Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

So you want to work in sport.

You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.

Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.

It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.

I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.

Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.

80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.

That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.

How I can help you:

1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.

2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.

3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.

If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.

Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

Reuben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet David Culbert OLY, Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, now broadcaster and the Alumni Engagement Manager at the Australian Olympic Committee.

Dave made the Olympic long jump final in Barcelona, finished sixth in the greatest long jump competition ever held (the 1991 Tokyo World Championships, where Mike Powell broke the world record), and jumped eight metres in every major championship final he contested across two Olympics, three Commonwealth Games and a World Championships.

He then went on to build a second career from scratch. Stadium announcing led to a field-events gig at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which led to Channel Seven and the Sydney Olympics, which led to four Winter Games and calling Jess Fox's canoe gold in Paris beside her father, Richard Fox.

Around this, he also ran sports media and marketing business Jump Media with his wife for 21 years, before joining the AOC to help Olympians navigate life after sport as the now Alumni Engagement Manager.

Inside this episode, David shares how he turned an athletic career into three decades in the commentary box, why breaking into sport means starting at your local club and taking it step by step like an athlete, and the pinch-me moment of calling Jess and Noemie Fox's Olympic gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

We cover:

(03:58) - Interview starts

(05:12) - Quick Fire Questions

(12:41) - David's athletic career representing Australia

(16:10) - How David's media career began

(18:18) - How David became a commentator for the Olympics

(28:38) - Commentating the Olympics with Richard Fox

(33:09) - What the research process for commentating an event looks like

(37:17) - What David has learnt from working with other broadcasters

(40:49) - What you need to work on to improve your commentary

(42:22) - Impact of having a media portfolio

(46:05) - What is an event David wants to work at before he calls time on his broadcasting career?

(47:31) - David's role at the Australian Olympic Committee

(53:27) - David's advice for landing a role in sports media

If you liked this ep, give these a go next:

#124: Hamish McLachlan - How to commentate the AFL Grand Final

#210: Brian Taylor - How to be a commentator in the AFL

#356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David Basheer

Want a job in sport? Click here.

Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Thanks for listening, much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

So you want to work in sport.

You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.

Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.

It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.

I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.

Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.

80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.

That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.

How I can help you:

1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.

2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.

3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.

If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.

Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

Reuben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We went to the FIFA World Cup, and we couldn't switch off the sport business lens while we were there, so we sat down to talk through everything we noticed.

In this episode, Nathan Perrone and Reuben Williams share their experience at the FIFA World Cup and what they noticed through the lens of sports business.

They pick apart everything from the ticketing tech, to the workforce, the signage sponsors pay millions for, the commercial engine behind the World Cup, fan festivals, activations, which brands performed, and just how much revenue a tournament like this actually generates.

They also run through a host city report and compare how the whole experience stacks up against the Paris Olympics and previous World Cups in Russia and Qatar.

And yes, we also get into Reuben's "fairly sizeable hiccup" in Vancouver and how he almost didn’t make it to the USA.

You don't want to miss this, it's a fun one!

We cover:

(02:50) - Discussion Begins

(05:15) - Quick Fire Question

(20:27) - Reuben's mishap in Vancouver

(29:37) - What we noticed at the World Cup that most fans don't

(44:38) - What Nathan observed from a commercial lens

(55:01) - Ranking our favourite host cities at the World Cup

(01:04:43) - How the 2026 FIFA World Cup ranks against other tournaments

(01:15:34) - Sport Biz professionals we got to connect with at the World Cup

(01:19:16) - Meeting SportsGrad member Jake Cohen in Kansas

(01:24:48) - How to land a role at an upcoming major tournament

(01:28:12) - Our takeaways from making connections on the ground at major tournaments

If you liked this ep, give these a go next:

#356: Career journey of FIFA World Cup Commentator David Basheer

#357: From International Student to Major League Soccer with Adam Ferreira (Vancouver Whitecaps)

#358: Sports Marketing in the Premier League and Major League Soccer with Sunny Dhillon (Seattle Sounders)

#359: How to Build a Freelance Career in Sports Photography with Aleks Jason (Melbourne City & Socceroos)

Want a job in sport? Click here.

Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Thanks for listening, much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

So you want to work in sport.

