Women who have succeeded in the male-dominated sports industry have a message for aspiring young women looking to break into the industry themselves: “don’t give up, embrace the unexpected and, when necessary, drive hundreds of miles to an interview in the pouring rain.”
“All of us in the room, who are women, our superpower is that we are women,” said Jennifer Prince, Chief Commercial Officer for the Los Angeles Rams, at a panel hosted by USC’s Annenberg School for Communication on Wednesday.
“We have to have a voice. We have to have the confidence. We have to be us.”
Prince was speaking as a part of the Women in Sports panel where five women with diverse journeys in the sports industry shared their experiences and advice about working in the competitive field of sports.
Other panelists included Erin Bice, former associate director and global marketing partner at Activision Blizzard, and Olivia Cheng, senior director of marketing and brand engagement at LA28 which is the committee tasked with planning the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Cheng emphasized the importance of believing in yourself and following your passions. Her experience was unique on the panel in that she had a detailed vision for her career before she started to work in the industry.
“I easily applied to 100 jobs,” said Cheng. “But it was so important for me because I was not going to give up. Not only was I not going to give up, I was going to do whatever it takes to get there.”
She told the story of driving to Philadelphia from New York in the pouring rain for an interview with the 76ers. She later found out she was the only person to show up for the interview and secured the position as the brand and fan development manager. Cheng attests to this as a pivotal moment in her career and a true display of her passion.
Annenberg welcomed back three alumni to the panel: Charlene Riofrio, senior manager of digital strategy and operations at FOX Deportes, moderator Farren Benjamin, NFL agent and head of sports partnerships at Tagboard, and Savannah Foster, NFL agent and vice president of client relations at Athletes First.
“Sometimes the path finds you, so don’t put too much pressure on it,” said Foster when reflecting on what she would tell her college-aged self. “If you go out there and put your best step forward and do the best job you can every day, the opportunities will fall out of the sky.”
Foster drove her Volkswagen beetle from Kentucky to California in order to pursue her dream of working in sports. After getting a job with the San Diego Padres, she later took a receptionist job at Athletes First. In just a few years, Foster rose to the position of vice president of client relations at the agency.
“You’re going to learn what that path is for you the more you grow and the more experiences you get,” said Bice.
With multiple industry shifts in her career from gaming to sports, Bice encouraged the audience to be inspired by different opportunities and chase their passions.
“You can only plan so much and you really have to lean into the unplanned,” said Prince.
Sienna Claiborne, a USC freshman, watched the panel discussion and said the event was impactful, especially for those eager to start their career in the industry.
“This brings a lot of clarity and a lot of advice,” said Claiborne. “You could be the first in your family to want to go into this field, so I feel like events like this give you guidance when you’re really young and eager to start your real life.”