You Betcha She Did! Life Advice, Business Tips for Rad Women Entrepreneurs, Leaders, Coaches and

67 | Shaping the Future of Sports PR and What Its Really Like to Work With Professional Athletes

• Ladies First Digital Media Company • Season 4 • Episode 67

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to not just survive, but thrive, in a male-dominated industry like sports? Meet Chellee Siewert, the powerhouse founder and owner of Capture Sports and Entertainment, who is stirring up the industry with her unique approach to PR. Chellee invites us into her world in this episode, offering a raw and real account of her journey, from her roots in the nonprofit sector to launching her venture in sports PR. She gives us a glimpse into her experience as a woman in this field, sharing her wisdom for those who dare to break the mold.

Fasten your seat belts as we shift gears into the adrenaline-charged realm of sports and entertainment. Chellee illuminates how her firm works hand-in-hand with athletes to craft campaigns that go beyond endorsements, making a tangible impact. We explore the pivotal role of trust in athlete representation and get an inside look at the groundbreaking campaign "Yards for Shoes". And the cherry on top? We also peek behind the scenes of their inspiring podcast, "Athletes Doing Good". Don't miss out on this treasure trove of insights from a woman who is truly playing in the big leagues. Don't forget to check out the show notes for links to Chellee's inspiring work!

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Speaker 1:

Did she really do that? You, betcha, she did. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of you, Betcha, she Did. The podcasts were female entrepreneurs, changemakers and leaders, especially from Wisconsin, share their wit and wisdom. I'm your host, Reena Rikiki. Today I have Shelly Seward in the house and she is the owner and founder of Capture Sports and Entertainment.

Speaker 1:

It's a PR firm based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and for over 10 years, Shelly has used her talent and experience to help professional athletes, coaches and teams impact lives. She has worked with some big name players guys. She's worked with NFL legends like JJ Watt, Aaron Rodgers and Mike Evans. She's worked with the Milwaukee Bucks Olympic gold medalist April Ross and many more. She specializes in running nonprofits, hosting fundraising events and digital campaigns, and she's also grown her company from a one woman show to a team of 20 plus. In addition, she also has her own podcast called Athletes Doing Good, which was recently relaunched. We are really excited to have her on the show, especially for someone who's in such a male dominated industry. She's a perfect example of someone who, you know, did what she needed to do. You betcha, she did, Shelly welcome to the show.

Speaker 1:

Thanks, so much for having me Appreciate it. Yeah, I'm excited to have you here, so tell us a little bit first about the journey and also the inspiration behind founding Capture Sports and Entertainment. Like how did, how did it come about? Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

My background is in the nonprofit world. Growing up in the family, making impact was was something that was just instilled in us through volunteering, through all of the different things that my, that my parents had done and so knew I always wanted to make an impact in subway shape or form, and so, upon graduating from college, I went to work about 12, 13 years in the nonprofit space and for for me, because of the nonprofits that I worked with that were really truly run like a business it, it really gave me so many of the skills needed to be able to start my own company down the road. So, following, you know, working in the nonprofit, I did a couple of years, four or five years, as association management and then went and worked for a sports team and was their vice president of marketing and then also started their foundation. And so you know that kind of journey led me to it was just over 12 years ago of starting Capture Sports and Entertainment.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. So did you always have an interest in the sports world or did that come about when you started working for that sports?

Speaker 2:

No, sports have been ingrained in us since we were little. We're a big, big sports family, you know. So I think it's yes, I wanted to do something in sports. I just didn't know exactly where that fit would be truly until after working in a sports team, and for me, because of the age that my kids were at the time, it just wasn't conducive for my family life, and so that's really was kind of one of the big impetuses for me starting my own foundation or actually starting my own company. I come from a very entrepreneurial family. My grandpa started four small businesses in his lifetime. My grandma had her own business, which you know very recently happened.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, recently happened. What do you think of the time?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, at 98 years, you know, 98 years old. She recently passed, and for her I kind of always thought it was normal for women to own businesses. What?

Speaker 1:

a great role model.

