web02.fireside.fm Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:17:57 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Drawing the Blueprint - Episodes Tagged with “Sports Marketing” https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/tags/sports%20marketing Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500 Hosted by Blueprint CEO & Co-Founder Ben Firestone, Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. From industry pros, Blueprint insiders, and legends from completely different arenas, each episode explores career origin stories and dives deep into the guests’ journey, uncovering how dynamic people grow, lead, and build. Fun, provocative, and always conversational, Ben brings curiosity (and his signature “Fire’s Hot Seat”) to every guest. Whether you’re an insider hungry for insights, an emerging professional looking for mentorship, or simply a culture-curious listener who loves entrepreneurial stories, this is your front-row seat to the mindsets and moments that shape success. Find Ben and the Blueprint Crew on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drawingtheblueprint. en-us episodic Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. Ben Firestone Hosted by Blueprint CEO & Co-Founder Ben Firestone, Drawing the Blueprint brings you raw access to the movers and shakers in healthcare real estate and beyond. From industry pros, Blueprint insiders, and legends from completely different arenas, each episode explores career origin stories and dives deep into the guests’ journey, uncovering how dynamic people grow, lead, and build. Fun, provocative, and always conversational, Ben brings curiosity (and his signature “Fire’s Hot Seat”) to every guest. Whether you’re an insider hungry for insights, an emerging professional looking for mentorship, or simply a culture-curious listener who loves entrepreneurial stories, this is your front-row seat to the mindsets and moments that shape success. Find Ben and the Blueprint Crew on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@drawingtheblueprint. no Ben Firestone drawingtheblueprintpodcast@gmail.com Episode 9: From Student-Athlete to NIL Trailblazer: Jared Wangler on Building Champions Circle at Michigan https://drawingtheblueprint.fireside.fm/9 9465d81c-d3f7-4902-bb02-426f71415a0c Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0500 Ben Firestone full Ben Firestone In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective. 54:30 no In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective. Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision. In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes. Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics. Links & Resources: Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/ Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/ University of Michigan, Football, Sports Marketing, NIL In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective.

Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision.

In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes.

Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics.

Links & Resources:
Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/
Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/

]]> In this episode of Drawing the Blueprint, host and Michigan alum Ben Firestone sits down with Jared Wangler, a former University of Michigan student-athlete turned leader in the NIL space. Jared played football at Michigan from 2014–2018 before shifting his focus to the business side of sports, where he now leads Valiant Management and Champions Circle, the university’s NIL collective.

Jared traces his early entrepreneurial instincts back to 2016, when he began working in apparel with a focus on tailgating gear. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to intern at a sports agency, gaining hands-on experience in recruiting and marketing while learning the endorsement and business side of athletics. That experience ultimately sparked a bigger vision.

In 2021, Jared returned to Ann Arbor to launch a sports marketing agency centered on creating commercial opportunities for student-athletes — from putting their names on jerseys to securing local advertising partnerships around campus. That momentum set the stage for Michigan’s leadership in NIL, culminating in the launch of Champions Circle in the spring of 2022. Since then, the collective has facilitated more than $45 million in deals across all 29 varsity sports, solidifying Michigan as a first mover in brand endorsements for student-athletes.

Jared’s story highlights how passion, community, and innovation can come together to create lasting impact in college athletics.

Links & Resources:
Check out Champions Circle here: https://www.championscircleuofm.com/
Jared Wangler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-wangler-b9a5a7113/

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