Christina Southam Townsend on reverse engineering a sports career, women’s sports, and building impact-driven events

This episode centers on Christina Southam Townsend’s unconventional path through sports, diplomacy, and social impact. She shares how she moved from a planned foreign service career into women’s sports research, sports philanthropy, and launching her own podcast, with a constant thread of curiosity and purpose.

Neil Schwartz and Dr. G. frame the conversation around a key idea Christina raises: there is no single route into a career, but you can reverse engineer the one you want by starting with the end in mind. Christina’s story makes that idea concrete through running, entrepreneurship, and learning to treat feedback as data.

Key topics

• In this episode: Christina lays out her career themes of people, places, and movement, starting with Latin American studies, a communications minor, and early interest in diplomacy and sport.
• She explains how a daily diplomacy practice helped her build the habits, awareness, and mindset she thought a future foreign service officer would need.
• Christina shares how hearing an interview with Angela Rogero and learning about Sports Innovation Lab opened her eyes to the business side of women’s sports.
• She discusses why women’s sports require different strategies than men’s sports, especially around fan behavior, social media, loyalty, and co-watching.
• Christina describes how women’s sports are being reshaped by more thoughtful audience research instead of the old “shrink it and pink it” approach.
• She talks about startup energy in women’s sports, including co-ownership models, expansion, and the demand for better, more stylish merchandise.
• Christina shares the story of co-founding the Saints and Sinners half marathon with her sister, including the event’s theme, operations, and community-first mindset.
• She explains how the race evolved through adaptation: moving dates because of heat, managing course risk, adjusting shirt sizes, and creating race insurance.
• She emphasizes that negative feedback can be useful data if you listen without reacting emotionally.
• She gives students a framework for reverse engineering careers by working backward from the life they want at 90, then setting decade-based goals.

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

My First Job in Sports: Mike Lauer on Sweat Equity, Networking, and Building a Career

Neil Schwartz and Dr. Ashley Gardner sit down with Mike Lauer, whose path in sports began at 15 as a ball boy for the New York Knicks and eventually grew into a long career in NBA entertainment and video production. Mike breaks down how proximity, humility, consistency, and saying yes to opportunities shaped his journey, and why the real lesson for students is to learn how rooms work before trying to impress them.

In this episode, Mike shares how a one-night favor turned into 18 seasons with the Knicks, how live production taught him to work under pressure, and why his career was less a straight ladder than a map of connected experiences. He also discusses his book, Sweat Equity from Ball Boy to Builder, and what it means to build trust, relationships, and opportunity.

Key topics

• In this episode: Mike explains how he became a ball boy for the New York Knicks at 15 through a family connection, then earned the trust to keep coming back.
• He describes the day-to-day ball boy role, from wiping sweat and rebounding to running errands for players and staff.
• Mike shares how being around the Knicks for 18 years taught him to observe first, ask smart questions later, and understand the full ecosystem of a sports organization.
• He explains the difference between producer, field producer, director, and technical director in live sports production.
• Mike says his biggest career lesson was learning how one job affects everyone else and why that mindset makes someone valuable on a team.
• He emphasizes humility over self-promotion, saying it was never about being right, but about getting it right.
• Mike talks about developing a personal brand by showing up early, working hard on small tasks, and behaving as if someone is always watching.
• He walks through how he used relationships and persistence to move from the Knicks to NBA Entertainment, including how Ahmad Rashad helped open a door.
• He reflects on leaving the Knicks and later starting his own video production company after the 2007 market collapse.
• Mike breaks down the title of his book, explaining that sweat equity means the value built through hard work, and that builder means building trust, relationships, and opportunity

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

Getting into sports is hard, but Amanda Abramowitz proves there is a path in if you are willing to start small, show up, and keep saying yes. From part-time 50/50 raffle work with the Florida Panthers to a full-time, newly promoted role on the service side, Amanda shares the real roadmap behind breaking into one of the most competitive industries out there. Neil Schwartz and co-host Dr. Ashley Gardner dig into the skills that helped Amanda stand out—from public speaking and business writing to active listening, face-to-face networking, and learning to be a reliable teammate. Amanda also shares how growing up in a huge South Florida sports family, studying business and international business at the University of Florida, and spending a spring semester abroad in London shaped how she works and thinks today. You’ll discover:

