California-born, New York inhabiting, La Croix-consuming, sports-enthusing, karaoke-crushing entrepreneur Shannon Judd is what wild entrepreneurial stories are made of.
Shannon has spent the last decade living all around the world, working in a multitude of careers, managing companies, starting companies, learning, growing, and discovering. After overcoming the hardships of a failed marriage, and the subsequent self-confidence issues, Shannon is now taking the sports industry by storm as the CEO of Transition Sports & Entertainment, an agency based in New York City. Transition Sports & Entertainment works with its clients to transcend their values on the field and develop cohesive personal marketing strategies that will endure for years to come.
What we love about Shannon is the grit and never-ending hustle you would expect from a young up-and-coming businesswoman, and certainly from a New Yorker. We also love her infectious passion for the professional community around her — from her business partners Don Povia and Jason Bayuk to the company’s original founder Keith Bulluck (a former NFL linebacker) to her ever-expanding list of clients. Last but not least, we love that Shannon is ‘extroverting’ her way into a male-dominated sports industry with wit and skill, proving to all that this babe came to play hardball. Welcome, Shannon!
What does Babes Supporting Babes mean to you
The obvious answer is for all of us to support one another, build each other up, collaborate, share and grow. But I also feel like “Babes Supporting Babes” means making sure I include other women in my opportunities. Maybe it’s because I work in such a male-dominated industry that I inherently find myself seeking out other females in this space and surrounding myself with women I value. I crave the opinions of successful women. I listen to them diligently. And as much as “Babes Supporting Babes” is about lifting others up, for me as a young career woman, it’s about being vulnerable, recognizing my own weaknesses, identifying the strengths of others and letting the inspiration roll in.
How do you start your day?
Gosh, that’s a great question. Honestly, I start my day with coffee. I’d like to answer with something much more inspiring, but it’s really just coffee. I’m a slow mover in the mornings; you typically won’t see me in the office earlier than 9:30 am. It’s a running joke that I never really changed time zones when I moved to New York. So by California time standards, I guess you can say I’m a wonderfully productive morning person. In all seriousness though, one thing I have been doing lately is listening to podcasts as I get ready, and I’m loving How I Built This with Guy Raz on NPR. It’s church as a business owner and entrepreneur. I try to listen to the episodes with female founders and entrepreneurs because they’re incredibly relatable and I take so much away from the stories of success and hardship. They serve as my permanent reminder that I’m not insane and to keep building — or maybe that I am insane, but it will work out.
What would you like to be remembered for?
We have this belief at Transition Sports & Entertainment, as silly as it may seem, that we can change the world. We help people, one athlete at a time, positions themselves to make a positive impact, whether that impact is on their family or their community. This has been a common theme in my life; I really like helping people rise to their full potential. I think that’s something worth being remembered for.
Life mantra?
Never settle for less.
Do you have a hidden talent?
Karaoke? I know, I just answered a question with a question. I’m not sure why, but this seems hard for me to answer. I asked Jason. I needed an outsiders perspective. He said my hidden talent is my ability to focus and stay on task. He straight-up called me a laser. And that’s way cooler than any answer I could come up with. But aside from my laser skills, I do sing. It’s just not so secret.
Favourite movie you’ve seen this month?
Life itself. It left me sobbing. It’s one of those “have a glass of wine, hang out by yourself and have a good cry” kind of movies.
Three things you cannot live without?
Coffee, music (I need it to pump me up, just like the coffee) and invigorating conversation.
What makes you feel confident?
Well, it changes from day to day, and I think it depends on the moment. But at the core of me feeling confident is my family. I can go, and do, and try, and fail, and fail again, and try again, and end up at the end of it all and I still have my parents and brother who love me all the same and support me regardless. That is the cornerstone of ANY confidence I possess. There will always be moments where I have to reach for confidence, but in those moments, especially in my work, I run through ‘fact versus feeling.’ I write down my feelings, say it’s nervousness about pitching a potential client, and then I write down the facts and the successes I have had to date to contradict that confidence-lacking “feeling.” I swear it works every time.
Do you have a role model?
No. I probably should. I might have role models for specific things, but not one all-encompassing person that I look up to. There are so many women that I admire, but no one I’ve ever put on a pedestal. It’s more about me appreciating a wide group of humans.
Do you have any goals for 2019?
Yes. Personally, I want to get my finances in perfect order. I also broke my foot last year and have to undergo corrective surgery, so afterwards I really want to get my health and fitness back up to par. And maybe I can take an honest vacation this year.
