The world of sports betting is ridiculously big. According to Statista, the global sports betting industry reached $231 Billion in 2022. And it’s growing fast! We have to talk about it…

In this episode of The Sports Backdrop, we chat with Neil Zhang, the founder and CEO of Frontrunner. Frontrunner is a trailblazing decentralized sports prediction market set to revolutionize the way fans, investors, and sports betting enthusiasts engage with sports.

Discover how Frontrunner combines finance, sports betting, and blockchain technology to create a unique, dynamic experience for users. We cover everything including the impact of betting and fantasy sports on fan engagement, MLB’s challenges in keeping fans hooked, and even touch on the pressing issue of addiction in gambling. We discuss Neil’s insights into being a founder, managing stress, and the promising world of Web3. This episode is a must-listen for sports enthusiasts, millennials, Gen Z, and investors looking to stay ahead of the curve!

Two quotes from Neil Zhang that hit!

“It’s easier to be a sports fan today than at any time in history.”

“We all need to pair down Web3 for the better”

Topics discussed in this future of sports betting episode featuring Neil Zhang, founder and CEO of Frontrunner:

More about the guest, Neil Zhang:

Neil Brett Zhang was born in Philadelphia, and after moving to St. Louis, then to New York City, he returned to Philadelphia as a University of Pennsylvania student. He graduated with a BAS in computer science and fine arts in May of 2016. He worked in New York City as a member of Nielsen, primarily in data science before attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania for his MBA with a concentration in finance and marketing. Neil enjoys cooking and all things sports, with a particular interest in analytics and sports data modeling.

More on the vision of Frontrunner:

“In 2019, I placed a bet at the beginning of the season on the long shot San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV. They would go on to make it to the Super Bowl but ended up losing. Despite being 99% right, I couldn’t cash in on my success. I then asked myself, “Why can’t I change my bet or position at any time and profit?” This one question turned into many I had with my friends, who became founders – all of them landing at the same conclusion – the modern sports fan is being underserved through antiquated ways of sports betting. The idea of stock market-style sports betting was born. (source: getfrontrunner.com)

Wrapping up:

Social media:

Related episodes to The Future of Sports Betting with Frontrunner’s Neil Zhang | A $231 Billion Industry!:

Two current projects:

Credits:

Content Disclaimer: Our articles and podcasts, including those on sports betting, are for entertainment and informational purposes only and are not intended to promote or endorse betting. If you choose to bet, we urge you to do so responsibly. Help is available for those facing challenges with gambling. Contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit ncpgambling.org. North Carolina residents can also find resources at More Than a Game. If you need immediate assistance, call 1-800-GAMBLER. For more details, see our full disclaimer.

Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.

Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.

The post The Future of Sports Betting with Frontrunner’s Neil Zhang | A $231 Billion Industry! appeared first on SportsEpreneur.

The Athlete Mindset podcast presents a conversation with Ohio State Buckeye, Nate Oliver. Nate was a key member of the 2007 to 2011 Ohio State Buckeye football program under legendary coach, Jim Tressel. Nate and Lisa discuss the influence of life-changing mentorship on collegiate athletes.

(a quick ask: a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify goes a long way!)

Conversation list from “Coach Jim Tressel’s Legacy: A Buckeye’s Story of Life-Changing Mentorship | Nate Oliver”:

Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CSW | Athlete Mindset podcast host:

Lisa is a psychotherapist and mental performance consultant to high-performing athletes at the youth, collegiate, Olympic-hopeful, and professional levels. She is the first-ever Mental Health & Performance Coach for the Oakland Roots SC, a men’s professional soccer team, in the USL. Lisa is the Founder & CEO of AthMindset, a diverse team of licensed mental health clinicians and mental performance consultants, who serve alongside her.

Wrapping up:

Social media and more:

Related episodes to life-changing mentorship:

Two current projects:

Credits:

Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.

Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.

The post Coach Jim Tressel’s Legacy: A Buckeye’s Story of Life-Changing Mentorship | Nate Oliver appeared first on SportsEpreneur.

At this point, we’ve all seen or at least heard about what happened in the Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Monday Night Football game in early January 2023. Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the Bills suffered cardiac arrest after what seemed like a routine tackle. Damar collapsed on the field in front of millions of people watching. Such an event has an impact on the mental health of all of the players on the field, coaches, other teams, fans, and everyone watching the game.

In this conversation, we invited a mental health professional to discuss coping with emotions after witnessing what as Lisa says, “was a traumatic event”. Lisa Bonta Sumii is someone we have respect and admiration for — and her voice is needed. Lisa advises on how to and how not to cope with a traumatic event. This includes talking about the emotions you felt during the event, staying away from the 24-hour news cycle, journaling, and other coping skills. It is extremely critical to process those emotions and to seek emotional support as soon as possible after a traumatic event.

About Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CSW:

Lisa Bonta Sumii is a psychotherapist and mental performance consultant to high-performing athletes at the youth, collegiate, Olympic-hopeful, and professional levels. She is the first-ever Mental Health & Performance Coach at the Oakland Roots SC, a men’s professional soccer team, in the USL. Lisa is the Founder & CEO of AthMindset, a diverse team of practitioners, who serve alongside her.

Grateful:

Wrapping up:

Social media:

Related episodes to “Coping With Emotions After Witnessing the Damar Hamlin Traumatic Event:

Two current projects:

Credits:

Of note:

Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.

Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.

The post Coping With Emotions After Witnessing the Damar Hamlin Traumatic Event appeared first on SportsEpreneur.

A conversation with the director and producer of the essential documentary, Medicating Normal. We talk a lot about mental health on this platform, so we have to discuss with Lynn Cunningham the medication side of mental health. It’s clear there is a need for more awareness of the potential effects of medications. It’s also necessary to continue to learn about other possible solutions — such as getting enough sleep and following a healthy diet.

(a quick ask: a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify goes a long way!)

Wrapping up:

Social media:

Related episodes to “impact of psychiatric drugs on mental health”:

Two current projects:

Credits:

About our guest on the episode: The Alarming Impact of Powerful Psychiatric Drugs on Mental Health

Lynn Cunningham is an award-winning filmmaker, and co-director/producer of Medicating Normal, Lynn Cunningham produced, directed, and edited films/TV for PBS and the History Channel in the 1980s and 1990s. Twenty years ago, as Lynn was becoming a parent herself, she witnessed with crushing despair the dramatic transformation of a beloved family member. Once a bright, high-functioning student-athlete having graduated from an elite college, Lynn’s relative had become in a few short years– a terrified, suicidal shell of her former self— diagnosed with serious mental illness. Putting their faith in the best psychiatric standard of care in the late 90s, Lynn and her family were initially reassured by the relief and stability provided by medication and therapy. After a ten-year period, however, one medicine had become ten, and income from a vibrant, self-sufficient career was replaced with monthly disability payments. Unable to provide an answer to her relative’s persistent self-doubt, “Is everything going to be OK?” Lynn began searching for answers. She joined with her filmmaking partner Wendy Ractliffe, embarking on five years of research into the complex world of mental health treatment. After discovering Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, they interviewed 100s of psychiatric patients and consulted with scores of experts across the country about their experiences. A personal quest to help one suffering individual turned into a mission to tell an untold story. In Medicating Normal, Lynn and Wendy began to piece together a stunning new perspective on the safety and efficacy of psychiatric drugs and society’s overreliance on them to relieve pain and suffering. (source: Lynn Cunningham’s bio)

Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.

Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.

The post The Alarming Impact of Powerful Psychiatric Drugs on Mental Health appeared first on SportsEpreneur.