Athlete NIL Interviews: Lauren Cummings
Could you share some of the NIL opportunities or partnerships you've been involved in?
I have had the opportunity to collaborate and partner with over 12 businesses ranging from health snacks, supplements, local restaurants (Montana and Long Beach, CA), apparel companies, sports accessories, personal care products, ebikes and a planner company. Most of my partnerships have a cash compensation along with free products, merchandise discounts and promo codes which allow me to further earn commission in exchange for social media content and promotion. One of my long term partnerships is with Legends Sports Bar here in Long Beach. Legends is the First Modern Sports Bar in America. The owner’s grandfather was the first president at Long State University in 1949. I look forward to continuing to build upon this partnership for the next four years as it is a great connection to the community, University and sports.
How did you identify and negotiate these opportunities?
I started by reaching out directly to companies that I use, companies that could help with my basic needs (food, apparel, personal care products etc) and businesses that I think would share similar values and interests. I like to do my homework on a company and find a way to make a connection. Some deals take a long time to close and others send products and money the next day. I have an NIL agent, Tariq Ahmed, (Sports Court Consulting) who helps secure and source some of my deals while ensuring that any of my deals, collaborations, partnerships and contracts are within NCAA compliance. I have a social media NIL mentor (Chris White, Athlete Mentor Academy) who advises me and assists me in reaching out to businesses, building my brand and creating content. One of my first deals was with a Transportation Company. I knew that my 2006 Ford Ranger with oversized tires would be tough to drive 1200 miles from Montana to Long Beach. After some research I found J and S Transportation in my hometown. I walked in, asked to meet with the owner, introduced myself and gave him a pitch with some examples of what he could expect from a partnership. He was a former D1 wrestler and scheduled my truck to be delivered to Long Beach right there on the spot.
How has NIL impacted your daily life and responsibilities as a student-athlete?
It has been a fun learning experience and a new challenge. It's been a little crazy at times but I try to keep the focus on School first, Basketball and then my NIL partnerships. I have all the stress and responsibilities of a full time college student with a full class load. Add in the dedication and time required to be a college athlete with practice, weight training and conditioning 4 hours a day at least 6 days per week. Maintaining good grades (4.0), homework, working out on my own in the evenings to stay sharp, and scheduling meetings makes for a busy week. I try to find time to surf for a couple of hours at least once a week to just get away from it all and relax. Each week I try to outline and organize my week with what I need to post, who I need to follow up with and brainstorm a few other opportunities. It’s pretty cool the relationships and connections that I have made through this process. Being over 1200 miles from home can be a little lonely. Thanks to my NIL deals I now have people checking in with me, asking about school and basketball weekly, all while giving me advice and support which has made this year pretty awesome. I recently partnered with Win the Day Planner and shared an inside look of my day to day schedules, habits and life.
Are there educational programs/tools/events that have helped you better understand the rules and opportunities related to NIL?
I work directly with my agent Tariq Ahmad at Sports Court Consulting. He helps explain a lot of the rules and policies as well as opening up a lot of opportunities for me too. Tariq has been awesome and I am learning a lot from him. Chris White, Athlete Mentor Academy helped kick start me in the right direction and helped me create my own brand and goals. There is a lot of great free NIL content out there as well. Sam Green is the Queen of content creation, Kristi Dosh, Leah Clapper and NIL Island have a ton of free info and examples on their site. I also subscribe to several NIL newsletters to keep up to date on the latest news and trends. A few great ones are The NIL Report, Sports Court NIL Newsletter and of course NIL Newsstand.
How do you utilize social media platforms to build your personal brand and engage with your audience? Can you share examples of successful social media campaigns or content that helped promote your brand?
