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

Sports Management Podcast

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/

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