i’ve felt quite emotional this week thinking about the last few months of pact sport. it’s brought new challenges, lessons, opportunities and experiences but mostly, it’s just brought me immense pride and joy.

i feel in control. i feel like, maybe, I am quite good at what I do. I am more than capable. I am adding value and impact, just as I set out to do.

so come with me as I summarise my week as a woman working in sport before looking ahead to what next week brings.

and thank you. for caring, for trusting me with precious projects, for sending me words of encouragement. all of it means the world.

let’s go

⚡️ what’s new in pact sport?

this week I started a new contract working with an agency I have admired for years - 17 to be exact - supporting them to deliver brand activations in motorsport. they are at the top of their game in the work they are delivering, so it’s brilliant to be in the mix.

✏️ this week’s lesson

workshops and on-the-sport brainstorming deliver some of the best ideas and solutions. earlier today, the team had an inspiring workshop and I know the outputs are going to be wicked. watch this space 👀

🧘🏻 next week’s focus

big delivery week for my awesome football project, getting stuck into some strategic territories - I am SUPER excited about how it’s all coming together.

i am also supporting an agency I’ve been working with over the last few months with some new biz bits. as partners, we’re looking at 2 for 2 on the pitch success rate,

as if that weren’t enough, i am building an approach for a very cool project in rugby and of course, I will be getting stuck in with the new agency

guys and gals, I am PUMPED.

🧐 thought of the week

two things I question now when building out a brand identity:

1. can you wear it?

2. can you share it?

🦄 piquing in the world of sports brand and marketing

read this brilliant piece from Zara Khan on the thought-provoking and industry-challenging response from shirt sponsor Aguila as they tackle rising and out-of-reach kit costs.

A snippet from Zara’s piece “Colombia’s new national team shirt reportedly costs around $150. Estimates suggest that’s close to 25% of the country’s average monthly income, putting it out of reach for many supporters. Águila’s response was simple.The bigger the sponsor logo fans were willing to wear, the less they paid for the shirt. The largest logo reduced the price to around $20.”

basketball is up-and-coming (again)

the 2nd most played sport in the UK and yet the most untapped and undervalued. It continues to baffle me. but, momentum is building and it’s up to us as an industry to make sure the growth sticks this time:

🏀 London Lions have become the first British club to face an NBA team - playing against Portland Trail Blazers on the 12th of October

🏀 rumour has it, Battersea Power Station is being considered as a potential arena for a London NBA Franchise, as the NBA Europe League continues to evolve

🏀 London Lions (what aren’t they doing, seriously!) become the first British pro club to wear Nike’s Jordan brand

🏀 Knicks superstar OG Anunoby hit London’s shores to support the growth of the game in the capital as well as pledge funding for new courts in Camden

🏀 basketball got a spot at the London Sports Festival, building a 3x3 basketball court in Paternoster Square and inviting those of all skillsets to explore the game.

🏀 Manchester Basketball opens their brand new court in Cringle Park

⚡️ what’s new in pact sport?

I am back from two weeks of ‘leave’ and straight into catching up, getting ahead and sorting a lot of admin and finances. No one in the freelance world ever mentions the amount of admin and economic knowledge you need to successfully run a business. I think I might write something on it to help anyone getting involved!

✏️ this week’s lesson

taking leave when you’re a freelancer requires a lot more pre-planning and discipline than I had, ironically, planned for

🧘🏻‍♀️next week’s focus

I’m deep in the throes of 1 of 2 flagship projects, so next week will see me finalising a few documents and starting on the next phase.

I also kick off flagship project 2 of 2. One I am VERY excited about, having manifested working with these guys for years. Hopefully I can update you more on that soon.

🐅 getting stacked

this week’s Substacks, ICYMI

🧡 The stage of grief I’d not prepared for: trying to explain it to my kids

🧡 What is leave when you’re a freelancer?

🧡 Sometimes the deep end is right where you need to start

and because I think it’s the most interesting Substack I’ve written, a reminder of this beauty: Brand: Sport’s most underrated asset

🦄 piquing in the world of sports brand and marketing

there has been some pretty epic Summer partnerships announced. My favourites so far:

Pinterest x Brighton and Hove Albion Women

Why it matters:

📍It’s a beautifully simple idea - “the best part of fandom is not just watching, it is doing”... that players and local communities give the club its energy

📍It celebrates the culture of women’s football through matchday style, creator collaborations, grassroots community moments and player storytelling

📍It’s strategically positioned to inspire the city and fans on the road to the new stadium, an organic meanwhile strategy as the future of the team is shaped through its new venue

📍 Solo shirt sponsor: That’s some epic exposure.

ECB x Take Her Lead x Metro Bank

Why it matters:

🏏 It focuses on the unsung heroes of cricket - volunteers, coaches and officials involved in women’s and girls’ recreational cricket across England and Wales

🏏 It will provide networking and professional development opportunities across 38 recreational cricket boards

🏏 The purpose is real: “strengthen the grassroots workforce supporting women’s and girls’ participation in cricket”

Brentford FC x Kingsman [Sir Matthew Vaughn]

Why it matters:

🎬 It continues the trend of using football kits as a fashion and cultural moment, pushing the game beyond it being just a sport

🎬 It’s authentic, with Sir Matthew Vaughn being the films director and a shareholder of the club. Unsurprisingly, Vaughn also directed the campaign

🎬 The navy and cream pinstripe shirt draws on the tailoring associated with Savile Row tailoring - a nod to the film and just endlessly classy

Dryrobe x Breast Cancer Now

Why it matters:

👙It raises awareness for the cancer most likely to affect women

👙For every Pink/Light Grey Dryrobe Advance sold, Dryrobe will donate £25 to the charity as well as giving you a £25 discount

👙It’s not just about sales of their Dryrobe, with the brand setting a range of challenges in aid of the charity, pledging at least £25,000 to support science and care (I assume the final amount will be based off of how many people get involved in the challenges).

Any others I’ve missed?

A bit of a change in my normal writing but I felt inspired to put words down regarding my dad and the ride I am currently on with my five-year-old as she navigates the realities of death for the first time.

It is, quite frankly, blowing her sweet and innocent mind.

And I definitely haven’t approached it perfectly.

To give you context, my dad and I had a complex relationship. I was raised mostly by my mum and stepdad, though I spent 50% of my time at my dad’s home. I don’t give him too much kudos for raising me beyond making me an adult far earlier than I deserved to be,

My dad was an alcoholic and battled addictions most of his adult life.

My childhood at his house consisted mostly of me being the parent, often hungry, often scared. Against all odds - as well as extensive therapy and moving to the other side of the world - I have emerged a strong woman determined not to let my childhood shape my adult life or my kids lives.

That being said, I also have a deep love for my dad and always will. We have some beautiful memories that I savour.

In 2016, I saw my dad and started healing the cracks. Little did I know this was goodbye for him and six months later I got a phone call that he’d passed away on a beach in Thailand. So reparation and navigating all that comes with being a next of kin commences.

I felt immense and overwhelming grief for many years. The heavy feeling only those who have lost a loved one can understand. Can’t breathe, can’t understand how life continues in this way. But as soon as I had children of my own, that grief turned to anger. I’m still processing this side of it.

Because of this, becasue she has an amazing grandfather in my stepdad and because I simply couldn’t see the benefit of her knowing about grandpa just yet, I hadn’t mentioned him to my girls.

But with family coming to visit us who felt very close to grandpa’s legacy, I needed to prepare her the best I could.

Little did I know, I was the one unprepared for how she’d respond. It’s been remarkably healing, darkly hilarious and a true reminder of how beautiful the childs brain is.

One day over breakfast I explained that my dad, not grandad but my biological dad -”we call him grandpa” - had died many years ago.

“What does dead mean mummy” (she 100% knows what it means, so it starts)

“It means they are no longer on our Earth but that they are up in the clouds looking after us”

“So grandpa is up in the clouds?”

