Relay

Strategic Business Development Specialist

TeamWork Online

TeamWork Online is the #1 hiring platform and professional network for sports & entertainment, with 7M+ candidates, 1,500+ employers, and 30K+ new jobs each year.

We power the recruiting for 85% of teams in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS, as well as minor leagues, technology, media, colleges, facilities, and more. Our proactive recruiting tools help clients hire talent they couldn’t find anywhere else, candidates with function-specific skills, diverse backgrounds, and passion for the industry.

If you’re looking to hire or get hired in sports business, send me a note!

Manager, Partnerships

How’d I land this internship?

In 2022, my wife and I moved across the country from Provo, Utah to Raleigh, North Carolina. 

I got active on LinkedIn
- started growing my network 
- posted about jobs, tagged TeamWork

Davis Filippell, President of TeamWork Online, sent me a connection request and we exchanged some messages.

1 month later, Davis flew to Charlotte for the Sports Marketing Association Conference. 

He offered to meet at 8am.

I said yes!

I woke up at 5am and drove 3 hours from Raleigh to Charlotte.

You might think I’m crazy 

But those of you that know Davis know that it was worth every minute.

He’s energetic, insightful, and motivating.

I left that meeting inspired 

And with an internship offer 😉

Marketing & Partnerships Intern

North Carolina Courage

There’s not enough sports jobs

I can’t find any…

🤦‍♂️

There’s 6,000+ jobs on TeamWork Online 

But not every job is in the
NFL 
MLB 
NBA 

Stop closing the door on opportunities.

Just because you didn’t play the sport growing up, or you don’t watch it, doesn’t mean you can’t work in it.

I never played soccer.

I worked in the NWSL in gameday operations for the NC Courage. It helped me land my job at TeamWork Online.

Because the experience built my resume.

There’s hundreds of open jobs in Minor League Baseball, in the American Hockey League, in the National Women’s Soccer League, and so many more!

It’s good to have a favorite sport.

But don’t shut down the idea of working in other sports. That just might be the path that gets you to your dream job.

This is how you break into sports.

Game Day Operations Coordinator

Brigham Young University

Can you say 

College Dream Job

Because that’s exactly what working at BYU Football was… a dream.

BYU went 11-1 and 10-3 my last two seasons there.

Witnessed NFL talent and work ethic in Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall, and Tyler Allegier.

Learned how to win on the field and off the field in sports business.

Player Experience Manager Brigham Young University Football

Legacy Logistics

I led the company in calls per week with an average 550+ which helped the company set its' own revenue record. 

Website: leglogistics.com/

Supply Chain Operations and Logistics Coordinator

Bolster

My first summer internship during my collegiate experience, as an Email Marketing Coordinator for Bolster, helped me learn more about the marketing side of business. I created and executed an email drip campaign for the onboarding of new customers. 

Website: mybolster.com/

Email Marketing Analyst

Why work in sports? It's my kind of people.

If you feel the same way...

Tell me about your

- dream job
- favorite team
- current position

Here’s mine:

I always dreamt of being the next Ed Reed

Which means you know my fav team 😈

Once I realized I wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, working in sports business became the dream.

Now I manage partnerships at TeamWork Online, 
the #1 hiring platform for sports & entertainment.

I’m passionate about helping sports organizations build championship caliber business teams, whether it’s ticket sales, marketing, engineering, and everything in between.

Looking to hire? Let’s chat!

Okay, your turn.

Send me a note with your

- dream job
- favorite team
- current position

Looking forward to meeting you! 

P.S. I love speaking with college students and sharing my experience in the classroom,  please reach out and we can schedule a time.

Bryson Shanklin

Arena (Sports, Media & Entertainment Careers)

• Helping next-gen leaders in sports, media and entertainment connect, learn and grow in the industry: - sign up for free at www.arenatalent.com.
• As a tech startup, Arena is an AI-powered platform connecting professionals to career opportunities, communities, resources, and insights in sports, media & entertainment.
---
• Responsible for driving the company's growth strategy, identifying new business opportunities, and overseeing the planning, development, and execution of the company’s marketing and partnership initiatives.
• Focused on Growth Strategy, Business Development, Partnerships, Marketing & Content, Public Relations, Communications, Community Experience, Product Marketing, Events

Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer (CGO)

