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Sports Biz Mom: Maria Holmes, Fifth Third Bank

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I first met Maria Holmes in 2013 when I was a student at Ohio University.   She came back to Athens as part of our graduate program’s Executive Mentor weekend.  I remember admiring her confidence and presence and thought then and now that everyone in the room was smarter for having heard her speak.  When I started this blog, she was one of the first people I thought of for an interview and our conversation did not disappoint.   As a leader, Maria brings such a great perspective and her experience building in flexibility after maternity leave shows how a respected personal brand and solid work ethic can go along way in making work work for you and your family.

Maria Holmes is the VP, Senior Sponsorship Marketing Manager for Fifth Third Bank, where she has worked since 2011. As the Senior Sponsorship Marketing Manager she is responsible for the development and implementation of the bank’s corporate sponsorship strategy and oversees the evaluation, negotiation, creative development and activation of all sponsorships across the Fifth Third Bank footprint.  Prior to Fifth Third, she was an Account Executive on the Consulting team at Octagon.  Maria graduated from Ohio University with a Master of Sports Administration and Master of Business Administration and earned her Bachelor’s degree at Mercyhurst University, where she was also a member of the women’s soccer team.   Maria lives in the Cincinnati area with her husband Ryan, who works for the Cincinnati Bengals, and their three year old son Frankie.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

“I am a Mom first and I work.  That is my priority.  I never call myself a working Mom, I call myself a Mom who works.”

What are your day-to-day responsibilities at Fifth Third Bank? Myself and my team of four manage Fifth Third’s core sponsorship portfolio.  We lead our partnerships with all the properties that have the opportunity to be activated on a more national level, and often consult with our regional marketing teams and their respective Regional Presidents on their local sponsorships.  Some of our major partners include the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Nashville Predators, Daytona International Speedway, University of Cincinnati Basketball and Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s No. 17 Fifth Third Ford. I am also involved in the overall strategic vision of the marketing team, which is focused on building awareness and consideration for our brand.

Can you describe a “typical” day in the life for you and your family? I prefer to do drop-off and pick-up of our son, so I do most of the heavy lifting in terms of the daily daycare routine.  It’s some extra one-on-one time for Frankie and I to sing songs and chat. [My husband] Ryan makes my Spark in the morning, sets out my vitamins, makes Frankie’s snacks and packs everything up for the day.  Most of the morning at home is spent trying to convince Frankie to get up and moving, and then we get dressed and out the door for drop-off.  We chose a daycare that was as close to downtown as possible so we’re able to get to him as fast as we need to.

I have the liberty leave sometime between 4:30 and 5:00 PM, so I can get out and get to Frankie and not make an extended commute home.  We always try to do dinners together as a family and after we say our prayers at dinner, we go around the table and say what we’re thankful for that day.  After dinner we play every sport imaginable until 8:30 PM, and that’s when we start our bedtime routine. Frankie is usually down by 9:00 PM and if I haven’t fallen asleep in the recliner, I shower and sign back on to work or get things ready for the next day with Ryan.

I am able to work remote on Fridays, which was part of my agreement with my boss after maternity leave. I also teach class at The Barre Code at 7:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Fridays, and try to use that day to minimize all meetings and take the time to get work done.  On the other days of the week I schedule lunch on my calendar to work out at the studio near my office. This is how I spend my lunch hour. Take back your lunch hour!

As a sports industry couple, what are some unique ways you fit in the family time around your crazy work schedules? I don’t have to work the events so much anymore, but I usually am present to be supportive for my team that is there.  In that case, I take Frankie everywhere and will have him on my back in an Ergo baby carrier.  At first, [my husband] Ryan was hesitant and was concerned about me setting a precedent for my team. However, we decided that if it doesn’t impact my work then it’s not an issue.  I’m there to be a resource for my team and Frankie can easily do that with me.

[When Ryan has to work] I take him with me most places that he has to be. For Monday or Thursday night games, I pick Frankie up early form school and we’ll swing by and see Ryan so he can get some time with him before things get started. On Sunday mornings when we go down to the stadium, he comes with me.  We’re very fortunate that he’s willing to sit and listen. I don’t know if that will always be the case. It’s been a blessing to be able to take him with us wherever we are.

How has being a Mom positively impacted your career?  It’s made me more appreciative of my co-workers and better at focusing on the big things. Before Frankie, I had a hard time delegating, but now I’m able to put my effort behind the things that really matter for my team and the organization as a whole.  Around the same time he was born, I was asked to not be a “doer” anymore, and this forced me into letting go of control of what I thought I had to do.

It also gave me the opportunity to grow my team after a proven record of success.  I wasn’t able to put in the hours at the office until 8:00 PM, and what I was doing by myself previously required us to make moves and take initiative that may not have happened had I not been in that situation.

