Making the Fan

Our guest today is Kevin Gober, the Sr. Director of Employee & Guest Experience for the Atlanta Hawks. Kevin and I worked together for a long time at Disney Institute, on what we informally called "the sports crew."  Kevin was on the content and facilitation side of the organization, leading and designing massive customer service trainings, whether it be for 10,000 volunteers at the Super Bowl, or for different teams in the NBA.Prior to Disney Institute, Kevin worked a variety of roles in the Parks & Resort operations. Most notably, Kevin was the head of Magic Kingdom's Emporium, the largest gift and souvenir shop in the Magic Kingdom park.After Kevin left Disney Institute in 2014, he's gone on to hold roles with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Heat. For the last two years, leading the Hawk's efforts to enhance the experiences they create for the people they serveWe get into a few topics of interest here: Establishing cultural guidelines and standards from which everything else flowsRevamping the hiring process, including that of third-party vendorsCreating consistent training processes to make sure all employees are on the same pageBuilding an intentional rewards and recognition program with all staff, third-party and full timeHow the Hawks provide professional development and non-traditional communicationConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Today’s guest is Javier Martinez Garcia, a Senior Advisor for Manchester City F.C and former Disney executive. We get into a number of topics, here are just a few: 1) How to get your senior leadership team aligned around a customer-centric strategy 2) Fan experience vs. match-day experience3) Making business decisions built around your unique brand promise4) How physical and digital worlds merge to create 24/7 experiences for your customer5) The future of fan experiences in post-COVID19 world Javier has held a number of executive roles in Europe for the Walt Disney Company. Back in 2008-2009, he was the Chairman Disney’s Local Management Board in the Iberia region. In that role he was in charge of the development and execution of Walt Disney Company´s 5 Year Growth Plan for Iberian region.He was the head of marketing and sales for Disney Parks and Resorts in France, Netherlands, Belgium. And he was the Managing Director of Retail and Consumer Products for the Iberia region.After Disney, Javier went to work with Athletico Madrid. For four years, Javier helped Athletico blow up as their Global Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer and Fan Experience Director. With his lead, Athletico grew 400% in sponsorships, added an extra 14M global followers, and launched an Indian sister team, if you will. One of the most visible things he and his team did was develop and open a brand new 68,000 seat stadium  Javier left Athletico at the end of 2017, and has been advising with a few different organizations, from sports tech organizations like Microsoft’s Global Sports Innovation Center to Manchester City Soccer Club. We cover an array of topics, as we usually do, but we really spend alot of time on two main points. First, we talk about building a senior level strategy and brand that’s focused on engaging the customer. But as we get deeper into the conversation, we really spend alot of time on how to engage the customer 24/7. It’s something our team at EngageMint has been focusing on. For many sports & entertainment organizations, the majority of revenue comes from matchday or gameday revenue. But if you’re only making money a limited number of days per year, you can only get so good at it. And if you’re capped by the number of people that can fit into your venue, you’re limited as to the amount of revenue you can generate. When you look at the model of the big European football clubs, especially Manchester City, their revenue streams and growth strategies are far more diversified than your average American pro sports team or college athletics department. And certainly, their audience is more global. Which presents a whole other source of challenges, like how do you create emotionally engaging customer experiences for a fan that might never come to your venue? Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Moon Javaid, the Vice President of Strategy and Analytics for the San Francisco 49ers, joins us. We discuss two main topics on this episode:How the 49ers are measuring their customer experience.We cover specific tools, implementation strategies, and business outcomesHow the 49ers approach creating incremental and non-traditional revenue49ers Fit - health & fitness centers owned by the 49ersElevate Sports & Entertainment - consulting and advisory partners Horizon Summit -  premier sports business, technology and analytics conference The overarching theme of this conversation is that customer drives how the 49ers approach innovation. But in order to have effective customer-driven innovation, you can’t rely on a handful of emails from a few outspoken fans. You’ve got to have real, diverse data.To follow along Moon's journey: Moon's LinkedInMoon's Email: moon@elevatesportsventures.comConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

We sat down with Barry Jacobson this week to talk about the difference between customer service and premium service.In Barry's 30+ years a Disney Cast Member, he oversaw some of the most premium experiences Walt Disney World had to offer. From the convention centers and catering to Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, to his last role as head of Disney's Golden Oak-- a community of luxury, custom, single-family homes on Walt Disney World Resort property.In addition to his time at Disney, he took a 1 year hiatus in the middle to help Legends and the Dallas Cowboys open AT&T stadium. In his year in Dallas, Barry served as the VP of Special Events creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences for private group events. He led a team of 3 Directors, 40 full time employees and 500 team members for game day activity, responsible for serving the 364 suites and all club-level facilities.Even at Disney, Barry was known for the incredible service experiences he provided for some of the highest spenders on property. Barry shed some light on these keys to providing incredible premium service.Premium service is customized and personalizedPremium service is about anticipating desiresPremium service is about being the "go-to" knowledge holder and relationship owner, in all sorts of areas that have nothing to do with your job function, i.e. know who the best barber in town is, build relationships with the local theater for show tickets, etc.Visit Barry's company page or contact him via LinkedInConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Jill Marchick, the Vice President of Customer Insights and Engagement for the Indiana Pacers, joins us on today's episode. This is an especially relevant episode if your organization is considering putting a survey out or gathering information for how your customers feel about your organization and returning to events. And it’s even more important that you listen if you’re feeling lost about what to do with that information once you collect it.Jill and her team at Pacers Sports and Entertainment sent out one of the most comprehensive fan insights survey I've seen during this crisis. But prior to working for the Pacers organization, Jill's experience comes from outside the sports industry. A former executive and director with massive brands like Starbucks, Hershey, Nestle, and McDonald's, Jill understands how to get to the deeper goals and motivations of customers and employees. And she's with us today to share her methodologies and approaches to gathering those insights.Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

