Ep. 51: How creators unlock the future of American soccer ft. Kyle Sheldon

This week Francis is joined by Kyle Sheldon, founder and CEO of Name and Number, a soccer specific marketing and creative agency. Kyle has worked within the US soccer world for two decades and held marketing roles at multiple MLS clubs. Kyle is also the founder and editor of Pathway, a newsletter aimed at helping individuals break into the soccer industry. Kyle: https://x.com/kylesheldon Name and Number: https://www.nameandnumber.com Pathway: https://pathwayhq.com 00:00 Introducing Kyle Sheldon 01:05 The evolution of soccer and sports marketing 04:28 Becoming the driving force in growing soccer in the US 09:25 Growing careers in the soccer industry 12:22 Pathway's natural growth has led to extremely high engagement 17:32 The potential future growth of the soccer industry is massive 21:20 Navigating the soccer-creator industry requires expertise 24:49 The fashion culture within soccer 28:19 Empowering creators to thrive in the soccer space 32:22 US vs European football content culture 41:36 The shifting power dynamic between creators and traditional media 50:32 Partnership advice for creators and brands