Was there any advice you received before Frankie was born that has helped you navigate the world of the “Working Mom”? Before I had Frankie, I had a lot of conversations with people who were successful Mom’s in the business world, I talked to a lot of women within the organizations headquartered in Cincinnati.  One of the things that really resonated with me was related to priorities.  Someone told me that for 20 years she hated the term “Working Mom” – and I had never thought of any other way to say it.  However, after speaking with her, I decided I am a Mom who works.  I am a Mom first and I work.  That is my priority.  I never call myself a working Mom, I call myself a Mom who works. Women in leadership positions can help change the nomenclature. You’re a Mom who works at the office or you’re a Mom who works at the home.

One of my goals for the blog is to be a resource for Moms but also for sports industry leaders who work with or manage Sports Biz Moms.  What advice would you give to someone managing (or who works closely with) a Sports Biz Mom or soon-to-be Mom – particularly one who is not a parent themselves? The best thing that you can do is check-in with them more often. I have an added challenge in that the only one on my team who is a Mom or Dad is a remote employee.  She’s in Atlanta while the rest of my team is in Cincinnati.

I can see the workload of my team in Cincinnati and manage it. I can see when they’re in and when they’re gone.  Whereas for my employee in Atlanta, I can’t get the same sense for her by looking at her facial expression. When I ask the team who has the capacity to take on a new project, it’s hard to tell if she’s reluctant or eager.  There’s a tendency as a Mom or someone who wants to continue in their career, that when we’ve been given some more flexibility, we also feel like we need to be on at 10:00 PM because we left at 4:30 PM.  “I need to take on that project because they gave me that flexibility.”

I would recommend having a real candid conversation of your expectations and how a Mom is no different than anyone else. I am SO anti-perception.  I do not care what time you get in or leave.  I don’t care what you have up on your computer screen.  I don’t care what time you sent an email.  Don’t do anything for perception.  Just get the job done.  As parents who work, we’re supposed to put on the perception that nothing has changed, when in reality your whole life and priorities have changed.  I think it’s unrealistic to think there’s not the need for flexibility or a change in work hours.  The expectation of flexibility should be given, and not have to be pried out of a manager. You just make them feel guilty and in turn at risk of disengagement…or worse, resignation!

How did you approach your boss about the flexibility in your schedule after returning from maternity leave? You want to be in a good place when you ask for it.  You don’t want to get to the point where you’re about to break. I scheduled time with my boss at around ten weeks in my leave.  I asked if we could grab lunch and if he’d like to meet my son, and then talk through where I am personally and how we move forward professionally.  It was during this time that I shared with him that I wanted some flexibility in coming back.  I proposed a plan to him for coming back slowly.  The first Monday I would sign-in from home, clean-up my emails, and take care of the HR processes.  On Tuesday, I would be in the office, Wednesday remote, Thursday office and then Friday remote.  The next week I came into the office on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and worked remote on Tuesday/Thursday.  Then, the following week was when I proposed a full remote Friday.  I suggested we try the set-up for six months, and that if he felt my performance started to drop and/or that I’m not available, we’ll take it back.  Three years later, we’re still at it!

What sort of family leave benefits did you receive when Frankie was born? I took short-term disability and had eight weeks paid through that policy, and then because of my tenure at work, I also had the additional four weeks paid in full.  If I would have had a child sooner than that I wouldn’t have had the same luxury, but I was paid full for the twelve weeks.  Fifth Third has since made a lot of progress in what they offer for maternity and paternity leave.  There’s a maternity concierge that has two dedicated staff members to help Moms with children under the age of one.

What’s something you wish you would have known about being a working Mom – or Mom who works – before you had children? Before I had Frankie, I wish I would have known that I didn’t need to be at the office until 8:00 PM.  In doing that, I was just continuing to take on the workload of what they were expecting of me.  Now, I have set a calendar reminder at 5:00 for each of my employees that pops-up and says “Can this wait until tomorrow?”.  In the body of the invite it says, “If not, give yourself the next 30 minutes to close up and finish what you’re doing.”  We’re not saving lives.  If it requires us to give up time with our loved ones it better be important.  If I could, I would go back and spend time with Ryan and my loved ones while also traveling a bit more.. All of my available time is now spent with Frankie,  That’s by choice and that’s what works for our family.

 

 

 

Sports Biz Mom: Jamie Wolfe, Gold’s Gym

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I’ve known Jamie Wolfe for several years, as she was one of my husband’s classmates at Ohio University.  We reconnected at the National Sports Forum this February, right after she went returned to work from maternity leave.  I thought she’d be a great candidate for an interview because not only was she navigating her new role at home, but also one in a new company.  Jamie actually interviewed for her current position while she was pregnant – something that I know I would stress over to no end if I were in a similar position.  I hope any expecting Mom and job seeker out there reads this and feels confident in their ability to take on a new challenge, no matter the timing!

