Blend Offers
with Content

Onn this episode of The Cheers Pod, Drew sits down with Ross Adrian Yip, Co-Founder and COO of KICKS CREW—a global sneaker marketplace redefining how emerging brands and retailers connect with the modern consumer.

Ross shares how KICKS CREW has built a platform with over 400,000 unique styles and a business model that works directly with brands and retailers—setting them apart from peer-to-peer giants like GOAT and StockX. He dives into their strategic expansion into key international markets, what it takes to localize for regions like the Middle East, and how athlete partnerships with investors like Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Austin Reaves are helping drive both culture and commerce. From his early days building the marketplace to helping launch entire product lines for NBA stars, Ross breaks down what makes KICKS CREW different—and why he believes the future of sneaker commerce is athlete-led, content-driven, and community-first.

If you're building in eCommerce, sports, or content, this one's packed with insight on brand partnerships, go-to-market strategy, and what it means to create a sticky, global marketplace.

In Episode 12, we chat with Aliett Buttelman (Co-Founder of Fazit). Fazit is a beauty brand known for its glitter freckles, which are faux-freckle patches that apply like temporary tattoos. The brand went viral in October 2024 when Taylor Swift wore their glitter freckles to a Kansas City Chiefs game, leading to a 2,500% increase in sales and massive demand. Since then, Fazit has expanded into 1,000 Target stores and 400 CVS locations, projecting $40 million in retail sales.

Aliett shares:
🎤 How Taylor Swift discovered Fazit and how the brand leveraged that buzz to expand its retail presence
💄 The beauty market gap for female sports fans
📈 Tapping into hidden influencers to drive awareness
🏈 Customer-driven product strategy
💸 Using gamification to connect commerce and fandom (and what that actually means)

And more!

On this episode of The Cheers Pod, Drew sits down with Joe (CEO) and Brett (Co-Founder) of 500 Level, a sports apparel company that has built a merchandise collection licensed by every major sports league or players' association. They dive into how 500 Level grew its impressive licensing portfolio—including the NFLPA, MLBPA, NHLPA, NBA, WNBA, and UFC—and how they've mastered the art of capturing sports' biggest moments on t-shirts, often within 24 hours.

Joe and Brett share their journey from selling shirts outside stadiums to securing nationwide partnerships with the biggest sports retailers and teams in the country. They also offer valuable insights for entrepreneurs on building businesses around passionate fan bases, emphasizing the power of consistency and quality in scaling a trusted platform. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the sports merch game and why fandom is stronger than ever!

In Episode 10, we chat with Tameka Rish, Senior Vice President of Fan and Associate Experience at Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment (AMB Sports and Entertainment), the parent company of properties including the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Tameka shares her strategies for optimizing fan experience 'driveway to driveway' across multiple properties. She reveals how AMBSE uses data to continuously improve fan experience—from analyzing NFL surveys to using non-sports events, like Taylor Swift concerts, as testing grounds for refining operations. Tameka also dives into the creative side of fan engagement, discussing integrated themed games such as last year's hip-hop 50th-anniversary celebration featuring 130 artists and never-before-seen performances.

In Episode 9, we chat with Brian Fagan, a sports and influencer marketing expert. Brian shares his journey founding Oncoor, a sports marketing agency he built and sold, which pivoted to capitalize on the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunity in college sports. We explore the evolution of NIL, including the rise of collectives and the potential shift towards a revenue share model for college athletes.

Brian discusses his current role at Playbook, a software company for fitness influencers and online coaches in the health and wellness space. He explains how Playbook's technology enables creators to monetize their audience through custom-branded apps and subscription models. We delve into the power of micro-influencers and the importance of volume in influencer marketing campaigns.

Brian shares insights on identifying successful creators, the benefits of Playbook's unique position in facilitating brand deals, and his predictions for the future of influencer marketing.

In Episode 8, we chat with Kelly Singh, VP of Marketing at TrophySmack, an e-commerce brands selling customized trophies for fantasy sports leagues and other life events.

Kelly shares how Trophy Smack is disrupting the trophy industry with high-quality products and by encouraging their audience to celebrate wins (and losses). We explore Trophy Smack's marketing strategies, including leveraging user-generated content and tapping into the fantasy sports calendar. Kelly shares how playing in 30+ fantasy sports leagues help her speak the language of competitors and inform product development.

