Lessons We Keep Learning While on This Agent Biz Journey

Making the decision to become a sports agent, seemed like the next logical step, after spending close to 15 years in the sporting world. It was a way I wanted contribute and give back to an industry that changed my life in so many ways. Through the world of sports, I had the privilege of having experiences that I could have only ever dreamed of. The journey of being an athlete wasn't a smooth one, but the rewards made it worth it. I learnt important lessons such as, trusting the process, rising from adversity, discipline and developing an insane work ethic. Now that I am no longer a player, I realize just how crucial these qualities are in the real world. These fundamentals can sometimes be the difference between succeeding and failing, simply based on how narrow the margin for error is. I am not going to sugar coat it at all, getting into the business side of sports is still one of the scariest decisions I had ever made, in my life. I entered into an industry, where I didn't have a mentor, and I've had to learn from the best, from a distance .

However, it does help that I went to business school, as well as graduate school, and learnt about the fundamentals of how to run a business. In all honesty, I hated subjects like accounting, but now that I am older, I am sure glad that I took those classes! Having the basic knowledge of how to draft up budgets and income statements has sure saved me a lot of money. Not having to outsource these services has been really cost effective for my agency start-up. In this journey, and on a daily basis, I keep learning about the sports agency biz, so I thought I'd share some of the top five lessons that I 've learned:

1. Pace yourself: This industry is extremely cut-throat with things coming at you in all directions. Rushing into deals with individuals you've never met can be a huge mistake. Take some time to get to know the connections before making the decision to collaborate. This isn't a sprint to the finish line, but rather- a marathon.

2. Follow your gut: Your inner-being is the one voice that you should always listen to. Seeking advice from others is all well and good, but if it feels wrong in your core, don't do it! Vice versa, if the feeling is right.

3. Always, always do your due diligence on players. coaches, scouts or other agents who get in touch for

collaborations: Nowadays, technology has been instrumental in making the research process quicker, especially when conducting a background check. In the past, I've had football players lie about their level of experience, I have also had agents contact me and blatantly lie about their client's level of experience, as well. Doing background checks has saved my reputation with clubs that I work with. Don't be lazy! Do your background checks!

4. Be brutally honest : What I love and appreciate about the world of sports- is that everybody believes that they are the best, and can get the job done. As courageous as this attitude is, it's never a good idea to lead clients on. If they don't meet the criteria, let them know, there and then.

5. You have to diversify your business operations: Setting up your own shop as an incoming sports agent can be

financially challenging. It becomes even more intense when choosing to let go of a 9-5pm day job, to solely

focus on building the your agency. If you manage an elite player worth millions of euros, then you should be fine.

However, agents who are getting started without elite clients, it's best to augment and search for additional

revenue generating streams, within the sports industry of course. Nowadays, one can get into sports marketing,

sports content creation- through blog writing/podcasting etc. These methods are helpful in allowing agents to

establish partnerships/collaborations with brands and corporations. It's also an effective way to build up your

brand, as a start-up agency.

By: Zila Mbekela

Football Agent & Freelance Writer

Japan, Asia