April 2021

Hello SES!

Thanks to everyone who joined our amazing call with the CEO of the LA Dodgers Foundation, Nichol Whiteman! She was phenomenal and we are excited to welcome her as a member of the Sports and Entertainment Society. We also had a very informative call on the emerging world of NFTs (Non-fungible Tokens). Thanks to those who shared their expertise in this field. We will have more of these curated conversations on topics that our members are interested in. Also, our referral network has been active. Please share your successful referral stories with myself or James. Lastly, we are starting to plan for in-person meet-ups and ultimately our Super Bowl activation. We would love your input and ideas. Looking forward to our next call.

-Kofi Nartey and The Sports and Entertainment Society Team

WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE SPORTS TEAMS 2021

Forbes

REEBOK JOINS NFT MARKET WITH LIMITED EDITION FOOTWEAR

Yahoo! Finance

Athlete marketing has become a billion-dollar enterprise. The wealth and global influence athletes garner are being leveraged in the philanthropy space, and the sports philanthropy field is taking off. There are many opportunities to get involved in the social and environmental justice movements that are being spear-headed by major sports leagues, teams, and athletes. Building out your knowledge and network in this space can set you apart with your athlete clientele.

Coming from Metro Detroit, without any ties to the entertainment and sports industry, some think I broke into representing music clients by simply moving to Los Angeles. However, landing those Grammy winning clients was not that simple. It involved a lot of work behind the scenes. As many in the entertainment and sports industry will tell you, persistence is a characteristic that many of us professionals in SES possess. I guess this Member Contribution is not about me, my firm, my work, or my clients, but instead is a way of paying it forward to anyone that is interested in breaking into the entertainment and sports industry. The key to success is to be persistent in the following three areas.

What are the most important traits an employee on your team can have?

Regardless of the position and job specifics, the two most universal traits that predict success in their position are attitude and aptitude.

What are the greatest challenges to good communication?

I think there are 3 key challenges to good communication.

I think there are 3 key challenges to good communication.

1. Being consistent with communication. It’s very easy to do when something is urgent, but more difficult when the sky isn’t falling.

2. Even before COVID, I feel I rely too much on technology, like texts and emails, to communicate.

3. Listening. A critical component of good communication is being able to not only hear, but listen to your team and client.

What are the greatest challenges to good communication?

Every year I update my business plan to include my two biggest goals along with 2 to 3 strategies/activities to achieve those goals throughout the year. I would have to say developing consistent processes in my firm have brought about our biggest successes.

Sticking to my calendar is key in order to maintain a balance between work and home life. I am an avid promoter of time blocking and in fact I account for every 15 minutes of my day so that we can be as efficient as possible. I also make sure that our team has a weekly meeting so that we can make sure communication and customer service are always top of mind. Through the use of consistent processes, time blocking and open communication we continue to bring success to the firm.