Expansion team launches always bring me back to my first experience in sports during the inaugural Minnesota Timberwolves season in 1989. As a fresh-faced rookie I had to learn the realities of the a new job, navigating the real world and learn the nuances of event production.
Luckily I was surrounded by a massive amount of sports marketing talent. The scrappy list of young up-and-comers who turned into the next generation sports leaders is long. Over a dozen people became VP-level executives or household names in sports including Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski, Wolves VP of Fan Experience Jeff Munneke, TNT Play-by-Play Icon Kevin Harlan, AEG President Shawn Hunter, Executive Director Cincinnati Reds Community Fund Charley Frank, Jason LaFrenz VP Marketing Wolves, Joe Levy, Steve Matson, Brendan Tinnen, Ron Minegar, Chris Wright, Scott Coleman and legendary sports marketing giant Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke.
This group was smart, daring and informed. They pushed the boundaries because it was how they were built… and they were young and hungry.
But there was an intense focus on fan experience. Staff was taught to make decisions in the moment for fans. Taught what was right, then empowered to do it without running every decision up the flag pole. Leiweke referred to these as “moments of truth“. Setting your compass and then doing right by your customers/fans based on your principals. He shared a book with staff (especially young dumb staff like me) about these moments and their impact.
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