The Profluence Pod 🌐

Nick Esayian is a repeat entrepreneur, founder, and former race car driver who is now building a protective headwear company, LIGHT Helmets, which believes “light” helmets are more protective than “heavy” helmets. . Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:40) Helmet space in sports + LIGHT Helmets (06:35) Testing labs for football helmets (and NFL) (10:55) Why should helmets be lighter (not heavier)? (14:55) How big is the market for protective headwear? (19:30) NIL - how are they using it to promote their product? (24:55) Thoughts on giving equity to athletes (partner vs endorser) (26:45) Aaron Rodgers helmet debacle at VICIS (32:15) Balancing aesthetics vs. quality in equipment products (35:20) GTM strategy for complex products (especially helmets) (40:25) Where is sports headed in the future - D2C more invasive . Nicholas Esayian links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esayian/ Website: https://lighthelmets.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

Chapters: (00:25) Feel Good Stories (1:35) Business of Athletes (7:00) NIL/College Sports (10:25) Future of Sports Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

Jason Syversen is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who is now building an artificial intelligence (AI) company in sports. Sportsvisio automatically captures highlights and stats from sporting events. In this podcast, we talk about AI, why he decided to build a company in sports, the differences between founding/investing in companies, and the future of Sportsvisio. . Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:55) Why is now the time to build in sports? (04:10) Background on Sportsvisio (06:20) Overview of AI x Sports market (09:55) How their AI software works (13:45) Explaining AI to a 5-year-old (20:15) Using AI to assist in business building (22:10) How Jason hires the most intelligent people (25:30) Sports video software market size (29:15) Importance of CAC to LTV (32:00) Generalists vs specialists (35:00) Next 5 years for Jason and Sportsvisio . Jason Syversen links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jsyversen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsyversen/ CEO: https://sportsvisio.com/ GP: https://www.10xvp.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

(0:30) - Feel good stories Dick’s Sporting Goods $150M in donations, Manny Pacquiao donated 100% of fight proceeds to charity, and the Boston Celtics gifting $155,000. (1:50) - Business of Athletes Nike is cutting ties with Kyrie Irving, he reportedly earned $8-12 million/year with the contract. Ray Lewis, Emmanuel Acho, Baron Davis, and other athletes have invested in the $15M Series B round of MOON ULTRA, a consumer electronics company. MLB teams have spent over $1 billion in player contracts so far this offseason. Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe revealed “A Touch More”, the company will create scripted and unscripted programming. Derek Jeter’s online card trading company, Arena Club, has raised $10M in Series A funding. Serena Williams has launched Will Perform, a topical wellness company for athletes. (6:10) - Name, Image, and Likeness Opendorse, announced that it closed a $20 million fundraising round, including an investment from former NFL player Will Compton. Texas A&M’s esports team recently revealed the school is negotiating with College Station to lease a new facility at Post Oak Mall. On3, a college sports media company, announced the launch of the On3 Athlete Network where athletes can now sign into their profiles. Prospex, an NFT trading platform for athletes and fans in NIL is now live in the market. (10:00) - Future of Sports Fanatics announced that it raised $700 million at a $31 billion valuation. GameOn Technology, a conversational chat platform, closed a $35 million Series B funding round. Zenkai Sports, a natural and sustainable performance apparel brand, closed a $1M funding round to fuel growth and product development. KissCam, LLC received a U.S. patent for its “KissCam® Contest,” revolutionizing the traditional kiss cam live segment at sports games.

CJ Watson is a former NBA player turned angel investor, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist.  In this podcast, he talked about the transition from playing pro basketball to investing in over 20 companies. You can check out his business profile here: https://profluence.com/athletes/cj-watson . Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:00) Transition from NBA to investing (04:15) NIL changing the landscape (08:00) Average day for CJ Watson (09:00) Becoming an Author + Entrepreneur (11:25) Angel Investing in over 20 companies (16:40) What his portfolio looks like  (20:30) Future of athlete entrepreneurs . CJ Watson links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quietstorm_32 Website: https://cjpens.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: ✉️ Newsletter: https://profluence.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening! 

