CELEBRATING 10 YEARS - A FOUNDER’S INTERVIEW

Q&A with Chellee Siewert, president and founder of Capture Sports Marketing

My name is Katie Koeppel and I’m the marketing and public relations manager here at Capture Sports Marketing. 

When I started earlier this year, I was drawn to the missions of our clients - cancer, youth sports, and encouraging education just to name a few. After interviewing and working with the team for the past few months, I’ve learned that just like we talk about the athlete behind the uniform, there are stories behind the people and the milestones of Capture too.

As Capture celebrates its 10-year anniversary this month, many might know some of the great milestones we hit, but like me, there might be many things you don’t know! I thought this would be a great opportunity to sit down with owner Chellee Siewert to learn more about the history of Capture and share a peek behind the scenes. Throughout the next year, we will feature some of the great milestones, memories and insights from the past 10 years. 

How has Capture evolved over the past 10 years, especially through the pandemic?

Chellee: My original business plan was to focus more on corporate philanthropy. As I was introduced to athletes, my team and I decided to shift focus from corporate philanthropy to sports philanthropy. Capture Marketing & Events became Capture Sports Marketing.

Now, it’s almost like we’ve come full circle. We have done a lot of campaigns that tie athletes’ causes and companies together and we’re having more corporations reach out to us to create cause marketing campaigns with athlete ambassadors.  

The pandemic gave us a lot more opportunity to do these kinds of campaigns since our focus shifted away from events, and athletes had more time and desire to help others. We became strategic advisors for those who wanted to establish a Foundation. 

Was there a particular moment that you knew you should shift your focus to the sports industry?

Chellee: The team, along with myself, played and watched sports growing up.

I started to think about shifting focus after seeing first-hand the difference professional athletes, teams and coaches can make when they use their platforms to do good.

I had the opportunity to introduce Aaron Rodgers to a young boy, Jack, who was in the midst of cancer treatment. So often we see the kids’ reactions to meeting their favorite athlete. That day, however, I saw how impacted Aaron was. I knew at that moment what niche my company would fill.

What advice do you have for someone looking to be an entrepreneur?

Chellee: Not only is it important to work hard and build relationships, but it’s important to build a good support network around you and not be afraid to take risks. I come from an entrepreneurial family. Both my grandfather and grandmother owned businesses. Growing up with a grandmother who owned her own company in a time where women entrepreneurship was just getting started gave me the confidence I needed to establish my firm.

Who has been a role model for you over the past 10 years to help you evolve Capture to where it is today?

Chellee: My grandmother, who as I mentioned owned her own business, is my biggest role model. She always told me that I could figure out anything I needed to. She’s 97 years old now and we still talk about business!

What’s been your favorite moment whilst working in sports?

Chellee: I’ve experienced so many impactful moments that it is hard to choose just one… Aaron Rodgers staying in touch with Jack for years after they met... Planning the JJ Watt’s Charity Classic Softball game that had nearly 30,000 attendees and raised $1.6 million... Coordinating an emotional interview between Drew Brees and a young boy with cancer... Being able to launch the Starr Children’s Fund with Bart and Cherry Starr, just to name a few.

Love watching the impact these athletes make in the community, but I also love seeing the impact that is made on the lives of each of these athletes themselves too.

In your area of work, what is something you feel most people don’t talk about enough or focus on enough?

Chellee: I’d like to see mental health discussed within sports, both for athletes and individuals working in sports. The demands that come with working in sports are hard and we need to remember to prioritize our mental health as much as our physical health. I’m thankful to see athletes beginning to speak out about it which is helping to end the stigma. Last year, our team created our own campaign called End Stigma. Change Lives. to raise awareness and funds for mental health.

What is it like running a women owned business in a predominately male dominated industry?

Chellee: I knew going into it there would be challenges. I just choose to focus on what I can control. The athletes we work with though are so respectful. Once you build a relationship with someone, it breaks down most gender barriers. If you do a good job, regardless of your gender, your company will grow. And when you see success, I’ve learned to share that success with others. Building a network of women entrepreneurs and other women within the sports industry to encourage and support each other has also been extremely helpful.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to work in the sports industry?

Chellee: Working in the sports industry is often sensationalized with visions of working with athletes. The majority of people working in sports do not interact with the athletes. However, if you do, remember that athletes are also humans just like you and me.  

It takes long hours and hard work to get where you might dream to be. You have to be open to any opportunity because you never know where it might take you.

Of all the causes that you and your team have supported over the past 10 years, do you have a cause that is closest to your heart and why?

Chellee: They’re all so important and special to me in their own way, but cancer has touched so many people in my life. The causes that are closest to my heart are the ones that are most authentic to me – something my friends or family or myself have had to deal with.

What do you think is next for your industry?

Chellee: I see social impact becoming more and more a part of athletes’ brands—just like how we are seeing it become part of big companies’ brands. The public expects it. As athletes have more options to build their brands through social media and streaming platforms, I expect them to continue to create their own content.