The Letterman’s Club was founded in 2022 but the idea came to Mark as early as 2016. He took an indirect path from college to his professional career, starting in the Strength and Conditioning field before his sales positions. While training athletes he was also tasked with overseeing the business side of the facility. His roles ranged from creating partnerships with youth organizations to developing marketing strategies and creating membership packages. He was shocked by how much he enjoyed business but felt stuck with an Exercise Science degree. How could he transition from training people to a job in the business sector? The first step was networking and speaking with older friends who had success early in their careers. Those conversations gave Mark the guidance and confidence to explore entry level business and sales roles. After landing his first sales job he felt inspired to help others get on the right track with their careers as well.
During Mark’s first day on the job with a Fortune 250 company-and his second role since being a strength coach- a customer asked “So, what college sport did you play?”. It was a logical assumption, as 80% of Mark’s colleagues were former college athletes. Mark’s new colleagues were sharp, determined, accountable, and successful. He saw that the skills they sharpened in their athletic backgrounds were deeply engrained in their new professional success and imagined guiding athletes from graduation to the job search while simultaneously providing an exemplary talent pool for employers.
Military Veteran’s
In addition to Mark's sports background, he grew up in a military family. As he advanced in both his athletic and professional careers, he observed the parallels between former athletes and military personnel. Both pursuits require an enormous amount of focus and time, sometimes at the expense of life's next steps. As Mark solidified his vision for The LC, he knew it should offer services to help the transition from military life to the private sector.
Applying for jobs, networking, and interviewing is an art. You may have gone through a mock interview in your business program but that’s not a real win or lose a job scenario. Receiving guidance from older friends and family helped Mark tell his story of why he should be hired and what life experiences made him the top candidate.
Everyone could use some guidance-but not everyone has access to it.
Graduating college or separating from military service and looking for an entry level position seems so far away when you are focused on winning a starting position, preparing for your next opponent or deployment and finding time to study for finals. The Letterman’s Club has been formed to help athletes and military veterans perfect the job search process.
