4. Reflections Two Decades of Event Experience and New Beginnings with Rae Kauder

08/31/20 • 42 min

Rae Kauder just concluded a 17 year career with Octagon. She was a key member in managing the largest hospitality program in motorsports (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) and provides hands-on knowledge of motorsports management and negotiation, along with a unique attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under fire. She assisted on Mastercard’s Global Hospitality Team where she has activated high-level programs including business sessions for the Asia-Pacific market in London and Dublin. Other successes include marquee events at the Super Bowl, Final Four, GRAMMY Awards, Latin GRAMMY Awards, UEFA Champions League Finals, Arnold Palmer Invitational, TomorrowLand (Brazil and Belgium) and Copa America. Focused efforts in hosting were divided between high wealth clients, “Priceless Experiences” winners and overseeing the Latin American/Caribbean region. In addition to working with Mastercard, she focused on sponsorship and contract negotiation for Allstate, in which she managed the hospitality for major sponsorship events such as the Allstate Sugar Bowl and National Championship

She is currently the acting co-President of Women in Sports and Events WISE – Charlotte Chapter where she was a founding member.

Rae holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida where her focus was on Journalism and Telecommunication with an area of concentration in Public Relations, Travel and Tourism. She is also fluent in Spanish.

Rae's 4 Key Points are:

On management and being the best manager you can be, be patient, listen, be authentic and true. Learn from your best and worst examples. Learn the qualities that will help you to serve your team the best.
On leadership, trust your team to “get it done” and make the decision to do the work and get the job done together.
Build relationships. This is the most important thing that you can do in your career. Never underestimate the power of networking.
Imposter syndrome is real. The single biggest hurdle in Rae’s career was overcoming the fear of failure. Once that was identified, Rae could stand up to failure, look it in the face, and accept the challenge. Raising your had to say, “I’ll take a stab at that”. That’s when you will win!

Keep in touch with Rae on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rae-kauder-0833361/

She is currently the acting co-President of Women in Sports and Events WISE – Charlotte Chapter where she was a founding member.

Rae's 4 Key Points are:

On management and being the best manager you can be, be patient, listen, be authentic and true. Learn from your best and worst examples. Learn the qualities that will help you to serve your team the best.
On leadership, trust your team to “get it done” and make the decision to do the work and get the job done together.
Build relationships. This is the most important thing that you can do in your career. Never underestimate the power of networking.
Imposter syndrome is real. The single biggest hurdle in Rae’s career was overcoming the fear of failure. Once that was identified, Rae could stand up to failure, look it in the face, and accept the challenge. Raising your had to say, “I’ll take a stab at that”. That’s when you will win!

Keep in touch with Rae on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rae-kauder-0833361/

Previous Episode

3. Succeed in Sales, MiLB, and Family with Jenna Byrnes, Senior VP of the OKC Dodgers

Jenna Byrnes, the Senior Vice President of the Oklahoma City Dodgers, is dedicated to leading the revenue generating efforts of the organization with emphasis in Ticket Sales, Marketing and Special Events.

Byrnes focuses on leadership and professional development for the 50 full-time members of the organization with a focus on internal communication and company culture. She serves as a resource for other industry executives and was recognized as the 2013 and 2015 Pacific Coast League Female Executive of the Year.

She offers incredible insight including these Top 4 Key Points:

1. To succeed in sales, you must have fun and be authentic. Show up every day to be the best you can be. The best qualities in a sales person are a positive attitude and curiosity.

2. As a leader, interview tough. You only get one chance to interview and if you are really serious about adding this person to your team, ask the tough questions. Get a feel for their personality and if they’d be a good fit with your organization. You can never go back and ask those hard questions – so don’t be afraid to interview tough!

3. When announcing her maternity leave, Jenna put herself in the shoes of her staff. What would they want to know? “How would this affect me?” So, Jenna prepared the plan and had confidence in working the plan. Jenna even included bonus opportunities for staff performance while she was out.

4. No one can care more about your career path than you. The best way to predict your future is to create it. How do you do that? Jenna suggests that you think about what you want and make the role for yourself, meaning write your own job description. Use that description as a goal and work toward that next level. Then make the case, pitch your plan. Make it happen for yourself because no one can care more about your career path than you.

Follow Jenna on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-byrnes-6a47958/

Next Episode

5. Sponsorship Mastery with Global Head of Corporate Partnerships at MGM Resorts, Brette Sadler

Brette began her sports and entertainment career working for the Florida Panthers Hockey Club/Sunrise Sports & Entertainment on a few teams including; ticketing, promotions and marketing partnerships. She then joined Octagon in the Atlanta office, where she led Home Depot’s partnerships with ESPN College GameDay, select teams, leagues and properties; such as USOC, Falcons, Braves, Hawks, AEG, NASCAR, as well as, oversaw hospitality programming, store events and The Home Depot Foundation Golf Program. Product integration into movies and video games was also a highlight of her time there.

After her six-year stint in Atlanta, Brette joined UFC in 2011 and led Global Marketing Partnership Activation. A few of the strategic partners on the UFC roster included: A-B, Harley-Davidson, Dodge, AirAsia, Modelo, Monster Energy, BodyArmor and MetroPCS.

Brette joined MGM Resorts International as Global Head of Corporate Partnership in October 2019.

Her team manages partnership sales and activation for the MGM enterprise, the WNBA Las Vegas Aces, as well as, beverage partnerships. Their partnership roster includes Coke, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Avis, Panama Jack, American Express, MasterCard, just to name a few. VIP and Group Ticketing for all live events (9,000+) across 37 venues, fall under her purview.

Brette is a graduate of University of Miami and holds a BS in PR, Psychology and Minor in Sports Management. She is also the Founder and President of the WISE (Women in Sports and Events) Las Vegas Chapter.

Brette's Top 4:

When you head in for an interview, do all the research on the company that you can and be prepared to articulate where YOUR strengths fit in.
Create two metaphorical boxes, one for people who support you and one for people who don’t. When you feel the naysayers creep in, just put them in the “Don’t Support Me” box.
Don’t be afraid to make a change. For Brette, changes can be made for two main reasons, first, sometimes you have to move on to move up. Meaning, getting the experience you need to grow sometimes does not come from your current employer so keep your eyes open and your mind open to expansion and change, and second, if you no longer align with your company, meaning that you can no longer be “True to YOUR Brand” it's time to go. Don’t ever sacrifice what you stand for for your job.
Some things don’t change. Come in early and stay late. Check with your boss before you leave work. These behaviors will help you to stand out and show your organization you are willing to go the extra mile.

Keep in touch with Brette on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brette-sadler/

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