Q1 Recap by Cejih
Good morning from Cejih.
Welcome to the last week of Q1 2022! April is nearly upon us and I still don't understand why people keep buying peeps.
One of my goals for 2022 is to share more with our readers about the business of athlete representation and the business of CG Sports.
Before we dive into the Q1 highlights, a quick backstory for context.
In late 2016, I started "CG Consulting" with no clients. A couple of months later we closed our first athlete deal ever. Oh boy was it a banger.
The deal was for $500 total. Our commission was $50. We didn't care, we were pumped.
Even though the dollar amount wasn't crazy - the energy of CG Sports was born that day. And we've never looked back.
We've grown a lot since that day in 2016.
Today CG Sports consists of four main departments, each run by amazing people:
Athlete Partnerships, headed up by Dane Vanderkaay
Publishing, headed up by Holly Neumann
Events, headed up by Rachel Draffen
Properties, headed up by Matt Amerlan
Our marketing team is led by Rachel Draffen, Nicole Wurtele, Taylor Brien and Calvin Werts. Together they execute the vision of each department.
Hopefully you enjoyed learning a little more about CG Sports - let's get into the fun stuff.
Q1 highlights at CG Sports:
New Lines of Business: We expanded our sponsorship sales service to include companies and properties in the sports industry. Sports Business Radio, one of the longest running sports podcasts joined CG Sports in early 2022. The annual Sports PR Summit event also signed with CG Sports. Both properties are managed by our VP, Matt Amerlan, who has secured several major partnerships that will be shared soon.
Strong internal system: Our team worked hard during 2021 to create and refine an internal system that would make us extremely productive. There were many iterations. Finally, we created a structure that allows each member of CG Sports to move in the same direction. And fast. I'm happy to share that Q1 is shaping up to be our best earning quarter in the company's history.
New Deals Coming: We will soon be announcing a significant sponsorship between one of our Olympic clients and a top 10 global restaurant chain. I'm very excited to share this news with all of you in a future newsletter.
Other big news this week:
The TYR Pro Swim Series will be in San Antonio, TX March 30 - April 2. Check the psych sheet for all your favorite swimmers!
P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.
WHAT'S HOT
A roundup of the CG Sports Teams' favorite weekly content from the most 🔥 athletes in the biz.
The 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships took over Atlanta this weekend and saw a number of fast times. Among those competing in Atlanta was Florida's Kieran Smith. Smith competed individually in the 200 free (5th - 1:31.27), 500 free (4th - 4:08.68), and 200 back (4th - 1:39.39), and was a member of three of Florida's relays, including a championship victory for Florida in the 200 free relay. The team of Adam Chaney, Eric Friese, Will Davis, and Smith posted a new pool record of 1:14.11 for the gold.
View the full results from the Men's Championships here.
Many know Jonny Bornstein as a veteran member of the Chicago Fire, but Bornstein also has a side gig: volunteer coach for the Northwestern University's men's soccer team. Bornstein described the experience to Hot Time in Old Town, "It's completely different than playing. The mentality of what it is to be a coach is a lot different than being out there as a player."
Author Brian Gushue and Warwick Books hosted a signing event for Gushue's book The Grass is Always Greener: One Football Fan's Improbable Quest to Attend 500 NFL Games. At the signing, Gushue explained, "The title, The Grass is Always Greener, reflects my long-standing belief that football is best played on a well-maintained grass field." Read Gushue's full remarks here.
Interested in Gushue's quest to 500 NFL games played on grass? View the book on Amazon!
DEMAND YOUR BRAND
Hey you. I know your name.
Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, states that "a person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Our name is central to our identity and hearing it provides validation in several forms, building positive rapport between the speaker and the individual being addressed. Using or hearing our names also:
Captures attention
Leaves a lasting impression (having shown you remember a name, or yours was remembered)
Expresses interest in the conversation
Improves retention of the conversation
We often remember people and conversations better because of the positive feelings associated with our names being mentioned once or more. In this way, we are building personal relationships, which will always have great rewards because human simply need social relationships...but also because personal relationships = business relationships. Ask any salesperson how and why they enjoy their job: it's probably about getting to know people. Start by remember names and showing it often and see where it takes you - both in life and in business.
With that - I don't actually know your name, but I'd love to find out! Say hi
Do I need a large Instagram following to sign with sponsors?
"How do you get sponsors as an athlete when you don't have a big Instagram following?"
This is one of my favorite topics, so allow me to explain:) This question often comes up from athletes as well as sponsors looking for athletes to sign. While Instagram is certainly a nice tool - it's just a tool. Sponsors will pay small fees for social media posts here and there. They will be much larger fees when they can find an athlete who's brand story aligns perfectly with their own.
There are many athletes with followings in the millions who sponsors have passed on because their brands didn't match. It goes both ways.
Here are two quick tips.
Share your story and make your followers part of your journey. The more clear you can be as an athlete on your story and messaging - the better your marketing is going to be.
The power of merch. An athlete who comes to the table already having existing paid customers who are plugged into their brand, is incredibly interesting to any director of marketing for a sponsor company.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Are you interested in triathlons but not sure where to start? Are you already super interested in triathlons? Do you have a triathlon lover in your life?
Mark your calendars for April 19th when Triathlete Mindset is available for purchase!
SPONSOR
LEAD Sports Co - Softball Summit
LEAD Softball was co-founded by Olympian Haylie McCleney in 2021. The annual LEAD Summit connects young female athletes with elite athletes and experts through an all-inclusive, 4-day event. The partnerships and connections developed at the LEAD Summit empowers female athletes to equip themselves with the necessary skills to be leaders as students, athletes, and members of their communities.
The 2022 Softball Summit will take place June 26-29 in San Diego, California, and will feature Olympians, pro players, and experts in Confidence, Mental Health, Body Image, Leadership, and more. Haylie's desire to bring the LEAD Summit to softball is derived from her deep desire to mentor the next generation of female athletes.
Click here to learn more and to register.
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ
A collection of the CG Sports Teams' favorite random news of the week.
SWIMMING: The International Swimming League (ISL) has cancelled the 2022 season of competition, citing the war in Ukraine and financial concerns.
SWIMMING: The 2024 Olympic Trials will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
NBA: Kobe Bryant's estate has reached a long-term deal with Nike.
NFL: Momentum has gathered for changing the NFL overtime rules, but gaining the necessary votes could be difficult.
OLYMPICS & NBA: "The Queen of Basketball," a documentary about Luisa Harris, has won an Oscar for the short subject documentary category.
PODCASTS
Champion's Mojo, Episode #142: "Amy Rieger: A Coach is Paramount"
Not every physical activity is a fit for every person.
The key to staying active as you age is finding something you love to do -- and record-holding masters swimmer Amy Rieger is proof. She joins the show to talk about her swimming routine, the role social interaction plays in her motivation and why she won’t swim without a coach.
Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.
