It is never easy to grasp people’s needs. The market is crowded, and consumers’ needs are often transient. Sometimes the companies themselves create needs for future consumers. However, when a company manages to understand the need of a specific market, this allows to structure a significant initial competitive advantage.
Britt St. George and Madison Smith, founded their agency to help female gymnastics, dance and fencing athletes to transition from the world of sports to entrepreneurship. Learn more about this female-led talent and brand-building agency from Britt St. George (Co-Founder/CEO), Madison Smith (Co-Founder/COO), and Kaila McWilliams (CMO).
Tell us who you are, what your company is about and how the business idea came about.
Britt St. George, Madison Smith, and Kaila McWilliams: “We founded SMITH&SAINT in 2018 after identifying a gap in the market for a true boutique talent agency for digital-first entrepreneurs and athletes; an agency that prioritized relationships and brand-building with clients through an intimate roster size, while also standing on a foundation of unparalleled representation through specialized agents who have a deep-rooted understanding of traditional marketing principles, business acumen, and creativity. Keeping a small, tightly-knit roster of clients is of supreme importance to us, allowing us to take on the empathy needed to drive success in a way only those in the trenches could. We prioritize kindness, zealous advocacy, and longevity.”
Beyond endorsements, how do you help athletes explore entrepreneurship specific to their sports backgrounds (e.g., gymnastics gyms, dance studios)?
Britt St. George: “While I think that it’s important to honor one’s history and explore passions that are tangential to your experience, with athletes, we also like to explore untapped passions. There are a few more predictable paths, like athlete to motivational speaker, or athlete to commentator, but we also like to dig deeper and unearth broader interests. For example, our client, Lindsay Arnold, had a background in dance (a former pro on Dancing with the Stars), but wanted to shift her career focus as she embraced her role as a mother of two. Lindsay’s interest in fitness combined with her innate drive to help others led to the formation of The Movement Club, a for-everybody at-home workout program aimed at providing community, connection, and movement for everyone.”
With the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, how are you navigating this new landscape to benefit your clients, particularly those in traditionally under-marketed sports?
Britt St. George, Madison Smith, and Kaila McWilliams: “Capitalizing on NIL in college sports is an incredible opportunity for athletes who may not have the option to go on to a professional league after their collegiate careers have ended. Instead of relying on the prospect of a lucrative player’s contract upon graduation, athletes in under-marketed (or, under-funded) sports can lay the foundations of a long and prosperous career by launching influencer businesses while still in school, tapping into loyal followers and fans who are along the ride for their athletic journey. For these athletes, we’re encouraging them to build out their presences on social media, essentially becoming a hybrid between content creator and athlete. We’re advising them on their social strategies to take these fans and convert them into individuals with purchasing power, making them (the athletes) particularly interesting to brands and marketers. Merely three years ago, these athletes were unable to cash in on their NIL while in school. These were individuals who—due to their commitments within their sport—were likely missing out on valuable internships and summer jobs that their colleagues were participating in. In many ways, they were graduating behind their colleagues. Now, with the current landscape, these athletes are able to create and scale businesses as college students, taking control of their own futures and paving the way as digitally-native entrepreneurs.”
Many athletes struggle with the transition from competition to “regular life.” How do you approach mental health and career planning for your clients post-Olympics?
Britt St. George: “Mental health and career planning are huge elements of an athlete’s transition from sports to entrepreneurship. As an athlete, every new day is earned, and can be taken away just as fast as it comes. This makes for a particularly unpredictable future and can lead to struggles with mental health over time. With your worth directly tied to your performance, unwiring that way of thinking takes a great deal of time. Our goal when onboarding new athlete clients is to build a foundation for their careers post-sport that is as solid and predictable as possible. Playing into what they know, we map out plans, just like training plans, that can be followed as we move past benchmarks.”
What are the unique challenges and advantages of working with your sister? How do you navigate potential disagreements? How do you separate your professional life from your personal one?
Britt St. George and Madison Smith: “Starting something together might not have been on our BINGO boards as kids, but the timing and stars aligned when we began discussing our dreams for the future and our passions. As sisters, we bring unique qualities to the table that complement each other completely. The trust and loyalty in our sibling relationship provide a strong foundation for collaboration. Effective communication, understanding, and a shared vision align our goals. We always prioritize open communication and clearly define our roles and responsibilities. We separate our professional and personal lives by setting boundaries and nurturing our personal relationship outside of the workplace.”
How has your legal background informed your approach to athlete representation and contract negotiation?
Britt St. George: “We pride ourselves on expert representation — that means having trained professionals behind you, looking out for your best interests and approaching all of your business dealings with a keen eye for hypotheticals. While we treat negotiation as an art, having backgrounds as business attorneys on the in-house side has also taught us shrewdness in where to focus efforts, and where to allow concessions.”
Beyond sports, are there plans to expand SMITH&SAINT’s reach to other talent segments in the entertainment industry?
Britt St. George, Madison Smith, and Kaila McWilliams: “We currently represent a wide range of talent from athletes to creators in the entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food spaces. We view ourselves as experts of the intersection between sports and social media, so our plans do involve delving deeper into this niche, exploring other sports, and continually working to uplift athletes underrepresented sports.”
As women in the sports agency world, what obstacles have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Britt St. George, Madison Smith, and Kaila McWilliams: “Our goal is to empower our clients, amplify their voices, and advocate for them in the best way we know how. Our internal SMITH&SAINT team is made up of incredibly bright, kind, and caring individuals, who we think are some of the most talented and creative agents in the industry. Any time we as founders or our team face adversity, no matter who or what the source is, our answer is always the same: be a good person, think differently, and achieve the goal that is in the best interest of the client.”
How do you think your agency’s focus on female athletes is changing the conversation around gender equality in sports representation?
Britt St. George, Madison Smith, and Kaila McWilliams: “At SMITH&SAINT, our focus on female athletes is significantly changing the conversation around gender equality in sports representation. By strategically supporting and promoting female athletes, we are ensuring they receive the recognition, sponsorship, and opportunities they deserve. Our approach involves sitting down with each of our female athletes to craft tailored strategies that align with their personal brand and values. This emphasis on authenticity and long-term career sustainability helps amplify their voices and showcases their talents to a broader audience. By doing so, we challenge traditional gender biases in sports representation and create a more equitable environment where female athletes can thrive and achieve success comparable to their male counterparts.”
Have you read?
Countries: Powerful Passports. Countries: Richest. Countries: Poorest. Countries: Happiest. Countries: Life Expectancy.
Add CEOWORLD magazine to your Google News feed.
Follow CEOWORLD magazine headlines on: Google News, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Copyright 2024 The CEOWORLD magazine. All rights reserved. This material (and any extract from it) must not be copied, redistributed or placed on any website, without CEOWORLD magazine' prior written consent. For media queries, please contact: info@ceoworld.biz
