Mac Barnhardt, Partner at Rock Empire Sports

Was there ever a point where you thought you wanted to be a sports agent?

Look, most of us have. Call it the “Jerry Maguire” effect. The 1996 Tom Cruise movie was a first exposure to sports business for a lot of people. And it made the job seem pretty cool, right? Going to games with a lanyard around your neck that provides all kinds of access, rubbing elbows with athletes and owners, being down on the field, etc.

My guest, Mac Barnhardt of Rock Empire Sports, has been there and done all that. The long time golf agent has represented household names like Davis Love, Justin Leonard, and David Duval. He’s attended the events. He’s both hobbed and Nobbed with golf’s gliteratti. He’s lived the dream.

But he’s also seen the nightmare, too. He’s been fired from companies he started. He’s elevated proteges only to be betrayed by them. He was even forced to leave the industry for a couple of years.

So suffice it to say Mac Barnhardt has seen it all and learned even more. In our conversation, he shares a lot of that hard earned wisdom, goes into how he went from loading baggage for Piedmont Airlines to representing golf’s greatest players, and shares how he maintains perspective through the highs and lows of being a sports agent.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.

YOUR HOST

Dave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.

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