Audio Timeline: 1:55 - Feel good stories Alabama and Auburn team up for a good cause and a $100,000 donation for scholarships. 4:08 - Business of Athletes Alex Morgan invested in Soccer Post, a large soccer retailer and online site. Mario Gotze participated in the $5.5M seed round of Secjur, a German compliance and information security company. Rumors are swirling that Cristiano Ronaldo is considering a $207 million per year contract with the Saudi Arabian squad Al Nassr FC. 7:30 - Name, Image, and Likeness Pack of Wolves NIL collective announced $25,000/year NIL deals for every scholarship football player at NC State. Ohio State fans questioning NIL after CJ Stroud’s comments about the loss to Michigan not “defining” him. Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Entertainment has signed 25 college athletes to NIL deals. Deion Sanders is expected to accept the coaching job at Colorado leaving HBCU Jackson State University. Penn State NIL collective Success With Honor has launched a $2 million fundraising campaign backed by a $1 million matching donation. 10:30 - Future of Sports CROSSNET, the world’s first four-square-volleyball-like net game, has announced an investment from JB Capital. Fnatic, an esports team and performance brand, announced a strategic partnership and investment with Hivemind Capital, a crypto asset manager. The Rossignol Group, a sustainable mountain sports equipment and apparel company, has announced a $50M plan through 2026. NBA is now allowing sovereign and endowment funds to purchase stakes in teams. Korean eSports company DRX has received an investment from Wemade. NBC Sports Next has acquired Albatros Datenservice, a German company, and Digital Golf Solutions, a French company. Both are leading golf technology companies in Europe. BeONE Sports, an athlete training technology company, has raised a pre-seed round of over $500,000.

Audio Timeline:0:40 - Feel good stories* History has been made with the first Division 1 female athlete in baseball and a $10,000 half-court shot. 2:00 - Business of Athletes* Jayson Tatum, Connor McDavid, and Mitch Marner are investing in the youth sports engagement app, TheProgram AI. * Former UCLA Decathlete, David Bunevacz, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for defrauding $35 million from investors. * Kevin Love has invested in Aescape, which is developing fully automated massage therapy. 4:20 - College Sports/NIL* Gallery Furniture, owned by sports superfan Jim "Mattress Mack" McInggvale, has contributed "a seven-figure" NIL deal with the University of Houston men's basketball program.* The NIL fund at Ole Miss, Grove Collective, has reportedly topped over $10M in funding pledges. Auburn announced more than $12 million in NIL pledges. * Robert Griffin III tweeted that Texas RB Bijan Robinson should stay one more year in college and ask for $6-7M. 7:50 - Future of Sports* Unagi announced a $4M funding round with Binance Labs to further Ultimate Champions’ development, their web3 soccer game. * SponsorUnited, a SaaS tool for sports sponsorships, has raised $35M from Spectrum Equity. * TeamSnap, a sports management software, has acquired LeagueSide, a youth sports sponsorship platform.* Sports sponsorship analytics startup Trajektory raised a $4 million funding round led by investments from TechOperators, Bridge Ventures, gANGELS, and Mudita Capital Partners.* Golf Guru raised $290,000 in pre-seed funding to continue developing its mental coaching app for golfers.* Group Sport has entered into an agreement to purchase Spanish soccer club Getafe CF and plans on using a DAO to provide fans with more involvement.Interesting StatThere is roughly $23 billion worth of teams for sale across the world's five biggest sports leagues, per Sportico's latest valuations.* 🏀 Phoenix Suns: $1.9B* ⚾️ Los Angeles Angels: $2.5B* ⚾️ Washington Nationals: $2.2B* 🏒 Ottawa Senators: $655M* 🏈 Washington Commanders: $4.8B* ⚽️ Liverpool FC: $4.1B* ⚽️ Manchester United: $7BThis data is a little outdated, but leagues are revenue-generating machines. Short Passage of The Week:Be proud of how you have handled these last 11 months:  * The silent battles you have fought.* The moments you had to humble yourself.* The times you have wiped your own tears.* For quieting the noise and focusing on cultivating a life that feels nourishing.Each day is a unique opportunity to celebrate our story, journey, strength, and resiliency. As we embark on these final weeks of 2022, let’s take breaks, prioritize our peace, and allow ourselves to stop and start again.  Passage by Clint HurdleRecommended MediaI’ve been messing around with some videos on YouTube.You’ll enjoy this Shaq one:Make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you want to see smore videos in the future. Business JargonData is the new oil. Every business should be tracking:Internal Data: This type of data comes from business transactions such as point-of-sales and customer records. It provides insight into how your enterprise operates and the financial condition of the o

