My First Job in Sports: Mike Lauer on Sweat Equity, Networking, and Building a Career

Neil Schwartz and Dr. Ashley Gardner sit down with Mike Lauer, whose path in sports began at 15 as a ball boy for the New York Knicks and eventually grew into a long career in NBA entertainment and video production. Mike breaks down how proximity, humility, consistency, and saying yes to opportunities shaped his journey, and why the real lesson for students is to learn how rooms work before trying to impress them.

In this episode, Mike shares how a one-night favor turned into 18 seasons with the Knicks, how live production taught him to work under pressure, and why his career was less a straight ladder than a map of connected experiences. He also discusses his book, Sweat Equity from Ball Boy to Builder, and what it means to build trust, relationships, and opportunity.

Key topics

• In this episode: Mike explains how he became a ball boy for the New York Knicks at 15 through a family connection, then earned the trust to keep coming back.
• He describes the day-to-day ball boy role, from wiping sweat and rebounding to running errands for players and staff.
• Mike shares how being around the Knicks for 18 years taught him to observe first, ask smart questions later, and understand the full ecosystem of a sports organization.
• He explains the difference between producer, field producer, director, and technical director in live sports production.
• Mike says his biggest career lesson was learning how one job affects everyone else and why that mindset makes someone valuable on a team.
• He emphasizes humility over self-promotion, saying it was never about being right, but about getting it right.
• Mike talks about developing a personal brand by showing up early, working hard on small tasks, and behaving as if someone is always watching.
• He walks through how he used relationships and persistence to move from the Knicks to NBA Entertainment, including how Ahmad Rashad helped open a door.
• He reflects on leaving the Knicks and later starting his own video production company after the 2007 market collapse.
• Mike breaks down the title of his book, explaining that sweat equity means the value built through hard work, and that builder means building trust, relationships, and opportunity

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

Getting into sports is hard, but Amanda Abramowitz proves there is a path in if you are willing to start small, show up, and keep saying yes. From part-time 50/50 raffle work with the Florida Panthers to a full-time, newly promoted role on the service side, Amanda shares the real roadmap behind breaking into one of the most competitive industries out there. Neil Schwartz and co-host Dr. Ashley Gardner dig into the skills that helped Amanda stand out—from public speaking and business writing to active listening, face-to-face networking, and learning to be a reliable teammate. Amanda also shares how growing up in a huge South Florida sports family, studying business and international business at the University of Florida, and spending a spring semester abroad in London shaped how she works and thinks today. You’ll discover:

• Why a part-time job can become your foot in the door
• How to use networking events to turn an introduction into an opportunity
• The communication skills sports employers actually value
• Why being a fan can make you better at sales and service
• What shy students can do to build confidence fast

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.

This conversation follows Brandon Estrada, corporate hospitality account manager for the Anaheim Ducks, as he walks through his path from student-athlete to corporate sports sales. He shares how organization, informational interviews, and a willingness to take a risk helped him move from the corporate world into hockey. We discuss balancing college athletics and internships, the shift from business into sports, and why being a good person matters as much as being good at sales in this industry. He balanced athletics, classes, internships, and jobs every summer. His biggest tool was organization, including planning his whole week on paper

He believes being good at your job matters, but being a good person matters just as much

In sports, people remember how you treat them. He shared that a memorable part of his job is seeing families return as repeat customers after attending a game. Some of his keys are:

· Do informational interviews

· Research teams and cities before applying

· Build genuine relationships because you never know where opportunities will come from

· Stay open to unexpected paths, even if your major or first job is not directly sports related

My First Job in Sports is Presented by SBRnet. Everyone's Career Starts Somewhere.