A LETTER FROM OUR LEADERS
Change is a must – “Adapt or Perish”
Perish seems, perhaps, a bit much here, but the general sentiment is what we have in mind for our first newsletter of the new year…
H.G. Wells is credited with saying, “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative.” While we believe that we are well-spoken…we are not philosophers, so let us allow Mr. Wells’ words do the work. Many of us recently Sprang Forward and changed our clocks and the calendar turned a new page. When the clocks move up an hour and the weather changes, it would not have been advisable to keep our clocks and watches the same or continue to wear our coats and gloves as the temperatures climb. The same thing goes for our business.
Tenured employees depart and move on in their careers while new employees are just starting out. Every aspect of our industry has changed – on our granular level, recruiting and talent acquisition have never looked more different over the last 2, 5, or even 10 years. To a much broader look at the landscape: NIL in college athletics, new seating and F&B technologies in venues, streaming/VR/AR/AI in professional sports, you name it. For those that resist, or at the very least remain too patient and too conservative in their response to change, they will perish over time.
An unfamiliar question that has recently emerged during our interviews with each finalist attempts to dig down on this very issue. Have you evolved? Did your decision-making lead to staying the course, without ever considering the need to shift? When we talk about adapting (and hence, avoiding “perishing”), it’s not that we want our candidates, clients, or friends in the sports and entertainment industry to change who they are – nor to spurn their core values or the tried-and-true methods that led to their current success – but rather a willingness to modify their thinking or actions when needed.
Business continues to adapt and change. Will you?
_______
Scott Carmichael, Founder & CEO
Mark Gress Jr., Partner | Kevin Carmichael, Partner
