Episode 140 Snippets: Adam White of Front Office Sports

BEST OF THE DIGITAL AND
SOCIAL MEDIA SPORTS PODCAST
EPISODE 140: ADAM WHITE
On episode 140 of the Digital and Social Media Sports
Podcast, Neil chatted with Adam White, Founder and CEO,
Front Office Sports.
What follows is a collection of snippets from the podcast. To
hear the full interview and more, check out the podcast on all
podcast platforms and at www.dsmsports.net
@njh287; www.dsmsports.net

Adam's Career Story
Adam was attending University of Miami studying Sports
Administration and had a class project assigned to do an
informational interview – instead of just doing one, Adam
decided to do several more, particularly during the summer
after his freshman year when he had time to kill during the d
ay while playing in a summer collegiate baseball league in
Arizona

To have a value-add component to his informational
interviews, Adam took the mindset of “Yeah, talk to me, but let
me tell your story...Everyone likes to talk about themselves
and everyone likes free PR about themselves.”
→ Adam also figured all the interviews would help him make
connections and eventually help him get a job
→ Adam ended up doing 110 informational interviews during
that first year

Adam put out a note in his Facebook group to see if anyone
wanted to help him, and only Russ (now the FOS COO) responded
“It was just a little platform that we thought was fun and...for me, it
was (a good way to meet people)...and hopefully it'll get where we
want it to get and I'll get a job and I'll leave it to the University and
let the kids who are in school work on it and carry it on, or maybe
I'll take it with me and keep doing it on the side...Those were the
initial objectives, but obviously it has changed a whole lot since
then.”

Early feedback
“We do in a day now, in terms of traffic, what we did in six
months when I first started...It was never something where I was
measuring success; the only success that I was measuring was
that I got to talk to cool people.
When I started to feel like it was (taking off a little), was the fact
that I was getting higher-quality people – instead of coordinators
and interns, I was talking to directors and VP's; so that was my
tangible marker.

From there, it was just something that I really enjoyed, I really
enjoyed talking to people...And it just really taught me a lot.
Because...yeah, I was in school, but every day I was interviewing
someone in the industry and had the opportunity to learn directly
from them...It really opened up you up to another world, especially
as a (student) in college.
“I guess we just kept pressing the right buttons early on; there was
never a business plan...Even today, we're still coming back from all
those little sticks you put in the ground to now building foundations.
The sticks were just supposed to hold you up until you graduated,
but...now we're takin those sticks and..putting up pillars here and
there and really started to go where we want to go...

“I don't know there was a real pivot point other than the fact I
graduated in 2017 and at the time I had started to interview with an
organization in April of my senior year (and) thought I was going to
get (that job) and ended up interviewing all the way until August
(while working on the site)...Come to August, after I got through the
interview process...they said No, we're going to go a different way...
[Adam found himself at a crossroads, didn't want to go home, was
living with his girlfriend in Miami]

“At that time, the site had taken off a little – obviously, it was not
where it would be at this point – but it started to make us a few
bucks here and there...I just told myself 'Look, I'll find a way to
make this happen for at least the next six months...' So I started
serving as a restaurant full-time [and] I'd work on the site at
night...As we came up to the end of 2017, we ended up signing a
couple launch partners – Team Infographics and MKTG...that
gave us a little extra money to actually have a real website and
actually pay our contributors (who had been working for free).”

On monetizing Front Office Sports
“The very first check, and I still have it today, was for $2,000 and we got it
from the University of Nebraska...It was 'Wow, I built something that was
someone was paying to promote their master's program on.'...
“What I'd seen at that time I believe it was the Axios of the world that were
touting launch partners at that time and (I thought) maybe we could do that
at a smaller scale level So we went out to 3-4 brands and said this is what
we want to do...And we oversold the deals by so much...We were able to
parlay that money into being able to pay contributors and pay for a few
things.

“At that time, I had started to work for the University part-time as a TA. So now I was
working as a TA, I was working the restaurant at night, and I was still doing the site
during the day and when I could when I got home from the restaurant. It was a little bit
hectic, but I started to pay my bills, started o save up, and was able to get my own
apartment...(We were) eventually able to sign a few more deals and in May 2018 I went
'full-time, full-time.'
“And from there, I finished my job (as a TA) and then from May-December, it was kind of
a whirlwind – I had met our lead investor over Twitter in March and we just had
conversations via the platform and, nothing crazy, and then all of a sudden there was this
opportunity...and I met him in New York in June, and we had conversations about what
we could do. It led to everything – I moved to New York in December in 2018 and here
we are at the end of quarter one (2019) and we're still above water and doing better than
we ever have.”

