1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations 1-On-1: Sports Business Conversations

This episode’s guest is probably going to make you feel like a slacker. In fairness though? Bonnie-Jill Laflin can make just about everyone feel that way. Santa Claus on Christmas Eve looks like a lay-a-bout compared to Bonnie Jill.


We’ll get into her many MANY roles during our chat, but I will say that the first (and still only ) female NBA scout recently added another experience to her already poly-hyphenated career: author.


Bonnie Jill’s new book, “In a League of Her Own” is a testament to the many female “firsts” in sports and sports business. In it she features insights and interviews with iconic figures like Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, and Jackie Joyner Kersee.


In our conversation, we talk about Bonnie Jill’s remarkable sports journey, the common threads she saw in the women she interviewed for the book, and even what she learned about herself while writing it. We’ll also find out if she’s a ninja. Her answer probably won’t surprise you…


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports.

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

If you have kids who play sports, you know all too well the special kind of crazy that brings to the household. When my 3 kids were younger they tried just about everything: lacrosse, tennis, golf, baseball, ice hockey, basketball, irish dance, football, volleyball…. I think I got everything…. Anyway, suffice it to say it could get a little chaotic.

And like a lot of sports parents, an app named TeamSnap was part of our every day lives. I suspect a lot of you listening have it on your phones, too, because it helps bring some order to that chaos.

And that right there brings a smile to the face of this episodes guest, Peter Frintzilas, the CEO of TeamSnap.

Frintzilas joined TeamSnap in 2020, when we were in the midst of a pandemic and youth sports effectively ground to a halt. For most people, that would have made joining the company a kind of a non-starter, right? Oh, our entire audience has more or less evaporated? Yeaaaaah, no.

But not Frintzilas. He saw the opportunity to put TeamSnap at the center of a youth sports industry that by some measures might be worth $60 billion annually in the near future.

In our conversation, Pete and I talk about the growth of youth sports, how he first encountered TeamSnap, how recent acquisitions are performing, how he sees the youth sports market evolving, and most importantly how he sees his company taking advantage of it. He also reveals how he got his start in movies (turns out being able to remember your lines is pretty key…)


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports.

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Imagine, for a moment, what goes into launching a new business. Think about it. All the excitement, stress, time, details, ideas, and millions of other unknown hurdles that can’t be planned for or strategized about. And when you think about all that, who would you turn to for help?

Does your sibling spring to mind?

For Mather Wiswall and Ruby George, the sibling founders of the United Grid League, that’s exactly what happened.

I had chance speak with Mather and Ruby about the UGL and the rapidly growing sport of Grid. We go into the twists and turns involved with running your own sports league, what keeps them up at night, and what gets them most excited about where the sport is headed.

And yes, we go into what it’s like to run a business with a sibling, and what they’ve learned about each other (and themselves) along the way.


ABOUT THIS PODCAST
The 1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports.

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast
Instagram: adc_partners_podcast
Threads: adc_partners_podcast
Youtube: @adcpartners


YOUR HOST
Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

Back in the day, if you wanted to call yourself a sports team owner, one of 2 things had to happen. You either had to be born into a crazy rich family that already owned a team, or you had to make a fortune somewhere else and buy the team from one of those previously mentioned crazy rich families.

But my guest in this episode, Christopher Zook, wants you to know that’s not necessarily the case anymore.

Here’s the deal.

Christopher is the Founder and CIO of CAZ Investments, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. He’s also just written a book with legendary leadership guru Tony Robbins called "The Holy Grail of Investing".

The book feature interviews with some of the world's most prolific and successful investors, and reveals the secrets behind their successes, their challenges, and (perhaps most interestingly) where they’re looking for their next wins. And, as it turns out, one of those places in professional sports ownership.

In our conversation, Christopher and I talk about how professional sports first got on his radar as an investment opportunity. He also goes into what he’s anticipating for the growth of sports businesses, and how smart investors can position themselves to take advantage of pro sports.

Let’s get one thing out of the way, right off the bat: sports and “purpose” have always been intertwined. For all the moaning from the “shut up and dribble” crowd, athletes and sports have ALWAYS provided a platform to shine a light on the issues of the day.

Think about it. Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics. Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in Mexico City. Billie Jean King’s match with Bobby Riggs. Yes, of course, these were sporting events. But in the end, they were So. Much More. And the images and memories of those events are indelible because of it.

That intersection of sports and purpose is where this episode’s guest Brianna Salvatore Dueck lives. As Head of Strategy for 17 Sport, she’s helping brands and sports properties realize the true potential of their partnerships by ensuring that “purpose” is front and center.

In this episode, Brianna and I talk about her work at 17 Sport, and the path she took to get there. We touch on what goes into crafting effective, purpose driven campaigns, why they’re no longer a luxury, and even how they can be measured. The former D1 hoops player even shares her go to shot for beating her 6’ 8” husband in HORSE.

Do me a favor: close your eyes and picture the most famous sports and entertainment venues that have been built over, say, the last 40 years. I bet some of the places that come to mind are stadiums like Camden Yards in Baltimore, Oracle Park in SF, Tottenham Hot Spur Stadium in London or even the Sphere in Las Vegas.

One thing they all have in common? They were all designed by Populous, the most legendary sports and entertainment architecture firm in the world.

Populous is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, and my guest, Populous Sr Principal Brian Mirakian, is celebrating his 20th year with the iconic firm.

In our wide ranging conversation, Brian and I talk about the evolution of stadium design, and how it changes to address the wants and needs of the modern fan. We also talk about the importance of physical spaces in an increasingly virtual world, balancing design for different types of fans, and the rise of eSports specific design. The Kansas City resident also has thoughts on how much credit Taylor Swift should get for the Chiefs’ latest NFL playoff run.

All this, and the legendry Reflux Gourmet Lightning Round at the end, too. Thanks for listening!