158: How To Reinvent Your Career And Find Success | Steve Delsohn

What happens when your lifelong career ends overnight? Most people panic. Steve Delsohn got to work. 

After 16 years at ESPN, multiple journalism awards, and a career-defining body of investigative work, Steve found himself laid off, just one day after winning two prestigious honors. In this episode, Steve opens up about the emotional and professional toll of being let go, how he transitioned into the world of PR without sacrificing his values, and why saying “no” to big opportunities is sometimes the most powerful move you can make. 

Whether you're facing a layoff, rethinking your next move, or trying to lead with more integrity, this conversation is a masterclass in reinvention, resilience, and doing meaningful work. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• How Steve went from journalism to building a purpose-driven PR firm 
• The secret to pitching powerful stories that get noticed 
• How to ask better questions (for interviews or leadership) 
• What sports journalism taught him about truth, ethics, and standing firm 
• Why networking is your greatest career asset 
• His best advice for anyone transitioning careers 

Timestamps: 

00:20 – Winning two awards… then getting laid off the next day 

03:40 – The identity crisis after leaving ESPN 

05:04 – Grieving the loss of a career you loved 

07:45 – Ageism, niche jobs, and what really blocked new opportunities 

09:39 – The almost-job at a PR firm repping Harvey Weinstein 

11:42 – Launching Delsohn Strategies 

12:19 – The ethical line Steve refuses to cross in business 

14:22 – Why he turned down work with Daniel Snyder 

16:01 – Where Steve’s values came from—and why he won’t compromise 

18:06 – The biggest transferable skill from journalism to PR 

20:55 – How Steve builds trust with high-profile clients 

22:43 – The art of asking the right question 

24:11 – What interviewers and leaders can learn from Joe Paterno 

27:42 – Steve’s first book deal with John Matuszak 

28:50 – The wild inside stories of Emmitt Smith and Jerry Jones 

31:15 – Co-authoring a book about Sam Kinison 

32:34 – How Steve prepared for investigative stories on giants like Penn State and UNC 

36:18 – Stories of institutional betrayal and survivor justice 

39:18 – Social media, journalism, and the danger of speed over truth 

41:07 – Did he ever regret a published story? 

42:05 – The Joe Paterno text message Steve caught on camera 

47:14 – Advice for having difficult conversations 

48:51 – Who Steve will and won’t work with at his PR firm 

50:43 – Purpose, values, and building a client roster you’re proud of 

51:02 – The underestimated power of networking 

54:02 – Is he happier now than at ESPN? 

About Steve: 

During his 30-plus years in journalism and communications, Steve Delsohn has built a national reputation as a network television reporter, nonfiction author, documentary producer, and strategic communications consultant.  

Steve worked 16 years as an investigative reporter for ESPN TV’s Outside the Lines, the news magazine show which examines substantial issues in the sports world.  In 2013 he won a Peabody Award for a story on the concussion crisis in the NFL.  In 2009 he earned an EMMY nomination for a story on Joe Paterno’s morally-decaying Penn State football program.  

He did other high-profile investigations of improper medical care in high school football; the dangers of 15-seat passenger vans which transport small-college athletes;  the academic fraud scandal at the University of North Carolina; corruption in the youth football helmet industry;  a college football coach who sold meth on the side;  and a female teenage athlete sexually assaulted while competing against boys during a high school water polo game. 

Steve has written 12 nonfiction books, including The Fire Inside, an oral history of American firefighters which inspired a History Channel documentary (Into the Fire) and was used as source material for the fictional film Ladder 49.   

He has also written or co-written books on John Wayne, Bobby Knight, Sam Kinison, Emmitt Smith, Jim Brown, Notre Dame football, the 1985 Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Dodgers and USC football.  He has co-produced one documentary on college basketball (Guru of Go) for ESPN’s esteemed 30 for 30 series, and the aforementioned documentary on firefighters for History Channel. 

Steve is a native of Chicago now living just outside Los Angeles.  His passions are reading, fitness, movies, politics...and above all his wife and three children. 

Resources & Mentions: 

• Steve Delsohn’s PR Firm: https://www.delsohn.com/  
• Follow Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delsohnstrategies/  
• Cruisin’ with the Tooz by Steve Delsohn and John Matuszak: https://a.co/d/iBShV4M 
• Jim Brown: Out of Bounds by Steve Delsohn: https://a.co/d/80SiLlu  

Connect with Us: 

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• Email us: podcast@learnit.com 
• Follow Damon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi/ 
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