Building the Front Office Sports brand
“All of the stuff that we've done has just been driven by the audience – people were just
asking: Hey you should cover this...or we started getting pitches from PR people...All this
was a natural evolution. From a partner standpoint...I think native branded content on-
site; that's what we've been able to do really really well...Early on, that was something
that we were doing that no one else was doing in the space...
“From the brand perspective, I think there's a few things...The biggest thing is we want to
be relevant and we want to be relatable...We created a voice that doesn't necessarily talk
down to people, but talks with people...that we're a friend you'd be talking to about the
industry and we'd be telling you about ]the industry]. That was the voice originally, and
that has been the voice ever since – it comes through on social, it comes through in the
newsletter, it comes through in the copy on site, it comes through in the events that we
have.”

[Adam also talks about creating the Rising 25 – top 25 under 25 –
from user feedback, as well as creating events like The Huddle
Series]
“We have the opportunity to be extremely relevant and leverage
that and leverage social platforms like Twitter, especially, to build
up what would be a vibrant social brand and something that people
would think of more so as a friend and not just a publication. Yeah
b2b publications can be boring, but especially in sports we think it
doesn't have to be...”

How Adam does or does not look at other publications to guide their business
plan/model
“For the most part...I'm not really focused on what other (publications) are
doing because we're all in different stages of our life cycle. We have five full-
time employees now – I can't do what a Digiday with 85 employees can
do...We're in the first quarter of our first year as a real business...There's a lot
of learnings to be taken away from all of these publishers...that I see as
inspiration for what we can be...but, just like anything else in the world, you get
caught up with (what others are doing) and I just kind of came to the
realization that there's so much real estate out there...so I can just be me and
if we're us, we're going to be successful; we don't want to be anybody else...

“All of the stuff and initiatives we have launched have been from internal discussions,
have been from what the constituents want, and have been from where we've seen other
media companies succeeding. Events is something we believe that can become
(successful)...It's a good opportunity for us to have a physical interaction with
people...Also, how can we create an opportunity for us to create more content?...[Adam
mentions learning from Bleacher Report and how their activation at NBA All-Star allowed
for a great physical touch, but also a tremendous content opportunity]
“I think the biggest thing for us is that we haven't really looked to other people in the
space to take inspiration from; a lot of our stuff comes from outside the space...Most of
the stuff we've done have been inspired by stuff completely out of the space and random
places, quite honestly...I think we've carved out a really good niche and area for ourselves
and one that I don't want to say we can build moat around, but we can really build a brand
that people can respect and that people want to open and read on a daily basis.”

How Adam navigates being a CEO while running the business and managing the
content
“I think it has definitely been a learning experience...I've been in managerial roles
(throughout my life), but I don't think any of that stuff could've prepared me for
what it's like to manage and take care of full-time employees...How do you
transition and let go of your baby and really empower the people that you hire to
do their jobs to do their job...That's been the hardest thing. Mentors, I have a ton
– Jason (Stein) I talk to him frequently...I've been able to pick up just from some
of the interviews that I've done some of the things that I feel are pertinent to being
a leader in the space today. When I was at opendorse (learning from) Blake
[Lawrence]...It's been cool to see how they (have grown)...

“Nothing I did as a 'CEO' prior to investment, prior to having full-time
employees I think could've prepared me for what it's like to have this
whole first quarter as we've tried to accelerate, tried to do different
things, taken our bumps and bruises...you learn so much every
day...Hopefully by the time quarter two, quarter three roll around, it's
one punch a week instead of one punch a day...You can' really plan for
this experience, it's just something you get thrown into and have to
figure out.
“Even Russ...I lean on him a lot, too. He's someone I trust with
everything...and it's been cool to see him evolve as someone who can
help not only from a sales standpoint, but (more)...”

The editorial process for FOS, discovering content, and
determining what to write about
“Discovery obviously it's a lot easier now because people are
pitching us inbound. But if we don't get to something during the day
(with our lean staff)...We know we can only do x-y-z and we know
we're going to do that x-y-z as best we can, because that's what we
do best, so we're going to cover the areas that we cover best...

“We usually like to take a step back from breaking news and if it's something we feel
like is going to be relevant in a couple weeks, we'll write about it then with a
completely different perspective and take...Everyone can tell the 'what,' but not
everyone can tell the 'how' and the 'why.'...That's what we lean into. I have 100
press releases a day come through our door...and we can put that on site all day
day, but it doesn't add value...Our thing is if you find the same thing somewhere
else, either we didn't do a good job or it's some massive story that has to be
covered. Our big thing is everything on site is completely original to us and you're
not going to find it anywhere else...You don't have to be everything for everyone,
you just have to be able to fill one thing for one person. It goes back to what we see
as kind of a Goose Island mantra – we don't want to be the only beer you drink, we
want to be the best beer you drink. Same type of opportunity – we know we're not
going to be the only person you read, we want to be the best person you
read...That's not going to happen today or tomorrow, I think we're getting there day
by day, and we build out the editorial team, it's only going to become easier and only
going to become accelerated.”

