December 28, 2021 • 46 mins
Cassie Calvert speaks with Kim Miale (NFL Agent and General Counsel at Roc Nation Sports), Kelli Masters (NFL Agent and Founder and President of KMM Sports), and Lauren Renschler (CEO of William Raymond Communications) about their jobs as Ravens player representatives and difference-makers in the NFL.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to the Purple Chair Podcast. The goal of
this podcast has meant to take you behind the curtain
of the Ravens organization and the NFL. We've given you
an inside scoop to an NFL franchise from the inside,
but now it's time to take a look at things
from a different perspective. Outside of the people in the building,
there's probably no group that really knows the inner workings
(00:29):
quite like players representation. Player agents work closely with the
front office ensuring their clients are taken care of. So
in this episode, which I'm calling Representing Ravens, will show
you just what that process is like. You'll hear from
Kim Ilie, NFL agent and general counsel at Rock Nations Sports,
Kelly Master's NFL agent and founder and president of KMM Sports,
(00:51):
and Lauren Wrinchler's CEO of William Raymond Communications. Kim leads
Rock Nations Star Studied Football Division with a client list
that include se Quon Barkley and Raven Ronnie Stanley. She
also calls jay Z Boss, so that's pretty cool. Kelly
represents NFL players including Tylan Wallace, professional baseball players, olympians
(01:12):
and more, and Lauren's company, William Raymond Communications, is a
full service public relations agency that covers social media, marketing, endorsements,
and more for NFL players including Collis Campbell and Marlon Humphrey.
Join me and welcoming this trio to the Purple Chair Podcast.
So we have the three of you here, and I
know that you know. When I say what you guys do,
(01:34):
people might have one kind of idea of what that means.
So for you, guys, what is your day to day
in your role? Look like? I'm sure every day is different,
but as best you can, Lauren, I'll start with you. Sure,
we manage publicity, marketing and social media for about individuals,
most of whom are NFL athletes. UM. So every day
is a surprise. You never know what you're gonna wake
(01:55):
up to. UM. Mine usually starts very very early, checking
Twitter or for any breaking news, UM, anything that we
need to react to or um, you know, put out
for that next day. UM. Reminding guys if they've got interviews, appearances,
if they're scheduled, Tweets or Instagram posts that need to
(02:15):
go out. UM. It's it's a roller coaster. I'm on
the road a lot too. UM, which is something I
really enjoy but and really missed during COVID. UM. So
this week I'm into NFL cities. Last week I got
to stay at home. So travel is a big part
of my job as well. Very cool, Kelly, Yeah, so uh,
(02:39):
I for came in sports. I'm um the chief player agent,
and so I am the certified agent for our players.
But I also wear many other hats almost like a
manager as well, and attorney as well, and so UM
my days, it really depends on what time of year
it is. Um. There's really no off season or downtime,
(03:03):
but different times of the year look different. So much
like Lauren, I spent a lot of time traveling, and
I also really missed that uh during the season, normally
I go to thirty to thirty five football games, and
I didn't go to a single one, which was um
really different, especially for for those of us, and I
think especially women are very we like to be present
(03:27):
uh and and really be um sort of hands on
in our approach to managing our athletes UM careers, and
it's it's just not the same over zoom or face time.
So I do spend a lot of time traveling, spending
time with my players and their families and working through
everything that we do for them, whether it's their playing contract,
(03:48):
dealing with workers comp um issues, or insurance or injuries,
second opinions, UM, all the various things. Today I have
an appeal for a player that got fined for TONDA,
and last week the uniform iolation, and so there's always something, um,
always something happening. Today, of course is the trade deadline,
and I don't think um any of my guys are
(04:10):
going anywhere, so we'll know by four o'clock Eastern. But um, yeah,
every time of year is different. There's also recruiting going on,
and then of course um at the beginning into the year,
beginning of the year, we're signing new clients and preparing
them for the draft. Uh, and then there's the whole
off season. So um yeah, there's always something happening with players.
(04:31):
But that that's what makes the job um really amazing.
And even the bad days are can be great days
for us because we're problem solvers and we get to
bring solutions to the table and nurture our guys through
some tough times. And so that's we shot we're supposed
to shine on every day, whether it's a good day
or bad day. It did feel bad when I realized
(04:53):
that I had scheduled this the day of the tread
trade deadline. So I do appreciate the three of you
being here and giving me the time. I'm Kim, what
about for you? What is your day to day like?
So a little bit of what Lauren and Kelly said,
the same thing. Every day is completely different um so
and depending on the time of year, as Kelly mentioned,
you know, if whether it's free agency, the draft, recruiting season, UM,
(05:17):
the NFL season being in process, it really changes kind
of what the day to day looks like. But all
of that being said, generally speaking, you know, negotiating contracts,
whether it's football contracts or endorsement agreements for our full
roster over at Rock Nation, UM, recruiting, maintaining the relationships
(05:37):
with the clients that I do have in their families,
and handling anything that maybe sort of impacting their life
at a given time. So, whether it's an injury, getting
second opinions, going to doctor's appointments, which I'm actually on
my way to do right now, UM, appealing finds like
Kelly mentioned, UM if they're hosting some kind of charitable event,
(05:58):
attending that and helping to organize it, going to an
appearance or maybe a photo shoot with a client. So
every day is very different. Um that is certainly what
makes the job so exciting and interesting, because no two
days are alike, and you just really don't know what's
going to land on your plate on any day, but
you've got to just stay nimble and flexible and handle
(06:20):
it as it comes. One thing that I think all
of you mentioned was how you kind of had to
adjust last year during the pandemic during a COVID season.
So how were you able to pivot and adapt in
a business that's so much about that face to face
interaction developing those relationships. I think it was like everybody,
I think had to figure out the work from home,
(06:41):
the situation and um or the work from where used
to being on the road and working on the road
so much, and suddenly we found ourselves sort of quarantined
in one place and not being present, And so I
think we all had to adapt and use the technology
that was available to us. I mean, we all, I know,
got tired of zoom zoom meetings and and face times,
(07:04):
but thank goodness, we had that that we could actually
see our clients faces and and try to you know,
there are certain things that you just um when you're
dealing with the issues that we deal with with our players.
It goes way beyond just talking about crunching numbers, UM
and what their contrast is going to look like. It's
it's life. And when you're not really there to really
(07:26):
see the body language and feel the emotion and the
vibe um, that makes a little bit more challenging. But
I think all of us found ways to stay in touch,
to stay present as much as we could UM and
do the best we could with the limited access that
we did. What was interesting from our business is we
actually grew by a third during and I think a
(07:49):
lot of that was players were looking for things to
do in ways to stay well of it, and all
of a sudden they had so much downtime. And Twitch
was a thing, and you know, Zoom add video games
was a thing. And how do we take all these
community events which we helped plan and execute and make
them virtual. How do we switch a book club to
(08:10):
an in person book club. Kim and I actually were
on the phone a few times during the pandemic because
our clients have a podcast together Um, shout out Guru Punch,
but that was born during the pandemic, and so, you know,
just like Kelly said, it was a lot of zoom.
I'm sure everyone has zoom fatigue. It was. Um. You know,
our clients are among main learn their twenties. A lot
(08:32):
of face times, a lot of surprise face times when
you know you're stuck at home and sweatpants. But I
think the reason we managed to not only stay in
business but grow and be successful is because the world shifted.
And you know, another part of our job is helping
(08:53):
our players advance their philanthropic and social justice causes. And
was such a transformative year for that. And um, you know,
one of our clients is so involved, Mario Davis, And
I felt like I was on the phone with CNN
at four am, you know a lot during that year,
(09:15):
and so it was a busy, busy, busy time for us.
That's so interesting. I hadn't I hadn't thought about it
like that. Um, that totally makes sense. So switching gears
a little bit kind of we're gonna go kind of
through Like you guys careers, Kelly and Kim, I know
that both of you were neither of you, excuse me,
were NFL agents right out of law school, and you
both had interesting paths and careers and other types of
(09:36):
litigation before you wound up becoming NFL agents full time.
So could you share, like how and why you decided
to make that transition. For me, UM, the pivotal moment
was taking the sports law class top by Kristen Collega
while I was in law school. UM, and I was
able to get an internship with her for a few
semesters while in law school and just getting to be
(09:59):
a part of her agency and watching what she did
and what her day to day was like. That kind
of planted the seed for what I wanted to do
long term. UM. But you know, it's very difficult to
get started in the agent business, and I had student loans,
so I did practice law on the traditional sense so
that I could start making money, and UM had to
(10:20):
wait until I could get on my feet to take
the test and then start working as an agent on
my own. But UM, for me, it was definitely taking
Christian's class that kind of inspired me to want to
pursue this career. I love that Kim mention mentioned Kristen
because I feel like she's our godmother. Yes there is.
(10:40):
Kristen was the first person I called when I even
considered being an agent, And honestly, being an agent was
not on my radar. You know. I graduated law school
in UM. There were no sports law classes. Uh. There
was not even a sports management program at the college
that I went, and I went to University of Oklahoma,
which is a huge sports school. Uh, And so it
(11:00):
never was really a an option that I considered. I
just really loved sports, but I was really focused on
my my legal career, and so I started just in
civil litigation, but with also kind of a side practice
in nonprofit organization law, and that was honestly to keep
my sanity while I was a litigator UM and so
I loved nonprofit I loved working with setting up charities
(11:24):
and ministries around the really around the country that served
around the world, and that was very gratifying. But I
always felt like, in the back of my mind it
was going to open the door to something else. I
just didn't know what that was. I just really wanted
to make an impact. And about five years into my
law practice, the year that I actually became a partner
of my law firm, UM in civil litigation. I got
(11:46):
a call from a former NFL player and his family
who needed help with their foundation and had run into
some issues with the I R S and they just
needed a lawyer. And so I started working with them.