I use Instagram, TikTok and Twitter to engage with my audience. I also have built a website to help brands learn more about who I am and my values. This allows me to give them a unique perspective of the type of person that they are partnering with. My website also allows me to help educate businesses on what they can get out of an NIL deal as well as examples of the work that I have done. I recently worked with Dude Wipes, which most people might associate with a male personal care products. I created a fun reel promoting their Dude Shower wipes and bridging the connection that it’s not just for Dudes. I created the skit with inspiration from the “tattoo scene” in the movie Dude Where's My Car? My Trace Minerals collaboration featured a Fortnite video game style theme that helped connect a different audience to their brand. I love the challenge of finding unique ways to connect products to myself, athletes, females and college students. I figure if a business is going to pay me I want them to feel like they got more than their money's worth. And yes I play Fortnite and I am pretty good too!
How have your NIL activities influenced your relationship with fans and supporters?
My NIL activities have built another connection outside of just the game. It’s crazy how many people around campus in my classes and on other teams reach out and ask about how they can get started, comment on my deals or just connect with me in ways that would not have been available if I was not working with some of these brands. I collaborated with Hammer Nutrition out of Whitefish, Montana and during this process, I learned that the owner, Brian Frank actually grew up in Long Beach and played water polo. Crazy that we both share a connection to the LBC and Montana.
What advice would you give to other student-athletes seeking to explore NIL opportunities?
I think the best advice is to keep it simple. Look at connections that you have, products that you use and some basic needs. I encourage any athlete, in any division and at any size of school to get on board. Lots of small businesses and local brands are willing to support this type of collaboration. There are a lot of athletes at smaller schools and even at the Division 3 level leveraging their NIL to make money. Everyone sees the big name college athletes making a lot of money, football players and top recruits but there is an opportunity for everyone. You don’t need to be a top recruit, have millions of followers or attend a big school with an NIL collective to make it work. My sister Allie Cummings is a sophomore at NCAA D2 Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and just approached the local Point Loma Restore Hyper Wellness store and negotiated a partnership that includes free Cryotherapy treatment, Compression treatment, and other services along with free passes for her to give out, a promo code for referrals along with compensation too. I am currently working on trying to partner with a local automotive shop in order to help with the burden of owning a used vehicle. Oil changes, service work, tire rotations cost money and if I can help promote a local business and receive discounts on repairs it’s a win win. All the little things add up and some of the daily needs actually make more sense in the long run. Free or discounted gas, daily essentials and seven different restaurants to eat at each week would be better than one pair of custom sneakers per year.
Is there a college athlete whose approach to NIL you admire? If yes, who and why?
I think Jack Betts is an inspiration and a grinder. He is the King of D3 NIL for a reason. He built his brand without the spotlight of a big name university, National rankings or a huge social media following. “If you don’t know Jack” his story is a great place to start looking for inspiration.
How has engaging in NIL activities contributed to your personal and professional growth? Have you discovered new interests or skills through NIL opportunities?
I am a Business major, learning to market myself and I am really starting to enjoy it. At first it was hard to break out of my shell. I have always let my performance on the court speak for itself, but now I am finding myself reaching out, making great connections and working with brand managers on collaboration ideas weekly. I am already in contact with some amazing people who own successful companies and in direct contact with several heads of marketing for large national brands. I am learning from these people and they are sharing their business experience with me. They are fans of not just my game but also rooting for me to succeed beyond the game. I think that I am realizing that this journey is going to lead to something great and not knowing the outcome and what the future holds is the most exciting part. My goal was to have one NIL deal before the start of my season and here I am with over 12 deals, figuring out taxes, investments and educating others on the process. It’s pretty wild!
How do you envision your career evolving after college?
My goal is to play the game as long as I can and have the opportunity to play overseas professionally after college. I know that I can build upon these life skills, entrepreneurship lessons, financial management, and marketing to enhance my business management degree after college. I am already gaining experience in business communication, networking and experience in the industry before graduating. I hope that many of my business connections will help me find a path toward a career choice and create opportunities after college and when I am no longer playing basketball. Ideally, I would like to invest and grow not only my money but also the relationships that I am building along the way. During my recruiting process I learned that the larger your network becomes the more opportunities that you have available. I think the same will apply in my future business endeavors. I am building a great network of people around me and the best is yet to come.
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