The Backstory...I remember the day and the emotions I felt when Mickey the admission counselor stated, “You have been accepted into Full Sail University!” I have received two-acceptance letter from my previous programs but this particular acceptance held a special place within my heart. I have a wide range of skills and a major love for sports. Therefore, by enrolling into Full Sail University Entertainment Business program with a concentration in Sports Management. This allowed me to mix my passion, professionalism and ambition to pursue a career in the sports industry. Since the age of ten (1995) I have been a huge fan of sports, mainly college and professional football along with basketball. Now at the age of twenty-six, sports has grown to be more than just a passion but the start of a new career. Therefore, it was only right for me to obtain additional knowledge to ensure that I am fully equipped with the tools to succeed in this industry.
Media Literacy and Research:
This class was my first introduction into the structure of online classes. During this course, I acquired the skills necessary to conduct research regarding media studies. I had the opportunity to freshen up my writing skills while using the newest online research database. In today’s society, social media and other media outlets are a major gateway to important and breaking news. Therefore, I had to stay abreast of what was going on in the sports industry. As well as other industries that were connected to sports such as the entertainment business. A rule I learned from attending Full Sail is “Always be aware of the latest trends and events that pertains to your industry.”
Here is a video that I completed for an assignment that was called “Planning Learning Network” (PLNs) that required me to follow important experts in the sports industry. It was first time ever recording a video using iMovie, which has become popular software to use among various companies when creating video blogs.
Here is a video that I completed for an assignment that was called “Planning Learning Network” (PLNs) that required me to follow important experts in the sports industry. It was first time ever recording a video using iMovie, which has become popular software to use among various companies when creating video blogs.
Executive Leadership:
“Focus on what makes you unique!” This statement was used as a warm-up to stimulate my mind in figuring out the leadership qualities that I possess. By reading C.J. Maxwell “Developing The Leader Within You” and R. Greene “48 Laws of Powers.” I was taught about leadership skills, negative and positive and how to use these qualities in order to be an effective leader. Through various exercises and assignments, I realized what made me a unique leader was my ability to prioritize multiple tasks. Motivating and developing people talents to see a vision or a project come alive. On the contrary, I did have some characteristics to work on such as, being timid and keeping a positive attitude. These were qualities that I set a goal to work on immediately because throughout the program I would be put in situation that these very qualities would help me to succeed.
However, it was to my advantage that many of the topics discussed in sports management and operations class I was being exposed to on a daily basis. Some of the assignments I used AAU business structure as an example because it was very relevant to the objectives of this class. I even interviewed one of the sports managers that I worked very closely with and was able to ask her question regarding the industry, facility operations and event logistics. Another assignment reveal the importance of social media and how it had become such a popular media tool in connecting companies to their consumers. I had to write a paper incorporating social media and organizational structures that I would use in managing a facility. The knowledge I learned through this course, I actually used during the internship. 
Project & Team Management:
In this class I had the opportunity to work with other online students during the entire month on a group project. It was my first experience working with other people in three different states. This was an industry-related project where we had to develop a proposal for an event company. Our company name was Assertive Creative Executives (A.C.E.) and we decided to put together a Jumping July Fundraising Fest. The event was a charity concert with various opening acts and headlining artists who would not only perform, but also meet and greet attendees. Half of the proceeds from this fest would go to Breast Cancer Awareness. This assignment allowed me to practice being vocal in the decision-making process and keep a positive attitude when the group faced disagreements on various subjects. For all of these reasons, this class was very insightful and gave us the real-life learning experience in team management.
Business Storytelling & Brand Development:
I simply adored this course because it taught me how to build a strong company brand in the business and consumer market. I had to use marketing tools such as Quantcast to figure out the demographics, lifestyle behaviors and the media vehicles that the demographics utilized in a particular industry. The knowledge I acquired from this class permitted me to formulate a marketing plan strategy for a potential company that I plan to launch at the end of the EBMS program. My company name was Athletics Foundation Consulting, which I had the challenge of recording a video telling the story of my company brand identity. This was a difficult task because there was so much research that goes into capturing a target audience into buying and understanding the brand of a company. However, the challenge was well worth it because it allowed me to discover my creative and marketing side.
Entertainment Business Finance:
I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting; therefore, I knew this class was going to be kind of easy because I was familiar with the finance terminology. However, I was still nervous because I had never created a financial budget for the company operations expense, developed financial decision-making strategies and Pro Forma projections. I had to calculate equations and formulate an excel spreadsheet of the financial statements. After conducting the expense and start-up cost research, I had to find different financial backing to cover those costs. Surprisely, I end up receiving the course director award for this class and learning a lot about what it takes to financially establish a business and it takes more than just a good idea.
Negotiation & Deal-Making:
Before the previous class was over, I glance at the next course, which immediately intimidate me. I always consider myself as an individual who knows how to get her way in certain deals. However, this was a totally different situation because the professor had pre-assigned the roles and the negotiation scenario to make it interesting throughout the four negotiation assignments that went on during the month. I learned about the significances of how “emotions” play a vital part in winning or losing a deal. When to use hard or softball when having leverage and having good listening skills to know what the other party wants. I was so consume by the knowledge the course was teaching me about negotiation skills that it truly became an exciting experience.
