Luxury Branding for exclusive leaders that magnetically attracts high-end clients | Founder of Lisse Élégance™ | Follow for Luxury Branding & Quiet Leadership insights

Everyone wants a luxury brand, and I can show you 
how to build one that commands premium prices 
and magnetically attracts the right clients. 

As a Luxury Brand Strategist & Visual Design Leader, 
I help CEO’s & C-Suite, Founders, and Entrepreneurs 
turn their business into an elegant, timeless brand 
that radiates trust, authority, and sophistication, 
building a luxurious lifestyle as a result. 

Results: 

➤ Featured in 2 prestigious global publications 
    alongside other high-end Luxury brands, 
    showcasing the power of luxury branding 
    as a business multiplier 

➤ Visual Design Leader for 500+ world-class accounts 
   (Charles Schwab, Fortune 500 companies, 
    Tech Startups) 

➤ Top 3% Creator Worldwide (Brand) 

Here’s how I can help you: 

- Craft a cohesive luxury brand system across all media 
- Position your business to command premium prices 
- Build a magnetic, heritage-driven brand world 
   that elevates trust and authority 

Beyond branding, I find balance in tennis, yoga, running, 
and long walks. Starting my day with a great cup of tea 
while listening to music, reading, and writing helps me 
sharpen clarity. These simple rituals remind me that 
true luxury is found in both stillness and legacy. 

If you’re ready to stop leaving money on the table, 
step into your next level of authority, and elevate 
your brand into a world of timeless elegance 
— welcome, you’re in the right place. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit! 🖤

Emily Rossetta

Introverted leaders’ true advantage: 

→ High emotional intelligence (EQ) 

Research shows that introverted leaders 
have 2 key valuable assets: 

→ More innovative and engaged teams 
→ Higher employee and client retention 

8 Additional Benefits of Leaders with High EQ: 

1 / Authentic 
2 / Innovative 
3 / Empathetic 
4 / Deep Thinker 
5 / Active Listener 
6 / People-First Approach 
7 / Thoughtful Decision Maker 
8 / Openly Receptive to New Ideas 

When we embrace quiet leadership 
and share our authentic selves, 
others feel more comfortable 
doing the same. 

Often, this allows teams to thrive. 

Promoting innovation, 
collaboration, and engagement. 

And ultimately leads to increased 
employee and client retention. 

Paving the way for the company 
to achieve profound success. 

“People who have a high spiritual intelligence 
  don’t just read words. They read moods, 
  they read energy, they read vibes and 
  body language. Their senses are supreme. 
  They might not say much, but they 
  notice everything.” (Unknown source) 

Cheers to the introverts! 

Have introverted leaders made a difference 
in your life? 

I’d love to hear. 


Thanks for reading! 


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♻️ Repost + empower others to lead with EQ. 
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Research Credit: Forbes 
Image Credit: Pinterest

Luxury Brand Leader | Creating timeless brands for exclusive C-Suite, Founders, & Entrepreneurs | Founder of Lisse Élégance™ | Follow for Luxury Branding & Quiet Leadership insights

Run your own race. 

This is the mindset that most top 1% leaders embrace: 

(And it’s many top Luxury Brands’ philosophy) 

99% of people don’t realize the rest is just noise. 

I was talking to a multi-million dollar entrepreneur 
last week, who was struggling to gain visibility. 

My solution? 

It’s all about distinction 
and how you differentiate yourself. 

At times, we all feel it. 

Self-doubt 
Envious 
Stuck 
Lost 

Feeling like someone else’s life, career, 
or success is better than our own. 

But the harsh truth is that the grass 
is truly greenest where you water it. 

Here are 5 ways you can stop comparing yourself 
to others and start thriving: 

1 / Reality check 

     → What you see in front of you 
          is usually not the full picture 

     → Behind every “perfect” life is hard work 
          and challenges you don’t see 

     → Reflect: Would I really trade everything, 
          or just the highlight reel? 

2 / Invest in what truly moves the needle 

     → Invest in yourself instead of watching others 

     → Small daily wins ultimately grow into 
          profound success over time 

     → Set 1 small goal today, then celebrate it 

3 / Comparison detox 

     → Limit your time on social media 
          if it makes you feel inferior 

     → Follow people who inspire you, 
          not trigger you 

     → Track your own progress, 
          not someone else’s 

4 / Shift your mindset to gratitude 

     → When you envy someone, flip it: 
          Ask yourself: What am I grateful for? 

     → Write down 3 things you love 
          about your life right now 

     → Gratitude shifts focus from 
          scarcity to abundance 

5 / Focus on your own path 

     → Your path to success is unique, 
          it’s often not linear 

     → Comparing paths is a waste of energy, 
          instead use it to build your own path 

     → These are all yours - Your journey, 
          your timeline, your wins 

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Fully appreciating what you have 
while relentlessly focusing on 
achieving your long-term goals 
ultimately builds momentum. 

Success and growth compound over time. 

It’s all about consistent effort. 

The best version of yourself 
is built by your daily choices. 

Invest in yourself and your own life consistently, 
and often success will naturally follow. 


Thanks for reading! 


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Image Credit: Respective Owner

Own your unfair advantage. 

It can truly change your life. 

Your true power? 
→ No one is you 

This is how to differentiate yourself. 

As a person. 
And as a brand. 

Right before you’re about to succeed, 
the desire to quit is often the greatest. 

No matter how challenging it is, 
you will thank yourself later if you: 

Go all in. 
Keep going relentlessly. 
Persevere through adversity. 

Do it for you. 
Do it for your future self. 

