What Makes a Champion Take

Hey, it’s Arlesha!

Thanks for coming onboard as a subscriber and reader of Champion Takes! I hope you’ll appreciate the insider-POV and takes on the strategies shaping the game in today’s sports and entertainment industry. Champion Takes is the intellectual accessory to my strategic advisory and consultancy for winning leaders in the sports & entertainment business–Champion Strategies.

A Quick Plug if You Don’t Mind

The launch of Champion Strategies marks an exciting evolution—not just for my career, but within the sports & entertainment business industry as a whole. Over the years, I’ve witnessed first-hand the dramatic shifts in how prolific athletes and dynamic personalities navigate their careers, build their brands, and create long-term value. Champion Strategies and its strategy-first frameworks & philosophies are built on these insights, designed to meet the needs of an industry immersed in what I call Sports Business 3.0.

From 1.0 to 3.0: The Evolution of the Sports Business Industry

When I entered the industry in 2010, it was primarily driven by what I refer to as Sports Business 1.0. This era was defined by traditional endorsement deals and partnerships between athletes and brands. Icons like Michael Jordan set the standard for leveraging personal success into global brand collaborations. Athletes were spokespeople, and these partnerships primarily revolved around visibility and product alignment.

Then came Sports Business 2.0, where the game changed. Inspired by the entertainment industry—think 50 Cent’s groundbreaking equity deal with Vitamin Water—athletes began shifting from endorsement deals to equity partnerships. It wasn’t just about promoting products anymore; it was about ownership stakes and shared success.

Now, we’ve been immersed in Sports Business 3.0. This era is defined by a focus on ownership, strategy, and enterprise. Athletes and other personalities are no longer just collaborators or equity stakeholders; they are business owners, IP developers and arena-shifters by way of Platform (I’ll geek out about this in future releases). They are building brands, launching companies, and taking an active role in creating value—not just for themselves, but for the communities and industries they impact.

Champion Takes on the 3.0

As someone who’s worked in the sports & entertainment industry for 15+ years—working with Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, supporting Stephen Curry’s private company SC30, Inc.( now Thirty Ink) during his 2022 championship year, and a near-decade tenure at CAA Sports, one of the world’s most valuable sports agencies—let’s just say I’ve come equipped with a variety of TAKES rooted in established, winning approaches. These “Takes” birth the philosophies, perspectives and strategic approaches I pull into my work daily but also–into my experiences as both a practitioner and as a consumer. 

There are some concepts I’ll continually bang the drum on..such as the notions of “what strategy is and IS NOT”, “platform!, platform!, platform!”, and a few unpopular opinions because Champions do have to go against the grain sometimes..
Ready for some Champion Takes? I sure am. 

New articles are released bi-weekly..or something like that ;-). 

Let’s Win Together,

Arlesha Amazan

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Champion Takes is the intellectual accessory of Champion Strategies. Champion Strategies provides dynamic strategies and boutique consulting services that help today’s most ambitious personalities, organizations and leaders in sports & entertainment unlock their full business and brand potential. For more info, contact [email protected].