Many people ask me everyday, how can I get involved in sports and make a living from it? Well, here are some tips from my experience that may help on your journey.

It Starts with True Passion

You have to eat, sleep and dream about what you love. If you don’t love it, don’t do it. Cut your loses before you waste any more valuable time.  I was literally born with a baseball in my hand.  Sports was always in my blood and knew from when I was a kid, from collecting my first football and baseball cards in 1982, that I had to make sports my career, if not playing it, then the business end of it.  By always reading sports related magazines, the sports section of the newspaper, watching SportsCenter daily, playing fantasy football and attending as many games as I could, it helped lead me to my path in life.

Constantly Be Around the Game

I grew up going to baseball and hockey games. My Dad took me to a lot of Yankees, Mets and New Jersey Devils game. If I was lucky and the games ran late, I didn’t have to go to school the next day. When I got in my teens, I went to a lot of Spring Training and minor league games in Florida. And of course, many Orlando Magic and UCF football games.  By constantly being around the games, you get to learn the business, how the stadiums operate, how corporate advertising works and the many things that go into a game day production.

Find a Way to Obtain a Press Pass

This is the best access you can get to a game as well as networking with the top sports writers, reporters and broadcasters. Sidelines, locker room, courtside, player interviews, how much better does it get? By starting out as an intern for a local or national media outlet, you will come face to face with the big names in the industry, which can lead to more opportunities. Of course, it’s not easy because everyone wants to do this, but by offering your services, this could be your golden ticket to the big leagues for your career in the sports world. Offer to hold a camera, do player interviews, write a column for the local paper or top sports blog. Contact your local media outlets first to see if they could use help, then the Media Relations director for the team is the best way to accomplish this.

Do Your Research and Become an Expert

The Internet is gods gift to a true sports fan. Every league, sport, player and team have numerous blogs dedicated to the latest news, gossip and research.  My favorites are, of course, TerezOwens.com and ESPN.com. Information is power and these are the best sources to know what’s going on in the sports world.  Subscribe to Sports Illustrated, the Sports Business Journal and other top publications. On the Internet opportunities are endless. My company, AthletePromotions.com books athletes (that I grew up idolizing) for corporate appearances, speaking engagements and endorsements. I also build, market and manage the official websites for many popular sports celebrities. It’s my hobby, that turned into my dream career.

Connect with the Decision Makers in the Sports Industry

With Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, you can connect with virtually every sports fan, player or employee of a specific team. If you are looking for opportunities to reach out to team employees, LinkedIn is definitely the best way. Everyone from upper level management, ticket operations, marketing directors, the HR department and special event coordinators, you can find and reach out to key people. To start, simply send a nice email introducing your self and how you can make their lives better.

Attend Annual Conferences, Networking Events and Join Clubs

There are numerous conferences and events through out the year that bring together key decision makers in the sports world. Conferences such as the Sports Media & Technology 2011 in NYC, The National Sports Career & Networking Conference in Washington DC and the 2011 Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas are a great place to start. Many of the top industry leaders deliver keynote speeches at these events. There may be a cost, but well worth it to network with top executives.  Other cool events to make contacts include the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards show at Disney, the ESPYS in LA and all the Hall of Fame inductions. Many teams also host annual banquets to the public such as the Orlando Magic’s Black Tie and Tennis Gala that bring out everyone in the organization from top to bottom. Just remember to dress sharp and bring plenty of business cards.

- Hang Around the Hot Spots Before and After Games

If you want to meet the right people, you have to be in the middle of the action. Research the popular places around the stadiums and arena: the hotel bars, cigar lounges, top restaurants and exclusive clubs. This is where most of the agents, current and former players, and top executives hang out before and after the game. I’ve smoked cigars with Dr J, talked to Terrell Owens and bought drinks for Mark Cuban (he returned the favor as well). You can’t make things happen if you aren’t out there in the field.

Yes these things take money, but consider it an investment to your future. I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on game tickets, airfare, hotels, apparel, memorabilia, food, drinks ,etc but you will never be able to replace the memories, the connections I’ve made and knowledge gained from these experiences. These tips can be applied to getting your dream job in other industries as well. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Remember, if you love what you do for a living, you will never work a day in your life. – RT

There are plenty of websites to find talent for the services you need, and at great prices. Many sites offer a bid platform where you state the price you are willing to pay and people compete for your projects. Some of my favorites include eLance.com, Freelanced.com, Fiverr.com, LogoDesignGuru.com and MycroBurst.com. Some services are great to outsource overseas, (those that are repetitive, time consuming and can be easily taught to someone).  You can find overseas help as low as $4 per hour, but make sure they provide you updates so they know your expectations from the beginning. Other services such as content writing are best to hire local or within the US so there are no language barriers.  Many business owners feel comfortable meeting and getting to know the people you are forming a working relationship with.  With the web, it’s very easy to see a person’s credibility, experience and skill set before hiring them.

If you are great at visualizing ideas and putting the pieces together, having a good team to outsource the rest will be priceless.  Over the years, I’ve been through numerous website developers, but finally found a group that knows my style and what I’m looking for, without wasting my time and money.  Sometimes it’s great to accept what you know and let other do what they do best. You will be much happier focusing on your passion and letting others focus on theirs. – RT

Personally, I would rather invest in myself, my businesses and my work ethic, all of which you have some control of what’s going on. Many investors, entrepreneurs and business owners often overlook this option. Your business is something you can grow, generate revenue and maybe eventually sell. If your business is your passion and something you truly believe in, you gotta go all in and don’t hold back.