LinkedIn

•Strategized with sports and entertainment leaders, Fortune 500 executives at companies (including Disney, Lululemon, Slack, Shopify) and their teams on growing on LinkedIn from scratch to achieve their goals growing their professional audience, securing partnerships, generate business, brand visibility and beyond.
• Helped 100s of professional and college athletes and legends develop their professional brand strategy on LinkedIn including: Stephen Curry, Serena Williams, Terry Crews, Kevin Durant, Odell Beckham Jr., Chris Paul, Sloane Stephens, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Cam Newton, Kelvin Beachum Jr., Robert Griffin, Tim Tebow, Alex Rodriguez, Angela Ruggiero, and more.
• Hosted LinkedIn workshops on personal branding, thought leadership, storytelling, networking, and content creation for the NFL, Golden State Warriors, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, University of Florida Gators Football team, PARTIY, and more.
• Managed strategic relationships with brands, agencies, and publishers including CAA, Wasserman, Octagon, Excel, Front Office Sports, Boardroom, Sports Innovation Lab, Overtime, and more.

Senior Community Manager - Executives, Sports & Entertainment

• Manage sports & entertainment creators on LinkedIn from athletes (pro, retired, collegiate), actors, media personalities, talent, player personnel (coaches, agents, managers) to content creators, business professionals (C-Suite, entrepreneurs, social media managers) and more.
• Share LinkedIn best practices, creator feature opportunities, content strategy, product updates, storytelling, etc.

Creator Manager - Sports & Entertainment

Baller Careers

• Help business professionals land job offers in sports and entertainment - now working at organizations such as the NBA, NWSL, NHL, CAA, LA Rams, NY Jets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Bleacher Report, Adobe, and beyond.
• Coach clients making career changes with job search strategies, career storytelling, and unlocking the 'hidden job market' through networking with decision-makers

Career Coach & Founder

Hashtag Sports

• Oversaw marketing for lead generation and community engagement across all platforms for key programs for events, partners, sponsors, award-winners, and attendee audience
• Led content strategy and activation across all owned channels including website, email, and social media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
• Developed new processes for organizational marketing operations and marketing strategy

Marketing Manager

Electronic Arts (EA)

• Executed 15 global campaigns in collaboration with program owners and cross-functional/localization teams on PC and console (Xbox One/PlayStation 4) for esports and gaming titles such as Madden NFL, FIFA, NHL, Star Wars, Sims, and third-party games
• Increased player engagement/retention via 30+ weekly live service beats on store sites and subscription services through executing JIRA campaign ticket requests, create target audience lists and cohort segmentations on emails, in-game push notifications, and websites
• Built campaign briefs and shared recap presentations with key stakeholders, create work back schedules for project management, manage 100+ assets, track reports to measure performance success with data analysis team, UAT testing, and review functionality

Content Marketing & Account Management

National Basketball Association (NBA)

• Led the overall rebrand project management process for the NBA G League in partnership with Gatorade and global stakeholders across all 30 NBA teams, 27 G League teams, and 18 partners through 6 presentation roll-outs at 300% efficiency (compared to previous rebrand)
• Secured $1.8M+ budget for the rebrand by providing cross-departmental budget insights when negotiating with the Finance Committee
• Directed social media, website, and branded content for the league, teams, and athletes across platforms tracking KPIs, increasing followers (45K+ Facebook, 12K+ Instagram, 10K+ Twitter) and views (1M+ YouTube, 100K+ Website) within 9 months
• Spearheaded the development and launch of the 1st-ever NBA G League fantasy game on mobile and web resulting in 4.5K+ users in 9 months
• Owned relationships with macro-influencers and celebrities at NBA tentpole event activations (NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Draft)
• Supervised NBA G League's approval process for 100+ submissions by teams regarding court sponsor designs/logos, sponsored theme jerseys for select games, and contracts for television and radio
• Received quarterly Employee Spotlight Award by upholding core company values: integrity, teamwork, respect, and innovation

Business Development Senior Analyst

AB Consulting

• Negotiated brand partnership deals for influencers with GymShark, Eastbay, Therabody, 5 Hour Energy, Nutribullet, Art of Sport (AOS), and more driving revenue for clients and partners via partnership activations
• Delivered marketing solutions increasing a NFL professional athlete's followers from 0 - 180K followers across social platforms in 12 months and generating an 18% engagement rate
• Facilitated goal setting and performance management delivering 100+ presentations

