BENCH Talk with Dasarte Yarnway

Dasarte Yarnway
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to BENCH Talk—the podcast where sports, culture, and content collide. I'm Dasarte Yarnway, bringing you unfiltered conversations about the biggest stories in sports, the future of content creation, and the journeys of the athletes, creators, and innovators shaping the game. Each week, we'll break down the latest headlines, uncover behind-the-scenes stories, and explore what's next for sports fans and creators alike. If you're ready to stay ahead of the curve and hear from the people driving the future of sports, you've found your spot. This is BENCH Talk. Let's get into it.

  1. Jul 14

    EP 30. The 99% of Sports: The Untapped Monetization Opportunity with Bryce Root

    Most conversations about sports sponsorships focus on the biggest athletes, leagues, and media properties. But that represents only a fraction of the sports economy. In this episode of Bench Talk, Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Bryce Root, founder of Root Group Marketing, to discuss the monetization opportunity surrounding tier-two athletes, emerging leagues, alternative sports, and the communities supporting them. Bryce explains why talented athletes can have meaningful audiences and recognizable brands while still struggling to cover the cost of competing. Equipment sponsorships may help, but as Bryce puts it, gear does not pay rent. The conversation explores why athletes need to diversify beyond social platforms, how teams can build content systems that serve multiple departments, and why brands may generate stronger returns by partnering with smaller but highly trusted sports communities. They also discuss the infrastructure athletes and organizations need to turn content, fan relationships, sponsorships, subscriptions, merchandise, and live experiences into sustainable revenue. Topics include: • Why tier-two sports represent an overlooked market • The financial realities facing alternative and emerging-sport athletes • Why relying entirely on Instagram or YouTube creates risk • The value of owning a direct relationship with fans • How teams can get more value from every content production • Why sponsorship packages should be built around measurable outcomes • How BENCH is building monetization infrastructure specifically for sports • The importance of engaging fans who may never attend a game Learn more about Bryce and Root Group Marketing at rootgroupmarketing.com. Create your free BENCH account and start building a direct relationship with your sports audience at BenchSports.com.

  2. Jun 29

    EP 30. How to Build an Audience Without Losing Yourself with Justin Castelli

    You do not need a massive audience to build something meaningful. You need a point of view, patience, and the courage to create in a way that is true to you. On this episode of BENCH Talk, Dasarte sits down with longtime friend, financial advisor, entrepreneur, and creator Justin Castelli for a conversation about the long game of creativity. They discuss why now is one of the best times to become a creator, how to use AI without surrendering your voice, why authentic brands naturally attract the right partnerships, and how taking the wrong sponsorship can damage the trust you have built with your audience. Justin and Dasarte also unpack the pressure surrounding the BENCH launch, the danger of waiting for perfection, why fear can be a sign that something is worth releasing, and how athletes can build a content engine before their playing careers end. This episode is for anyone trying to create meaningful work, build a trusted community, and do it without losing themselves in the process. Create your free BENCH account at benchsports.com. Learn more about Justin at justincastelli.io.

  3. Jun 15

    EP 29. Inside the New Economy of College Sports with Cal's Justin DiTolla

    College athletics is changing faster than ever. On this episode of BENCH Talk, Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Justin DiTolla, Associate Athletic Director for NIL at Cal, to break down the new world of college sports, including NIL, revenue sharing, collectives, the House settlement, athlete branding, and the growing pressure on athletic departments to generate new revenue. Justin shares how NIL has evolved from traditional marketing opportunities into a full-blown business and revenue strategy for schools, athletes, donors, brands, and communities. The conversation also explores how student-athletes are being asked to grow up faster, operate like professionals, manage money, work with agents, and build personal brands before they ever step on campus. From Cal's approach to athlete development and storytelling to the future of super conferences, collective bargaining, and above-the-cap revenue strategies, this episode gives listeners a front-row seat to where college athletics is headed. If you care about sports, NIL, athlete monetization, or the business future of college athletics, this one is a must-listen. Ready to monetize your sports content? Go to benchsports.com and use code LAUNCH30 for 30% off premium tiers.

  4. Jun 10

    EP. 28 Why Dasarte Yarnway Started BENCH (Bonus)

    Launch week is here. In this bonus episode, BENCH founder Dasarte Yarnway shares the personal story behind why he built BENCH. From growing up in a Liberian immigrant family and bonding with his father through sports, to playing football and later building businesses through content, Dasarte explains how BENCH became the convergence of his life experiences. BENCH was built for sports creators, teams, leagues, athletes, and communities that deserve better tools to stream, connect with fans, and monetize their work directly. This platform is for the underdogs. The emerging leagues. The independent creators. The high school programs. The athletes building their own audiences. The communities that already have support, but need the infrastructure to turn that support into real opportunity. To be part of the future of sports media, go to benchsports.com and create your account today. Your audience is waiting for you.

