Many people believe it’s impossible to have a career in sports without being an athlete. For me, working in one of the four major leagues never crossed my mind. On my first day at Syracuse University in the Sport Venue and Event Management graduate program, I was told the easiest way to break into the industry was through sales. At that moment, I committed to gaining as much experience as possible while in graduate school.
While at SU, I interned in the sales departments for Syracuse Athletics, the Syracuse Crunch, and the Syracuse Chiefs. Those experiences opened many doors for me to get into one of the major four leagues. After interviewing with several teams, I had the most interest in the NBA. This league is quickly becoming the world’s premier and most innovative sports and lifestyle brand, which made it the perfect place to start my career.
So I moved from my hometown of Liverpool, New York, to start my career with the Phoenix Suns in Arizona. I am fortunate to be part of an accomplished and well-respected inside sales program. Quickly, I realized I had a true passion for building relationships and lasting memories for our fans, and my clients. After four months on the new business team, I was promoted to senior staff as a membership experience account executive. My experience with the Suns has helped me grow personally and professionally as I work closely with more than 500 accounts. My job is to grow revenue while ensuring fans have the best experience every time they come to our arena – and keep them coming back every season.
I plan to grow further within the Suns’ organization and to expand my impact on the business. If anyone reading this wants to work in the sports industry, my advice is to remember that the most important sale you will ever make is selling yourself. Always believe in yourself and trust your process. Work hard and good things will come!