“Yes darling”

[we leave breakfast and walk outside]

“OH NO MUMMY, THERE ARE NO CLOUDS”

well crap

“Sometimes we can’t see clouds darling” (🆘)

A few days later, out of the blue as kids so beautifully do, she told me how lucky I was to have two dads.

ahh, lovely

Then last week, sat across from each other doing some colouring, she looks me square in the eyes and says:

“Hey mummy, your dad’s dead”

That was it. Back to her colouring. Like WTAF.

She seems unphased but I actually think this is a child’s way of trying to comprehend it. It’s so fascinating. What I feel is out of the blue, has probably been perculating away in her mind for longer than I realise. What triggers these thoughts. How can I support this period or do I just leave her to it?

I assure you, I won’t be piling on my experiences, but celebrating that she has an angel in a grandpa.

It’s a stage of the grieving process I’d not prepared myself for and one I weirdly look forward to navigating as no doubt the questions and comments continue to come, before i approach it with my second-born in the coming years.

Next step is probably trying to get some photos of him up around the house…

No doubt, if you believe in the afterlife, dad is absolutely loving watching me approach this in the most hilarious and awkward way.

It’s not as though you’re not faced with days that are slower than normal or weeks with a break in work, when you are self-employed, but planned leave, when you have live projects, is definitely something.

I’ve just taken two weeks of ‘leave’. The first real break I have had since returning from mat leave last August (as if mat leave is a break). I had my brother, sis-in-law and nephews over from NZ, school holidays started, it was my husband and both daughters’ birthdays, so the break was always going to be busy and needed.

But I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to switching off from my business.

Best summarised as disconcerting, I’d say. You think you can stay engaged in your work a bit, but in reality, your mind is on the kids, family, domestic life or holiday plans you’ve made.

I told my live clients I was off, and they respected that. But I didn’t put in other steps to really switch off. That felt too early, too risky, too ‘not-what-you-do-when-you’re-a-business-owner,-you-should-be-ON-always’.

Unsurprisingly, I found little sense of relaxation. I was forcibly distracted because I was host to so many, including two boisterous wee lads alongside my wild girls. Still, my anxiety continually hovered overhead, knowing the work was waiting for me, that a moment of shutdown could mean work lost.

My brain just stopped working too. Every time I found a moment of ‘free time’ where I could do some work or engage in BD, nothing was there.

I made silly mistakes, fairly sure I have come across fairly thick to some and rushed to find solutions just to stay on top of things.

That being said, last week I was lucky enough to have bagged a client I have DREAMED of working with for years. It’s a dream project, with a sport I love, involving travel to a country I have always wanted to visit (is it bad I am just so excited for a flight without kids?!) and well, I am buzzing.

So it wasn’t all bad….as long as the silly mistakes, responses that weren’t very thought-through and slightly dizzy appearance haven’t made them question their decision.

Today I am officially back in action. My doors are open and my brain seems to have realised that. I have made a plan, I have focus and genuine excitement for the coming months with my AMAZING new project and my AMAZING ongoing project with a brilliant client, which will make a genuine impact.

I don’t know what the lesson is here. Do I be stricter with my leave - putting my out-of-office on, not responding, not doing anything? Do I continue trying to find the balance because if I had switched off, I’d have missed out on this DREAM project?

Do I realise this is the new norm and balance is simply different now and that’s OK?

Any tips from freelancers far more accustomed to this world, bring it on please!

You cannot be promoted until…

You cannot run an account or project on your own until…

You cannot be the only client services person in a board meeting with the CEO’s of the Premier League, The Football Association, The Football Foundation, Sport England and DCMS until…your boss decides the morning of that you should present even though you’re only a Client Manager, have only been doing this job three years, have only been in sport a couple of months, have only…have only…have only…have only gone and worn a fluffy gilet and skinny jeans today 😫

But Kristy, my boss, was sure that I was the person for the job (or she reallllly wasn’t keen to go, still not sure). She lent me her smart coat, I rustled out the pair of heels always lying in wait for a moment like this and I left the gilet firmly on the back of my chair.

Ladies, always have a paif of heels at the ready and NEVER wear a white fluffy gilet, ever.

That day, we just so happened to have one of the worst February snowstorms London had seen in decades, so my Design Director couldn’t make it in - for the design presentation - but my strategist joined, thank god.

So there I am, sat around a table with Jenny Price, Tracey Crouch, Martin Glenn, Richard Scudamore and Paul Thorogood, my strategist and a spider phone. Presenting some of the best and most impactful ideas I will ever work on, with the huge level of imposter syndrome feeling pretty fair.

The meeting was hard. The work was scrutinised and challenged, sometimes celebrated. I had to battle conversations I’d barely even been privy to, let alone navigated as the lead.

But I did it.

It will forever be one of the most monumental days in my career. Being thrown in the deep end has developed me quicker and better than any slow-and-steady training sessions or by following any level of career structure. I remember that day fondly and use it to give me the confidence to launch into the deep end any chance I get.

Forging a career, whether that be in sport or otherwise, shouldn’t feel easy. I’m not even sure you should want to be able to ‘leave it at the door’ all the time. The sense of achievement and pride you get when you push your limits and see the results is everything. Whether you push yourself or you require a bit of pushing (I still require a bit to this day), take the plunge. Year one or year 20.

‘Must not slip’ feat. Kristy’s coat, my saviour heels and the design portfolio (old school print days)

what’s new in pact sport?

last week I signed two new clients (yipeeee), which will allow me to work across some amazing tournaments, rights holders and activations, as well as dipping my toe back into the agency world.

this week’s lesson

a few weeks ago, I was quiet for the first time since going freelance. it was weird. I increased outreach, went and visited so many people, I got ahead on projects and focused on content. It was great. But. I also didn’t let myself rest or catch up or breathe. I didn’t really come up for air. And now, I am super busy again.

the highs are high, the lows are low. you’re busy or you’re not. enjoy every moment and plan it right.

next week’s focus

finishing off my contract with a great agency i’ve been supporting and getting my head stuck into some research on grassroots football - THE BEST. I am also going to try and structure my time a bit better to get more ‘me time’ in. a run, a workout, reading my book. not slacking but just 30mins - hour of me. no kids, no laptop. let’s give it a go.

piquing in the world of sports brand and marketing

it’s all about content this week

• All Blacks celebrating Will Jordan’s record - most test tries of all time (and he’s just getting started!)

  

• Beis x the stadium tote

  

• British Airways x Fly Norwegian (and all the banter that came with it)

• England feeling the love

• Greenpeace at Wimbledon (unofficially but vitally important)

• Brilliant article on ‘The Movement Class’ from

And to finish on a high, how monumental was that Putella’s announcement 👀 the brand London City Lionesses is creating right now, through its talent, its content, its merch and its experience, is f***ing iconic

You’ve been published, quoted and your thinking has shaped strategy, proposals, articles and panels. And yet somehow, none of it has your name against it.

The article that wasn’t mine to claim

I remember being asked to take author credit for a piece in Creative Review that had been written by one of my team. I had just been announced as a practice lead and so building a credible profile was the first step. When my teammate happened to write a piece within my practice industry, the marketing team jumped on it as a chance to continue growing my name in connection to the agency (I was already in full force creating a name for myself).

The piece was on a topic he was deeply passionate about. It was all his thinking and so much effort was put into it. But I was simply the more senior, more presentable name to attach to it.

I did push back because it just really didn’t sit right with me. As someone who’d built her own brand and fought her way into this industry off my own back, taking what could be someone’s first step into finding their thing was jarring. But when I realised it was my name or the article not being published, I called the team member directly and talked it through with him. He was gracious about it, which somehow made it worse. In the end, we towed the party line to just get it live.

To this day, I really wish I’d said no.

Another time, myself and four incredible teammates - all low to mid-level - delivered the best pitch I’ve ever delivered, to this day (and we won it). Senior leaders hadn’t given two hoots about the project until it looked like we were going to win. Enter, all the big-named hot-shots who suddenly appeared in meetings. Taking credit as our fearless leaders.

Thankfully, my clients saw through it.

