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Sports Biz Mom: Gina Lehe, College Football Playoff

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Gina Lehe is the Senior Director of External Relations and Branding for the College Football Playoff.  She spent 16 years working in the college football bowl industry prior to joining the College Football Playoff in 2014, most recently as Director of Media for the Rose Bowl Game. Lehe served in similar capacities for the Insight Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

She is a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), National Football Foundation (NFF) and the Football Bowl Association (FBA).

In 2017, she was named to the Sports Business Journal (SBJ) Game Changers: Women in Sports Business.

Lehe graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor of arts in communications. Originally from Pacific Grove, California, she is married to husband, Adam. The Lehe’s have two daughters, Adriana (4) and Natalia (18 months).  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

What are your daily responsibilities with the College Football Playoff?

My title was recently changed from Communications to External Relations to better capture how the industry and environment evolved over the years. I recently celebrated 20+ years in college football and when I started “branding” didn’t exist.  People don’t really understand what branding is.  I think folks that do have proven to be successful because they’re looking outside of what some people just view as a logo.  Along with my title in college football shifting, so has my focus.  The same goes for the Sports Information Directors on campus.  We’ve had to evolve what we do, and those of us that have, have reaped some of the benefits of not getting left behind with social and digital media.

For us, external relations is anything that’s leaving our office walls; press releases, programs, game banners, commercials, tweets, logos. Anything that speaks to who and what the College Football Playoff is.  This includes items generated internally and externally.  We also handle all of the traditional media relations functions like credentialing.  All of these ties into the perception, trust and likeability of our company. It’s all about how people are digesting your content and interacting with you as a company.

We have a pretty lean team.  I have an assistant that works with our department specifically and a seasonal intern.  We work very closely with vendors, but only have two people solely dedicated to the department.

While most working in sports do not have a “typical” day, it seems that daily and weekly routines are key to keeping the family on track.  What sort of routines have you developed for your family throughout the work week?

My husband and I both travel for work, so I think the biggest thing is that we have a joint family calendar. It’s a basic, color coded, calendar in Excel.  Fortunately, for at least my side of the travel, we have a fairly robust planning system for the site visits for the national championship games.  I know in January/February what my calendar will look like for the rest of the year and my husband plans his trips around that.  This calendar is the bible of our household operations.  We don’t have family in Dallas and with two kids and two parents that travel, making sure we have care scheduled in advance is really important.

It’s also a perspective piece. We use the calendar to plan what are we going to do when we’re not traveling.  We still need to have fun with our kids when we’re not on the road.  I think looking at it from a full year perspective is what does it for me. I sit back and I look at it, and I’m like, “Man, we need to make sure we do stuff with our family and not just work.” 

Working in sports, I think we all have those “pinch me” moments, where you can’t believe you’re being paid to do what you’re doing.   What is your biggest “pinch me” moment to date?

Having an opportunity to be in the room with the selection committee from day one and seeing the different people who have been in those seats.  Just knowing their backgrounds and having the opportunity to side bar with them during lunch or breaks.  How often do you get to learn about the career path of someone like Condoleezza Rice?

In the first year, outside of the fall for rankings, we met two times per year.  My real “pinch me” moment would be when Tyrone Willingham, Barry Alvarez, Archie Manning, and Condi sang “Happy Birthday” to me.  In what world would that happen? These are iconic coaches and a hall of famer – I would have never imagined in a million years those folks would be in the room together, let alone singing “Happy Birthday” to me.

If you could go back and tell your pre-children self-one thing, what would it be?

Appreciate the now for what is.  I’m extremely Type A, and I’m always worried or thinking about what’s next and what I’m going to do.  I wish I would have stopped to value more and appreciate what is now, and I can pinpoint when that shifted for me – when I lost my Mom to cancer. It changed my whole perspective on time and living in the moment.  I hate it took that for me to accept that message and receive it, but I have to look for glimpses of the silver lining from that experience.

In your SBJ Game Changers feature, you mentioned that our constant news cycle and the need for immediacy has a detrimental impact on credibility and productivity.  How do you ensure that your team does not fall into this trap during the high-pressure moments surrounding the CFP?

First, respect yourself and respect the people that you work with when it comes to communicating.  If somebody takes time out to reach out to you, you need to do so in return.  When we have new staff and interns, we establish a pretty well outlined communication process.   For example, with our social media guidelines, it covers what we post, how we post it, when, and on what we post.

