NPLH Studio

Felicia Pennant is, in my friend Madison's words, the real deal. After speaking with her for an hour, I'm inclined to agree.

A self-confessed book worm as a kid, she shares her journey from hiding out in the library to leading the line with the seminal football and fashion platform SEASON zine.

Felicia highlights the importance of adding value through her work whilst providing a platform for others to share theirs, how knowledge and confidence go hand-in-hand and why the presence of ego in a creative isn't such a bad thing.

All that and more whilst sipping on a Diet Coke!

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A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In New Hampshire, a movement to impact a thousand lives began with a simple Instagram post

Despite the lush green forests and quaint towns of the Granite State, the football scene is pretty barren. Well, it was until Chris Pinkham and Yusufu Juma set out to change that in the form of Beech Street FC.

Through a love for their community and a desire for change, they provided a platform unlike anything the state had seen, saving good players from falling through the system's cracks and giving them a sense of purpose and belonging in the process.

It started with football but it's already so much more than that, its impact and legacy setting a standard for all those that follow.

Enjoy!

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** Please excuse audio imperfections **

Mike Geddes has worn many hats throughout a varied career, from his beginnings as a BBC journalist to co-founding football club Oakland Roots and lots more in between.

But beyond the titles, his focus lies on the impact he can make.

His journey is a blend of passion and purpose, whilst searching for balance between the demands of his professional life with the importance of family.

Mike's story is one of intentionality, driven by the belief that the work we do, whether on a global or local scale, should matter.

Enjoy!

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Cody McCullough is a multi-faceted creative with a client list to make your eyes water – EA Sports, MLS, Adidas, Venezia, it goes on... and on. Incredible to think it all began with a basic camera and a speculative message to the SoccerBible socials!

He discusses his 'say yes now, figure it out later' approach, his experiences of the creative industry within the game, how they've impacted his enjoyment of it and the feelings this evokes, offering a view on where it all goes from here and what that looks like for him.

Pre-dating the career, traditional North American sports played a pivotal role in his youth before Danny Dyer's Football Factory exposed him to a world he instantly knew he wanted to live in – one that's ultimately about human connection and impacting others.

By his own admission, the landscape isn't perfect, but he loves it and he's in it for the long haul.

Enjoy!

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Eric Beard is, on paper, a Creative Director and the final co-Founder on my Where is Football, bingo card.

Off paper, he's a creative in the purest sense of the word, prioritising collaboration and connection which is not only at the root of the Where is Football platform, but his creative output across the board.

Whether working for global brands, such as EA or Nike, collaborating on freelance projects or simply just creating, his approach is consistent - finding the fun in it.

Eric shares how the practice of gratitude informs his view on both work and life and stresses the importance of creating space to exist for yourself before clocking in for the various roles we play in our lives.

Enjoy!

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Zito Madu is a man very much marching to the beat of his own drum. 

Growing up in Nigeria, football played a prominent role in his life and nothing changed when moving to the US in 1998; A successful college career with the University of Detroit preceded signing for USL’s Detroit City before heading to Turkey’s second division.  

It’s here it all gets interesting. 

Wanting to learn about himself outside of the game, he walked away from it – in a professional capacity – to pursue a path of creativity and exploration of the self.

With writing his vehicle of choice, Zito has driven a road of unknowns since, embracing opportunities when he spots them and never fearing a pivot when the answer is ‘No’ to the question ‘Does this feel right?’

As he says, ultimately it’s about how you feel. What is the consequence of ignoring that? 

Enjoy!

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EL Johnson is a multi-disciplined creative with a co-founders list as long as your arm: the 2 Cents FC podcast, Forty One Magazine and it's football-focussed creative studio and MLS Next Pro's The Town FC all wear his fingerprints.

A self-taught creative with an unorthodox route into the football space, EL discusses the entrepreneurial inspirations behind his stable pursuits, the challenges of juggling ambition and workload with parenthood and the importance of honouring his younger self throughout it all.

Enjoy!

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Ian Harkes is a professional footballer currently playing for New England Revolution in MLS.

Sarah Teegarden-Harkes enjoyed her own professional playing career with stints in the US, Sweden, France and Scotland before heading down a new path in 2022 with non-profit Boston Scores.

Sharing experiences of their respective professional landscapes, they walk through the realities of maintaining a relationship whilst living apart, Sarah's transition away from the game and how their individual and combined experiences led to the formation of Simply Sublime.

Through the platform, they're not only sharing their own stories but opening the door for others to do the same and building a community along the way.

Over to Ian and Sarah...

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Photographer Eduardo Villalobos' journey began in a way you're unlikely to guess: photographing a snowman on an iPhone 7!

It wasn't long before he picked up a 'real' camera in 2016 as a way of becoming closer to the game he loved and the trajectory remained sharp, first shooting local high school teams before skipping several steps on the experience ladder and answering an ad to shoot in MLS.

A sure sign of self-confidence in a young man who backs his ability and knows where he wants it to take him.

The smart money is on him getting there.

Over to Eduardo...

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Born in Bogotà, Colombia, Diego Hurtado grew up knowing two things; hustle and football. So it's no surprise he earned money in the playground and became an academy player in his teens.

Injury and an ultimatum from an impatient coach coincided with his Mum's move to the US and he had a decision to make: stay in Colombia, alone, and hopefully recover in time, or head to Miami for a fresh start.

He chose Miami and a journeyed career around the USL followed.

Despite hints his path lay elsewhere, with false starts at the NY Cosmos and Las Vegas Lights, his determination to play was in constant battle with the instability of the landscape.

But, opportunity knocked, awakened something in Diego and presented a new pathway to explore – sports apparel.

Diaza Football was born and, thanks to that same determination from his playing days and a little entrepreneurial magic, has not only grown but is flourishing, with designs worn by amateurs across the US and the likes of Ronaldinho and Kakà.

Diego's journey highlights the rewards that come not only with focus and discipline, but in taking risks and seizing opportunities when you see them.

He may be done playing, but life is still very much about all he ever knew; hustle and football.

Enjoy!

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