Speaker 2:

You know, growing up she so was, and you know, I think when I went to start my own, you know it was interesting seeing the reactions of everybody. Like my dad was like you'll never work harder. You know it's going to be so fulfilling. You know you can. You can manage it how you want. My mom was a little bit more like. Did you see us grow up?

Speaker 2:

You know you grew up in a small business and it's a little more challenging. But my grandma was like you know what, shelley, she's. Like you, say yes, you can figure it out. Like you know, say yes to opportunities that come your way. I promise you you'll figure it out. And so I really took her words of wisdom with me through this journey.

Speaker 1:

Wow, I really was in your family blood, you know, to go down this entrepreneurial kind of nonprofit world. That's super cool. That's definitely not. You know everybody's experience.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, my younger brother actually started his own company about a year and a half after I did, and my cousin has his own company, so it's it's awesome to have them to be able to talk with, to be able to bounce ideas off with. You know, particularly during COVID that you know the three of us were like hey what are you?

Speaker 2:

doing? How are you handling it? How are you managing it? What, what is your account saying? What am I going to say? You know to be able to go through it, so I'm very fortunate to have them as as sounding boards.

Speaker 1:

Talk to us a little bit about your experience, you know, being a woman in a pretty male dominated industry. How have you navigated that and do you have any advice for others?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know what it's. It's unique, I'll give you that. But I always just say, if you are able to Do your best work, say what you do. What you say you're gonna do, you're gonna gain the respect for it. Don't let the challenges that are inevitably there stop you. You know, just be able to, to figure it out, and you're gonna do some things differently than your male counterparts, and that's okay. So for me it's. I try not to dwell on that. Quite honestly. I try, you know, try to instead figure out ways that we can showcase.

Speaker 1:

The differences and maybe use them even as advantages. Right, you're like I'm not doing it the same, but it might be correct 100%.

Speaker 2:

yeah, yeah, I often say, like you know, we, our business model is different. We just do things a different way, and When's that wrong, when's that right it's, it's just different. Okay, that's good.

Speaker 1:

I like that. It's a good approach. You know, find your own pathway as you as you go out. Well, you've had the opportunity to work with some prominent figures in the sports world. What are some key lessons or experiences that have shaped your approach to this work, and how do you? How does one even begin to contact someone who's a higher level star?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think you know for me, when I started capture, my original business plan was actually to be working more in the corporate space and working on the cause marketing Campaigns within, within the corporate space. I think there's two things that really shaped me and pushed me into more of the sports we're all. One was when I was at the sports team. I had the opportunity to Bring in Aaron Rogers to the sports team and have him meet a little boy who was battling cancer. I was so radioactive the night before that he slept with a piece of metal between him and his mom and came in from New York and Saw that interaction and and obviously Jack was very, very impacted by Aaron. But on the flip side, I saw how impacted Aaron was by Jack.

Speaker 2:

You know I can clearly remember sitting in the locker room and introducing the two of them and they're playing with some of the stuff that that's Jack brought for Aaron and it was time to go out on the field and and Aaron's response was I would just, I Would rather stay in here and play with Jack then then to go out there and do that, and Aaron had Jack on, hit the Wheaties box with him when he was on Wheaties and stayed in touch with with the family and with Jack until he passed, and even stayed in touch with the family following yet, and so it was, though like that was one of the moments of like these guys are, and women Athletes are just as impacted as the kiddos are, and so how do we keep doing that so that they want to continue To use the platform to do good? So that was like something right before I left that really really stuck with me, and then, a couple months after I had started capture, I was very, very blessed in the fact that I was introduced to Connie watch, aj and Derek and TJ's mom Twice in a week by two different people, just through the networking that I had done over the years, and that really started. He was our first athlete client as as capture, and so that really started us kind of down Down at the path, and so I think it's as long as you treat them like they're human. My funny line is like they eat, sleep and poop like the rest of us you know, they really do.

