By Beau Bauer ('11)
The 2009 Follett’s Sports Business Forum kicked off with Brian Gainor ('07), an Account Executive from GMR Marketing. Gainor’s theme for his presentation was “Climbing the Ladder in Sports,” an energetic start to a great forum. Gainor utilized, unexpectedly, a picture of Kevin Bacon to describe, what he referred to as the “Bacon Rule.” This rule, according to Gainor, is that there is only six degrees of separation between you and your dream job.
Expanding on his humorous connection, Gainor mentioned the first step to climbing the ladder was to think of yourself as a brand. He stressed that early on it is important to determine what your brand is about, what your key attributes are, and to know your story.
The next degree, he mentioned, accented the significance of understanding the sports landscape. Included in this discussion was a model that outlined how sponsors and various agencies interact to form property partnerships with teams and leagues. Specifically, Gainor mentioned there is an increasing trend towards cause, digital, and multicultural agencies.
Third, Gainor instructed the students to get as much experience as fast as you can. He explained that volunteering and internships provided exceptional opportunities to get valuable experience. When looking at opportunities, Gainor stated that sometimes who you work for is more important than the company you work for. Learn, learn, learn, was Gainor’s next tip for climbing the ladder, whether it be attending graduate school or simply building your knowledge base.
He provided countless outlets for gathering information on the sports business including PartnershipActivation.com (a valuable website he created) and the Sports Business Journal. Doing the little things that make a big difference, Gainor discussed, can help put you on the right path. Gainor stated that having respect for everyone and being humble were integral traits to possess when trying to get experience.
Gainor declared that if there was one takeaway that he wanted everyone to get from his presentation, it was that networking is NOT an option. He wanted the students in the audience to make it his/her hobby and to start early. A good rule of thumb set forth by Gainor is to try to add at least one new contact to your network each week, resulting in 52 new contacts for the year. When networking, however, he stressed that it needed to be continuous and genuine communication, not simply when you are looking for a job.
Brian earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and completed his graduate degrees (MBA/MSA) at Ohio University in 2007. In his current role, Brian oversees the Lowe’s relationships in several sports for GMR Marketing.
The Ohio University Center for Sports Administration was proud to present the 2009 Follett's Sports Business Forum (formerly known as the Fall Speaker Series) on October 2nd in Walter Hall. Designed for undergraduate students, the event gave an in-depth look at various professions within the sports industry.