You’re the only one who can: 

✨ Do what you’re meant to do 
✨ Build what you’re meant to build 
✨ Become who you’re meant to become 
 
Celebrate your victories. 

Every single one of them. 

→ Personal and professional 
→ Large and small 

No one else truly understands exactly 
what it took to achieve these victories. 

Kindly remember: 

There is a future version of you 
who is proud you didn’t give up. 

The most successful people are uniquely driven. 

Relentlessly focusing on achieving their dreams 
and becoming the person who their future selves 
would be proud of. 


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1 lesson I learned in Corporate + Entrepreneurship: 

→ Positive obsession is truly a gift 

(Contrary to popular belief) 

Never apologize for being obsessed. 

Being successful as an entrepreneur 
and as a high-performing leader 
requires emotional intelligence 
and mastering the mentality 
of a great athlete. 

It’s all about fully accepting 
that there are seasons in life. 

And being willing to live a few years like 
most people won’t so that they can spend 
the rest of their lives like most people can’t. 

So, when people criticize you for being 
a relentless overachiever in your pursuits… 

Like: 

Staying in the gym for 3 hours 
Pulling an all-nighter for your business 
Reading your new book for the entire day 
Finessing every detail of your design/product 

Just remember… 

Positive obsession is a gift. 

Not a behavior to be suppressed. 


✨ Always strive for excellence ✨ 


What are you passionately obsessed with? 

I’d love to hear. 


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Executive presence begins with a calm mind 
and emotional intelligence. 

Most leaders don’t realize the quiet power 
of a calm mind and how it: 

Clears the noise 
Sharpens your thoughts 
Helps you lead with quiet strength 

I was talking to a young 6-figure entrepreneur 
about how a calm mind and emotional intelligence 
ultimately leads to executive presence 
and quiet confidence. 

They are the foundation of great leadership 
and true luxury. 

The calmer you are, the clearer you think.  

(From what I’ve learned along the way 
  both in entrepreneurship and corporate)

You stop reacting. 

And instead, you start making thoughtful decisions 
with peaceful precision. 

Quiet leadership doesn’t chase attention. 

It earns trust and respect. 

And luxury isn’t always what you wear or drive. 

Sometimes, it’s the calm you embrace. 

Stillness is a status symbol. 

One that is truly timeless. 


What are your thoughts on executive presence? 

I’d love to hear. 

Share your thoughts below. ↓ 


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Image Credit: Respective Owner

You are always one decision away 
from a totally different life. 

Success is all about timing and taking action. 

It may come with isolation. 
It may come with adversity. 
It may come with discomfort. 

But ultimately when you design your own life, 
it leads to pure fulfillment. 

To true luxury. 

I learned this at a young age. 
 
My grandfather once told me something 
I will never forget. 

Every morning you have 2 choices: 

→ Continue to sleep with your dreams 
→ Wake up and chase them 

Opportunities are infinite. 

But they also expire…eventually. 

Would you rather have: 

↳ Option 1. Comfort Now → Discomfort Later 
↳ Option 2. Discomfort Now → Comfort Later 

A client of mine (fellow founder) mentioned 
feeling stuck continuously climbing 
the traditional career path. 

Feeling invisible. 
Feeling alone. 
Feeling lost. 

Not realizing what a different life could look like. 

Investing in himself by building an iconic brand 
and becoming an entrepreneur has allowed him 
to turn his dreams into a reality. 

And the freedom to create a life on his terms. 

Don’t wait until it’s too late. 

Start now. 

Design your own lifestyle 
and fulfillment will naturally follow. 

What option will you choose? 


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Image Credit: Neuron Visuals

They say money can’t buy happiness. 

Fair point. Here’s the truth: 

Your brand can inspire it. 

It can build the luxurious lifestyle 
you’ve been imagining. 

Luxury isn’t just expensive. 
It’s emotional. 

Here’s how you can build a brand that feels rich 
(even beyond the price): 

Share a story 
→ People love feeling like they are a part 
     of the journey 

Design for emotion 
→ Make people feel something 
    (it’s all about human psychology) 

Sell the feeling, not the product/service 
→ People crave the feeling they experience  
     after receiving the outcome 

Every interaction matters 
→ Create delightful moments 
     (kind words, unpacking, luxurious details) 

Focus on making people feel seen 
→ People want to be invited into this world, 
     create a warm sense of belonging 

Luxury = meaningful impact + master craftsmanship 
→ When your brand feels like purposeful art, 
     people pay for more than a product/service 

After all, happiness isn’t guaranteed. 

It’s ignited and built by you. 

Create a luxury brand that builds a life 
you’re proud to lead. 

What’s one thing that would add 
happiness to your life? 


Thanks for reading! 


Enjoy this? Please: 
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      their own dream lives. 
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Image Credit: Respective Owner

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Luxury Brands win by creating movements. 

They elevate your lifestyle. 

A lifestyle that offers you true freedom. 

Here’s how building a luxury brand 
can change your life: 

▪️They are the authority. 
      They position themselves as the only choice 
      by setting themselves apart from 
      all of the noise. 

▪️They build trust by genuinely connecting 
      with people and their values.  

▪️They don’t just sell products/services. 
      Instead, they build brands that people 
      truly want to be a part of. 

Luxury Brands create a remarkably exclusive, 
cohesive experience. 

Here’s a 6-Step Branding Checklist 
to help you get started: 

1 / Define your Brand Strategy 
2 / Craft your Brand Story 
3 / Establish your Brand Voice 
4 / Design a Cohesive Visual Language 
5 / Build Brand Awareness 
6 / Engage & Measure 

Build a lifestyle, not just a Brand. 