For a lot of 20-year-olds, especially ones that have worked in social media, they’re coming from a school where they’re promoting every single athlete and every sport.   If you look at our platforms, we don’t talk about specific athletes or teams.  If we talk about one conference, we’re talking about all of them, and that’s intentional.  We have to remain neutral, fair and balanced.  We created these best practices and guidelines in the beginning, and we stick to that to this day.

We’ve had consultants come in tell us what we could get more followers, but that’s not our goal.  Our goal is to match our brand philosophy/best practices philosophy.  This helps us not get into a frenzy during the busy times, because we’re not trying to be somebody we’re not.  We’re not creating unauthentic content for the rest of the year and people trust us.  If you choose to stray from this for five to seven days because everyone thinks you should do something else, you’ve just lost all the trust you have built.

People get so excited about being reactive to comments.  The news cycle is so short anymore. It’s not to say I ignore it or don’t listen; but, if we were to jump onto every piece of criticism, you’d lose your mind. When people stop talking about college football, then we’re in trouble. We don’t need to make the news cycle. We can be the news cycle.

We don’t need to make the news cycle. We can be the news cycle.

Who have you looked to for support and parenting advice while also navigating your career?

There are not a lot of women who work in sports who have kids.  At least not a lot that I know.  Many people suggested I read Lean In, but no offense, if I had a nanny and a chef, this would be easier (maybe!).   I don’t have the financial means to do those things and it’s not real to me.  It’s not a fair comparison.

I was talking to my mother in law in Florida about this recently.  Every now and then I need to break down.  I try to do so much, and I’m not looking for credit, but I need a break every now then.  We don’t have family here or any relatives or friends with kids that we can call for a date night.  It has to be a huge orchestrated plan for us to do anything together. That’s not always fun as a married couple.

I talk to my mother in law a lot. She was a teacher.  I like to hear her opinion and seek her advice.  She grounds me a lot. I make a bigger deal out of things, and she shoots straight with me and can level set me when I’m breaking down.

In your recent D Magazine feature, you spoke of integrating your young daughter into your work and not asking if it was OK to do so.  Did/do you receive any push back when doing this? How can we make that a more acceptable practice across the industry?

This is one of those things that I didn’t see as doing something revolutionary.  I was just trying to find a way to make it work, given that my husband and I were both working and traveling.

I didn’t want to sacrifice – I don’t believe in that – integration was always part of my mindset.  If I choose to have a family, I better choose to support my family as much as my job.  The first time it happened my daughter was three or four months old and my husband had a work trip the same time I did.  I was going to Arizona and Atlanta and I brought her to the meeting because it was her nap time.  In Atlanta I carried her around in a Baby Bjorn during a walk through for an site visit.  I’ve been creative. I tell them she’s going to be with me, and I don’t really ask if it’s okay.

My 2nd daughter was born in September, and that winter I was going to the Rose Bowl Game for the semifinal, and I took her with me because I was breastfeeding. I hired a babysitter when she couldn’t come with me and then I took a red eye from Los Angeles to Atlanta with a three-month-old so I could be Atlanta for the championship. It’s one of those stories I think about now and I think it’s crazy.

People make comments.  I can name names and certain places, and I can tell there are super old school people who wonder what the hell I think I’m doing.  Until I don’t do my job effectively or I don’t get the job done, I’m going to continue to do it. I know myself well enough to know that I’ll get it done and do it well. I’m not going to sacrifice my job or my family if I know I can make it work.

The women who I’ve encountered, whether they have kids, or are younger, have all thanked me for doing it.   I don’t’ think I need to be, because I’m not doing something revolutionary for the working Mom and I haven’t asked to do it, because I don’t feel like I am jeopardizing my job. I am just adapting to the situation so I can give my best to my personal and professional life so they both get equal due and what they deserve.

My mother in law has also met me on work trips and taken the kids from me.  If you really want to have a family, you’ll figure out a way to have a family. If you want to have a family and work, you’ll figure that out too.  There’s always a way to figure it out, it may be unconventional, and people may judge you, but you’re going to figure it out.


