Being a Self-Starting Innovator

Athletes, especially at higher levels like college or professional, tend to view themselves through the lens of their sport. This can create issues when, after years of associating with their sport, they have to take their identity and transition it to “real life.” So, how can high-level performers like athletes build their own brands that will last them well past the life of their sport? On today’s episode of #Win the Day, host Chase Wasson met with Will Baggett, Co-Founder, Chief of Content and Brand Strategy, Monetize Your Message, to talk about his journey helping athletes with personal branding and what it looks like to be a self-starting innovator. Personal branding can involve quite a few variables—genuineness, telling a story, and legacy, to name a few. But Baggett boils it down to two main things. “A personal brand is two things: it’s consistency and frequency… Whatever you do on a consistent basis and whatever you do on a frequent basis becomes your brand. Because whenever I’m working with a large group of students or a large audience, I can’t tell every individual in there how to build a brand. Because there may be 300 different brands they want to build.” Wasson and Baggett also discussed: Where the market for individuals leveraging their personal brand for corporate success is heading What makes high-level performers different in how they approach things and how grit unlocks the “it” factor How Baggett is helping athletes shape their lives after sports He added, “I think when your brand is more so known for a way of doing things, a way of life, a way of temperament, or how you treat people, or how you approach your day, I think that will get you farther than the bells and whistles… Always start from the inside out.” Will Baggett is Co-Founder, Chief of Content and Brand Strategy of Monetize Your Message. Baggett has a B.S. from the University of Mississippi in Exercise Science and a Master’s Degree in Sports Management Education from Baylor University. Baggett is a former major sports event administrator and has helped conduct the Super Bowl and high-profile college football games. Baggett is the author of The Blueprint for a Successful Career and the founder of the Texas Regional Sports Summit, which supports young professionals in their development.