5 Leadership Lessons From Fantasy Football

David Brickley

David Brickley (Owner and CEO, STN Digital [https://www.stndigital.com/]) joins S2SB to discuss why he started a company full of GOATs, how getting in touch with his idol helped him realize he could control his own destiny, and why he’s taken chances on himself throughout his career. David and Brandon talk about protecting your peace, pivoting to a new dream when it becomes clear one isn’t going to work out the way you thought, and why you shouldn’t wait for someone else’s permission to have the career you want. This interview was originally recorded in August, 2022. 1:35 - How David built a superteam with STN Digital 3:25 - Why employees are called GOATs 4:50 - What David looks for in employees to help build the best culture 6:40 - Why failure can spark inspiration 11:35 - How David’s lack of limiting beliefs and an email to Kobe Bryant led to an epiphany 13:00 - The gamble David took on himself in pursuit of a dream 16:15 - His time as a Los Angeles Lakers Insider for FOX Sports 18:45 - How David met Kobe 22:20 - How David honed his craft working with audio and video 28:45 - A fun Florida Gulf Coast University story from the early days of social media 30:40 - How STN Digital made a name for itself 32:30 - How David manages to log off while running his own digital company 39:20 - Growing up in SoCal and playing basketball 41:40 - How David went from working in radio to starting his own podcast, Business of Social [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-social/id1328600108] 43:45 - Width vs. depth in the content creation game 46:45 - The pain of being a Chargers fan 47:50 - Which performer David compares to Michael Jackson + more Drake talk 50:20 - The importance of getting a feature in rap right now 52:40 - The Recommender: David’s series [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/], movie [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8009428/], podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-mentor/id1033048640], comedian [https://www.youtube.com/TheAndrewSchulz], and book [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42774406-magnetic-marketing] 1:00:24 - Old Tweets Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman Guest: David Brickley Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stick-to-sports-biz/id1620923672] if you enjoy this episode! For more, check out: Brad Smith on Stick to Sports Biz [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brad-smith/id1620923672?i=1000575622812] Connect with Brandon on Twitter [https://twitter.com/brandonfleshman] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfleshman/] Connect with David on Twitter [https://twitter.com/DavidjBrickley], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/davidjbrickley/?hl=en], and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@davidbrickley]

Zack Raab

Zack Raab (Minor League Baseball Club Services Coordinator at Major League Baseball) joins S2SB to discuss his return to the United States from Israel to pursue his dream of working in MLB, how networking was key to his success, and why you should always take a chance on yourself. Zack and Brandon talk about the first time they connected through Brandon’s work at The Athletic, how the pandemic impacted Zack’s career journey, and Mike Trout’s LinkedIn activity. 1:30 - How Brandon and Zack first connected 5:35 - Zack’s early involvement in baseball 12:30 - What baseball is like in Israel 19:15 - What prompted Zack’s move from Israel back to the U.S. 33:10 - How Zack’s family handled his career change 34:15 - The impact of the pandemic on Zack’s job search 38:35 - How a commitment to networking helped Zack land a dream job 41:15 - Zack on chasing your dreams 49:40 - More about Zack’s current role 53:05 - The Recommender: Zack’s documentary [https://www.amazon.com/Heading-Home-Tale-Team-Israel/dp/B081RLDBLD], writer [https://theathletic.com/author/jayson-stark/], podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baseball-by-design-stories-of-minor-league-logos/id1596699979] 59:00 - Old Tweets Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman Guest: Zack Raab Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stick-to-sports-biz/id1620923672] if you enjoy this episode! Connect with Brandon on Twitter [https://twitter.com/brandonfleshman] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfleshman/] Connect with Zack on Twitter [https://twitter.com/ZackRaab] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackraab/]

Jordan Dolbin

Jordan Dolbin (Senior Manager, Player Social Marketing at the NFL) joins S2SB to discuss her career in sports, finding success in social media marketing, and learning about life through playing team sports. Jordan and Brandon talk about the legendary creation two popular Instagram football accounts, whether or not getting your Master’s degree is worthwhile, and their shared love for the Philadelphia Eagles. 2:05 - Jordan’s path to working in social media marketing 5:00 - The value of a Master’s degree 6:25 - Jordan’s thesis in grad school on the effects of second-screen use on the enjoyment of watching the Super Bowl (which has been cited in research!) 10:00 - How she made a career with the NFL 15:30 - How Jordan and her coworkers created The Checkdown [https://www.instagram.com/thecheckdown/] and NFL Throwback (now NFL Legacy [https://www.instagram.com/nfllegacy/]) 22:00 - More about her current role with the league 28:40 - Jordan’s time working with youth football 31:55 - The impact that playing team sports had on her life 35:45 - Jordan’s love for and prior experience working in pro soccer 41:10 - Top 5 Favorite Philadelphia Eagles of All Time 54:45 - The Recommender: Jordan’s TV show [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14452776/], music artist [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0H39MdGGX6dbnnQPt6NQkZ], and documentary series [https://www.hulu.com/series/dark-side-of-the-90s-143c2a68-e402-4475-b470-02bd4b219ee3] 1:02:15 - Old Tweets Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman Guest: Jordan Dolbin Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stick-to-sports-biz/id1620923672] if you enjoy this episode! Connect with Brandon on Twitter [https://twitter.com/brandonfleshman] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfleshman/] Connect with Jordan on Twitter [https://twitter.com/jodolbin]

Jake Olson

Jake Olson (President and Co-Founder, Engage LLC) joins S2SB to discuss his battle with retinoblastoma that took his sight, how he managed to become the first completely blind player in college football history as long snapper for the USC Trojans, and how he’s repeatedly conquered adversity in life. Jake and Brandon talk about Jake’s life since his story became national news, which sport he might conquer next, and how time both in the gym and with the media led to his latest career ventures. 1:35 - Jake’s story 6:40 - How Jake made his dream of playing football at USC a reality 9:45 - His favorite memories from his time with Pete Carroll 13:20 - How he became a big local story way before he made the team at USC 16:40 - Where he found his strength and resilience during challenging times 19:50 - What he remembers from the surgery just before he lost his sight 24:40 - What “Fight On” means to Jake 26:40 - More on Jake’s mindset 29:30 - Jake’s special relationship with his twin sister 31:40 - His guide dog and companion Quebec 33:10 - How Jake’s passion for fitness helped guide his career after football 38:50 - The role golf has played in his life and how it led him to play in the first US Adaptive Open 42:20 - Why Jake and his co-founders created Engage 50:55 - The Recommender: Jake’s two [https://www.youtube.com/c/VineMontanaTV/] series [https://www.youtube.com/c/TheInfographicsShowOFFICIAL], and artist [https://open.spotify.com/artist/7uaIm6Pw7xplS8Dy06V6pT] 56:45 - Old Tweets Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman Guest: Jake Olson Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stick-to-sports-biz/id1620923672] if you enjoy this episode! Connect with Brandon on Twitter [https://twitter.com/brandonfleshman] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfleshman/] Connect with Jake on Twitter [https://twitter.com/JakeOlson61], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jakeolson61/?hl=en], and Engage [https://www.letsengage.com/talent/jake-olson]

5 Leadership Lessons From Fantasy Football

Brandon starts this week's ep by recounting a funny story from a job interview that serves as the inspiration for today's topic. He then shares five leadership lessons learned from his experience as a fantasy football commissioner for more than a decade. Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman Be sure to follow, rate, and review the show if you enjoy this episode! Follow Brandon on Twitter [https://twitter.com/brandonfleshman] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfleshman/]