6. Negotiation and The Underdog Wins with Rachel Luba, MLB Sports Agent

09/14/20 • 48 min

On today’s Podcast we speak with Rachel Luba, MLB player agent who’s responsible for the negotiation of the historic Trevor Bauer contract. Among arbitration-eligible players, Trevor became the second-highest-paid starting pitcher in history. Rachel was the first woman who negotiated a contract for a player on the 25-man roster. After signing her first client, Trevor Bauer, following the 2019 season, Luba Sports was born. It exists to offer clients hyper-personalized and customizable representation packages and to revitalize a stagnant industry. From her time spent in the ring boxing larger opponents to her fight to break into the baseball industry, Rachel has always embraced the roll of underdog and considers herself a fighter. In addition to helping players maximize their career earnings, she hopes to inspire future generations of women and underdogs to fight for their goals, no matter the odds. Rachel is a dynamo. She’ll share with us that time and time again, she did not take no for an answer. When faced with a crossroads, quit or face confrontation and do the work, she took the challenge to face confrontation and do the work. She’s an example that hard work and determination does indeed pay off. Also, listen to how often she has used negotiation to propel her career forward. She’s got some tips for you and it's a great reminder that if we can sharpen our negotiation skills it's a huge benefit and can put you in the fast lane to career growth. Rachel's Quote The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, MAKE THEM. Rachel's Top 4 Takeaways Home Run interview with Rachel Luba, MLBPA Certified Player-Agent at Luba Sports, LLC. After hearing from Rachel I think it is evident that her favorite quote, “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, MAKE THEM.” Is abundantly true in Rachel’s life. Take some advice, get out there and MAKE it happen! With that, let’s get into the top 4 takeaways from Rachel Luba. Seek out and talk to people who are in the industry you want to be a part of. Be curious. Ask questions. Be passionate. Do your research, have a specific goal in mind and choose the road that is the most direct path to achieving that goal like Rachel did when she selected the right law school. Be a great listener, soak up knowledge and listen but don’t be afraid to contribute. Use your voice! If you have a seat at the table, you have done the work and your opinion matters too. Speak up in meetings and share your thoughts. If they can do it, you can do it. Build your confidence. Be bold. Put yourself out there. You can do it! There is a way! If people don’t want to give you the chance, do it yourself. Then, compete against them. Is that powerful or what? Rachel's Podcast: https://watch-momentum.com/corkd-up/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.luba/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/agentrachelluba/

Previous 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/

Don't forget to join the LEADERSHIP IS FEMALE free Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/4180083018729749

Next Episode

7. Career Confidence Coaching with Britt Larsen, Founder of Livlyhood

Britt Larsen, Career Coach & Creator of Livlyhood, a community for women who work, is a champion of women in the workplace. She hosts the Livlyhood podcast to celebrate working women and to help them find joy in their jobs. Her extensive career in public affairs prepared her to now guide working women to figure out how to get what they want and need from their careers. Britt’s Top 4 Takeaways Confidence. Look around you and see what you admire about what other people are posting, what do you like about what they are saying or how they are promoting themselves. Bottom line, you have to fight for yourself. Certainly cheer for others but don’t forget to promote your role and your accomplishments. On promotion, take your job description and rewrite it for the job you want or the job you are actually doing. What does my boss need? What do they value? What is really important to the company and my manager? How can I contribute to that goal? Then, how can you attach value? When do you make the case to your supervisor for promotion? Don’t wait until something bad happens like a colleague gets a promotion or you are assigned a really big project beyond the scope of your job. You never want to ask under the pretense of reaction. When you know it’s time: Present the facts. Gain confidence. How? Work to break out of your shell by sharing your story. It’s uncomfortable at first so you have to get the reps, and just start. It will get easier! Craft your story. What’s your story? “People enjoy working with me!” or “I am a phenomenal sales person” or “I am resourceful and always come in under budget”. Own your story with confidence and start sharing! Follow Britt: https://www.livlyhood.com/ https://www.instagram.com/_livlyhood_/ https://www.pinterest.com/livlyhood/ https://www.facebook.com/livlyhood/