Last week I sat down with Lisa Kay Solomon for her Substack and podcast, How We Future. Lisa has spent her career studying how values-driven leaders build futures worth inheriting and she was generous enough to spend an hour on the playbook I ran in my time at UCLA: writing community value into every NIL deal I signed, and now, as an alum, building the infrastructure to help the next generation of athletes do the same.

The conversation centered on what Lisa calls the “me to we” move: taking a personal opportunity and designing it so the surrounding community wins too. She pulled three examples from my playbook that I want to go a layer deeper on here and then add one thing I didn’t get to say on the record.

1. Build on what already works.

In 2020, when I wanted to mobilize UCLA athletes to vote, I didn’t start a new organization. BruinVote was already doing the civic work on campus.I partnered with them, brought the model into the athletic department, and added a team-vs-team voter registration competition. Seven teams hit 100% registration.

The lesson carries straight into NIL. Athletes don’t need to build every platform themselves. The real leverage is in finding the infrastructure that already exists: collectives, advocacy organizations, compliance teams, academic support staff, and asking how you can extend what they’re doing, not duplicate it. Most of the time, the answer is yes. People who are already doing good work want help amplifying it.

2. Write community value into the deal.

The principle behind every NIL deal I signed at UCLA was the same: find the structural opening to make the deal bigger than me. The Boost Mobile partnership is the cleanest example. Part of my earnings went to the LA Regional Food Bank. We organized a toy drive. Boost Mobile’s corporate giving arm ended up matching what I put in.

None of that was in the standard NIL template. I wrote it into the structure because I wanted the transaction to create more than a payday and because I kept finding that brands, given the option, preferred the version of the deal that made them look good alongside the athlete. Private motivations and entrepreneurial instinct can be engineered to create community value at the same time. The deal shape determines whether that happens, not the athlete’s intentions after the fact.

The question every athlete should be asking their agent, and every agent should be asking before they send the term sheet: who else could win from this arrangement if we designed it that way?

Most NIL deals I see today don’t ask that question at all. That’s the gap TAB is trying to close.

3. Use your seat at the table for people who aren’t in the room.

When I testified before Congress about NIL legislation in January 2024, I could have told my personal story and sat down. Instead, I named the structural problem: athlete voices have been systematically absent from policy conversations about athletes. That observation is what planted the seed for The Athletes Bureau.

The principle holds beyond policy. Proximity to power is an asset that should be deployed for the people without it. If you’re the athlete who got the room, the deal, or the microphone, the work isn’t just what you say. It’s who you represent while you say it.

What I’d add now.

Lisa’s framework landed for me because it names something I’ve been trying to build into TAB’s DNA: success for you doesn’t have to come before success for others. You can engineer both from the start.

But I’d take it one step further: the “me to we” move isn’t only a value frame. It’s a competitive strategy.

The next wave of NIL won’t be won by athletes optimizing for individual payouts. It’ll be won by athletes, and the institutions supporting them, who design deals, platforms, and data infrastructure that compound across the entire athlete economy. Athletes who keep every learning, network, and deal structure private are leaving the bigger win on the table. The bigger win is the collective one. The market will reward the athletes and programs that figure this out first.

That’s what we’re building here. The Athletes Bureau is the “we” layer I wish I’d had access to trying to figure out my first NIL deal. It’s where we publish the data, the frameworks, and the case studies that turn one athlete’s private education into shared knowlege.

Watch the full conversation with Lisa at How We Future — she’s one of the most thoughtful interviewers working on Substack, and her whole catalog is worth subscribing to.

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Sponsored by Payment Labs. The #1 Solution for College Athlete Payments

Once NIL deals started, Printz thought only big name athletes who go to universities like Duke would qualify for them. However, he carried the same go-ahead mentality contacting numerous brands as soon as possible despite having a low follower count across all his social media platforms.

“Once I started realizing like ‘alright you know you can make money through brand partnerships and social media stuff’ I just started reaching out to brands right away.” Printz said.

Printz used Instagram and their advertisements to determine what brands he would initially contact. After tagging them in posts, he was receiving mini care packages from these companies that contained free soaps, deodorants and snacks. 

Printz prioritizes dedicating an equal amount of time to all of his social media platforms. He says on average he spends about 1-2 hours a day creating content to post online and  30-45 minutes reaching out to different brands to get deals. 

“Brands aren’t really going to sit there and reach out to you nonstop, you know of course you may have brands reaching out to you but you need to be reaching out to brands every single day just like how you may be in the recruiting process reaching out to different colleges.” Printz said. 

Printz is represented by his NIL agent, Alex Sheinman who runs a sports social media agency called Snapback Sports. Printz and Sheinman met through LinkedIn and talked a few times over zoom calls before they started working on pursuing NIL deals together. Printz also took the time to speak with other agents. 