I was reminded of these moments recently when someone I see as a future star (or perhaps already a star) of our industry told me one of her seniors had taken credit for some of her work in a pitch. A story we’ve all heard and one I have definitely lived. It seems in most organisations, credit flows upward by default, not by merit. It’s not usually malicious, simply business and thinking...

“Only seniors with experience can have authority”

I feel like this is where the issue starts. If you’ve only had a couple of years of experience, you surely can’t hold authority in opinion.

Even when it’s a more junior member writing the words or creating the solution, it’s being attributed to someone with ‘years and salary behind them’.

But authority shouldn’t be based on years served. Five years of having your work matter and attributed surely mean more than five years of creating for others just to gain five years ‘experience’ on paper.

That’s five years of a portfolio that should exist and doesn’t. It’s the gap between what you’ve actually contributed to your industry and what you can show for it when someone asks “so what have you published? What have you owned”? and you go quiet, mentally scrolling through a list of things you wrote that have someone else’s name on them.

Technically, you’ve been published, led a creative project or equivalent, but in reality you have nothing to prove it. It was the Creative Director who was credited in the press, it was the MD presenting as lead, it was the Head of Strategy claiming the breakthrough.

What changed it for me

The first time I felt like I had actually been credited was getting a piece into Campaign and featuring on BBC 5Live; both off the back of my LinkedIn writing and personal brand.

It wasn’t because of a PR agency, a junior writing an amazing piece of work for me to take credit for or because someone senior handed me the opportunity. It was because I had been showing up, consistently, under my own name, sharing my own thinking in my own words, resulting in people finding little-old-me.

A personal platform doesn’t just give you a place to post, it also gives you a paper trail. It gives you discoverability that doesn’t route through anyone else’s gatekeeping. Nobody can quietly swap your name out of a LinkedIn post the way they can swap it onto a press release.

Why this matters more than ever

Don’t get me wrong, I get the business theory of crediting. The belief that it will benefit from concentrated brand equity - fewer spokespeople, consistently named, will build recognition faster than twenty different names rotating through the press. More senior people adding authority to the work will get sign-off quicker, will result in fewer challenges. Reasonable for sure but one could argue, isn’t it better to show off your incredible deep and talented team in all its breadth and glory?

I also wonder what risk it carries too, especially when the named person actually has very little understanding or investment in what they’ve apparently delivered. Maybe it’s just me being a highly anxious, imposter syndrome-ridden woman who panics about being ‘found out’, but what happens when they’re called up to discuss on a panel or the radio? What if someone approaches them at an event to discuss it? Oooh, it makes me feel a bit sick just thinking about it.

There’s also a difference between a company choosing to platform its most senior voices and a company quietly appropriating the work of its most junior ones. The latter can quickly lead to eroded trust because eventually, the people doing the work start asking why they should keep doing it for someone else’s byline. And so they should.

That’s where a personal platform stops being a vanity project and starts being a form of protection. I don’t write for shits and giggles (often). I write so people know who I am, what I specialise in and to show my authority comes from a unique career where I’ve challenged the norm and rejected simply ‘biding my time’.

Building your personal brand and track record doesn’t require some huge plan. Just start.

You don’t need a content strategy or a personal branding consultant to start this. You need consistency and a willingness to put your thinking, in your voice, somewhere that belongs to you.

• Write the LinkedIn or Substack post about the campaign insight you had, before it becomes a line in someone else’s keynote

• Publish the take on your industry that’s currently living in your notes app (anyone else rely heavily on then notes app?)

• Say yes to the podcast, the panel and the quote request and do it under your own name, even if it feels smaller than the platform your company could offer

• And when you’re asked to hand over credit for something you made, pause before you agree. Ask what it actually costs you to say yes and whether you’d regret it in five years the way I still regret that byline

None of this is about ego; it’s about protecting your IP and setting yourself up for success from day one, not delaying it until you’ve done your time. Your career should be a true record of what you actually did, not a record of what was convenient for someone else to be seen doing.

Over to you

Every piece you write under your own name, every LinkedIn post or Substack article (obsessed with Substack right now), every case study you showcase or quote you give adds up to something far more powerful than a resume.

I was recently approached for a very senior role, which the recruiter openly admitted I wasn’t fully qualified for on paper, but because the MD followed my thinking on LinkedIn.

It showed how I thought, the work I’d done and the reputation I’d built across peers in the industry.

Take control of your narrative. Be recognised for your work. Don’t give it away.

so what is this? a weekly match report of life as a freelance sports brand and marketing strategist, muddling my way through and highlighting my learnings along the way, as well as the interesting sports brand and marketing news piquing my ears.

what’s new in pact sport?

the last couple of weeks have been focused on new biz, content and outreach. check out my Substack to see all the goings on, including:

• my first focused piece on brand, ‘Brand: Sports’ most underrated asset’. more to come in this series

• attending the Cadillac F1 x Tommy Hilfiger Silverstone launch

• reflecting on my 13 years in the UK

this week’s lesson

thankfully, this was something I read rather than a personal lesson but it stuck and is something I want to keep in mind. even when I worked for others, I was always proud to have partners over clients; people who’ve stuck by me, become friends, mentors, colleagues. as a freelancer, it’s weird not having someone to be accountable to. well, except yourself. so a natural thing is to look to the person paying your bills. not to be confused by paying your salary. you’re paying your salary.

next week’s focus

i have two projects kicking off next week plus a range of really exciting new biz opportunities. it’s shaping up to be a busy Summer alongside kids holidays, Kiwi visitors and general life.

piquing in the world of sports brand and marketing

to read

• Hark’s ‘The Fan Gap’ report: Based on 1,504 young people, this report maps where girls’ sport fandom drops off in the teenage years and what brands/rightsholders can do to close that gap. Essential reading for anyone building youth or female fan acquisition strategy.

• Women’s Sport Trust ‘Battle for Attention’ visibility report: Shows women’s sport engagement hit a new high in early 2026 with record watch time and streaming growth even as competition for attention intensifies, reinforcing that brands need an ecosystem play (athletes, leagues, broadcasters, creators) rather than one-off sponsorship moments.

to action

• Youth Sport Trust, Creating Movement That Matters: A case for embedding movement into the school day itself rather than treating PE/sport as a bolt-on, relevant to any brand marketing purpose around youth activation and wellbeing or parents and carers simply wanting better for their kids.

• Play England, More Play. Better Learning: Drawn from the latest Youth Sport Trust report, Play England makes the case for “play sufficiency”…meaning enough space, time and acceptance for self-directed play. The studies show that play drives wellbeing, attention and learning in schools, rather than distracting from it; a strong evidence base for brands wanting to position around grassroots/community play rather than elite performance.

to follow

• West Ham’s new crest consultation: West Ham launched a fan-led consultation on its crest. A bold, potentially risky, potentially powerful, potentially catastrophic move but a case study in the making I am excited to follow

• “We Are Now In The Creative Director Era of Football”: Traces how the fashion-world “creative director” title has moved into football (Como, Venezia, Ajax, Tottenham, Nike), arguing clubs are becoming world-building brands.

  The Space Between The Game

  We Are Now In The Creative Director Era of Football

  A third-division club outside Paris can now put a shirt on a kid in Tokyo who has never seen them play. A Greek second-division side can build a following with nothing to do with the league table. A Serie A club can be a global brand despite only being in the league for a year. Geography and broadcast used to decide who mattered in football and, while t…

  Read more

  3 months ago · 14 likes · 5 comments · Jay Shemenski

and to finish this edition, to enjoy

how beaut is this from Jonny Selman

A huge reason for this is the common misunderstanding that brand = branding. Logo, colour palette, kit design. That’s your visual identity. It’s what people see. But it’s not your brand. Brand is why it exists in the first place: your purpose, your beliefs, who your audience actually is and how they behave, the creative territory you own, the experience you deliver, the personality you bring to a sponsorship, the proposition that sums it all up. Identity is the output with brand being the strategic foundation underneath it.

