Makers of Sport® Podcast

"Two things that helped us be really successful were that we treated the players like people—like everyday guys—[we] had fun with them and didn’t put them on a pedestal. And the second thing is we got them in and out of there fast."

There is nothing better than a good story. And boy does John Costacos of the Costacos Brothers have plenty of them.

The Costacos Brothers were a legendary poster company in the 80s/90s as they sold 30 million posters of numerous hall-of-fame professional athletes to kids around the U.S.

On this episode, art director John Costacos comes aboard the podcast to share how him and his brother's company was inspired by Prince, how they were able to push athletes to pose in over-the-top concepts that in some cases risked their bodies, and how they inspired the entire sports industry to push harder conceptually through their work.

It meant something to be in a Costacos Brothers poster. They created a brand. All sports designers & art directors owe a debt of gratitude to John and his brother, Tock. As an older millennial, many Costacos Brothers posters adorned my childhood bedroom's wall.

Enjoy the many stories John has for us in this one.

Mentions Include:

• Costacos Brothers Twitter
• Costacos Brothers Website
• Poster Boys on SB Nation
• Bill Smith, Chicago sports photography
• NFL Films Presents: The Costacos Brothers
• Amy K. Nelson, reporter
• Costacos Brothers art exhibit by Adam Shopkorn
• Russell Wilson featured in Costacos Brothers poster

My next guest is Olivia Brestal. Olivia is the creative lead for the MLS team, Sporting Kansas City. Having worked in soccer her entire post-grad career, Olivia is one of the most talented designers and photographers in Major League Soccer and prior to Sporting KC, Olivia spent time with FC Dallas. More of Olivia's work can be seen on her Behance.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

“I started tinkering with our own processes, embracing an iterative approach and knowing that nothing is finite & complete — everything that we do is always in the hope of iterating and moving forward in an incremental way.”

The first ever VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS), Samir Gole, joins the podcast to discuss the next wave of digital intiatives at the MLS.

Having worked in digital products at DirectTV and Viacom (MTV, Nickelodean, etc.) previously, Samir brings his experience leading digital products to grow the game of soccer in North America.

We discuss the recent MLSsoccer.com redesign and how Samir moved the organization from waterfall development processses to agile processes as he touches on the benefits of this new approach; something he learned during his time at DirectTV.

Samir also touches on the importance of writing and how the MLS Digital Labs blog is both a recruiting tool for them, as well as a method of getting their thoughts out to executives and others within the organization.

The MLS unapologetically targets millennails. Samir elaborates on why they target this demographic, how they are doing so with new technology and how the MLS has the youngest fan base of any U.S. professional sports league.

Lastly, Samir discusses their recent implementation of hackathons—a common practice in the tech startup world—and how they important for ideating and solving long-term problems quickly.

Mentions Include:

• Samir Gole's Twitter
• Samir Gole's LinkedIn
• MLS Digital Labs on Medium
• Introducing the new MLS Digital Product Team
• Design Sprint by Google Ventures
• MLS Try/Days
• Redefining the Replay by POP
• Episode 7: Hans Anderson
• MLS Rebrand
• Premier League rebrand

My next guests are the Costacos Brothers. The Costacos Brothers revolutionized the sports poster industry in the late 80s and early 90s. Their work has become valuable sports ephemera as they shot over-the-top images pre-Photoshop. They are back in the design game and will be joining on the next episode.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"You want to have as much control as possible as an in-house design staff...there is so much talent out there and talent isn't exclusive to well-known agencies on the market."

Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the L.A. Dodgers, joins the podcast to discuss his break early in his career into the sports design industry for his favorite team.

We chat about Ross's 10+ years with the organization and how he started off as a part-timer in college answering phones for ticket sales, which eventualy led to his design gig.

Ross touches on how protective he is of the Dodgers brand as a fan and now the design leader of the organization, and he discusses some of the nuances of the visual history of the team including the history and several tweaks of the Dodgers' script, the red numbers on the uniforms and the practical decisions made when it comes to making changes to an iconic brand.

