Business: Sports Media X
Social Media: Facebook
Jeff Demers (or "JD") is a 5 year US Army Veteran and online business owner. When he got out of the military, it was difficult to find a position that made him happy. Car sales, online education, affiliate marketing, network marketing... nothing seemed to fill the void. That is, until the day he began to build a life as a sports media member. Today, "JD" is a Sports Director, journalist, and business coach for his own brand, Sports Media X. While doing so, he created a program under the same name that teaches others how to take their passion for sports, and build a lifestyle around it.
Q: How did you originally come up with your sports media brand?
A: My journey in sports media began over a decade ago. It felt like playing football in the backyard as a kid—drawing up plays in the sand and then trying to make them work. I joined a friend's startup as "the sports guy" and agreed to build the sports media department, even though I had no experience and didn't know what I was doing.
Fast forward seven years to COVID-19, and everything stopped. I couldn't cover live events anymore, and even professional media members were stuck doing interviews from home. During this time, people kept asking me how I covered live events, got on the field, and did interviews.
Since we couldn't do much during the pandemic, I decided to document exactly how I did it and created a course. However, the founder of the media group I was part of didn't want me to share this information, fearing competition. So, I left and started my own brand.
It turned out to be a blessing. In my course, I show people how to start from scratch with no connections or prior experience. I challenged myself to do the same: start fresh with a new brand, zero approvals, and no existing network. My goal was to get back into Major League Baseball, NASCAR, and college football within a year.
By following my own framework, I achieved that in under four months, becoming a credentialed media member under my own brand.
Q: If you could go back in time and give yourself 1 piece of advice when you were starting out, what would it be?
A: Fall in love with my best friend SOONER! I was single for most of my media journey and always thought there wouldn't be anyone crazy enough to believe in my dreams and want to be in a relationship with me. Because I was relying solely on myself for motivation, I procrastinated... a lot. But now, with Marnie, I have someone who keeps me on track, motivates me, shares my vision, and is always there to support me... the list could go on for miles, honestly. Not to mention, she's a great cook and loves sports too!
If Russell Brunson and the ClickFunnels community are "1A" in my life when it comes to my success, Marnie Tisdale is "1B." The cool thing is that she knows me so well (and, because of that, knows Russell too) that she would agree with those rankings.
Q: What challenges did you face when building your sports media brand, and how did you overcome them?
A: I started as a "nobody" in the sports media world, with no formal training or connections, and I used to see that as a setback. It held me back because I wanted to be big and well-known, but I was afraid to be myself.
Then, I listened to Tony Robbins talk about NLP, and it changed my perspective. Now, I embrace being a "nobody"—I'm the one sitting ringside at UFC fights, on Media Row at the NCAA Final Four, in the press box at MLB games, and on the field at college football kickoffs. I get up close at NASCAR races, almost within reach of the cars.
Today, sports fans come to this "nobody" for advice on how to get close to their favorite events. I'm building a community of sports media "nobodies" to change the industry together!