  5. Jun 8

    EP 27. Introducing BENCH: The Revenue Engine for Sports Creators, Teams and Leagues

    BENCH is officially live. In the launch episode of BENCH Talk, Founder & CEO Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Malique Micenheimer to introduce BENCH, share the story behind the company and explain why sports creators, teams and leagues need infrastructure built for revenue, not just reach. BENCH is the revenue engine for sports media, giving creators and organizations the tools to stream content, build direct audience relationships and monetize through subscriptions, pay-per-view access, tips and SponsorMatch. Built for sports creators, teams and leagues that want more than views. Watch the full episode and create your profile at benchsports.com

  6. Jun 1

    EP 26. Turning Culture Into Revenue: Markeisha Everett on the Future of Sports Media

    Culture moves quickly. Sports organizations usually do not. On this episode of BENCH Talk, Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Markeisha Everett, Founder and Chief Strategist of Strategy House, to discuss the intersection of sports, culture, brand strategy and revenue. Markeisha shares why creators, athletes, teams and athletic departments need a clear identity before pursuing sponsorships, how organizations miss cultural moments through slow decision-making, and why the future of sports belongs to those who can turn audience attention into meaningful revenue. The conversation also explores women's sports, creator partnerships, AI, ticketing, emerging leagues and why there is no longer such a thing as amateurism when audiences, content and monetization are everywhere. In this episode: Why culture should influence sports strategy, without becoming the entire strategy How creators can choose brand partnerships that build rather than dilute their identity Why women's sports still has an enormous monetization opportunity How sports organizations can move faster and make better revenue decisions Why creators and influencers will continue capturing sports media dollars The role technology and AI may play in the future of sports monetization BENCH is the revenue engine for sports media, built for creators, teams and leagues that want more than views. Launches June 8. Learn more at jointhebench.com Follow Markeisha Everett on LinkedIn and learn more about Strategy House at the contact information provided in the episode.

  7. May 26

    EP 25. Start Before You're Ready: Three Rules for Sports Creators | Founder Notes

    You do not need a perfect studio, a perfect plan or total certainty before you begin. In this episode of BENCH Talk: Founder Notes, founder and CEO Dasarte Yarnway shares three lessons for sports creators, teams and leagues who know they want to build something meaningful but have not taken the first step: 1. Your environment does not have to be perfect. You probably already have enough to begin. 2. Progress is revealed through consistency. Meaningful growth does not happen in five seconds. 3. The next step is found through movement. You cannot learn what works until you start creating, publishing and listening to the market. BENCH is building the revenue engine for sports media, giving sports creators, teams and leagues tools to stream content, connect directly with fans and create new revenue opportunities through subscriptions, pay-per-view ticketing, tips and SponsorMatch. BENCH launches June 8. Join the early access list: jointhebench.com #BuiltOnBENCH #SportsCreators #SportsBusiness #CreatorEconomy #FounderJourney

  8. May 18

    EP 24. Building a Sport From Scratch with Mather Wiswall

    In this episode of BENCH Talk, our founder Dasarte Yarnway sits down with Mather Wiswall, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the United Grid League, to talk about what it really takes to build a sport from scratch. Mather shares how Grid League evolved from a bold vision into a fast-growing team sport built around athleticism, strategy, and modern content consumption. He breaks down why passion has carried the league forward, how empathy became one of his strongest leadership tools, and why the league's "one big team" mentality is central to everything they are building. This conversation is for founders, creators, leagues, athletic departments, and sports operators who are trying to build something new without waiting for permission. If you care about the future of sports, content, community, and monetization, this episode is for you. #BuiltOnBENCH

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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Welcome to BENCH Talk—the podcast where sports, culture, and content collide. I'm Dasarte Yarnway, bringing you unfiltered conversations about the biggest stories in sports, the future of content creation, and the journeys of the athletes, creators, and innovators shaping the game. Each week, we'll break down the latest headlines, uncover behind-the-scenes stories, and explore what's next for sports fans and creators alike. If you're ready to stay ahead of the curve and hear from the people driving the future of sports, you've found your spot. This is BENCH Talk. Let's get into it.

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