a business mogul.
Episode 12 · 42:15
Ty Votaw, the Executive Vice President of Global Business Affairs for the PGA Tour, tells our students 10 axioms that they can use in…
Episode 11 · 38:30
Taylor Bloom, part of the new vanguard of sports media in the country, is the CEO of SportTechie. Today he chats about what led…
Episode 10 · 36:01
A true master of marketing, Geoff Cottrill, talks music, family, and much more in today’s episode of the MELT U Podcast.
Episode 9 · 43:19
4-time Emmy nominated and lead reporter for CBS Sports, Tracy Wolfson, gives insight into her career path and how the sports world has adjusted…
Episode 8 · 41:28
A member of the next generation of directors for college sports, Ross Bjork, the athletic director at Texas A&M, joins Vince Thompson to discuss…
Episode 7 · 37:08
The best dressed man in the sports marketing industry, Jason Belzer, talks about his company, Game Inc., and how he became a global sports…
Episode 6 · 34:46
Adam White, the CEO of Front Office Sports, discusses how to get people talking about themselves and how to self start a business.
Episode 5 · 37:32
Kyle Sherman, President of Home Team Sports guides our students about working towards developing your career around your core values.
Episode 4 · 35:54
Jonathan Katz, Founder, President & CEO of Katz Networks talks following your passions even when it means starting from the bottom.
Episode 3 · 31:39
Michael Schreck of Collegiate Sports Management Group breaks down the evolution of his career from student to CEO.
Episode 2 · 31:07
Todd Harris of Skillshot Media shares his path from game player to E-Sports KEY PLAYER.
Episode 1 · 36:41