Brand & Influencer Partnerships Strategist

BDA Sports Management

• Curated 20 premium products on behalf of NBA players Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, and Stanley Johnson to include in a contracted partner’s gift box collection bringing each athlete and brand personality to life through the products and content created 
• Executed 3 marketing ad campaigns across targeted NBA players’ personal social platforms to drive consumers to purchase products
• Developed and implemented regional and national marketing, public relations, and community strategies for 67 professional NBA athletes

Marketing & Public Relations Intern

LA Clippers

• Produced programs contributing to the franchise's community values
• Promoted donations from auctions for player memorabilia and Foundation's 50/50 raffle
• Assisted at events such as Feed the Community, youth sports clinics, and Golf Classic

Community Relations & Player Programs Events

• Researched 7 Latin American markets focusing on 30 NBA teams’ and 450 athletes’ merchandise sales to analyze data and increase revenue
• Increased international product approval process efficiency by 50% through collaboration with internal partners in Legal/Intellectual Property
• Collaborated with partners to develop and implement the NBA’s core values and branding efforts in international consumer markets

Global Partnerships - International Merchandising & Branded Attractions Intern

Hi there! I’ve been working in sports, media and entertainment for the past 13 years building brands, marketing strategies, communities, and talent relationships at companies including LinkedIn, NBA, Electronic Arts (EA), and now as a content creator and Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer at Arena.

I'm currently building out Arena's growth efforts across marketing and partnerships. Arena is on a mission to connect the next generation of professionals to opportunities in sports, media, and entertainment.

*****

Past Experience: 13+ years of experience at companies including LinkedIn, NBA, LA Clippers, Adidas, Electronic Arts (EA), FOX Sports, UCLA Athletics, PAC-12 Network, IMAX and more across Athlete & Sports Creators, Community Management, Community Relations, Partnerships, Marketing, Content, Public Relations, Communications, Player Programs, Athlete Recruiting, Ticket Sales, Fan Relations, and Events.

Recognized in:
Sports Business Journal New Voices Under 30 
Hashtag Sports Creators of Color
Hispanic Executive Latinos in Sports

*****

Become an Arena member for free at www.arenatalent.com. 

Interested in partnering with Arena? Contact us here: https://arenatalent.com/partner/

For 1:1 career coaching sessions with me, you can book a 15min. - 60min. video call here: https://intro.co/AdrieneBueno

For brand partnerships, paid speaking engagements, or other inquiries for me directly please message me at hello@adrienebueno.com

Adriene Bueno

Ever since I became a tech founder in sports & entertainment, I can’t stop noticing how much innovation is happening behind the scenes. 👀 Everywhere you look somebody’s building something that makes the industry smarter, faster, or more connected.

Here are just a few founders building super cool tech platforms shaping the future of sports. ⤵️

💬 Lockeroom Chat founded by Demetri Harrison and Antoine Jackson
A live chat platform transforming fan engagement into a strategic advantage. Using real-time analytics, teams can create personalized experiences that drive loyalty and open new revenue streams.

🏆 Out2Win founded by Jack Adler
Streamlining the way brands discover, analyze, and connect with athletes for influencer marketing partnerships.

🏈 PeakNIL founded by Gregory D. Jackson, Brian S., and Blake Corum
A full-service Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) platform redefining how athletes, fans, and brands interact.

⚡ PlayMaker founded by Hannah Sorkin and Sameer Mehra
Uses AI to increase automation, collaboration, and visibility in live sports & entertainment sponsorships helping brands and rights holders maximize partnerships.

📱 Slate founded by Eric Stark and Michael Horton
Create unforgettable game-day content, captivate fans, and streamline your team’s social media strategy with tools built just for sports organizations.

🧠 The Playbook founded by T.M. Robinson-"Mosley", Ph.D.
Over 50% of elite athletes report severe symptoms of depression & anxiety. The Playbook™ is a data-driven sports tech platform helping competitive organizations prioritize safety and athlete well-being.

🏋️ Underdog Platform founded by Luca Deza
From private sessions to full academies, Underdog simplifies scheduling, payments, and growth so sports trainers can scale without limits.

