The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast
The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast features advice and interviews about athlete branding. Learn how marketing, public relations and broadcasting can grow your athlete brand. We also have special episodes to talk about recent news, events and anything in the world of sports.
Episodes

Monday Aug 15, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Today’s guest is Katie Krall, Development Coach with the Boston Red Sox. Krall is in her first season in uniform and coaches 1st base, integrates data into player plans, oversees advance scouting and pitch design for the Red Sox AA affiliate the Portland Sea Dogs.
She spent two years with the Cincinnati Reds as a Baseball Operations Analyst developing and integrating new tools and technology to improve Baseball Operations decision making processes, provided comprehensive scouting coverage, and statistical request support to the front office.
Krall also previously worked for a year and a half at Major League Baseball in the Commissioner’s Office in New York City. She was the first female chosen for MLB’s inaugural Diversity Fellowship program, an initiative designed to promote women and people of color into front office executive roles. At the Commissioner’s Office, Krall advised Clubs on 40-man roster management, MLB rules and compliance, major league administration, and salary arbitration.
In 2016, Krall planned the World Series Trophy Tour for the Chicago Cubs. The following summer, she was an Assistant General Manager in the Cape Cod Baseball League. She received her B.A. from Northwestern University and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
In this episode:
Why her favorite athlete is Derek Jeter
Why she wears number 43
Katie talks about the advantage of growing up around baseball as a young child
The email that Katie received that inspired her role in diversity and fellowship program with Major League Baseball
Why Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe are her favorite female athletes
Katie shares her Title IX story about “the girls who does the stats”
Advice for young girls and female athletes and why it is important to call out the mistreatment
An inspiring story about Katie shares her “Disney Princess moment” connecting with a young girl and the impression it made on her
Katie’s goals in the future of her career
The growth of baseball analytics and how she is a beneficiary of her time
How she is sharing baseball analytics and insight in-game information to players
Katie explains how about 70% of Sea Dogs players use baseball analytics
Katie shares her pandemic story and how she was pliable in her career
The role of video in baseball analytics, including showing players and pitchers exact release points
Katie’s advice for today’s athletes who want to play professional sports
Katie shares the best time for young kids to come meet her at a Sea Dogs game
Katie Krall takes a photo with female athletes after a Portland Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field.
Show links:
The Life You Imagine: Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams
https://www.amazon.com/Life-You-Imagine-Lessons-Achieving/dp/0609807188/ref=asc_df_0609807188/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312174487654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15144140485110219579&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002628&hvtargid=pla-569506446429&psc=1
Northwestern
https://www.northwestern.edu/
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
https://www.chicagobooth.edu/
Boston Red Sox
https://www.mlb.com/redsox
Portland Sea Dogs
https://www.milb.com/portland
Richard Anderson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-anderson-a9b445b2/
Pliable Athlete Branding
https://www.pliablemarketing.com/athlete
Connect with Katie
Katie Krall
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-krall-911170195/

Monday Jul 11, 2022
Why personal branding is become more popular with athletes
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
In this episode, we’re talking about marketing and media results with Lewis Schenk, an Australia-based entrepreneur and founder of three companies, including Boost Media Agency. He has been privileged to work with over 1,000 business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them build their brand and strengthen their online presence.
When it comes to athletes and name, image and likeness opportunities, many of them start an entrepreneurial journey and start to market themselves and build their online presence, so this will be a great conversation for athletes to hear.
In this episode:
Lewis talks about the growth and popularity of personal branding
Why personal branding works really well for professional golfers
Why social media influencers are paying more attention to personal branding
Lewis talks about why more people are seeing the value in building their own personal brand
Greg talks about the opportunity for college athletes to leverage name, image and likeness opportunities
Lewis talks about his favorite athletes growing up in Australia
Greg and Lewis talk about the importance of storytelling in public relations
Lewis talks about what his business does and how he gets people in the media for free
Advice for people and business who want publicity
Show links
Boost Media Agency
www.boostmediaagency.com
Pliable Athlete Branding Playbook
https://www.pliablemarketing.com/athlete
Connect with Lewis
Instagram
@lewisschenk

