Pass the…cranberry sauce?

Good morning. Cranberry sauce is the candy corn of Thanksgiving.

But this time the debate has an important follow-up question: canned/jellied cranberry sauce or a fresh cranberry sauce? Regardless of your answer, this holiday staple is, well, not popular. 

A WalletHub study found that only 3% of Americans rank cranberry sauce as their favorite Thanksgiving dish. Many (approximately 29%) eat the famed side dish simply to uphold tradition. 

So why is this small little berry so prominent among Thanksgiving menus? To put it simply: history. Cranberries are one of three commercial fruits that are native to the United States and were used by the Wampanoag tribe for food, medicine, and dye prior to 1621. By 1672, cranberry sauce had officially debuted at the Thanksgiving table and was officially chronicled in Amelia Simmons' 1796 cookbook, "American Cookery."

Preferences aside, approximately 80 million pounds of cranberries will be consumed this week, leaving you with one last possible question, "could you pass the cranberry sauce, please?" 

Other big news this week: 

• The Halo Effect Camp/Clinic tour is officially open! Register at hayliemccleney.com!

• Exciting news from Tianna Madison: the 2x Olympian has welcomed son, Kai, to the world!

• Curious about athlete rate cards? Check out Cejih Explains to learn first steps!

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.

Is there such a thing as too many speaking opportunities? We think not!

Haylie McCleney added an impressive new accolade to her resume over the past weekend: keynote speaker at the 2021 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum.

Episode 19 of The Business Case for Women's Sports, a podcast by GOALS, is out now and features Natalie Hinds! This episode was recorded live at the 2021 LEAD Sports Summit in Denver, CO and is presented by nav.it.

Maddy Banic, a Fike ambassador, joined the Fike vlog recently to answer questions like "are you a truck or a Ferrari?"

CEJIH EXPLAINS
Part 1 - Establishing a Rate Card

During the course of your career, you may be asked the following:

• “What would it cost to have you come in and speak to my team?”

• “How much does it cost to sponsor you?”

• “What do you charge for a social media post?”

• “Do you do pro-bono or offer discounts?”

As you begin to establish yourself as a professional athlete, talent, speaker or author, it’s important to set your business rate card to help you navigate the deal landscape.

Your rate card is meant to serve as a baseline for you, which can be increased over time. These rates will give your team opportunities to pitch you at a professional fee that is worth your time and market value, while also leaving room to add on special things if the customer has a larger budget to work with.

Either way, you'll be able to rest easy knowing that you're being compensated fairly for your time and removes the guessing.

Read the rest of Cejih Explains online!

CG SPORTS PUBLISHING

Craving some relaxing downtime for the holidays? Searching for your next binge-worthy read? CG Sports Publishing is proud to bring you three new books this holiday season.

A Life Aloft is a memoir from Olympic bronze medalist (1964) Thomas Gompf and is now available for purchase! Gompf enjoyed a long competitive and professional diving career while simultaneously serving as an Air Force and commercial pilot, telling stories from pool decks and rocky cliffs, the FINA boardroom and Bangkok hotel balconies, and from the skies over South Asia during the Vietnam War. Grab your own copy today.

Still to be released this holiday season: The Grass is Always Greener and Soul of a Swimmer. Stay up-to-date with all news for the two by clicking on the links above.

DEMAND YOUR BRAND
Who is Jim Shark?

Well, I mean Gymshark.

Now that it is Black Friday sale season, no one stands out with discounted prices; companies can stand out in how they showcase their products, the sale, and their affiliates, however. Check out Gymshark's Instagram (@gymshark) for their unique use of hiring celebrities on Cameo (this is ingenious and hilarious), human billboards, tweets, and a few classic memes to advertise their sale. Oh, and contrary to some Instagram algorithm recommendations, they posted 3-4 in one day, and I saw them all in a row. While they do have 5.5 million followers, we can still learn from their clever marketing.

• Find what the people like. Share it in a way that relates to your followers.

• If that something is "overused," it might just be funny and well received. Feel free to use it, too ;)

• Want to sell something? Don't stop sharing

SPONSOR
UCAN

Tap into the power of UCAN to do more this holiday season. Board certified Sports Dietitian, Bob Seebohar says "It doesn't matter the age, athlete or sport. Using UCAN to keep blood sugar stable and burn more fat is ideal for any athletic or health conscious individual."

Use code: CGSPORTS at ucan.co to save 30% off the full range of products and unlock a healthier you in 2022. Additionally, receive an added bonus of a FREE Strawberry Banana Edge sample with your purchase. Offer only valid with newsletter code CGSPORTS. Expires 11/30/21

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Do virtual meetings even happen if you don’t take a screenshot? (Asking for a friend.)

ARTICLES YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ
A collection of the CG Sports Teams' favorite random news of the week. 📚

• Did you know the Detroit Lions have played at home every Thanksgiving Day since 1934? Read up on more NFL Thanksgiving history here.

• The NFL has embraced Taylor's version.

• Josh Pascal, Kentucky Wildcats' DE, is the #DefenderOfDecay.

PODCASTS
Catch up with Champion's Mojo

There are a LOT of podcasts available to listen to these days, so in between new episodes, we wanted to help you choose your next listen. (You didn't ask for our advice, but we wanted to offer it anyway.)

Consuming too much social media and news can be dangerous, taking its toll on happiness and mental health. There are benefits to taking a break from the constant flow of entertainment, information and interruption that we get from our cell phones and other screens. Kelly and Maria cover three common areas in need of a digital detox and 10 tips for accomplishing it for greater happiness.

Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.

FINANCIAL FITNESS
CG Sports is partnering with Nav.it to bring weekly tips to navigate your finances, increase money mindfulness, and better your financial health.

How to Keep Utility Bills Down by Maddelynn Horn

The average family in the US spends $2,000 each year on utilities.

Cutting utilities out of your budget isn’t exactly an option, but there are plenty of simple and effective ways to save money on your bills. Bonus: these hacks will also help you reduce your environmental impact.

Here is one way to save money on your electric bill:

Make sure your equipment is efficient.

Without purchasing any new appliances, you can still make sure you're not wasting water or energy on leaks. Fixing simple plumbing leaks can save homeowners around 10% on their water bills. You can also save about 20% on your heating and cooling expenses by sealing air leaks around doors and windows. After repairing leaks, you'll spend less money each month without even putting in any extra effort.

The next step up from fixing leaks is purchasing water-efficient and energy-efficient appliances. If you're living in an apartment or not planning to stay where you are for long, investing in new appliances might now be a good option for you. However, if you're a homeowner, optimizing your appliances is a great way to cut back on your utility bills.

Tune in next week to learn the sixth and final way on how to keep the utility bills down!