263. Hawi Keflezighi, Founder & CEO of HAWI Management

"I was nervous. But it was the kind of nervousness that really drove me to work as hard as possible, be as persistent as possible, and as thorough as possible."

Hawi Keflezighi is one of the greatest agents in running and track and field. As the founder and CEO of HAWI Management, Hawi and his team represent 30 athletes including Alexi Pappas, Nikki Hiltz, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and, of course, Hawi's brother, Meb Keflezighi. On this episode, Hawi talks about how — and why — he started his agency when he was still in law school, and explains what, exactly, agents do. He talks about being one of 11 siblings, and shares his family's story of emigrating from Eritrea to the United States. Hawi, who lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two kids, talks about what the American Dream means to him, and talks about why integrity is so important to him. There's a reason the Keflezighis are some of the best-loved people in sports, and this conversation is a perfect example of that.

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What you'll get on this episode:

• How Hawi became an agent (5:00)
• What exactly does an agent do? (14:10)
• What it means to Hawi to lead with integrity (16:40)
• What's the vibe among running agents like? (25:00)
• Hawi reflects on the biggest days for his athletes (27:00)
• On navigating floods of athlete media requests (41:00)
• Reflecting on Aliphine Tuliamuk's win at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials, and what race day looks like from an agent's perspective (48:00)
• What does the idea of the American Dream mean to Hawi? (53:00)

What we mention on this episode:

Ali on the Run Show LIVE! Featuring Meb Keflezighi, Andrea Barber, Chris Heuisler, and Des Linden

LIVE at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with Carrie Tollefson, Meb Keflezighi, & UCAN

You Can Run a Marathon with Meb Keflezighi

Follow Hawi:

• Instagram @hawimanagement
• Twitter @hawisports

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• Instagram @aliontherun1
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• Twitter @aliontherun1
• Support on Patreon
• Blog
• Strava

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