By: Emaraa Milhomme | SET Magazine
Accept, Adjust & Move Forward It’s never too late to Pivot!
Those are the words coined by “The Pivot the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark” and he has pivoted, quite literally.
Former NFL Player and Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Ryan Clark is scoring big with his new billionaire strategic partner and investor.
Following his very public termination from ESPN in July after nearly an 11-year tenure.
Pivot25 Productions, co-founded by Clark and Emmy-winning producer Alicia Zubikowski, announced its partnership with former Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz on September 22nd.
An appearance on Craig Melvin’s “Glass Half Full” from Clark aided in the partnership taking place.
“He talks about this deep dive he’s done on me since he saw it happen,” Clark said, adding that Schultz expressed a desire “to not only be a part of my comeback, but he believes that I’m a brand. He believes in things that I stand for, which I hadn’t heard from somebody of his stature who didn’t look like me. I’m just being honest.”
Schultz will focus on growing the media company into an “enduring media-enterprise”.
Initially, Clark pitched a single show: however, former Fortune 500 CEO emboldened him to think bigger.
“I told him that I wanted to do a show, and from there he was like, ‘Wait, why would we just talk about doing one show? Like, yes, we’re going to do this show, but I believe in who you are. I believe in your capabilities. I believe that in you being a brand, we can build an entire network, and I don’t want you to have to go add,’” Clark told Today.
“The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark” is co-hosted by former Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Fred Taylor and former Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and is produced in partnership with NFL films.
The podcast has a loyal fanbase of over a million subscribers and recently signed a deal with one of the world’s largest streaming services, Netflix.
Schultz will contribute lessons from building Starbucks as well as “strategic counsel, commercial relationships, networking expertise and access to capital resources,” per a news release from Pivot25 Productions.