Episode 033: Chris Meade

Introduction:

At initial blush, today it may appear that we are going a bit off of the real estate grid with our guest Chris Meade, the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of SportsRecruits, but given his talent for helping clients navigate the challenges of the recruiting landscape as well as the importance of education, technology and video in finding the right fit for a student athlete - aside from the fact that earlier in his career he was in fact a CRE broker - there are many similarities between SportsRecruits’ business model and that of a landlord’s leasing agent or tenant representative. Chris, who will later tell us why his Twitter bio includes that of “Living the dream,” is not only an innovator in using a video platform to help his clients showcase their talents, but also someone who listened to what the marketplace was telling him, and as a consequence, used that feedback to take SportsRecruits’ platform to a whole new level.

Episode Notes:

At 2:33, Chris Meade discusses resume building, self-reflection, and the qualities of importance to him. At 4:41, Chris touches upon building the SportsRecruits technology platform and how it empowers their client base. At 6:18, Meade dives into the topic of rejection and putting the situation into perspective. At 9:24, he shares the evolution in SportsRecruits solving of new problems which did not exist when the business first started, and how they adapted and listened to the marketplace. At 12:34, Chris speaks about long term “stickiness,” understanding customer values, and SportsRecruits focus on Net Promoter Score (NPS). At 14:48, Meade reveals what “class” means to him. At 17:31, he talks about self-perception and the sacrifices one’s willing to make. At 21:51, Chris shares his thoughts on management, breaking down goals, as well as coaching and mentorship. At 25:31, Meade highlights his 2005 conversation with Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines. At 29:11, he notes why giving back is necessary, and SportsRecruits’ model of building its business around helping families. At 31:19, Chris discusses being a “glass half full” type of guy, and his general sentiment that people will do the right thing. At 33:03, Meade stresses that being nice is an essential piece of business. At 36:49, he dives into his “truth,” and the routines that force him to think about this truth. At 39:44, Chris touches upon technology, picking up the phone to communicate, and why face-to-face meetings cannot be beat. At 42:32, Meade notes his love of connecting with others and understanding what drives other people. At 44:29, Chris Meade closes out the podcast with a Scarface reference - “The world is yours.”