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SPORTS BIZ MOM KEYS TO THE GAME:

  1. Schedule family activities: Yes, this sounds super regimented and not fun, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day rush throughout the week. I know I’ve found myself sitting on the couch during a day off wishing we were doing something fun together as a family, instead of just watching TV or cleaning up the house. Sometimes, we have to conciously work to make time for fun activities, even if it’s just going to get donuts on a Saturday morning. I couldn’t agree more with Gina about how important this time can be and am personally trying to schedule fun family time with as much care as I do my professional schedule.
  2. Don’t compromise your brand for short-term gain: I think this mindset is so easy to lose site of in a world with such a short attention span and news cycle. Whether it’s your personal brand or your company’s being authentic and trustworthy sholud always be our first priority.
  3. Don’t apologize for being unconventional: Even if you are not able to bring your baby/child with you when you travel, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative in how you integrate your family into your work-life. Depending on the circumstances, your partner or another caregiver may need to come along to help, but I fully believe that having clients, coworkers, etc., see that your family is also a priority humanizes you and sets a precedent for the other future parents in your workplace. Yes, a two year old is not going to be appropriate in an important meeting or even; but, he could be a huge hit in a suite with a sponsor who has grandchildren of the same age. If you’ve proven that you’re going to get the job done and do it well, and you’re working for a supportive organization, you’ll be in a position to be able to bring your whole self to work and let her shine.

Sports Biz Mom: Erin Kraebber, UAB Athletics

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We’re kicking off the New Year and closing out the college football season with a Mom whose team experienced a lot of excitement in 2018! Erin Kraebber is the Associate Athletic Director for Marketing at UAB Athletics, which just completed a historic year on the football field, going 11-3 in only their 2nd year back after the program was elimnated in 2014.

Erin and I connected on LinkedIn in the fall, and after I noticed she was running a parenting related website of her own (more on that below), I knew our common interests meant we had to talk and that I wanted to know her story. Not only has she shared with me a few tips to better manage my time with this page, she also knows past Sports Biz Mom interviewee, Corrie Schantz. It never ceases to amaze me just how small this industry is, and I continue to be grateful for that as it has given me the opportunity to meet so many women who are generous with their time and genuine in their intentions.

If you have been following this blog, I encourage you to check out Erin’s – I know I’ll be keeping a close watch!

Erin Kraebber joined the UAB Athletics staff in 2016 as Associate Athletic Director for Marketing.  She is responsible for the operations of the sports marketing department including branding, advertising, in-game promotions, game production and community engagement. 

Kraebber joined the UAB staff following three years at the NCAA National Office. Working in the Championships Marketing, Broadcast and Alliances area,  Erin served as the primary liaison to NCAA Corporate Champions and Corporate Partners: AT&T, Infiniti, Lowes, Scott’s Miracle Grow, UPS and Werner Ladder. She developed fan engagement programs and assisted corporate partners in their activation of the NCAA platform at key events including Men’s College Cup, Women’s Volleyball Championship, Men’s Final Four, Women’s Final Four and Women’s College World Series. 

Prior to moving to the NCAA National Office, Kraebber served as the Director of Marketing at Bradley University from 2010 to 2013 and the Assistant Director of Promotions and Advertising at Purdue University from 2006 to 2010.

A two-time Purdue University graduate, Kraebber earned a bachelor’s degree in management in 2004 and master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2006. She is a board member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators and has been recognized with several national awards for her successful marketing efforts.

Erin is also the creator of Her Generation Project, a site focused on connecting mothers of daughters with other mothers of daughters to build a network of #GirlMoms.  Her Generation Project was recently recognized as one of the “33 Best Mom Blogs You Haven’t Read Yet” by the Stay Sane Mom.

A native of Oshkosh, Wis., she resides in Hoover, Alabama with her husband Karl and daughters Allyson and Hadley.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities with UAB Athletics?

In my role as Associate Athletics Director of Marketing, I have oversight over a variety of different operational elements within the UAB Athletics department. I am responsible for the branding, advertising and ticketing strategy that directly impacts how we position our program in the community and on campus. My team works to determine advertising campaigns, creative concepts, sales opportunities, ticket packages, fan experiences, community engagement, campus engagement and more. I determine how our budget is allocated to reach our ticket sales, event attendance and fan engagement goals.

My marketing team also manages the live event operations for our 8 ticketed sports (football, volleyball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball). I have direct oversight of every piece of the fan experience for football and men’s basketball, and oversee the two staff members handling this for the other six programs. This is everything from the music that gets played to the use of band and cheer to fireworks, to fun contests for fans during the games and the scripting of the game for the announcer.

What sort of daily or weekly routines have you established to keep your family on track?

