I started as the lead of the ESPN TikTok account in mid-July 2019, and grew those 87K followers into 10M+ in less than a year.

The Challenge

• Is there a way to grow ESPN’s younger audience through TikTok?
• Does ESPN even belong on TikTok?
  • At this point, the app was very new and many saw it as only a place for dance trends. Traditional sports highlights that were doing well on other platforms weren’t performing well here.

My Strategy

• Note: Today’s TikTok users are totally different, but this strategy is how I approached a new platform.
• Really dive deep and learn what type of content active users were engaging with — and give the people what they want!
• Think about the content and resources ESPN owned, and how I could use that to generate maximum engagement, given that there was no real budget or resources initially invested in this project.

The Results

• Grew the account from 87K followers to more than 2 million followers in less than 6 months, then 10M+ in less than a year.
• Second most-followed sports media accounts in North America.
• Additionally, I provided TikTok consulting to others at ESPN and Disney, including for ESPN Deportes, First Take, Stephen A. Smith’s account and Disney Parks.

Examples of Top Posts I Produced

• Guys throwing eggs in the air – 3.2M likes, 47M views, 46.8K shares
• College football trick play – 3.5M likes, 28.7M views, 228.6K shares
• Grandpa trick shot – 2.9M likes, 17M views, 139.4K shares
• 6-year-old who beat cancer  – 2.5M likes, 11.1M views
• LeBron traveling – 708.8K likes, 32M views, 19K shares
• Serena Williams playing against fans – this one is still being reposted on the account by the current team working

The Results 👇

Lakers 2020 Championship

45+ postgame posts across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts

Miami Heat Advancing to 2020 NBA Finals

Examples of Viral On-Site Content I’ve Shot and Produced

Jokic imitating LeBron (from 2020 All-Star Weekend): ESPN IG Reel Link – 781K likes, 7.9M plays

LeBron greeting Jay-Z and his daughter (March 2020): ESPN Twitter Link – 20.8K RTs, 142K likes, 4.8M views; SportsCenter IG Link – 489K likes

Dwight Howard and Quinn Cook hyping LeBron’s chalk toss (Jan. 2020) – ESPN IG Link – 470K likes, 2.8M views

Harden and Westbrook pregame dance (Nov. 2019): ESPN Twitter Link – 1.5K RTs, 12.9K Likes

Writing samples from my time with USA Today‘s sports and culture site, For The Win. I interviewed 65+ athletes and celebrities, and wrote 5,000+ stories published to their website, along with some coverage for USA Today Sports and USA Today‘s print newspaper.

Athlete and Celebrity Interviews

• Talked to Kobe Bryant in Downtown LA: Kobe Bryant on retirement, ‘mentors’ like Anna Wintour, and his advice for Kevin Durant

• Talked to Shaq in Downtown LA: Shaq ‘not offended’ by Kobe saying he’d pick LeBron over him in 2005 All-Star Game

• Talked to Kevin Love at The Grove: Kevin Love on school shooting: ‘You should never be afraid to kiss your kids goodbye’ + Kevin Love says Cavs’ beloved Lil Kev still lives in his locker

• Talked to Kevin Hart in Downtown LA: Kevin Hart explains how to be the best trash-talking fan courtside at NBA games

Long-Form Feature Stories

• At the 2Hype house, YouTubing is a lucrative full-time job

• Three years ago he was a junkie. Now he’s Antonio Brown’s chef.

• The quiet redemption of Jonathan Martin, the man at the center of the NFL’s infamous bullying scandal

Fun Blogs

• 9 of Russell Westbook’s most fashion-forward outfits, as critiqued by actual designers

• How the anti-social media granddad of the Cavaliers became the sport world’s best Snapchatter

• 10 best sports Snaps of the week: Serena surprises fans, LeBron’s hilarious fashion statement

• It’s official: Richard Jefferson was the 2016 Snapchatter of the Year