NCAA Football Powerhouse:

While at the University of Florida, she gained experience working for the athletic association with the Office of Student Life. She mentored athletes, particularly in basketball and track and field. Following this, she was hired to work with the Gator Football program by Urban Meyer's administration, but he soon left, leaving her to work under Coach Will Muschamp. She worked closely with the coaching staff to support and guide athletes regarding academics and recruiting strategies. She also worked at the hotel on campus, gaining hospitality experience while helping athletes and their families come to UF for unofficial and official visits. Preparing to transition to the workforce, she applied for various roles and tracked hundreds of resume submissions. She used keywords related to her past work experiences while searching for job opportunities. Some of the keywords she saw included "client entertainment," "hospitality," "event support," "football clinics," and "contract review." Melissa could identify and relate the job requirements to her college experiences. Her first callback was from the Miami Dolphins. Even though it wasn't the coordinator role she had applied for, Melissa accepted the position of an hourly staff assistant in client services and sponsorships. Despite the lower position, she saw it as a chance to prove herself and break into the industry.

NFL Client Services: “You can’t have tunnel vision”

Melissa believes that to achieve success, you must maintain an open mind and seize every opportunity. She advises you to embrace a positive attitude and engage in extensive networking, even if you face rejection. According to Melissa, the first "yes" always feels more thrilling after a hundred "nos." She reminds you that while you may start from the bottom, your hard work will eventually pay off. Melissa was part of the client service team with the Miami Dolphins, where she established connections with corporate sponsors and demonstrated a willingness to learn and excel in every task. Her boss, Katie Hubert, was an excellent mentor who helped her learn quickly. She believes consistency and authenticity are the key to building a solid reputation and achieving success in any field. During her five seasons with the Dolphins, Melissa witnessed several leadership changes and turnover. With each transition, her experience and perspective became increasingly valuable, and she emerged as the go-to person for new leaders. Melissa developed expertise in partnership management, which is essential in our fast-paced industry. She was soon promoted from manager to senior manager and played a pivotal role in the Dolphins' naming rights onboarding from Sun Life Financial. She helped establish a unique partnership with Hard Rock, which helped transform the stadium into a global entertainment destination and opened up new career opportunities.

Transferable skills from the NFL to the NBA:

The Atlanta Hawks CRO was looking for a "strong partnership activator." Mutual connections recommended that they reach out to Melissa for the job. She was very excited about the opportunity to expand her skill set and explore new business ventures in the NBA. These ventures included managing the brand-new jersey patch deal and arena naming rights accounts. Renovations and naming rights’ cycles usually last for 20 to 25 years, a rare occurrence. Melissa was promoted to director and started to manage community partnership development, overseeing the team’s G-League and NBA 2K League affiliate partnerships and all media and signage trafficking. In this new role, Melissa worked closely with the partnership development and sales teams, which gave her significant exposure to that aspect of the business. She also launched a Partnership Measurement and Insights vertical within the department. In January 2023, Melissa transitioned from activation to overseeing the development and insights department. She helps architect meaningful partnerships for the organization while still leading the measurement, insights, and trafficking teams. Melissa prioritizes building genuine relationships with her team, leading with love and empathy, and valuing trust and respect. She recognizes the challenges of finding a path into the industry and values individuals with social awareness, high integrity, and relationship-building skills.

What’s Happening in Sports

🏀 March Madness brackets are set. “First Four” Games start tonight!

🏆 South Carolina, Iowa, USC, and Texas are #1’s in the NCAAW Tournament.

🏈 NFL Free Agency and trades kick off the race to the NFL Draft in April.

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