My sports media career started with my internship at iHeartMedia my last year of college. Being the workaholic that I am, I would bounce around the office and try to learn every angle of the company while getting to know each employee. I was known for my sociability so much that I coined the nickname, Facey. When I had free time from my marketing and promotional responsibilities, I would voluntarily shadow a sales rep or operate the board during a broadcast. The new programming director acknowledged my work and asked me to talk on-air with him. Our show was such a hit that it became a weekly segment called “Facey Fridays” for the remainder of my internship.
This experience opened many doors for me. My mentors and advisors suggested I gain as much sports broadcasting experience that I can and even set up some positions including: Media Relations for the PGA Memorial Tournament, Social Media Intern for a startup called SickSports, network assistant for ESPN, CNN and Big Ten Network for all Ohio State football games, Cleveland Indians entertainment host, etc.
I quickly learned the importance of not only on-camera work but also behind-camera. I contributed to the athletic department of local colleges as well as my alma mater, Miami University, to write, shoot, produce, interview/report and edit my own content embracing the “grunt work” as the greatest opportunity to develop a strong skill set.
My work quickly grabbed the attention of a Dallas production team with their own entertainment show on CBS in the top 5 market. Their first season was so successful that the team was able to get amazing jobs once the season ended. CBS asked the director and showrunner for a second season who turned to me for a position as a lead host. In addition to hosting the show and interviewing celebrities, I applied my marketing experience to fuel the business operations. I utilized the viewer data to build pitch proposals for sponsors and advertisers as well as managed our website to push our episodes on a national scale.
This industry is a hustle! I still have a long way to go but I know hard work pays off. I have met the most inspiring individuals and covered some incredibly motivating stories that truly make my work rewarding. What can I say? I love to be Facey 🙂
Stephanie Otey 