There are so many cool companies building in sports, and at Arena, my co-founders Parul Khosla, Olivia Schwartz and I are seeing this innovation play out firsthand.

We’re connecting founders, investors, and industry professionals across sports, media & entertainment and some of those early matches have already turned into partnerships and collaborations.

I know this list barely scratches the surface and the sports tech wave is just getting started. Who’s building cool stuff in the sports tech space worth knowing about? 👀 Tag them below. 

🚀FYI: If you’re building in this space too, join Arena's waitlist to get notified when applications open at arenatalent. com

This is Day 10 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! If you’re participating, drop the link to your post below.  #LinkedInSports

Co-Founder of Arena | Connecting Sports & Entertainment Pros | Creatorpreneur | Career Coach | Alum: LinkedIn, NBA, EA, Adidas, ESPN, IMAX, FOX Sports

The BIGGEST mistake I made in my career in sports & entertainment (that cost me at least $100K in missed opportunities)?

Treating relationships like transactions 😬 

After 13 years in this industry, I finally see how I messed up networking at EVERY stage:

1) My early days 🎓

When I first started taking networking seriously, I'd wait in 60-min lines at career fairs just to ask a basic question for 30 seconds or send 100 connection requests with zero strategy.

As a 1st-gen corporate professional, no one in my family worked in Corporate America. I couldn't lean on them for this. I thought networking was pointless.

The value WAS there, I just wasn't strategic about why, how, and where I was showing up.

2) My "What can you do for me?" era 👀

Once I started to get it, I went full robot mode. Every convo became:
- Talk about myself for 10 minutes straight
- Ask the same 5 Googled questions
- Immediately ask for a job/client referral/favor 🤦‍♀️

(PSA: Sorry to anyone I did this to who's still connected)

I landed roles at LA Clippers, FOX Sports, and UCLA Athletics this way, but it was SO surface level. Then I had a lightbulb moment, "What's most important to THEM?"

Instead of asking, I started GIVING:
- Building a personal brand? → Engage with their content consistently
- Speaking at an event? → Grab photos/videos and send immediately (secret hack: just need a phone and a good seat 🤳)
- Going to Super Bowl? → Send them events happening
- Working on a project? → Ask "What are your priorities right now?" 

Notice how NONE of this requires seniority? You just have to actually care about the person beyond their title.

Do this consistently and you build trust AND become the plug. 💯

3) My "I made it" trap 🪤

Once I got to NBA, EA, and Hashtag Sports, I just... stopped.

"I'm in" became my whole networking strategy. BIG mistake.

I only met new people on the same projects and my network became an echo chamber. When cold inbounds got overwhelming, I shut down completely.

The hard truth is that you can't flip a light switch on relationships when you need them. Trust takes time and showing up when you DON'T need anything.

I hear it all the time, "I know OF them, but not personally," but imagine if that wasn't the case? What if people could actually meet & create opportunities together?

tl;dr: Relationships are the real ROI that never goes down 🚀

After all these mistakes, here's what I know - relationships are the ONLY investment that keeps appreciating.

That's why we built Arena to solve these exact problems. We're creating a space where:
• Every intro has intention (aligned goals)
• Every match is mutual (both WANT to meet)
• Every meeting has purpose (clear connection reason)

Ready to build meaningful relationships in sports, media & entertainment? Join our waitlist below.

The best time to network was 5 years ago. The second best time? Right now. 💜

This is Day 8 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge. Drop your post below! #LinkedInSports

Who's pushing boundaries in women's sports right NOW?? 👀 I'd love to know who you think is TRULY pushing the needle from innovation to monetization, and beyond. 

I just dropped this Women's Sports Resources playbook breaking down the creators, leaders, brands, podcasts, and events who I think are crushing it in the business of women's sports.

Since dropping it, 100+ professionals have already requested access to it with the insights and resources to elevate their careers in the industry including:

🗞️ Newsletters to read like Just Women's Sports
🎙️ Podcasts to listen to like The Business Case for Women's Sports with Caroline Fitzgerald
🗓️ Events to attend like AthleteCon
🤳 Creators to follow like Khristina W.
...and so much more!

Tons of people have suggested to me resources to add which I've been continually updating, so this playbook is evolving in real time. So if you know someone doing cool stuff in the women's sports business space, please sound off in the comments. 