“My biggest recommendation there is really just doing your research first, there are a lot of sketchy agents out there in the NIL world today so just doing your research, having zoom calls with people and taking your time to look at an agent,” Printz said. 

Printz's first official NIL deal was with Snapchat. Today, his NIL portfolio consists of brand deals with companies like Powerade, CVS and Reebok. Printz has garnered over a million followers through Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok combined. 

By the time Claremont McKenna College’s athletic department contacted their college athletes about the recent trend of NIL deals and offered them help, Printz had already received 40-50 NIL deals. Despite receiving most of his brand deals on his own, Printz says his college has been supportive of college athletes' Name, Image and Likeness.

“I hit them up and was like ‘hey i’ve done a lot of deals so far,’ and they were shocked so I met with them and they’ve been great overall with the process,” Printz said, “They haven’t really me get deals but but more with ‘hey you have any legal questions we’re here to help you out with that.” 

Printz has even taken the time to help educate other college athletes by joining a NIL panel with other people who run NIL platforms. During the panel, they give advice on how college athletes can get their hands on NIL deals. 

The question of whether or not college athletes should be paid by their colleges is a tough one for Printz. He thinks college athletes should be paid but not him.

“Look I don’t think I should be paid from my school, I don’t bring in any money into our athletic program but I definitely do think that players at the highest level should get paid if they’re bringing in money for their schools.” Printz said.

Printz advises college athletes who want to pursue NIL brand deals to start creating good quality content now and build their own personal brand through it. Printz’s NIL journey has led him to hold a long term career goal of being a content creator full-time who eventually owns his own business. 

“I really realized that there are a lot of priorities for me in life to have flexibility, be able to travel, spend time with family, live in a beautiful place and you know being a creator would be awesome to do that.” Printz said. 

Dylan Barbee is a second-year Journalism major at the University of Missouri. His previous bylines include articles in The Statesman, The Maneater, and MoMuNo.

Brands and Agencies are spending more on athlete NIL than ever. Learn how to get your share of NIL deals and get paid. Register Here.

Questions Creators Should Be Asking Their Agencies

Content creators, influencers, and athletes can be paid in many different ways, and the payment terms for each agency will vary. However, before starting any project, it is important to ask the right questions to ensure consistent, on-time, and transparent financial transactions. It's important to take the same care as you would when preparing for a big game to ensure you do your homework and that the agency you choose is the right one for you and will pay you on time.

Here are the topics we will discuss in our LinkedIn Event. These are the key questions regarding payments that every creator should consider addressing with the agency that they work with:

1. What are the payment terms? 

   Is there a net 30-, 60-, or 90-day window before getting paid for a project? A creator might deliver a project on time and not realize they may have to wait until a set number of days before they get compensated for their work. Delivering a project on time does not mean immediate payment for the work completed. However, instant payments can easily be deployed, so negotiating the terms upfront can be important. 

2. How will the agency securely store and receive payment data from creators, influencers, and athletes?

   It is important to ask about how one’s payment data will be stored to make sure it is compliantly handled across the entire payment journey, and you are not at risk of compromising your personal data.

3. Will taxes be withheld from the payment?

   Ensure you know if your agency will withhold taxes from your payment. Also, be sure to ask which forms, such as a w9, you will need to fill out during your onboarding.

4. What kind of payment methods does the agency offer? For example, does your agency have a payment platform for immediate availability of your payment?

   A payment platform can provide immediate access to funds and also provide support for any payment-related questions or issues that might arise. There are many different payment methods and it is good to know which options you will be provided with before starting work with an agency.

5. What kind of tracking will be provided for your payments? 

   There is often a lack of consistency and transparency for creator payments. As such, on-time and consistent payments are important when choosing which agency you want to work with and having access to a payments dashboard can provide you with the transparency needed. 

Asking these questions upfront will make sure you are prepared for everything with the payments for the work that you create. A payment platform such as the Athlete's Bureau's sponsor, Payment Labs, can expedite and automate payouts. This allows creators to have consistent, immediate and compliant payments. The platform allows for a quick 5 minute online registration with information verified in real-time for accuracy. Creators can then choose the payment method that works best for them, including if they would like an instant payment. They also get a dashboard to track their payment and payment support specialists to answer any payment-related questions that they might have. An agency no longer has to spend time on payment operations and tax compliance as the platform automates everything.

Payment Labs CEO Han Park will join our publisher, Chase Griffin for a special live stream, answering all payment questions that creators might have. Additionally, Chase will be giving guidance on the type of campaigns he has seen perform the best from his 30+ brand deal partnerships.

You can sign up here for the live stream on July 15th, 2024, at 11:30 AM PST. 