Jamie Wolfe lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Garrett, six month old son, Stephen, and Goldendoodle Belle. She is the Director of Global Licensing at Gold’s Gym. Prior to her current role, Jamie spent time at Learfield Licensing, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Genesco Sports Enterprises. She holds Masters degrees in Business and Sports Administration from Ohio University. Jamie also completed her undergraduate studies in Economics at Ohio University and was a member of the Swimming and Diving team. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Do not be afraid to be honest about what you need and how you’ll get your work done.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities with Golds Gym?  My day-to-day responsibilities include management of the Gold’s Gym Licensing Portfolio and all associated programming. This could include working with our licensing agency to scout new partners, build offerings and communication strategy for current programs, approve product designs, and assist in the development of programs for partners to sell product at retail or online.

Can you describe a “typical” day in the life for you and your family?

    • 6:00 AM:  Wake up
    • 6:00 – 6:45 AM: My husband (Garrett) helps to get the dog out and Stephen ready for the day while I get ready
    • 6:45 AM:  We are out the door
    • 6:50-7:00 AM: Drop Stephen at daycare
    • 7:30 AM: Arrive at the office
    • 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM Work
    • 4:30 – 4:45 PM: Leave the office
    • 5:15 PM: Garrett picks up Stephen
    • 5:30 PM: Stephen eats dinner
    • 5:45 PM: Playtime
    • 6:30 PM: Bathtime
    • 7:00 PM: Nightime bottle and bedtime stories
    • 7:30 PM :Garrett and I eat dinner
    • 10:00 PM: Bedtime

How has being a Mom positively impacted your career? Being a mom has helped me with balance. I make it a point to really focus and be productive while I am at the office so I can do the same at home. Being a mom also pushed me to explore an opportunity outside of a traditional sports role. I am very passionate about health and wellness and this role provides me the opportunity to source great brand partners/products for a brand that helps people achieve their potential through fitness on a daily basis.  It was also a chance to rebuild the licensing program at Gold’s and develop a full-on strategy with a licensing partner.  That type of challenge motivates me to come to the office every day and to want to learn and grow professionally.

What’s something you wish you would have known about being a Mom who works before your son was born? How truly challenging it is. I know people say being a parent is one of the most challenging, but most rewarding things you will ever do in life. It is so true, but there are so many things to juggle and my baby is only 6 months old!

How has your employer helped in your transition to being a Mom who works? Have you been afforded any additional flexibility? When I got pregnant, I had to make a decision about how I wanted to balance work and family. I was in a role where I travelled almost weekly. When I interviewed for my current role, I was pregnant. So, from the very beginning Gold’s Gym was understanding of the fact that I would have to balance work and family. Specifically, I am able to get to work early and leave a bit earlier which is huge with Dallas traffic! I’m in the office every day at 7:30AM and leave by 4:30PM, so there’s a lot of flexibility there.

I told Gold’s I was pregnant when I was offered the job. They were supportive and told me we’d work everything out. Unfortunately, since I had just joined the company, I didn’t qualify for the short-term disability benefits while on maternity leave. However, I was able to work flex hours from home for almost a month once I did come back to work, and that helped tremendously with the transition.

Did your husband receive parental leave benefits when Stephen was born? Yes, his company provides fathers eight weeks paid leave. He took two weeks when Stephen was born and then an additional six weeks when I went back to the office. This helped immensely in the transition back to work for me because I wasn’t worried about who he was with and settling back in at the office.

What advice do you have it for women in sports who do not yet have a family, but may someday want to? Do not be afraid to be honest about what you need and how you’ll get your work done.  People inside and outside of the industry do understand family balance. Men often do too (especially if they have kids of their own). They may not practice it, but they understand it.

Sports Biz Mom: Brooke Faw, Bespoke Sports & Entertainment

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I had so much fun talking with Brooke for this interview! She cold emailed me after the blog launched and not only did I wish we could be friends right away, but it also quickly became obvious that she would be a great resource for other Moms in the industry.  While we did not know each other a month ago, I feel like we could have talked forever, and I’m excited to stay connected with her now and in the future.  Brooke took a unique path to the sports world, that I think shows the power of setting goals and believing in them.  She also travels frequently for business and I hope her experiences can help other Moms feel confident to do the same, should they choose to do so.