And of course, if you'd like to check it the full playbook, click the link in the comments below. 🤗 

This is Day 12 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge. If you're participating, drop your Day 12 post below. #LinkedInSports

Co-Founder of Arena | Connecting sports & entertainment pros | Creatorpreneur | Career Coach | Alum: LinkedIn, NBA, EA, Adidas, ESPN, IMAX, FOX Sports

The best fan activation of 2025 was't at a stadium, during a game, or even on TV... 

It was Fanatics Fest 🏆

As EOY approaches and I'm reflecting on top moments as a sports marketer, I keep coming back to this one activation that’s technically a collection of multiple activations across major leagues, brands, and media companies.

I've worked in sports & entertainment for 13 years and Fanatics Fest stands out because of what it does for BOTH sides of the business:

🏆 For fans: Outside of gamedays in venues or sports bars, it's rare to find a place where sports fans can collectively come together and enjoy experiencing their favorite sports without the game being the only draw. On top of that, no scoreboard pressure, no "we lost" energy anywhere either, just pure fandom.

🏆 For leagues/brands/media: This is an opportunity to really see how your activation stands against all the others, gain insights on how your fans engage with other brands in real time, and most importantly, connect with your audience 1-on-1 without the game dictating the mood.

More on my thoughts from Year 1: https://lnkd.in/eZ_vmi7X

More on my thoughts from Year 2: https://lnkd.in/eGgmvExb
My prediction on the future of fandom (involving Fanatics Fest): https://lnkd.in/e4UuCms2

What was your favorite fan activation this year?

This is Day 14 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! Drop your post below if you're participating. #LinkedInSports

After helping 100s of athletes from University of Florida to the Golden State Warriors build their personal brands, what’s happening in the NIL space has become IMPOSSIBLE to ignore…

Athletes aren't just athletes anymore. And college athletic programs aren’t just aiming to win championships anymore, either.
 
I've been in rooms with dozens of college and pro sports teams from Overtime to the New York Giants, and this year the shift in NIL is REAL as it’s shifting from “the wild west” to a more maturing economy.

Here's what the data shows:
🚀 72% of NIL sponsorships now happen on social media - mostly TikTok & Instagram (Source: Business of College Sports)
🤳 Mid-level athletes (10K-50K followers) are seeing the FASTEST growth in deals. The perfect balance of small enough they’re reaching a highly engaged audience while also most cost effective for brands with budgets. (Source: Youth Sports Business Report)

“As part of the House v. NCAA settlement, schools are allowed to share athletic department revenues with their student athletes beginning on July 1, 2025. We estimate that NCAA Division I athletes will receive over $ 2.2 billion in total NIL and Revenue Sharing compensation during the current 2025-26 academic year,” shared by NIL NCAA.

On top of that SponsorUnited data shows:
• Tech brands are UP 29% in NIL deals
• Non-alcoholic are beverages UP 19%, too

But what’s been really interesting to see in the business is that more athletic programs are finally scaling out dedicated NIL departments and/or roles to remain competitive to attract recruits, support their current student-athletes, and create new NIL opportunities.

Through Arena, I’ve met several NIL leaders in college athletics lately and wow, they’re doing A LOT. 🤯 I predict that similar to traditional brands building out dedicated studios, more athletic programs are going to have allocate resources to do the same to tell the stories of their student-athletes beyond the game as a consistent content engine (and of course more revenue unlocks).

What do you think about the NIL landscape today and how it’s evolved over the first few years?

This is Day 15 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! Drop your post below if you're participating so others can check out your insights. :) #LinkedInSports

I spent 72 hours personally DMing 350 members one by one. 😅 Here's what really happens behind the scenes when you're building something new in sports, media & entertainment.

When we launched Arena PowerMatch beta, we'd reviewed 1,000 applications and accepted 550 professionals from the NBA, Netflix, CAA, ESPN, Warner Bros who qualified for the test sprint.

💡Our hypothesis was simple: Every Monday, Arena will send members curated intros to fellow professionals in sports, media & entertainment. You choose who you want to meet. If it’s a mutual match, you meet each other. When you meet, new opportunities open up.

But as our Monday launch approached, I noticed something that made me stop EVERYTHING I was doing. Only 200 members had actually completed their profiles. Without profiles, our matching algorithm couldn't work at the level we needed for the test. And without matches, the whole beta would fall apart.

