Sports Management Podcast

Welcome to episode 146 of Sports Management Podcast.

Liam Scully isthe CEO of Lincoln City Football Club. Liam has more than 20 years of experience working in football, and he is not even 40 years old. He started his career via an apprenticeship and worked his way up to become Chief Executive of Lincoln City.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• How he became CEO of Lincoln City FC in 2017
• How his interest for football started
• The Win/Develop Mission of the club
• Their vision to be a forward thinking sustainable club
• The Stadium Redevelopment Project
• Being a part Community owned club
• Why Liam visited a fan at his home

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/kmZAPz-guLw

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:43: Lincoln City Football Club
08:09: The club's Vision: Forward-thinking and Sustainable
14:14: Balancing Recruitment and Squad Development
20:33: Fan Engagement
36:22: Evolving as a Leader
38:19: Blending Academic Knowledge with Practical Experiences
44:57: Outro

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Liam's Channels:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamjscully/
https://twitter.com/liamjscully

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Lincoln City FC's Channels:

https://www.weareimps.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lincolncityfc/
https://www.instagram.com/lincolncity_fc/
https://twitter.com/LincolnCity_FC

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Welcome to episode 145 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today’s guest is Houman Ashrafzadeh – the founder of Padium a “London’s premium padel club, in the heart of Canary Wharf”. Houman is a serial entrepreneur who in addition to Padium also has founded Urban Greens Salad bar, Coffydoor and 360 Capital. His latest venture, Padium, is backed by Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon, who is a big padel enthusiast as well.

In this episode we spoke about:

• The padel landscape in the UK
• Learnings from “The Swedish Model”
• Challenges from starting a restaurant just before covid
• Why he chose Canary Wharf as the location for Padium
• What Houman has learned from Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon

And much more!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:21: Padium in Canary Wharf
06:35: Learnings from "The Swedish Model"
13:49: Backed by Spotify Co-Founder Martin Lorentzon
15:28: Future Plans for Padium
25:05: Padium Brand
26:09: Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
31:07: Outro

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Houman's Channels:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/houmanashrafzadeh/
https://www.instagram.com/houman.ash/?hl=en

Padium's Channels:

https://www.padium.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/padium/
https://www.facebook.com/padiumuk
https://www.instagram.com/padiumuk/?hl=en

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Welcome to episode 144 of Sports Management Podcast.

Åsa Edlund Jönsson is the Secretary General of the Swedish Olympic Committee. Shehas a long background from journalism and media. She worked for Swedish Television SVT for over 2 decades, and the last 6 years as Head of Sports.

Åsa is a true trailblazer. She was the first female head of sport at SVT and also the first woman to commentate men’s ice hockey live on Swedish TV.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Reaching a gender equal sport coverage
• Losing the bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics
• The Swedish Olympic Committee’s stance on Individual Neutral Athletes from Russia and Belarus
• Sustainability and mega events

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/vu5BG-yRoJw

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:18 Swedish Olympic Committee
04:35 Bidding for Winter Olympics 2030
10:23 Sustainability & Mega Events
11:45 Paris 2024 Olympics
13:35 Individual Neutral Athletes
17:45 Åsa's background
19:20 First Female Hockey Commentator
26:05 Head of Sport at SVT
38:39 Promoting Gender Equality in Sports Coverage
44:50 Outro

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Åsa's Channels:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/%C3%A5sa-edlund-j%C3%B6nsson-1301aa52/ https://www.instagram.com/sweasa1912/
https://twitter.com/SWEAsa1912

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Welcome to episode 143 of Sports Management Podcast.

Marcus Walfridson is the Founder of Sarasota Paradise, a USL division 2 soccer club in the United States. He is also a former coach, entrepreneur and an author.