This distinction matters because so many organisations skip straight to the output. They commission a new crest or a new tagline and call it “rebranding,” without ever doing the work to define what that crest or tagline is supposed to represent. The result is a visual identity that’s really just a graphic design exercise and everything built on top of it inherits that same lack of foundation.

So when I talk about brand being the secret weapon, I’m talking about that foundation. Get it right, and everything else in your armoury - sponsorship, creative, culture, commercial - becomes far easier to implement.

Sponsorship strategy

A good brand foundation will create the criteria for the types of sponsorships you should be targeting as well as how you should activate. Sponsorships are so often dubbed partnerships because they should be an authetnic partner / extension of your brand. If it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t provide fundamental impact on the rightsholder then what are we doing? Brand ensures that you know who you are, who and how your audience behaves and therefore, how your commercial partners can get the ROI they seek - financially, reputationally, culturally. Brand should be part of, if not the crux, of your sponsorship sales technique.

Creative identity

A visual identity without a brand is a graphic design exercise. A verbal identity without a brand becomes campaign copywriting. Activation, experience, products, without brand can quickly become disjointed and ignorable. Without brand, it ladders to nothing, meaning you’re not creating fundamental brand loyalty and value which leads to long-term sustainability. A good brand lays the foundation for a brilliant creative brief.

Cultural impact

Brand gives your audiences a reason to believe and the trust to stick with you. It creates connection and belonging, forming the loyal community that sticks with you through every win, every loss, every high and every low. They are invested and committed. They become your sustainable source of income.

Commercial model

Lay the strategic foundation and your commercial model can define itself. A new criterion for sports brands is “can you wear it”. Creating a brand that can be worn, put into lifestyle, engaged with and experienced by casual or yet-to-be-converted fans, productised beyond the physical play of the sport. Brand gives you focus on what to create, deliver and sell.

Talent and recruitment

A clear brand foundation doesn’t just help fans and sponsors believe in you, it helps you attract the right players, coaches and staff. People want to be part of something with a defined identity and purpose, not just a paycheck. Brand becomes a recruitment tool, not just a marketing one.

Internal alignment

When purpose, beliefs and audience are defined, every department - from ticketing to social media to ops - has a shared reference point instead of relitigating ‘who are we’ every time a decision comes up. It speeds things up while also keeping the whole business aligned and tracking towards the same north star.

Brand is the thread that makes all these elements thrive, providing the ultimate ROI for rightsholders, sponsors, players, coaches and most importantly, your fan community.

If you’re building something new, fixing something old or just need an extra brain (or pair of hands) to create the right brand foundation for you, let’s chat. Or check out my newest offer for ‘On The Rise’ clubs and brands who need brand done right at a price point that works.

2013: Officially moved to Barnes, London June 24th. Job I moved for didn’t exist. Ouch. Four days later, got a job selling advertising space for Spears and World of Fine Wine Magazine. Drunk a lot of wine, sold very little ad space. Worked out cold calling was not for me. Submitted a proposal to become marketing manager. Failed. Moved to Southfields.

2014: Moved flats again, this time with a bunch of Aussies. One got me my first agency job. Became part of the legendary Alumni that is ThirtyThree. Met incredible people, worked on amazing projects. Moved to Barnes with my best friends.

2015: Forced my way into a pitch. And then to work on it when we won. Thus starting my two-year stint working for The British Army. Changed my outlook on the military, learnt everything. Met brilliant and inspirational people, including my now husband (not in The Army, but thanks to the long hours working on The Army). Found the power of sport to bring people together. Still living in Barnes.

2016: Lost my grandad. Trip of a lifetime to Cali. Convinced myself I’d live on Venice Beach. Got a phone call that mum had had a stroke. First big life event away from NZ. Month later, got a call at work that dad had died. Second big life event. Should I move home? Workmates became lifelong friends. Stuck by me, helped me through. Significant year for me. Transformed me. NZ embassy’s in the UK and Thailand will forever hold my respect and gratitude. Got rid of old friends, cut off much of my life in NZ. Grief is not linear. Still living in Barnes.

2017: Landed dream job at Landor. Still remember silent screaming in the bathroom. Fell in love with sport branding through the Football Foundation and The FA. So many terrorist attacks, unsettling. Developed an obsession with Le Creuset. Moved to Brixton with my now husband. Cultural shock. Loved it.

2018: Engaged 💍 Delivered the best pitch I may ever do for rebranding Wembley Stadium and Club Wembley, alongside the most brilliant strategic and creative brains. Discovered I loved brand strategy. Presented at the Football Foundation, found out last minute. Tracey Crouch, Jenny Price, Martin Glenn, Richard Masters. Bricked it. Did it. Enjoying Brixton.

2019: Resigned then resinded. Won Wembley Stadium and Club Wembley rebrand. Found out flying home from best friend’s wedding in NZ. Bought a Tiffany ring in celebration, Changi Airport I love you. Watched Bohemian Rhapsody on the second leg. That iconic Wembley scene made me cry. Played critical role in creating England Football. Felt like I’d made it. Hit my eye with an HDMI cord during a presentation, continued while client put pressure on it. Went down well. Bought my first home, moved to Gipsy Hill.

2020: Covid. Thrived in lockdown. Covid 30th. Covid wedding. Covid pregnancy. Proposal to launch sports practice. Published in Campaign and Creative Review. Got into shape, finally. Still in Gipsy Hill.

2021: Got really into writing on LinkedIn. Often teased for it. Didn’t care. Pregnancy kept a secret, not ideal. Clients found out when I gave birth, even more not ideal. Preemie baby, how’d she survive? Laura Kenny becomes my forever idol. Two weeks in NICU. Wembley goes live. HELLO WEMBLEY! Maternity leave in New Zealand, my beautiful home always.

2022: Still in New Zealand. Launched SportAZ, my writing hub. Got my first full-time job in sport, 50 Sport. Interviewed 4 am in NZ. A chance to keep working with England Football and learn about content. Featured on BBC Radio 5 Live. Interviewed on Behind Sport. Created new brand strategy for England Football. Back to Gipsy Hill.

2023: A crazy year. Very proud to launch Ella: A Modern Day Fairytale with Disney and England Football. Met my idols, Alex Scott and Leah Williamson. Legends. Very proud to continue growing my profile in sport. Brand strategy at the heart of it all. I have finally figured out my career. Featured on my first panel with Women’s Sport Collective. Started working with DHL. Dream clients, working my way into Motorsport. WORKED WITH NEW ZEALAND RUGBY. Worked with Sir John Kirwan, wow. First live All Blacks game. Learnt my colleague and good friend had stage 4 cancer. Fuck. Baby #2 inbound. Moved out of London, hello Godalming rental.

2024: Delivering Progress with Jamie Chadwick and DHL. All female crew. Cool moment. Banned from climbing ladders due to pregnancy. Fair. Bought our family home. Moved in the day we welcomed another preemie baby. Managed to project-manage the move pretty well. Delivery less so. Felt like a fucking superhero though. Became a godmother. Both girls get chickenpox. Testing. Never quite managed to find my writing groove like last time. More busy with two, isn’t it. Another trip to NZ for maternity leave.

2025: Both girls get chickenpox again. And then shingles. Parenting two, that’s different. Rebranded SportAZ to pact sport. Started thinking about my future. Maternity leave does that to a girl. Delivered a big time presentation for Sports Industry Group with baby in arm. Launched #50ForLife for Elz. Got two more tattoos. Spoke on BBC again. Applied for planning permission. Godalming steals my heart for good.

2026: The year of pact sport. Out on my own, in charge of my own destiny and all that. More to this story, to be told one day. Two incredible girls. Endlessly proud of them. Anxious about their future. So many ideas for pact sport. Wish I had more money. Freelance life has incredible highs and some hard lows. Need to exercise more. Became NED for Behind Sport - this is gonna be good. Best friend’s little boy gets diagnosed with cancer. FUCK. Only June….more to come, I guess.

Just as grief isn’t linear, neither is a journey to anywhere. Nor should it be. I didn’t start out in sport; I didn’t know what I wanted to do - in fact, my university degree is in Physical Geography specialising in Rivers and Hydrology. Used once to convince Jeremy Hunt to create better irrigation in the local playground. Paid off.