And at one point his mom looked at me and said, gosh,
where were you in the beginning. Why couldn't we've had
an agent like you? And I kind of laughed and went, no, no, no,
I am not Jerry Maguire. I am I'm comfortable here.
(12:07):
And she said, no, you really need to think about it.
And so I had no idea how to start. And
I initially approached my law firm and said, hey, could
we make this a practice area and they, um very
emphatically said no chance. And I said, well, can I
get certified and start my own company then? And and
they said, sure, we'll let you do that as long
as you maintain your billable hours. So um, I pretty
(12:29):
much didn't sleep for the first until I retired from
my law practice, my full time law practice, in two
thousand twelve. UM. So I started my own camp, my
little own company when the year I got certified in
two thousand five, and I've I've been really fortunate to
represent players every single year in the draft since since then,
since my first draft, which was two thousand six. And
(12:49):
I do credit even though I didn't take a class
from Kristen um I when I called agencies and and
tried to figure out, how do you do this business,
how do you even recruit, how do you get started?
What's involved? Um, she was the only agent that called
me back, and I'm so thankful for that. She was
very realistic with me and said, this is gonna be tough, UM,
(13:12):
but if you really have a passion for it and
you know it's your calling, then you need to pursue it.
So that's how it all started for me. That's awesome. UM. Kelly,
you mentioned the draft, and I think it's really cool
that we have you and Kim both here because you
were the first female agent to ever represent a top
five pick in the NFL draft. I think it was
Gerald McCoy. And then we have Keim here, who represented
(13:32):
se Kuan Umen draft who at number two overall, which
is still the highest UM I believe player ever drafted
by a woman. So it's really cool to me that
we're able to have the two of you here who
are such like trailblazers in that area, and it's really special.
I love it because, um, I think him and I
both share this sentiment that we didn't set out necessarily
(13:52):
to be the first anything, or to necessarily be trailblazers
or female agents. We just wanted to be great agents
and and do great work and and pour you know,
our our hearts and souls and minds into doing great
a great job in this industry. Um And and that's
what drives both of us. Instead, I think it's the
(14:13):
way it worked out is is really special. And the
fact that other women can now look and say, wow,
you know, it's it's possible for women to succeed at
the highest levels in this industry. Um. And it's simply
because women like like him and I and and other
women across the country just said we're going to do
this and it and refused to give up when it
got hard, so we're gonna keep persevering. And I love that. Yeah,
(14:38):
I agree, that's that's perfectly said Kelly. And for me,
you know, I can't take credit for how say Kwan
well he did at the combine. That was all on him.
So the fact that he was dropping number two overall
is him. Um, I just I'm thankful that he trusted
me to to help him navigate through that process, and
you know, we're fortunate to get the results that he had.
(14:59):
But you know, I can't take credit for stake Ban's
work on and off the field. That was all him,
but it's it was a great thing, and it's it's
been great to watch him mature throughout this process and
get to where he is today. But it was all
State one Barkley. So, as we're talking kind of about
some of the guys that you you guys have represented, um,
one thing that really stood out to me about all
(15:20):
three of you as I was kind of like researching
for this podcast, is how it was really important for
all of you to keep your roster sizes kind of
small so that you can have this more like hands
on personal work with your players, um how and also
be able to focus on like high character guys as well.
It's something that really stood out across the board about
all three of you. So why was that so important
to you and how are you kind of able to
(15:42):
do that? For me, I really wanted to be proud
of the players we represented and to be able to
brag about them to sponsors and media and have you
know someone they do an interview with, call me after
and say he's the best. You represent the best clients
because it's a reflection on the best of your roster
as well. Um. I had worked at other agencies that
(16:05):
um yeah, there's very heavily focused on crisis management. And
I wasn't proud of the players I was representing. I
can look at our roster now and I'm so immensely
proud of the people. They are, the football players, they are,
the family men they are. It makes this job so
much better when you have a passion for the people
(16:27):
that you're representing. It's a lot easier to pitch and
sell and get those big endorsement dollars and plan their
charity events when you know it's coming from their heart.
And you know, I've got a staff now, which is crazy,
but it was so important for me to make sure
that our team felt like a family, and that family
(16:48):
is you know, an extension of our clients too, were
one big family. Staff clients. You know, I always text
our guys. We just had a client go to the
Titans and I told our tight, you know, you guys
are related by h by policists and marketing team, UM,
you know, make sure you look out for each other,
and so that it just adds a layer of specialness
(17:10):
to this work. I think. I think it's so important,
and I think all three of us view what we
do not as transactional, UM, but as relational. We're dealing
with people in their lives and and the impact that
we're going to make on their lives not just during
the draft and during their careers, but long term as well. UM.
You know, I'll never forget the way that the you know,
(17:33):
when I first started doing legal work for my very
first athlete that I worked with, and the way his
mom looked at me, and and just just the desire
in her heart to have someone that was an advocate
that also really cared and she knew had their back
and would fight for them and UM and be um
transparence and everything that you know that I was doing
(17:54):
for them, and how much she longed for that. And
I thought, my goodness, if if it was my son
or brother or someone that I cared about, what would
I want for them? Uh? In an agent, what would
I want for the people that that have UM, that
are steward NG you know, their careers, who could I
really really trust and why? And I think I can
(18:14):
say that I think all of us on this call
kind of look at it that way, that these these
players are are way more important to us than than
just being than just their stats and just the you know,
the contracts that that were able to negotiate for them.
They are people and they deserve to be cared about
and and protected and you know, have to have people
(18:37):
in their corner no matter what. And uh, I think
that's that makes it special. And I think that's also why,
you know, we we focus on working with the players
that we really genuinely want to work with. UM and
when you um, you know, I I don't know. I
don't know that I purposely keep my group small, but
I recruit a certain number every year. I signed a
(18:59):
certain number every year, and and it just seems to
work out. But I always always want to be able
to maintain that um, that feeling of family and that
it that it truly is, you know, that we care
about them. They're not just transactions on a piece of paper.
They're people totally. I think like as we're talking about
these high character guys, one that really has always stood
out to me as clay As Campbell and Lauren obviously
(19:21):
you've represented him and through the entire process of him
becoming Walter Peyton Man of the Year. What does that
process kind of look like? And how rewarding was it
to see like his character and reputation recognized in that way?
That was that may be one of the highlights of
my career. Um, that was so cool. Claius and I've
been together for eleven years now, wow. Um, so he's
(19:43):
followed me throughout all of my stops and was one
of the people encouraging me and believing in me to
go out on my own, and you know, gave me
a lot of pep talks and a lot of courage
and um, you know, confidence and you know, like any
young athlete with a desire to give back, we did
a lot of bootstrap uh turkey drives and um partnerships
(20:09):
and it was loading groceries and stuffing bags and you know,
we were just flying by the seat of our pants
back then. And seeing him grow and evolve and learn
over the years how to run a foundation. We all
learned together and so that's been really really special in
(20:29):
the amount of lives we've been able to impact just
with the partnerships and the you know, partnering with Rockefeller Foundation,
partnering with can and Baltimore for instance. Um, ideas got bigger,
his contracts got bigger, so we had more money to
spend and give away. And so Klais is great because
he obviously has a huge heart as a wonderful human being,
(20:53):
but he has been open to a lot of creative
ideas that his team has thrown at him, and that
that process. Um, we actually I believe nominations were due
from the teams for Manity Year this week UM in
the NFL, and they'll be announced in December, and so
that's always really exciting, UM for our team. That's our
(21:16):
goal is to have at least one player be nominated
for Walter Payton Manity Year each year. UM. When guys
start working with William Raymond, that's the first thing they
ask usually is can you help me when Walter Payton
Manity Year? No pressure, but yeah, just Sinclais grow, you know,
like Kelly was saying, we have this privilege to see
(21:37):
them grow as human beings, not just as athletes. And
you know, he's gotten married and become a father and
it's still a wonderful football player, and it's just been
He's been such a great friend, and it sounds silly
to say, but a mentor. And we've grown up in
this industry together and that was extremely rewarding to be
(21:58):
there with him when he won Manity Year. That's awesome,
that's incredible. So much of what we've talked about um
in our time together already, it's just been about relationships,
and so I'm curious, you know, when those relationships are beginning,
when you're recruiting a player to join your group, how
do you establish that trust with both a player and
their family. Like from the jump, we get a lot
(22:19):
of business off referrals. My my business model is a
lot different than Kelly and Kim and agents. We typically
try and work with players who are headed into their
second contract or right after to make sure that they're
going to make it in the NFL and not too
distracted and they've gotten this first couple of years behind them.
So we're primarily referral based. I'm not on the road recruiting,
(22:44):
you know, usually if it comes from someone else on
our roster, that's an easier on boarding process. The one
thing I've learned is I don't ever want to convince
someone that they need to hire a PR person or
a marketing person. I'm looking for someone who already sees
the value in it and has seen what it can
do for their friends or their teammates. And then it's
(23:04):
just looking for the right fit. And so if I
have to convince you why we add value and then
why you should hire me, that's that's a little bit
different than finding, you know, a publicist that you click with.
