Scott O'Neil: CEO, PHL 76ers, NJ Devils & Crystal Palace F.C.

02/19/18 • 62 min

"Have a passion for the business, have a great management team, and then search for real opportunity." Scott O'Neil is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), a group that manages the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, and English Premier League's Crystal Palace. Their ongoing vision is to focus on acquiring sports franchises, sports venues, and sports and entertainment properties. Scott and I talk about the state of the teams in his current portfolio, then dive deep into the operational team at HBSE, the culture they've built, and the sales metrics (or what he calls "touches") they study to improve things like season ticket sales, digital impressions, and sponsorship opportunities. I asked Scott two questions that I'm constantly working through, as well as observing others' management techniques. First, what does he look for in a qualified candidate, and second, how he balances oversight of multiple properties, strategy, and interpersonal relationships at the office. What he discloses is fascinating (hint: he's big into mindfulness and gratitude). Hosted by professional athlete and entrepreneur, Suiting Up Podcast is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.

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Kelvin Beachum: NFL Tackle and Investor

Kelvin Beachum was born into a blue collar family in Texas. He was a studious undergrad, carrying both a graduate and master’s degree, while setting onfield records at SMU. It didn't stop there, though. Kelvin went on to deliver his collegiate commencement speech, then was drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Kelvin's been through as many depth chart challenges as injuries, but he kept his head down, and quickly became one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. Not wasting his stellar academic career, Kelvin is long on LinkedIn -- different than most athlete's choice of platform's on social media. He shares musings on portfolio companies he's been pitched to invest in, and shares his experiences from big tech conferences. Kelvin's a limited partner with Next Play Capital, a member of One Team Collective, and has a running list of charitable endeavors that include Bread for the World, World Vision, Feeding America, and STEM. Hosted by professional athlete and entrepreneur, Paul Rabil, Suiting Up Podcast is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.

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Randy Hetrick: Navy SEAL & Founder of TRX

Randy Hetrick is a fierce competitor. He’s driven to perform at the highest level — in whatever he does. After college, he entered the Navy and joined SEAL Team One, where he had a 14-year career, ending as a Lieutenant Commander, leading a squadron at the SEAL special missions unit. On a mission in Southeast Asia, Randy took his old Jiu-jitsu belt, anchored to a backdrop, and started what we now refer to as "Suspension Training". After his time as a SEAL, he applied and got into the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he learned how to start a company, raise money, and grow. Having learned how to sew as a SEAL, to modify gear, he spent the summer of Stanford perfecting his prototypes and shortly after graduating, incorporated TRX Systems. Today, TRX is in over 40,000 gyms worldwide, and is used by all professional sports leagues and teams. Randy's a dear friend of mine. We went the distance on starting a company, managing people, dealing with failure, acknowledging "gaps", and leaning into the "gots." Hosted by professional athlete and entrepreneur, Suiting Up Podcast is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entrepreneurship, and entertainment. Join the 2018 TRX Training Summit. Also, thanks to our sponsors, ZipRecruiter and Mattress Firm. Try ZipRecruiter for free HERE, and head to mattressfirm.com/podcast to get the play-by-play on how you can monumentally improve your sleep today, tonight and tomorrow.