Legendary sports agent JB Bernstein didn't even know agents existed until 1990. Now he's represented Barry Sanders, Barry Bonds, and Emmitt Smith, co-founded Major League Soccer, and inspired a Disney movie about his Million Dollar Arm contest in India. In this conversation, JB shares how he landed Barry Sanders as a client (spoiler: Barry recruited him), why he refused to take money from playing contracts, his most embarrassing pitch failure, and how AI is about to completely transform athlete marketing.

LINKS & RESOURCES

JB Bernstein: jbbernstein-speaker.com Executive Speakers Bureau

Million Dollar Arm: IMDB | Disney film starring Jon Hamm (2014) Book: Million Dollar Arm (Simon & Schuster)

Watch: Documentary: The Making of a Heart Attack

Support: Bernstein Clinic, Pontiac, MI – Free healthcare for Michigan residents

ABOUT THE SHOW

Paul Cascade is a high school journalist and athlete exploring what really goes on behind the scenes of the sports world. From agents and managers to brand founders and industry insiders, Paul talks to the people shaping the industry off the field. If you love sports and want to know what career paths exist beyond playing, this podcast is for you.

I’m Paul Cascade, a high school athlete who loves sports and I want to know what it’s like to work in the industry … if you’re not a pro athlete.

Welcome to my podcast Beyond the Game: Careers in Sports. On my show, I’ll be talking to agents, marketing pros, team managers, brand founders, and more to learn about what they do and their journeys to their jobs. If you love sports and want to see what’s possible off the field, this is the show for you.