Lastly, Ross gives some advice to in-house creatives on how to get your ideas heard with executives and why there are advantages being a part of the brand and knowing the quirks of the brand in regards to creating seasonal campaigns vs. outside agences.

We wrap by discussing the imprortance of sports design criticism as well as how the industry has changed over the years; including what Ross looks forward to in the future of uniform design and sports branding.

Mentions Include:

• Ross Yoshida's Twitter
• Ross Yoshida's Behance
• Palotta TeamWorks
• Lon Keller, fine artist
• The Inside Story on the Dodgers' Logo Tweaks by UniWatch
• Todd Radom
• Episode 4 Todd Radom
• Todd Radom blog on the Dodgers red uni numbers
• Fanbrandz
• Episode 18: Fanbrandz
• Manuals 1: Design & Identity Guidelines
• Branding & Belong: Country, Color & Confusion
• Dodger Stadium 50th Anniversary Logo

My next guest is Samir Gole. Samir is the VP of Digital Products at Major League Soccer (MLS) where he leads a team of designers, technologists, strategists and more looking to improve the soccer fan's experience through digital technologies.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"I do the podcast for my clients, my past clients and my future clients. If they're listening, then I'm happy...I'll unashamedly say it's a lead generation for Sports Geek."

In the first ever crossover episode of Makers of Sport, Sean Callanan of Sports Geek joins the show for Part 1 of a two-part series.

Sean tells his story of how he went from programmer to notable digital consultant in the global sports business as we discuss the founding of Sports Geek—Sean's consulting company.

We chat about our love of podcasting in depth; including the effect starting a podcast has had on both of our services businesses in regards to asserting expertise.

Sean also shares the interesting story of how he landed epic guest Mark Cuban on Sports Geek Podcast.

We touch on Sean's recent trip to the U.S. at Podcast Movemenent and the SEAT Conference as we discuss the current state of podcasting, its future and sports tech industry.

Lastly, Sean gives us some of his thoughts on Snapchat and how it is a great chronological storytelling tool.

NOTE: The second part of this crossover where Sean interviews me is on Sports Geek Podcast.

Mentions Include:

• Sean Callanan's Twitter
• Sports Geek Twitter
• Sports Geek
• Pat Flynn, Smart Passive Income
• The Basketball Jones Podcast
• Rich Clarke, Colorado Rapids
• Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner
• Mark Cuban on Sports Geek Podcast
• CyberDust app
• Bill Simmons, Every Given Wednesday
• Malcolm Gladwell
• Podcast Movement
• Gimlet Media
• John Lee Dumas, Entpreneur on Fire
• Radiotopia
• SEAT Conference
• Christine Stoffel, SEAT Founder
• Shane Harmon, CEO of Westpac Stadium
• Peter Sorckoff, CCO, ATL Hawks

My next guest is Ross Yoshida, Director of Graphic Design for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ross is a vocal voice in the sports design community and is on the board of MLC Connect.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

On this week's episode, we go behind-the-scenes at Major Level Creative Connect (MLC Connect) 2016 with a panel that Todd Radom, Brian Gundell and myself were asked speak on called "Ambassadors of Sports Design".

We come together for a no-holds-barred discussion on the state of industry, how each of us are ambassadors of sports design and what we can do gain credibility and drive industry forward in regards to professionalism and advocacy.

For visual reference, the deck for this presentation can be found here

Mentions Include:

• MLC Connect
• MLC Connect's Twitter
• Todd Radom, Episode 4
• Todd Radom's Twitter
• The Sports Show @ NYC's Chelsea Gallery
• Brian Gundell, Episode 71
• Brian Gundell's Twitter
• Brian Gundell's Dribbble
• Boyd Erickson, Arizona State
• Jon Willey, Miami Dolphins
• IMG College
• Surf Melendez, Episode 58
• RiCardo Crespo
• Megan Magiera's Twitter, Indianpolis Colts

The next interview podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"In the environment, things need to be simplified, they need to have a quick read. You scale things very differently in environmental graphics than typical graphic design applications."

Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith and Molly Mazzolini—co-founders & creative partners of Infinite Scale—join the show to tell the story of their environmental design firm.

The three partners give us a view into their individual backgrounds and tell the story of how they met and what led to eventually founding their own design firm.

Cameron & Amy discuss how they landed their first major project for a the NFL and shares a bit about their design and pitch process, including assessing a city and the opportunity for design.

Additionally, Molly shares how they approach branding from a strategic and relationship perspective; as well as explains what a brand activation is.

Amy gives us some insight into their work culture and why it is very important to growing and sustaining a reputable design firm.

Lastly, we discuss ReScale; the green initiative of recycling and repurposing one-off environmental assets into other products.

Mentions Include:

• Infinite Scale's Twitter
• Infinite Scale
• Utah Jazz uni unveiling
• College Football Playoff by Pentagram
• Sports Business Journal article on CFP Playoff design
• 2016 NHL All-Star Identity by Fanbrandz
• Paul Conway, NHL CD
• Hatch Show Print
• Kyle Field wayfinding signage
• Populous, Kansas City
• University of Cincinnati DAAP
• ReScale
• NHL Green
• The Green Sport Alliance

The next podcast will be a crossover episode. Sean Callanan, founder of SportsGeek, and I are collaborating on an episode that appear on both podcasts. A part 1 & 2 split between two brands.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"There's money & there's smart money. We believe there is capital, then there's creative capital."

Dylan Boyd, Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, joins the show to talk tech startups in the sports industry.

Dylan tells his story and how he got into startups beginning with founding a digital agency that he grew to 80 people.

We define some common terms in startups to give listeners who may not be familiar a basic education for beginning to understand the industry.

In addition, we discuss how accelerators work—specifically the Dodgers Accelerator elaborating on their business model, R/GA's role in the joint venture, as well as what stage a company should be when they choose to apply to the Dodgers Accelerator.

We touch on why accelerators are growing exponentially and how creative services providers can break into startups either working with companies or creating their own.

Lastly we discuss what college athletics can do to innovate and invest in their own student bodies to create sports companies.

Mentions include:

• Dylan Boyd's Twitter
• Dodgers Accelerator
• Dodgers Accelerator's Twitter
• R/GA
• Urban Airship
• TechStars
• Nike+ Accelerator
• AKQA
• Publicis Group
• PIE Portland
• Wieden+Kennedy
• True Ventures
• Kliener Perkins Caufield & Beyers (KPCB)
• First Round
• Science Inc.
• Ustwo
• Monument Valley
• Google Ventures
• Coachbase
• Nike entrepreneur-in-residence
• Can Tech Entrepeneurship Level the Playing Field of College Athletics
• Stadia Ventures

My next guests are the founders of Infinite Scale. Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith & Molly Mazzolini join us to tell their stories and give us some insight into a few of their projects such branded environments for the College Football Playoff and the NHL All-Star Game. For more on Infinite Scale, see their site.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"For us it's gotta be about innovation across the board...for 'The Tour', we've gotta make sure we're doing everything we can to meet our fans on the platforms where they are and bring them some amazing stuff."

Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content at the PGA Tour, joins the show to discuss her storied career working in digital for brands such as Coca-Cola, Harry Potter, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dell and more.

Beginning agency-side, Sloane gives us some insight into transitioning from working with many brands to working on one brand. She also touches on the conference she founded, as well as her choice of incorporating social good into her work and how that continues with The Tour's mission of charity.

Golf may not be widely known as an innovative and tech-driven league; however, Sloane begs to differ as she lets us in on some of The Tour's digital strategies elaborating on how they are very tech-driven using analytics, mobile, social and storytelling to enhance the fan experience.

Lastly we touch on the future of the game and the hot topic of virtual reality (VR) as Sloane briefs us on how they are using VR, including some pointers on how content creators in other sports can begin to experiment with it.