And you know, something I tell our perspective clients when
we meet with them is we're going to be best friends.
(23:25):
And I'm sure it's the same way with Kelly and
Kim and their clients. We're going to talk all the time.
I'm going to know your family. I'm going to know
your wife. I'm going to know everybody in your life.
Is going to have my cell phone number. So we
better get along, and it's okay if we don't. You know,
I don't need to represent every NFL player. I don't
want to. And so just make sure whoever you're hiring
(23:46):
you connect with, because if I'm doing my job correctly,
we are going to spend a lot of time communicating
and a lot of time together and so we better
enjoy each other. Sure that makes sense, Kelly and Kim
went about for you from what kind of I guess
I would assume at that kind of begins in college. Yeah,
and it's even earlier now that the new n I
L laws have been passed. So I think we're finding
(24:07):
ourselves recruiting earlier and earlier, younger and younger. UM. I
just think it's building relationships, and there's no shortcut to it.
It's spending time getting to know the player and his
family and building trust by being genuine and being honest.
I think lots of times agents tend to tell people
(24:27):
what they want to hear and what they think they
should hear, but it's not the right message. It needs
to be the reality and the truth, and I think
that goes a long way. So I think always being
honest and genuine is important. And if people don't appreciate
that and respect that, then they're probably not the kinds
of people you want to work with anyway. So I
(24:48):
think again, it's just putting the time in, um letting
them know who you are as a person professionally and personally.
And I think more and hit on it. You know,
you spent a lot of time with a player in
their families, and so you need to get along. They
need to like you and want to be around you.
And so the recruiting process, that's why I really only
(25:09):
recruit a handful of guys each year, because I don't
think you can put that time in and build those
relationships if you're out recruiting a dozen players in a
draft class. So I think that's how we're able to
do it. I would echo what Kim said. It really
you truly do have to just put in the time
and and it's as with anything, it's building relationships, and
(25:30):
and it is starting earlier and earlier, especially with an
I l UM. And we're able to connect with players
UM at a younger age now than than before. UM.
And we kind of have to UM. But I love
the fact that a lot of the players that I
now represent, UM, we start we connected UM. You know,
(25:52):
I knew them maybe for a couple of years or
longer UM, depending on state laws and when what we're
allowed to do. UM. I've know them for for at
least a number of months, if not years before they
even sign, and we've already UM, they've already had a
glimpse into how I do things and who I am
as a person, and and vice versa. I've been there
for games and family events, and I sat at their
(26:16):
kitchen table and talked to their family and and it really,
you know, it's earning trust. Um is. You know, it
takes it just it takes time. It doesn't just happen
with a a flashy presentation and a long roster. It
really does take the time to take investing the time
(26:36):
into developing relationship and and showing, you know, showing the
player and his family. This is a great partnership going forward.
Um and and there are many many options out there
for for us as far as players that we want
to recruit, and there are many agents, and not every
agent is the right fit for a certain player. And
so it really is establishing is this meant to be?
(27:00):
Is this are these players the players that we really
genuinely see being part of their lives, not just now,
but you know, as far into the future as we
can see. And so it's on both sides, everyone's kind
of looking at is this the relationship the long term
relationship we want to be in um and establishing that
um And and building that and growing that through the
(27:21):
recruiting process. Sure, m kem one of the players that
you've kind of built that and maintained that relationship with
this Ronnie Stanley, who Ravens fans obviously love, and you
recently negotiated his five year extension that gave him the
most guaranteed money of any offensive lineman. Um, so these
volumes that Ronnie trusted you to negotiate such an impactful
deal with him. But I know you've known him since
(27:42):
he was in college at Notre Dame, So what's impressed
you the most about his journey? So, I mean, it's
been incredible to watch him mature from like you said,
a college student to the player that he's become an
all pro left tackle and to be part of such
an incredible board stay hin And I think what's been
great to watch is Ronnie and his free time spend
(28:05):
it towards giving back to the community. So he's put
together this incredible five oh one C three. He loves animals,
He loves dogs. He rescued two animals, two pit bulls,
from the Bark's Animal Shelter and in Baltimore, he went
in and said, which dog is the least adoptable and
they gave him his dog, Lola. UM, and then he
went back and got another people and he loves giving back.
(28:30):
So since he's gotten his second contract and he's able
to do so at a much higher level, UM, he's
been very active in this and and he created this
five O once three where he's taking rescue dogs and
paying for their training UM to become service dogs so
that they can be paired with a veteran who may
(28:50):
need a rescue sorry, a service dog, a child that
could use a service dog. So UM. You know he's
starting just in Baltimore, but I know that he plans
to scale it UM for all over the country someday.
And just to watch him build out this passion project
has been great. It's incredible. UM. On the contract side,
when you're negotiating a deal like that for him, what
(29:11):
goes into UM negotiating a massive extension, like, what's that
actually like on your inn? I mean you have to
be patient, UM. You have to know what you have
the most leverage, and UM you have to know what's
most important to the client and for the team UM,
so that you can hopefully strike a deal that everyone's
(29:32):
not thrilled with but they're happy enough. Everyone's given up
something um, but yet they got what they wanted to.
And for Ronnie, you know, the guarantee money, which rightfully
so was the most important metric for him and for
me as we were discussing it and what our strategy was.
And so for him, you know, sometimes the flashy headline
(29:53):
is the average per year um, but lots of times
that's fluff because the money's lumped in the late or
years of the contract that aren't guaranteed and the player
won't even see it. So Ronnie, understanding that those deals
are kind of smoking mirrors, wanted to focus on the
guaranteed money. And so that's why ultimately got the deal done.
It with the Ravens was that the guaranteed money was
(30:16):
at the amount that we were happy with sure, And
he mentioned that like timing is a big point of
like a big important important part of that. Excuse me,
was it a guarantee that the timing did happen as
it did because for him, fortunately it it ended up
coming at a good time that no one could have predicted,
with him suffering an injury just a few days later.
So was that always a guarantee that the deal was
(30:38):
going to get done like at that time. No, UM,
Ronnie was certainly blessed UM with the timing of it. UM.
As you mentioned, he signed the contract Friday morning and
on Sunday, forty hours later, he had had the season
ending injury. UM. I think timing meaning UM one of
the other top left tackles done a deal on that
(31:01):
kind of reset the market. So that was helpful. UM
Ronnie being playing on its fifth year option, knowing where
the where the team needed cap re leave UM. So
kind of just taking in to account all of those
outside kind of UM interest that could impact when the
Ravens wanted to do Ronnie's deal, when Ronnie wanted to
(31:22):
do this deal, UM, and using that as leverage to
get it done. Sure, that makes sense. When I was
brainstorming for this episode, I actually talked to Nick Maddio,
the Ravens Vice present a football administration, because I really
expect his opinion and and I wanted to make sure,
you know, if I was going to somebody, that it
was people that he respected and had a good relationship with.
(31:43):
And he has a ton of respect for you and
you Kim and Kelly both He immediately named both of you,
which I thought was really really neat. Um called you up,
you know, helped me get in touch with you guys,
which is really cool. Um. I know, Ken I when
I when I was researching this podcast, you I read
an article where you talked about how usually, you know,
the person that you do with at an organization is male.
But I believe, like at the Buccaneers, there's a director
(32:05):
of football research who you've kind of seen at different
stops in her career, Jackie Robinson, who's you know, trailblazing
from the other side of this business, which is really
really neat. Yeah, when I got to Rock Nation, the
first client that I had was Gino Smith and you know,
had a different agents during the draft process, but he
switched agencies and came over to Rock before his deal
(32:27):
was negotiated with the New York Jets, and so I
handled those negotiations. And yeah, my counterpart at the Jets
was Jackie, and you know, she was another woman in
her thirties. So it was definitely an interesting scenario because
I don't think we would have seen that, you know,
ten fifteen years ago, that to thirty some year old
women and negotiating the starting quarterbacks contracts, so um it
(32:50):
was great. And then yeah, I got to see Jackie
again and negotiating Leonard four nets two contracts with the Bucks.
She's definitely a tough negotiator, so I'm happy to but
not at all it's time because she is tough. But
you know, it's really cool that she's in that role
because there's not a lot of women in front offices
negotiating contracts. That's awesome. Um. One of the things that
(33:11):
really stood out about all three of you, and I
wanted to have you guys on here so much, is
that you've all used, like, the main thing that sets
you apart in your role from other people that have
your role in other places is obviously your gender, and
you guys all have used it as something that's unique
but doesn't hinder you, which I think is really important
that distinction. UM. I know that that hasn't always been
the easiest case, but UM, I think you know the
(33:35):
critiques and things that you guys have experienced throughout your career.
I know, Kelly, I read that you were told by
agents and general managers that you'd never be respected as
an agent. So how does that how did that fuel you,
you know, I do have to I have to say
I I don't know that I ever heard anything negative
necessarily from a general manager. UM. I had one, and
(33:56):
I will say that as far as the NFL goes, UM,
even back in two thousand and six, UM, when there
really weren't a lot of women doing what we do. UM,
I I don't know that I ever necessarily felt like
I was being disrespected on the NFL side at all. UM.
