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From Politics to the NFL:

Becky initially attended the University of Missouri for broadcast journalism but later transferred to North Texas to study advertising. During her time there, she completed an internship with an ad agency specializing in political media consulting, which gave her valuable practical experience. She went on to work for several political campaigns, gaining insight into how budgets were raised and allocated. Eventually, she returned to Texas and began working for an agency with the Dallas Cowboys as one of its clients. Her role involved crisis communications, but when the Cowboys needed help with paid and strategic marketing for their new stadium, she saw an opportunity to expand her skill set. She developed strong relationships with the Cowboys and was eventually hired full-time in a role encompassing ticket sales support, event marketing, and special projects like a new stadium tour program. While working with the Cowboys, she also pursued informational interviews with people she knew or connected with through LinkedIn. This led to her building a relationship with the CFO of the Texas Rangers. They remained in touch, and as a result, when the Rangers had an opening for a VP of Marketing position, Becky was the first person she thought of due to her experience in performance marketing, which was crucial for the Rangers given their high number of games. Becky finds the sports industry particularly interesting because marketing and product development are not linked, and you cannot control the outcome of a game. Despite this, she enjoys the challenge of creating marketing strategies that drive brand affinity and performance.

Spurs Philosophy: Pound the Rock:

Becky admires the philosophy of "pounding the rock" employed by the Spurs. She believes this mindset is crucial in a competitive industry like sports marketing. The Spurs' focus on community impact is another aspect of their approach that she admires. They were the first team to hire a Chief Impactful Officer, Dr. Kara Alan, to lead their efforts. Becky didn’t get discouraged during her transition from politics to sports and recommends taking active and passive steps daily to gain knowledge and move forward. Becky's experience with the Spurs and the NBA has given her valuable insights into sports marketing. She believes that the league's appeal to younger audiences and the Spurs' focus on community impact and incremental improvement are essential for long-term success in the industry. She also believes that the NBA's 82-game season strikes a balance between limited games like the NFL and many games like MLB. Furthermore, Becky points out that the in-stadium experience is unparalleled, allowing fans to get up close and personal with the players.

Meaningful Connections:

Becky advises making meaningful connections and learning about the people you are contacting. Genuine curiosity, followed by personal interest, is vital. Instead of solely focusing on the job or network you want, try to understand how to help the person you are contacting. Becky's approach was mostly about getting to know who they were, understanding their needs, and then curating a personal message. Quality over quantity is essential, so a more research-based approach is recommended.

Becky insists, “If you want to work in the sports industry, don't give up on it. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. Stay informed, understand the industry inside and out, and know the trends. You will be thrown into the deep end when you get in, but it's an exciting time to work in sports.” Be open-minded and know that what you are doing now will help you and the organization you want to work for.

What’s Happening in Sports

🏀🏆 Staley, South Carolina, achieved a perfect season, becoming the 10th unbeaten team in NCAA Division I history.

🏀🏆 UConn routs Purdue to win first back-to-back men’s NCAA basketball titles since 2007.

⛳️ Defending champion Jon Rahm returns to The Masters; world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler joins, Tiger Woods set to return, and Rory McIlroy seeks career Grand Slam.

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