You're Missing Something...

You’re missing an important element in your sport career support network but I bet you don’t know it. I spent the entire day, today, with professional athletes, many of them asking what I really did because they weren’t even quite sure. This is just late night ramblings after an incredible day among unimaginable talent! It’s a short list, but it will get you started on the road to understanding what a Publicist at a Sport PR/Management Firm does.

Athletes are more outspoken than ever before and they can sometimes create waves without even meaning to. A publicist can discuss what you want to say with you and help you reframe it so that people don’t tear your message apart and misunderstand you. We keep you in the public’s favorability by helping you understand how to use your power.

I’ve often told people I’m like “mom for your football career” because when things get difficult, many times these guys are calling me for just about everything. Not their agent. I’ve been told by a client that the only reason he calls me so much is because I always pick up the phone when he calls me and his agent doesn’t get back to him quickly, and sometimes not at all.

I escort you to events, make sure you have the proper handlers in place, and that you’re right on schedule. I can protect you from fans that linger too long, girls that are being inappropriate (whether you realize it or not), and I make sure you don’t forget to eat. I can tell when you’re getting tired, agitated, or just need a break. I’m your buffer when you’re socially awkward or you just don’t want to talk to people. I get your things together and I explain what is going to happen next and how, so that you don’t have to have any anxiety or confusion on how you get from your private lounge to the podium. I make sure you understand order of events, and how to transition like a pro so that you’re never left looking confused or embarrassed. My whole job is to make you look good and to keep you comfortable when you’re out in front of others, especially fans & media. I will never let you look stupid.

When your agent negotiates your endorsements, I’m usually the one that is doing the follow-ups, the hours long conference calls to go over the marketing details, and making sure that your brand is leveraging the most out of the opportunity as possible. I make sure you are gaining recognition for the deals you agreed to, and are getting as much airtime out of the arrangement as possible. I make sure someone writes a press release and that it gets distributed correctly. I follow up with companies to make sure that we actually delivered what your agent promised we would when it comes to deliverables and agreed asset division.

When you have a hard day, I’m a call away. When you can’t sleep at night or you have a big idea at 3am-I pick up the phone or text you back. My clients have accused me of never sleeping. The truth is, when I do fall asleep I dream about all of you. I am literally working in my sleep! I send words of encouragement during the week, I offer guidance, I listen to your awesome ideas and help you break them down into digestible pieces. I follow-up after you lost a game, I send you funny jokes that you think are lame but you laugh at them anyway and it just helps, even though you don’t know why. I sit on the phone and listen to silence on your end of the line when something hasn’t gone as planned and you don’t feel like talking but still just wanted someone on the other end of the phone. I remember your birthday and always text you on holidays.

Publicists dig deep into your character. Things can get messy but when we work together, we don’t just work together until the money runs out or the big deal gets signed. We are there whether you spend 15 years with the same team or if you blow your knee year 2 and everyone else bails on you. We stand with you to build your brand, transition your brand, and even rebuild your brand when needed. It isn’t about how much money we can make, it’s about how far we can take you.

Publicists help you carve out your vision and turn it into something tangible. We problem-solve and we help you sort out the pieces so that you can truly achieve the things you dreamed of. Our job isn’t just merely getting you in the press. We prep you, cultivate PR messages for you, keep you on point, teach you what to say, when to say it, how to say it, and how to control the conversations in your career. We protect you and we are always listening. With our clients, if someone mentions you (be it press, media, radio, tv, etc) we typically know about it within 2 hours. We grade the content, decide if a response is necessary, we alert you to anything you need to know, and we take action when necessary. We protect you, always. In PR, we stand behind our clients, pushing them further. We stand next to them when they need strength, and we stand in-front of them when they need protection.

Our work goes well beyond setting up media interviews, writing press releases, networking, monitoring your social media, and editing your blog posts. We are there for you. Really there for you. From start to finish. There is nothing in the world we want more than for you to succeed in life and in your professional career. This is your life, your dream, your career. Surround yourself with people who see your vision the way that you do. If people aren’t as excited about what you want to achieve as you are, then you are in the wrong circle. At the end of the day, we pride ourselves on just being there. I’m the dependable one that is always there. I don’t miss our calls, I always text back, and when I say I’m going to be there, I am.

We come with guarantees. We come with references. We come with a track record of excellence. #WeAreYourPeople #BlackDiamondPRFirm

Isn’t it time you had someone like that? Let’s talk.