Career Conversation with Sarah Meadow, Branded Content Strategist, Partner Integration at the NBA

I met Sarah as a result of an earlier The Leadership Corner career conversation with her aunt, alumna, Lysse Meadow. It was great fun getting to know Sarah and hear about her vast experiences so early in her career.

BACKGROUND

Where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I grew up in Santa Monica, CA and now live in NYC in Chelsea.

Where did you go to college and what led you to choose it?

There were many factors that led me to Northwestern—my mom was an alum, their top journalism school, and being in a Power Five conference in the Big Ten. The TLC pull was huge, too—I knew there were lot of Tripp Lakers there and visiting them when I was in high school was special and helped make my decision.

Were there any courses you took in college that you found to be particularly helpful in your current role or leading you to your current role?

Both the Journalism and Intro to Sports Writing classes I took were formative. However, the diverse internships I held while I was in school were truly life changing.? Additionally, through the Medill School of Journalism’s residency program, I interned for an entire quarter (for school credit) with the Blackhawks, Chicago’s NHL team, and it was a fabulous experience.

Did you study abroad?

I did – in Copenhagen.? It was a surprisingly popular destination at Northwestern.

Do you have plans for attending graduate school?

I applied for and was accepted into the deferred program at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, which allows you to apply before you graduate, but then wait to attend anywhere from 2-5 years so that you can gain real-world business experience.

CURRENT JOB

While you’ve just started your full-time career as the Branded Content Strategist in Partner Integration at the NBA, you’ve had an immense number of sports-related internships and positions that have helped land you where you are today. Can you tell us about some of those experiences, how you secured them, and how you juggled those that weren’t part of a school requirement while completing your undergraduate studies?

As I mentioned earlier, being on the quarter system at Northwestern, gave me a lot of flexibility.? I was able to front-load my classes over trimesters (vs semesters) which in turn provided more time to work at internships while taking fewer classes during the latter part of school. Additionally, due to COVID, there were many opportunities for remote internships in which I was able to partake.

A tremendous mentor to me since college, Melissa Brenner (whose daughter went to TLC and was in the same age group as my sister), has helped me navigate these experience within the sports world.? With Melissa’s guidance I was able to secure a position as a production assistant at the All-Star game in Chicago in 2020 where my dream to work for the NBA was born.

Another significant experience on my career journey was the opportunity to work for March Madness in 2022. There, I truly experienced from a corporate perspective how the passion for sports brings people together, further strengthening my desire to work in sports, and specifically, the NBA.

During the fall of my senior year, I interned at the iconic basketball magazine Slam (which was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame). This job is very similar to the role I currently hold at the NBA, and likely helped me get this position.

When did you first become interested in sports and when did you combine that interest with journalism?

People often ask me if I grew up playing sports and perhaps, surprisingly, the answer is no.? Growing up in LA, however, sports were always very important to my family and we were huge Dodger fans (I went to the World Series with my family this fall and saw them win, which was one of the highlights of my life). The most formative personal sports experiences I had, however, were at Tripp Lake.?

But what I really owe to TLC is my interest in journalism.? I don’t think I would have ever become interested in journalism if I hadn’t been exposed to the TLC Times at camp—it’s something I think about often.? Starting my first summer, TLC Times was one my favorite activities and I think I won the TLC Times award twice.? My interest in sports journalism came a bit later when I became the sports editor of my high school newspaper, in a year that both the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams won the championships. Feeling the emotion and excitement the moment when the boys’ team won on a buzzer beater in overtime was enormous for me, and led to my participating in Medill’s summer program the summer before my senior year of high school.

Upon arriving at Northwestern, I thought I wanted to pursue traditional sports journalism and did so for most of college. Towards the end, however, I began to shift towards sports marketing to enable me to focus more on the storytelling aspect of sports both on and off the court.

Can you tell us more about what your current job entails?

I work on the Partner Integration Team which liaises with the Global Partnerships Team and sits under the Social and Digital Content Team. This is especially exciting because the NBA has always been at the forefront of sports social media. We work hard to showcase our players on and off the court, as was especially evident this past summer with the Olympics. Particularly, we manage partnerships that are specifically for the NBA’s social platforms, and we also customize events like on-site coverage of new shoe launches with players. In a nutshell, it’s integrated marketing.

Highlighting and empowering women in sports is a clear passion of yours; what have you learned from your work in this field and what do you find to be the most interesting issues facing women in sports today?

The passion and importance of sisterhood traces back to camp, and has extended through to the strong female friendships I’ve made with my peers at Northwestern who were also interested in sports. Three years ago, as part of my Intro to Sports Writing Class, I wrote a feature on the lack of opportunities for women's sports in the professional realm that just doesn’t exist in men’s sports.? There are so many different men’s leagues and they get paid substantially more.? And while women’s sports are trending in the right direction, writing this was really eye-opening for me.?

I've also been very fortunate to work with, and be mentored by a lot of women, one of them being Melissa Brenner, and have been able to forge a lot of connections. My whole team at the NBA is female, and that's not something I take lightly. Along the way I've had a lot of incredible female bosses who have really championed women in sports, and even though I do not work in women’s sports now, I spent a lot of my college career focusing on the women’s lacrosse team (and saw them through two championship wins and two title games) and it’s still something I think about returning to in the future. The rise of the WNBA (with whom we work closely) and women’s sports in general (women’s lacrosse will be back in the Olympics in 2028) keep this topic close to me.

What does a typical week look like for you?

It really changes week to week. Generally, I manage correspondence between my team and the Global Partnerships team to ensure we're aligned on the partners’ deliverables. My team also manages the branded content partnerships on social, as well as building the strategy and overseeing the management of the branding initiatives for the partners.

How have networking and mentoring helped in your career?

Networking has been and is extremely important in my career.? I realize that I am lucky that my parents had careers in which they have learned, and then passed on to me, the value of networking.?

I have benefitted tremendously from mentoring, and in turn, it is important to me to pay it forward.? I mentor high schoolers through a program called Curious Cardinals, and as girls with whom I went to camp are getting older and looking for internships, I’ve been able to talk with a bunch of them and provide insight where I can.

What advice do you have for finding a mentor?

I receive a lot of DMs from people asking me to speak with me, and if they are respectful, and I have time, I'm always happy to speak with them—it makes me feel good to be able to give back. My best advice is to work to build authentic connections rather than one-off reach-outs. For example, in college, once a quarter I would check in and let people know what I was up to, see how they’re doing, and ask questions.? Showing a genuine interest helps build a rapport so that you have a solid relationship when it comes time to reach out for specific advice or guidance.

What about your job invigorates you the most?

A large part of what invigorates me is working on an all-female team and getting to celebrate our wins together. The NBA season is long, but there are big moments, such as experiencing all of the work that goes into the All-Star Game, and seeing the growth in impressions of branded content year over year that keep me fulfilled. Figuring how we can continue to create authentic campaigns and tell stories across social media is invigorating and one of the things that I'm most passionate about.

Are there any expectations you had about working in sports journalism that you found differed from your expectation, in either a good or bad way?

While I may not have had expectations, per se, I wasn’t previously aware of just how much goes into what fans experience every day. Working in sports may seem glamourous, and sometimes it is, but sometimes your job (even when you’re part of a marketing team) may be shagging balls at soccer games or helping out at volleyball games. I was young and passionate, so I didn’t mind jobs like that when I was in college, but it’s important to recognize it’s not always glamorous.

MORE GENERAL CAREER QUESTIONS

Who inspires you in terms of your career?

My boss, Mac West is an exceptional leader with immense experience.? It's really hard to find people who are both great mentors and great leaders because there's a really fine line between them, but I have this in Mac. My mom inspires me a lot, even though she didn't work in sports, and she, my dad, my sisters, and whole family have been crucial in giving me confidence and the belief to chase my dreams. As you can imagine, it seemed somewhat far-fetched as a freshman in college to say I wanted to work at the NBA, and I wouldn't have been able to do that without believing in myself, which, in a large part I get from them. Melissa Brenner is also a huge, inspirational mentor of mine, as is a former professor and faculty advisor, Melissa Isaacson, the first woman to ever cover the Bulls when Michael Jordan was their star player.? I am thankful to have such a powerful support system.

What was the first job you ever held?

Before my freshman year of college, I went back to TLC and taught tennis for 3 weeks!

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy listening to podcasts, and some of my favorites are Normal Gossip, The Sports Gossip Show, and How I Built This.? I love to read (I have a goal of 50 books this year)—right now, I'm reading NY restauranteur Michael Cecchi-Azzolina’s autobiography Your Table is Ready. And I also enjoy trying out new restaurants in NYC, yoga, and watching TV.

Did you have a career setback you faced that you later realized was an advantage?

Yes, and I talk a lot about it.? I had really wanted to intern at the NBA before my senior year of college, and was disappointed when I didn’t get the position.? Instead, I ended up working at the Creative Artist Agency (CAA) and had a very positive experience. While in the end, I obtained a full-time position at the NBA, having setbacks are important because life will not always work out as you planned.

Are there any books, blogs, etc., that you recommend to someone who is interested in sports journalism?

I read this awesome newsletter every day, OffBall, that highlights the intersection of sports and culture. Another good read is my professor, Melissa Isaacson’s book, State: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation, which chronicles the Illinois State Championship women's basketball team.

What have you found to be the characteristics that make someone successful in working in a position like yours?

First and foremost, you need to be adaptable.? I'm asked to wear a lot of different hats in my job, which is just the nature of being in media, entertainment, and sports in general. Communication, being able to advocate for yourself (though it’s not always easy) are both important as well.? Writing skills are super important—in most every interview I went on, no matter what the position, my strong writing skills were considered a big asset.

TLC HISTORY / QUESTIONS

What years did you go to TLC?

I was a Jr. 1 in 2009 and in 1AB and a Tiger Manager in 2017 (my captain was Bing Bong and I was Sadness from Inside Out). I had a lot of family attend camp, too: my dad’s sisters, Stacy Valner and Elissa Meadow Phillips both went to camp, and their daughters, Sophia and Nikki Valner attended, and Lexi Phillips is there now.

How has your camp experience impacted your career?

My whole life has been tremendously impacted by camp. I learned a lot about problem solving and adaptability, and discovered the importance of female friendships and the value of belonging to place so steeped in tradition.? There is a wonderful sense of belonging that comes from being part of a 100+ year old sisterhood.

What were your:

Favorite activities: I am a huge water skier and still do it every chance I can.? And of course – TLC Times.? Camp was also where I learned to play lacrosse and field hockey, so I really enjoyed those activities, too.? And photo!

Favorite selection at Candy Canteen: Skor Bar

Favorite memory: My favorite memory was my 17th birthday at camp.? I was old for my grade and it was one of my best birthdays ever – I got to go skiing, we had Sing Song practice and just enjoyed the day as a Sr. 2.

Georgia Sussman

Tripp Lake Camp

Head of Alumnae Relations