Audio Timeline:0:35 - Feel good stories* 6 marathons in 6 days, the nation's only team comprised entirely of deaf and hard of hearing players has made the NCAA tournament, and more. 3:05 - Business of Athletes* Odell Beckham Jr. is suing Nike over $20M in damages. * Virgil van Dijk is the newest investor in the wearable tech company Whoop. * Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are partnering to sell cannabis treats manufactured under Tyson’s newly formed brand house Carma Holdings.* Nike has signed its first Esport athlete, Jian “Uzi” Zihao. 6:00 - Name, Image, and Likeness* Syracuse booster Adam Weitsman plans to offer $1 million annually to one five-star football player and one five-star basketball player.* Athlete Advantage just launched The 15 Club, Kentucky’s new NIL collective.* Wichita State announces first-ever female-focused NIL athlete collective. * Michigan's Hunter Dickinson is writing the letter S on his hand during games this season to draw attention to their attempt to advocate for a new business model in college sports.09:20 - Future of Sports* Nike is launching Swoosh, a Web 3.0-enabled platform that will allow people to design and own virtual creations.* Pro Volleyball Federation launched this past week, and the indoor women’s volleyball league will take the court in February 2024.* Sportradar has launched Sportradar Virtual Stadium, an AI and machine learning social engagement solution for sportsbook operators.Interesting StatLebron James could make over $50 million if Liverpool FC is successfully sold. He also owns a stake in the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, and AC Milan.Athletes are building business empires at a scale we’ve never seen before. Short Passage of The Week:This week I will…* Run my own race.* Treat people with kindness.* Focus on today, not tomorrow.* Be intentional with my self-talk.* Practice self-discipline as an act of self-love.By The Daily CoachSports Startup of The WeekI research, talk with, and see so many cool sports startups every day. It only feels right to start shining light on some of the ones I deem as interesting. For the 1st edition, I’ll be touching on the European-based HomeFans. HomeFans is creating a marketplace for fan-led sports experiences. (think of Airbnb for sports events). So for example…If you want to go see a soccer game in London, you can book an experience on their platform. You get matched up with a host that will show you the ropes and give you an awesome experience you wouldn’t have had otherwise. I think it’s an intriguing model that makes attending an event more memorable and allows hosts to earn some extra side money. Network effects could certainly kick in. Tweet(s)The World Cup is kicking off today. Here’s a quick snippet of the business behind it: Business JargonReturn on ad spend (ROAS) is a marketing metric measuring the revenue earned for every dollar spent on advertising. For example, if you spend $1,000 on ads, and your revenue is $2,000, you calculate ROAS by dividing $2,000 by $1,000. This gives you a ratio of 2:1 or 200%. The more effective your campaign, the larger your ROAS and the more revenue you have earned for each advertising dollar spent.Quote“Compete with yourself and root for everybody else.” — Candice Millard