Speaker 2:

And so, as long as you treat them Like they're human yes, they happen to play a sport that they're getting paid a ton of money up. Yes, they Are very, very out there and people idolize them and they do that, but they're still human, like there's things that still impact them, whether it is, you know, the charity work that they're doing or what people say about them on social media or how people interact with them like they're still human. So, as long as you can treat them as such with the respect that they deserve, but treat them like they're human, I think that has been something that has helped build the relationships and and build that that trust with them. And so for us, it was building. Our clientele wasn't Wasn't as much as us going out and recruiting and trying to get, you know, get these individuals. It was more of Building those relationships and building those trusts so that other people Referred them to us. We, you know we get referrals from a lot of different sources, and so for us, it's been maintaining those relationships to be able to, to get the referrals.

Speaker 2:

Athletes have so many people coming at them that want something, I bet, yes, and so, you know, being able to, you know, build that trust, to be able to be in, you know, their inner circle of trust, is something that Does take time and it does. It does, you know, managing the relationships, because there is a lot of people around them and there's a lot more people that are trying to get around them, and so just being respectful of of their time, having great communication with the others that are part of their team so that everybody's on the same page, to be able to make it the easiest for the athlete and, in our realm of you know, philanthropy, and then also in helping them build their personal brands with digital. It's just, it's making it fun and impactful for them so that they want to come back and do it again.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so let's dive into that a little more. So in your peer, our company captures sports and entertainment, so you guys represent athletes, but then you also represent companies, right? Am I correct? Like, can you explain how it works? Yeah?

Speaker 2:

so we're not a marketing agent, we're not a financial agent. So in representing, we don't represent them in those ways. We partner with them on either their philanthropic impact or we partner with them on building out their personal brand or their social media strategies. And so for us, it is. We're working with their marketing agent to be able to, you know, incorporate something for the foundation or something for philanthropy into their current marketing deals. We're creating campaigns that are going to be season long campaigns based upon something that's authentic to the athlete, that can then, you know, help build the brand. And so a lot of, a lot of our campaigns or their events, it has obviously the athlete involved, it has a cause involved, it has the media or social media involved and then, a lot of times, it has a company involved in order to be able to help with their funding.

Speaker 2:

So I'll give you an example we learned from conversations with Aaron Jones family that Mr and Mrs Jones, often when Aaron and his twin brother, elvin were playing sports when they were younger, they would often donate a pair of shoes or multiple pairs of shoes, through the coach, to kids on their team that they knew needed a new pair of shoes. You know, fast forward to now. Aaron loves shoes and so we took that story, that was something that was ingrained in them, something very authentic to them, and we created a yards for shoes campaign. So for every yard that Aaron rushes during a season, a pair of shoes is donated to a child in need. And so for us, like that campaign, it's, you know, creating creating the logo for that campaign, it's getting a corporate partner to help underwrite that campaign. It is having a big kickoff launch event where, you know, the kids are wearing yards for shoes t-shirts.

Speaker 2:

The media is involved, the, you know Aaron was there to be able to do it. We had a couple of kids have their, you know, races for, you know, to be able to wear a pair of shoes, to be able to tie it. But then we also did, you know, a large thermometer so that every single week the kids could color in how many yards he rushed for that week. So for us, that gave us a social component that we could have pictures of the kids coloring it in. We could have video of them that every single week.

Speaker 2:

Then we did an update on social media. To that further tied, the company that was sponsoring gave an update and then, once the season was over. So this past May we were able to distribute 1,025 pairs of shoes across the state of Wisconsin. But for us it was working with working with the school counselors to for them to identify kids that really needed the shoes. It was getting the kids size for their shoes. It was, you know, having having that celebration where the shoes are handed out but that each kid had a box that had their name on it, and for a lot of these kids it was the first time that they had gotten a new pair of shoes with it.

Speaker 1:

I love that example was great. It really kind of helped me understand how everything works at Capture Sports and Entertainment and I love that you tied it back into like the way he grew up and something that had started a long time ago and now it's continuing on. Let's take that and pivot it into your podcast Athletes doing good. How did that come about and how did that start? I mean, it's just something you naturally saw that, like you said, these athletes are human and they want to help people, and it was a natural progression. Or was there another way? No, it was.