Think about your brand. 

What excites you the most about building it? 

I’d love to hear. 
Share in the comments below ↓ 


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Image Credit: Studio Lanuè

Investing in your luxury brand = your ultimate freedom. 

During the early stages of entrepreneurship, 
you can feel like you’re lacking 2 important things. 

Time & Money 

With a strong luxury brand: 
How you spend your time is your decision. 
How you spend your money is your choice. 

The other day, I was talking to an entrepreneur 
who mentioned that they felt stuck and desperate. 

Desperate to make a lot of money. 
Desperate to succeed as fast as possible. 

The key? 

→ Help people by solving their challenges. 

Once you reframe your mindset 
and shift your focus from making money 
to creating value, money will naturally follow. 

This is where your luxury brand comes into play. 

Build authority. 
Define your vision. 
Live your mission, authentically. 

Remember: 

Money is a tool, not the goal. 
The goal is freedom. 

Richard Branson says it brilliantly: 

“Some entrepreneurs think how can I make 
  a lot of money? But the better way is to think 
  how can I make people’s lives a lot better? 
  If you get it right, the money will come.”  

It’s up to you. 

Remain invisible. 

Or 

Build an iconic luxury brand. 

Which one will you choose? 

Don’t know where to start? 
DM me “FREEDOM” and we can talk it over together. 


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Find this helpful? If this resonates, please: 
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       in their brands. 
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Image Credit: Respective Owner

At a young age, this 1 fact changed my life: 
▪️Your mindset affects everything 

Continually mastering emotional intelligence 
is what has carried me through (still to this day). 

It’s one of the most powerful skills 
people can have. 

How you show up 
How you perceive the world 

Ultimately shapes your entire reality. 

And can truly impact others’ reality. 

Showing up with genuine kindness is transformative. 

And costs you nothing. 

Adjusting how you respond to things 
that you feel are sent to disrupt 
your inner peace says a lot 
about your character. 

Subconsciously, you know that your actions 
speak louder than words. 

What you achieve in life is all about your mindset. 

Here are 3 lessons I’ve learned along the way: 

1/ Lead by example 

▪️Kindness and empathy go a long way. 
     They set the tone for how to treat others 
     and successfully collaborate. 


2/ Encourage growth 

▪️Elevate others by identifying 
     their strengths and weaknesses 
     and advocating for them. 


3/ Calmness, composure, and resilience 
     during a crisis are essential 

▪️They build confidence, trust, 
     and respect amongst others. 


What’s one lesson you’ve learned that has shaped 
your approach to life? 


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Quote Credit: Cory Allen 
Image Credit: Respective Owner

Entrepreneurship embraces a vision only you can see. 

And high emotional intelligence only you can build. 

It can be lonely 
It can be defeating 
It can be heart wrenching 

While at the same time, it can be 

Deeply aligning 
Immensely rewarding 
Truly fulfilling and heartfelt 

It all comes down to your mindset. 

And because of all of this, taking nothing personally 
has been my savior time and time again. 

2 things I’ve learned to distance from 
during this journey: 

1 / Caring what they think 
2 / Thinking that they care 

I’ve learned countless times that the true champions 
(the top 1%) adopt these 3 rare traits: 

▪️Resilience 
▪️Conviction 
▪️Determination 

All with the vision to ultimately achieve excellence. 

They keep going when no one is watching 
and no one is cheering them on. 

The reward isn’t in the recognition. 

It’s in who you’re becoming. 

Show up and stay in the game! 

Your future self will thank you. 

Who’s with me? 

How has taking nothing personally 
driven you closer to your dreams? 


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Image Credit: Respective Owner

Luxury brands win by quietly whispering. 

They are champions with high standards of excellence. 

Here’s how ↓ 

They move in silence and deliver distinctly. 

When it comes to capturing attention: 

They are not loud. 
They don’t chase. 

They just show up and perform. 

With boldness 
With sophistication 
With unapologetic authenticity 

Their magnetic presence says it all. 

They give the world something worth talking about. 

Remember: 

Noise fades. 
True excellence lasts. 

Luxury brands elegantly embrace differentiation. 

They leave a timeless legacy. 

It’s not for everyone. 

It can be lonely at the top. 

What’s your next move? 


Thanks for reading! 


Enjoy this? 

Join the exclusive 1% who deeply live 
this movement of luxury in all forms, 
building authority, becoming champions, 
and creating excellence along the way. 

I’m on a mission helping leaders 
turn their invisible brands to undeniable, 
luxury visionaries. 

Curious to learn how? Book a free strategy call 
with me. (Link is in my Featured section) 

Don’t miss your chance to own your brilliance. 
Limited spots available for 2025.

Most entrepreneurs feel invisible. 
They’re lost in a sea of noise. 

What they don’t realize? 

Their distinction is their signal. 

Their iconic signal. 

After speaking with a 6-figure entrepreneur 
1.5 weeks ago, she expressed that she (like many) 
secretly hates selling. 

She wants more freedom, more clarity, 
and a brand that speaks for her. 

She’s earned her impressive reputation, 
while scaling her business and balancing 
other ventures. 

But her digital brand narrative still felt generic. 

She thought she needed a large following to sell. 

But here’s the truth. 

It’s all about positioning. 

Positioning (when done right) sets you apart. 

If your brand world isn’t communicating 
trust, elegance, and authority… 

You’re leaving millions on the table. 

She didn’t need 200,000 followers to sell 
or another unoriginal, overused design. 

She needed to differentiate herself 
and a brand that reflected her true brilliance. 

Timeless. Sophisticated. Magnetic. Undeniable. 