Kelly also discusses her involvement with Women of Fantasy Football, an organization providing community and opportunities in fantasy sports and sports media.

In Episode 7 we chat with Alex Sheinman, Co-Founder of Snapback Agency and Partner at Snapback Sports. We explore both Snapback Sports ascent from a Snapchat account to a full-fledged media company and Snapback Agency's emergence as a force in the industry.

Alex discusses Snapback Sport's unique relationship with it's audience, driven by content centered around showcasing the fan experience at top sporting events in-person and beyond. Alex also shares how Snapback Agency is helping partners, like the Mall of America, reach the coveted Gen Z demographic by leveraging their roster of sports creators.

In Episode 6, we chat with Shane Neman, a serial entrepreneur and investor. Shane shares his journey founding JoonBug a first-of-its kind nightlife events, media, and technology company that he scaled from 0 to $25 million in revenues. We explore how Shane leveraged technology to scale JoonBug and how a commitment to reaching customers with mediums natural to them led to the launch of EZText, an SMS platform that Shane scaled to a customer base of over 50,000 customers including Uber and Home Depot.

Shane discusses his current focus as an investor and and his barbell thesis focused on investing in leaders in AI as well as physical venues like the Santa Monica pier that bring people closer together. Shane shares his advice to marketers and entrepreneurs on how to find the “lowest common denominator” to connect deeper with their fans.

Learn more about Shane's lessons learned as an entrepreneur from his book: https://www.nightlifelessons.com

In Episode 5, we chat with Mark Ritz, Co-Founder and CEO of Carnivore Snax. Carnivore Snax produces meat snacks sourced from regenerative farms, made with just two ingredients: meat and salt. Mark shares how launching to an owned audience enabled a successful crowdfunding campaign and sparked major sales momentum. We dive into how the brand's strong mission and community support helped them navigate a regulatory shutdown, generating nearly $1 million in pre-sales without a definite reopening date. Mark also discusses the story behind landing Joe Rogan as a customer through an Instagram DM and how that connection has strengthened their ties to the UFC community. We explore the keys to a successful membership model, the art of nailing paid media, and Mark's advice for founders in the consumable space. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on a single channel and being selective about opportunities, while highlighting how a deep understanding of finances has guided strategic decisions for the company's growth.

In Episode 4, we chat with Jack Adler, Founder of Out2Win Sports. Out2Win is an Athlete Marketing Intelligence Platform that helps brands identify diamond-in-the-rough athlete creators for NIL marketing campaigns.

We talk about the emergence of athlete creators, identifying standouts for marketing campaigns, and how NIL is changing the path for breaking into sports talent.

In Episode 3 we chat with Nicholas Lemieux, Founder & CEO of Athlete Studio. Athlete Studio is an ecommerce automation platform for pro athletes to grow their IP and sell directly to their fans. We explore the benefits of athletes owning their brands and data, highlighting the unique value superstars like Angel Reese, Jalen Hurts, and Justin Jefferson are creating with the help of the platform. We also discuss Dick's Sporting Goods investment in Athlete Studio and share advice on the benefits of aligning with corporate venture funds.

In Episode 2, we chat with Manny Lubin, Co-Founder of Slate Milk. Manny and Josh Belinsky co-founded Slate with the goal of creating a healthy chocolate milk they could drink every day. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank, and hundreds of iterations of testing, Slate launched in late 2019 with three delicious chocolate milk flavors.

Slate has several investors from pro sports, including Dana White (Founder at UFC), Duncan Robinson (SG at Miami Heat), and Maxx Crosby (DE at Oakland Raiders). In this episode, we discuss Slate's growth, Manny's experience in the Tank, and UFC's unique content format.

In Episode 1, we chat with Abiola Familusi, Associate at Night Ventures & Labs. Abiola splits his time between the VC fund and venture studio at Night, the fast growing digital media agency that reps the most popular people online (folks like MrBeast & Kai Cenat). In this first episode, we'll explore the history of Night, the rise of creator-led brands like Feastables, and the core thesis behind it all. We'll also take a look back at Abiola's journey from MIT to Night, and hear how his long-term love for music spurred a budding DJ career in New York City.