Anyway, linear. Not linear. To find joy, you need to face highs and lows. Try things out, fail. Succeed. Celebrate, commiserate. Be uncomfortable always, push your limits, work hard and look after yourself.

Let’s see what the next 13 bring.

Some positive news coming out of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is that is set to change slightly, today announcing plans to extend the protection of the “Crown Jewels” of sport into the streaming age.

The existing rules were written in 1996, when just 4% of households had internet access. They protected live rights but unsurprisingly, never considered on-demand. That meant, without change, the World Cup catch-up, Olympic highlights, the Wimbledon final replay could all end up behind a paywall.

My biggest question.. "so what does this mean for the Olympics?"

They're officially a Cat A Crown Jewel, which means the games must be free-to-air. But as we know, back in 2015, Discovery acquired the European rights, promising the BBC a guaranteed minimum of 200 hours of the Summer Games coverage and 100 hours for Winter.

But everything else would be put behind discovery+.

A Crown Jewel, but make it paid for?? Always confused me. I love endless hours of the Olympics.

The new legislation, alongside the Media Act 2024, I hope, will fix this kind of gap, extending protections to on-demand and streaming rights, not just live broadcast.

Ofcom is also currently working on what "adequate live coverage" of multisport events actually means.

As I wrote in my Paywall Paradox Substack, "a child who cannot watch the sport cannot fall in love with it. A fan who cannot afford the subscription will not become a season-ticket holder, a kit buyer or a lifelong ambassador."

When sport disappears behind a paywall, we risk losing the next generation of participants.

So do we think this will have a positive impact, make a real change?
And whilst I have you, what "Crown Jewels" of sport are missing from the lists? I'll start - Rugby Union Internationals please.

Credits: BBC Sport, Lisa Nandy MP

Now, I’m not saying that things are perfect here. The growing division, cost of living, questionable leadership and yes, there are a lot of people. But isn’t this everywhere?

As an immigrant who’s lived in London (and now Surrey) for 13 years, I thought it time to explain why New Zealand hasn’t drawn me back.

My career ceiling is tall

I have always aspired to achieve more than New Zealand could offer me and London has given me this. I feel no barrier to achieving whatever I want to in my career. I have achieved more than I ever could have back home already. And unless New Zealand Rugby calls me up offering CMO, I can’t see that changing until I’m ready to lead a quieter, smaller life.

Anonymity and freedom to be who you want

I come from a very small town in New Zealand, the North Shore. One road in, one road out. Everyone knows everyone. I truly believe if my former classmates met me now, they wouldn’t recognise me. No more conforming, fitting into a mould, careful not to challenge the status quo. In London, you can sit on your own with a glass of wine and a book and no one will bat an eyelid. You can be anything you want to be and be embraced by this city for it.

Authentic, untouched nature

I love how clean and green New Zealand is, but as such a new city, a lot is too clean and new. I love the character of London. That it’s not all perfect. You can see layers of life in every path, park, tree. London is also technically an urban forest with over 8.4 million trees, 21% canopy cover and 50% of the whole city classified as green space. (and the wildlife - deer in Richmond Park, squirrels everywhere, wild horses, donkeys etc.)

Four seasons and not that much rain

I love that London sees all four seasons. Daffodils and crisp blue sky days in Spring. Picky bits in the park in Summer (though hating the increase in heatwaves). Every shade of orange in Autumn. Snow in Winter. I love feeling it all.

The world on our doorstep

Within a three-hour flight (or sometimes train), you can be in Sicily, Paris, Syros, Malta, Iceland, Dublin etc. Every culture is different, every adventure vast.

The sport capital of the world

As great as the opportunities to leave are, what London attracts is even better. The greatest sporting competitions. World Cups, Euros, the NBA, Commonwealth Games, Olympics, The Open, the Premier League and WSL’s, Boxing. You get the idea. All coming here, one of the best cities and countries in the world to host sporting events.

The British humour and kindness

British humour is right up my street. Bashful, self-depricating, sometimes a bit offensive. And really, Londoners (and wider UK) on the whole are so kind. You may see the rage bait of the minority d***heads who try to create divide but actually, the quiet majority all want unity, inclusivity, camaraderie. As a clumsy person, every single time I have fallen over, there has been a huge crowd that suddenly appears to help.

The medical care is unmatched

Yes, the NHS is under huge strain but my personal experience has always been that the NHS shows up when you actually need it (see clumsy point). I was prioritised when I cut my thumb open on a cafetiere. When I told my local GP about both my parents' heart and artery issues, I had a full workup to check mine. When my daughter needed help in her first 12 days of life, there is no other NICU in the world I’d have wanted her in (and as an aside, if she’d been born in NZ there were no NICU beds free…it petrifies me to think). When I noticed a suspicious mole, I was seen 40 minutes after I called my GP and referred to a specialist within four weeks.

The engineering and science

The unsung heroes. We don’t celebrate them enough. The brains literally changing the world, reacting to emergencies whilst preparing for the future. The pride of being the country to create so many of the Covid-19 vaccines and so quickly. It’s UK labs looking to support the African Ebola outbreak. I am privileged to witness my uncle develop the only petrol replacement made completely of water, and that can be used in petrol cars. There is so much hope in the world and we just aren’t talking about how the hope it being created here.

And finally, the culture

This feels like such a broad headline because there is SO much to cover, but man. The music, the museums, the festivals, the parades, sporting events we’ve discussed, the food - OMG the food - the pub culture, picky bits in the park (yes that is culture to me), the West End…all of this, right here. When so many Kiwis are made to fly to Australia to see Taylor Swift. It is just unmatched.

Don’t get me wrong, New Zealand is beautiful and I am SO proud to call it my home. I am fiercely patriotic, will always support Kiwi sports teams and I protect my Maori language through teaching my girls. But New Zealand wasn’t for me at this time. London has given me more than I ever could have imagined. It took me in at my most vulnerable. It has shown up again and again. London saved my life. And my life is richer because of it.

As someone who knows the importance (and power) of being optimistic, and who is generally pretty good at keeping positive energy high, the heatwave that has hit Europe these last few days, alongside a pretty alarming report from The Guardian, has me asking myself, what hope do we have?

I know that as a species, we are pretty darn clever. We saw through the pandemic that science and engineering can be deployed quickly to find solutions. But my fear is that we rely on reacting to problems so much, with a focus on short-term wins that win elections and favourability, that we continually blinker the future impacts.

As someone who has been advocating for protecting our Earth and preventing climate change for years, it has just really got me down, angry, and frankly, the most petrified I have ever been of what our future looks like. It’s no longer about our children’s children. It’s about now.

I walked past a woman and her two kids yesterday. She was explaining how this is' ‘mummy’s perfect weather’. And whilst this is a strong overreaction to what was a very innocent comment, I wanted to shake her and tell her THIS IS NOT OK!

This Guardian report I read last night (error, tired now) estimates that by 2050, the Earth’s average temperature could increase by 4 degrees. The 30-degree heatwave we face today will be 42.5 degrees by then.

Homes, bodies, nature, services and infrastructures are simply not built for this.

Just as my beautiful home in NZ wasn’t built for the increasing rainfall that hammers its winters and now, its summers.

And as for sport, given this is supposed to be a sport blog. The impending FIFA World Cup is going to be the most unsustainable tournament yet, with a conservative estimate of 9m tons of carbon dioxide generated, 7.7m tons of this carbon budget from air travel alone because of the huge number of countries and states involved. This is four times that of the average for tournaments held between 2010 and 2022.

As sports tournaments continue, there will be more water breaks, games will be played later, snow will be artificial and the number of countries that can safely host a tournament or competition will decrease.

It’s grim reading.

So I go back to my original question. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Why aren’t we ALL boycotting BP, Shell, Saudi (everything), ExxonMobil etc. and holding them to account?

Why are we embracing and accelerating AI as though it isn’t rapidly depleting our water reserves and burning through energy supplies?

