As I've mentioned I work as the Marketing Director of a planning and env consultancy and I alos get income from rugby- coaching and writing. Quite frankly the main job is hateful. Lovely company, lovely people, boring as hell.
I've been approached by a global Blue Chip (propery giant!) who have a seven figure sponsorship deal with England Rugby, to roll out their sponsorship programme, a lot of which is coaching in schools based. It would be freelance, 3 days per week or thereabouts, no security though. The 3 days would pay as much as I earn from my main job. It's not a done deal, and I'm meeting their CEO on Weds.
It got me thinking- I'm at the age where I want, again, to do something for myself with more esoteric reward.
So, if I got this (and there's also another freelance gig available for me doing all the comms for a Harley St medical practice which would add another £1k or £2k per month) I wonder what else to do...
So- bearing in mind I have a huge black book of rugby contacts, plus a black book of biz contacts I made during my time with James Caan I have decided there's a market (and I know it exists) to coach retiring and injured players into new careers. The crux is, whilst a lot have tried to monteise this exact thing, no-one wants to pay. The way you'd make the dosh is to then integrate them into a company and take a traditional recruiters' fee.
I believe that taking on former pro sportsmen is a very attractive proposition for big businesses- 1) the players can smash down doors through their profile (all professional services companies are very rugby rather than soccer orientated) 2) the self-discipline and will to win means they make great employees too.
When in Cannes, I bumped into Louis Deacon, the former Tigers and England second row who has just retired, and in 10 mintues I'd introed him to someone who promptly offered him a £50k BD role, so I know it can happen
I reckon that even if I placed one player a month, that's £5-9k per placement, depending on starting salary.
What's the collective view on that latter proposition?
I like security, but this whole model does appeal.
Be grateful for thoughts....
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
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Financially- I have property assests (and guitars) and savings enough to live for a year or so.
I need to earn c. £4k ish per month to cover everything, so not a lot.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
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The latter is the key- I have huge contacts but I'm bloody useless at monetising them
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Thanks- very sage advice too and totally resonates with my thinking.
I may have an offline chat with you.
I have a great name for the consultancy
GainLine Consulting.
It works a charm- rugby gainline, gaining in biz etc...
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Re my current, they know. I've told them. They also have intimated they'd give me a retainer to continue with the BD side of my job- say £750 a month but still that's a help.
http://www.esportif.com/
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Gain Line Communications/Marketing/Consulting (last word is irrelvent)
Do we like this?
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Firstly @Gassage - you look like a remarkable youthful 50!
Secondly, hitting 50 really caused me to reappraise where I was at in life. The obvious conclusion was potentially 20 years from death - which begged the question 'what things are wrong with the way I live now, that I can change?'
Work was my biggest issue - hated the job, the pressure, the people - everything about it. It paid me more than I need (including food, my total monthly income requirement is about £1600). On a particularly bad day with a boss, I wrote my resignation there and then - without a job to go to.
Through contacts I had three options on the table within a couple of weeks of resigning - and took the least remunerative, as it represented a total change - which is what I felt I needed.
Having started to feel better about life, I've gone on a major health-kick and have so far lost two stone (sadly there is about another three to go!)
It has also resulted in me playing more - something I had in reality I had almost ceased to do. I had become a 'guitar owner', rather than a player.
In short - I took a big risk - but I don't regret it.
Thanks- great advice again. I'm also in the fortunate position that in July 2016 I have a substantial lump sum incoming- a serious amount (enough to make me start looking at 54 strats!) soi that is security itself, which is my shares exit from my ex's company- the choreog biz.
Your points re quality of life are also very resonant with me.
Re youthful- blessed in that regard- that's why my partner is 29!
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
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For me it's about enjoyment and working full time in my favourite space- rugby- where I've (arrogantly and not really for me to sy) a reputation as one of the best techincal writers on the game. I get a lot of complements off players and coaches for my insights, and as a result, I have cred in the space.
I wanna wake up and think 'yaaaaaaay' not 'owwwwww noooo'!!
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
The sponsorship deal is 4 yrs.
Re recruitment- that is one strand. The headline is rugby into business.
The other strand is facilitating awaydays, branding, marketing/BD strategy and corp teambuilding.
How many people do you know who could say they did that for the Dragons Den crew (for 4 yrs) and could also, say as an example, bring Martin Johnson to the awayday to talk about leadership? I can charge £20k for that and it would cost me £10k to deliver. 10 a year? Job done. And I already have Pinsent Masons asking me to do their awayday.
Not many.
The other trump card I hold is I was appointed to the MCC Cricket Committee this year- I'm the Area Rep for Playing Members in London South- a huge job. MCC black book is gold dust. The Chair of the Cricket Committee is the Chief Global Compliance Director of UBS! Fuck me- if I cracked them as a client I'm home and dry.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
JFDI indeed.
However, the key is the CBRE gig- the sponsorship.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.