Now that the girls are both in elementary school and very close to the same daily schedule, this has gotten a lot easier to manage. My husband is a major piece of this puzzle and we have a pretty set routine we try to stick to on the school days. Luckily we both have somewhat flexible schedules (on average) and aren’t racing around as much these days. We also use a shared Google calendar for everything for all of us – this includes game days, the kids’ school events, their sports, work travel, etc…

Our girls wake at 6:15 AM and I do the dressing while Dad does breakfast and packs lunches (we have one that straight up refuses school lunch). Breakfast at our house is a microwave Eggo product of some kind or peanut butter toast. After breakfast they do teeth and hair brushing while I close up backpacks. They are out the door for the bus to arrive at 6:50 AM. It’s quick but we find that giving them the minimal amount of time works best. This way, they can’t ask for playtime or expect to watch TV before school. Once they are out, I get myself going and to work by 8:30 AM. I am not an early morning person at all!

After school its much of the same. If I do not have an event, I try to get home by 5:45 PM and my husband usually is about the same or earlier. We try our best for no work between the time we leave the office and the kids go to bed. Dinnertime is critical family time for us. My husband does all the cooking. ALL THE COOKING. Every dinner we go around the table and share about our day.

After dinner we go through backpacks and try to do as much as we can to be ready for the next day. They both now have activities –  so it’s dance two nights every week and then volleyball is seasonal. I typically do all things related to dance and try to pick days for activities that align with our schedules the best. On those nights we might just meet out for dinner and everything does get a bit rushed.

Once the kids go to bed, I’m back on my laptop; creating game scripts, working on graphics, sending emails and getting myself prepped for the next day. Often times, I have so many meeting during the work day that I feel like I get nothing done. My husband often hates it that I work late at night but I just haven’t figured out another way to be more efficient during the day hours. I don’t like to feel the stress of unfinished projects and deadlines weighing me down. I also enjoy the quiet of my home to do work at night from the comfort of my couch.

If it’s an event night for me, their routine doesn’t change but it is all on Dad to execute. I get home when I get home and catch up with them in the morning to do it over again.  Weekends are different and a toss up as to how much family time we get.

How do you integrate your girls into your busy sports lifestyle?

Honestly, they just don’t know any other way. They were born into it and have always been around college sports. Their grandparents are highly involved at our alma mater (My husband is a 3rd generation Boilermaker – which is also where we met) so they have a love of all things Purdue and know a lot about the different sports. My husband and I both love sports, so naturally it’s on a lot at home and they are big Purdue, Wisconsin, UAB, and Packer fans. They also pick up random teams based on wins, jersey color and mascot.

But on a more serious note, they don’t always get integrated. We have learned that it’s best for them not to really see me at games. They know when they come to football or basketball, Mom can wave but they can’t really come down to the score table/field and spend time with me. I can’t do my job and keep track of them at the same time. It caused issues when they were younger and didn’t understand “Mommy is working” so sometimes they just didn’t come. Now that they are older they like being fans but coming to games that start at their school day bedtime is not an option.

As they get older, they do want to come to more, and they will ask to go to weekend events to help. If my husband is out of town or just one of them wants to come, they are good enough to entertain themselves or be helpful to me while Im working. They like handing out programs or rolling posters. I really don’t let them around the sidelines, be ball kids or anything like that. I probably could but I just don’t want them taking away a spot for a fan or getting too much special treatment.

My staff becomes part of our family so people I work closest with are really great to my kids and my kids enjoy seeing them more than me most of the time!

The sports industry, and in particular collegiate athletics, is notorious for its demanding schedule and long hours.  As a leader in your organization, how would you suggest women and/or parents approach the subject of flexibility with their supervisors?

This is a tough one because every organization has its own culture and cycles of demanding times. I’m a proponent of flexibility for all employees, not just those with kids. It’s tough when you are just starting out in a career to make any type of demands but I think with experience comes more flexibility.

You learn how you work best and can create a system that allows you to get your work done and still do the other things that are important to you. The best piece of advice I can give is to be honest and realistic with your asks for flexibility. I didn’t start out saying I refuse to work from 5:00 – 8:30 PM on school nights, but that has evolved over time because I have shown I am someone that gets work done and that family time is important. Start with the things that are the most important and show that you can fulfill your responsibility to earn flexibility.

You also need a really good support system to parent in this career. I could not do this without my husband and his flexible schedule and the help of neighbors, babysitters, co-workers, etc… Our closest family is over 400 miles away so it’s not easy. When a kid gets sick, or has an appointment during the day, or an activity at school they want you to be a part of, we have to find a way to make it work. I have to ask for help and support when it’s important to me. As a supervisor, my staff knows this stuff is important to me and I know what’s important to them. We can advocate for each other.

What motivates you to continue to pursue your career in sports?

