Exclusive Interview With Co-Founder and CMO of Optimal Sports Management: Gerardo Hernandez

Starting things off light, is there a quote that motivates you?

You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go. – Yogi Berra

What are some of the biggest rewards and challenges you face on a day-to-day basis?

I feel that one of the most rewarding things is signing on a new player or company that buys into our mission.

The biggest challenge is keeping up with all the news and trends. College and even high school NIL is constantly evolving. Being on top of all the latest news and trends is critical for providing our athletes the best services possible.

How do you manage your time?

You have to make time to do things you enjoy or you are going to burn yourself out. Sometimes this means trusting your team and delegating tasks out.

Self-discipline and accountability are key. I often ask myself, “is what I’m doing right now contributing to where I want to be.” If the answer is no then I start thinking of what I should be doing, unless this time was already allocated to leisure. At the end of the day it’s all about finding the right balance.

What advice do you have for someone new to the industry?

Keep it cool with everyone and always learn people’s names. This business is so dependent on relationships. You never know when or where you might run into that guy you met at a conference again.

What hard skills should someone in your field have?

You gotta have deep knowledge and love for sports. People can tell if you are faking it. Other than that there is really nothing that you can’t learn on the job in my opinion.

Any final thoughts you’d like to end with?

Yeah, make sure to tune into USC, UCLA, and UofA games this season. Our guys are going to be tearing it up out there on the field come September. If you wanna connect with our guys check out our exclusive storefront and become a member for merch and exclusive content.