Nelwater Sports Demo Service
Episode 64 is unique in the history of the show. Usually I have a detailed conversation with another sportscaster about their career, their story, and their path through this crazy industry. This time I recorded four conversations about the latest twist in my career, the decision to leave a full time job to move to a major market and chase higher level sportscasting work. The conversations are with my wife Sarah , CEO of STAA Jon Chelesnik, Owner of Barrett Sports Media and sportsradiopd.com Jason Barrett, and up and coming freelance broadcaster Brendan Gulick.
Topics Of Discussion With Sarah Anderson:
- When she understood that being with a sportscaster meant being willing to move.
- Her initial reaction to the idea of moving to a major market to be around more sportscasting opportunities.
- The most difficult part of the process of making our move.
- The difficulty of leaving our comfort zone.
- Why the timing is right for this move.
- Why she won’t be resentful for moving if things get hard.
- The prospect of going on a honeymoom and coming back homeless and unemployed.
Topics Of Discussion With Jon Chelesnik:
- Why and when he believes moving to a major market is a good idea.
- What the worst case scenario could be and what opportunities to expect upon arriving.
- Leveraging existing relationships to uncover opportunities.
- Weighing pros and cons of Denver vs the Twin Cities as destinations.
- How to uncover freelance opportunities.
- Overcoming my fears of inadequacy.
- Why a very supportive spouse or being single is key in making a move like this.
- Comparing this decision to jumping out of an airplane.
- Why talent trumps pedigree.
Topics Of Discussion With Jason Barrett:
- Weighing the pros and cons of Denver vs Minneapolis from a PD’s perspective.
- Being flexible and willing to take a step back to go forward.
- The importance of being in a PD’s backyard.
- What he likes and dislikes when it comes to cold calling PD’s.
- Why 10 good minutes of audio is the best way to craft a demo.
- Balancing being relentless and aggressive without being annoying.
Topics Of Discussion With Brendan Gulick:
- Why he made a decision to leave Minor League baseball to move to a big market.
- Finding freelance work to get a foot in the door with various companies.
- The most difficult part about finding freelance work.
- Handling financial challenges as a freelancer.
- The advantage of flexibility.
- Side hustles he’s had to do to pay the bills.
- Why he never looks back to judge decisions.
At the end I announce what market we finally decided to move to!
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