For years, I've partnered with small start-ups 
without any branding as well as large world-class 
companies to elevate their brand presence. 

I’ve helped 6-8 figure high-level entrepreneurs 
and exclusive leaders step into that space. 

Where luxury is felt. 

Its quiet power rooted in something deeper. 

Where less says more. 
Where design becomes desire. 
Where people trust you before you speak. 

Many entrepreneurs are looking for a quick fix. 
Something they can do themselves 
and at their own pace. 

I’m working on something exciting 
that can quickly provide actionable next steps. 

And it needs to be customized to each individual. 

I've created a Luxury Brand Audit that shows you 
exactly what’s working, what’s not working, 
and what you can do next that can provide 
exponential results. 

I’m inviting 5 founders/CEO’s/entrepreneurs 
into a conversation to explore what’s missing 
in their brand presence and how to build a brand 
that commands premium pricing effortlessly. 

This is not to sell. It’s just to explore. 

No pitches. No commitments. 
Just clarity and refinement. 

DM me “BRAND” and we’ll find a time to chat. 

P.S. This is only for those who understand 
the importance of brand presence and 
the value it offers. 

A true luxury brand doesn’t chase relevance. 
It’s felt deeply and becomes part of your story, 
your heritage, and your lasting impact. 

Build a lifestyle. 
Not just a Brand. 


Enjoy this? Follow Emily Rossetta for more.

Luxury brands are magnetic. 

They create an intrinsic connection with you. 

Here’s how ↓ 

They create a timeless experience. 

Their own unique experience. 

A lifestyle. 

A lifestyle that takes time to build and define. 
A lifestyle the top 1% are relentless to win. 

A movement that everyone truly wants 
to be a part of. 

What people often don’t realize is this. 

Human psychology plays a large part 
in defining luxury and branding. 

According to Donatella Versace: 
“What defines luxury is uniqueness, 
  emotion, and desire.” 

With luxury comes: 

▪️Elegance 
▪️Exclusivity 
▪️Status 

Just like a great book where each chapter 
captivates you to keep reading more 
(at a rapid pace) … 

Luxury brands create their own unique story. 

Capturing your undivided attention. 

And influencing you to want to learn more. 
 
Luxury brands:  

▪️Create a world (a universally evolving system) 
▪️Make you feel special 
▪️Differentiate themselves  
▪️Show you an elevated lifestyle 
       that can be all yours 

And show you their true value. 

Showing you exactly why they are worth 
your undivided attention. 

After all, you can: 

▪️Become your own luxury brand 
▪️Create your own unique story 
▪️Build your own luxurious lifestyle 

“A great brand is the story 
 that never stops unfolding.” 
 — Tony Hsieh 

How would you define luxury? 

Write down 1 word. ↓ 


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       their own luxury brands. 
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Image Credit: NHU Design Studio

Nick Robinson has become one of the respected voices in the sports industry. He is the owner of Robinson Sports Group, the holding company for a group of sports business, charity, education and apparel ventures including International Sports Consulting (ISC), The Game Plan, DFY Sports and Athletes by Design.Primarily through ISC, Nick has built 18 years of experience in sports management, marketing and sponsorship. A registered agent with FIFA, the FA and the RFU, he manages some of the most talented and influential athletes and agents in the world, advising on contracts, commercial strategy and careers. He has led and negotiated over £250m in elite sports deals to date.Alongside ISC, Nick runs The Game Plan, a sports business accelerator that helps athletes, coaches and operators build serious, sustainable sports businesses. He also writes The Game Plan Weekly, a newsletter read by over 3,000 subscribers, sharing sports business insights, trends, practical tools, job openings and notable deals.In late 2025 Nick founded Athletes by Design, a sports apparel brand co-designed with ambitious athletes just below the traditional top sponsorship tier. Tired of seeing only the top few percent supported by the global brands, he built a label that creates performance kit tailored to real athletes’ needs.He also founded DFY, a UK registered charity that levels the playing field for the next generation by improving opportunities for over 1500 children from disadvantaged backgrounds in person every week. He hosts the DFY podcast Becoming Unstoppable, sharing honest stories from athletes and operators worldwide of resilience and achievement. DFY Academy runs youth football and basketball teams for boys and girls, as well as a structured mentorship programme that connects young people with role models and long-term guidance.Nick regularly shares his experience as a guest lecturer at institutions including Harvard Law School, New York University, Florida State University and Loughborough University, and through ongoing content on sports business, negotiation and leadership.📧 For enquiries: hello@weareisc.com

Nick Robinson

Everyone wants to be a beast.
Until it’s time to do what beasts do.

Michael Jordan punched a teammate in training.
Still think leadership is about being nice?

You didn’t slack off with Jordan, Kobe or Brady.
You didn't cut corners with Serena Williams, Jonny Sexstone or Michael Phelps. 

The genuine greats all have that aura.
Not everyone liked them.
But everyone respected them.

Every high-performance culture has that one presence.
The standard-setter.
The tone-raiser.
The one who makes everyone lock in.

A 2022 Harvard Business Review study found that high-accountability leadership, the kind that demands more than it praises, leads to 22% higher team output and stronger trust (when paired with clarity).

Greatness doesn’t care if you’re comfortable.
It believes in you, and challenges you to rise to your full potential.

♻️ Share if someone’s ever pushed you to a level you didn’t know you had in you.
📈 Follow Nick Robinson for more insights on high-performance mindset, leadership and sports business.

Sports Business Leader | Over $250M in Contracts | Charity Founder | Keynote Speaker | Follow for Insights on the Sports Industry

Football ➡️  NFL in hours. Bernabéu raised the bar
Sport-infrastructure is reconfiguring itself.

