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Workshop Tuesdays! Our first workshop was titled: Networking 101. The first speaker of the night was Ben Sturner. Ben is the President/CEO of Leverage agency, as well as the Co-Founder/CEO of the Manhattan Sports Business Academy. Ben began his career with one question, “what can I do to help?” Starting at the age of 16, he began asking this question while setting long and short-term goals. Ben learned to “know something of everything and know everything of something”. This is one quote that I will take with me beyond my years. Today, most organizations are either seeking or requiring experience in various facets of the sports industry. As young professionals, we need to learn how to become an information hub. I have learned that this is key when developing relationships and networking across the industry.
The second speaker of the night was Lewis Howes. Lewis is the Sports CEO of Sports Networker, a sports business blog. As the Head of Sports and Digital Marketing for Sports Networker, he is wise beyond his years. Lewis’s inspirational words definitely resonate with me personally. He started his career as a two sport collegiate All-American and was soon named the NCAA All-Division Record Holder for the most receiving yards in a single football game. This is only the beginning of his story. As he set out on his journey to play football professionally, he was cut short due to an injury. As Vince Lombardi said, “it’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up”. Lewis chose to get up! He didn’t choose to give up his dream however; he chose to apply it to his role within the sports business industry. At the age of 24, Lewis decided to use LinkedIn to build a business around his lifestyle. He contacted executives for six hours straight, day in and day out. Through his research, he developed a proposition: to create a resource that is based around the success stories of top sports business leaders. His compilations led to the creation of sportsnetworker.com and the School of Greatness Podcast. Lewis viewed it as an opportunity to serve those who serve others. Lewis is successful in what he does on an every day basis because he shows how much he cares. The key is “not knowing how much you know, it’s knowing how much you care”. This is the key to success, and the #1 skill employers look for in any candidate. So the next time you fill out an application, make a phone call, send an e-mail or create a resume, always remember to leverage a relationship in all aspects of life!