Towards the end of 2009, I opened a consulting firm specializing in sports and entertainment marketing.
After only a few short months, I had acquired almost 20 clients, was traveling the country and creating my own schedule. I thought for sure this was going to be phase 2 – and possibly the final phase of my professional career.
As I began looking for office space on the west coast, an opportunity was presented to me to return to team sports management full time. While this had happened before during my short ownership of my firm, this was a unique opportunity to return to my roots – professional indoor soccer.
I sold the majority of my company to two business partners, and embarked on a strange nine month journey.
As it turned out, joining the soccer team, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, did not offer me the flexibility to operate my department as I felt it should be run. When you bring a specific game plan to the table, and then you are not allowed to execute it (even with simple things like choosing who will and will not be on your team), going to work each day becomes difficult. While I have a lot of respect for members of the team, it clearly was not a good fit and shortly after my arrival, I began entertaining offers from other teams and some former clients. While I love the sport of indoor soccer, and the city in which I worked, the inability to execute plans that work, hire and fire and develop the brand in the market simply were not afforded to me, and I was done losing sleep over it.
It was important to me that I not only move on to a more stable environment, but remain true to the one rule that my wife and I established when I was originally contemplating a return to full time team sports management – very few games. The only other rule was the sport needed to be played in the Winter so I could be home for the children during the Summer.
On the morning of September 18th, I lost my long time mentor and close friend to a heart attack, Mark Miller. As the assistant general manager of the Portland Winter Hawks, Mark taught me how to be a “people’s” manager, how to sell sponsorships, drive ticket sales and become the person that I am today professionally.
Personally, he taught me how I should treat people, how to love those around me and how to be a better husband. He introduced me to my wife, and while we had not spoken as much as I would have liked over the past two years, he was always there when I needed him. This was a devastating loss for me, his family and for all who knew him.
A week later I was contacted by the management of the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League about their open COO / GM position. re-locating my family again was not something that was in the cards, but the job did fit one of two of my requirements – there are not a lot of games.
The Gladiators have a great owner, a great (and coachable) staff, play in a state of the art arena in a football town. I would have total control of the club, and it was simply an opportunity that I could not pass up.
I joined the team in October, and we have implemented the same game plan that was rejected by ownership with the soccer team – turns out it works. I was beginning to doubt the strategy while I was in soccer because it was so widely rejected by staff and ownership. I am not sure why I doubted it since it had worked everywhere else I have been – but I couldn’t be happier to see it working in Cleveland.
We have already surpassed last seasons full season ticket total, and today we are going to announce the most unique premium seating experience and benefit in all of sports. 90 days until we open, and this is truly going to be a historic season for us.
As I look forward to 2011, I do so with extreme excitement. I have the best, most professional and engaged staff that I have ever had the privilege of managing, a committed owner and live in a great city. The next 12 months will be different that the previous 12, but I could not be more excited to see how it un-folds, hopefully bringing an Arenabowl championship to Cleveland – a city that deserves a winner more than any that I know.
It’s already started out great – the NY Football Giants did not qualify for the playoffs, and the 7-9 Seahawks did. What a strange world.
Have a great 2011! Go Sell Something!