Brooke Faw lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband Rocky and five-year old son Griffin.  She is an Account Director at Bespoke Sports and Entertainment.  Brooke became one of the company’s first employees in 2014 and oversees their expanding VIP Hospitality & Experiences group.   Prior to Bespoke, she was the Sports Partnerships Manager for Novant Health, working with the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, Charlotte Checkers and several NASCAR teams.  Brooke also spent two years with Earth Fare, a healthy grocery store chain, as their Community Relations Manager. She helped establish the Earth Fare Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of ending childhood obesity by teaching kids about eating healthy and living an active lifestyle.  Brooke began her career as a Kindergarten teacher and high school basketball coach. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education and a Masters in Administration from Ball State University.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities with Bespoke Sports & Entertainment? I oversee Bespoke’s expanding VIP Hospitality & Experiences group that is building custom client programs throughout sports and entertainment.  In addition to VIP services, we provide our clients with strategy and brand consultations as well as activation and event execution services.  I am focused on our hospitality and experiences, hosting clients and planning business-to-business events at sporting and entertainment events so our clients stay closer to their own customers.   Last year I traveled approximately thirty weekends of the year, mostly for NASCAR races, but was also on the road for Formula E, college football, baseball, golf, hockey, as well as some entertainment events.

Can you describe a “typical” day in the life for you and your family? One thing I love about working at an agency is there is never a “typical” day. However, when I’m not traveling, I usually get up around 5:00 AM and go for a run or go work out. If I don’t work out in the morning I never find the time to get it in, so I force myself to do it in the morning.  Then I come home and get ready. My husband is usually up by then and he’ll make our son breakfast while I’m in the shower.

Our son Griffin is one of the most independent kids I’ve ever met, so he will get himself up, shower, get dressed (usually he matches!), brush his teeth and meet us downstairs for breakfast. The fact that he can do all of that on his own now has drastically reduced my morning stress!

We’re out the door by 8:30 AM. I drop him off at preschool and then head into the office. We live about 30 minutes from where I work and I usually get into the office around 9:00-9:30AM.

My work day is a balance of client calls, answering emails, creating presentation decks and planning events. These events can be anything from planning client hospitality around NASCAR races to custom fly-away trips to go to Spring Training camp to creating a B2B summit overseas around a Formula E race – and everything in between!

I leave the office around 6:00 or 7:00 PM and am usually home by 7:30 PM. Griffin’s great-grandmother picks him up from school and takes him to Tae-kwon-do practice. My husband picks Griffin up from Tae-kwon-do and brings him home. Dinner is usually done when I get home so we can sit down and eat as a family.  We make it a point to do this whenever my husband and I are both at home.

Griffin and I will play Legos or games until about 8:00 PM when I take him upstairs to read a book (his favorite is Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site) and tuck him in bed. Then my husband and I usually lay in bed and catch up on our Netflix shows while both finishing up whatever work didn’t get done during the day. It’s usually lights out around 11:00 PM and do it all over again the next day!

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of? When Bespoke first started, one of our very first big projects was a nationwide tour for FOX Sports 1, which celebrated the kick-off of the college football season and highlighted their first game – Michigan versus Utah.  This was during [Jim] Harbaugh’s first year as the Michigan head coach and everyone was hyped for his return.

We worked with FS1 to come up with this crazy idea – make a tour bus look like Coach Harbaugh; complete with khaki pants (real fabric!), a Michigan blue sweater, play card tucked into his belt line, etc.  We called the bus the “Harbus.” And took five Michigan students who resembled Harbaugh – the “Harbros” – and put them on the bus.  We also included Cleatus, the FOX Sports robot and a sports blogger who documented our trip.

We started in Michigan and traveled for fifteen days through the Midwest, down the East coast, through the South and then through the West to reach Utah. Every morning we did an appearance on a FOX regional network morning show and every afternoon we did an appearance with a former Wolverine or Ute celebrity.  In the evening we attended a baseball game that was broadcasted on FS1 and used an in game feature to promote the upcoming college football season. In total we did six baseball games in 14 days (Detroit, Cincinnati, New York (Yankees), Atlanta, Texas and St. Louis) while also stopping at the Big 10 headquarters, taking a lap around Charlotte Motor Speedway and eating at as many Cracker Barrels (Harbaugh’s favorite restaurant) as we could.  We created so much content and buzz around our trip that the Harbros started to get recognized and became mini celebrities by the end of the trip!

When we arrived in Utah we knew it was going to be tough. The Utah Athletics department wasn’t thrilled with how much FS1 had talked about Michigan when they had a really good football team as well. We weren’t given any access to the game and thought we were just going to have to watch it from our hotel room. However, we went into the stadium and just kept acting like we were supposed to be there. No tickets – just a smile and a polo shirt!

