Three Questions For the Pros
In this newest series, BluChip talks with leaders of industry to uncover the qualities that make successful professionals tick.
Subject: David Cole
Company: Sports Innovation Lab
What type of business are you in? The business of sports and helping the industry win with data
What is your current title/position? SVP Business Development
What college did you attend? Plymouth State University
What sport(s) did you play? Alpine Ski Racing
1. What about being a student-athlete helped you most in your career?
Perseverance, the power of learning and believing in yourself. As a freshman, I didn’t make the ski team as a “walk on.” I was welcomed as a training team member and this created a path to ski coaching and eventually as a weekend coach through much of my professional career in media, ad tech, and the business of sports. This allowed me to play an active role in our daughters’ youth ski racing and sports journey into college. My experience with competitive skiing, coaching, and the lessons from my accomplishments in other sports have played an important role in my professional success – planning to win, learning from failure, being calm under pressure, and thoughtful problem-solving. Probably the most gratifying is my coaching experience applied to empowering my team members to succeed individually and collectively for the bigger and more important team win.
2. What advice would you have for student-athletes as they pursue their first job after college?
Prepare a list of your 10 best “experience stories.” Thoughtful examples of what you’ve done, accomplished, achieved, won (or “lost with a lesson”). In sports, in school, in summer jobs/internships, as a sibling, friend, dealing with an injury, or tragedy or triumph. The one thing everyone trying to win their first job has in common is their own life experiences to draw upon to help answer an interview question. Make it more powerful by sharing your experience that can relate to a “work-related” interview question. Make the connection, tell a story to engage the hiring manager in a genuine conversation about how you think and how you draw upon experiences that will help you be successful in a job that you’re not expected to have done before. After all, it’s your first job… Go get it!
3. Is there any other advice you’d like to share?
Great problem-solving wins jobs and advances careers. Roll up your sleeves, take it on and figure it out!