“Always be grateful.”Sage advice from my Dad, very fitting to the career I've been blessed to lead so far.Early on, I candidly fell into irreplicable opportunities to try my hand at direct, digital, retail and event marketing alongside ATL advertising, brand campaigns, PR, promotions and CSR programs. I didn’t know it at the time, but these varied experiences laid a perfect, fully integrated foundation. All the while, learning from mentors, peers and partners at several of the most well-regarded agencies on some of the biggest brands.Turning passion into profession may not be for everyone, but consciously pursuing sports marketing as a next step sure worked out for me. First, by activating numerous NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA corporate sponsorships and athlete endorsements. Next, as an entrepreneur and co-owner at the pioneering soccer marketing agency in America with a focus on strategy, concept development, plan architecture, digital content and social media audiences.Looking back on countless professional home runs hit, touchdowns danced, buzzer-beaters made and epic goals scored, I'm not sure where I'd be without shooting my shot.Which all leads to now, privileged to be part of a leadership team at For Soccer - the preeminent soccer marketing, media and experiences company in North America. My focus today is on owned properties, emerging business and soccer's growth communities, blending the marketing principles I’ve picked up along the way with technology platforms and machine learning to harness, quickly analyze, identify insights and act upon vast amounts of customer data.So yes Dad, you nailed it. Here's to many more years ahead in the marketing game and even more reasons to be grateful that follow.