How To Spot, Interview, and Hire People With an Athlete Mindset with Tate Kelly of United Soccer League

In this episode, we sit down with Tate Kelly, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at the United Soccer League (USL), to discuss the explosive growth of professional soccer in the US. Tate brings a wealth of sports business experience, having previously sold corporate partnerships for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL, driven revenue for Gonzaga Sports Properties at Learfield IMG College, and started his career with a unique role for Nike.Tate discusses his perspective on building a robust corporate partnership foundation for expansion clubs and the highly anticipated introduction of promotion and relegation to the USL. We explore how his background as a Division I runner translates into a relentless sales mentality, his core hiring philosophy centered on the "athlete mindset," and his favorite memories from college basketball.Key Takeaways:00:00 Introduction.03:24 Explaining the structure, growth, and youth-to-pro pathway of the United Soccer League.06:39 What it takes to build foundational corporate partnerships and stadium naming rights.11:05 How the accountability of individual sports directly parallels the pressures of sales.16:14 The introduction of a promotion and relegation system in 2028 and its impact on the sport.22:49 Transitioning from early roles at Nike and college athletics to the NFL's Tennessee Titans.28:24 Core hiring philosophy involves finding self-starters who possess an athlete mindset.37:44 Recommending “The Energy Bus” and “Chop Wood Carry Water” to maintain a positive sales perspective.41:35 Advice to a younger self: treat your career like a marathon, not a sprint.42:34 A lightning round exploring favorite Gonzaga basketball players and March Madness memories.Resources Mentioned:Tate Kellyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tatekellyUnited Soccer League (USL) | LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/usl/United Soccer League | Websitehttps://www.uslsoccer.comTennessee Titanshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/tennessee-titans/Gonzaga Sports Propertieshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/gonzaga-sports-properties/Nikehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/nike/“The Energy Bus” by Jon Gordonhttps://www.amazon.com/Energy-Bus-Rules-Fuel-Positive/dp/0470100281“Chop Wood Carry Water” by Joshua Medcalfhttps://www.amazon.com/Chop-Wood-Carry-Water-Becoming/dp/153698440X“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knighthttps://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910Thank you for listening to “Hire Learning with Oz Rashid.” Don’t forget to leave us a review and subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozrashid.  To learn more about MSH, visit https://www.talentmsh.com. #TalentAcquisition #HiringStrategy #EnterpriseHiring