It feels like just yesterday I first told my parents about MSBA, stating the minuscule chances of being selected as 1 of 25 participants. The fact that I’m not only here, but that two days have already passed, gives me a hunch that these eight weeks are going to fly by. I am the Valuation Intern at Premier Partnerships this summer, a company that mostly deals with naming rights and sponsorship sales for sport properties and municipalities. Premier has offices in NYC, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
“If this is how I feel after Day 1, I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when MSBA 2016 comes to a close. For now, I’m going to enjoy the ride in the City of Dreams!”
DAY 1. Alarm went off at 7:00am, and the grind began. I’m not familiar with the subway system so I got on the 6 train at 8:00, giving myself an hour to work with in case I made any mistakes (my commute is only 25 minutes). With no mistakes (phew!), I arrived at the Premier office at 8:30. Within two hours, I was sitting in on an all-Premier video conference led by CEO Randy Bernstein in Los Angeles. I quickly learned that this was going to be a great fit because I believe that in order for a company to be truly successful there needs to be complete transparency and strong communication between all facets of the firm. I spent the rest of the day taking on my first responsibility and worked diligently on researching and landscaping prospects for a naming rights deal that is eminent in Premier’s future. I already feel I am making a valuable difference, which was one of my main goals coming into this internship. My first day at Premier finally came to a close at 5:30; I hopped back on the 6 and returned to the EHS Dorms at 6:00. I grabbed a slice of pizza right down the block, and the next thing I knew I was sitting in the EHS Library at 6:50 awaiting the first MSBA Workshop featuring MSBA Co-Founder David Oestreicher.
David is widely recognized as a young leader in media, technology, education, and sports. He currently serves as President of Business Operations for REC*IT by MOKO Social Media, an award-winning mobile application dedicated to the management of collegiate intramural sports. David spoke for about two hours, reciting his own personal endeavors in the sports industry, along with invaluable advice on how to succeed and flourish in this ruthless industry. Two of David’s key points that resonated with me were to control what you can control and be professionally persistent. I realized that one does not have to be the smartest in the room in order to be the best. Instead, one should focus on arriving early to his/her job, staying late, looking the part, and going above and beyond with every task that is given. Being professionally persistent means to be respectful to the people you meet, follow up appropriately, and never give up on anything. Before you ask for something, make sure to create touch points to build and cultivate that relationship. David made it crystal clear that people will help you if they genuinely believe you are interested in learning and have a vision for yourself.
David’s “special sauce” of how to efficiently differentiate yourself in sports business is something I am aspiring to master this summer, and I know MSBA is the perfect platform for me to achieve this goal. If this is how I feel after Day 1, I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when MSBA 2016 comes to a close. For now, I’m going to enjoy the ride in the City of Dreams!