We sent email reminders. Nothing. We sent follow-ups. Still crickets. 🦗

That's when I made a decision that went against every "scale fast" startup playbook I'd ever read. I started DMing every single member who still needed to finish their profile. No AI automations, but individual, personalized messages to every single member who hadn't completed their profile based on where they were in the setup process.

For three days straight, I lived in my DMs. Waking up earlier, staying up later, dropping everything when someone responded with a question. Each message led to members sharing where they needed support. I learned more about our community and their early experience in the beta in those 72 hours than months of generic user research could have taught me.

The result? 94% profile completion by launch day. 🚀

But what really made the difference was that those personal touches built something automation never could, trust. And those same members are now getting curated intros every Monday that are turning into partnerships, clients, speaking opportunities, and collabs none of us could have predicted.

Could I have attempted to automated this (especially as I had a million other things I needed to get done still)? Sure. Would it have worked this well? I doubt it. At this early stage, those dozens of hours of personal outreach built the foundation of trust our entire community stands on today.

Sometimes the most unscalable thing you can do is exactly what makes you successful. 💜

What "unscalable" thing have you done in your work that's worked for you?

This is Day 16 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! Drop your behind-the-scenes story of your job below. #LinkedInSports

This is the TOP skill that will define the next generation of leaders in sports ⬇️

Been having a lot of convos lately about creating opportunities in the industry  from launching new initiatives and building partnerships to leveling up in your career.

One question keeps coming up, "What actually sets people apart?"

After 13 years in this industry and 100s of these conversations, there's one skill I keep seeing open the most doors.

Adaptability.

WAIT! 🚨 I'm NOT talking about the buzzword kind at all right now, and if you keep reading this may completely change your career trajectory, so stay with me for a sec. 

I'm referring to a skill nobody tells you about.

The sports industry is shifting faster than ever before.

When I started working in sports NONE of the following existed:
- NIL deals and the creator economy
- the streaming wars saga
- AI integrations at stadiums

So being adaptable and becoming an early adopter/expert on a topic or tool can propel you to new levels. I've seen it happen 100s of times in sports.

But how do you actually develop this before you need it?

1) Fail fast. 🙂‍↕️

When you're working a 9-5, the LAST thing you want to do is mess up so I actually didn't learn this one until I became a first-time founder in 2018, but I carried the lesson of it to this day. 

Maybe you're not able to do this in your job, but can you experiment with creating content? Speak on a podcast for the first time? Vibe-code an app without any technical experience?

Do things that push you out of your regular wheel house. Even if it's a flop, you grow through it plus it help you build thicker skin because this industry can get harder and harder the longer you're in it & the higher you climb. 

2) Find your "unlikely mentors." 🤝

Some of my best career learnings came from a 19-year old gaming entrepreneur, a producer in entertainment & beyond. The sports industry doesn't have all the answers, so it's important to connect with others beyond it too. 

Building meaningful relationships with sports, media & entertainment pros with COMPLETELY different experiences and perspectives can open your eyes to a whole new way of doing things. 

That's why I'm so pumped about what we're building at Arena. We're helping curate convos like this daily with members across the industry, so if you're ready to expand your network beyond your usual circle, join our waitlist at arenatalent .com

The best part everything above is that you don't even have to wait for permission to adapt, you can strength this skill all on your own!

I shared this and more recently on Tim Miller, MBA, APR's podcast: https://lnkd.in/efUGHRbq

What skill do you think will shape the next generation of leaders in sports? 

This is Day 7 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge. If you're participating, share the link to your post in the comments below so others case engage with it #LinkedInSports

Out of all books I've read this year, this is the ONE that completely shifted how I think (and if you work in marketing/events, you NEED to read it). 📚

Quick rewind… as I started building Arena with my co-founders, we've been hosting tons of events for sports, media & entertainment pros - from intimate meetups to massive watch parties and virtual events. 

Now with Arena PowerMatch we curate 1:1 intros to industry pros every week to meet and unlock new opportunities.

Because of all this community building, EVERYONE kept asking us, "Have you read The Art of Gathering?"

After hearing it for the 12th time, I finally caved and it changed EVERYTHING about how we're building Arena. 🤯

💡One of the biggest lessons I learned is creating rules that actually protect the experience. 