“We feel like we have relationships places that we can use to tell
unique stories...By the time we're done this year (we want) to have
a relationship with every team PR person...to have a relationship
with every league PR person, to be on their top of mind when it
comes to sports business stories and pitches. Early on, I think
we've done a good job of it and now we just have to keep it up...”

The most memorable informational interview Adam did
Adam picks out a few: Jeremy Darlow (then with adidas) and
Michael Ehrlich (then with adidas), Blake James (AD of Miami)
I also ask a few Adam has yet to interview but wants to: Shaq,
Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Marianne Radley (Pizza Hut CMO),
all the league commissioners

The most popular piece Front Office Sports has done
Adam talks about an article FOS did on the new jerseys the NFL
produced

The most important lesson Adam has learned so far as an entrepreneur
Adam talks about meeting with David Cohen, at the time he met the General Counsel for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he offered words of wisdom: 'Be a fountain, not a drain'
“There are so many people, especially in this industry, where everyone is always 'Ask, Ask,
Ask, Ask' all the time – and so instead of being a drain, how can you be a fountain? That's been
one of the big things from a philosophical standpoint...
“One of the other biggest lessons I've learned is (that) a lot of whatever this is is just pure
perseverance. We didn't reinvent the wheel...we just knocked on all the doors, we just kept
knocking on all the doors...just not letting up. We knew we had this platform and we knew we
could do this...I probably sent (investor) Jason's assistant like 20 emails after I spoke with Jason
to make sure that we got a meeting when I was in New York. The power of the follow-up is
pretty important, pretty impactful. We just kept knocking on the doors and as we knocked on the
doors, we were flexible...Russ and I always joke our approval chain is like two minutes (just an
exchange with them)...”

The major sports event that Adam hasn't attended that would be on his
bucket list
Adam says he hasn't been to much besides the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
Stanley Cup Final
NBA Finals
World Series
Also internationally – Wimbledon / any major tennis event, F1 events

The sport tech or league Adam would invest in and why
“Anything that involves sports betting is hot...If there is one thing I
would have to invest in from an organization standpoint, I think Topgolf
would be it. I think Topgolf from an organizational standpoint, from an
understanding of what makes consumers tick, an opportunity once
nationwide legalized betting is a thing, eventually. They're building
(along with partnerships)...All signs point to something that could be
really huge on top of what they already have...They have nailed what it is
to build an experiential tech business, and have done it in a really good
way and have a powerful brand behind it, too...”

Which teams do the best job on social media and why?
“It's really hard to say which ones do the best job...(when) I
don't know how many internal resources they have...I think the
best ones, in general, are just telling really good stories with
the access they have...and (delivering) content that's quality
and maybe staying away from play-by-play stuff and stuff that
doesn't really move the needle in today's world...”

The best meal to get in Miami and
where to get it
Chicken vaca frita with plantains,
black beans, and white rice
Adam also notes a Cuban sandwich
is a good choice
He also notes a bar 'A Hole In The
Wall' with the best 'Dolphin' (Mahi)
sandwich with fries

The biggest sports story Adam is watching in 2019 is _______
“I just think it's more about how these platforms are positioning themselves for
potential rights deals...I think another big one is how the teams and leagues are
able to find different monetization channels outside of tickets...you're seeing the
Cubs do it a bit with their YouTube channel and they;re building their own (TV
network)...
“If you drill down a lot of it, it just comes down to how are these teams going to
utilize and deliver their assets in a way that are going to be able to captivate the
attention of an audience that is increasingly going to other places and finding
ways to get what they want quicker and in a way they can control. Again, it's all
about attention – how are you going to capture the attention of the people you
want? And the people that are going to do that the best are the ones that are
going to survive and be able to continue to thrive.”

Adam's Social Media All-Star to Follow
Adam shouts out Jeff Morris Jr. @JMJ (Director of Product
Revenue Generation for Tinder) - “Everything he says is really
interesting and has an interesting perspective from a tech and
business background.”

Where to find Adam and Front Office Sports on digital/social media
Adam is @FOSAdam on Twitter
Front Office Sport is @frntofficesport on Twitter and Instagram
And the website is frntofficesport.com and also check them out on
LinkedIn

Thanks again to Adam for being so generous with his time to share
his knowledge, experience, and expertise with me!
For more content and episodes, subscribe to the podcast, follow
me on LinkedIn and on Twitter @njh287, and visit
www.dsmsports.net

Episode 140 Snippets: Adam White of Front Office Sports

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Episode 140 Snippets: Adam White of Front Office Sports