You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.

Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.

It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.

I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.

Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.

80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.

That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.

How I can help you:

1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.

2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.

3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.

If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.

Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

Reuben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Neha Kumar, Brand and Design Lead at Queensland Rugby Union (Queensland Reds).

Neha's career started out in retail and moved into marketing before she landed her first full-time role as social media lead at GIVIT, a Brisbane-based not-for-profit, where she taught herself graphic design, photography and videography on the job and even got to create content for a royal visit from Queen Camilla.

Around the same time, she started WATCHHERFOOTY, a passion project covering the NRLW that's now grown to 22,000+ followers and put her on TV, on radio, and on The Female Athlete Project stage. That page changed everything. It sharpened what she wanted, and when a role opened at the Reds, she backed herself despite never formally studying design and getting knocked back in other roles.

She's since gone from Design & Communications Coordinator to Brand and Design Lead, run game-day production at Suncorp, MC'd in front of 30,000 people, toured Fiji with the men's team, and been named #12 on Ministry for Sport's Young Guns Under 30.

In this episode, Neha shares how she turned a passion project into a role at the Queensland Reds, why backing yourself beats waiting until your CV feels "ready," and the pinch-me Fiji moment she never thought she'd get.

We cover:

(03:01) - Interview begins

(05:13) - Quick Fire Questions

(08:59) - Neha's journey to working in sport and how WatchHerFooty came to life

(13:21) - How Neha balances time between her full-time role and WatchHerFooty

(16:00) - Collaborations Neha has worked on through WatchHerFooty

(18:17) - What is WatchHerFooty's most viral video

(20:34) - Neha's experience with The Daily Aus x Nike Mentorship program

(24:02) - Neha's work with GIVIT

(30:44) - Neha's transferable skills helped land her role with the Queensland Reds

(32:49) - How Neha's role has evolved since starting at the Reds

(38:30) - Neha's experience MCing a game day

(40:34) - Neha's experience on the international trip with the Queensland Reds to Fiji

(43:57) - Experience at Suncorp Stadium during the British & Irish Lions Tour

(45:28) - Neha on making the 'Young Guns under 30' List

(46:48) - Challenges in entering the sports industry

(48:33) - How Neha decided what career path to take when she felt lost for direction

(50:03) - What helped Neha stand out when she landed her role at the Qld Reds

(51:38) - Impact of mentors on Neha's career

(53:26) - How to land a job in sport media in the next 30 days

(57:03) - Biggest Pinch Me moment working in sport

(58:08) - What life would look like if not for a career in sport

(59:45) - What is a brand and sports partnership you'd like to see in the future

(01:00:55) - Neha's question for next guest

If you liked this ep, give these a go next:

#286: Inside the GWS Giants Social Media strategy with Jacob Gaynor

#347: Sport Marketing & Communications - How to work in AFL, NBA and Seven Sport with Anthony Alsop

#354: How building Kanga TV led to a PR & Comms job in sport, with Marnie Cohen (TGI Sport)

Want a job in sport? Click here.

Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Thanks for listening, much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

So you want to work in sport.

You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.

Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.

It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.

I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.

Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.

80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.

That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.

How I can help you:

1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.

2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.

3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.

If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.

Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

Reuben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Hayley Conway, marketing, partnerships and fan experience consultant, and the co-founder of Principal the Label.

Hayley's career began on the agency side, spending five years in media, buying TV ads for household brands (yes, including Red Rooster during the footy), before making the jump to client work, where recruiters kept telling her the skills weren't transferable. So she went contract-to-contract for two years, a self-imposed MBA in events, brand activation and PR and built the exact toolkit that now sees her working across Formula 1, the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the AFL and AFLW, the Australian Open, Fox Sports and ESPN.

Then in 2024, she backed herself even further, co-founding a racing-inspired fashion label that's just landed a NASCAR collaboration in the US.

In this episode, Hayley shares how she turned a career working in corporate into a freelance career across F1, the Olympics and the AFL, why two years of contracting built a network no full-time role could, and the moment she moved away from agency work to choose the work she loved, over the corporate climb.

