Mark Neifeld joins us today to talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, and how to disrupt an industry by creating a business that provides value for an underserved community.

Mark is a creator, a leader, a builder, and the Commissioner and CEO of the Sport Fishing Championship. He developed, created, and produced new customer experiences in sports, entertainment, live events, media and film. Before starting his own business, Mark worked with massive firms like the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Georgia Dome and Tampa Bay Lightning, to name a few. 

In this episode, we delve into Mark’s transition from working for massive organizations to starting his own company. He shares how coming back home during the pandemic connected him with his roots, his love for fishing, and how that influenced him to start the Sport Fishing Championship. 

Mark also talks about how working for the Dallas Cowboys influenced his business and entrepreneurship style, how he convinced stakeholders to bet for him, how the Sport Fishing Championship sees and adapts to new technologies, and how they plan to attract young audiences. 

Resources:

Visit the Sport Fishing Championship website: https://www.sportfishingchampionship.com/.

Connect with Mark on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markeneifeld/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfcfishcommish/?hl=es

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:33 – Mark talks about what is the Sport Fishing Championship.

3:45 – Mark talks about how they deal and organize themselves around the unpredictable nuances of salt water.

9:14 – Mark talks about his background and experiences before starting his own company. 

14:07 – Mark talks about how it was working for the world’s most valuable sports franchise, the Dallas Cowboys.

20:12 – Mark explains the difference between working for massive organizations and running a business.

24:14 – Mark talks about the things he learned from the Dallas Cowboys and how he adapted them to his business.

30:47 – Mark describes the experience of coming back home to Sarasota, Florida, and how the idea of the Sport Fishing Championship was born thanks to that.

35:53 – Mark talks about the key factors that helped him bring different stakeholders to collaborate for one goal.

41:49 – Mark talks about innovation and how the Sport Fishing Championship is adapting to new technologies. 

46:19 – Mark shares tips and advice for future generations interested in going through the entrepreneurial journey.