Beyond Winning: Building a Successful Sports Franchise

In just their second season, the NHL's Seattle Kraken put together a solid record, made the playoffs and even won their first-round playoff series. But during an 82-game pro hockey season, losses are inevitable—which means teams need to find ways to send their fans home happy, even when the customer may not be satisfied with the on-ice result. Sam Holloway (MA 2007, MBA 2012), the co-owner and co-chair of the Kraken, is working to build a fanbase, create a winning culture and center the team's off-ice values. Holloway joined the Voices of Experience podcast to talk about building a brand, whether winning cures all and how to separate the emotions of being a fan from the pragmatism of being a business owner. Table of contents • 1:42 The sports industry vs. others • 2:30 Building a fanbase in Seattle • 4:09 What it means to be "customer obsessed" • 5:33 Delivering a good experience during a loss • 7:48 "Stick to sports?" • 9:42 From psychology to business • 11:12 Using "context switching" to balance priorities • 14:11 Returning for an MBA • 16:29 Separating emotions from business decisions • 17:55 Tactics for hard conversations • 19:00 Are you on the hot seat? • 19:45 Advice from other owners • 20:57 "Your career is a journey" • 21:56 Show notes and credits