Witnessing the recent transformation of the Santiago Bernabéu into a full-blown NFL field confirmed how fast the multi-sport arena is now evolving.

•⁠ ⁠Real Madrid C.F. hosted Spain’s first NFL game at the Bernabéu on 16 Nov 2025.
•⁠ ⁠The switch was built into the renovation: a retractable grass pitch stored in an underground greenhouse, then rolled back out in match condition.
•⁠ ⁠The renovation matches the club’s status and ambition: retractable roof, 360 LED, new back-of-house and hospitality to fit formats and revenue goals.

What else is happening in stadium development?

•⁠ ⁠Faster surface changeovers and code-switching baked into design. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club proved the model with a separate NFL field below the primary pitch.
•⁠ ⁠Digital wraps and 360-degree LED displays to elevate fan experience and commercial opportunity.
•⁠ ⁠Mixed-use calendars that drive year-round yield, not just fixtures.
•⁠ ⁠Sustainability built into the engineering: modular systems, efficient covers, controlled-environment turf care.
•⁠ ⁠Manchester United’s proposed 100,000-seat venue dubbed the “Wembley of the North”, designed by Foster + Partners, features a climate-controllable micro-environment.

The takeaway in summary: the days of stadia being a big bowl for matches is well and truly over.

It is a strategic brand asset, a business model, an expansion playbook, and a product line all rolled into one. 

The winners will be those clubs who have the space, funding and vision to upgrade their stadium to meet the demands of tomorrow.

📩 If this kind of sport business insight interests you, sign up to The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator newsletter: https://lnkd.in/em_7Vt_2 
📈 Follow Nick Robinson for more insights on sports business.

*video from Real Madrid's official social media accounts.

Sports Business Leader | Over $250M in Contracts | Charity Founder | Keynote Speaker | Follow for Insights on Sports Business, Leadership & High-Performance Mindset.

I once negotiated 3 football transfers in 4 days 🤝 
Over £50M exchanged hands that week. 
If you’re interested, l can show you how ⤵️ 

They all had serious hurdles to overcome:

⛔ One of the players split with his agent weeks before & I didn’t know 
🦵 Another was half way through a 6 months knee injury rehab
✈️  The other’s club made him fly back from England after the medical to play in 1 final game before signing the paperwork.

Three deals. Three completely different dynamics.

And the best lawyer in the game, Daniel Geey, advising on all three of them while on a boat somewhere off the French coast with patchy WiFi.

It was a reminder that negotiation is never just player + club.

It’s alignment across agents, families, tax teams, relocation plans, image rights, sporting expectations… and the emotional and PR pressure that sits over all of that.

What got these deals done was the art of negotiation, capitalising on structure, timing, and the ability to keep momentum when everything slows to a crawl.

In tomorrow's webinar, I’ll show you how to master the art negotiation, I'll share the detailed mechanics behind each negotiation…the sticking points, the moments that nearly derailed everything, and the tools and levers that eventually unlocked the deals and can be used in all walks of life

🚨 If you work in sport, ever want to, or use negotiation in your job but want to improve, this webinar is a must-attend.

🔪 Sharpen your negotiation skills with me tomorrow:
 📆 Wednesday 26th November, 6–7pm UK time / 1–2pm EST
 💻 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eqyB5kV7

Yesterday I taught 100 students to negotiate
How to win those important moments
Tonight I’m live and online for everyone

Thanks to Alex Thurston, PhD for the invite to speak at Loughborough University again. We ran past the two-hour slot because the students were very locked in & the questions kept coming!

I focused on the principle idea: negotiation is not a shouting match. 
It's two people trying to solve problems without losing their footing. 
You're not a boxer, you're a deal architect.

Tonight i'll be live & online 6pm UK time / 1pm EST 
Session open to anyone and we're going deeper on the tools behind that idea:
💻 https://lnkd.in/eqyB5kV7

I’m breaking down:
- How real negotiators prepare
- Reading the market and building a clear plan
- Playing weak cards with confidence
- Timing, sequencing and who to speak to
- Anchors, silence and credible numbers
- When to trade and when to wait
- Staying calm when pressure rises
- Avoiding the mistakes that cost people deals
- Everyday uses: rent, salary, friends and family

If you want to learn how to use these in your own negotiations, join the live session tonight.

This was the first 8-figure deal I negotiated solo.

It taught me that information imbalance is power.

I moved Sofiane Boufal from Lille to Southampton in 2016.
It was a club-record £16 million transfer at the time.

We worked on it for over four months.

To say there were speed bumps would be an understatement.

Sofiane suffered a knee meniscus tear halfway through.
Out for at least five months.

In most cases, that kills a deal.

(the injured medical was one of the most tense moments of my career).

Finally, we went to Lille to negotiate the deal.

The Southampton executives went into the boardroom and negotiated for two hours and came out without a deal.

It seemed like the deal was over.

But during those two hours, I found out a crucial piece of information:

Lille were obliged to enter their financial results to the FFF a few weeks later, and without the sale of Sofiane they would fail and be fined and/or docked points.

It changed the balance completely.

Once they realised we knew this, I managed to close it within half an hour.

Information imbalance was their trump card until it was removed.

Then everything changed.

But that is only one of 5 main levers that move a negotiation:

1️⃣ Information imbalance
2️⃣ Leverage / BATNA
3️⃣ Value and structure
4️⃣ Positioning the process
5️⃣ Psychology

If you want to see how to use all 5 in real deals, and learn how to use them yourself in everyday life, I am breaking them down inside my negotiation masterclass.

