BLOG • Hi Future Agent…
HOW TO WIN WHEN YOU’RE LOSING
10.24.2023
Hi Future Agent,
Have you ever been on a losing streak? Felt like no matter what you did, you couldn’t catch a break? Tried a million different things, but nothing was the right fit.
In the sports industry, “NO” is so common you can sometimes forget what a “YES” feels like. In this social media-obsessed era, you may find yourself in a constant state of comparison, and when you are hearing “NO” when others are hearing “YES” you may struggle to figure out where you fit in the industry. When I’m in a slump, I ask myself, “How do I create a “YES” moment?”
What are “YES” Moments?
I describe “YES” moments as the inflection point that allows you to separate external factors within the industry to allow space for a career win. Social media will lead you to believe that people are always winning and that is not always true. And although comparison is the thief of joy, in this industry and especially as an agent, it is hard not to compare because that’s constantly what players, families, and other agents are doing… comparing and vetting to see if you will be the best person to help a player get to the league. As a young agent, you should create “YES” moments to create wins for yourself.
Creating “YES” Moments
So picture this… it’s March of your senior year of college, and you are interviewing at a number of top agencies following your full-time internship at a Top 3 sports agency. You are getting your first post-grad full-time offers and preparing to celebrate graduating with your friends. Then, a pandemic hits, the whole entire world shuts down, and you are left with no options, but to move back home and figure out what life looks like.
When people think about COVID now, although difficult, it was a temporary moment that changed the way we as humans interacted with each other and lived our lives. As I was living in my parent’s basement in Connecticut, I convinced myself and some of my friends from college to create a “YES” moment for ourselves and launch our own media agency. This singular moment, when we said “YES” to each other, changed the trajectory of our careers for a multitude of reasons:
We built confidence in ourselves and our skills in the industry
We inspired others to dive head-first into their career dreams
We stopped allowing outside factors to control the way we viewed ourselves and the industry
Point number three is the most important… As you grow in this industry, you stop seeking validation from others, and you create moments that only allow for a “YES”. This week, think about some ways that you can create “YES” moments, experiences, and opportunities in your career, and set out to achieve those moments!
Chat soon,
