Revolutionizing NIL Education with Sam Green

Meet Sam Green.

Sam is changing the game for collegiate athletes in the NIL era. Through her workshops and the creation of AthleteCon, she is helping reshape how athletes think about their personal brand, their content, and their approach to NIL.

But the road she took to get here might not be what you expect.

Sam’s path in the world of sports business is one of a kind. She has danced professionally with the Charlotte Hornets, worked in broadcasting, produced a radio show, spent time as a video editor at ESPN, and created content of her own. At first glance, it looks like a career that bounced around, but each stop was building a skillset that would later become incredibly valuable.

At ESPN, Sam learned how to tell stories at a high level. Long days working on marquee programs gave her a foundation in content creation that most people never get, but what stood out to her the most wasn’t just the fancy tools and systems. It was the realization that the same type of content could be created in a much simpler way - a concept that may seem like second nature now, but at the time was cutting edge thinking. She began experimenting, creating content on her phone and thinking about how that process could be simplified and taught to others.

That led her to start working with athletes.

She started well before NIL, when there wasn’t a clear system or best practices in place for athletes to monetize their personal brands beyond the big endorsements. Sam began by working with professional athletes, Olympic athletes, and minor league players, helping them tell their stories and create brand-ready content, often with nothing more than a phone. She saw firsthand how powerful it could be when an athlete understood how to position themselves not just as a player, but as a brand.

When NIL passed, everything clicked.

What had been a niche skillset suddenly became one of the most valuable capabilities in the industry. Sam had spent years developing a hands-on understanding of content, storytelling, and brand partnerships, and now there was an entire market that needed it. She leveraged that experience to land a role at MarketPryce, one of the early platforms helping facilitate athlete deals. The experience gave her a front-row seat to one of the industry's first problems.

Brands had expectations, but athletes didn’t have the tools or education to consistently meet them. There was a clear gap between opportunity and execution, and Sam found herself naturally stepping into that space, helping athletes think through their content, the connection between their brand and the partnerships they could land, and ultimately how to turn one-off deals into something more meaningful by delivering true value.

Her success led her to start organizing workshops.

Going school to school, Sam began teaching athletes how to shoot, edit, and publish content themselves. Not just for a single deal, but in a way that could fuel and support their long-term brand. The response was overwhelming. Athletes were landing deals, creating opportunities, and in many cases building something that extended beyond their sport. And not just the big name football and basketball players - non-revenue sport athletes too.

Inspired by the success, she took it even further.

Enter AthleteCon.

The vision was simple, but ambitious. Bring athletes, brands, and industry leaders into the same room and create an environment centered around doing, not just listening. Instead of panels and surface-level conversations, the focus would be on hands-on work, giving athletes the opportunity to create, collaborate, and learn in real time.

The first event took place in 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it came together quickly. Sam gave herself just a couple of months to build it from scratch with no staff, no outside funding, and no proof of concept. She handled everything herself, from fundraising to logistics to programming, ultimately hosting the event in a concert hall and trusting that the idea would resonate.

It did.

AthleteCon is a first-of-its-kind event built to help athletes turn their NIL opportunities into real, sustainable businesses. It sits at the intersection of athlete development, brand partnerships, and content creation, bringing together athletes, brands, and industry leaders in one place. Athletes don’t just learn about NIL, they actively participate in it by creating content, working with brands, and competing for deals, internships, and job opportunities in real time.

What separates AthleteCon is its focus on execution. Rather than relying on panels alone, the experience is built around hands-on workshops and live activation. Athletes leave with tangible outcomes, content, connections, and a clearer understanding of how to build their personal brand and create long-term value. As the NIL space continues to evolve, AthleteCon is helping shift the focus from one-off deals to building something that lasts.

In year one, 80 athletes showed up to create content, work directly for brands, and compete for real life opportunities. Small, but impactful, and most importantly, it was the successful case study that Sam needed to go bigger.

In year two, the event nearly doubled. Sam and her team quickly sold out the event with 150 athletes and brought together major power players in the space. Livvy Dunne, Meta, Snapchat. What had started as a crazy idea had quickly become a platform that everyone wanted in on.

So now, in year three, AthleteCon is heading to the big leagues in Las Vegas.

From a concert hall in Charlotte to a full-scale convention in Las Vegas, the scale has changed dramatically. The event will feature hundreds of athletes, dozens of brands, a full team supporting the experience, and growing attention from media across the country.

But even as the stage gets bigger, the core idea remains the same.

