Episode 82: Never Stop Trying, with JJ Gottsch

06/10/20 • 58 min

JJ Gottsch is the longest-tenured employee with Ryan Sanders Sports & Entertainment and has played a key role in the development of both the Round Rock Express (Houston Astros Triple-A) and Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros Double-A). He was promoted to his current position, COO, in January 2015. In this role he oversees all business operations for the Express, RS3 Turf, RS3 Strategic Hospitality as well as the company’s growing entertainment division. Gottsch was president of the Hooks for the club’s first five years, where his leadership and experience helped them draw more than two million fans in their first four seasons. Previous to his position in Corpus Christi, Gottsch served as assistant general manager for the Express during the first six years of the organization’s existence. Gottsch helped lead the franchise to record-setting attendance numbers, establishing a new Double-A home attendance record with 660,110 fans in the club’s first year, eclipsing the old attendance mark that had stood for 20 years. The franchise would proceed to break its own attendance standard in each successive season with Gottsch on board as a steadying influence.

A former player, Gottsch’s professional career included time with the Butte Copper Kings in the Pioneer League and the Perth Baseball Club in the Western Australia Baseball League. At the collegiate level, Gottsch played for Creighton University as well as TCU, where he was a member of the Horned Frogs1994 Southwest Conference Championship and NCAA Regional team. He transferred to TCU after spending three years at Creighton, where he was a shortstop on the 1991 Bluejay team that advanced to the College World Series.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

How the values of the Ryan and Sanders family...which include trust, honor, and respect....drive the decisions and behavior of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment.
How they turned a consistent customer complaint about their experience at the ballpark into a new and prosperous line of business.
Why JJ believes so strongly in the sharing of best practices with others
How Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment got creative by having their employees wear different hats and do different jobs so they could execute on cutting expenses and creating additional revenue
How they focused on continuing to add value to their sponsors in as many creative and unique ways as possible
When COVID-19 hit, how they were able to serve their people as well as the community by identifying what they had (five major sports venues stocked with food and beverage) and what they needed (people’s inability to get what they needed at the grocery store) that could fulfill.
How all of their service to the community has resulted in a tremendous amount of pride in working together to be a part of the solution to a major crisis.

Additional resources:

Website: https://www.rs3sports.com/
Twitter: @jjgottsch
Instagram: jjgottsch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-j-gottsch-8497181/

Will Ferrell Pitching for Round Rock Express – Promotion with Will supporting his Cancer for College charity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHlFA_bDkI&t=

Truckin & Buckin – A two-day simultaneous Monster Truck and Bull Riding Event in 2016- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-cWDZiXPa0

Fear the Walking Dead – We rented our stadium out to AMC Studios for six months (before our 2018 season) so they could shoot the first season of Fear the Walking Dead - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYH7WMKPrs&t=103s *You’ll need to rewind back to beginning, it seems to be opening 1⁄2 way through

Home Run Dugout – A new startup in Austin basically a baseball version of Top Golf - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnkjqByAnO0&t=

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

How the values of the Ryan and Sanders family...which include trust, honor, and respect....drive the decisions and behavior of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment.
How they turned a consistent customer complaint about their experience at the ballpark into a new and prosperous line of business.
Why JJ believes so strongly in the sharing of best practices with others
How Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment got creative by having their employees wear different hats and do different jobs so they could execute on cutting expenses and creating additional revenue
How they focused on continuing to add value to their sponsors in as many creative and unique ways as possible
When COVID-19 hit, how they were able to serve their people as well as the community by identifying what they had (five major sports venues stocked with food and beverage) and what they needed (people’s inability to get what they needed at the grocery store) that could fulfill.
How all of their service to the community has resulted in a tremendous amount of pride in working together to be a part of the solution to a major crisis.