I had an encounter with a very well known agent
(34:20):
UM and my very first combine who UM, in no
uncertain terms, told me that women would never UM, would
never be respected, would never be successful, that we were
all a joke, that every woman that had tried to
be an NFL agent was just a joke and nobody
actually respected them. And I needed to find something more
appropriate to do with my life. And uh, and I
(34:43):
remember stopping him kind of mid lecture, and it was
it was the day of the agent meeting at the combine,
and in some like I wanted this was someone that
I actually sort of looked up to and respected until
that moment, and I said, you know what, let me
just tell you this. They're probably not a lot of
women who would want to be here having this conversation
with you because you're being a complete jerk. But let
(35:04):
me tell you why you're wrong. And you know, with
with any due respect, um, I don't know if there
was any due respect, but with all due respect, you
don't know me. You don't know why I'm here. You
don't know what I'm capable of. And and I completely
disagree with your hypothesis that women are not capable of
(35:24):
representing NFL players at a high level. And I'm sorry
that you're gonna have to eat your words someday, and
he has, and uh, you know, in that moment, that
was kind of a pivotal moment for me because I
felt like, you know, and not only was I standing
up for myself, but I was standing up for every
other woman who had a vision and a passion for
(35:45):
doing excellent work in this industry. Um. And that we
didn't necessarily want to be UM. We didn't want you know,
extra um credit or or attention because we're women in
a man's world or whatever. We just really wanted to
be respected for being great agents, not you know, not
(36:05):
given extra you know, I don't know, I don't know
what I'm trying to say, but I I just didn't
want it to be a hindrance. And I think all
of us can see how, UM, being a woman in
this industry is not a disadvantage. It doesn't have to
be a disadvantage. Kim, I'll jump to you because something
that I read that you had said really stuck out
to me. And it was that, as we're talking kind
(36:27):
of about the gender aspect um, that you know, you
thought it was natural for players. A lot of players
have a strong female presence in their life, and so
it's natural for them to kind of gravitate towards a
female voice. Um. For Yan, You're You're like, you don't
know how much that you know translates into your um,
your role. But I thought that was a really unique
(36:48):
point that I hadn't ever like thought of it in
that way before. Yeah, pretty much across the board, Um,
all of my clients have strong female figures in their lives,
usually their mom. So times it's a sister or a mom,
a girlfriend, or a wife, but nine times out of
time it's their mom. And I think one I can
(37:09):
relate and communicate with Mom on a different level than
probably most of then UM, and then I think again,
there was a comfort level there and just kind of
having that be what they're used to going to a
woman for a counsel and advice. UM, having that in
an agent, there's a level of comfort there. But I
think that men underestimate UM. Lauren. I know for you,
(37:30):
you made the decision to name your firm after the
late New Orleans Saint Great will Smith Um, your longtime client.
And one of the things that step out to me
about why you decided to do that was that, in
addition to wanting to honor him, you thought having Demand's
name on your company would open doors to you that
might not be opened otherwise than when I read that,
that hit me like a ton of bricks, Like that's
(37:51):
it's a really powerful UM statement. It's unfortunate Um to
even you know, that crossed my mind. And it's funny
now sometimes people email us and asked to speak to
William or I'll get emails threat to that William. I
knew starting out, you know, the way I was going
to build my relationship or build my business was on
(38:13):
my relationships. But I wanted to expand into new relationships
and to new you know, companies, impossible endorsements and for me,
William Raymond Communication seems like a big, you know, high
rise UM, you know pr firm that has been around
(38:33):
for a hundred years, and it's a couple of us
sitting around in sweatpants curiously emailing and texting and tweeting,
and you know, it sounds really fancy. And we have
been a remote agency since before COVID, and you know,
again that's on purpose to keep everyone mobile. And we
(38:54):
worked very long hours. So it's good that people can
work where they want. But you know, William Raymond Communicy
Patients has that umph to it. You know, I have
men on my team, and it's interesting. I feel so
fortunate sometimes because some of the people that we interact with. UM,
we'll sit across at a lunch with me and my
(39:16):
coworker and talk directly man to man, you know, about
golf trips or how great it is and I'm a
really good golfer. Two so you want you want me
on that forsom. But it's I know how to leverage
that relationship and who's going to respond better to a
(39:36):
man than to a woman. I've learned, you know, when
I need to um lean on one of my male
coworkers to get a quicker response time, and unfortunately that's
just that's how it is. But it's part of my
job is to be resourceful. And I forget if it
was Kelly or Kim, but we're problem solvers at the
end of the day. And um, you know it's it's
(39:58):
William Raymond is really special to me because of well
but yeah, but it's also served as purpose as well
in terms of a strong brand. M it's powerful. I
know all three of you wear so many hats um
in your roles and chain events and advocating for your clients,
But what aspect of your roles do you find the
most rewarding. I'll jump in, Um, I think it's just
(40:20):
watching the clients succeed. So, you know, we can only
do so much. We can give them tools and counsel
and advice, but at the end of the day, they
have to go out there and play. No one else
can on their behalf. So watching them go out and
drive and achieve their dreams and to the extent we've
played any role in helping them attain those dreams, then
I think that that's that's the best part of the job.
(40:41):
I would agree with Ken and I think it's it's
also incredibly rewarding to see them not just achieve on
the field, but become the men that that we know
they can be and and support that. UM. I love,
you know, being there and my players become you know,
when they get married and they have kiddos and and
(41:02):
uh even move into you know, their next career, um
and knowing that maybe I played a small role in that.
I remember a few years ago I had a phone
call from a player who UM only played briefly in
the NFL UM and then went into coaching and is
now an athletic director. And he called me and said, Hey,
(41:22):
I really think I want to transition and become an agent.
And I said, you know, first of all, you know why, Um,
you're doing so great. You're impacting lives, You're you're you're
walking in your purpose. Um, you're doing an eazy And
he said, well, I just want to make sure I'm
having the same impact on lives that you had online.
(41:43):
And I think that speaks to the role of of
an agent when it's done the right way and when
it's done well, that we not only fight for dollars
uh and fight for opportunities for our players, but we
um player really UH important role in their lives as
part of their their team that that supports them in
(42:04):
becoming who they're meant to be and fulfilling uh their
ultimate purpose in life. And I cannot imagine something more
rewarding than that, Like Kelly and Kim said, I love that.
That's great. Um. I'll be remiss if I didn't ask
you this, um, Lauren, while I have you here, because
we mentioned you know, a big part of your role
um is social media, and that's one of the things
that your firm focuses on. And I think with Marlon Humphrey,
(42:27):
you probably have the star subject um in that category
that you represent. I imagine he's the ideal client there,
and I know your firm specializes in making every client
you know, a household name, like that's the goal at
the end of the day, and Marlon is certainly like
on his path to becoming one. So with all like
the side projects that he goes into you alluded to
(42:47):
the Gurup Punch podcast. We obviously have Kim here who
represents the other half of that, but what goes into
those side projects from your side, and you know when
he's launching things like this boot Bar and campaign and
all of those different projects he works on. For Marlin
and with everyone, authenticity is the biggest, most important thing
that we push. Um. We do manage some of our
(43:08):
players social media, Marlon, we don't touch and we don't
have to and we can sell we wouldn't dare UM
and Marlon is it should be this way with every
player and allowing them to be the best version of
themselves in in the media. And for boot Barn, you know,
(43:30):
we paid really close attention to what our guys are
doing and saying. And that's a benefit of having a
small roster. And so he when he gave the press
conference after the Titans playoff when last year, and he
said he marched right down to boot Barn and picked
up his hat. You know. I we were on the
phone with boot Barn the next day and sending the
(43:52):
clip and the social person a d m him and
sent and free stuff. But or like, why are we
stopping there? Marlin? You could rock this. This is a
unique look that um, you know, not many people are
expecting from you. But I think that's what Marlon thrives
off of, is just being himself and being different. And
so for us, we just want to he drives the
(44:13):
car where we are just here to assist and maybe
help him think of ways to either monetize that or
make it a little bigger, a little better. But we're
really just letting Marlin be Marlin. That's great. I love that.
I just I had to ask because I know that
our fans absolutely adore him so um and and just
(44:35):
of time, I really respect I appreciate all of you
guys being here. There's one last thing I'm gonna do
with you before we sign off. Its ore a little
game we play at the end. It's called the Purple
hot teat just a quick this or that game. So
I'll run through three questions with each of you, just
kind of rapid fire. So I'll go Lauren, Kelly, Kim
if that works. Um. The first one is favorite event,
the Combine or the Senior Bowl. I don't have to
(44:57):
go to either, she said, neither neither, Kelly. I'll go
to you. Oh Combine. I love Combine, So I love
it and I hate it at the same time. I
feel the same way about Senior Bowl. That, yeah, I
would have to stay Combine. I'll stay Combine as well.
It's like Kelly, so you have to love it and
hate it, but it's not the time. They call it
(45:18):
the spring break of the NFL. I love it all right,
the draft at home or on location? On location? I
oh gosh, I love on location too, I honestly do. Yeah.
On location, there's nothing that can replicate watching the player
walk across the stage and get his dirsy from the commissioner.
(45:40):
So I concur Yeah, that's incredible. Um, all right. And
the last one is your social media platform of choice
Instagram or Twitter? Twitter? Um, probably Twitter, but it's a
really close guie Instagram For me, I really just tweets,
(46:00):
so definitely Instagram. Perfect. Well, thank you lady so much
for the time. I really appreciate it. I think this
will be really insightful for our fans, So I appreciate
your time. Thank you for having Thanks so much for
listening to this episode of the Purple Chair Podcast. Don't
forget to leave us a review. If you're enjoying the podcast,
subscribe and share with your friends. New episodes drop every
(46:22):
other Tuesday. I'll talk to you soon.