AthleteCon is still built around the action. Athletes are creating content live, brands are evaluating that work in real time, and opportunities are being earned on the spot, whether that is NIL deals, internships, or even full-time roles. It continues to be one of the only environments in the world where all of those elements exist together in a single experience.

Sam didn’t follow a straight line into NIL. When she started, the space didn’t even exist yet. She built the skillset first, and when the opportunity came, she was ready to meet it.

Going from a self-funded event in a Charlotte concert hall to hosting one of the most unique gatherings in NIL in Las Vegas tells you everything you need to know about where this is headed. And knowing Sam, it’s safe to say she is just getting started.

Q. You were working with athletes on content and brand building before NIL became what it is today. What did you see early that others were missing, and how can athletes today better position themselves to stand out in a crowded NIL landscape? 

A. Before NIL really took off, most athletes were focused almost entirely on performance which is understandable but they were overlooking the long-term value of building a brand with intention. Social media was treated as something casual instead of something strategic.

What I saw early was that the athletes who stood out weren’t just posting highlights they were telling a story. They were showing personality, values, and giving people a reason to connect with them beyond their sport. That connection is what creates real leverage.

Now, in today’s NIL landscape, it’s not enough to just go viral or chase views. The athletes who win are the ones who think like business owners, not just creators. Your brand should be something that can convert whether that’s into partnerships, products, camps, communities, or long-term opportunities.

It starts with clarity: What do you stand for? Who do you serve? What makes you different? From there, your content should be consistent and aligned with that identity.

Going viral might get attention, but building trust and a clear brand is what turns attention into income and opportunity. Athletes who treat their platform like a business building relationships, understanding their audience, and creating value are the ones who will separate themselves long-term.

Q. Your team now includes a growing group of interns supporting AthleteCon. What qualities do you look for when bringing someone onto your team, and how can students start developing those skills today?  

A. The biggest qualities I look for are initiative, adaptability, and ownership. Skills can always be taught, but mindset is what really sets people apart. I look for people who don’t wait for instructions they take action, look for ways to add value, and follow through.

I also value strong communication, reliability, and the ability to operate with a level of professionalism. In a fast-paced environment like AthleteCon, things are constantly evolving, so being organized and dependable is critical.

Another big one is thinking beyond just tasks and starting to think in terms of impact and outcomes almost like an entrepreneur. Even as an intern, I want people who are asking, “How does this help the bigger picture?” or “How can we make this better?”

For students, the best way to develop these skills is to start creating and building something of your own. That could be a personal brand, a small business, an event, or even managing content for someone else. The goal is to get real reps where you’re responsible for results, not just participation.

Learn how to communicate clearly, manage your time, and work with others. Be someone who follows through and does the little things well.

And just like with athletes, don’t focus only on exposure focus on value. Whether it’s your work, your ideas, or your network, think about how you can turn what you’re doing into something meaningful and scalable. That mindset will separate you very quickly.

1. Your dream role might not exist yet
When Sam started her career, NIL didn’t exist. The sports industry is constantly evolving. Focus on building valuable skills, and you’ll be ready to capitalize when the right opportunity emerges.

2. Be a problem solver
The most valuable people in sports are the ones who can identify a gap and do something about it. Sam saw a disconnect between athletes and execution in NIL and built a solution around it.

3. Bet on yourself
Starting AthleteCon required a leap. Sam committed fully, figured it out as she went, and built something that didn’t exist before. Sometimes the biggest opportunities come when you’re willing to go all in.

-Attend AthleteCon 3.0 - grab tickets here.

-Associate NIL Partnership Solutions Manager, South Carolina | Learfield Sports Properties

-Associate NIL Business Development Manager, Oregon State | Learfield Sports Properties

-NIL Partnership Solutions Coordinator, Illinois | Learfield Sports Properties

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of So You Want to Work in Sports. I appreciate you being part of this community.

If you have ideas, feedback, or future guest suggestions, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

If you want more hands-on support as you navigate the start of your career within sports, book a 1:1 session with me here. The sooner you start preparing, the more confident you will feel when opportunities come your way.

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AthleteCon is a hands-on NIL convention built to help athletes turn content into opportunities. Over three days in Las Vegas, athletes will work directly with brands, create content live, and learn from leaders at companies like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Canva, and YouTube.

The event brings together 300+ athletes and 35+ brands, with workshops, competitions, and real-time deal opportunities designed to go beyond traditional panels and education.

If you are an athlete, work with athletes, or want to work with athletes, this one is a can’t miss.

Learn more and grab a ticket here.