Despite their brand power, sports stars are mostly under-valued and under-utilised, says PickStar CEO and former AFL footballer James Begley. 

Begley founded PickStar, and sister-company Vlast, with AFL legend Matthew Pavlich to open up more commercial opportunities for sports stars and celebrities, and better manage their commercial engagements. 

Backed by investors including cricket superstar Adam Gilchrist, Begley and his team have invested "millions of dollars" developing technology that empowers, but also disrupts, talent management and administration. 

The company now works with 3500+ talent and some of the biggest sports organisations in the world, operating in Australia, UK and the US.

But for Begley, who played for St.Kilda and then Adelaide over seven years before becoming a leadership consultant, the transition from athlete to business leader has been filled with highs and lows, and a lot of learnings. 

We talk about:

• The journey from AFL to entrepreneurship
• The rocky road of running a tech startup
• Athletes: Their value, opportunities and challenges
• The future of talent commercialisation and activation

And much more.

Tune in and let us know your thoughts.

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The Big Deal reveals the dollars, details and drama behind the business of sport, in Australia and around the world. 

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The team

Warren Tredrea is an AFL hall of famer, premiership captain, 4 x All-Australian and media commentator. Show creator Andrew Montesi is an injury prone marketer and former TV sports reporter.

The Big Deal podcast is brought to you by Apiro Marketing and Apiro Media, and part of the DM Media network.

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