Alumni Ryan Olli Named NFLPA’s & “Front Office Sports’ Rising 25”
Ryan Olli, 2015 Sport Management Alumni, was recently named to the Front Office Sports’ Rising 25 in his role as a Licensing Coordinator with the NFL Players Association. Established in 2017, the Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award was created to honor “up and comers” in the sports industry and has honored 75 of the brightest young minds from around the world.
Growing up, Ryan always wanted to be an athlete – but he admits that it didn’t take long for him to realize that his athleticism wasn’t exactly screaming professional athlete. He wanted to be an athlete, not because he dreamed of catching the winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl or dunking a basketball, but because of the impact athletes could make off the court. As it turns out, in his current role as a licensing coordinator, he gets to highlight and reinforce the impact that professional athletes can have on business and the community.
Ryan graduated from the NC State Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management with a degree in Sport Management, and then went on to Georgetown University to get a Masters degree in Sports Industry Management. Along the way Ryan had many internships, and although the journey didn’t go exactly as planned, he was very determined to have a career in sports. Fortunately, through hard work and serious networking, it all came together and he just celebrated his two year work anniversary at the NFLPA. Ryan values his experience and wants to be a mentor to students and rising sports professionals. He also thinks that while continuing his career, he’d like to return to college – but this time to teach.
A Conversation with Ryan…
What does a day in the life of a Coordinator of Licensing and Business Development involve?
While it sounds cliché, I can’t help but say that there is no one typical day in my role. There are times in which we are traveling to meet with players, licensees, current and prospective partners. Some of these events include, but are not limited to – NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Collegiate Bowl, Licensing Expo, Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show, Super Bowl, WNBA All-Star and partner meetings. It is always extremely valuable to get face-time with players and partners to continue to maintain and grow those relationships.
When in the office, generally I will go through product approvals, which is the basis of my job – to review artwork from licensees in order to confirm that they are in line with the guidelines of the NFLPA – helping release the best product to market. Once we work to help licensees launch products, we then collaborate with our team to create marketing campaigns with players to help drive awareness and sales of the product. We then receive the royalties from the licensees, which we track and batch in order to pay our players. I serve the same role for the NFLPA as I do for the USWNTPA, WNBPA, MLSPA, and USRPA through the NFLPA’s subsidiary, REP Worldwid
What skills do you need to have or create in order to be successful in what you do?
Relationship management – When working with 75+ licensees across 5 different player associations, you develop relationships with players, partners, and player associations. With that large sum of people, there are bound to be differing opinions and objectives. As the day-to-day contact there are a lot of conversation to be had – some easy and some difficult. Throughout it is crucial to understand how to manage the relationship of each on a case-to-case basis, as each individual and relationship is unique. Whether you are being put in a position to be the aggressor, defender, or mediator – the key is to make sure you remember the ‘why.’ Why you are you in this position? In my role, I’m representing the NFLPA and REP Worldwide, supporting the players first and foremost.
Attention to detail – When reviewing products, I’m the last line in the approval process. Missing on an approval has consequences that could hinder sales, the NFLPA’s reputation, and relationships with players and licensees. As I review products, it is important that I am meticulous in my review.
Creative Thinking – Going through the motions will only get you so far. There is always something new that can be done to help generate revenue for our athletes. That can be done with current partners by helping to create new products, open new lines of distribution, and new marketing activations. There is also the initiative to go externally to find prospective companies that would be ideal matches to sell products with player IP. In this role, we mold into a sales team, selling than the intellectual property of professional athletes. Working with the NFLPA, USWNTPA, WNBPA, MLSPA, and USRPA – we have a plethora of options to offer.
Player Knowledge – This is important not only when reviewing products, but when you are looking to pair a partner and a player. Authentic relationships and marketing campaigns are those that have the most success. Having an a deeper understanding of the person off-the-field, versus simply the player on-the-field will help you maximize the partnership between players and licensees.
What was a highlight of your time at NC State?
The people. The friends I met during my time in Raleigh are like family. The memories I made as a student and the memories I will continue to make, leave me forever grateful for the decision I made to attend NC State University.
What advice would you give to current undergrads?
Take the initiative in everything you do. Getting your foot in the door in the sports industry is not easy and there certainly won’t be anyone waiting, holding the door open for you to walk in. Begin networking now, utilize the resources you do have – preexisting connections, teachers, family, friends – then continue to build your network through LinkedIn, career fairs and other events.
Once the opportunity finally comes where you meet with someone, whether it is a friendly conversation or an informational interview over the phone – listen. The conversation shouldn’t be consumed with “I’s.” Get to know the other person – where did they go to college? Do you they have favorite sport? Team? Activity? By doing so you have other touchpoints to create a genuine relationship.
After listening, always follow up. I repeat, always follow up. Whoever this professional is took time out of their schedule to dedicate to helping you, so the least you can do is follow up to thank them. It may seem small, but a handwritten thank you letter goes a long way. I learn more and more everyday how small the sports industry is and you want to make sure you leave a lasting impression.
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