But my biggest goal is for Transition Sports & Entertainment to rise up. We established ourselves in 2017, discovered ourselves in 2019, and now 2019 gets to be the year where we make a name for ourselves. My partners and I have always been tied into the football and boxing communities, and now we’re expanding to other sports and athletes. And of course, I want 2019 to be the year where we sign a solid group of female athletes and entertainers. It’s time ladies!
Are you the type that works solo or with others?
I have to work with others. I need the stimulation that comes from working with the team. We all need solo time to get our head straight, but I need the energy from my people. In order for me to be the leader I need to be, I need my partners. They’re vital to what I do and my personal success. Jason is really good about things like verbal affirmations and honest feedback; this makes a big difference.
In one word, describe your relationship with your phone.
Evil necessity. It’s not one word, but it’s the first thing that came to mind. On so many levels, it’s how I make my living. But I’m super annoyed by how much I need it.
Tell us about a babe who has supported you.
My number one is Melissa Chinchilla, an LA-based boss babe. That girl, I swear. She and I have such a real relationship. She is the ultimate babe who says it how it is and backs me up, but also calls me out when needed.
What is the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome in business?
How to effectively communicate our message and what we do for our clients. No doubt about it.
In 2018, we had to do a lot of talking to figure out how to phrase what we do as a business. Our company is not reinventing the wheel, but we are applying best practices from so many different industries and interjecting that into a market that hasn’t really experienced the services we offer. A lot of agents had a hard time with us initially. And we’ve had to communicate multiple times — we are not agents. But I take our current situation and think back to when the career of Social Media Management wasn’t really a thing, and no one knew how to describe or label it. Or even pay for it. And now look at that sector.
We hope very genuinely that what we’re doing will become the norm, and that multiple companies will step up and offer athletes what we’re offering. In all honesty, there’s more than enough work to go around. There are thousands of athletes that are left high and dry every year when their time on the field or on the court comes to an end. They need someone to guide them now for when that day arrives so that they can capitalize off of their current success and plan for the future. It has been assumed before that what we do is go out and get “deals” for our clients, which we’ve had to set the record straight about. Our purpose is to develop a marketing strategy for our clients that’s rooted in longevity. Securing deals for our clients would be setting them up to be a part of someone else’s marketing strategy.
What 3 things would we always find in your fridge?
La Croix, eggs, soy sauce. Sushi is my thing.
What is the vision for your company?
Don Povia, our Chief Marketing Officer, always talks about vision and says that we will redefine how the business of sports is done, and that we’re fostering a new understanding of what individual value means. On a personal note, my partners and I care deeply about each client’s well-being and we want to see them succeed far beyond their time as athletes. Our vision is to help our clients establish what we call ‘economies of meaning’ for themselves, their families and their communities.
Must-have beauty product?
DiorShow Lash Primer. I could be poor and living on the street and I would still find a way to have it.
Most used app?
Slack, the productivity app.
Best piece of advice?
My partner Jason gave me this advice years ago, and I’ve taken it with me ever since — there are only two things you have control over: your effort and your attitude.
What words or phrases do you most overuse?
Dope. The other day I think I said it six times in a meeting.
What do you do when you feel like giving up?
I don’t feel like that anymore. Honestly, it’s no longer something that crosses my mind, and perhaps that’s a result of life experiences. You know, like an attribute you build up over time. Entering my mid thirties was very enlightening for me. Aside from talking to myself, I also tend to write a lot of things down. Putting pen to paper is insanely helpful for me, especially when navigating those big life moves.
Have you had an ah-ha moment?
Yes. Professionally, it came at the height of the Colin Kapernick movement. We witnessed athletes positioning themselves as EMPLOYEES of an NFL team, leaving themselves at the mercy of the league rather than positioning themselves as their own standalone brand and business and then contracting our that ‘brand.’
First job?
The local melodrama. Child actor, baby!
What city feels most like home to you?
New York, New York. It only took me 3/4’s of my life, but I finally discovered that this is where I belong.
If you could put one message on a billboard, what would it be?
FIND YOUR WHY. And I’d add a hashtag in there for good measure!
Keep up with Shannon on Instagram @msjudd
Learn more about Transition Sports & Entertainment:@transitionse and transitionse.com
Introduction written by Alli Addison
Photography courtesy of Transition Sports & Entertainment