Sharpen your negotiation skills with me on 
📅 Wednesday 26th November, 6-7pm UK time / 1-2pm EST.
💻 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eqyB5kV7

Every club has two budgets: one for survival, one for the drop.
The difference is who admits it early enough.

Relegation looks emotional from the outside but inside the boardroom, it becomes financial surgery. 💸⚽

Every season, a few clubs face the same brutal question:
“How do we survive the drop without collapsing the balance sheet?”

Behind the headlines, relegation planning starts months before it happens:
🧾 Contract clauses such as wage reductions and release triggers to protect cash flow.
💰 Asset sales identifying which players can be sold quickly to bridge lost TV income.
📉 Scenario modelling where CFOs run two full budgets: one for staying up, one for going down.
🏗 Cost re-engineering slims operational spend without losing the core of the organisation.

The Premier League’s parachute payments buy time.
The clubs that treat them as a runway instead of a rescue are the ones that bounce back.

Look at Burnley in 2022 or Newcastle in 2016: both treated relegation as a restructuring window.
They came back stronger because they used finances to properly rebuild systems.

Relegation is an extreme stress test for your business model.
And like any test, it reveals who was built on stability, and who was gambling on survival.

♻ Repost if you’re more interested in football’s boardroom battles than its scorelines.
📈 Follow Nick Robinson & The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator for sharp insights on business, leadership, and high performance.

A guidebook to surviving relegation

Every football club has a hidden hierarchy 👑 
(when the job titles don’t match reality)

Most people think negotiations happen between the agent and “the club”.
It’s never that simple.

Real decisions come from the people with actual authority:
• the CEO who signs off budgets
• the sporting director who shapes the plan
• the head coach whose view can swing a deal
• the board member whose vote matters more than anyone expects

Every club is different. Every structure is fluid. 
Who you speak to matters more than what you say. .

🃏 If you don’t know who genuinely holds the power cards, you’re at a disadvantage.

Top agents spend years mapping internal power.
↗️ ↘️ They track who is rising, who is under pressure, who blocks deals, who pushes them through, and who carries trust inside the building.

Once you understand the hierarchy, you can tailor your approach financially, emotionally and strategically to the people who decide the outcome.

The best deals come from speaking to the right people, not hoping a message survives the communication chain.

Influence is a competitive edge.
Agents who master relationships outperform the rest.

📩 For deeper insight into the agency world, club strategy and career pathways in sport, follow The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator.

📈  If you want to become part of the Game Plan community, sign up here:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eZCmDrWj

You negotiate every day.
Yet no-one has been taught how to do it properly.
And that's why you keep leaving money on the table.

Negotiation is the most human skill we have.

🌾 Babylonian traders haggled over grain 4,000 years ago.

👑 Cleopatra cut deals with Caesar and Mark Antony to keep Egypt alive.

🌍 Churchill sat in rooms bargaining over borders and power.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Your kids negotiate with you every day over bedtime, screens and snacks.

And yet it's the most underdeveloped weapon in your arsenal. 

What if, rather than going in blind and unprepared to your salary negotiation, your promotion or deadline, you knew how to win those discussions before they have even started?

Its something I've been refining for 18 years in one of the most ruthless negotiation arenas in the world, its why I've broken Premier league and Championship club transfer records multiple times. 

And its why, for the first time ever, I’m opening the Negotiation Module to everyone, free, and running it live.

This is one of the most advanced and information packed modules in The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator, covering real-world negotiation strategy, leverage, and the psychology that drives deals in business.

If the thought of explaining to your boss why you should be paid more fills you with dread, this is for you.

If negotiation already sits inside your job remit but you want to learn how to become a expert from someone who does it every day, this is for you.

📅 Wednesday 26th November 2025
🕕 6–7pm UK time
💻 Live and online
💷 Free to join

To join, like this post & sign up here:
https://lnkd.in/eqyB5kV7

Your Sports Business cheat code 🎮
Learn the business. Master the hacks.
Find the opportunities that move you forward

📈 Sports Business Hack of the Week:

When you run into a brick wall, it’s still far from the end
Knowing who holds the real power and testing the waters can turn a stalled negotiation into a done deal.
Read below for a real football negotiation where bypassing the blocker made all the difference 

🔦 Job Spotlight of the Week:

Liverpool FC are looking for a Player Administration Executive, someone who can keep every registration, transfer, and contract precise and compliant.
From WSL to the academy, you’ll be the person who ensures players are fully eligible and operations run seamlessly.
Do you back yourself to take that on?

🧐 Sports Business Trend of the Week:

Neymar just bought Pelé’s full brand rights.
He now controls Pelé’s name, image and archives, giving him the power to launch merchandise, media projects and fan experiences around one of football’s biggest icons.
Sports business is changing. Success is now beyond what happens on the pitch, owning the story off it is what matters.
Learn what this means for the future of sports business 

💼 Jobs of the Week:

Senior Leadership:

Partnerships Manager (Manchester City Football Club)
https://lnkd.in/etzitG4V

Player Administration Executive (Liverpool Football Club)
https://lnkd.in/eh2p8brS

General Manager at MLS Next (Major League Soccer)
https://lnkd.in/enkurg6W

Mid level & Specialist:

Production Manager Europe & Middle East (National Basketball Association (NBA))
https://lnkd.in/efHgkF7J

Graduate & Early Career:
Social Media Intern, Challenger Tour & Next Gen (ATP Tour)
https://lnkd.in/eyQBGRxe