Author, Priya Parker says the best gatherings have "generous rules" boundaries that create freedom, not restriction.

At first, setting rules for 500+ established industry leaders felt… bold. After all, these are senior execs from the NFL, CAA, WME, Netflix, Disney, Uber, Google, Warner Bros, you name it.

But what actually happened when we implemented two simple rules at Arena 👀 ??

Rule 1: "When you match, you meet." No more matching just to collect connections. If you say yes, you agree to meet each other.

Rule 2: "No ghosting allowed." Respect everyone's time. Period. 💯

The results…

Our members went from skeptical to OBSESSED. Why? Because these rules created something rare in sports & entertainment networking:

Trust. 💜

Now when someone gets an Arena match, they KNOW:
- The other person actually wants to meet, too
- It's worth blocking the time
- They'll show up

One member literally told me just yesterday, "You all said ‘no ghosting allowed’ and everyone has truly taken it to heart."

We’re now seeing the fruits of our labor on what happens with the power of intentional design :) No throwing random people together and hoping for magic. Instead we're focusing on actually creating the CONDITIONS for that magic to happen.

tl’dr: Sometimes the best way to create freedom is through thoughtful constraints. Who knew? 😅

This is Day 11 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! What book, podcast, or resource shifted your thinking this year? Drop your Day 11 post links below 👇 #LinkedInSports

No sleep, bus, game, another game, another game, plane, next place, no sleep.

When you work in sports it’s easy to creatively burnout, especially when you’re consuming EVERYTHING and got a ton of projects to juggle.

On top of that you’ve got to keep a pulse on ESPN alerts, fan Threads, LinkedIn thought leader posts, TikTok highlights, all before rolling out of bed.

One of the best mantras I’ve ever learned to change this habit was this, “Create before you consume.”

”Ok simple, just don’t check a single notification or open a social media app until AFTER you created something, Adriene,” is what I thought to myself the first time I wanted to try this idea out.

But realistically after decades of doing the exact opposite, my willpower wasn’t enough, but once I learned about Opal (fyi: this is not an ad), it changed everything for me.

tl’dr: Opal blocks apps for you, so you can focus on everything except the things sucking your time. 

Some crazy stats on average time saved thanks to Opal from users:
- 1h 23m saved daily
- 1 month saved each year
- 6 years of life reclaimed
- 94% less distracted
- 93% more productive
- 90% mental health

I don’t know about you, but this checks all the boxes in my books to help me be my most creative (and improve my quality of life overall). 💯

The results for me creatively within a week of testing it out:
- Published content that got 6.5x my usual engagement
- Edited videos I'd been avoiding for weeks
- Actually felt energized at 2pm instead of brain-dead

The reality about working in sports is that there's ALWAYS breaking news, another game, content to consume - but when you start your day consuming everyone else's takes, you lose YOUR unique perspective.

Have you used Opal or other productivity tools before? What ways do you stay creative?

Please feel free to use my referral code for a 1 month free pass on Opal Pro (again: NOT an ad, just sharing with whoever wants to try it out)! https://lnkd.in/e7Sy5m2f

I dive deeper into how to get out of a creative rut in my newsletter “Creator And” at the link in the comments.

This is Day 9 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge. If you’re participating, drop your Day 9 post below!

Some of my favorite sports business resources I've been sharing around lately with peers and aspiring professionals in the industry:

📰 “In the Arena” Industry Insider Newsletter: Connect to the top events, insights & opportunities in sports, media & entertainment - delivered to 18K subscribers every week - https://lnkd.in/eCF_dv6H

📓 Women’s Sports Playbook: A collection of top women’s sports business resource: https://lnkd.in/eEwEZt6h

💻 The #LinkedInSports & LinkedInSportsChallenge hashtags: I’ve discovered some incredible professionals and their unique perspectives/insights on the sports industry just by scrolling through this feed.

This is Day 13 of the #LinkedInSportsChallenge! If you’re participating, please drop your posts below so others can discover more sports business resources :)

taplio

The Battle

Bryson Shanklin

Adriene Bueno

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAdriene Bueno's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Bryson Shanklin

Adriene Bueno

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Adriene Bueno's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAdriene Bueno's LinkedIn Performance