Welcome back to the Purple Chair Podcast. The goal of
this podcast has meant to take you behind the curtain
of the Ravens organization and the NFL. We've given you
an inside scoop to an NFL franchise from the inside,
but now it's time to take a look at things
from a different perspective. Outside of the people in the building,
there's probably no group that really knows the inner workings
(00:29):
quite like players representation. Player agents work closely with the
front office ensuring their clients are taken care of. So
in this episode, which I'm calling Representing Ravens, will show
you just what that process is like. You'll hear from
Kim Ilie, NFL agent and general counsel at Rock Nations Sports,
Kelly Master's NFL agent and founder and president of KMM Sports,
(00:51):
and Lauren Wrinchler's CEO of William Raymond Communications. Kim leads
Rock Nations Star Studied Football Division with a client list
that include se Quon Barkley and Raven Ronnie Stanley. She
also calls jay Z Boss, so that's pretty cool. Kelly
represents NFL players including Tylan Wallace, professional baseball players, olympians
(01:12):
and more, and Lauren's company, William Raymond Communications, is a
full service public relations agency that covers social media, marketing, endorsements,
and more for NFL players including Collis Campbell and Marlon Humphrey.
Join me and welcoming this trio to the Purple Chair Podcast.
So we have the three of you here, and I
know that you know. When I say what you guys do,
(01:34):
people might have one kind of idea of what that means.
So for you, guys, what is your day to day
in your role? Look like? I'm sure every day is different,
but as best you can, Lauren, I'll start with you. Sure,
we manage publicity, marketing and social media for about individuals,
most of whom are NFL athletes. UM. So every day
is a surprise. You never know what you're gonna wake
(01:55):
up to. UM. Mine usually starts very very early, checking
Twitter or for any breaking news, UM, anything that we
need to react to or um, you know, put out
for that next day. UM. Reminding guys if they've got interviews, appearances,
if they're scheduled, Tweets or Instagram posts that need to
(02:15):
go out. UM. It's it's a roller coaster. I'm on
the road a lot too. UM, which is something I
really enjoy but and really missed during COVID. UM. So
this week I'm into NFL cities. Last week I got
to stay at home. So travel is a big part
of my job as well. Very cool, Kelly, Yeah, so uh,
(02:39):
I for came in sports. I'm um the chief player agent,
and so I am the certified agent for our players.
But I also wear many other hats almost like a
manager as well, and attorney as well, and so UM
my days, it really depends on what time of year
it is. Um. There's really no off season or downtime,
(03:03):
but different times of the year look different. So much
like Lauren, I spent a lot of time traveling, and
I also really missed that uh during the season, normally
I go to thirty to thirty five football games, and
I didn't go to a single one, which was um
really different, especially for for those of us, and I
think especially women are very we like to be present
(03:27):
uh and and really be um sort of hands on
in our approach to managing our athletes UM careers, and
it's it's just not the same over zoom or face time.
So I do spend a lot of time traveling, spending
time with my players and their families and working through
everything that we do for them, whether it's their playing contract,
(03:48):
dealing with workers comp um issues, or insurance or injuries,
second opinions, UM, all the various things. Today I have
an appeal for a player that got fined for TONDA,
and last week the uniform iolation, and so there's always something, um,
always something happening. Today, of course is the trade deadline,
and I don't think um any of my guys are
(04:10):
going anywhere, so we'll know by four o'clock Eastern. But um, yeah,
every time of year is different. There's also recruiting going on,
and then of course um at the beginning into the year,
beginning of the year, we're signing new clients and preparing
them for the draft. Uh, and then there's the whole
off season. So um yeah, there's always something happening with players.
(04:31):
But that that's what makes the job um really amazing.
And even the bad days are can be great days
for us because we're problem solvers and we get to
bring solutions to the table and nurture our guys through
some tough times. And so that's we shot we're supposed
to shine on every day, whether it's a good day
or bad day. It did feel bad when I realized
(04:53):
that I had scheduled this the day of the tread
trade deadline. So I do appreciate the three of you
being here and giving me the time. I'm Kim, what
about for you? What is your day to day like?
So a little bit of what Lauren and Kelly said,
the same thing. Every day is completely different um so
and depending on the time of year, as Kelly mentioned,
you know, if whether it's free agency, the draft, recruiting season, UM,
(05:17):
the NFL season being in process, it really changes kind
of what the day to day looks like. But all
of that being said, generally speaking, you know, negotiating contracts,
whether it's football contracts or endorsement agreements for our full
roster over at Rock Nation, UM, recruiting, maintaining the relationships
(05:37):
with the clients that I do have in their families,
and handling anything that maybe sort of impacting their life
at a given time. So, whether it's an injury, getting
second opinions, going to doctor's appointments, which I'm actually on
my way to do right now, UM, appealing finds like
Kelly mentioned, UM if they're hosting some kind of charitable event,
(05:58):
attending that and helping to organize it, going to an
appearance or maybe a photo shoot with a client. So
every day is very different. Um that is certainly what
makes the job so exciting and interesting, because no two
days are alike, and you just really don't know what's
going to land on your plate on any day, but
you've got to just stay nimble and flexible and handle
(06:20):
it as it comes. One thing that I think all
of you mentioned was how you kind of had to
adjust last year during the pandemic during a COVID season.
So how were you able to pivot and adapt in
a business that's so much about that face to face
interaction developing those relationships. I think it was like everybody,
I think had to figure out the work from home,
(06:41):
the situation and um or the work from where used
to being on the road and working on the road
so much, and suddenly we found ourselves sort of quarantined
in one place and not being present, And so I
think we all had to adapt and use the technology
that was available to us. I mean, we all, I know,
got tired of zoom zoom meetings and and face times,
(07:04):
but thank goodness, we had that that we could actually
see our clients faces and and try to you know,
there are certain things that you just um when you're
dealing with the issues that we deal with with our players.
It goes way beyond just talking about crunching numbers, UM
and what their contrast is going to look like. It's
it's life. And when you're not really there to really
(07:26):
see the body language and feel the emotion and the
vibe um, that makes a little bit more challenging. But
I think all of us found ways to stay in touch,
to stay present as much as we could UM and
do the best we could with the limited access that
we did. What was interesting from our business is we
actually grew by a third during and I think a
(07:49):
lot of that was players were looking for things to
do in ways to stay well of it, and all
of a sudden they had so much downtime. And Twitch
was a thing, and you know, Zoom add video games
was a thing. And how do we take all these
community events which we helped plan and execute and make
them virtual. How do we switch a book club to
(08:10):
an in person book club. Kim and I actually were
on the phone a few times during the pandemic because
our clients have a podcast together Um, shout out Guru Punch,
but that was born during the pandemic, and so, you know,
just like Kelly said, it was a lot of zoom.
I'm sure everyone has zoom fatigue. It was. Um. You know,
our clients are among main learn their twenties. A lot
(08:32):
of face times, a lot of surprise face times when
you know you're stuck at home and sweatpants. But I
think the reason we managed to not only stay in
business but grow and be successful is because the world shifted.
And you know, another part of our job is helping
(08:53):
our players advance their philanthropic and social justice causes. And
was such a transformative year for that. And um, you know,
one of our clients is so involved, Mario Davis, And
I felt like I was on the phone with CNN
at four am, you know a lot during that year,
(09:15):
and so it was a busy, busy, busy time for us.
That's so interesting. I hadn't I hadn't thought about it
like that. Um, that totally makes sense. So switching gears
a little bit kind of we're gonna go kind of
through Like you guys careers, Kelly and Kim, I know
that both of you were neither of you, excuse me,
were NFL agents right out of law school, and you
both had interesting paths and careers and other types of
(09:36):
litigation before you wound up becoming NFL agents full time.
So could you share, like how and why you decided
to make that transition. For me, UM, the pivotal moment
was taking the sports law class top by Kristen Collega
while I was in law school. UM, and I was
able to get an internship with her for a few
semesters while in law school and just getting to be
(09:59):
a part of her agency and watching what she did
and what her day to day was like. That kind
of planted the seed for what I wanted to do
long term. UM. But you know, it's very difficult to
get started in the agent business, and I had student loans,
so I did practice law on the traditional sense so
that I could start making money, and UM had to
(10:20):
wait until I could get on my feet to take
the test and then start working as an agent on
my own. But UM, for me, it was definitely taking
Christian's class that kind of inspired me to want to
pursue this career. I love that Kim mention mentioned Kristen
because I feel like she's our godmother. Yes there is.
(10:40):
Kristen was the first person I called when I even
considered being an agent, And honestly, being an agent was
not on my radar. You know. I graduated law school
in UM. There were no sports law classes. Uh. There
was not even a sports management program at the college
that I went, and I went to University of Oklahoma,
which is a huge sports school. Uh, And so it
(11:00):
never was really a an option that I considered. I
just really loved sports, but I was really focused on
my my legal career, and so I started just in
civil litigation, but with also kind of a side practice
in nonprofit organization law, and that was honestly to keep
my sanity while I was a litigator UM and so
I loved nonprofit I loved working with setting up charities
(11:24):
and ministries around the really around the country that served
around the world, and that was very gratifying. But I
always felt like, in the back of my mind it
was going to open the door to something else. I
just didn't know what that was. I just really wanted
to make an impact. And about five years into my
law practice, the year that I actually became a partner
of my law firm, UM in civil litigation. I got
(11:46):
a call from a former NFL player and his family
who needed help with their foundation and had run into
some issues with the I R S and they just
needed a lawyer. And so I started working with them.
