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Creating Your Own Opportunities

  
By Kristen Condo | Account Manager, BDA

A Women trying to decide which path is right for her

Photo credit: ra2studio / Shutterstock.com

My pursuit of a career in sports was a decision I had made very early in my life. Being a young athlete myself and completing an internship with my high school athletics department as a senior, I knew pursuing a degree in sport management was a path that would fulfill my passion and professional aspirations.

No Such Thing as Luck

Since declaring my major in sport management as a freshman in 2003, I’ve never worked a day outside of the industry. I took on a variety of internships and moved around the country quite a few times, accepting temporary roles with several industry leaders, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Disney Sports Attractions and the NCAA, among others. With sports being such a competitive landscape, I considered myself lucky to obtain the opportunities I was able to experience over the years. It was not until I met my mentor through the WISE Within mentor program that I realized there really is no such thing as luck.

It was through our monthly meetings and routine correspondence that my mentor encouraged me to recognize that my accomplishments and experiences were no happy accidents. At the root of every one of my professional opportunities was my seeking out and making myself available for those new openings. I specifically worked in places and made various decisions to position myself for that next step. I was responsible for creating every opportunity that has built my career to date.

Power to Shape the Future

Through my experience with WISE Within and the power of mentorship, I have now gained a new confidence in knowing that I hold the power to shape the future of my career. I know the decisions that I make and opportunities that I take on will lead me to the next phases in my professional journey

My experience with WISE Within has also provided the chance for me to take on the role of mentor, a new one for me, as my own mentor has given me the opportunity to speak with his undergraduate sport management students once a semester. I hope that through this experience I can not only pay it forward to future mentees, but also explain how their experiences and decisions will shape the future of their sports careers. After all, there is no such thing as luck.


Kristen Condo

About Kristen Condo

Kristen Condo is a national account manager for Bensussen Deutsch & Associates on the NFL account and sits on-site at the NFL’s headquarters in New York City. Prior to working at Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Condo developed her career in sponsorship activation and event management with roles at Momentum Worldwide, CBS Collegiate Sports Properties, National Collegiate Athletic Association, US Road Sports & Entertainment Group, and Disney Sports Attractions. Condo has an undergraduate and master’s degree in sport management from West Virginia University. She is also an active member of WISE NYC Metro and volunteers with the events committee.

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