Event Management Intern - UK (Ballers)
https://lnkd.in/e2TbSNMD

If you like this content sign up to The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator newsletter and it will be delivered straight to your inbox plus special features, sports business webinar invites and more. 
📲 https://lnkd.in/em_7Vt_2

The Game Plan Weekly

Football’s transfer window is a financial chess match 

Accounting has become the new competitive edge 

Behind every “deadline day” deal and "here we go" 
are clubs are balancing more than tactics and talent

They manage cashflow amortisation and compliance 
balancing the impact of emotion

Here is how the smartest operators play it:

 ⏳ Timing
Deals late in the financial year can defer spending into the next cycle
That is why so many “final day” transfers happen - smart accounting

 📊 Amortisation and structured wages
A £50m signing on a 5-year deal hits the accounts at £10m per year
Bonuses and wage deferrals help reduce the annual burden
Chelsea stretched this idea until UEFA limited long contracts like Enzo Fernández’s 8.5-year deal

🔄 Player trading as cash management
One well-timed £20m home grown outbound can unlock three upgrades without breaching rules.
It is more than squad building
It is balance sheet building

 🛂 FFP set the initial rules of the game
Costs must align with sustainable revenue
Clubs got creative with revenue deals and player revaluations to stay onside
FFP became a test of timing and financial skill not spending power

🔃 Now the rules are changing again
The Premier League has introduced Squad Cost Ratio
All spending on wages amortisation agent fees and add-ons must stay within a fixed share of club revenue
Most clubs must stay under 85%
Clubs in UEFA competitions must stay under 70%

SCR ties spending growth directly to what you earn, 
not what an owner can inject.
Instead of a salary cap, a hard ceiling now reshapes strategy
The biggest reset since FFP

 🧾 Creative accounting and financial engineering with a football accent

The smartest clubs now scout accountants as aggressively as they scout #9s
Clubs who understand risk regulation and leverage as competitive advantages

♻️  Repost if you geek out on the sport & finance intersection
⚽ Follow Nick Robinson & The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator for sharp insights on business leadership and high performance

The Finance behind the Game ⚽️

📍Want to negotiate like an expert?
In my newsletter this week i show you how ⤵️

We negotiate every day - with bosses, clients, partners, children - yet nobody actually teaches us how to do it properly. We're left to figure out one

Open article: Master the Art of Negotiation  by Nick Robinson • 2 min read

Your Sports Business cheat code 🔑
Learn the business. Master the hacks.
Find the opportunity that moves you forward 

➡️ Sports Business Hack of the Week

Silence is pressure. It makes people reveal what they really want or what they’re willing to give up.

Used well, it can shift the entire deal in your favor.

Read below for a real football negotiation where silence changed everything 

➡️ Job Spotlight of the Week

Crystal Palace are looking for a Head of Academy Operations, someone who can bring Premier League standards to every detail of the academy.
From logistics to player experience, you’ll be the person who keeps everything running at the highest level.

Do you back yourself to take that on?

➡️ Sports Business Trend of the Week

Manchester United is taking basketball to Europe.
Football clubs are no longer just about football. They are expanding into new sports, new markets and new fan experiences.
What this means for the future of global sports business is bigger than you think.

➡️ Jobs of the Week:

↪️ Senior Leadership: 

Directors, Business Ventures (U.S. Soccer Federation)
https://lnkd.in/ehaDujgj

Head of Academy Operations (Crystal Palace Football Club)
https://lnkd.in/e4qUC-u6

↪️ Mid level & Specialist: 

Marketplace lead (OneFootball)
https://lnkd.in/eU5nYKti

Academy kit assistant (West Ham United FC)
https://lnkd.in/eePhHEWN


↪️ Graduate & Early Career:

Game Analyis Intern (Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA)
https://lnkd.in/e2z9vheB

Internship at the DFB Press Office – National Teams & Academy (German Football Assocciation – DFB)
https://lnkd.in/e4QztCeJ 

To sign up for the newsletter straight to your inbox:
https://lnkd.in/em_7Vt_2

I miss the weird 90s era goalkeeper kits
They looked more like a Glastonbury headline
Here’s the throwback ⬇

There was a strange period in football where goalkeepers dressed like they’d escaped from an art school rave 🎨

The 1990s gave us neon spirals, geometric chaos, acid-wash zigzags, paint-splatter sleeves, shirts that looked like abstract canvases.

And then, almost overnight, it stopped.

So what happened?

In the early 90s, GK kits were one of the few areas untouched by strict brand guidelines. 

➡ Outfield shirts had to follow club identity. 
➡ Keepers needed contrast for referees, 
↪ and that technical loophole opened the door for designers to go a bit wild.

Adidas, Umbro, Reebok… they all treated the GK jersey like a mushroom trip.

Bright colours made sense too, the thinking was that they intimidated strikers, made the keeper look bigger, and caused momentary hesitation.

It worked for culture as well. Kids bought them because they didn’t look like anything else in the sport. They became rebellious identity pieces, rather than uniforms.

So why did they disappear?

📉 Brand centralisation:
From the 2000s onwards, global kit sponsors standardised templates. 
Clubs pushed for consistency across all visual assets, and the design freedom window closed.

📉 Performance science:
Modern fabrics emphasise clarity for teammates over confusion for opponents. High-visibility tech became subtle, not psychedelic.

📉 Risk-averse marketing:
Shirts became global products with strict commercial guidelines. The 90s chaos didn’t scale. Mass market appeal over niche culture.

But here’s the interesting part:

As retro football culture grows, don’t be surprised if the goalkeepers become the style pioneers again.

What kits have we had recently that hark back to these rebellious days? 

