How a Social Pro Pivoted from Sports to Startup Success

How a Social Pro Pivoted from Sports to Startup Success

Author: Convince & Convert February 16, 2024 Duration: 36:33

If you're in the market for career advice, this is the episode of Social Pros you need. We speak to Eric Stark, Co-Founder and President at Slate who provides some excellent reminders on how to be a decent human being, a great colleague and ultimately progress in your career.  

Full Episode Details 

This week's guest is Eric Stark, Co-Founder and President at Slate, and previously with the NFL in several different capacities. He joins this episode to tell us about his transition from working in social for a massive organization like the NFL to launching and running his own successful start-up.  

He opens up about his own career progression and how he believes social pros, wherever they are in their career, can set themselves up for success. Eric has a deep understanding of what it's like to manage the expectations of multiple teams when it comes to social and provides his thoughts on how to get your wins acknowledged and appreciated by your organization. Plus, why it's important not to be too precious about what goes out on the channels you manage.   

Eric also chats about how some of the best people he knows in social don't maintain a personal brand and why that is often a good thing…    

In This Episode: 

  • 1:35 - Eric explains what Slate is and what it does
  • 4:46 - Why they expanded beyond sports and some new power users
  • 9:23 - How social media is the centrepiece of the marketing team
  • 10:31 - The best ways to grow and be promoted when you're in social
  • 12:20 - What Eric would tell his younger self
  • 14:20 - Eric's advice for social media managers who feel undervalued by their organization
  • 16:23 - Why you shouldn't wait to share your exciting wins with the organization as a whole
  • 21:36 - Thoughts on whether having a personal brand is vital for those in social
  • 23:56 - The benefits of having a strong personal brand
  • 28:14 - What it's like running a company like Slate now 

Resources 

Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers. 


For years, Social Pros Podcast has served as an essential meeting point for those who do the real work in digital marketing. Created by Convince & Convert, this isn't a theoretical discussion; it's a deep dive into the practical realities of managing social media within larger business ecosystems. The conversations here consistently explore how platforms intersect with brand strategy, content creation, public relations, and paid media, moving beyond hype to examine measurable impact. You'll hear directly from the people behind the profiles at major organizations like Google, Reddit, Uber, and Oracle, gaining insight into their successes and the challenges they navigate daily. The longevity of this podcast is a testament to its value, offering a accumulated wealth of knowledge from hundreds of candid interviews and expert commentaries. Each episode functions like a focused case study, breaking down the "how" and "why" behind decisions that drive genuine business results. If you're looking to understand the evolving role of social media beyond the latest trend, this series provides a grounded, insider perspective that has educated a generation of marketing professionals. Tune in to hear the actual pros discuss the work that rarely makes it into a polished tweet or case study.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Social Pros Podcast
Podcast Episodes
How Cabela's Uses Social to Turn Customers Into Friends [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:11
Adam Buchanan, Social Media Manager at Cabela's, joins the first 2015 episode of the Social Pros Podcast to discuss the value of customer and employee involvement in social media content, symbiotic partnerships with like…
The Coming Convergence of Social Media and Customer Experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:43
Julie Hopkins, Research Director at Gartner, joins the Social Pros Podcast for the last podcast of 2014 to discuss the growth of and competition for budget in digital marketing, the rise of the generalist, and the incred…
How to Use Tumblr and Automated Tweets to Drive Awareness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:11
Bari Mogil, Senior Interactive Marketing Specialist for Corcoran Group, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss the importance of providing value to your audience, nurturing relationships for the long-term, an…
How Pinterest and Google Plus Can Work for B2B Social Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:25
Rob Zaleski, Marketing Manager for MarketingProfs, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss his priorities in his new position at the company, the nuances of running marketing for a company that targets markete…
Does Your Content Pass the Resharing Test? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:50
Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva and author, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week along with Peg Fitzpatrick, Head of Social Strategy at Canva and author, to discuss optimizing your social media profile, how to…
How Century 21 Creates Award-Winning Real-Time Social Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
Matt Gentile, Director of Social Media at Century 21, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss how his team helps support more than 103,000 agents and their businesses, driving engagement with Century 21's cust…
What You Probably Don't Know about Advanced Facebooks Ads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:10
Jon Loomer, Owner of Jon Loomer Digital, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss his expertise in the ever-changing world of Facebook ads, the different options for paid media on Facebook, and the specifics of…
Advanced Social Media Lessons from the Best in the NBA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:31
Jeramie McPeek, Vice President of Digital at the Phoenix Suns, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss the structure of his social media team, the evolution of digital marketing over the past 20 years, and how…
How to Manage 19 Social Media Channels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:39
Dave Murray, Social Media Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss integrating social media marketing with traditional marketing, how his team manages content for…
Do Salespeople Make the Best Social Advocates? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:55
John Jantsch, Founder of Duct Tape Marketing, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss how to get involved in the customer's journey earlier, navigating the tricky parts of managing a large sales force on socia…