Audio Timeline:1:25 - Business of Athletes* Hall of Fame QB John Elway has invested significantly in Tom’s Watch Bar, an entertainment-focused sports super bar. * Mick Foley, a former pro wrestler, is the top-earning athlete on the video platform Cameo. * Lionel Messi is investing in the digital collectible NFT company Sorare. * Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Shohei Ohtani were all investors in the crumbling crypto company FTX.* Minnesota Viking QB, Kirk Cousins, has purchased Clearbrook Golf Course in Michigan. 4:20 - Name, Image, and Likeness* LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne had a weird NYT article written about how she is moving college sports backward. * Mike Morse x Mike Morris NIL deal. 6:40 - Future of Sports* Anheuser-Busch is set to purchase a Major League Pickleball team after the PPA and MLP decided to merge their team leagues. * Sony has acquired Beyond Sports, an AI-based data analysis and visualization company that specializes in fan engagement.* Web3 sports entertainment company, Eterlast, has left stealth mode to announce $4.6M in seed funding. * Meta is launching XTADIUM, an app for watching sports in virtual reality.* Barstool Sports streamed its first college basketball tournament, founder Dave Portnoy called some of the games. * 3STEP Sports, a youth sports club and event operator, has acquired North Bay Basketball Academy (NBBA).Short Passage of The Week:Today remember to smile.  * Smile because you can.* Smile because you are alive.* Smile because you are loved.* Smile because you are grateful. * Smile because you have options. * Smile because you are divinely supported.* Smile because you can embrace the possibilities of today. * Smile because your dreams are designed to become your reality. Source: Commanding LifeRecommended MediaPenn State’s NIL collective, Success with Honor, created a cool campaign with player Barney Amor.He went undercover, asking fans their thoughts about the punter. You’ll enjoy the video:Feel Good StoryIn honor of Veterans Day, RealTruck, teamed up with pro athletes Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Dak Prescott to gift deserving veterans and first responders the truck of their dreams. They’re releasing it as a 3-part series with a focus on each athlete and a “hero” from their hometown. When we talk about athletes in business — this is what we love to see!Kelce, Kittle, and Prescott are also investors and ambassadors for RealTruck. Business JargonWith more and more digital applications these days, a common metric investors look for are Monthly Active Users (MAUs) and Daily Active Users (DAUs). DAU is the number of unique users who engage with your product in a one-day window. MAU is the number of unique users who engage with your product over a 30-day window (usually a rolling 30 days). For example, Twitter reportedly has 238 million DAUs — meaning ~238 million people use the app daily. Quote“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument” - Desmond TutuThanks for tuning in today! Peace,-APYou can also find me on:Twiter —

Audio Timeline:0:25 - Feel good stories* Philadelphia Phillies $50,000 donation and UNC student-athletes raising money for the Children’s Hospital. 2:00 - Business of Athletes* Potential Hall of Fame baseball player Jimmy Rollins is launching ScoutUS Pro, an app connecting athletes and scouts in one place.* Steph Curry filed the trademark “CURRYVERSE’ with an intent to use it in the metaverse. * Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s venture TMRW Sports has announced an array of high-level athlete investors:5:30 - Name, Image, and Likeness* Campus Ink announced a $2 million funding round to grow its NIL merch platform. * INFLCR says transactions from collectives account for more than one-third of total payment volume to college athletes with an average pay of $1,257. * Carlos Fuentes of the Denver Pioneers basketball team serves as their own in-house agent since he’s from Spain and can’t legally make NIL money. * Data Vault Holdings, a metaverse data tool, announced they have started minting branded NFT tokens for colleges across the US.9:45 - Future of Sports* DICK’s Sporting Goods launched a $50M in-house investment fund, DSG Ventures, to invest in the future of sport and retail. * The NBA has launched NBA equity, a private equity division to invest in startups.* Amazon Prime Video has signed a multi-year deal with amateur basketball league Overtime Elite (OTE) for exclusive global streaming rights. * The first-ever network to focus on female athletes, the Women’s Sports Network, launched this past week. * Knights of Degen, a sports gaming community in Web3, has entered into an agreement to acquire the blockchain-based fantasy sports platform, LeagueDAO.* The Minnesota Twins along with TechStars announced 10 startups for their next accelerator. Interesting StatAmericans don’t understand the popularity and money behind cricket…At more than $1 billion a year, India’s top cricket league (The IPL) — which only has 10 teams — now generates annual broadcast revenues on par with top leagues like the NFL ($10B), England’s Premier League ($6.9B) and the NBA ($2.7B). On a per-match basis, the IPL now ranks behind only the NFL. Via: NYTimesShort Passage of The Week:3 ideas as you end and start your year: • You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.• Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.• Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.Tiny Changes, Remarkable ResultsSource: James Clear, Atomic Habits Side Note:People ‘steal’ my content all the time — and I usually let it slide as it’s flattering. But this past weekend, I couldn’t hold my tongue. This guy wrote a LinkedIn post bragging about how he got 700,000 impressions on a post he copied word for word from this newsletter. I love that people think my work is good — but at least credit me. And don’t people get kicked out of college for plagiarism? So why’s it fine on social media? Content can be a dirty game. Business JargonIt’s not always easy thinking long-term, but it’s required for the success you truly desire.Build like the Romans 🏟️The Colosseum in Rome is nearly 2000 years old. And for the most part, it’s still fairly intact. The Romans designed things that were built to last and used concrete stronger than any we use today. But when it co