I led the boys down onto the field and no one stopped us! We hung out by the FS1 booth trying to keep a low profile when Sarah Harbaugh, Jim’s wife came over to our group. She had been following the tour and thought it was hilarious. She asked to take a picture with the Harbros and as we’re taking the picture, Coach Harbaugh walked out of the locker room! He came over to talk to the Harbros (who I thought were going to pass out because they were so excited.) Once the camera crew realized that Harbaugh was meeting the Harbros, they immediately came over to film the action. Our cover was blown and we were quickly escorted off the field, but not before our 15 minutes of fame. I remember my boss calling me asking how in the world I was on the field meeting Harbaugh (he saw us on TV) when I wasn’t even supposed to be allowed on campus.

Before that tour, I had never really traveled and definitely had never been away from home for two weeks. I also had never planned a tour route, hired staff and put fabric on a bus! I learned so much from that experience and now know that nothing is ever “impossible.”

What personal accomplishment are you most proud of?  My ability to step outside my comfort zone in order to chase my dreams. I’m from a map dot in Indiana where you marry your high school sweetheart, you live down the street from your parents and you raise a family of your own that turns around and repeats that cycle. While it’s an amazing life, I knew I wanted something different.

I took a leap of faith and came to North Carolina for what was supposed to be a “summer vacation.” I had no job, no family other than my uncle who I was visiting and barely knew anyone. Within a month I had a job, lots of new friends who I considered family and had met the love of my life who I quickly got engaged to just a short time later.

As a former teacher, you’ve forged a unique path into the sports industry.  Can you tell us about that experience?  [After moving to North Carolina] I felt my personal life was perfect but my professional life was still missing something. As much as I loved teaching and as comfortable as I was doing it (I come from a long line of educators) I knew I would kick myself if I didn’t pursue a career in sports. I quit teaching on the last day of school (a Thursday) got married on that Friday, went on a weeklong honeymoon and when I came back I started a new career in community relations at Earth Fare.

From there I worked up the nerve to ask my CEO if we could start the Earth Fare Foundation, as I saw it as a real need for our company – and in the next breath I told him I was pregnant! I started the foundation from scratch and it grew to be very successful, but I still wanted sports to be a part of my job.

I left Earth Fare when I landed a dream role of running sports partnerships for a large health care system in the Southeast. They also happened to have a PSA with Michael Jordan – the first time I met him I held it together and then called my dad from the car crying with excitement! I loved my job, my co-workers and everything about my career, but found myself bored with the “corporate” role of my job.

So I took my biggest step outside my comfort zone and came over to a startup agency. I had no idea what was in store as it was brand new but I knew I was working with some of the best in the business and there was no way we were going to fail. I’ve now traveled to almost all 50 states and internationally!  All this coming from the girl that had barely been outside her county line in Indiana.

How has being a Mom positively impacted your career? It has taught me so many things!

  1. How to survive on very little sleep – having an infant trained me to be up and power through at an event, even if I’d only had three hours of sleep.
  2. How to have the patience of a saint – I’ve found myself in meetings and where I may have previously been worked up, I now realize it’s not that big of deal.
  3. How to be emotional and connect with people – I always thought that emotion was a sign of weakness – and when I became a Mom I cried at the drop of the bucket. Now, when I’m emotional in meeting it shows that I care and it changed my perspective and turned what I thought was a negative into a positive.
  4. It has made me so extremely loyal – I will do anything for the people who help me instead of hinder me because I’m a Mom. I was told in my early 20’s that I could never have children, so I didn’t ever think this would happen for me.  I was very career driven and didn’t understand the concept of being so focused on family.  After my son was born I finally got it and I had great co-workers that would babysit for me or clients that would let me bring my baby to meetings.  I will do anything for those people now.  It’s tough being one of the only ones in the office with a child and working spouse and not having a dedicated person at home. Anyone who is willing to help me manage our crazy schedule and cares about my kid is gold in my eyes.
  5. It has made me want to help new moms so they know that they can do it too. It takes a village!

What’s something you wish you would have known about being a working Mom before you had children? That you don’t have to work yourself into the ground just to prove that you deserve to be here. I think we as females feel like we already have to prove ourselves so much more to deserve a seat at the table – we have to answer that email as soon as it comes in, we have to stay in the office later than everyone else, we have to work all night on the presentation – just to show we committed to the job.

As a new mom I felt like I had to double that – if I took an hour out of a meeting to pump, I needed to stay an hour later to make up for it. If I had to leave early to take the baby to his doctor appointment, I needed to come in early to make up for it. I constantly worried about “proving” that I wasn’t taking shortcuts just because I was a mom. I literally took a conference call while pacing the halls of the labor and delivery wing because I knew it was important and while I was in labor, the baby wasn’t coming right that second, so I had time.

Then someone finally shook some sense into me. “Work smarter, not harder” she said.  “There’s no eye for an eye and I don’t need to see you in here 10 hours a day.  I just need to know that whatever needs to be done is going to get done – I don’t care if that happens while you’re in the waiting room at the doctor’s office.  You don’t have to show me your face in order to prove to me that you’re doing your job.

