No Time Off

Veronica Zanchi

No Time Off, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. Behind every match, there's a whole world of people making it all possible. Different jobs, same world. The names that don't make the headlines but hold the industry together. Every two weeks, I sit down with one of them. We talk about how they actually got into the industry and how they handle the pressure of working in a world that never switches off. The kind of conversation you'd have over a coffee, not across a desk. Discover with us why this is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5.

Episodes

  1. 2 days ago

    Is great marketing a matter of instinct or numbers? - with Andrea Zappolini

    Andrea Zappolini grew up playing football between parked cars in a small Tuscan village, then fell for NBA sneakers and never quite let go. That mix of sport and product carried him through McCann advertising agency, Nike Italy and seven years at Adidas, where he worked on the Superstar relaunch and the Yeezy era, and into his current role leading performance eCom marketing across Puma Europe. In this episode, he explains why marketing today runs on data as much as on ideas, how brand building and performance pull in different directions sometimes, what it felt like to read a script to Roberto Baggio with his hands shaking, and where AI is letting smaller brands move faster than the giants. NO TIME OFF, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. ⏱️ Chapters [00:32] — Who is Andrea Zappolini? [01:25] — Street football in Tuscany and the Reebok Pump [03:15] — Landing at Adidas for the Superstar relaunch and the Yeezy years [06:10] — How Adidas Originals turned sport into culture [09:35] — Brand building versus performance: the full funnel [10:45] — Why marketing is as much numbers as ideas [15:05] — 5am starts and pre-planned weekends [23:25] — Reading a script to Roberto Baggio with shaking hands [32:25] — What failure looks like early in a career [34:45] — How AI lets smaller brands compete with the giants [39:10] — His advice for breaking into the sport industry 🤝🏻 Follow Andrea https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreazappolini/ 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @notimeoff.podcast ☕️ If you want to support the show, you can buymeacoffee.com/notimeoff 🎶 Sound bites: Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Sport Power (Indie Rock) and Higher (Electronic Vlog) by Infraction. 💪🏻 The podcast “No Time Off” is an independent production. Content writing, editing and production by Veronica Zanchi 🔗 bit.ly/veronicazanchi 💌 Do you have a question for the show? notimeoff.podcast@gmail.com

    Is great marketing a matter of instinct or numbers? - with Andrea Zappolini
  2. 15 Jul

    The shop floor kid now running an AI-driven marketing team in motorsport - with William Doornekamp

    William Doornekamp started on the shop floor of a snowboard shop at 18 because his mom pushed him to get a job. Today he leads the marketing and design studio team at REV'IT Sport, one of the reference brands in motorcycle gear. In this episode, he shares why he believes marketers should grow horizontally before vertically, how transparency shapes communication when your product is also safety, and why he put an AI goal in every job description on his team, himself included. NO TIME OFF, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. ⏱️ Chapters [02:10] — From the shop floor to sports marketing [09:45] — Growing horizontally as a marketer [12.30] — Motorcycle clothing and the weight of safety [16:45] — Breaking the male-dominated stereotype [18:00] — Passion, initiative, taking charge [21:20] — Channel segmentation and content that works [25:00] — Why AI sits in every team's goals [28:15] — GEO: the evolution of SEO [32:20] — The anti-social movement and real-life events [36:30] — Three AI tools for the sport industry 🤝🏻 Follow William @williamdoornekamp 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @notimeoff.podcast ☕️ If you want to support the show, you can buymeacoffee.com/notimeoff 🎶 Sound bites: Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Sport Power (Indie Rock) and Higher (Electronic Vlog) by Infraction. 💪🏻 The podcast “No Time Off” is an independent production. Content writing, editing and production by Veronica Zanchi 🔗 bit.ly/veronicazanchi 💌 Do you have a question for the show? notimeoff.podcast@gmail.com

    The shop floor kid now running an AI-driven marketing team in motorsport - with William Doornekamp
  3. 26 Jun

    Who told the story the night the Raptors made history - with Dan Gladman

    Dan Gladman produced nearly 1000 NBA games and was in the truck the night the Toronto Raptors won their first championship, watched by 16 million Canadians. In this episode, he walks us through what a game night looks like from the producer's chair, why staying calm is the whole job when a live broadcast starts to fall apart, and what's like freelancing as a producer. Along the way, he makes his case for keeping AI away from the decisions that make sport worth watching. NO TIME OFF, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. ⏱️ Chapters [01:30] — Who is Dan Gladman? [06:25] — Inside a game night, from the seat you never see [12:46] — "Even when you're watching sports, you're working" [16:05] — Staying calm when the broadcast falls apart [20:27] — From Vince Carter to "We the North" [23:25] — The night the Raptors made history [25:06] — "I want AI to do my laundry, not tell me stories" [32:55] — Visibility is everything when you are a freelancer [37:58] — The on-camera dream and the jobs nobody talks about [42:15] — Soccer's moment in North America [46:45] — The broadcast he's still manifesting: an NFL game 🤝🏻 Follow Dan @dgontheroad 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @notimeoff.podcast ☕️ If you want to support the show, you can buymeacoffee.com/notimeoff 🎶 Sound bites: Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Sport Power (Indie Rock) and Higher (Electronic Vlog) by Infraction. 💪🏻 The podcast “No Time Off” is an independent production. Content writing, editing and production by Veronica Zanchi 🔗 bit.ly/veronicazanchi 💌 Do you have a question for the show? notimeoff.podcast@gmail.com

    Who told the story the night the Raptors made history - with Dan Gladman
  4. 9 Jun

    How a 35-year-old entrepreneur made it to the Olympics - with Matt C. Smith

    Matt C. Smith picked up cross-country skiing at 32 and three years later carried the South African flag at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and none of it followed a grand plan. In this episode, he shares why he doesn't believe in balance, how public speaking funded his Olympic dream, and what he's building next with Athlete Money to help athletes live from what they love. NO TIME OFF, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. ⏱️ Chapters [01:00] — Who is Matt C. Smith? [02:46] — The Mexican ski coach who changed everything [04:08] — Dreams evolve: from Springbok to Snowbok [05:55] — Athlete finances & why he founded Athlete Money [06:29] — Athletes as media: the shift to personal branding [09:49] — "I don't believe in balance" [13:14] — How an accidental joke launched a speaking career [17:48] — "Every single day is a starting line" [23:50] — Getting comfortable with uncertainty [31:10] — Content creation hacks [40:10] — What the opening ceremony is really like 🤝🏻 Follow Matt @mattcsmith_ & check out https://athletemoney.co/ 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @notimeoff.podcast ☕️ If you want to support the show, you can buymeacoffee.com/notimeoff 🎶 Sound bites: Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Sport Power (Indie Rock) and Higher (Electronic Vlog) by Infraction. 💪🏻 The podcast “No Time Off” is an independent production. Content writing, editing and production by Veronica Zanchi 🔗 bit.ly/veronicazanchi 💌 Do you have a question for the show? notimeoff.podcast@gmail.com

    How a 35-year-old entrepreneur made it to the Olympics - with Matt C. Smith

About

No Time Off, the podcast where we explore the careers powering the sport industry. Behind every match, there's a whole world of people making it all possible. Different jobs, same world. The names that don't make the headlines but hold the industry together. Every two weeks, I sit down with one of them. We talk about how they actually got into the industry and how they handle the pressure of working in a world that never switches off. The kind of conversation you'd have over a coffee, not across a desk. Discover with us why this is a lifestyle, not a 9-to-5.