A Conversation with Erik Moses on Making History and the Power of Gen X Leadership

Summary: Here is a feature of my special #FabulousOver40 edition of Gen X Amplified podcast episode with Erik Moses, Executive Director and CEO of the Fiesta Bowl. During this chat, Erik and I discussed his family history of breaking racial barriers, building successful sports properties, becoming the first black president of a NASCAR track, and his thoughts on the value of being a seasoned Gen X leader in today's world of work.

Erik A. Moses currently serves as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Fiesta Bowl organization located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Prior to his recent appointment at the Fiesta Bowl, Erik served as the President at Nashville Superspeedway , which is the largest concrete-only track in NASCAR.

And what's notable is when Erik joined Nashville Superspeedway in 2020, he made history as he became the first African-American president of a NASCAR track.

Erik is also one of the recognized leaders I featured in the Fabulous Over 40 Spotlight Series here on LinkedIn .

During a special LinkedIn LIVE #FabulousOver40 edition of Gen X Amplified, Erik and I unpacked his rich story that includes his family history of breaking racial barriers, becoming the first black president of a NASCAR track, and why being a seasoned Gen X leader has value in today's workplace.

Erik story is such an inspiration and below are featured highlights from our full fireside chat — which have been edited for brevity and clarity.

On Erik's Educational Foundation and Building Upon His Family's Legacy

My grandmother's brother integrated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the law school in 1951 after a long court battle. So he was one of the first two black men to ever go to that school. That university has always meant a lot to me and my family. And so it was the only school I applied to.?

Erik, can you just start right around the years when you were embarking upon your educational journey, and what made you pursue that particular path??

Sure. I am fortunate to come from a long line of attorneys. As a young person trying to figure out what I thought I might want to be when I grew up. Taking inventory of my skills, capabilities, interests — I figured, well, I can make a reasonably, persuasive argument. I write pretty well. I'm a logical thinker. What is that lined up for? Probably being a lawyer.?

And so, I was fortunate to go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And then right down the road to Duke for law school. And thought that I was going to be an agent.

I had been in school with a lot of men and women who ended up being able to take their rare talents and turn those into ways to make money for themselves. And I wanted to be someone who was gonna be able to look after their best interests.

We've all heard the horror stories about these folks losing their money, their fortunes, being cheated out of it, by unscrupulous advisors, etc. — and I wanted to protect these people.

Many of whom were my friends and whose stories and backgrounds I knew and recognized. And so, that's kind of how I got started.

I was about to say... Who do you claim? So are you Tar Hill born, Tar Hill Bred??

Yes. And when I die, I'm a Tar Hill dead.?

My grandmother's brother integrated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the law school in 1951 after a long court battle. So he was one of the first two black men to ever go to that school. That university has always meant a lot to me and my family. And so it was the only school I applied to.?

The only school I wanted to go to.?

While our rivals are right down the road, I enjoyed my three years there. I know that attending Duke Law School changed my life. And I am very pleased to be able to claim both those great schools.

On Pursuing Dreams as a Sports Executive and Pivoting After the Pandemic

In June of 2020, I received an email from a friend and a colleague who sits on a board of directors for the military bowl, which is an NCAA bowl game that I helped to give birth to in Washington when I was Sports Commissioner. And he said, "Erik, I'm trying to find you. If this is you, reach out to me. I have an idea I wanna share."

So let's talk about the DC Defenders and the XFL. And then tell us about what happened to lead you to your role at NASCAR.?

I had spent the previous 11 years as the sports commissioner in Washington, DC and loved it. Loved working in Washington at a really critical point in the city's growth and development.

Getting on the team side and helping to start a brand new league and a brand new team in a city that loves football was just a dream come true.

It was great to be able to bring to people a sport that by far is the number one sport in this country. That had some changes and some differences with some innovations that people wanted to see.

So almost exactly a year. I started in April of 2019. We shut the league down in April of 2020. Five games through our 10-game regular season. Because of a global pandemic, that as you know, stopped most sports and entertainment events and public gathering places for a very long time. And so as a brand new startup league, we weren't able to overcome that.

In June of 2020, I received an email from a friend and a colleague who sits on a board of directors for the military bowl, which is an NCAA bowl game that I helped to give birth to in Washington when I was Sports Commissioner.

And he said, "Erik, I'm trying to find you. If this is you, reach out to me. I have an idea I wanna share."

So I call him, he says, "I have a crazy idea, but don't say anything until I explain all of it to you." So I said okay, let's see what this.

And he explained to me how he was the president of Dover Motor Speedway up in Dover, Delaware. And that the company owned a super speedway in Nashville that had been closed down for 10 years.

But they had recently made a deal with NASCAR to bring a race back to that space and needed to open it back up. And they needed someone to lead that effort.?

And he thought about me knowing what I had done in Washington, DC, and wanted to find out whether I was interested.?

And later, we had a 6-to-8 week courtship where he taught me a lot about the NASCAR ecosystem and the things that I wasn't acutely aware of. I shared more about my experiences, what I had done in my career.

And by the time that courtship was over, we both decided that it made good sense for me to join and become President of the Nashville Superspeedway.

On Making History as the First Black President of a NASCAR Track and the Power of Mentorship

I made a bunch of phone calls to people who are mentors of mine, mostly in the sports business and said, "What do you think about this?" I wanted to have an understanding of how hard it might be in terms of the headwinds I might encounter in doing it.

Now, did you know at the time, Erik, that you were the first African-American President of a NASCAR track?

I knew before I accepted the job. Because in our last conversation in person, which was in Nashville, we're sitting in the Hermitage Hotel having dinner, Mike and I. And he said, "If you decide that you wanna move forward with this, you will be the first person who looks like you to have this role in NASCAR."?

At that time when he said that, what went through your mind??

I mean, we don't set out to be pioneers in our careers, right? You set out to find and seek out opportunities where you can be successful. You can bring what you do, and what you're good at to the table for the benefit of the organization and yourself. I thought it was interesting.?

I made a bunch of phone calls to people who are mentors of mine, mostly in the sports business and said, "What do you think about this?" I wanted to have an understanding of how hard it might be in terms of the headwinds I might encounter in doing it.?

So I had some conversations, one was with a mentor of mine named Max Siegel . Max happens to be the President and CEO of USA Track & Field, but also runs a racing team, a developmental racing team for the Drive for Diversity program for NASCAR. Max has been involved with NASCAR for over 20 years.

And then I talked to a young man named Brandon Thompson, who's the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for NASCAR, and happens to be my frat brother. And I had real conversation with him. He had interned at my track when he was an intern.

And so the combination of talking to those guys and other mentors of mine and saying, "Let's break down the pros and cons of me doing this." Does this help me get closer to where I want to be? Is this gonna be the kind of experience that I can build upon? Can I be successful in this?

And the answers kept coming back.

"Yes, we think you can do it. You've got the temperament, you've got the experience, you've got the knowledge. You've got the personality. And this is company seems like the type of company that will support you in order to be successful."

On the Power of Being a Seasoned Gen X Leader in Today's World of Work

And it's especially important for OUR generation, because we get sandwiched. We sit between two huge populations —?Baby boomers (our parents), and the Millennials (our kids). And so I think the power in our generation is being able to be that bridge between those two generations.

Can you just talk about the power of being in this "season" of our lives and careers?

I was talking to someone the other day, a friend who's one of our contemporaries in terms of our age range.

And I said, "I feel like I'm at the height of my powers."?

In my thirties, I probably would not have had the patience necessary, or the finesse necessary to do this job in the way that it needs to be done.

It took those trials and tribulations. It took the failures. It took the self-reflection. It took the growth and the maturity of my professional path up until now, to put me in a position that I think allows me to be successful in this opportunity now. And in other opportunities, in the past and maybe in the future.

Because of that maturation. Because of that understanding. Because of the confidence of knowing what you can do.

Of knowing that you've seen hard things and done them successfully. Of knowing that you've managed that problem employee before. That you've built that team despite the challenges or the attrition on the team. You've replaced people. You've pushed things in the right direction. You've steered the boat away from the rocks.

Those kinds of things...that comes with time.?

That comes with experience.?

It comes with age.?

Now there are a few of us who are out there that have the good fortune of maybe accumulating that wisdom and those experiences 10 years, 20 years earlier in our careers. And God bless those folks.

But for most of us, it takes more time.

And it's especially important for OUR generation, because we get sandwiched.

We sit between two huge populations — Baby boomers (our parents),and the Millennials (our kids.)

And the Boomers don't want to leave the corner office, and the Millennials want to get to it and run right past us as quick as they can.?

And so I think the power in our generation is being able to be that bridge between those two generations.

We're not digital natives necessarily, but it's been in our lives long enough that we understand it. So, we don't have the fear that the Boomers may have to the level of change, the exponential change that has happened in life, and in a professional setting and all of that.

And I think there's some power in that as well. Being able to kind of understand the old and the new.

But the "seasoning," the seasoning is so important, man. And I feel so empowered by it. By the things that I've seen. Yeah, I wish I had some of these opportunities 10 years ago. But I'm happy I have them now. And that I have the accumulated wisdom of those years spent, toiling in the vineyards, as they say.

On Erik's "Personal Theme Song" and Final Thoughts

If there was a song that would play, every time you enter a room that perfectly fits you, your personality and the brand of Erik A. Moses —?what would be your own personal theme song?

Oh, I love this, and it already is my theme song. Jay-Z's "Public Service Announcement." I love the way it starts and I love the way it finishes.

It starts off with — "Allow me to reintroduce myself." Right??

Given the way that my career has gone, I've done different kinds of things where I've gone into places and spaces where I have to establish myself each time. That's very fitting. So allow me to reintroduce myself.

And then at the end it says, "Either love me or leave me alone."

I love the way you positioned it. So allow me to reintroduce YOU...Erik A. Moses. Fabulous Over 40. This has been a blast and it's been an honor.

Well, thanks. But let me take the opportunity to really congratulate you on what you're doing. On the movement that you are trying to put forward. I think it's needed and necessary. And I just admire everything that you're doing here, because it's important.?

So thank you for what you do.

Gratitude and Reminders

Thank you so much for reading this edition of the Mid-Career Mastery Newsletter. I am honored and I truly appreciate it. If you enjoyed this article, please share with others who you think would receive value from it.

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About The Author:

Adrion Porter is a speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice, workforce strategist, age inclusion advocate, and the founder of Mid-Career Mastery?, a consultancy for organizations and their mid-career and seasoned talent.

A former 20+ year marketing executive, Adrion is now on a mission to help others master and maximize their transformative middle years and beyond.

Adrion is frequently invited by organizations around the world to present his signature model, The Mastery Map?, which codifies three proven pillars of transformation for navigating and thriving in your career at any age or stage.

For keynote speaking, workshop, or thought partnership inquiries, please reach out to Adrion here on LinkedIn, and/or visit: adrionporter.com .