It’s all about balance and it took me a long time to figure out how to balance all the wonderful things I have in my life. At the end of the day, I’m not curing cancer – that email can wait, my little boy can’t!

One of my goals for the blog is to be a resource both for working Moms but for sports industry leaders who work with or manage Sports Biz Moms.  What advice would you give to a supervisor about managing a Sports Biz Mom or soon-to-be Mom – particularly one who is not a parent themselves?  I would say, don’t be awkward, communicate, be open minded and flexible and ask them how they’re feeling.  Let them come in early and leave early.  Let them take a conference call from their office or work from home on Friday. If you put that hammer down and compare females to males, it’s the quickest way to lose good employees.  Supervisors also need to consider the bigger picture. They need to realize that other women who are not pregnant are watching how the company handles their co-workers pregnancy. If they want to have a family someday, they’re wondering how this is going to work and if supervisors want young females to continue to work for them, they have to set the right precedent.

What non-traditional benefits do you think would help to make the life of a Sports Biz Mom easier?  In-office or near office childcare – one of my biggest “mommy guilt issues” is that I feel like I don’t get to spend enough time with my little guy. However, if he could ride to work with me, I could spend my lunch time hanging out with him and then he can ride home with me; that would be awesome!

What type of childcare do you use?  There’s an African proverb that says “It takes a village to raise a child.” That couldn’t be truer – we have a combination of preschool, summer camps, babysitters, family and friends that we lean on – especially when we both have to travel. We try to spread it around so that no one feels overly used and are so incredibly grateful for all of their help. I wouldn’t be able to have the schedule I have without them.

What advice do you have it for women in sports who do not yet have a family, but may someday want to? Travel now! I didn’t start traveling until after I had Griffin and if I had it to do all over again I would have done this job in my 20’s so that I could be home more often now.

However, the best advice I can give is give yourself a break and stop worrying about it! I talk to so many women who say “I have no idea how you balance it all.” Some days I have no idea how I balance it all but I didn’t figure it out until I had to. You’ll never have enough money saved, you’ll never have enough vacation days banked up, it will never be the perfect time in your career to have a baby. So just go with the flow and if it happens, thank God for how blessed you are and don’t worry – you too will figure out how to balance it all.

Sports Biz Mom: Erin Braddock, University of Florida

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I was so excited to have a chance to speak with Erin Braddock for this post.  I met her at our graduate program’s annual Symposium back in May and knew within minutes that she’d be a great fit for Sports Biz Mom.  She has a wealth of experience in the industry and recently made a major career change for the benefit of her family.  Her perspective is just the type of insight I was hoping to be able to portray on this blog and I’m so glad that it’s one of the first pieces to be shared.  She also gave me one of my new favorite quotes (see below) and I will do my best not to overuse it on this site.  Enjoy!

Erin Braddock lives in the Orlando area with her husband and two sons, ages four and two.  She is currently an Adjunct Professor for the University of Florida Sports Management Master’s Program, where she is developing a sponsorship class that will launch this fall.  She also provides career coaching to the online Master’s students, and mentors several young women who are up and coming in the sports industry.  Prior to Florida, Erin spent 7+ years with the Orlando Magic, where she most recently served as the Assistant Director of Corporate Partnership Activation.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

“…We have to quit “shoulding” on ourselves.”

Can you describe a typical day in the life for you and your family? I am usually up before everyone else to get ready, that way when the kids get up I can get them dressed and out the door.  I drop the kids off around 8:30 at a three-hour morning school session so I can work from 9:00 to 11:00, and then I leave to go pick them up and we do lunch.  My younger son then naps, and the older one takes some quiet time and then we play and do activities until dinner.   It was really hard coming off of working full-time and getting used to this new schedule.  I was used to be being able to plow through things.  I have had to learn how to be patient, be a lot more flexible and take my time to get things done.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of the fact I was part of the team that secured the first jersey sponsorship at the Orlando Magic with Disney. My internship after graduate school and my first job were at Disney, so it was fun to see things come full circle.

What personal accomplishment are you most proud of? My family and my kids.  I got married a little later and early in my 30’s I started to wonder if I would ever have a family.  Needless to say I feel extremely blessed and they were worth the wait.

Would you be willing to share the thought process behind your decision to go out on your own as a career coach and professor?  I loved my job with the Magic. I loved the organization and my team. It was my “Dream Job”.  I went in as a single person but within 7.5 years I was married and had two kids.

