Join the Sports Conversation (Even if you don’t know sports)
Episode 157
Do you join the sports conversation or avoid it? Being in a conversation with a topic you know nothing about can be very uncomfortable. If you are ready to learn how to be involved in sports conversations without spending hours watching every game, you’re in luck as Amy Seigfried and I dive in – you don’t want to miss this.
Amy’s passion is cultivating the next generation of leaders and setting up entrepreneurs for success. After seeing how the ability to talk sports gave her the upper hand as a woman in business, Amy created Last Night’s Game to show her friends the same advantage. Last Night’s Game empowers its readers to join the sports conversation, even if they don’t know the first thing about sports. You can often find this married lady and recent Notre Dame MBA grad working with the entrepreneurship community nationwide and teaching her toddler about sports, food and other things he’ll have to use to make small talk one day.
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the complete episode:
- You will learn why having little sports nuggets for conversations will improve your relationships in the office.
- Amy gives tips on how to get involved in sports without getting too technical.
- Learn how Amy grew her business organically by being authentic and listening to her audience.
Episode Highlights
Who is Amy Buchan Siegfried
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- Amy is a native of Las Vegas.
- Early in her career, she worked in Major League Baseball, working for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- She wants to teach the fun stuff about sports because sports isn’t just about the score.
The idea that started it all
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- Amy had this idea to figure out how to make sports approachable for everyone.
- When she and her husband moved back from Singapore to the US, no one was hiring, so she decided to act more on her idea.
- She began working alongside her brother, Scott, who still lives in Las Vegas.
- They created the website and the email blast that went out.
Becoming passionate about sports
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- Amy was a dancer and was terrible at sports.
- Her brother played every sport imaginable, so she was at all practices and games.
- Scott would answer all her questions and explain everything to her to help her understand.
Having these conversations in the workplace
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- Amy started following the Cubs and the Bears and tried to understand what was happening so she could at least have those little nuggets for conversations.
- In every culture, you go to food and sports as a baseline for a conversation. Everybody loves it.
Amy’s real goal when starting out
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- Amy wanted to bring sports stories to people and the lifestyle and personality of sports out.
- She always tries to tie in the celebrity facet and all the pieces that make it approachable for everybody.
- Doing this gives people a different perspective on it and gives them one more tool in their tool belt to use when talking about it in the office.
- Everyone wants to be informed and part of a conversation in society.
Growing her product
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- Amy and Scott did everything organically.
- They are not fluffy and don’t sugarcoat things.
- They grew from that email list, which they still have, but they branched to a podcast for those who wanted to listen.
- Amy took her product to 1 Million Cups to pitch it while it was still new to learn how to improve and monetize.
The most challenging part of Amy’s business
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- It is a challenge to turn off the noise on social media.
- It was also a challenge to fine-tune their message and nail down who their core audience is and what they want.
How Amy monetizes
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- Amy was hesitant about running Google ads on her site.
- Her brother suggested they start a merchandise store.
What “Do Epic Shit” Means to Amy
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- She is so passionate about this – it is on her driver’s license plate.
- To her, being an entrepreneur, being a business, and putting anything out there is something epic.
- Her Epic is creating a business, helping others develop and grow their businesses, and empowering the next generation of leaders to come up.
Amy’s experience as an angel investor
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- Amy is a board member of a group called Irish Angels.
- She does not invest in anything she doesn’t understand.
- Even when a product isn’t the best, there can be a founder so dynamic that you know that person will not let it fail.
Running a business with a family member
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- Running a business with Scott has allowed him to diversify from his everyday job description.
- Even when it can be challenging, Scott and Amy have the same thoughts because they were raised the same and have the same values.
- Amy has learned to focus on all of the great things that Scott brings to the table.
What Amy wants to be remembered for
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- She would like to be remembered for empowering others, whether it’s business or the person she meets at Starbucks.
3 Powerful Quotes from this Episode
6:12 – “If your product is beautiful when you roll it out, you rolled out too late. “
32:40 – “There are so many soft skills as an entrepreneur that you can develop and are just as critical as understanding and having a great product.”
38:42–” Sometimes somebody needs that extra push, that extra boost. Sometimes you have to go out and be that person for people.”
About Amy Buchan Siegfried
While Amy’s athletic career was short-lived, she fell in love with the world of sports. That learned love for sports came in handy when she embarked on her career in professional sports. She’s lived internationally, which provides her with a global sports perspective. With a career in marketing, partnerships and public relations, the TedX speaker has mastered small talk, which comes into play when breaking down sports so you can conquer your next networking event.
Her career has included working for a Major League Baseball team and other male-dominated industries. Amy once flew around the world in 58 hours and 37 minutes, has lived internationally, and is a master of small talk, bringing people together and the handwritten note. You can often find this married lady working with the entrepreneurship community nationwide and teaching her toddler about sports, food and other things he’ll have to use to make small talk one day.
Connect with Amy
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Thanks for listening,
Darrell