• Why a part-time job can become your foot in the door
• How to use networking events to turn an introduction into an opportunity
• The communication skills sports employers actually value
• Why being a fan can make you better at sales and service
• What shy students can do to build confidence fast

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

This conversation follows Brandon Estrada, corporate hospitality account manager for the Anaheim Ducks, as he walks through his path from student-athlete to corporate sports sales. He shares how organization, informational interviews, and a willingness to take a risk helped him move from the corporate world into hockey. We discuss balancing college athletics and internships, the shift from business into sports, and why being a good person matters as much as being good at sales in this industry. He balanced athletics, classes, internships, and jobs every summer. His biggest tool was organization, including planning his whole week on paper

He believes being good at your job matters, but being a good person matters just as much

In sports, people remember how you treat them. He shared that a memorable part of his job is seeing families return as repeat customers after attending a game. Some of his keys are:

· Do informational interviews

· Research teams and cities before applying

· Build genuine relationships because you never know where opportunities will come from

· Stay open to unexpected paths, even if your major or first job is not directly sports related

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

What if the fastest way into sports partnerships is not chasing a dream job, but learning how to make yourself impossible to ignore? Houston Texans partnership development manager Isaiah Fung breaks down the real path from Temple student to NFL dealmaker, and it starts long before the first full-time offer.

Neil Schwartz and Dr. Ashley Gardner sit down with Isaiah Phuong for a conversation that connects the classroom to the front office. Isaiah shares how growing up in Houston shaped his love for the Rockets, Astros, and Texans, why Temple University became the launchpad for his career, and how a single internship turned into a full-time path through Vanderbilt, the Florida Panthers, and back home to Houston.

You'll discover:

• Why Isaiah chose partnerships early, even when he had no clear roadmap
• How he used cold email, follow-up, and relationship-building to get on the radar of industry leaders
• What Temple's alumni network and sports business pipeline can really do when you know how to use it
• The three traits he says matter most in sports business: work hungry, remain humble, stay coachable
• Why public speaking, research, and understanding revenue are essential if you want to work in partnerships

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

For Episode 48 of My First Job in Sports, Dr. G. and I spoke with J.J. Zykan, Senior Content Strategist for the Colorado Avalanche. Now in her fifth season with the team, J.J. helps lead social media strategy and develops campaigns across the Avalanche’s platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X, and more.

We interviewed J.J. on the afternoon before Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Final. She shared how authentic player stories and natural, fun moments keep fans engaged, win or lose. Fans want authenticity and behind-the-scenes access, not just highlight clips. Her advice: read the room, stay confident in your team, and keep content relatable—even after a tough loss. It’s a strong reminder that while sports fans are emotional, they respond to honesty, passion, and storytelling that feels real.

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

In our recent conversation, Dr. G and I the pleasure of speaking with Radha Balani, or RB as she is better known. She is a passionate advocate for leveraging sports to address social issues. As the founder of Think Beyond, RB specializes in purpose-driven programming, emphasizing the intersection of sports and corporate social responsibility. This post explores her insights and experiences, providing valuable lessons for anyone interested in the role of sports in creating positive change. RB believes that sports possess unique inherent values that can profoundly impact individuals and communities. RB is an ideal example of how sports can be used to improve lives and the greater good at the same time.

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

Ever wondered how to thrive in sports without a traditional path? 🏀

Jenae Rogers, Corporate Partnerships Coordinator for the Memphis Grizzlies, shares her journey from a dance-loving kid to a sports professional. Her story is all about saying "yes" to new opportunities and pivoting towards what you love.

How to Launch Your Career in Sports: Insights from Jenae Rogers

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.