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084: Scaling Jam Sports To Over 11k Teams Through Acquisitions With Kristi Herold
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Show Notes
In this episode, we meet Kristi Herold, a passionate entrepreneur who built a successful business around the concept of fun. She started with the Toronto Sport and Social Club and later expanded through acquisitions. Even during the pandemic, she adapted and offered virtual events to connect people through play. Kristi emphasizes the importance of integrating play into the workplace for improved employee engagement and well-being. Her inspiring journey and practical tips show that having fun in business can lead to growth and a positive work culture.
Join us as we delve into the fascinating journey of Kristi Herold and discover the incredible impact of play on personal and professional growth. You’ll be inspired to create a more positive and engaging workplace while having a blast doing it!
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Kristi Herold shares her inspiring journey of building a business around the concept of having fun.
- Achieved success through aggressive expansion and strategic acquisitions.
- Adapted during the pandemic with virtual events and corporate engagements.
- Creating career opportunities for her team and fostering a positive workplace culture.
- Sports and social clubs foster connections, leading to heartwarming success stories
- Kristi emphasizes the importance of integrating play, fun, and laughter into the workplace for improved employee engagement, mental health, and retention.
- She encourages businesses to create a positive and enjoyable work environment.
Key Takeaways
- 00:46 – Introduction to Kristi Harold
- 02:58 – Christie Harold’s background
- 04:36 – From 2006 to 2016, she took a step back from his business pursuits
- 06:03 – Being depressed and realizing to survive by connecting with people through play
- 09:09 – The pivotal moment that led her to change her mind
- 11:35 – How much of the business was revenue when she first started
- 13:10 – The challenge of scaling the business in 2016
- 16:21 – The economics of the sport and social clubs business
- 19:27 – Taking sports leagues to the Metaverse
- 22:15 – How significant is the concern for sports-related injuries in social clubs?
- 25:21 – The economics and growth of the company and how they approached acquisitions
- 26:24 – The goal of acquisitions is to keep key teammates on board
- 28:19 – Looking for synergies from the head office
- 31:23 – The benefits of scale for players
- 33:00 – The difference between a better experience and facilities for players
- 34:29 – Working with strategic people
- 37:07 – The culture in the Sports League
- 40:27 – The importance of having fun in the workplace
- 42:30 – Invest a little bit of money and have some fun and put the play on your P&L
- 44:32 – The importance of having a company sports team
- 45:56 – Having a company choir, a rock band or a company rock band is a great recruiting tool.
- 47:09 – Shout out channels and banter channels
- 49:42 – The product offering and target market for play
- 53:59 – Where to get more information about JAM?
- 55:17 – How to support Beyond A Million?
Full Transcript
Kristi Harold
Kristi Herold is the founder and CEO of JAM, one of the world’s largest adult recreational sports league providers, which has connected over 1.5 million people through play since 1996. In response to the 2020 pandemic, she pivoted JAM to offer virtual and hybrid corporate events, helping teams stay connected through play.
Kristi is the author of It Pays to PLAY: How Play Improves Business Culture, a guide for integrating play into the workplace to boost engagement and productivity. She has been recognized among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award for her contributions to community and business.
Resources
Website URL: https://toronto.jamsports.com/
[guest_info]
In this episode, we meet Kristi Herold, a passionate entrepreneur who built a successful business around the concept of fun. She started with the Toronto Sport and Social Club and later expanded through acquisitions. Even during the pandemic, she adapted and offered virtual events to connect people through play. Kristi emphasizes the importance of integrating play into the workplace for improved employee engagement and well-being. Her inspiring journey and practical tips show that having fun in business can lead to growth and a positive work culture.
Join us as we delve into the fascinating journey of Kristi Herold and discover the incredible impact of play on personal and professional growth. You’ll be inspired to create a more positive and engaging workplace while having a blast doing it!
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Kristi Herold shares her inspiring journey of building a business around the concept of having fun.
- Achieved success through aggressive expansion and strategic acquisitions.
- Adapted during the pandemic with virtual events and corporate engagements.
- Creating career opportunities for her team and fostering a positive workplace culture.
- Sports and social clubs foster connections, leading to heartwarming success stories
- Kristi emphasizes the importance of integrating play, fun, and laughter into the workplace for improved employee engagement, mental health, and retention.
- She encourages businesses to create a positive and enjoyable work environment.
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