Most conversations about NIL start with the opportunity. Aaron Ray starts with the liability. Aaron Ray is the Founder of Two Percent Consulting — a NIL consulting, legal strategy, and athlete protection practice built at the intersection of law, tax, and sports. A former Division I athlete who earned his J.D. and an LL.M. in Taxation, Aaron spent six years in Big 4 and mid-tier public accounting doing corporate M&A and state and local tax work before redirecting his expertise toward the people who need it most: student-athletes and the institutions trying to protect them in the NIL era. After volunteering in a university athletic department and seeing firsthand the gaps in athlete support, Aaron built Two Percent Consulting around a conviction: athletes deserve the same level of legal and financial protection that the institutions profiting from their performance receive. His work spans NIL consulting, NCAA compliance, employment law, sports governance, tax strategy, and ongoing Bar preparation — and he serves athletes, universities, collectives, and service providers navigating a landscape that changes faster than most families can track. He has developed a comprehensive NIL CRM built to track income, monitor compliance, estimate taxes, and evaluate market dynamics for roster construction. He is developing NIL education webinar series — including one specifically focused on NIL taxation. He serves on a university-led NIL Think Tank. And he is currently outlining a publication on how institutions may navigate a future where student-athletes are classified as employees. You might know him on Instagram and social media as @thelawfather. In this episode, Erin Sarles and Thomas Roe sit down with Aaron to talk about what student-athletes and their families are getting wrong about NIL — legally, financially, and strategically — and what the education and infrastructure they need actually looks like before the consequences arrive. In this episode: — The biggest lie the NIL industry tells athletes and families about what signing a deal actually requires — What Aaron saw volunteering inside a university athletic department that convinced him athletes needed better protection — What the tax implications of NIL income are that most student-athletes and their families have never been told — What his NIL CRM tracks — and why most athletes are flying blind on income, compliance, and tax liability simultaneously — What the classification of student-athletes as employees would mean for NIL, compliance, and the entire athletic department infrastructure — What every student-athlete needs to have in place legally and financially before they sign their first NIL deal — What red flags in an NIL contract should immediately end the conversation This one is for every student-athlete generating NIL income without a legal or tax framework around it. Every parent who signed off on a deal they didn't fully understand. Every athletic department trying to stay compliant in a landscape with no rulebook. Connect with Aaron: Instagram & Social: @thelawfather Website: twopercentconsulting.com The Standard Podcast™ — Raise the bar. Rebuild the culture. Become the standard. Support the show CONNECT WITH US: 🌐 Website: blueprintbluechip.com 📸 Instagram: @blueprintbluechip 💼 LinkedIn: Erin Sarles 📧 Email: erin@erinsarles.com FREE RESOURCE: Join the 5-Day Reset™ — designed for athletes ready to build identity, discipline, and purpose beyond the game. 👉 blueprintbluechip.com/blueprintfoundationschallenge SUPPORT THE SHOW: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyShare this episode with an athlete, parent, coach, or leaderFollow us on social media and join the conversationBOOK ERIN TO SPEAK: Looking for a speaker who challenges comfort and calls out truth? Erin is available for team workshops, parent seminars, and leadership events. 📩 erin@erinsarles.com ABOUT THE STANDARD PODCAST™: This isn't motivation. This is a movement. Hosted by Erin Sarles and Thomas Roe, co-founders of Blueprint to Bluechip™, The Standard Podcast™ calls out the lies culture sold athletes and raises a new standard in sports, leadership, and life. We bring raw, truth-packed 20-25 minute conversations about identity, discipline, and legacy that goes beyond the scoreboard. New episodes drop every Monday. Raise the bar. Rebuild the culture. Become the standard.