Sunday Jul 03, 2022
NIL Opportunities for College Athletes: Advice from Mckenna Haz of SEAAV
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
Sunday Jul 03, 2022
In this episode, we’re talking about NIL opportunities and athlete branding with recent college graduate and now business owner, McKenna Haz. Mckenna had great rugby career at Quinnipiac and used her athlete brand to build her company SEAAV.
Mckenna has always considered the ocean her home. At the age of just 12, she noticed the damaging effects of plastic and trash and knew she wanted to make a difference. In college, her combined love of fitness, fashion, and (of course) the ocean came together to make SEAAV.
Mckenna knew she wanted to take the route of transparency and thoughtful production to create clothing you can feel good about every step of the way. SEAAV treats workers fairly, utilizes eco-friendly packaging and materials made from recycled plastics, and plants a tree for each shipment. In fact, each purchase you make removes 1 pound of plastic from the ocean!
With more responsibly made products to come and constant innovation, SEAAV strives to make waves — in our oceans and the fashion industry
In this episode:
Mckenna’s experience at Quinnipiac University, including playing women’s rugby
Why Mckenna thought she might go into sports broadcasting
How an entrepreneurship class led to her starting her company
Mckenna talks about how being an athlete helped her travel the world
Name, image and likeness opportunities for athletes and why Mckenna started her LinkedIn page when she was in 9th grade
McKenna talks about her company’s mission and brand differentiators in the sustainable clothing industry
The latest types of clothing from SEAAV and what’s next, including swimwear
The impact of the mission driven ambassadors and the importance of protesting the outdoors
Mckenna talks about her mentors, including from the Quinnipiac Business School
Mckenna talks about being a college student during COVID-19
Greg and Mckenna talk about NIL opportunities for college athletes and the SEAAV ambassador program, including how athletes can build their brand and make commission on SEAAV clothing sales
Advice from Mckenna for today’s athlete, including building brand relationships
How to become a SEAAV brand ambassador
Show links:
SEAAV Athletics
https://seaavathletics.com/
Quinnipiac Business School
https://www.qu.edu/schools/business/
Pliable Athlete Branding
https://www.pliablemarketing.com/athlete
Connect with Mckenna
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckennahaz/
Instagram and Facebook: @seaavision

Tuesday May 24, 2022
Tuesday May 24, 2022
In this episode, we’re talking about scouting and playing professional baseball.
Today’s guest is the perfect person to talk to because as we say in the business, he has been there and done that. Todd Blyleven pitched seven seasons in the minor leagues, reaching AA, then scouted. He is the son of Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven.
Todd Blyleven went to the California Angels in the 39th round of the 1990 amateur draft out of high school. He has more than 40 years of MLB experience and has signed more than 25 MLB players to contracts.
In this episode:
Todd talks about growing up and learning from a wide range of baseball all-stars, Cal Ripken, Ozzie Smith and Albert Pujols.
Todd talks about some his favorite athletes growing up, Kirby Puckett, Tom Brunansky and Terry Bradshaw
Todd talks about the transition after playing professional baseball
Tommy Davis and Donny Roland helped shaped Todd’s view on scouting
The impact Tony Armond of Shock Doctor Sports had on Todd’s life.
Todd’s work with Major League Baseball and growth of baseball analytics.
Why Todd started his company, The Scout Hub and what it does to help athletes and families.
Todd shares the concept behind the Athlete Resume.
Embracing the brand of Bert Blyleven and how Todd benefited from his dad’s brand
The importance of a positive brand image on the web and how it can benefit the athlete in the recruiting and college admissions process.
How Todd saved lives at the Madalay Bay mass shooting in Nevada in 2017.
Todd talks about PTSD and the importance of getting help with experiencing traumatic events
Why Todd is passionate about the importance EMDR
The next big thing that Todd is working on and what’s next for the Scout Hub.
Advice for today’s athletes about working on their deficiencies rather than comparing themselves to others.
Why being a student of the game is so important and why it is important to have fun.
Episode links:
The Scout Hub
https://www.thescouthub.com/
The Athlete Resume
https://www.thescouthub.com/the-athlete-resume
Pliable’s Athlete Branding Playbook
https://pliablemarketing.com/athlete
Todd Blyleven
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=blylev001tod
Bert Blyleven
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blylebe01.shtml
Directory of EMDR therapists
https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/