And at one point his mom looked at me and said, gosh,
where were you in the beginning. Why couldn't we've had
an agent like you? And I kind of laughed and went, no, no, no,
I am not Jerry Maguire. I am I'm comfortable here.
(12:07):
And she said, no, you really need to think about it.
And so I had no idea how to start. And
I initially approached my law firm and said, hey, could
we make this a practice area and they, um very
emphatically said no chance. And I said, well, can I
get certified and start my own company then? And and
they said, sure, we'll let you do that as long
as you maintain your billable hours. So um, I pretty
(12:29):
much didn't sleep for the first until I retired from
my law practice, my full time law practice, in two
thousand twelve. UM. So I started my own camp, my
little own company when the year I got certified in
two thousand five, and I've I've been really fortunate to
represent players every single year in the draft since since then,
since my first draft, which was two thousand six. And
(12:49):
I do credit even though I didn't take a class
from Kristen um I when I called agencies and and
tried to figure out, how do you do this business,
how do you even recruit, how do you get started?
What's involved? Um, she was the only agent that called
me back, and I'm so thankful for that. She was
very realistic with me and said, this is gonna be tough, UM,
(13:12):
but if you really have a passion for it and
you know it's your calling, then you need to pursue it.
So that's how it all started for me. That's awesome. UM. Kelly,
you mentioned the draft, and I think it's really cool
that we have you and Kim both here because you
were the first female agent to ever represent a top
five pick in the NFL draft. I think it was
Gerald McCoy. And then we have Keim here, who represented
(13:32):
se Kuan Umen draft who at number two overall, which
is still the highest UM I believe player ever drafted
by a woman. So it's really cool to me that
we're able to have the two of you here who
are such like trailblazers in that area, and it's really special.
I love it because, um, I think him and I
both share this sentiment that we didn't set out necessarily
(13:52):
to be the first anything, or to necessarily be trailblazers
or female agents. We just wanted to be great agents
and and do great work and and pour you know,
our our hearts and souls and minds into doing great
a great job in this industry. Um And and that's
what drives both of us. Instead, I think it's the
(14:13):
way it worked out is is really special. And the
fact that other women can now look and say, wow,
you know, it's it's possible for women to succeed at
the highest levels in this industry. Um. And it's simply
because women like like him and I and and other
women across the country just said we're going to do
this and it and refused to give up when it
got hard, so we're gonna keep persevering. And I love that. Yeah,
(14:38):
I agree, that's that's perfectly said Kelly. And for me,
you know, I can't take credit for how say Kwan
well he did at the combine. That was all on him.
So the fact that he was dropping number two overall
is him. Um, I just I'm thankful that he trusted
me to to help him navigate through that process, and
you know, we're fortunate to get the results that he had.
(14:59):
But you know, I can't take credit for stake Ban's
work on and off the field. That was all him,
but it's it was a great thing, and it's it's
been great to watch him mature throughout this process and
get to where he is today. But it was all
State one Barkley. So, as we're talking kind of about
some of the guys that you you guys have represented, um,
one thing that really stood out to me about all
(15:20):
three of you as I was kind of like researching
for this podcast, is how it was really important for
all of you to keep your roster sizes kind of
small so that you can have this more like hands
on personal work with your players, um how and also
be able to focus on like high character guys as well.
It's something that really stood out across the board about
all three of you. So why was that so important
to you and how are you kind of able to
(15:42):
do that? For me, I really wanted to be proud
of the players we represented and to be able to
brag about them to sponsors and media and have you
know someone they do an interview with, call me after
and say he's the best. You represent the best clients
because it's a reflection on the best of your roster
as well. Um. I had worked at other agencies that
(16:05):
um yeah, there's very heavily focused on crisis management. And
I wasn't proud of the players I was representing. I
can look at our roster now and I'm so immensely
proud of the people. They are, the football players, they are,
the family men they are. It makes this job so
much better when you have a passion for the people
(16:27):
that you're representing. It's a lot easier to pitch and
sell and get those big endorsement dollars and plan their
charity events when you know it's coming from their heart.
And you know, I've got a staff now, which is crazy,
but it was so important for me to make sure
that our team felt like a family, and that family
(16:48):
is you know, an extension of our clients too, were
one big family. Staff clients. You know, I always text
our guys. We just had a client go to the
Titans and I told our tight, you know, you guys
are related by h by policists and marketing team, UM,
you know, make sure you look out for each other,
and so that it just adds a layer of specialness
(17:10):
to this work. I think. I think it's so important,
and I think all three of us view what we
do not as transactional, UM, but as relational. We're dealing
with people in their lives and and the impact that
we're going to make on their lives not just during
the draft and during their careers, but long term as well. UM.
You know, I'll never forget the way that the you know,
(17:33):
when I first started doing legal work for my very
first athlete that I worked with, and the way his
mom looked at me, and and just just the desire
in her heart to have someone that was an advocate
that also really cared and she knew had their back
and would fight for them and UM and be um
transparence and everything that you know that I was doing
(17:54):
for them, and how much she longed for that. And
I thought, my goodness, if if it was my son
or brother or someone that I cared about, what would
I want for them? Uh? In an agent, what would
I want for the people that that have UM, that
are steward NG you know, their careers, who could I
really really trust and why? And I think I can
(18:14):
say that I think all of us on this call
kind of look at it that way, that these these
players are are way more important to us than than
just being than just their stats and just the you know,
the contracts that that were able to negotiate for them.
They are people and they deserve to be cared about
and and protected and you know, have to have people
(18:37):
in their corner no matter what. And uh, I think
that's that makes it special. And I think that's also why,
you know, we we focus on working with the players
that we really genuinely want to work with. UM and
when you um, you know, I I don't know. I
don't know that I purposely keep my group small, but
I recruit a certain number every year. I signed a
(18:59):
certain number every year, and and it just seems to
work out. But I always always want to be able
to maintain that um, that feeling of family and that
it that it truly is, you know, that we care
about them. They're not just transactions on a piece of paper.
They're people totally. I think like as we're talking about
these high character guys, one that really has always stood
out to me as clay As Campbell and Lauren obviously
(19:21):
you've represented him and through the entire process of him
becoming Walter Peyton Man of the Year. What does that
process kind of look like? And how rewarding was it
to see like his character and reputation recognized in that way?
That was that may be one of the highlights of
my career. Um, that was so cool. Claius and I've
been together for eleven years now, wow. Um, so he's
(19:43):
followed me throughout all of my stops and was one
of the people encouraging me and believing in me to
go out on my own, and you know, gave me
a lot of pep talks and a lot of courage
and um, you know, confidence and you know, like any
young athlete with a desire to give back, we did
a lot of bootstrap uh turkey drives and um partnerships
(20:09):
and it was loading groceries and stuffing bags and you know,
we were just flying by the seat of our pants
back then. And seeing him grow and evolve and learn
over the years how to run a foundation. We all
learned together and so that's been really really special in
(20:29):
the amount of lives we've been able to impact just
with the partnerships and the you know, partnering with Rockefeller Foundation,
partnering with can and Baltimore for instance. Um, ideas got bigger,
his contracts got bigger, so we had more money to
spend and give away. And so Klais is great because
he obviously has a huge heart as a wonderful human being,
(20:53):
but he has been open to a lot of creative
ideas that his team has thrown at him, and that
that process. Um, we actually I believe nominations were due
from the teams for Manity Year this week UM in
the NFL, and they'll be announced in December, and so
that's always really exciting, UM for our team. That's our
(21:16):
goal is to have at least one player be nominated
for Walter Payton Manity Year each year. UM. When guys
start working with William Raymond, that's the first thing they
ask usually is can you help me when Walter Payton
Manity Year? No pressure, but yeah, just Sinclais grow, you know,
like Kelly was saying, we have this privilege to see
(21:37):
them grow as human beings, not just as athletes. And
you know, he's gotten married and become a father and
it's still a wonderful football player, and it's just been
He's been such a great friend, and it sounds silly
to say, but a mentor. And we've grown up in
this industry together and that was extremely rewarding to be
(21:58):
there with him when he won Manity Year. That's awesome,
that's incredible. So much of what we've talked about um
in our time together already, it's just been about relationships,
and so I'm curious, you know, when those relationships are beginning,
when you're recruiting a player to join your group, how
do you establish that trust with both a player and
their family. Like from the jump, we get a lot
(22:19):
of business off referrals. My my business model is a
lot different than Kelly and Kim and agents. We typically
try and work with players who are headed into their
second contract or right after to make sure that they're
going to make it in the NFL and not too
distracted and they've gotten this first couple of years behind them.
So we're primarily referral based. I'm not on the road recruiting,
(22:44):
you know, usually if it comes from someone else on
our roster, that's an easier on boarding process. The one
thing I've learned is I don't ever want to convince
someone that they need to hire a PR person or
a marketing person. I'm looking for someone who already sees
the value in it and has seen what it can
do for their friends or their teammates. And then it's
(23:04):
just looking for the right fit. And so if I
have to convince you why we add value and then
why you should hire me, that's that's a little bit
different than finding, you know, a publicist that you click with.
And you know, something I tell our perspective clients when
we meet with them is we're going to be best friends.