I really seem to gravitate towards challenging positions. I enjoy the process of building/rebuilding, so seeing small successes over time is fulfilling. It is true that our jobs are easier and more enjoyable when our teams win but we have little to do with that.

I love the brand-building side of things and also watching the programs, individual athletes and members of my marketing team grow. The traditions and fan loyalty of college programs cannot be found everywhere. Those things are unique to college sports and I enjoy working hard to keep improving them.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’ve had a lot of memorable experiences over the years, but not much can compare to the re-birth of UAB Football in 2017. I came to UAB after the program was shut down in 2014, amid some major backlash from the community and a lot of local politics. The program was reinstated but still had 2 years with no games and not much of a team when I arrived. Coach Clark stayed and a lot of people worked tirelessly to build a new brand and a totally new identity for UAB football. We shattered every record from a ticket sales, attendance, national media, on-field performance standpoint that had ever existed for UAB and Conference USA.

Watching what this team has done for the community and the brand of UAB as an institution has been amazing. No one believed it but those of us working on it from the inside. The team was picked to finish dead last in all of college football in 2017, went on to a program best season until just this year when we went 10-3 and won the program’s first conference title in just its 2nd year back. It’s a truly amazing story and I have no doubt it will be made into a movie someday.

Outside of work, you also run, author and maintain the Her Generation Project website/blog. Can you tell us more about what lead you to create this site and what you hope it can provide to other parents?

I launched this passion project in March of 2018 as a result of some conversations with other mothers I spend time with – when I do have the time to spare. We are all mothers with daughters, going through different struggles on how to do “the right thing” as parents. Kids are growing up in a much different world these days!

The more I listened, I learned that all moms, no matter what they do or how they parent, are struggling with something. We all want to know that there is someone out there that can relate to our insecurities and tell us it’s all going to work out. To tell us they have been there and we aren’t going to screw our kids up for life. It’s a legit fear!

The website itself is a blog based repository of stories and experiences targeted at mothers of daughters. Its real life situations and how I or another mother has handled them. A blueprint of sorts that a mom can read and take pieces from and apply it to her own situation. It covers a variety of age groups and some things are light-hearted and fun and others are more serious.

The other component, and the most special I think is the social network that goes with it. Readers are invited to join the Project Network which is a closed Facebook group of moms that share advice, seek feedback, answer questions and more. It’s a safe space for judgement-free conversation with the goal of easing fears and connecting to moms in similar situations. It’s about real life things and nothing is off-limits.

I hope to push out quality content that is relatable for parents. To let them know that it’s all going to be okay and that they are doing a good job – whatever that looks like for them and their current situation. I want to grow this network to give Moms a place to come to for honest feedback from other Moms that are doing it in real time.  They can take a little bit from everyone in the group and find something that will work for them. There is no one way or best way to parent and that is absolutely okay.

If anyone would like to join the Her Generation Project community, how should they get in touch with you?

The Her Generation Project Network is a closed Facebook group but access is available to any Facebook member that would like to join. The page can be searched and is also linked directly from the Her Generation Project website or the Her Generation Project Facebook account. When you request to join the page via Facebook, you will be prompted to answer a couple of questions about yourself. I field all the requests and typically get them processed in less than 24 hours.

The closed group is really where the networking and real conversations happen. Its a judgement free zone where members are invited to post comments, share experiences and ask for advice on any parenting topic. No matter what it is, silly or serious, chances are very good that someone in this great group of ladies has been there and done that. If a member is ever uncomfortable asking a question or sharing feedback under their own name, they are welcome to use the messaging feature to send it to the Her Generation Project account and it will be posted anonymously on their behalf.

You can also follow along on the public Facebook page or on our Instagram Account (@hergenerationproject).

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SPORTS BIZ MOM KEYS TO THE GAME:

  1. Use routines to help keep your family on track – Control what you can to limit surprises. Eliminate distractions in the morning, make your lunch the night before, pick out your clothes before you go to bed, etc. – your kids wil take comfort in knowing what to expect and you will all get out the door in a less chaotic form.
  2. Fulfill your responsibility to earn your flexibility – Life happens and we all want to work for an organization that respects our time outside of the office. Prove that your work and word is reliable before you need the flexibility and you’re much more likely to receive it.
  3. Build a support system and don’t be afraid to ask it for help – Whether it’s a spouse, grandparents, a back-up babysitter, or even your co-workers – you’re going to need some help to take care of your family every once in awhile in this business. Your toddler will undoubtedly come down with pink eye the week of your team’s big rivalry game. Make sure you have a plan with your village AND your boss to before you’re all quarantined.