Marcus wanted to live the American dream and decided to start a soccer club. Little did he know the challenges that would face him…

Get ready to learn:

• How he managed to start a club during covid
• Why he got fired as a coach from Linköping
• How he managed to go 10 days without speaking, reading or writing
• Why branding is so important to Sarasota Paradise

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Vnrd-cvYyWE

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:35 Sarasota Paradise
10:00 Finding a Stadium
11:11 US Soccer Landscape
12:55 The Sarasota Brand
18:25 Revenue Streams
25:04 Being a Soccer Coach
31:46 His Book: "Lessons From the Beautiful Game"
33:21 Being Smart Without a Degree
37:44 10 Days Without Talking
42:18 Bumps On the Road
46:06 Marcus' Best Advice
48:03 Outro

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Walfridson's Channels:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcuswalfrid/
https://www.instagram.com/marcuswalfrid/
https://twitter.com/marcuswalfrid
https://connect.marcuswalfridson.com/profile

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Sarasota Paradise's Channels:

https://www.sarasotaparadise.us/
https://www.sarasotaparadise.store/
https://twitter.com/srq_paradise
https://www.instagram.com/sarasotaparadise/

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 141 of Sports Management Podcast.

Kyle Sheldon is the founder and CEO of Name & Number - a soccer-specific marketing and creative agency built to connect teams and brands to American soccer fans and culture. He is also the co-founder of Pathway – where they help ambitious professionals break into and build a career in soccer.

Kyle is an award-winning marketer with nearly 20 years of experience in pro sports and he has worked almost exclusively in soccer except for 2 years in NASCAR.

In this episode we spoke about:

• What learnings he brought from NASCAR to soccer
• The story behind the Name & Number logo
• The rise of soccer in the US
• The importance of FIFA World Cup 2026
• What are some hirable qualities

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/DIZEXD6D2Co

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:36 Name & Number
03:52 Soccer in the US
08:10 FIFA World Cup 2026
10:45 Kyle's Soccer Origin
12:58 Founding Pathway
16:20 Hirable Qualities
18:23 Managing Two Companies
21:00 Importance of Business Relationships
23:00 Working for NASCAR
30:00 Leadership
32:40 The Kuykenstrong Foundation
34:25 The Name & Number Logo
36:10 Marketing is Storytelling
37:40 Kyle's Favorite Soccer Team
39:07 Bumps On the Road
42:44 Outro
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Kyle's Channels:

https://www.nameandnumber.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kyleandnumber/
https://twitter.com/kylesheldon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylesheldon/

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Welcome to episode 140 of Sports Management Podcast.

Brad Ross is the VP Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company. Brad started at Coca-Cola in 2007. He moved to Google for two years between 2019 and 2021 and then boomeranged back to Coca-Cola. He is born and raised in South Africa, but is currently living in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola has its global headquarters. Sport has always been a fundamental part of his life and shaped many foundational memories for him growing up.

In this episode we spoke about:

• Why Marketing is a team sport
• Coca-Cola’s 100 year partnership with IOC
• Their new partnership with the International Cricket Council, ICC
• How Coca-Cola prepares for Paris24, FIFA World Cup 2026, LA28 and more
• How his upbringing in South Africa shaped him
• Africa as a sport continent on the rise
• Brad’s memories from FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/7h_vaj9rTsQ

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:41 Marketing Is a Team Sport
02:25 Sports Marketing and Partnerships at Coca-Cola
05:32 Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
13:35 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
16:47 Brad's Upbringing In South Africa
17:51 Africa's Potential with Sports
21:10 FIFA World Cup 2026
24:43 Working Multiple Mega Events Simultaneously
27:09 Partnership With International Cricket Council
28:19 Ideal Length of a Partnership
30:34 How Brad's Interest For Sport Started
34:05 Learnings From Sport to Business
37:46 Coca-Cola Is a Great Place to Work
40:51 Bumps On The Road
42:42 Brad's Best Advice
44:12 Outro

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Welcome to episode 139 of Sports Management Podcast.

Jacob Turner is the co-founder of Moment Private Wealth and a former MLB pitcher. He wasdrafted in the 1^st round, 9th overall, by the Detroit Tigers in the 2009 MLB draft. Now he is a financial advisor helping athletes make sound financial decisions.

