#141 Kyle Sheldon - Founder and CEO, Name & Number

Welcome to episode 141 of Sports Management Podcast. Kyle Sheldon is the founder and CEO of Name & Number - a soccer-specific marketing and creative agency built to connect teams and brands to American soccer fans and culture. He is also the co-founder of Pathway – where they help ambitious professionals break into and build a career in soccer.  Kyle is an award-winning marketer with nearly 20 years of experience in pro sports and he has worked almost exclusively in soccer except for 2 years in NASCAR. In this episode we spoke about: What learnings he brought from NASCAR to soccer The story behind the Name & Number logo The rise of soccer in the US The importance of FIFA World Cup 2026 What are some hirable qualities And much more!   WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/DIZEXD6D2Co  Timestamps: 00:00 Intro  01:36 Name & Number  03:52 Soccer in the US 08:10 FIFA World Cup 2026 10:45 Kyle's Soccer Origin  12:58 Founding Pathway 16:20 Hirable Qualities  18:23 Managing Two Companies  21:00 Importance of Business Relationships  23:00 Working for NASCAR 30:00 Leadership  32:40 The Kuykenstrong Foundation 34:25 The Name & Number Logo  36:10 Marketing is Storytelling  37:40 Kyle's Favorite Soccer Team 39:07 Bumps On the Road  42:44 Outro_____________________________________________________________ Kyle's Channels: https://www.nameandnumber.com/  https://www.instagram.com/kyleandnumber/  https://twitter.com/kylesheldon  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylesheldon/  _____________________________________________________________ Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Sign up for the newsletter! www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com