In our era, digital property and Internet real estate can make you thousands of dollars more than any other investment. It’s exciting to meet with niche business owners, hear their story and give my two cents. Most are already successful, but have even touched the surface of what the web can do for them. Once you teach them how to propel their business on the web, a whole new world of investment opportunities cultivate.

Many people just strategize how to target local business, but you have to think global. Even if you don’t have a physical presence in an out of town market, you can easily have a web presence there. And if you don’t want to handle business out of you market, why not find someone who does, refer it out and take a cut. If you already have a website, see an expert about how to make it better. Your website is what you stand for. Here is my best advice on where to invest your money:

1) Invest in a keyword-rich domain name telling your customers exactly what you do. Recently I’ve helped my friends buy SportsPhotographer.net, HollywoodStuntCoordinator.com and GolfInstructors.org. By the sound of each domain name, there is no doubt what each business does. This will easily help Google figure that out as well. Wink, wink…Most good “keyword rich” domains are already purchased, but it’s worth the initial investment to go and make an offer.

2) Constantly build more content for your website. Hire a good content writer to create quality articles about your business. Maybe even hire a full time blogger to produce fresh articles everyday. You have to give your customers (and Google) new web content on a regular basis. Remember, content is king, and this won’t change!

3) Create a fresh new look for your company. Many business owners think just because they built a site 5 years ago, their work is done. How about your logo? Does it still resembled what you stand for? As years go by, you line of business will probably change as well. Spend the money to hire a good designer and web developer to freshen up your look. On the web, perception is reality!

4) Find creative ways to market your site. Having an SEO expert on your team is probably the most important part of this equation. If you have the best looking site and nobody finds it, what good is it? Be smart and put some money into building one way links to your site and hiring a reputable PR / web marketing firm to consult on things you aren’t an expert on.

Just my opinions based on past experience, these four tips may be the best investments you will ever make for your web business.

During the 2010 Orlando Magic season, I created the StayDwight campaign, to help convince Dwight to stay in Orlando and eventually retire in a Magic uniform. During the playoffs against the Hawks, I decided to dress up two of my friends in Gorilla suits with StayDwight shirts on and sit them in the 2^nd row. People thought it was nuts, but they were the biggest attraction that night at the Amway Center. Magic fans were taking pictures with them and even Hawks forward, Josh Smith was 0-7 from the free throw line in the first quarter because my gorilla’s were jumping up and down behind the basket, providing a little distraction. It was truly Guerrilla marketing at it’s finest.

But that was just the beginning. A few weeks later I received an email from Jonathan Ashton, Jeff Ashton’s son, the lead prosecutor in the Casey Anthony case. His Dad wore some crazy ties during trials and his family are huge Dwight Howard fans. He inquired about having a tie made that his Dad could wear and I did just that. A few days later, he wore it at the trial and got some TV exposure. It was one of the most popular topics trending on Twitter that day. Yes, it was controversial, but the national media seemed to talk about the fact that we was wearing this “StayDwight” necktie. It was free advertising for my StayDwight campaign, so I’m not complaining.

Although we are still awaiting Dwight’s decision next year, the campaign has been fun, got the chance to meet some great people and received some national attention on NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo!, ESPN and others.

The bottom line is that sometimes you have to take risks to have a viral effect. Your idea has to get people talking and be a little controversial. If you aren’t a little different, you are just another plain face in the crowd! – RT

The Internet is the most cost effective and creative way to brand your self. I promise you, a domains name such as “www.YourName.com” will be the best $9.99 investment you will ever make (GoDaddy.com). First have a designer create a logo that represents yourself and one that you are proud to stand behind. Besides your physical appearance, your company logo is the first impression of what you represent. Then with a creative web developer and a crafty search engine marketer, you can now easily become the expert and leader in your industry.

On your website and social media networks, give people daily or weekly tips that provide valuable advice in your industry. Once you create a following, give your site visitors’ website sharing tools such as AddThis.com to make your expertise go viral.

Here are some good examples of some young, movers & shakers who I’ve helped brand on the web: www.DanaDamato.com, www.LaurenMcKeeman.com, www.BaumannBroadcasting.com and www.MeganClementi.com

Also check out some retired athletes who I’ve helped brand themselves after their playing careers: www.SpudWebb.net, www.Fridge72.com, www.RayLankford16.com and www.DannyWhite.com

Branding yourself on the Internet can be very powerful if you follow the correct steps. Now go out and make it happen. On the web, perception is reality! – RT

You can’t always rely on making money from “advertising” on your website. Yes, you can serve Google Ads, but that’s not going to make you rich. Find a idea or current brick and mortar business, where there is a real business behind it and use the web to market it. City specific, niche businesses allow you the most creative ways to market through social media and search engines.  You can easily target your market and potential customers. So, what I’m saying is that before you decide to invest your valuable time and hard earned dollars into a new business idea, make sure you have already figured out a revenue model, or it will turn into just an expensive hobby taking up your precious time! – RT

Stay tuned to RyanTotka.com for things that I’ve had success with and implemented in my own businesses. This time we live in is the best for those self motivated and entrepreneurs. We have access to soo many tools to be successful and no better time than now, to be the best we can be. – RT