Oyin Akiniyi’s Post

What a year it’s been! As I wrap up for the Christmas holidays, I just want to take time to reflect on this year. I think in all working life we should expect challenges, because without them how do we learn and ultimately progress. At the beginning of this year I had never looked at a sports sponsorship contract and by the end of it I had successfully negotiated and launched partnerships with two of the biggest teams in the world. This is really testament to a few things: 1. Collaborating Honestly we can’t do it on our own, there’s too many talented people in this world to try and do everything on your own. 2. Asking all the questions Literally all of them, no question was a stupid question. You’ve got to be willing to potentially feel stupid, but it’s better to have all the right knowledge than none at all. 3. Lean in to what you do know While I’ve never worked on a sports sponsorship; I have worked on brand deals, talent partnerships, agency pitches, production scopes and the list goes on. This enables you to look at things in a slightly different way and also leverage what knowledge you do know to make informed decisions. So to close of this year I leave you with two provocations: 1. Take on more challenges, you’ll never know where you’ll end up. 2. Don’t be afraid to hire for potential, that candidate might not have the exact skill or expertise you’re looking for, they may have something even better to offer.