Chad Bolen on the Intersection of Sports, Marketing and Mentorship
We sit down with Baltimore Orioles executive Chad Bolen to explore the invaluable role wisdom plays in both professional sports marketing and personal relationships. Chad, with a career spanning over three decades, shares riveting insights and stories from the industry, including his inspiring encounters with basketball icon Jerry West during his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies. We discuss the strategies behind rejuvenating a sports franchise’s corporate business in a post-pandemic world, highlighting the Orioles’ approach to brand and revenue rebuilding. His experiences offer a unique perspective into the world of sports and the profound impact of wisdom within it.
In our heartfelt conversation, we also celebrate the beauty of generational relationships, reflecting on the extraordinary thirty-year journey of a father and the timeless wisdom that’s passed along. As Chad and I discuss the essence of being relational beings and the significance of friendships, we pay homage to the wisdom that fortifies these bonds.
More About Our Wise Guest
Chad Bolen is a veteran sports marketer with over 30-years of experience generating revenue and maximizing results. He has worked in the NFL, NBA, major college sports and is now an executive with the Baltimore Orioles. Chad is skilled in the revenue-producing areas of franchise operations including naming rights, sponsorship marketing and sports media sales.
Chad is a graduate of West Virginia University. His hobbies include traveling, fishing, hiking, rescued dogs and all things WVU Mountaineers.
He and his high school sweetheart, Tammy, have been married for 31 years. They have two adult children: Sydney and Jimmy. Chad joins us from his office in the Warehouse at Oriole Park in Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.
Step into the batter’s box and get ready! Over the next nine minutes, you will discover why Chad Bolen is one of the wisest people I know.
Resources
Connect with Chad on LinkedIn
Learn more about Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Home of the Baltimore Orioles
Credits
Editor + Technical Advisor Bob Hotchkiss
Brand + Strategy Advisor Andy Malinoski
PR + Partnerships Advisor Rachel Bell
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Episode Chapters
[0:03:10] – How Skip and Chad are connected
[0:03:55] – Chad’s time working under Jerry West
[0:05:50] – Coming to Baltimore to work for the MLB Orioles
[0:07:03] – What it’s been like inside the rebuild of the Baltimore Orioles
[0:09:34] – Chad reveals his Main Thing wisdom
[0:11:17] – The source and inspiration of Chad’s wisdom; advice from a dad
[0:12:16] – The impact of the YMCAs in Beckley, West Virginia on the community and region
Full Transcript of Episode
0:00:00 – Announcer
Wisdom. It’s an incredibly valuable asset, Some would say more precious than gold. It’s attractive, appealing, admirable. Conversely, a lack of wisdom is the basis of immaturity, blind spots and bad decisions. Wisdom, it can be gained over time, but it can’t be rushed. But wisdom can be shared. That’s precisely what we are here to do right now, Today. We are here to hack wisdom, to distill it, to understand it and to process it. Why? To get better at life.
Welcome to the Main Thing. This is your new nine-minute podcast. I’m your host, Skip Lineberg, and I’ve set out to interview the wisest people I know. We’ll see what we can learn from each one when they’re faced with an incredibly difficult, soul-piercing question.
0:00:59 – Skip Lineberg
Welcome back to The Main Thing Podcast. I’m your host, Skip Lineberg, coming to you today from Parkwood Studios with another special delivery of wisdom. In just a moment, you’ll meet our wise guest, an executive with my favorite Major League Baseball team. We’ll get a glimpse at what it’s like to work in the exciting world of professional sports For our first-time listeners. A big welcome, so glad you’re here with us. I hope you enjoy the podcast and I invite you to also head on over to our website to learn more about the additional wisdom offerings we have for you, including our twice monthly newsletter. It’s all available to you at themainthingpodcast.com. Now for our special guest.
Chad Bolen is a veteran sport marketer with over 30 years of experience generating revenue and maximizing results. He’s worked in the NFL, the NBA, major college sports and he’s now an executive with my beloved Baltimore Orioles. Chad is skilled in the revenue producing areas of franchise operations, including naming rights, sponsorship marketing, sports media sales, tickets and suite sales. Chad’s a graduate of West Virginia University. He and his high school sweetheart, Tammy, have been married for 31 years and they have two great adult children, Sydney and Jimmy. Chad enjoys traveling, fishing, hiking, rescued dogs and all things WVU Mountaineers. Chad joins us from his office in the warehouse atop Oriole Park in Camden Yards in Baltimore. Step into the batter’s box and get ready. Over the next nine minutes not nine innings, but nine minutes you will discover why Chad Bolen is one of the wisest people I know. Chad Bolen, good morning, Welcome to The Main Thing Podcast.