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Hello everyone, welcome to the Athlete’s Bureau Podcast where we help college athletes get smarter and get paid. Today, I am pleased to introduce to you Samuel Phillips. Today we are going to refer to him as Philly. And yeah, he is already a 2x regular season All-American, 2022 Big Ten First Team Bronze Medalist, has nine career titles, 2x team captain, 2x NCAA finals team competitor, and 2x CGA All-American Scholar Athlete. Now, is there any other things that you want to throw in there?

“Well this season… it might not be on the roster. This season I All-American(ed) at NCAA Championships this past April All Around and High Bar.”

How We Got Here

Since the O’Bannon v. NCAA ruling in 2015, it was clear this day would come —the only question was when. This decade-long athlete compensation journey is led by powerhouse plaintiffs attorneys (Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler) on behalf of college athletes. The tide decisively shifted in athletes’ favor after a 9-0 Supreme Court decision in Alston v. NCAA. With the ensuing new state name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws and a changing legal climate, the NCAA adopted its Interim NIL Policy, allowing athletes to legally profit from their NIL. Now, following the House settlement, the income streams available to college athletes are set to include a revenue share and, for a set period of time, back-pay from the years before NIL was legalized, going back to 2016.

How much money will college athletes make in the first decade of this new era? 

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Today, Stephens is second on her team in goals, named to the academic all Big Ten team and earned CSC academic all district honors. As an NIL athlete, her professional portfolio consists of working with brands like U.S Cellular, Undeniably Dairy and Frito Lay Ultimate Watch Party. 

When she first started NIL, Stephens focused on working with local brands near her college town, Champaign. With more of a local approach she worked with town boutiques and donut shops which would eventually lead to larger brands reaching out to her.

“My favorite part about NIL is just content creation,” Stephens said, “I think I really like doing it, it’s a part of me that I didn’t expect to find out about myself.”

Stephens pursuit to secure NIL deals has led her to understand herself more as a person who has a passion for working with brands. Within her content and her play on the field, she strives to be a student athlete who other women can look up to. 

“I am somebody that wants to empower young women in my sport and want to empower young women outside of the sport that they play as well and I think that really speaks through the deals that I do and the content I put up for brands,” Stephens said. 

Stephens describes the support she has received from the University of Illinois revolving around her NIL activities as “absolutely unmatched.” She praises the university for their ability to embrace NIL.

“They’ve done an excellent job of providing us with resources and I would say they are on the front end of anything NIL that kind of comes up,” Stephens said, “it’s all new, it's all changing all the time.”

Although she believes colleges paying their student athletes is a controversial topic, Stephens  thinks universities have been accommodating so far.

“I think universities are doing everything they can to help their student athletes right now and I love to see it,” Stephens said, “I love giving back to the student athletes and I love that the universities are investing in their student athletes and investing in the growth of the game.”

Stephens views NIL as a vessel for student athletes to be given more opportunities. She believes that NIL can give small sports a chance to grow in viewership especially if athletes on certain teams are being highlighted. 

Stephens advises other student athletes seeking NIL deals to “never stop asking questions and never stop learning.” She also suggests that they create a small support system for themselves filled with 12 people who have “expertise in different areas” to guide them through their NIL journey. 

Due to her Covid eligibility, Stephens is lacing up her cleats for one more season with the U of I soccer team next fall. After, she plans to go pro whether it is for a team in the U.S or overseas. However, she does have other plans as she is simultaneously pursuing her Master’s degree in sports management this fall and has always had dreams of teaching.

“Beyond playing I’m looking at coaching and I have my undergrad in early childhood education so pre-school is always a passion of mine being in the classroom,” Stephens said.

By: Lauren Huttner (Northwestern)

Andy’s x Lily Smith (UGA Gymnastics)

Lily Smith’s partnership with Andy’s included a selection of photos outside the restaurant with a custard in hand. By selecting three photos with different poses, Smith expressed her excitement and enthusiasm for the brand. Smith clearly communicated her partnership in all pieces of content, regardless of what aspect of the post a user saw.

The Takeaway: Make sure you're taking photos in a place that is relevant to your personal brand or the product you are promoting. Doing so will help provide context to the content and ensure the success of the campaign.

Crocs x RJ Davis (UNC MBB)

RJ Davis’ Jibbitz-filled Crocs capture the attention in this collaborative post. Three different photos showed the shoes from different angles. Together, they emphasized the synergies between Crocs and Davis’ personal brand.

The Takeaway: The product should be the focal point of your photos. Davis highlighted the Crocs in every photo and used a lighter-colored background to make the black shoes stand out. Think about ways you can use color to emphasize aspects of the photos you post. 

Reebok x Sophie Herriot (Wisconsin T&F)

Sophie Herriot’s photo collaboration with Reebok shows her running shoes in motion. Not only did she include full-body shots, but she also made sure to show close-ups and action shots. This helped highlight the dynamic nature of Reebok’s shoes, communicating their value.