Sports Management & Operations
Throughout the program, I was privileged to listen to keynote speakers that had major success in the management business in the sports industry. Many of their advice was to complete as many internship as possible to obtain experience. Therefore, I took it upon myself to seek out an internship with the Amateur Athletic Union in Orlando, Florida. The AAU is a well-known youth sports organization with over a quarter of a million members. During the next three courses, I had to juggle an intense schedule of a 12 hour work days and complete the rigorous course load of online classes.
However, it was to my advantage that many of the topics discussed in sports management and operations class I was being exposed to on a daily basis. Some of the assignments I used AAU business structure as an example because it was very relevant to the objectives of this class. I even interviewed one of the sports managers that I worked very closely with and was able to ask her question regarding the industry, facility operations and event logistics. Another assignment reveal the importance of social media and how it had become such a popular media tool in connecting companies to their consumers. I had to write a paper incorporating social media and organizational structures that I would use in managing a facility. The knowledge I learned through this course, I actually used during the internship. Legal Issues in Sports
The legal aspect of the sports industry had been a fascinating aspect of the industry that I inquired about. The course provides me with an understanding of intellectual properties that were needed in order to establish my own company in the sports world. A heavy emphasis was put on risk management, contracts and the revisions of laws due to the changes of technology and digital marketing. For an assignment, I completed a presentation on how the new evolution of the Internet has made copyrights, trademarks, patents and permission more popular because people are stealing and violating companies intellectual properties. One of my favorite assignments during this course was filling out an actual business registration agreement. This document at a glance can be so confusing, yet so significant to setting the foundation of a company. I was pleased that my professor,a professional attorney broke down the legalities of the document and was able to being work on creating my personal company and it was amazing experience.
Sports Marketing & Sponsorship Sales
My thoughts and skills regarding marketing begin with this class. I considered marketing a very important part of any business. However, it was the part that I did not like to partake in. To be successful in marketing requires creativity, which sometimes I lacked. Therefore, this class whipped me into shape and put me on the right track in seeing the bigger picture of the marketing world.
By looking at the bigger picture, I was able to learn how to format a marketing plan that would tap into my target audience and get them involved in marketing my company brand. I discovered many ways to be persistence in exposing my company name and tools to measure the effectiveness of the plan. In addition, I had to practice writing a sponsorship proposal and cover letter. These two are very importance components when soliciting finances from a major company. The tools I learned from this course added more pieces to the puzzle in creating the business plan that was due at the end of the program.
Digital Marketing:
As the program continued the deeper the emphasis went on digital marketing. There were two proposals that I had written outlining the cost, explanation and measurements as it pertained to digital marketing. For my company, Athletics Foundation Consulting, digital ads, social media, and emailing marketing were some of the tools I decided to use to market the company. The number of followers and clicks would have notified me of the effectiveness of those digital tools because of the increase in numbers monthly. This class was rigorous because I had to learn how to use Google Adplanner and other tools that informed me on what websites to post the ads on due to the fact my target audience visited those websites the most. There were so many different tools that even reveal the price of keywords that popped up in Google search engine. This was extremely important because this was how many company increase their numbers just by typing in the right words. So, a company success could literally be a word away.
Business Plan Development:
All of the knowledge and tools I learned from the previous 10 classes came down to this class, Business Plan Development. Throughout each month I was completing different section such as, identifying the competitors, target market, company description, operations and management. This class was very nerve racking; however, I was ready to see what I had to work on before submitting my plan in the final class. I discover that preparing the financial was going to be the major difficulty. With a lot of feedback from my professor I was confident that my business plan was ready to be submitted.
Final Project: Business Plan
Athletics Foundation Consulting is a developmental firm that helps professional athletes to establish a personal foundation. The business plan that I create for this company had truly become a major project that I sometimes forgot that business was not even real. However, it felt very real and I had created a monthly budget for the staff salaries, sales and marketing. I had spent nearly a year researching target audience, purpose of the company and our brand identity to the point that I felt comfortable writing a real business plan. Light bulb moment, that was the main idea, to get me comfortable and ready to write a business plan. Forming this plan was the toughest part of taking a business idea to another level, and with Full Sail guidance and assistance. I was able to complete such a major milestone that I’m not only equipped to work in the sports industry but entertainment as well along with establish my personal company.
As for the future…
I recently moved to Los Angeles, California, the entertainment mecca and home of various sports teams. Los Angeles will be my home and the place I will start my career journey. It was a scary move to make; however, in life, risks are what makes the journey worth wild. So, this Sportsnista journey is just beginning with many success stories to come...stay tune.
-The Sportsnista '95
Picture Reference:
JerseyGirl. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://jerseygirlsports.com/
Marketing Techinques. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.attraction-marketing-techniques.com/
Ozkan, E. (n.d.) What Is A Business Plan? Retrieved November 18, 2011 from http://siteboat.com/what-is-a-business-plan-business-development-series-2/
Sales Coaching Habits. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.salescoachinghabits.com/tips-to-improve-sales-negotiation-skills