I started to think about making a change more seriously after my second son.  I came back in September at a very hectic time. We were pitching the [NBA] jersey patch and I had three major partner renewals.  Working in pro sports it’s not just the day, it’s game nights and some travel and I started to feel like I wasn’t seeing my kids very much. When I was there, I was an Assistant Director, and I knew the next step up would involve even more time and responsibility.  I started to feel very weighed down by the thought of the next step, not excited like I had been in the past, and I used that as a litmus test for myself. I thought, “As I look at the next 5 years, do I want to keep up this lifestyle?”.   I decided it wasn’t something I wanted to do anymore, yet at the same time I knew I didn’t want to be a 100%, full-time, stay-at-home Mom.  So, I started to think about the things I enjoyed doing.  I started looking at adjunct positions and knew I enjoyed speaking with the local students that would reach out to me for career advice.

At the same time, my husband was working for a small company and did not have benefits.  So, in the back of my head, I knew when he found a different job that’s when I may make a change.  Then, a fellow Ohio University alum recommended I talk with the department chair at Florida about an adjunct position that also happened to involve career coaching.   In the meantime, I was able to see the jersey patch to fruition – we made the announcement last June.  My husband started a new job in July, and I gave notice in August.  God just kind of laid it out for us!

I will say it’s been an adjustment.  For the longest time, I felt like my identity was my job, especially before I had kids.  I was proud of the position and the accomplishment and I had to get to a place where I felt ok walking away.  A place where I felt like I still had a lot of value in just being a mom and a part-time employee and not be Erin who works for an NBA team.  It almost feels silly to say this as I don’t look down upon anyone who has made this decision or to completely walk away from work altogether.  It was just a personal hurdle I encountered.  I had to let go of my ego.

How has being a Mom positively impacted your career? Being a Mom has made me change my perspective. I took a leap of faith in branching out [to an adjunct teaching position], and think I would have otherwise been afraid to go to a new category.  I feel invigorated…I’ve thought about speaking or doing career coaching on my own, and I wouldn’t have gone down that avenue if I wouldn’t have felt the nudge from my family to do so.

What’s something you wish you would have known about being a working Mom before you had children? I knew it would put a lot on my plate.  I don’t know that I realized just how selfless you have to become and how you do have to make some hard choices.  Naively, I remember being an undergrad and having a conversation with someone saying, “I know I’m going to have it all.”  You know, the white picket fence, dog running in the yard, executive level job, kids, etc.  That’s not to say I feel like I don’t have it all now, but it doesn’t look like I thought I would.

Being a working Mom made me realize you can’t really give 100% of yourself to every single thing. That has been the biggest change for me.  When I came back from my first maternity leave, my boss, who was a female and a Mom, told me, “You just have to be okay with giving 95%. You’re not going to be able to give 100% to yourself to every single thing anymore.”

This was hard for a Type A personality like myself, but it was true, especially after having my second son.  If I had game nights I was missing my kids.  If I was home I felt like I was dropping the ball at work. I was always worried about not being a good mom, wife, employee…and did not realize just how challenging the juggling act would be.

What non-traditional benefits do you think would help to make the life of a Sports Biz Mom easier?  Outside of on-site childcare, I think the opportunity to network with other Mom’s in the industry would be a great benefit.  I know for me I dealt with the guilt of leaving work on-time.  Prior to kids I’d often work long as would my team.  When I had kids I had to draw line in the sand so I could get home and see them, but recall feeling almost guilty for not putting in the extra time.  Perhaps if there were more women who were in a similar situation who said “I do the same thing too”  it would have made it a little easier.  Just a support system who could empathize or share tips on how to balance it all.

What type of childcare do/did you use while with the Magic? With our first son, my mother-in-law watched him and we also had a nanny that shared the responsibility.  After my 2nd son the boys would go to daycare in the morning and then a nanny would pick them up and care for them in the afternoon.

Are they are other questions you would like me to ask another Mom that I speak with or anything else you would like to share with Sports Biz Moms? It’s important to do whatever is best for you and your family, and that’s going to look different for everybody.  Whether you’re in sports or not, there’s no right or wrong way to be a working Mom.  We women compare  ourselves to each other and we’ll have “Mom Guilt”, no matter if you’re a stay at home mom, working full-time or part-time. It all depends on what’s best in your personal situation and we have to quit “shoulding” on ourselves.

Sports Biz Mom: Tiffanne Becks, St. Louis Cardinals

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One of the goals of this blog is to celebrate and highlight the awesome work of Moms in the sports business industry, and one of the first Mom’s I thought of when I embarked on this project was Tiffanne Becks.   I first met Tiffanne when I was a graduate student at Ohio University.  She worked in Community Relations for the St. Louis Cardinals and was kind enough to meet me for lunch while I was in the area over Christmas break in 2011.  Fast forward 6 or so years, and we were both expecting our first babies in early 2017.   Her daughter Brynlee was born about 6 weeks prior to my son, so we’ve both be managing the Sportz Biz Mom life for a similar amount of time.  Tiffanne is an amazingly genuine person, who is always willing to talk.  I hope you enjoy reading this post as much as I always enjoy speaking with her.