(23:25):
And I'm sure it's the same way with Kelly and
Kim and their clients. We're going to talk all the time.
I'm going to know your family. I'm going to know
your wife. I'm going to know everybody in your life.
Is going to have my cell phone number. So we
better get along, and it's okay if we don't. You know,
I don't need to represent every NFL player. I don't
want to. And so just make sure whoever you're hiring
(23:46):
you connect with, because if I'm doing my job correctly,
we are going to spend a lot of time communicating
and a lot of time together and so we better
enjoy each other. Sure that makes sense, Kelly and Kim
went about for you from what kind of I guess
I would assume at that kind of begins in college. Yeah,
and it's even earlier now that the new n I
L laws have been passed. So I think we're finding
(24:07):
ourselves recruiting earlier and earlier, younger and younger. UM. I
just think it's building relationships, and there's no shortcut to it.
It's spending time getting to know the player and his
family and building trust by being genuine and being honest.
I think lots of times agents tend to tell people
(24:27):
what they want to hear and what they think they
should hear, but it's not the right message. It needs
to be the reality and the truth, and I think
that goes a long way. So I think always being
honest and genuine is important. And if people don't appreciate
that and respect that, then they're probably not the kinds
of people you want to work with anyway. So I
(24:48):
think again, it's just putting the time in, um letting
them know who you are as a person professionally and personally.
And I think more and hit on it. You know,
you spent a lot of time with a player in
their families, and so you need to get along. They
need to like you and want to be around you.
And so the recruiting process, that's why I really only
(25:09):
recruit a handful of guys each year, because I don't
think you can put that time in and build those
relationships if you're out recruiting a dozen players in a
draft class. So I think that's how we're able to
do it. I would echo what Kim said. It really
you truly do have to just put in the time
and and it's as with anything, it's building relationships, and
(25:30):
and it is starting earlier and earlier, especially with an
I l UM. And we're able to connect with players
UM at a younger age now than than before. UM.
And we kind of have to UM. But I love
the fact that a lot of the players that I
now represent, UM, we start we connected UM. You know,
(25:52):
I knew them maybe for a couple of years or
longer UM, depending on state laws and when what we're
allowed to do. UM. I've know them for for at
least a number of months, if not years before they
even sign, and we've already UM, they've already had a
glimpse into how I do things and who I am
as a person, and and vice versa. I've been there
for games and family events, and I sat at their
(26:16):
kitchen table and talked to their family and and it really,
you know, it's earning trust. Um is. You know, it
takes it just it takes time. It doesn't just happen
with a a flashy presentation and a long roster. It
really does take the time to take investing the time
(26:36):
into developing relationship and and showing, you know, showing the
player and his family. This is a great partnership going forward.
Um and and there are many many options out there
for for us as far as players that we want
to recruit, and there are many agents, and not every
agent is the right fit for a certain player. And
so it really is establishing is this meant to be?
(27:00):
Is this are these players the players that we really
genuinely see being part of their lives, not just now,
but you know, as far into the future as we
can see. And so it's on both sides, everyone's kind
of looking at is this the relationship the long term
relationship we want to be in um and establishing that
um And and building that and growing that through the
(27:21):
recruiting process. Sure, m kem one of the players that
you've kind of built that and maintained that relationship with
this Ronnie Stanley, who Ravens fans obviously love, and you
recently negotiated his five year extension that gave him the
most guaranteed money of any offensive lineman. Um, so these
volumes that Ronnie trusted you to negotiate such an impactful
deal with him. But I know you've known him since
(27:42):
he was in college at Notre Dame, So what's impressed
you the most about his journey? So, I mean, it's
been incredible to watch him mature from like you said,
a college student to the player that he's become an
all pro left tackle and to be part of such
an incredible board stay hin And I think what's been
great to watch is Ronnie and his free time spend
(28:05):
it towards giving back to the community. So he's put
together this incredible five oh one C three. He loves animals,
He loves dogs. He rescued two animals, two pit bulls,
from the Bark's Animal Shelter and in Baltimore, he went
in and said, which dog is the least adoptable and
they gave him his dog, Lola. UM, and then he
went back and got another people and he loves giving back.
(28:30):
So since he's gotten his second contract and he's able
to do so at a much higher level, UM, he's
been very active in this and and he created this
five O once three where he's taking rescue dogs and
paying for their training UM to become service dogs so
that they can be paired with a veteran who may
(28:50):
need a rescue sorry, a service dog, a child that
could use a service dog. So UM. You know he's
starting just in Baltimore, but I know that he plans
to scale it UM for all over the country someday.
And just to watch him build out this passion project
has been great. It's incredible. UM. On the contract side,
when you're negotiating a deal like that for him, what
(29:11):
goes into UM negotiating a massive extension, like, what's that
actually like on your inn? I mean you have to
be patient, UM. You have to know what you have
the most leverage, and UM you have to know what's
most important to the client and for the team UM,
so that you can hopefully strike a deal that everyone's
(29:32):
not thrilled with but they're happy enough. Everyone's given up
something um, but yet they got what they wanted to.
And for Ronnie, you know, the guarantee money, which rightfully
so was the most important metric for him and for
me as we were discussing it and what our strategy was.
And so for him, you know, sometimes the flashy headline
(29:53):
is the average per year um, but lots of times
that's fluff because the money's lumped in the late or
years of the contract that aren't guaranteed and the player
won't even see it. So Ronnie, understanding that those deals
are kind of smoking mirrors, wanted to focus on the
guaranteed money. And so that's why ultimately got the deal done.
It with the Ravens was that the guaranteed money was
(30:16):
at the amount that we were happy with sure, And
he mentioned that like timing is a big point of
like a big important important part of that. Excuse me,
was it a guarantee that the timing did happen as
it did because for him, fortunately it it ended up
coming at a good time that no one could have predicted,
with him suffering an injury just a few days later.
So was that always a guarantee that the deal was
(30:38):
going to get done like at that time. No, UM,
Ronnie was certainly blessed UM with the timing of it. UM.
As you mentioned, he signed the contract Friday morning and
on Sunday, forty hours later, he had had the season
ending injury. UM. I think timing meaning UM one of
the other top left tackles done a deal on that
(31:01):
kind of reset the market. So that was helpful. UM
Ronnie being playing on its fifth year option, knowing where
the where the team needed cap re leave UM. So
kind of just taking in to account all of those
outside kind of UM interest that could impact when the
Ravens wanted to do Ronnie's deal, when Ronnie wanted to
(31:22):
do this deal, UM, and using that as leverage to
get it done. Sure, that makes sense. When I was
brainstorming for this episode, I actually talked to Nick Maddio,
the Ravens Vice present a football administration, because I really
expect his opinion and and I wanted to make sure,
you know, if I was going to somebody, that it
was people that he respected and had a good relationship with.
(31:43):
And he has a ton of respect for you and
you Kim and Kelly both He immediately named both of you,
which I thought was really really neat. Um called you up,
you know, helped me get in touch with you guys,
which is really cool. Um. I know, Ken I when
I when I was researching this podcast, you I read
an article where you talked about how usually, you know,
the person that you do with at an organization is male.
But I believe, like at the Buccaneers, there's a director
(32:05):
of football research who you've kind of seen at different
stops in her career, Jackie Robinson, who's you know, trailblazing
from the other side of this business, which is really
really neat. Yeah, when I got to Rock Nation, the
first client that I had was Gino Smith and you know,
had a different agents during the draft process, but he
switched agencies and came over to Rock before his deal
(32:27):
was negotiated with the New York Jets, and so I
handled those negotiations. And yeah, my counterpart at the Jets
was Jackie, and you know, she was another woman in
her thirties. So it was definitely an interesting scenario because
I don't think we would have seen that, you know,
ten fifteen years ago, that to thirty some year old
women and negotiating the starting quarterbacks contracts, so um it
(32:50):
was great. And then yeah, I got to see Jackie
again and negotiating Leonard four nets two contracts with the Bucks.
She's definitely a tough negotiator, so I'm happy to but
not at all it's time because she is tough. But
you know, it's really cool that she's in that role
because there's not a lot of women in front offices
negotiating contracts. That's awesome. Um. One of the things that
(33:11):
really stood out about all three of you, and I
wanted to have you guys on here so much, is
that you've all used, like, the main thing that sets
you apart in your role from other people that have
your role in other places is obviously your gender, and
you guys all have used it as something that's unique
but doesn't hinder you, which I think is really important
that distinction. UM. I know that that hasn't always been
the easiest case, but UM, I think you know the
(33:35):
critiques and things that you guys have experienced throughout your career.
I know, Kelly, I read that you were told by
agents and general managers that you'd never be respected as
an agent. So how does that how did that fuel you,
you know, I do have to I have to say
I I don't know that I ever heard anything negative
necessarily from a general manager. UM. I had one, and
(33:56):
I will say that as far as the NFL goes, UM,
even back in two thousand and six, UM, when there
really weren't a lot of women doing what we do. UM,
I I don't know that I ever necessarily felt like
I was being disrespected on the NFL side at all. UM.
