My Other Passion

“Call of Duty” is a cultural phenomenon. The series has brought in over $30 billion in total revenue to date with 425 million units sold. After a 12-year run as an executive at the NFL, Johanna Faries joined Activision Blizzard to lead the business behind the game. We spoke about the upcoming “Modern Warfare 2” and “Warzone 2” releases, representation in the video game industry, and much more. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

We can all learn a lot from CJ Stroud. At just 21 years old, he’s already a star athlete — the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season — and he’s also one of the most humble kids you’ll ever meet. We sat down with him to talk about football culture at Ohio State, how much money he’s making from NIL deals, his NFL dreams, the TV shows he’s watching when he’s not on the field, and much more. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

Eric Min has loved cycling since he was a kid, but getting to where he is now was a long journey. The NYC native started his career at JPMorgan, but the prospect of starting his own business was too alluring. After a long stint in London, he’s recently moved to L.A. to take Zwift — the massively popular online cycling platform — to the next level. We talked about everything from the billionaires who use Zwift to the challenges of scaling the company and his love for '80s music. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

Vinit Bharara knows a thing or two about business. Over the past 20 years, he’s sold companies to powerhouses like Amazon and Topps, and he still wants to accomplish more. Right now he’s focused on Mojo — a sports stock market app that lets you make real investments in the future of your favorite players. Bharara says it’ll revolutionize sports betting, and he’s backed by entrepreneur Marc Lore and New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez (who recently bought the Minnesota Timberwolves together). We spoke to Bharara about all of the above and much more. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

Don Faul’s resume is stacked. Before CrossFit, he was an executive at Google, Meta, and Pinterest. Prior to that, he was a platoon commander in the Marines. Now he’s been tasked with taking one of the world’s most popular fitness regimens to the next level. We spoke to Faul about the first couple months in his tenure as CEO, where he wants CrossFit to be by 2030, the books that changed his life, and diversifying his team after the controversy that rocked the company.

For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

Licensing is a huge part of Funko’s success. The business is famous for its collaborations with many of the top cultural properties in the world — from Star Wars to Pokemon. Quiet as kept, the company has a huge selection of sports products as well and partnerships with icons from Michael Jordan to Tom Brady. We spoke to Mariotti about how those deals came together and where the business is headed. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

Sports fans have higher expectations than ever for live events and Pangburn’s job is to deliver on those. Food and beverage logistics are where Sodexo Live! thrives, but the Denver native is open about the complexities that come with pulling off a Super Bowl, Grand Prix, or Olympics. When he’s not at the office, volleyball keeps his head clear. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by NetSuite.

If you’ve watched any amount of sports in recent years, you’ve almost certainly seen athletes using Hyperice products on the sidelines. The brand has partnerships with the NBA, NFL, MLB, UFC, and the PGA Tour — among scores of other teams and leagues. Superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Naomi Osaka are among its biggest supporters and legends like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were instrumental in helping the business realize its vision. We spoke to Katz about Hyperice’s journey up to this point. For the full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by Netsuite.

All of a sudden, Jake Paul is one of the most influential people in sports. He's undefeated in fights so far and has quickly become a top-earning attraction in the ring, but his reach extends far beyond that. The 25-year-old just launched a sports betting company with entrepreneur Joey Levy, he has his own investment fund, and he's getting guidance on his next moves from superstars like Mike Tyson and Drake. For our full conversation, check out this episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by Netsuite.

These days, most of his attention is focused on his brand Highsman and during this conversation Williams gets open and honest about the realities of running a business. He’s also deeply interested in astrology and discusses how he’s turned his passion for it into a company and consulting service. Tune in to hear the former Heisman Trophy winner sound off on NIL, the future of the NFL, and much more on the full episode of Front Office Sports original podcast My Other Passion, presented by Netsuite.