How a Community Meetup Became a $1M Business Network w/ Justin Titchenell

Have you ever left a networking event thinking, "That was three hours I will never get back"? Justin Titchenell co-founded Sports Business Leaders, a community that started as a few virtual calls but has since generated over $1 million in business opportunities. In this episode, he breaks down what separates a connection worth making from a wasted introduction, what young founders underestimate early on, and what you should do instead of pitching. Topics discussed: (00:00) Introduction (01:34) Entrepreneurial beginnings (04:27) What Sports Business Leaders does today (07:09) What college football taught him about the details (09:52) What makes a connection valuable (13:24) Growing from five people to a packed brewery (16:27) Curated private events and the SBL VIP group (19:22) Relationships over transactions (21:16) The biggest trends in sports business right now (23:19) Where AI gets overused in business (26:49) Why patience is the real lesson (29:37) What brought you JOY today? If you're a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial's  Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/ Resources: Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready? Take the College Readiness Quiz for Parents: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/college-readiness-quiz/ Doing your taxes might not be enJOYable but being more organized can make the process less painful. Get Your Gathering Your Tax Documents Checklist: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mitlin_ChecklistForGatheringYourTaxDocuments_Form_062424_v2.pdf Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision? Take the Retirement Ready Quiz: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/retirement-planning-quiz/ Connect with Larry Sprung: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung About Our Guest: Justin Titchenell is the Co-Founder of Sports Business Leaders (SBL), a sports business company focused on helping companies connect with teams, leagues, and sports properties through events, media, and strategic introductions. Since launching in 2024, SBL has hosted more than 70 events across 12 cities, built a network of nearly 200 paid members, and helped generate over $1 million in business opportunities for partners and members. Justin has also served as a Sales Executive at BVTLive!, where he has generated more than $6 million in revenue while working with over 3,000 clients. Previously, he founded CoachTools, a football analytics platform that supported 40 high school and college programs and more than 5,000 athletes nationwide. Connect with Justin Titchenell: Website: https://www.sportsbusinessleaders.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sportsbusinessleaders/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/just