Tiffanne Becks lives in the St. Louis area with her husband 1-year old daughter, Brynlee.  She is the Manager, Cardinals Care for the St. Louis Cardinals and has also served as the Associate Director of Major Gifts for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri.  She holds Masters degrees in Business and Sports Administration from Ohio University.  Tiffanne attended Southeast Missouri State University as an undergrad, where she studied Sports Management and Business Administration, and was also a member of the Women’s Basketball team.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Be in the moment. Live in the moment. Appreciate the moment.

What is your role with the Cardinals and your primary responsibility? Established in 1997, Cardinals Care has provided over $24 million in grants to non-profit youth organizations and built 22 youth ball fields in local under-resourced neighborhoods in both Missouri and Illinois. Since 2004, Cardinals Care has also orchestrated the innovative Redbird Rookies program. Redbird Rookies is a free baseball/softball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play. In addition to providing all the uniforms, gloves, bats, balls and other equipment needed for each team, Redbird Rookies also provides extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring, cultural arts and scholarship for each of the nearly 3,000 kids who participate in the program each year.

As manager of the foundation I oversee all our fundraising efforts, which includes, in-stadium 50/50 raffles and silent auctions, golf tournament, 6K Run/Walk, and 3-day fan fest, Winter Warm-Up.  I also oversee the administration of our Redbird Rookies Program, including planning  all of the off-field events, as well as ordering all of the equipment and uniforms for each of our 14 leagues.  I coordinate over 500 volunteers a year in the execution of these fund development and community events.  I also play a role in the review and allocation of our cash grants to other non-profits serving youth.

What do you feel is your greatest professional accomplishment? Establishing a new role within the foundation and achieving consistent improvement to our community initiatives and partnerships. 

What do you feel is your greatest personal achievement? Overcoming insecurities in order to strive every day to be the best wife and mother I can be.

How has being a Mom made you better at your job? Being a Mom has improved my  time management skills.  In the past, I did not need to rush home and the ability to  stay late here or there meant it was easy to get off-task.  Now, I am more focused and on-task,  and organized in general. My “Working Mom Brain” mind goes 100 mph making sure her needs are met.  I also take things less seriously.  Some of the things I used to let stress me out at work, now I don’t. Life is too good and too short and I want to be in the moment. Live in the moment. Appreciate the moment.  Your child is with the childcare provider more than she’s with you and I am intentional about spending time with her.  If Brynn is awake, we’re awake.

What has been the biggest challenge for you at work since becoming a Mom? Being away from her (Brynlee) goes against every motherly instinct.

Would you have done anything differently in your preparation for becoming a working Mom? While I was pregnant I was preparing for what life was like when she got here and we were home together. I didn’t think to prepare for how hard it would be to go back to work.  I dreaded the day I went back and the transition was harder than what I thought it would be.   Looking back, I would have asked my boss ahead of time about what type of flexibility I would have had more discussions with my supervisor about adjusting to being a working Mom.

How has your employer helped in your transition to being a working Mom? Have you been afforded any additional flexibility? I now come in early so she can leave early.  The evening time is crucial – in the morning it’s just getting out the door.  There isn’t any time to enjoy you family in the morning. I am always in by 7:15 or 7:30 and leave by 4:00 PM if I don’t have game duties.  When I have game duties, which is about a third of the time, I can’t bring her to work with me. However, I am able to have her at  some community events outside of game days and sometimes in our suite when my responsibility is to host partners or sponsors.  May is also the thick of our season for community events, so from May through September I will be working from home every other Friday.

What type of childcare do you use? Brynlee goes to an in-home day-care and is cared for by my best friend’s Mom.  However, we will likely be transitioning her to preschool around 18 months.  My husband also works from home so he’s able to keep her home in the morning sometimes.

Did you, your husband or partner receive paid parental leave benefits when your child was born? I received and took the full twelve weeks mandated by FMLA.  However, I only received 60% of my salary for six of those weeks. The last six weeks I used vacation and sick days. It was like being punished for having a baby!  This level of [parental leave] benefits is hard when a woman does go back to work, because now, when the baby gets sick or has doctor’s appointment you have to hustle to not use a bunch of sick days.

My husband received four weeks fully paid.  He used two of those weeks immediately after she was born and was able to split the rest of the time throughout the year.   He took the final five days the week I went back to work to help ease with that transition.

What advice do you have it  for women in sports who do not yet have a family, but may someday want to?  Be intentional about the time you have and keep a positive mindset.  Make it as fun and the best quality it can be… and put your phone down! Be in the moment. Live in the moment. Appreciate the moment.