0:02:49 – Chad Bolen
Hi Skip, how are you doing?
0:02:50 – Skip
Good Happy Friday my friend Chad looking at the back wall of your office there. I love where you’re located. Tell our listeners where you’re sitting and what’s outside your window.
0:03:00 – Chad Bolen
I am sitting in the warehouse at Camden Yards and outside my window is right center field. It’s an old building but it has a great view.
0:03:10 – Skip
Oh yeah, chad. Before we get any further in the conversation, the audience is. God bless them. They’re listening to these two guys talk about sports. Who are these two?
0:03:23 – Chad Bolen
Well, Skip, we met each other at WVU, at Phi Sigma Kappa, and you are my big brother in the fraternity.
0:03:30 – Skip
Yeah, that’s right, I’ve had my big brother on. Folks will remember Dennis Gillan from Episode 6. My big brother, now my little brother, is on as well, and what a treat, what a blessing.! So yeah, we go way back. Along the course of your career, you crossed paths, I believe, with another famous West Virginian by the name of Jerry West, did you not?
0:03:52 – Chad Bolen
I certainly did. Would you share that story with us? Yeah, he’s just an amazing guy. Clearly he’s had just a great career with the Lakers and the Grizzlies and now I think he’s a consultant for the LA Clippers and Steve Ballmer’s team.
So I’m working with the Memphis Grizzlies. We’re in a rebuild and our owner out of the blue hires Jerry West to be the president. It was a shocking move.
I mean, he’s “Jerry Flipping West” and he would come down to, you know, come down to the sales floor, people selling just anything you needed, he would do. And uh, you know we needed a lot. We were essentially building a team from nothing. Basically an expansion team. The team had moved from Vancouver, but Jerry completely turned around that team in a short amount of time and we were able to build on some success and the team is there doing well.
0:05:00 – Skip
It sounds like he’s real hands-on, number one. Yes?
0:05:03 – Chad Bolen
Yes. Absolutely.
0:05:04 – Skip
He’s not an arm’s-length executive sitting in his ivory tower.
0:05:11 – Chad Bolen
Yeah, no, not at all which was surprisingly refreshing. You’d walk the hall and it would be Jerry West. He would poke his head in your door and tell you a joke or go a joke, or uh, you know go to lunch with you.
0:05:30 – Skip
Chad, thanks for sharing your Jerry West experience. That was really cool.
0:05:31 – Chad Bolen
Yeah, Skip, that was just a great working with the guy. I mean, I grew up with his poster on my wall as a kid.
0:05:38 – Skip
There you go. Wow, what a dream come true!
What about for you today in your job as a sports marketer? Talk a little bit about what you do.
0:05:50 – Chad Bolen
So when I got here January of 2021, we were coming off 2020. And 2019 was a 115-loss season. Then the pandemic on top of that, so we had lost lost an enormous amount of our business on the corporate side.
0:06:09 – Skip
I would imagine.
0:06:11 – Chad Bolen
Yes. So I mean, I won’t say it was down to nothing, but it was down like really down, and our owner hired a good friend of mine to be the chief revenue officer. His name’s TJ Brightman, okay, and he called me. I was working at Florida State at the time in college, was wanting to get back into the pros and wanting to get geographically closer to home. This is our 70th year as the Baltimore Orioles, so it’s not a new franchise. However, coming off, you know, part of the rebuild coupled with the pandemic, part of the rebuild coupled with the pandemic, the business had been affected tremendously so we had to, in essence, rebuild the business as well. So that’s what I do.
0:07:03 – Skip
Of course everybody wants to be associated with the winner, not the team that lost 300 games in a couple years’ time.
0:07:13 – Chad Bolen
I like to say, though, on the business side, you can’t depend on wins to save you as a marketer of sports. It’s a mathematic fact Skip. Every night in Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL, whatever sport, every night half the teams lose unless it’s soccer. I don’t think anybody expected to win 101 games. If somebody tells you that, they’re probably lying.