♻ Repost if you enjoyed this retro goalie kit era.
📈 Follow Nick Robinson & The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator Plan for sharp insights on sports business, leadership, and high performance.

Football Kits Unleashed

Promotion and Relegation:
Britain's equivalent of the Second Amendment
No wonder the Super League collapsed.
 
In a whirlwind 48 hours, 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs managed to unite fans, politicians, and even some players & coaches against them.

Billions were on the line, but they underestimated the strength and unity of the fans reaction 

It showed that in modern sport, power doesn’t sit with owners or investors as much as they thought. Control still lies with the fans.

They might not know the balance sheet, but they are the heart and soul of the club.

The irony is that the Super League’s logic wasn’t wrong in itself. It boasted predictable revenue, stable competition & global reach, based on American style stability.

But the execution ignored the nature of the emotional investment embedded in the sport, and the cloak and dagger nature of the negotiations broke the trust that clubs spent decades trying to build.

Because football is a social contract. And once that breaks, rebuilding it takes more than a press release.

♻️ Repost if you think football belongs to the fans.
📈 Follow Nick Robinson and The Game Plan for sharp insights on business, leadership, and high performance.

The European Super League v The People 

You can do months of work perfectly 
and still lose the deal if you don't map the power. 
I found that out in brutal fashion ⤵️

I spent three months convincing the Sporting Director about my player. He liked him. We travelled to watch his games together. We discussed the transf

Open article: Find the real decision maker  by Nick Robinson • 2 min read

The Premier League is a well oiled global content machine. Here's what most people miss⤵

The Premier League has become the world’s most reliable entertainment product because it engineered reliability into the business model.

📌 The Premier League sells certainty...of drama.

Broadcasters are not buying “the best teams”. They are buying a product that delivers storylines every week, in every time zone, across the table.

That reliability comes from structure.

Three levers explain the gap.

📍 1) The breakaway created commercial control
In 1992, the top division resigned from the Football League and formed the Premier League as a separate company, built to control its own broadcast and sponsorship deals.

📺 2) Rights are sold collectively, in multi season packages, built around specific broadcast time slots. Predictable inventory. Predictable scheduling. Predictable value.

💷 3) Money is shared to protect weekly drama
Domestic broadcast revenue is split 50:25:25
50% equal share
25% league position
25% televised matches

In 2024/25, every club received an equal share of £29.8m (UK) and £59.2m (international) before merit and facility payments.

International revenue has historically been shared equally, and in 2020 the league agreed that future increases in international revenue would be distributed based on final league position.

🎬 And the product control is tightening again
From 2026/27, the Premier League will bring international content production and distribution in house, ending the long IMG run. That is a not insignificant move towards owning the full media layer, not just selling match rights.

Put it together and you get the model:

The Premier League is predictably compelling.
Broadcasters reward predictability with bigger cycles. Sponsors follow suit.

Meanwhile the rest of Europe is held back by legacy models, municipal stadiums, governance limits, and an unwillingness to restructure for international markets.

💡Other leagues can copy parts of this but copying the system end to end is much harder. And unless that changes, the gap is only going one direction.

♻ Repost if the Premier League floats your boat
📈 Follow Nick Robinson and The Game Plan - Sports Business Accelerator for more insights on the sports industry

The EPL's Unassailable Lead

Happy to have got this one over the line. Some great options on the table for him, a credit to his performances on the pitch in recent seasons 🤝

View company: International Sports Consulting

📝🏉 DONE DEAL: James Dun ➡️ Harlequins

Delighted to have negotiated James’ contract ahead of the 2026/27 season.

James will arrive at The Stoop from Bristol Bears, who he has represented 57 times to date. The 126kg lock possesses a tireless work rate in the loose and will add further firepower to the Harlequins pack in both the scrum and lineout.

“Joining Harlequins is an exciting step in my career. It’s a Club that I’ve always had a lot of respect for, with an exciting brand of rugby that I can’t wait to be part of,” said Dun.

Jason Gilmore added: “James is a quality tight-head lock who really prides himself on his set piece and his work in the collision area.

“He’s a great young man with a strong attitude and a real desire to keep improving every day. That drive to be the best he can be is exactly what we want in our environment.

“He’ll add real presence, quality, and further size to our pack, and we’re excited to see the impact he’ll have within the group.”

Without doubt DFY Sports is the most purposeful of my ventures. 
So excited about the 2026 plans....

📣 We’re excited to welcome Aaron Hercules to DFY Sports as our newest trustee.

A creative strategist with a track record of building bridges across sport, music and business, he’s joining us at a pivotal moment in our growth.

🎵 Aaron spent over three decades in the music industry, working with and managing major artists, shaping culture and opening doors for talent across the world.

⚽ He has also made his mark in football, bringing creativity and strategy together to drive opportunity, partnerships and ideas. He is known for his network, his instinct for collaboration and his ability to spark momentum.

🟢 Built high profile careers and partnerships in the music industry
🟢 Connected sport and culture through creative strategy and business development
🟢 Advised on projects that blend entertainment, community and commercial growth

And now, he is bringing that perspective and energy to DFY.

“Thank you for having me. DFY is exactly the kind of organisation I’ve always wanted to give back through, so when Nick Robinson mentioned it, it was a no-brainer. I’ve spent over 30 years across music and sport and I know I can bring something valuable to the table. I might not live up to being called a legend, but I’m here to add real value and help shape what comes next.”

DFY Sports is in a period of rapid growth, with new mentorship work in schools, a growing Academy, and more young people coming through our programmes every week. Voices like Aaron’s help shape where we go next.

We’re proud to have him with us at this stage of the journey.

Big things ahead 🌱

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