Why aren’t we culling fast fashion altogether?

Simply, why aren’t we talking about this more? Why has it stopped being good to talk about sustainability?

Is it really all because of politics? Namely, an orange Cheeto in the States?

Why aren’t we all scared? Climate change isn’t a future thing. It is here.

IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR ENGLAND TO BE 35 DEGREES IN MAY.

⚡️Boss lady update

I am beautifully busy with conversations, writing and finding my new rhythm. I am spending most of my time on an incredible stadium project that I feel privileged to have been trusted with. A true reminder how fascinating hospitality, stadia and experience strategy really is. Alongside this are two super interesting projects that fall more in the brand space 🤌🏼

I am LOVING this..

🧠 My biggest lesson

Saying no is the hardest part but protecting your work, time and creative mind is vital.

🧐 Next week’s focus

Attending my first ever Sports Podge lunch (anyone else?!) plus a very exciting announcement for pact sport’s offering. Watch this space.

🦄 What I loved in sports brand and marketing this week

Adidas ‘Backyard Legends’: Reminding us of true storytelling

Adidas’s World Cup campaign hard-launched with an all-star cast and a powerful narrative that reminded us that the best brand communication asks nothing of you. A masterclass in narrative-led marketing where the story is the whole point.

Spotify × Barcelona via Rising Ballers: The moving shirt

With betting brands exiting and AI entering (but also, can you not), Spotify’s shirt sponsorship activation with Barcelona shows how clubs should be rethinking their inventory - dynamic, culturally resonant and genuinely engaging. After numerous takeovers, Olivia Rodrigo is up next!

Alexis Fernandez-Preiska at Forbes Women’s Summit

I love this from Alexis, AI must not take over creative thinking.

WEF Report: Climate change has hit sport

The World Economic Forum’s latest update reminds us that climate disruption is no longer a background risk for sport, it’s a front-of-house problem that now requires adaptation as well as prevention.

Youth Sport Trust: The Class of 2035 report

This powerful report shines a light on what the next generation of young people will need from sport, essential reading for anyone working in participation, education or community sport strategy.

The paywall paradox by me!

My latest Substack piece wrestles with sport’s increasingly complicated relationship with gated content, including who benefits, who gets locked out and whether the industry is making a long-term mistake for short-term revenue.

AFC Bournemouth × Hummel

Hummel’s multi-year deal with Bournemouth goes well beyond matchday, with lifestyle collections, throwback drops, travel and training apparel all featuring in this brilliant and record-breaking new partnership. The idea is to deliver a genuinely integrated fashion-sport partnership, another example of kit sponsorship pushing beyond logos. Also loved the chilly reveal 🧊

London 2040?

Discussions have started around a potential UK bid for the 2040 Olympics, a conversation that raises enormous questions about infrastructure, legacy and whether the post-London 2012 appetite for hosting truly still exists.

PwC Sports Survey

The industry faces a pivotal moment: growth continues but is slower and more uneven. Success will require bold diversification of revenue, multi-platform engagement strategies, patient capital for emerging models and a strong foundation of integrity and fan-focused investment.

Brucey bonus: New Zealand Rugby appoints its first female president. Former Black Fern Erin Rush makes history as NZR president, a landmark moment for governance in one of rugby’s most storied unions. Read →

There is a particular magic to sport that has nothing to do with transfers, reflections or TV rights. It is the moment when an entire nation, scattered across kitchens, pubs, living rooms and corner shops, stops to watch the same thing at the same time.

Whether it’s a Super Over, a drop goal or a sprinter crossing the finish line at the Olympics, for a few seconds, millions of strangers share the same gasp. That is not just entertainment, but culture. Community. Unification.

THIS is why we love sport.

And yet, we are seemingly giving it all away.

We’re trading it in for the pay-TV broadcast deals that may look and sound transformational on paper but in reality, it’s becoming catastrophic for the future of the very thing we love.

The deal that hollows the sport

Let’s take men’s cricket. Once the sound of a summer afternoon in England, once a sport even the most casual fans knew at least a couple of players of, has slowly moved almost entirely behind a paywall.

And while Sky Sports has done extraordinary things with production, you can’t get away from the fact that cricket’s audience has fundamentally narrowed.

How can we expect to grow fandom and participation when we make the game inaccessible to so many?

When the 2005 Ashes was broadcast free on Channel 4, a peak audience of 7.4 million watched the climax of the series. By 2015, the comparable figure for the Ashes on Sky had collapsed to under 500,000, a fall of around 93%. [The Guardian]

And male participation in cricket has been on a continuous decline since. [Sport England]

We put so much pressure on grounds, facilities, kit prices etc., which of course play their part in participation opportunities but we aren’t focusing on the lowest hanging fruit, which is aspiration and fandom.

Rugby union tells a similar story.

Men’s Prem Rugby went behind BT Sport (now TNT Sports) and most international games went to Sky Sports. Even those big matches that are still free-to-air, such as the Men’s Six Nations, are feeling the impact as they try to recapture an audience who can only invest once a year.

Thankfully, women’s domestic rugby hasn’t quite sold all rights to pay-TV broadcast (yet) as they enter their next phase of growth and recognise the need for free-to-air broadcast to grow audiences, with the BBC and YouTube showing games in partnership with TNT Sport. But the Red Roses growth is still far out-growing domestic in large part thanks to free-to-air viewership.

A child who cannot watch the sport cannot fall in love with it. A fan who cannot afford the subscription will not become a season-ticket holder, a kit buyer or a lifelong ambassador.

The NBA, for all its global ambition, has pursued a strategy of premium placement. Deals with Netflix, Amazon and NBC, for example, generate eye-watering rights fees while simultaneously making it harder for a casual viewer in Birmingham or Bangalore to stumble upon the game on a Tuesday night and become hooked. The league is global in aspiration and increasingly gated in access.

And then there are the Olympics. Perhaps the most egregious case of all. An event built entirely on the premise of universal human spectacle, now parcelled up by country, split between platforms and in some cases, simply unavailable to watch end-to-end without navigating three different apps, two of which require a subscription you didn’t know you needed.

The money illusion

I’m fairly sure the solution to all this is to stop paying male footballers so much (lol).

The argument for the paywall is that without broadcast revenue, the sport cannot function. Players can’t be paid and infrastructure cannot be built. Simply put, the product that makes sport watchable in the first place cannot exist.

And while this argument is not entirely wrong, it mistakes the price of everything for the value of anything.

The revenue from a Sky, Discovery or an Amazon deal is real. Sky’s new Premier League deal, for example, returns over £1.6 billion per year. [Guardian]

The rights are sold, the money made and the distribution vast, with clubs, governing bodies, agents and players at the top of the pyramid all seeing a piece of the pie. Even the club finishing last in the Premier League collected £106.7 million in broadcast revenue in the 2024–25 season. [Arthnova]

The wages of a Premiership Rugby player are not unreasonable. In my opinion, they are more realistic, achievable and sustainable.

The wages of a Premier League footballer, on the other hand, have inflated so far beyond any connection to the underlying economics of attendance and participation that the only thing sustaining them is the next broadcast deal.

And the next deal requires the previous deal to have grown the game. Which it hasn’t and herein lies the trap. UK sports rights spending has actually declined in recent years, from £3.9 billion in 2019 to £3.4 billion in 2024, coinciding with an 18% fall in subscriptions over the same period.[Broadcast Now]

What we lose when we lose the crowd

Live TV does something that no algorithm, highlight reel or streaming clip can replicate. It assembles us.

The Ashes at home. A Lions tour. A World Cup final going into extra time.

These are not merely sporting events; they are the moments around which whole years of national life are organised. You remember where you were, who you were with, what you felt. That shared experience is the brand. That is how the core memory is formed.

And you cannot build that memory if half the country can’t afford to see it happen.