Speaker 2:

it was simply that it was for us. So many times people, particularly in NFL, they have helmets on all the time, like they see them as the football player but they don't see them as the human, as the individual. And so for us, the whole purpose of Athletes Doing Good was to be able to show, really showcase, the individual behind the uniform, who they are off the court or off the field and what really what their why is and why they chose that, why. You know what has impacted them in their life that they chose, that made them choose to do good? What experiences have they had that really made an impact on them that made them want to go out and do more good in there? But for us, it was showcasing who they are behind the uniform.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but are there a couple episodes that are very memorable. That you're like.

Speaker 2:

If you're going to listen to my podcast, definitely check out this episode, Do you know what I love Cherry Star, you know, and Burt Star, so she has a special place in my heart, so hers is simply remarkable.

Speaker 2:

We've had the honor of having many, you know, high profile athletes on there.

Speaker 2:

I think you know being able to talk with Dwayne Wade prior to his Hall of Fame induction and just his thoughtfulness and his wisdom in sharing how and why he does things.

Speaker 2:

But I think we've also talked with other athletes that probably aren't as well known to individuals and their stories are just as captivating. You know to be able to share Wines that aren't as well known, you know are still very captivating, and then it and them sharing you know something that may have happened to them in their life and how they took that and they're now making a difference. And so I think that, yes, you know some of the really big names ones are fun to listen to. I also think that those are just as fun to hear and listen and because for us, you know within, within, like the whole, athletes doing good. You don't have to be a superstar athlete to do good to make it a best Like we've seen so many, you know club teams and middle school teams and high school kids, and they just had something happen to them and they decided to make or support a friend or do something that's gonna make an impact, and so we wanted to kind of be able to share that that field role.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that. I think that's true. I mean, everyone has a story to bring that it's gonna, you know, hit you in a different way and make you be inspired and remember it. So, yeah, it doesn't matter if you're a big star or someone who's just starting out, but there's something there, tangible, that you can grab onto. Well, a lot of the listeners of you Bet Ya, she Did are women in the entrepreneur space and or maybe people who want to be entrepreneurs and talk to us a little bit about what it's like to take a business from just yourself, you know, like a solo entrepreneur, to growing it to 20 plus people, especially if you have any. You know things you wish you would have known along the way that you learned.

Speaker 2:

I think one of the biggest things for me has been, you know, having my little village, having my mentor group, having those individuals that, both male and female, that I can bounce ideas off with, that I can share things. You know I said earlier that, you know, when I started Capture it was gonna be on the corporate side of things and my business plan was never to grow more than like three or four people, like just based upon. My kids were nine and 10 at the time. They were, you know, I wanted to make sure that I was dropping them off at school, I was picking them up, I would, you know I would work during soccer practice, I would work after hours, but I never intended it to grow even to the size that it is today. But it was probably, I don't know, maybe five years ago that one of my mentors that I was having lunch with. You know she said you know, shelley, you're working with some of the best of the best in the industry. Like, don't let fear of success hold you back. Like you can grow and you can expand this, your family's at a point in life that you know they're going after college. They can do that. You have it. And so it was really at that point is when we started the growth and being strategic with the growth.

Speaker 2:

You know it's a little bit of the like chicken or the egg which comes first in a lot of different times, but I think it's for me. I just relied so much on talking with others and that mentorship and trust your gut, I mean, so many times. I'm a huge data person, so I love to look at the data and where we are and what we're doing, but there's so many times that you just have to go back to like, trust your gut, like, is this right, is this not right? You know, how should we handle this, what should we do? So I think it's kind of combining all of that. You know, when I said I wanted to go out and my dad said you'll never work harder, he was spot on you will never work harder, it'll never be. You know, like, to me this is so fulfilling because of what we're able to do and the impact that we're able to make, and it's something that you know, 12 years later, I still love and so make sure you really like it.

Speaker 1:

That's true.