Additional resources:

Website: https://www.rs3sports.com/
Twitter: @jjgottsch
Instagram: jjgottsch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-j-gottsch-8497181/

Will Ferrell Pitching for Round Rock Express – Promotion with Will supporting his Cancer for College charity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHlFA_bDkI&t=

Truckin & Buckin – A two-day simultaneous Monster Truck and Bull Riding Event in 2016- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-cWDZiXPa0

Home Run Dugout – A new startup in Austin basically a baseball version of Top Golf - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnkjqByAnO0&t=

Previous Episode

Episode 81: Tapping Into the Powerful Strengths of Millennials, with Nick Sarillo

Nick Sarillo is the founder of the Trust & Track Institute and Nick’s Pizza & Pub – the sixth busiest independent pizza company in per-store sales in the United States. Founded with the purpose of providing the community with an unforgettable place where families could relax and have fun, Nick’s Pizza & Pub was recently named one of the Top 25 Best Small Businesses in the country by Forbes Magazine.

Nick credits his company’s success to his purpose-driven culture, which is the focus of his book, A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business (Portfolio; 2012). Nick is a regular speaker at entrepreneurship and HR conferences, and his insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, Inc., Fast Company and Investor’s Business Daily.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

How to drive a trust that helps you grow through the tough times
How to build systems around purpose and values
Why it is so significant to shift from the mindset of a manager solution to a purpose and value solution
How Nick views millennials and what has been the key to being so successful with 70% of Nick’s Pizza and Pub’s workforce being under the age of 25
Why Trust and Track is so powerful and how it is the complete opposite of command and control leadership
How Nick defines culture
Why it is so important to be explicit in defining your purpose
The three keys to effective communication
Why Nick does not want people coming to him seeking permission at work

Additional resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nsarillo
Twitter: @NickSarillo
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfsarillo/

Next Episode

Episode 83: Coaching for Impact, 42 Years of Positive Influence and Inspiration, with Ed Molitor, Sr.

Ed Molitor, Sr. has 42 years of experience as an educator, coach and motivator. A firm believer that life and athletics is a “Frame of Mind Game”, Ed has presented to hundreds of coaches and student-athletes at clinics and sports camps throughout the Midwest. He also taught graduate classes to teachers and coaches on such topics as peak performance, leadership, team building, sports motivation and mental strength training. Inducted into the I.B.C.A. Hall Of Fame in 1997, Ed also serves on the All-State selection committee. A consummate motivator, he has developed a unique plan for athletes of all ages to reach their potential. When applied, his insights into motivation and thought management will certainly make a difference in a person’s life. He has helped a countless number of athletes learn to balance the stress of competition and the other areas of their lives. They are able to transfer what they have learned into a life of self-discipline, self-control, self-confidence and peak performance.

Coaching Resume:

Head Basketball Coach Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois 1976 - 2008
Head Basketball Coach Marist High School, Chicago, Illinois 1969 - 1976
Assistant Basketball Coach Marist High School, Chicago, Illinois 1968 - 1969
Assistant Basketball Coach DePaul Academy, Chicago, Illinois 1966 - 1968
Assistant Basketball Coach AA Illinois North All-Stars 1979 and 1992
Head Basketball Coach AA Illinois North All-Stars 1993
Assistant Coach for the Illinois Select AAU Team that defeated the Russian Junior National Team in 1988
Served on the Basketball Advisory Board for the I.H.S.A. 1985 - 1988
Serves on the I.B.C.A. All- State Board 1981-present
Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997
Conducted Basketball Camps throughout the Midwest 1973 – 2007

Teaching Resume:

Physical Education, Palatine High School, Palatine Illinois 1976 – 2008
Continuing Education Instructor for Pearson Professional Development, St. Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois 1990 - 2006
Biology, Health and Physical Education, Marist High School, Chicago, Illinois, 1968 – 1976
Biology, DePaul Academy, Chicago, Illinois 1966 -1968

Memberships:

Member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

What were the defining moments in his life which influenced him to pivot away from a career as a doctor and become a teacher and a coach
Why it is significant to understand the difference between ‘expectation of effort’ vs. ‘expectation of accomplishment’
Why it is so important to never let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can do
What his definition of success is, where it comes from, and how he has applied it to every area of his life
How W. Clement Stone influenced his way of thinking and learning, especially his R2A2 formula
How important it was to his success during his 42 years of coaching for his coaching philosophy to evolve while never compromising his core values
What the difference is between negative and non-productive thinking
What the difference is between a good leader and a great leader