There is a reason that the NFL, for all its commercial might, has protected free-to-air broadcast rights with a ferocity that looks almost quaint in the streaming era. Super Bowl LIX in February 2025 was broadcast free and drew 127.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a single-network telecast in television history. No other programme in 2025 attracted even half that number. [Nielsen , Fortune]

The entire commercial superstructure of American football rests on the fact that you do not need a subscription to watch. And it naturally impacts merchandise, tickets and licensed content sales too.

In a world where more people are giving up ad-free streaming platforms, inviting analogue and disruption back into our worlds, maybe it’s time we look to America again (not for anything else though). ITV was onto something with the Six Nations. I’m sorry but it’s true.

The reset we need.

None of this is a call for sport to be free of money or commercial logic. I very much recognise that sport needs revenue, for some it requires significant amounts. But the current model has confused the means for the end.

The end goal must be a sport that is healthy, growing, culturally embedded and accessible to the next generation of fans.

That requires a reset across several fronts.

Salary structures and agency fees that have decoupled from any realistic anchor need renegotiating, not as an ideological act but as a financial one, because the current trajectory is unsustainable without ever-larger pay-TV broadcast deals that demand ever-more-restricted access.

Governing bodies need to treat free-to-air exposure as a commercial investment because the child who watches a Test match in 2026 is the season-ticket holder of 2040.

Because this isn’t about broadcast. This is about broadcast that requires the audience to pay for access. Broadcast is no doubt pivotal in accelerating the growth and commercial viability of sport, with 48 million UK viewers tuning in to women’s sport in 2025 alone, driving vital visibility, attracting new audiences and boosting its commercial value. [Women’s Sport Trust]

And streaming can still be part of the answer but only if it is additive. Archive content, international access, secondary fixtures and behind-the-scenes access, for example, can belong exclusively to a streamer. But the moment of the sport, the live event and the shared national experience must belong to everyone.

The paradox of the paywall. Sport sold its audience to pay for itself. And in doing so, it is slowly running out of audience to sell.

I have loved working in agencies and agencies, for the most part, loved me back.

Not because I stayed neatly in my lane but because I secretly didn’t. I had a tendency to deliver end-to-end. Not just managing projects but shaping them and delivering them.

No resource available, Becca will do it. No one specialising in this, I’LL DO IT. “Sell in the work and we’ll find you the team”. Until…

And then in comes my performance review. “You need to stop doing so much.”

However, early in my career, a brilliant strategist (also fantastic at client servicing) friend gave me advice that rewired how I work:

“Don’t just know you role, know everyone else’s too. And with that, your client even more.”

So I did.

I learned strategy, creative, brand, experience. Hospitality, environmental, engagement. Content, marketing, delivering. Employer brand and internal comms. Building relationships, harnessing connection.

I didn’t see silos, I saw a system and when you understand the whole system, it becomes very hard to only play one part in it.

That curiosity meant I took a vested interest in my clients’ brands. Not just the brief but the start, current and future ambitions.

But there was always a catch…my role in client servicing didn’t allow me to own that work, because…

🚫 How can a Client Manager write brand strategy?

🚫 How dear a Client Director come up with the creative idea?

In so many ways, client servicing has been diluted into managing timelines, stakeholders, expectations, resource, team, feedback.

Anything beyond that, like strategic thinking, creating, ideating etc. is often quietly dismissed.

Not because it isn’t valuable but because it doesn’t fit the label.

So I left. Not because I didn’t love agencies but because I wanted to do the job I was best at:

Brand and marketing generalist with a ruthless specialism in sport.

Strategic thinking yes. Creative ideation 100%.

Building work that feels relevant, powerful and most importantly, loved by clients.

“People don’t know what to do with you” isn’t my weakness anymore. It’s my superpower.

The future of the agency model isn’t rigid roles and fixed lanes, it’s fluidity.

• The rise of specialised freelancers

• Hybrid teams blending in-house talent with external experts

• A shift from ‘gig work’ to expert ecosystems

• Value-based pricing over hourly billing

And most importantly a growing demand for people who don’t just do one thing, but understand many.

We’re moving toward a world that values the polymath: Someone deeply curious, creatively flexible, strategically aware and someone who can connect dots others don’t even see.

As one industry leader put it:

“We’ll be looking for mid- to senior-level people who know a little about a lot of things.”

So maybe the problem was never that people didn’t know what to do with me. Maybe it’s that the system hasn’t quite been ready for me.

But now… in this next version of this industry? That ‘too general’, ‘too broad’ and ‘not in my box’ might just be be my (and your) biggest advantage yet.

This is deliberate, strategic and the movement officially has momentum. LinkedIn has said the number of pro athletes using its platform has grown 31% since 2021.

In 2026, LinkedIn is quietly becoming the most important platform for athletes, supporting them as they grow their portfolio of businesses, build and diversify their personal brands and future-proof their careers when retirement calls.

And if you work in sport, sponsorship, talent, or personal brand, it’s time you take notice.

As someone who has been a little bit obsessed with LinkedIn as a hub for sports content and networking for over six years, I am chuffed (and a bit smug) that the world now has eyes on this great platform (not a plug).

The platform nobody expected…or planned for

For years, the athlete platform map was simple: Instagram builds the fanbase, X provides hot takes, TikTok reaches the next generation and LinkedIn is where your boss posts about ‘synergy’.

But while everyone was looking elsewhere, LinkedIn evolved.

As Instagram became more curated and ‘Meta-fied’, Facebook sank into a Boomerville and TikTok skewed to the younger, millennials and Gen X gravitated toward difference. Appreciating ideas over aesthetics, experience over highlight reels and credibility over virality

LinkedIn became our home with athletes jumping on the opportunity to tell engaging stories and promote their ventures.

This isn’t new as such, but it is different

Athletes have always ended up on LinkedIn eventually but traditionally it was for retirement, repositioning and generic chats about sport shaping leadership skills. The classic transition tool.

The opportunity for athletes lies in:

1. Telling their full story

Where most social platforms give you the chance to showcase and celebrate moments. LinkedIn gives you meaning.

Mary Earps isn’t posting saves, she’s talking about belonging, confidence and culture; the attributes she’s gained from her sports career so far but that never quite had a place to be discussed.

Lewis Hamilton isn’t posting lap times, he’s building the vision behind Mission 44.

This is storytelling with substance.

What happened, the impact it made and how it can relate to you.

2. The business relationships are already here

This is the part many underestimate. LinkedIn isn’t a fan platform. It’s a decision-maker platform formed of founders, executives, investors and brand leaders who dictate activations, influence boardroom conversations, identify partnership opportunities and speaking opportunities and everything else.

Look at Steph Curry, from Under Armour partnerships to media and investment ventures. This is what athlete-as-operator looks like.

3. They’re building while still competing

Where LinkedIn used to be for retired athletes only (if they could even be bothered…many have only recently joined years after retiring!), now it’s the place to build your brand while still playing.

Lucy Bronze isn’t waiting, she’s already activating business ventures alongside her active football career.

Ella Toone’s launch into LinkedIn has focused on her personal journey with grief and her business ventures.

Athletes today are launching brands, backing startups and building portfolios.

LinkedIn gives them the credibility that they are more than just players. They are business people.

4. Advocacy lands differently here

On most platforms, advocacy gets lost in noise but on LinkedIn, it starts conversations.

Susie Wolff, Angela Ruggiero, Karen Carney and Bex Smith aren’t shouting into the void; they’re engaging with people who can actually do something.

That’s where things get interesting.

5. They control the narrative

Keeping up a LinkedIn page takes a lot of time, brainpower and planning. It’s not realistic for a professional athlete to keep up a LinkedIn channel all the time.

Of course they will need a team to support in management, strategy, ideation and delivery (FYI I can help you there 😉), as LinkedIn for Athletes Specialist, Jon Lyndon says, “If the voice isn’t yours, if the perspective isn’t shaped by your own thinking, if the platform becomes something done for you rather than by you…then we’re not building a brand. We’re manufacturing one. Over time, people can feel the difference.”

LinkedIn gives athletes ownership, authenticity, context and nuance. As long as they are truly at the helm.

In an era where narratives get twisted fast, that control is powerful and it is vital.

