Game Face Execs Podcast

Sport executives often debate the value of sport-specific college degrees. Some argue the focus is too narrow. Others claim an emphasis on industry-related subjects produces better applicants. Dr. Jason Williams, assistant dean of the Simon School of Business at Maryville University, also directs the school’s Rawlings Sport Business Management program. In this wide-ranging interview, Jason weighs in. He also speaks to the hot topics on college campuses today: academics vs affecting social change; opportunities for minorities; and, if teaching sales is worth classroom time.

The instantaneous nature of Instagram has helped make it one of the world’s biggest platforms. But this week’s guest has figured out that instant doesn’t mean random. Assistagram Founder Zach Benson has devised an imaginative and impressive way to use Instagram to build a shared network of   220 million followers. Far from flashy and certainly not privileged, this week’s Game Face Exec is humble, scrappy, and a respectful caretaker of his clients’ brands. From global breakdance instructor with students in 40 countries to a worldwide marketing influencer, Zach Benson knows all the moves.

Can a retail company in 40 states close more than 200 mega-stores during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, then watch their stock skyrocket to a record high that same quarter? Yes, the Brand Man can.   Can a chairman/CEO of a sleepy firm seeking to go public successfully inspire an all-star cast of directors to join his board? Yes, the Brand Man can. Can a retail company in a competitive category sell value without going cheap?   Yes, the Brand Man can. Lee Bird, Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based At Home,   is this week’s game face exec.

With all the talk lately about tearing down and rebuilding institutions, government, policing, education, and media, what about capitalism? Cotopaxi Founder & CEO Davis Smith has become a successful and influential entrepreneur because he built what he calls a “benefit corporation” his way. With a unique upbringing, Davis is now training others around the globe to take the best form of wealth-building ever known and implement it even better. This week’s game face exec wants us to think differently about capitalism. Davis Smith has inspired many. Does he persuade you?

A banker’s life: dull, unimaginative, inflexible. Right? Not so if you’ve met Scott Anderson, president, and CEO of 147-year old Zions Bank,   the 44th largest in America, with assets over $70B. This episode digs into how financial services are removing the stigma of being barriers to commercial progress and proving they’re the primary mover of it. We explore how banking, the source of some of this century’s broadest innovations,   practices agility out of necessity. And Scott explains how his industry can more effectively tell its story so that they can continue to make the world go round.

Being the senior vice president of fan services and entertainment at the renowned Boston Red Sox has its perks. But the owner of that title, Sarah McKenna, explains how none of it matters if you lose sight of what your role means. Fan Services: everything is for the fans who are here to be served. Entertainment: fans have to be pleased night after night,   good team or bad, rain or shine, happy times (player retirements and military family reunions) or bad times (the 2013 Boston bombings or national unrest).   Meet Sarah McKenna, the game face exec who loves her fans as much as they love her team.

He may have created and starred in “Gold Rush,” one of the top-rated shows on cable television the last 10 years, but there was no rush to gold for Todd Hoffman. From humble and unconventional beginnings, you’ll see how this week’s game face exec had just enough vision, mixed with a dramatic dose of craziness, to prove he knew more about what the world wanted to watch than high-salaried Los Angeles TV executives ever could imagine. Join me, and learn about the man behind the beard, where he derives his inspiration and drive, and why he truly does have a “mine of his own.” 

Who do you trust more to sell you something—a man or a woman? Women are usually preferred. Then why has the sales industry been historically run and populated by men? In 2018 Lanette Richardson asked the same question and, without trying to create a battle of the sexes, launched Utah Women in Sales—now a growing national force. In this episode, we explore the unique and valuable attributes women innately—and through tireless tenacity—bring to any sales culture and experience. What have they learned from men, and what must men learn from women to make teams more complimentary and complete?

“The patron saint of public golf.” That’s how they describe Mike Keiser, the most prolific and respected golf course developer of the last 20 years. The visionary behind the five courses at Bandon Dunes, Oregon – four of which are listed in the Top 15 public courses in America – with 14 others completed and 10 under development around the world, Mike turns nothingness into gorgeousness. Learn as he explains beating adversity with creativity; outdoor over indoor meetings; testing ideas before rejecting them; the mistake of guessing instead of asking; and the surprising benefit of rivals.

Tough times require tough companies - and tougher leaders. That’s why it’s no surprise that 60-year old Columbia Sportswear continues to blaze ahead of apparel companies worldwide. Join us as Columbia’s chairman and CEO, Tim Boyle, reflects on how one family transformed a hat business into today’s outdoor apparel behemoth boasting sales of $3B+. What made the difference—great products or clever advertising? Where did the company get its distinctly irreverent style? And what did Tim’s mom, the iconic Gert Boyle, really think about her marketing-driven persona of “one tough mother”?