Play the Game with Amar Shah

Tyler Rutstein — Building Brands for Gen Z at Adidas, Overtime, and Under Armour


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From Adidas and Overtime to leading brand at Under Armour, Tyler Rutstein has never played by the old rules—and he’s not about to start now.

In this episode, Tyler breaks down the bold career moves that took him from sports media outsider to SVP of Global Brand & Americas Marketing at Under Armour. From betting on TikTok creators over résumés to helping turn Overtime into a Gen Z juggernaut, Tyler shares the mindset and tactics that helped him stand out in a rapidly changing industry.

🎯 We talk about:

  • How emailing a tennis legend helped him land his first job
  • Building Adidas Basketball with Dame, Harden, and Wiggins
  • Taking the leap from corporate to startup at Overtime
  • Why he hires storytellers, not just résumés
  • Learning more from beauty TikTok than sports marketing
  • The power of being widely read, widely traveled, and endlessly curious

Whether you’re trying to break in, build something bold, or just rethink your next move—this one’s full of fire.

Show Notes:

(0:00) Intro
 (1:32) Why Tyler became a journalism major (thanks, Ted Spiker)
 (2:17) Breaking into Reebok via LinkedIn persistence
 (3:13) Leading Adidas Basketball and signing star athletes
 (3:51) Why he left Adidas for a startup (Overtime)
 (5:08) Building Gen Z sports content—and clapping back in the DMs
 (6:28) Why TikToks > résumés in the new hiring world
 (7:48) Curiosity, reading, and how beauty TikTok drives innovation
 (9:07) Rewind the Clock: the advice he’d give his younger self

🔗 Links:
 • Tyler Rutstein on LinkedIn

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Play the Game with Amar ShahBy Amar Shah