But, we certainly expected the trajectory to keep going up, and so now we’re super competitive, we’re a really good team and it’s paying off on. You know, we’re firing on all cylinders here. Tickets are up, sponsorships are up, all of our business metrics are up and times are good in Birdland.
0:08:12 – Skip
Good. So glad!
0:08:20 – Chad Bolen
Yeah, and you, as a fan, I’m happy for you, you know, and you know the millions of other Orioles fans, because that’s what’s great about this business is just being able to bring joy to people.
0:08:44 – Skip
I love it so much.
0:08:50 – Announcer
One – nine – two. 192 extra minutes of wisdom that’s what you get when you become a patron of The Main Thing podcast. Many of you continue to say we want to hear more from these wise guests. That’s precisely what patrons of our podcast get exclusive access to bonus episodes, called the whole thing. These 30 minute special shows bring you a deeper dive into our guests’ wisdom. Less editing, more laughter, less time limits, more stories. Unlock those 192 extra minutes of wisdom for yourself for as little as $9 per month through the Patreon platform. And when you become a patron, you also get access to wisdom essays, behind the scenes glimpses and access to special patron only wisdom gatherings. Head over to
http://patreoncom/themainthingpodcast. Go unlock your 192 extra minutes of wisdom.
0:09:28 – Skip
Chad Bolen, what’s the main thing you’ve learned in your lifetime so far?
0:09:34 – Chad Bolen
Skip, the main thing I’ve learned in my lifetime so far is the strength of our relationships often determine the extent of our success.
0:09:47 – Skip
Oh wow. The strength of our relationships often determine our success.
0:09:53 – Chad Bolen
Often determine the extent of our success.
0:09:56 – Skip
Take us through all the rich nuance and meaning of your main thing wisdom phrase.
0:10:00 – Chad Bolen
Skip, if you think about any relationship that you have, whether it’s personal, professional, if it’s a strong relationship, then you have a higher probability of having a successful relationship. So they think about. Probably the most important relationship you’ll have in your time on earth is the relationship with your spouse. And if that relationship is super strong, then you will have a higher probability of a successful marriage. Right Same thing in a professional relationship If you have a very strong relationship with your customer then, you will have, you’ll have a higher probability of a successful partnership in business.
0:10:56 – Skip
For sure.
0:10:57 – Chad Bolen
And think about your employer or your employees. You know, like I say, our relationships matter. We are relational beings and in this day and age, there’s really no excuse for staying in touch with people that you have a relationship with.
0:11:17 – Skip
Did someone teach you the value of this principle? Did a mentor model it for you? How did you latch on to this main thing?
0:11:27 – Chad Bolen
Well, the person that has meant the most to me in my life is probably my dad, sure. So you know, I’ve learned just countless lessons from him, and I remember one: professionally when I left the Charlotte Knights to take another job, he told me don’t burn the bridge. And I didn’t. So there’s still people there that I met in Charlotte who I still keep in touch with professionally and personally.
0:12:13 – Skip
That’s awesome. So your dad was a relationship guy.
0:12:16 – Chad Bolen
My dad ran the YMCAs in Beckley, West Virginia, Raleigh County. He ran the YMCA and you know that’s right. You keep the lights on through donations in that business. And so he had a relationship with a lot of people. I look back at what he’s done and the people that he’s touched through the years. I mean every kid in Beckley, West Virginia, came up playing sports through the Y. You know, just generations upon generations, and he did that for 30 years … generations upon generations. And he did that for 30 years.
0:12:53 – Skip
Wow, tip of the cap to your dad.
0:12:56 – Chad Bolen
We are relational beings. We were created to have relationship with each other, so go out there and be a good friend.
0:13:08 – Skip
Yeah, that’s great advice, great place to leave it. I appreciate and treasure our relationship, chad, and I can’t thank you enough for collaborating on this episode of The Main Thing Podcast today.
0:13:19 – Chad Bolen
Skip, thanks for having me and I look forward to listening to your podcast every week.
0:13:24 – Announcer
Wow, that goes by incredibly fast, doesn’t it? Time flies when you’re hacking wisdom. I hope you’re left wanting more Sync up with us again next time, on the Main Thing, for nine more minutes of wisdom.
Transcribed by https://podium.page