[You'll notice my dog Missy barking early in the episode. I typically edit things like this out, but she died of congestive heart failure at 11 yrs. old 24 hrs. later so I felt it a fitting tribute to leave her in as that was reflective of her personality.]

Mentions include:

• Sloane on Twitter
• BFG Communications
• GeekEnd
• The Creative Coast
• "Start Something that Matters" by Blake Mycoskie
• Warby Parker
• The Players Championship
• The Masters
• Oculus Rift
• SXsports
• Ep.56: Rebecca Feferman, Director of SXsports
• Strivr Labs
• Miguel Angel Jimenez
• Top Golf
• Ep.33: Tim Oliver, Golf Digest AD
• SkratchTV

My next guest is Dylan Boyd. Dylan is the Managing Director of the Dodgers Accelerator, a sports startup accelerator in partnership between the L.A. Dodgers & R/GA Ventures. Prior to R/GA, Dylan ran the Nike+ Accelerator and is an advisor to many startup companies.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

COMMUNITY CONTENT PREVIEW

A rare public Halftime episode as they are for paid Community membersonly now. I just felt this initiative is something worth sharing to everyone that may be interested.

Many of us have worked hard in our creative discipline of choice to hone our skills and get better project-by-project. We often get frustrated when we see big-revenue companies or organizations soliciting spec work and running design contests for creative they can and should pay for. However, sometimes non-profits and causes we believe in fall into doing that very thing as well due to lack of resources.

This Halftime is about taking initative and volunteering services, giving them in-kind for charities, causes and non-profits we believe in. Each of our stories consist of some particular cause we deeply care about. Be it family member who had cancer and was helped for treatment from a local cancer foundation, or a youth sports organization that helped mold us into better people when we were younger.

The Makers of Sport Community is tackling something we care about deeply in the near future with The High School Project: a branding and visual identity campaign donated to 2 U.S. public high schools per year in rural or inner cities that are particularly underfunded by their state. Our breadth of services, talent and passion for sport and its inflluence on culture and society takes precedent as we begin to volunteer our services for the greater good.

Listen to this episode to find out more and learn how you can become involved.

Mentions Include:

• NO!SPEC
• Sports Matter by Dick's Sporting Goods

My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.

"You need to put food on the table. You need to do things you need to do to have a life. But, at the same time you need to feed your soul a little bit too."

Brian Lindstrom, art director at Trek, joined the podcast this week to discuss his career designing for physical products in the consumer brand space for brands such as Oakely, Skullcandy and now Trek.

We discuss Brian's education pursuing an M.F.A. in Design, how being a California kid with Midwest roots plays into his work, why he prefers working in consumer products rather than agencies and more.

Brian also gives us some insight into has many side projects including Bases Loaded Series and 50Built as we touch on the importance of creating for passion.

Lastly, we discuss naming companies, trends in naming and how our work is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.

Mentions include:

• Brian on Twitter
• Brian on Dribbble
• Newbaric Agency
• Lindstrom Works
• Bases Loaded Series
• 50Built
• Infinity Surfboard Co.
• Screwball Press
• Dan Cassaro
• Ryan Katrina
• Maker's Row
• Mark Hemeon, Product Designer
• Maketime, Inc.
• Fuzzco
• Luba Lukova
• James Victore
• Episode 8: Darrin Crescenzi
• Perky Bros.
• Duffy & Partners
• Planet Propaganda
• 199c by BLDG Refuge
• Dave "The Cobra" Parker print
• Episode Bethany Heck, Eephus League
• Elias Stein
• Jeremy Reiss
• Huntington Base Ball Co.
• Episode 10: Ben Jenkins, Warstic Bat Co.

My next guest is going to be Sloane Kelley, Senior Director of Content for the PGA Tour. Sloane has an extensive agency background and has been with the PGA for 3 years. She recently spoke at SXsports on VR and golf.

Sign up for the weekly email newsletter for updates, discounts on future products and exclusive content for subscribers.

You can also show your support for the podcast by joining the community and keeping it sponsor-free.

Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, @TAdamMartin and @MakersofSport on twitter and Dribbble.