The Takeaway: It’s important to show more than tell. Think about how photos can share the what, where, why and how of a product. Herriot does this by including lots of photos, highlighting the versatility of the shoes. However, this can also be accomplished through framing and combining action shots with stills.

Lauren Huttner (Northwestern Medill ‘24) is a journalist and strategist for creators and brands. Lauren has written for Inc. Magazine, worked with Dorm Room Fund and was VP of Community at AMA, a Youtube data-analytics firm acquired by Jellysmack.

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Hinton, the daughter of two athletes, began swimming at the age of four. Although swimming wasn’t the only sport she was involved in growing up, her focus on the sport narrowed as she got older and continued to swim competitively. In high school, she was a three-time Scholastic All-American and was named USA Today’s Massachusetts high school swimmer of the year in 2021.

“I don’t even know what my life would be without swimming,” Hinton said.

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Drawn to the competition of a Power 5 conference, the academic opportunity in her pursued field of broadcast journalism and (admittedly) the weather, Hinton chose to swim at the University of Miami, where she is currently one of the top points earners for the team and won the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.

Name, Image and Likeness has helped Hinton learn how to be a better content creator, market herself and ultimately prepare herself for a future job in communications, she said. In addition to building a personal brand, she also wants to help build up the athletes of the future. 

“I know that I want to help young female athletes… give them support and make them feel heard, which is something I wish I had when I was younger,” she said. 

Currently, Hinton said she works with a meal prep service, following previous deals which include CVS and Steve Madden. She said that the bulk of her deals have come through Postgame, a NIL campaign manager, and connections made through Instagram. She is represented by NIL Sport Talent Agency, a group which also reached out on Instagram. 

Once a deal with a company is approved, Hinton plans her content by observing “the vibe” of the company’s social media profiles and successful previous work made by other she can put her own spin on. Since a pool often does not serve as the best backdrop for a campaign, she often has to “get creative” about what her content looks like. 

Hinton said the University of Miami’s athletic department has “done a really good job” educating athletes and providing support throughout the NIL process. The university has them log their deals on Opendorse, in order to keep records of athlete's deals, and brings in agencies to lead seminars on the topic.

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Though the NIL market provides athletes opportunities they didn’t have even a few years ago, Hinton believes that ultimately, athletes deserve to get paid.

“As a female athlete in a sport that doesn’t get a lot of viewership or a lot of recognition, especially compared to big sports like football and basketball, I can see where complications might come about,” Hinton said. “But by all means, athletes deserve to get paid.”

Currently, Hinton continues to make use of the opportunity provided to her by NIL. She says she keeps NIL fun by involving her friends and taking each campaign as a chance to get better at content creation. She thinks all athletes should do the same.

“You can totally do this… At the end of the day, you’re given this opportunity, and you should use it to your advantage when you can,” Hinton said. 

Watch the Full Podcast Interview

By: Lauren Huttner (Northwestern Medill ‘24)

Skims x March All Stars

Collaborating with Caleb Love (Arizona MBB), Donovan Clingan (UConn MBB), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas MBB), Jared McCain (Duke MBB), Robert Dillingham (Kentucky MBB), and Paxson Wojcik (UNC MBB), Skims assembled an all star team of athletes to promote their new men’s lounge set. With quick introductions from each of the players, the video has a clear and compelling message: everyone is wearing skims.

The Takeaway: In multi-player collaborations, simplicity wins. Building a big narrative is not necessary when so many individuals are involved.  Let the viewer quickly meet the players and get the message across for your brand.

Adidas x Hailey Van Lith (LSU WBB)

Known for their motivational advertisements, Hailey Van Lith (alongside other athletes), has one message with Adidas: You Got This. In this fast-paced commercial, Hailey can be be spotted shooting hoops and dribbling across the court, inspiring athletes everywhere.

The Takeaway: Small opportunities can have a big impact. Even though Hailey is more of an actor in this commercial, her presence still has an effect on the audience and brand.

Keurig x Bree Hall (South Carolina WBB) and Meechie Johnson Jr. (South Carolina MBB)

This piece of content was fun to watch! Beginning with a quick thank you to Keurig, Bree Hall and Meechie Johnson Jr. challenge each other to try to shoot the K-Cup into the Keurig. It is a unique concept that brings out authentic interactions with the brand.

The Takeaway: Creativity can lead to more authenticity. This “challenge-style” content works well and shows how Keurig can be part of a lifestyle. It also makes the video more engaging.

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Lauren Huttner (Northwestern Medill ‘24) is a journalist and strategist for creators and brands. Lauren has written for Inc. Magazine, worked with Dorm Room Fund and was VP of Community at AMA, a youtube data-analytics firm acquired by Jellysmack.

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