We spoke about:

• Signing a 7 million dollar MLB contract
• What he bought for his signing bonus
• How to choose a financial advisor
• The downsides of being an athlete
• Financial mistakes athletes make
• Reward vs lifestyle purchases
• Why he quit baseball

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/dUG_OUGQDc8

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:37 MLB Draft 2009
02:29 Starting Baseball
03:40 Life Changing Money
05:34 Be the CEO of Your Own Life
06:50 Elite Athletes Going Broke
09:54 Finance Learnings From His Parents
11:18 Moment Private Wealth
15:13 Three Buckets of Investments & Taxes
19:25 Mistakes Athletes Make
22:00 Importance of Confidence
25:42 Best Finance Books
27:20 Downside of Being a Pro Athlete
28:15 Defining Success
29:38 Losing His Father
30:58 Bumps On The Road
32:47 Quitting Baseball
34:35 Injuries From Baseball
35:15 Be All In
36:17 Outro

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Jacob's Channels:

https://www.instagram.com/thejacob_turner/
https://twitter.com/TheJacobTurner
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejacobturner/
https://www.youtube.com/@TheJacobTurner
https://www.momentprivatewealth.com/

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 138 of Sports Management Podcast.

Lauren Johnson is a mental performance coach who has worked with the New York Yankees, US Women's National Team, and Google. She is also a speaker and soon to be author.
She is training athletes, military personnel and business professionals as well as giving speaking engagements and hosting workshops.

In this episode we spoke about:

• Losing her best friend to suicide
• Being forced to quit soccer due to 5 concussions
• How a man in the Starbucks drive through changed her life
• Traits among elite performers
• The power of opposite thinking
• Re-Focusing
• Psychological Safety

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/ee341EqXCG0

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:35 Lauren's Three C's
04:27 Working with Pro Athletes
07:55 Landing Her First Job
13:48 Losing Her Best Friend to Suicide
16:08 Being Afraid to Fail
19:13 Re-Focusing
20:48 Traits Among Elite Performers
25:01 "Be Brave to S**k at Something New"
29:19 Mistakes Athletes Make
31:16 Re-Framing
33:15 Power of Opposite Thinking
35:14 Psychological Safety
37:46 Writing A Book
40:41 Elite By Choice
42:25 Lauren's Best Advice
46:17 Bumps On The Road
50:39 Caring About Clients
55:36 Outro
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Lauren's Channels:

https://www.laurenjohnsonandco.com/
https://www.instagram.com/laurennicolejohnson/
https://twitter.com/_laurenjohnson_
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAgiinhnP664j96geaFkdFg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenjohnsonn/

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 137 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today I am joined by two great guests from the event management industry.

James Bulley & Paul May are the co-founders of Trivandi – an international consultancy that provides delivery and operational advice in the sport, leisure and events sectors, founded in 2013 after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They both have more than 30 years’ of experience from planning, delivering and operating major venues and mega events projects.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Why they decided to start Trivandi
• Their learnings from London 2012
• Challenges with mega events
• The importance of technology
• Trivandi’s focus on sustainability
• The future of the event industry

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Eg_T45AYWVk

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:40 What is Trivandi?
04:15 London 2012 Olympics
06:25 Process of Hosting the Olympic Games
10:46 Sustainability & Mega Events
13:43 Learnings From London 2012
18:35 Evaluation Event Success
23:40 Growing Trivandi
25:03 Future of Events
28:55 Technology in the Event Industry
31:48 Trivandi in 2024
35:43 Bumps On The Road
40:24 Outro

_____________________________________________________________

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 136 of Sports Management Podcast.

Kareem Rae is the founder & CEO of One Soccer Nation, which provides players an opportunity to sign professional contracts. Kareem is a former semi-professional soccer player with over 20 years of experience playing in Canada, US, France and England. He is also the author of the book: "I Want To Become A Professional Soccer Player", which he wrote at age 18.

He has a great vision for One Soccer Nation and in this episode we spoke about:

• The possibility to own his own club
• Founding One Soccer Nation
• Soccer as a vehicle for change
• Kareem's playing career
• Helping players go pro
• The future of One Soccer Nation

And much more!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/mt9na_EwHfA

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:41 One Soccer Nation
05:24 Kareem's Background
08:24 Helping Player's Going Pro
10:48 Becoming an Entrepreneur
12:35 Writing a Book
14:05 Living Abroad
17:10 Experiences from Soccer
19:47 Post Career Advice
21:40 Launching His Own Club
25:47 One Soccer Nation Podcast
33:30 Outro

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com