The Algorithm Is On Their Side

Athletes are naturally built for LinkedIn with the 2026 algorithm rewarding:

• Lived experience

• Honest storytelling

• Video and image-led content

• Large followers

• Comments over likes

• Conversations over clicks

• Quality over volume

Not too different from their everyday, where athletes are expected to show up consistently, earn publicly and perform under pressure

Athletes don’t need to ‘hack’ LinkedIn, they just need to translate what they already are.

What This Means For You

This isn’t just an athlete trend. It’s a market shift.

• If you represent athletes, LinkedIn isn’t for ‘retirees’ anymore. It’s a prime-years strategy. The athletes building now will dominate later.

• If you’re a brand or sponsor, your real audience, aka decision makers, is here. Athletes with LinkedIn presence give you: access, credibility and context. Something the likes of Instagram can’t buy.

• If you’re an athlete building your own brand, start with lived experience, share the lessons, not just the wins and be vulnerable enough to build in public. Authenticity is rewarded.

• If you work in sport, pay attention to who’s showing up because the athletes building a voice now are the ones who’ll lead the industry later.

The bottom line

In 2026, the smartest athletes aren’t just training their bodies, they’re training their voice, their network and they’re building their brand. Increasingly, they’re doing it on LinkedIn alongside their life as a current professional athlete.

Which athletes do you think are doing it well?

We talk about inspiring participation while billions flow upward to elite events and grassroots sport quietly suffocates. We talk about fan experience while stacking paywall on top of paywall and wondering why the next generation isn’t showing up. We talk about authenticity while flooding channels with AI content that fools nobody and alienates everybody.

The structural shifts, the commercial pressures, the cultural forces pulling sport in directions it doesn’t always understand and the organisations doing genuinely interesting work in the middle of it all are all reasons I wanted to work for myself; hunting down the type of work that allows me to be part of a solution, of bettering the industry and making a genuine impact.

So here are eight areas of the industry that have my full attention.

01 Women in sport cannot be treated as a single conversation. Female athletes, female fans of men’s sport, female fans of women’s sport, women working in sport and men who follow women’s sport each represent distinct audiences with distinct needs. Rights holders and brands need to build strategies around each of them to accelerate fan growth, enhance experience, build value and ensure sustainability.

02 Promoting community participation and engagement must remain a core purpose for every sport organisation. Close to two in five UK adults still fall short of basic activity guidelines. Winning on the world stage does not automatically put more people in trainers on a Tuesday morning. Deliberate community-led storytelling and a genuine commitment to joyful, accessible sport must remain the raison d'etre.

03 Brand is the game-changer most organisations overlook. Private equity is concentrating power and widening competitive gaps at pace. In that environment and as sport continues to saturate, brand is what helps a club, league, athlete to stand out, build trust and make commercial partnerships compelling, particularly for smaller organisations whose only differentiator is who they genuinely are.

04 Audiences are hungry for the real thing. VAR wore out its welcome, heavily managed racing formats frustrated fans and overely AI produced content is being called out more-and-more. No technology can replicate the cultural intuition, editorial instinct and honest human voice that makes sport worth following in the first place.

05 Venues need to justify their footprint. Developments that blend sport with housing, hospitality and retail are turning stadiums into daily destinations rather than fortnightly ones. But to really succeed, developers must ensure job creation, youth investment, and community health outcomes. Delivering on those commitments is what separates a genuine civic asset from a real estate project wearing a club badge.

06 Fragmented streaming is testing the future survival of many sports. Every sport that disappears behind another paywall loses a portion of its next generation. When following a sport becomes an exercise in cost management and platform juggling, casual interest evaporates, new audiences dry up and the advertising market follows.

07 The sport and fashion love affair continues to blossom. The relationship has deepened into something structural. Athlete presentation, club visual identity and the overlap between sportswear, luxury and street culture now shape how younger audiences decide why, what, and who they care about. Let’s say again, WNBA Draft amiright?

08 The traditional agency structure is showing its age. Bloated teams, high fixed costs and the persistent disconnect between who pitches and who delivers have made the classic network model a poor fit for the pace sport demands. What organisations actually need is expertise that arrives quickly, scales around major moments and stays consistent from first conversation to final output.

What in this list grabs your attention? What have I perhaps missed?

Without sounding like an AI prompter, fancy me going more in-depth on any? On all? Lemme know!

Many of you across my network will have seen Russell James’ post about his first two years being out on his own - running his own consultancy and navigating a world away from corporate, structure, teams.

So, as someone who today celebrates two days of officially being out on my own (last week I was also on half-term duty, so let’s not count that), I thought I’d list the big questions, hypotheses and some pep talks or two as I get started. Something I hope I can look back on in two years with pride.

Network really is everything

• Perhaps cliched and over-said, but that’s because it is SO true. There is no way I’d have gone out on my own if I didn’t have the backing of so many across the brilliant sport and creative worlds. The LinkedIn tags/intros/messages, the coffees, the advice (within reason), the affirmations. The confidence knowing people can find my work helpful!

Building freelance teams is the way forward

• Russell alluded to it in his piece, but something I’ve built into the pact sport structure from day one is offering to work with my handpicked team of trusted freelancers to deliver your work. Sometimes you need a big agency team with the structure, other times you need a passionate, agile team at half the price ;)

Don’t forget the juniors

• Added to the above, I also don’t believe the answer is only working with the most senior or experienced people. Bringing in junior members can be as effective in delivering great work while also bringing in new perspectives and impacting the next generation of leaders.

This doesn’t have to feel like a forever choice - this is a choice for today

• While I hope I find all the success and joy I want from pact sport; never giving it up, I have had to remind myself that this also doesn’t have to be forever. Many before me have gone between freelance and permanent, depending on roles and opportunities.

Think outside of digital content

• While I love me some LinkedIn and have developed a robust content plan for pact sport, I approached my launch differently, sending out physical packs to my network that included swag, service outlines and an intro to the brand. A way to be memorable and stand out (if you haven’t gone one yet, maybe you will soon ;) ) and I’ll post a vid of my packs soon!

Building a website isn’t that hard, but knowing everything about setting up a business is

• I proudly built my website (pactsport.com) on my own - and my brand - without AI or design support (bar my husband creating a killer video for the homepage). That bit wasn’t hard, and I get so many amazing comments on it - v. proud. But man, navigating the ins and outs of going self-employed is a minefield. I’ll do a post on my learnings soon, a post I wish I had to hand. First tip, get an accountant.

Know the value of your IP

• Adam Ding has been one of the best sounding boards and guides for me as I navigate all this. His top tip is ‘knowing the value of my IP’. Joining a pitch team, your name being used in a proposal, providing slides. That is your intellectual property and it should cost as such. It can feel uncomfortable, but know your worth.

With that, rates…

• It’s uncomfortable discussing money, especially for women. I have a very clear and adaptable rate card based on the type of work, the value of the output and the length of contract. I trust my rates are competitive and worthy. But it still feels icky discussing pay. I’m getting better at it.

I have no time for pessimism

• When I started reaching out to potential clients or partners, I was met with a lot of pessimism - which I get, the market and the world are pretty grim - but I don’t need that right now. I was deeply unhappy and needed a change; this is right for me.

• One person who was looking for freelance support responded to my email “I hugely respect anyone who dares to take this path, especially in this climate.” It made me feel sick with worry and stress. I didn’t respond because I didn’t need someone WHO WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME telling me it was mad I was doing it.

? One thing I am pondering..how do I show people that I could be their secret weapon?

• I am confident that I can add huge value to any team. Whether it’s driving strategic projects forward, being the solution when budgets don’t allow a large agency or offering my broad, unique and deep knowledge of the sporting landscape in ways you may not even realise you’re missing.

• I know I can offer all this, but there is still a stigma behind hiring individuals over agencies - and don’t get me wrong, agencies 100% still have their place - but how do we open up minds and unlock conversations?

I am going to use my Substack to document my musings, lessons, experiences as a new freelancer in the sports world. Stay tuned!