We cover:

(03:07) - Interview begins

(05:21) - Quick Fire Questions

(14:51) - Hayley's career in corporate before transitioning to sport

(35:02) - How Hayley's business, Principal the Label, came to life

(50:54) - What does the design process for a new drop look like

(55:12) - Other labels or brands Hayley draws inspiration from

(56:24) - Hayley's vision for Principal the Label in the future

If you liked this ep, give these a go next:

#265: From Westpac to the Adelaide Crows FC in 29 days with Community Engagement Manager, Parth Suri

#302: Paris 2024, Content Creator | Stella Barry

#325: How to build a career in sports media from scratch with Brody Burrows

Want a job in sport? Click here.

Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Thanks for listening, much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to land a job in sport? Apply for The SportsGrad Method: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

So you want to work in sport.

You are not alone, and that is exactly the problem.

Sport is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Everyone is passionate. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is willing to work hard. And yet most people spend years on the outside looking in, never quite understanding why.

It is not a capability problem. It is a method problem.

I am Reuben Williams, founder of SportsGrad. I landed a job at Cricket Australia the day after I finished university. When COVID hit and I was made redundant, I was headhunted into a role that doubled my salary. Not because I got lucky, because I had a method that most people never find.

Since then that method has helped over 800 people land jobs in sport, from graduates with no experience to career professionals who thought the window had already closed. We have built a global network that members can tap into from day one, and spent ten years inside this industry learning exactly how hiring actually works.

80% of jobs in sport are never advertised. The people landing them are not the most qualified. They are the most visible, the most connected, and the most prepared to convert opportunity into an offer.

That is what The SportsGrad Method teaches.

How I can help you:

1. Listen to The Method — real coaching call snippets every Wednesday so you can hear the work in action.

2. Read The SportsGrad Newsletter — weekly insight on breaking into sport the right way.

3. Apply for The SportsGrad Method Program — if you are serious about making this happen, this is the fastest path. We review every application personally.

If you refuse to settle for a career you do not care about, you are in the right place.

Let's get to work: www.sportsgrad.com.au/program

Reuben

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Aleksandar Jason, a freelance sports and lifestyle photographer who shot the Socceroos from inside their camp at the 2022 World Cup and is back on the road capturing the World Game on its biggest stage.

But he didn't start there. Aleks cut his teeth in Melbourne's underground club and music scene, photographing for Vice, Sony Music and the Tumblr-era nightlife label he co-founded, before a single phone call, taken while at Bondi Beach, landed him at Melbourne City, where he's now shot for 10 seasons.

Since then, he's worked with Nike, Cricket Australia, New Balance, FC Porto, the A-Leagues and even got to shoot weddings for Socceroos stars, John Iredale and Jamie Maclaren.

Inside this episode, Aleks shares how he turned a nightlife side hustle into a sideline seat at FIFA World Cups and brands most people dream of working with, why "just starting" beats waiting for a clear plan, and the hard-won lesson of learning to say no, that took him a decade to figure out.

We cover:

(03:21) - Interview begins

(05:41) - Quick Fire Questions

(09:26) - Origin of Aleks' passion for photography

(12:38) - Early breaks that put Aleks' career on positive trajectory

(14:20) - How to work across a diverse genre of photography

(18:06) - BTS of running a freelance photography business

(19:16) - Aleks on working with the Socceroos at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

(23:04) - Favourite moment being at Melbourne City FC

(24:51) - Shooting the A-League Grand Final for Auckland FC

(27:41) How Aleks bonded with the Socceroos coaching staff

(33:39) - What does preparation look like for a tournament

(41:37) - Aleks' prediction for the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup

(44:07) - Mentors who have supported Aleks on his journey

(45:12) - What is a mistake you have made and how did you come back from it?

(46:04) - Projects that were a catalyst for Aleks's career

(47:24) - Biggest Pinch me moment

(48:19) - What is a better way for sport to be more involved in social justice beyond what it is doing now?

(49:55) - Alek's question for next guest

If you liked this ep, give these a go next:

#232: How to be the Chief Photographer at the AFL with Michael Willson

#258: How to balance freelance work in sport and a regular 9-5 job with Chris MacPherson

#279: How to be a freelance videographer in sports with Michael Barker

Want a job in sport? Click here.

Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok

Thanks for listening, much love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.