I had an encounter with a very well known agent
(34:20):
UM and my very first combine who UM, in no
uncertain terms, told me that women would never UM, would
never be respected, would never be successful, that we were
all a joke, that every woman that had tried to
be an NFL agent was just a joke and nobody
actually respected them. And I needed to find something more
appropriate to do with my life. And uh, and I
(34:43):
remember stopping him kind of mid lecture, and it was
it was the day of the agent meeting at the combine,
and in some like I wanted this was someone that
I actually sort of looked up to and respected until
that moment, and I said, you know what, let me
just tell you this. They're probably not a lot of
women who would want to be here having this conversation
with you because you're being a complete jerk. But let
(35:04):
me tell you why you're wrong. And you know, with
with any due respect, um, I don't know if there
was any due respect, but with all due respect, you
don't know me. You don't know why I'm here. You
don't know what I'm capable of. And and I completely
disagree with your hypothesis that women are not capable of
(35:24):
representing NFL players at a high level. And I'm sorry
that you're gonna have to eat your words someday, and
he has, and uh, you know, in that moment, that
was kind of a pivotal moment for me because I
felt like, you know, and not only was I standing
up for myself, but I was standing up for every
other woman who had a vision and a passion for
(35:45):
doing excellent work in this industry. Um. And that we
didn't necessarily want to be UM. We didn't want you know,
extra um credit or or attention because we're women in
a man's world or whatever. We just really wanted to
be respected for being great agents, not you know, not
(36:05):
given extra you know, I don't know, I don't know
what I'm trying to say, but I I just didn't
want it to be a hindrance. And I think all
of us can see how, UM, being a woman in
this industry is not a disadvantage. It doesn't have to
be a disadvantage. Kim, I'll jump to you because something
that I read that you had said really stuck out
to me. And it was that, as we're talking kind
(36:27):
of about the gender aspect um, that you know, you
thought it was natural for players. A lot of players
have a strong female presence in their life, and so
it's natural for them to kind of gravitate towards a
female voice. Um. For Yan, You're You're like, you don't
know how much that you know translates into your um,
your role. But I thought that was a really unique
(36:48):
point that I hadn't ever like thought of it in
that way before. Yeah, pretty much across the board, Um,
all of my clients have strong female figures in their lives,
usually their mom. So times it's a sister or a mom,
a girlfriend, or a wife, but nine times out of
time it's their mom. And I think one I can
(37:09):
relate and communicate with Mom on a different level than
probably most of then UM, and then I think again,
there was a comfort level there and just kind of
having that be what they're used to going to a
woman for a counsel and advice. UM, having that in
an agent, there's a level of comfort there. But I
think that men underestimate UM. Lauren. I know for you,
(37:30):
you made the decision to name your firm after the
late New Orleans Saint Great will Smith Um, your longtime client.
And one of the things that step out to me
about why you decided to do that was that, in
addition to wanting to honor him, you thought having Demand's
name on your company would open doors to you that
might not be opened otherwise than when I read that,
that hit me like a ton of bricks, Like that's
(37:51):
it's a really powerful UM statement. It's unfortunate Um to
even you know, that crossed my mind. And it's funny
now sometimes people email us and asked to speak to
William or I'll get emails threat to that William. I
knew starting out, you know, the way I was going
to build my relationship or build my business was on
(38:13):
my relationships. But I wanted to expand into new relationships
and to new you know, companies, impossible endorsements and for me,
William Raymond Communication seems like a big, you know, high
rise UM, you know pr firm that has been around
(38:33):
for a hundred years, and it's a couple of us
sitting around in sweatpants curiously emailing and texting and tweeting,
and you know, it sounds really fancy. And we have
been a remote agency since before COVID, and you know,
again that's on purpose to keep everyone mobile. And we
(38:54):
worked very long hours. So it's good that people can
work where they want. But you know, William Raymond Communicy
Patients has that umph to it. You know, I have
men on my team, and it's interesting. I feel so
fortunate sometimes because some of the people that we interact with. UM,
we'll sit across at a lunch with me and my
(39:16):
coworker and talk directly man to man, you know, about
golf trips or how great it is and I'm a
really good golfer. Two so you want you want me
on that forsom. But it's I know how to leverage
that relationship and who's going to respond better to a
(39:36):
man than to a woman. I've learned, you know, when
I need to um lean on one of my male
coworkers to get a quicker response time, and unfortunately that's
just that's how it is. But it's part of my
job is to be resourceful. And I forget if it
was Kelly or Kim, but we're problem solvers at the
end of the day. And um, you know it's it's
(39:58):
William Raymond is really special to me because of well
but yeah, but it's also served as purpose as well
in terms of a strong brand. M it's powerful. I
know all three of you wear so many hats um
in your roles and chain events and advocating for your clients,
But what aspect of your roles do you find the
most rewarding. I'll jump in, Um, I think it's just
(40:20):
watching the clients succeed. So, you know, we can only
do so much. We can give them tools and counsel
and advice, but at the end of the day, they
have to go out there and play. No one else
can on their behalf. So watching them go out and
drive and achieve their dreams and to the extent we've
played any role in helping them attain those dreams, then
I think that that's that's the best part of the job.
(40:41):
I would agree with Ken and I think it's it's
also incredibly rewarding to see them not just achieve on
the field, but become the men that that we know
they can be and and support that. UM. I love,
you know, being there and my players become you know,
when they get married and they have kiddos and and
(41:02):
uh even move into you know, their next career, um
and knowing that maybe I played a small role in that.
I remember a few years ago I had a phone
call from a player who UM only played briefly in
the NFL UM and then went into coaching and is
now an athletic director. And he called me and said, Hey,
(41:22):
I really think I want to transition and become an agent.
And I said, you know, first of all, you know why, Um,
you're doing so great. You're impacting lives, You're you're you're
walking in your purpose. Um, you're doing an eazy And
he said, well, I just want to make sure I'm
having the same impact on lives that you had online.
(41:43):
And I think that speaks to the role of of
an agent when it's done the right way and when
it's done well, that we not only fight for dollars
uh and fight for opportunities for our players, but we
um player really UH important role in their lives as
part of their their team that that supports them in
(42:04):
becoming who they're meant to be and fulfilling uh their
ultimate purpose in life. And I cannot imagine something more
rewarding than that, Like Kelly and Kim said, I love that.
That's great. Um. I'll be remiss if I didn't ask
you this, um, Lauren, while I have you here, because
we mentioned you know, a big part of your role
um is social media, and that's one of the things
that your firm focuses on. And I think with Marlon Humphrey,
(42:27):
you probably have the star subject um in that category
that you represent. I imagine he's the ideal client there,
and I know your firm specializes in making every client
you know, a household name, like that's the goal at
the end of the day, and Marlon is certainly like
on his path to becoming one. So with all like
the side projects that he goes into you alluded to
(42:47):
the Gurup Punch podcast. We obviously have Kim here who
represents the other half of that, but what goes into
those side projects from your side, and you know when
he's launching things like this boot Bar and campaign and
all of those different projects he works on. For Marlin
and with everyone, authenticity is the biggest, most important thing
that we push. Um. We do manage some of our
(43:08):
players social media, Marlon, we don't touch and we don't
have to and we can sell we wouldn't dare UM
and Marlon is it should be this way with every
player and allowing them to be the best version of
themselves in in the media. And for boot Barn, you know,
(43:30):
we paid really close attention to what our guys are
doing and saying. And that's a benefit of having a
small roster. And so he when he gave the press
conference after the Titans playoff when last year, and he
said he marched right down to boot Barn and picked
up his hat. You know. I we were on the
phone with boot Barn the next day and sending the
(43:52):
clip and the social person a d m him and
sent and free stuff. But or like, why are we
stopping there? Marlin? You could rock this. This is a
unique look that um, you know, not many people are
expecting from you. But I think that's what Marlon thrives
off of, is just being himself and being different. And
so for us, we just want to he drives the
(44:13):
car where we are just here to assist and maybe
help him think of ways to either monetize that or
make it a little bigger, a little better. But we're
really just letting Marlin be Marlin. That's great. I love that.
I just I had to ask because I know that
our fans absolutely adore him so um and and just
(44:35):
of time, I really respect I appreciate all of you
guys being here. There's one last thing I'm gonna do
with you before we sign off. Its ore a little
game we play at the end. It's called the Purple
hot teat just a quick this or that game. So
I'll run through three questions with each of you, just
kind of rapid fire. So I'll go Lauren, Kelly, Kim
if that works. Um. The first one is favorite event,
the Combine or the Senior Bowl. I don't have to
(44:57):
go to either, she said, neither neither, Kelly. I'll go
to you. Oh Combine. I love Combine, So I love
it and I hate it at the same time. I
feel the same way about Senior Bowl. That, yeah, I
would have to stay Combine. I'll stay Combine as well.
It's like Kelly, so you have to love it and
hate it, but it's not the time. They call it
(45:18):
the spring break of the NFL. I love it all right,
the draft at home or on location? On location? I
oh gosh, I love on location too, I honestly do. Yeah.
On location, there's nothing that can replicate watching the player
walk across the stage and get his dirsy from the commissioner.
(45:40):
So I concur Yeah, that's incredible. Um, all right. And
the last one is your social media platform of choice
Instagram or Twitter? Twitter? Um, probably Twitter, but it's a
really close guie Instagram For me, I really just tweets,
(46:00):
so definitely Instagram. Perfect. Well, thank you lady so much
for the time. I really appreciate it. I think this
will be really insightful for our fans, So I appreciate
your time. Thank you for having Thanks so much for
listening to this episode of the Purple Chair Podcast. Don't
forget to leave us a review. If you're enjoying the podcast,
subscribe and share with your friends. New episodes drop every
(46:22):
other Tuesday. I'll talk to you soon.
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