Speaker 2:

You're really gonna be digging in, so make sure you're passing it on, make sure you really like it and that you know you're at a position I go back to, like you know, being an owner, being an entrepreneur, it can get really lonely. And so I go back to that village of like there are others that are in this entrepreneurial world, that maybe in the same industry may not be, but they've lived it or they are living it and just to bounce ideas off of, and you know, sometimes just event, but to figure out you need to have that network, otherwise it's going to be really lonely.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, shelley, that's great advice. I can definitely hear you too. Right now I'm at the spot in my business where I just brought someone on part time. Otherwise, I've been a solo entrepreneur and I have kids who are seven and 10. So I definitely do the pickup and the drop off and so, yeah, I'm kind of at that stage where I want to grow a little bit, but I'm not ready to grow big, big right, because I just have fancy, know those other aspects. But it's I really love, yeah, when I find other female entrepreneurs or mentors and people to talk through things. It is so helpful.

Speaker 2:

So I'm right. Yes, and bringing on that first employee. It's a blot, I know.

Speaker 1:

You're kind of like should I do it? Should I not Like? Okay, here we go, here we go, Do it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean I can. I can clearly remember being in our first office and you like sitting. I was sitting on the floor, I was putting in desks together and our phone rang and I was like someone's calling, like who's calling? I'm sorry. You know, it's fun to think back. It's fun to think back to those times and to the growth, the growth times, and you have to be okay with making mistakes, like there is especially, you know, like in our world of events and that type of stuff, like there is no event that's going to be perfect, like that's just the reality of it. Sometimes you're dealing with masses of masses of people and you know what, within those masses, masses of people, there's going to be people, people that are not happy. They're just not happy in general and they're going to take it out on you.

Speaker 2:

Yes, totally For what I love is that if we have a great idea and we think that we can truly do it, then let's go do it and not be afraid that we're going to make a mistake, because inevitably there's going to be times when we make a mistake and we just, we just have to be okay with it. I mean, yes, you need to minimize, minimize the mistakes that are, you know, going to happen and do all that, but you have to be okay with that perfection.

Speaker 1:

Exactly. You'll never go anywhere if you're too focused on you know, being perfect and all those mistakes. Like I said, it's going to happen, it's inevitable, but it's a great learning opportunity. So take it as it comes and be like all right, what did I learn from this? What do we need to change for the next time there's?

Speaker 2:

so many learning opportunities and I think you know I think for us, especially early on, I was so set on perfection and I think it hindered me in some of that that we do really really good things with what we're doing. You know, things that I'm truly, truly proud of, and for us, if the consumers don't see any of any of the issues that we see behind the scenes, we've done our job. But there is going to be behind yeah, there is going to be behind the scenes issues that we're going to know about, that we're going to learn from.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, just try to have to bring them to the forefront.

Speaker 2:

We just don't want others to know and see about it, but I think, like that was just. That was something that I had to learn.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's a hard lesson to learn at first, but then you find that it becomes invaluable. Well, speaking of the future, and where do you think capture sports entertainment will be in five years, especially in this world of social media and online presence that keeps evolving?

Speaker 2:

You know what I think for us. We've had some opportunities in the entertainment space. So we recently were branded about a year, a year and a half ago now to add the entertainment to our name. So I do see us growing. You know, within, within that entertainment and music space, we've also had, you know, some really big growth in our digital and personal branding space.

Speaker 2:

Like you said, just with what social media is right now, individuals, in order for them to be able to, for the athletes to be able to capitalize, whether it's in NIL and the college space or in the professional space, in order for them to get endorsements, they have to have a great social presence. You know, brands and consumers they want to know who they are off the field, off the court, and so for us to be able to build out, I see I see a large growth opportunity within within that area as well. You know we'll always stay true to our core philanthropic space and that continues to grow and thrive as well. But I think being able to add to some some additional channels in the space of entertainment, and that personal branding is going to be, is going to be important for us.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that makes sense. That seems like a good area to keep expanding in. Well, shelly, thank you so much for being on the show. If you want to get in touch with Shelly or check out Capture Sports and Entertainment, or I would highly recommend checking out their podcast Athletes Doing Good, please check the show notes. I'll have links to all of those. As always, if you like what you're hearing on you, betcha, she did, don't forget to share it with a friend, a neighbor, a cousin, maybe your fellow sports fan. They might want to hear this episode. Right, as always, thanks for listening and take care.