Keeping It Real: Rachel Maeng on NIL, Brands, and Building Credibility

Send us Fan MailEpisode Spotlight: Rachel MaengWe were honored to have Rachel Maeng on the Buckle Up Podcast, and she was nothing short of incredible.Rachel keeps it real — a true New Yorker through and through — and brought a refreshing mix of honesty, insight, and lived experience to the conversation. She walked us through her upbringing, her time at Rutgers University, and how being a former Division I Big Ten student-athlete helped shape her discipline, leadership, and work ethic. Now a current Senator at Rutgers, Rachel shared what it means to balance leadership, responsibility, and ambition at a high level.We dug deep into her career journey — from founding and scaling GEN Agency (formerly Loot Agency, featured on Netflix) to working at the intersection of NIL, influencer marketing, sponsorship data, AI, sports tech, fintech, and edtech. Rachel broke down the realities of a fast-moving, high-pressure career, offering real talk on what it’s like to juggle partnerships, brands, strategy, and constant decision-making — without losing your sense of self.She’s worked with 180+ brands, helped lead over $2.7M in collaborations, and collaborated with organizations across the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, MLS, HBCUs, and more. Along the way, she’s been recognized by Forbes, Business Insider, On3, Crain’s NYC, and multiple industry awards — yet she remains grounded, authentic, and approachable.What made this episode special wasn’t just the résumé — it was Rachel’s perspective. She spoke candidly about growth, pressure, staying adaptable, and why relationships and integrity still matter in an industry driven by data and deals.We truly loved having Rachel on the show, and this conversation felt like one that could’ve gone on for hours. Insightful, sharp, and unapologetically herself — Rachel Maeng is the real deal.In the NIL and influencer economy, Rachel has been highlighted in Forbes, On3, Business Insider, and consults and collaborates on activations across organizations, Universities, and highschools within the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, MLS, WPSL, HBCU's, CIF and SPC. She has worked with over 180 different brands like NerdWallet, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Morgan & Morgan, and Netflix, and led over $2.7M in collaborations. Speaker & PR Inquiries: [email protected] Media Kit: https://beacons.ai/rachelmaeng_ Instagram: @rachelmaeng TikTok: @rachelmaeng_ This is an episode for anyone navigating ambition, leadership, and the modern creator economy.Support the show“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”