In today’s episode, we’re going outside the sports & entertainment industry. We’ll be talking about designing an entire business around customers’ deepest needs. Hopefully the wildly different context will give you new inspiration to become more customer-centric in your own organization. Today’s guest is the CEO of a solar-agriculture company, based in Kenya. So while I do the usual and try to connect the dots for you, I want you to focus on the underlying principles we talk about and less about the details.  Our guest today is Samir Ibrahim, the co-founder and CEO of Sun Culture. He’s also been one of my best friends since I was ten years old. Samir and his co-founder launched Sun Culture 8 years ago, built entirely around the needs, goals, and motivations of one of the most under served populations in the world. They provide products and services that solve the biggest daily challenges for the world’s 570 million smallholder farming households. More specifically, they make it easier and more efficient for small farmers in underdeveloped countries to get more water, quicker. This allows the farmers to farm more effectively, allowing them to produce more food for their families, and more food to sell. But they don't market their widgets, or product features. They sell “independence.” They’ve been so successful over the years because they are completely customer-centric as opposed to product-centric. That’s allowed them to get into a ton of other services as well, like working with the banks and the government to allow for better access to financial services. And it’s partly the reason why SunCulture has been featured by TED, the Financial times, the Economist, BBC, and more. They’re partners with Microsoft, Shell Foundation, MIT, and EDF. Among some of Samir’s personal accolades, he’s been named Forbes 30 under 30, a Top Conscious Business Leader by Conscious Company Magazine, and many more.Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Today’s episode focuses on leadership during crisis. Our guest is Doug Thornton, the EVP of ASM Global. Doug oversees all Arena, Stadia and Theaters worldwide, directing the operations and financial performance of this division. We tackle questions like “how do you acknowledge your fears and anxieties without letting them weigh you down” and “how do inspire confidence in your team when you yourself don’t know what the future holds.” We’ll also get into some deeper conversations about planning your operations for the future.  Who is Doug and what makes him equipped to talk about leading through crisis? He's the guy who oversaw the more than $336 million in renovations at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.He's the guy who served as the state's lead negotiator in lease talks with the Saints that led to the current long-term deal.He's the guy who first mentioned creating Champions Square, the entertainment district outside of the Dome.He's the guy who began clandestine talks with the Hornets back in 1999 that eventually led to the NBA franchise relocating from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002.If that’s not enough, during his watch, the SuperDome has hosted multiple Super Bowls, Final Fours, Wrestlemania, BCS & CFP championships, NBA & WNBA All-Star Games, Republican National Conventions, and more.Safe to say, this is not the first crisis Doug has led through. And while this pandemic is unlike anything we’ve seen, there are lessons from Doug’s past experiences that you can apply to the challenges you’re facing today.Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Our guest today is Justin Schneider. He’s the founder and CEO for Wolf & Shepherd, a rising footwear brand making high-end, performance dress shoes. We wanted to have Justin on the show for a few reasons. 1) He was a former student-athlete himself. And he shares how that experience has impacted his approach to live after sports. 2) His insights around storytelling, innovation and creating experiences that customers love are super applicable to sports & entertainment and live events. 3) I’m ready to see some variety in shoe-wear in our industry. I know people love those Cole Haan's, but I’m ready for the next evolution of footwear in our industry. One more thing before we jump into our conversation with Justin. He surprised me at the end and offered a promo code for any of our listeners. If you decide to buy a Wolf & Shepherd shoes while we’re quarantined, you can enter the code "engagemint25" and and get 25% your order.  Act quick, because this code only lasts til we get out of quarantine, or until June 1... whichever comes first.Wolf & Shepherd website Additional Resources mentioned in the Show:How Success Happens podcast episode with Justin Schneider Playing to Win by AG Lafley, Roger MartinConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Creativity & Innovation at the Walt Disney Company, now helps organizations around the world embed a culture of innovation into their DNA. In our industries, we’re running from one to event to the next, and it’s easy to say  “we are too busy to think.” This episode with Duncan will provide you ways to start thinking differently. In his 30+ years at Disney, Duncan built a toolbox of creativity skills and techniques to help others turn on their innovation "light switch." He's here to share those tools with us today. Since leaving the Walt Disney Company a few years ago, Duncan spends his time challenging organizations to re-develop the creativity skills we all had when we were little. He’s worked with some mega companies around the world to teach these tools, from the NBA (which we’ll get into) to Ford, Johnson and Johnson, Apple, and more.  When we prepped for this conversation, Duncan and I both felt like this topic was more needed than ever in our current business reality. Creativity and Innovation are no longer nice to have. The tools we talk about today are going to be essential for you to think your way out of this mess, and go from barely surviving to thriving. Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

As a senior leader, coming into a new organization can be hard. You want to understand the current culture. You want to get to know the people. You want to assess the organization's strengths and opportunities. You want to put your own stamp on "the way we do things around here" in the least intrusive way possible.Those plans can quickly go awry when you're forced to deal with unprecedented crisis right out of the gate. Our guest today, Laird Veatch, was faced with exactly that. Five weeks into his role as the Athletic Director of University of Memphis, Laird lead his team through a high-profile case with the NCAA and one of his star student-athletes. And now, 6 months later, CoVID-19 has disrupted all ways of working. With all athletics events cancelled, communication lines disrupted, and revenue sources run dry, Laird is faced with new challenges leading new team. So we wanted to check-in with him to see how we was handling everything. Turns out, Laird provides some great insight for leaders within a new organization, and for leading during times of crisis. Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay