Sports Needs a Place

• “I don’t think I want to stay in sports, Bill.”
• “I’m just now realizing all that I gave up to stay in this industry.”
• “I have no idea what I want to do next.”

Those were just a few of the quotes from conversations I was having with dozens of my sports executive friends. These were people I cared about, and they were struggling.

What became apparent to me was that after the challenges of the past several years, many high-level sports and entertainment executives needed a place to get honest feedback about their lives, their careers and their futures among trusted peers. They needed a place to talk about what was REALLY on their minds -- topics that couldn't be discussed within the four walls of their teams and venues.

I began a personal mission to start a community to help this group to honestly address the life questions “What Now?” and “What’s Next?”. I got the help of two friends outside of the industry who had started dozens of groups like this, and we called it the Legacy Leaders Inner Circle, an exclusive peer-to-peer community “committed to inspiring conversation, deep learning, and personal exploration in a confidential, high-trust setting to achieve extraordinary personal and professional goals.”

Many major names in the business “got it” right away. Our first live Zoom interviews were personal, intimate life conversations with people like Bill Sutton , Dr. Bernie Mullin , Scott O'Neil , Frank Miceli , Michele Kajiwara , Paul Epstein , Eric Woolworth and Mike Veeck. As valuable as those Zoom sessions were to others, I knew that we’d have to eventually get people together in a live setting to make the greatest impact. (To hear a few of those conversations, you're welcome to go to www.LegacyLeadersInnerCircle.com .)

After two failed attempts, we finally engaged in the very first Legacy Leaders Inner Circle Executive Retreat in September of 2023 at The Boulders Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ. The quiet, secluded resort was just the right combination of comfort and intimacy; it encouraged each attendee to share freely and to get honest feedback about their careers, their lives, and their futures.

The comments we received afterward were off-the-charts positive:

"Far exceeded my expectations; the in-depth dialogue of this small group over a matter of days with people who have walked in my shoes -- to me, there’s nothing else that compares to this.”

-- Jeff Morander, CEO, ALSD (Association of Luxury Suite Directors)

“We had open, honest sharing that I wasn’t really expecting... From the beginning, everyone was really raw about how they’re feeling. We discussed challenges we’re all facing, but what’s comforting is that I don’t feel alone.”

-- Russ Stanley, SVP/Ticket Sales, Service & Client Relations, San Francisco Giants (MLB)

“There is no agenda except to really help... I was able to articulate a challenge I was facing at work, and it was eye-opening to get feedback that challenged the way I think.”

-- Michele Kajiwara, SVP, Premium Business & Events, Crypto.com Arena

Will we continue to have these events? Yes!

The next LLIC Executive Retreat is planned for July 12-14 in the Los Angeles area at Terranea, a spectacular resort sanctuary on the California coast. The date and location are in concert with the Association of Luxury Suite Directors' (ALSD ) annual Conference event in Los Angeles on July 14-16, so that attendees can cover both events with a single plane trip. (To be clear, attendance at both is not required to attend the LLIC event at Terranea.)

What have we learned in our first several months as an organization? Three things stand out:

1. Our industry must begin to place a higher priority on the well-being of their people. The crazy pace at which we operate, with fewer people, lack of transparency, longer hours, toxic politics and often unrealistic expectations may have been “business as usual” in the past, but today is not sustainable. Care must be taken to better preserve and protect our valuable human capital, as many other industries have chosen to do. (And if your organization won't do it, maybe you need to address it yourself. )

2. It’s difficult for others on the "outside" to fully understand our industry and our challenges. People see the sexiness of sports and entertainment, but few truly “get” the challenges and sacrifices that go along with it on the business side. When deep conversation can take place among trusted peers without an agenda or political motive , transformational things can happen.

3. High-level executives have few outlets to share their human side. Mental toughness has been a “must-have” for leadership in the sports industry, but teams and venues could benefit a great deal from a mental health initiative – starting with leaders to help their people perform at their best.

Check out our mission and vision at www.LegacyLeadersInnerCircle.com , and reach out to me at [email protected] if you'd like to learn more about the group or how to get involved. What we know for certain is that sports needs this place, and I’m grateful to have the support of those that see its value as an ongoing, sustainable resource for our industry.

-- Bill Guertin is Founder and Chief Executive of the Legacy Leaders Inner Circle, and Chief Learning Officer of?ISBI 360 ,?a training, sales and recruitment company that increases revenue and results for the business side of sports & entertainment. Reach out to Bill at www.calendly.com/bill-isbi360 .