My hack this week is simple but overlooked: invest disproportionately in your earliest relationships. Those first clients, when both of you have something to prove, often become your most loyal. You grow together and their success becomes the best possible advert for your services.

Most agents think about the next deal. The smartest agents think about the next decade.

Because the most valuable client relationships in sport are long term partnerships that span entire careers. Being a good athlete manager is about guiding a human being through the highs and lows of a 15-year professional journey. If both you and your client do it well, it can become the framework for the early years of your business.

1. Find 3 peers and buid a small accountability WhatsApp group.

People at your level, same ambition, different networks. Share leads. Share learnings. Hold each other to the weekly actions, watch it compound.

Most people think scaling in football requires offices in various countries and a vast team of agents, but particularly in this era, it doesn't. Real scale comes from building a network on the quality of your work, complementary skills, trust and consistent behaviour over time.

One of the most underrated skills in business is managing yourself.

Early in my career I nearly killed a deal because I couldn't control my emotions.

Agents and brand directors know this. Long before any campaign with a player gets finalised, someone in a boardroom will be asking themselves whether they can trust this player not to damage their brand.

That question decides more commercial deals than goals, stats, or fan engagement ever will.

Time can be a useful weapon in negotiation. Deadlines, real or manufactured, force decisions. But they’re a double-edged sword.

From the club or employer side, you’ll often hear “Here is the offer, and it’s only good until Friday then I’m offering it to another player.” These expiring offers are designed to exploit your fear of loss.

I spent three months convincing the Sporting Director about my player.

He liked him. We travelled to watch his games together. We discussed the transfer fee. We negotiat

We negotiate every day - with bosses, clients, partners, children - yet nobody actually teaches us how to do it properly.

We're left to figure out one of humanity's most crucial skills through trial and expensive error.

Over the next 2 weeks I'll be explaining 3 negotiation strategies from real life experience in one of the most ruthless negotiating arenas in business.

Most people go to events hoping something valuable will happen.

But, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, hope isn’t a strategy.

In the sports industry, as in most businesses, the people who make real progress at events do one thing very well: they have goals for the function, and they prepare.

The taxi ride that changed my year:

When I was coming through the agent ranks, I spent nearly nine months trying to secure a meeting with a well-known Premier League manager in London. After endless follow-ups and rejections, I had finally locked a meeting in.

Then, on the morning of the meeting, he called. The club owner had summoned him up north. The meeting was cancelled.

The common misconception is to approach your most desired outcome first. But this is the wrong approach. Here's why:

LET'S SET THE SCENE

Player A has made it clear; his first-choice destination is Manchester United.

Before you even begin discussions with Manchester United, the smart move is to start by speaking to the other similar level clubs first. Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, for example.

At first glance, that might seem counterintuitive. Why talk to clubs that aren’t your player’s preferred choice?

Why timing is your most underrated skill in sports business

In sport, everything moves fast: transfers, sponsorships, partnerships, and opportunities can change in hours, not days. The people who win in this industry aren’t just the smartest, they’re the ones who move fast and communicate faster.

Speed of communication shows intent, reliability, and respect for others’ time.

To become the most knowledgeable person in the room, start from developing habits and consistencies in your daily life. Read and absorb from sources that will elevate your knowledge base. The key to making yourself the most knowledgeable person in the room is in your hands (the internet and your phone).

Use it!

At the start, we might feel lost or unsure how to find a way in.

With no experience and no connections, the most important part is finding that first opportunity to get everything started.

However, this is often easier said than done.

The key is to look at yourself from the perspective of the person you are messaging.

These are some important steps for getting that first connection, and how to continue growing and expanding from there:

We all know how this goes:

It’s your dream to work in football, but there’s no way in.

• You send a CV and hear nothing

• You message on LinkedIn and get ghosted

• You call the agency and they’re not interested

Those moves won’t get you anywhere. Agencies want proof you can add value immediately.