Lee Feinswog and Ed Chan: 'And that's how we became publishing magnates'

Lee Feinswog and Ed Chan: 'And that's how we became publishing magnates'

It took a matter of weeks for Lee Feinswog to rebound from being laid off. Not a month had gone by from the moment he received a call from the higher-ups at Turner, for whom he freelanced to write college volleyball stories on NCAA.com, when he began scrolling through his phone, idea and contact in hand.

His passion for writing about the sport came as a surprise, even to him. Here was a guy who had covered LSU basketball in the Shaq days, who had written about the highest levels of the NBA, MLB, who ran in circles with some of the best writers in the country – and he was smitten by college volleyball. It’s possible that it was the novelty of it, at the time. He had watched his first men’s match only a year before, a semifinal of the NCAA Championship where, as fate would have it, he sat next to Hugh McCutcheon, then the head coach of the women’s national team and one of the most brilliant minds in the game.

“I learned more that day than you could possibly imagine,” Feinswog said on SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter. A few days later, he found himself in Anaheim, watching the women’s team practice at the invitation of McCutcheon.

But Turner, which owned NCAA.com, was bleeding money, and the first to go were the freelancers, including Feinswog. McCutcheon, though, wasn’t the only contact Feinswog had made at that semifinal. He had also exchanged contact information with the editor at Volleyball Magazine, Aubrey Everett.

“All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wait, I sat next to the editor of Volleyball Magazine,’” Feinswog recalled. “I sent her a note and said ‘I’m a free agent, can you use me?’

“You guys have never seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but it’s kinda like where he goes, ‘Well, considering I’m desperate and you’re exactly what I need…’ so I picked up with the magazine and wrote for them for four, five six years as a freelance writer.”

Despite holding what was basically a monopoly over volleyball coverage, the magazine wasn’t immune to the downsizing of the journalism industry as a whole. The print edition was shrinking, circulation was down, the website was limited.

Simply put: It wasn’t going to last long.

Feinswog knew this, as did Ed Chan, who had subscribed to the magazine for more than 40 years and had been one of its most reliable freelance photographers. They agreed that, when the magazine hit a certain threshold of pain, it would be willing to sell.

They’d be the ones to buy it.

“It got to that point,” Chan said. “So I asked if they were interested in selling, and they said yes.”

It was the simplest of business negotiations, almost to comical levels. Feinswog was driving down I-10 in Houston. Chan called and said “We can buy volleyball magazine, you want to buy it?”

“Ok, sure.”

“That was it,” Feinswog said, laughing. “That was our business negotiation. And that’s how we became publishing magnates.”

He says this jokingly, but on a relative scale, Volleyball Magazine – since renamed VolleyballMag.com in Feinswog’s and Chan’s ownership of the publication – is without a doubt the most reliable and regular source of news coverage on all things volleyball, be it beach, indoors or otherwise.

Their goal was to become the daily digital news source of volleyball, which is exactly what has happened. They cover college women. They cover college men. They cover the pros, to the point that Feinswog watched every single match during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Not just every American match.

Every match.

“And then I was like, ‘Wait, now college is about to start?’” he said.

They have covered the AVP and the NVL and the World Series of Beach Volleyball and p1440 and CBVA and every other iteration of professional volleyball there has been on the beach. They have covered the college game.

And while competitor sites such as Volleymob and FloVolley have either shrunk or folded, VolleyballMag has grown and expanded at an impressive, if not staggering, clip. The number of stories that are read through organic Google searches has exploded by 800 percent in the four years they’ve owned it. They’ve hired freelancers to cover whatever the two of them cannot, expanding to juniors and even to Brazil. It was Feinswog who named the very podcast on which he told this story.

Yes, SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter was as much Feinswog’s creation as it was Bourne’s and Mewhirter’s.

Now a new chapter of VolleyballMag.com begins, as the magazine – “magazine” used loosely here, since there is no longer a print edition – has been acquired by p1440, equipping them with the resources they’ve long needed but haven’t possessed.

“It’s amazing really,” Chan said. “It’s kind of like making the transformation from being a garage band to getting a recording contract. We had all these ideas. We wanted to expand to juniors. We wanted to expand to Brazil. Normally we would be ‘OK, how are we going to pay for this? Who are we going to get to buy into this? How are we going to promote it?’ With p1440, if they see it as a viable idea, they greenlight it and we go with it.”

“There is a vision,” Feinswog added. “There is an expectation of greatness on a tremendous scale. All I can tell you is you’re going to see more amazing things not just on VolleyballMag.com but from p1440.”

Episoder(500)

Grant O'Gorman and Ben Saxton, pushing for Tokyo and Men's Health Awareness

Grant O'Gorman and Ben Saxton, pushing for Tokyo and Men's Health Awareness

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Canadians Grant O'Gorman and Ben Saxton, who are the second-ranked Canadian team in the race for Tokyo 2021.  More than pushing for Tokyo, however, they -- and especially O'Gorman -- are pushing for men's health awareness, as O'Gorman was diagnosed with, and beat, testicular cancer.  On this episode, we cover: - O'Gorman discovering his testicular cancer, beginning in Hamburg, Germany, at the World Champs - How the coronavirus may have actually saved his life - How O'Gorman and Saxton became partners, and O'Gorman's brief stint living in a van  - Saxton's new mindset of not focusing on the Olympics, but simply trying to be the best he can be, every year - The upcoming King of the Court event, the first time either has competed in the format - The rise of Canadian volleyball, particularly the women's side This episode, of course, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, the best balls in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off! SHOOTS!

9 Sep 202040min

From garbage to a coaching the best: How LT Treumann established a beach volleyball empire

From garbage to a coaching the best: How LT Treumann established a beach volleyball empire

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with Livingstone "LT" Treumann, who has established one of the best unofficial beach volleyball training centers in the United States.  On this episode, we cover: - Treumann's days growing up in Brazil, and how a white lie turned into a career in volleyball - Training with the best in the world, including Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego, as a teenager in Brazil - His decision to pursue a career in the garbage business over moving to Santa Monica - Getting back into coaching beach volleyball - How he helped Bill Kolinske and Eric Beranek to a career-high third place finish at the 2019 Manhattan Beach Open - How he established third street in Hermosa Beach as the training grounds for some of the best players in the country - What he's currently doing in Florida with Beranek and Andy Benesh for the next three months This episode, per usual, is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball, who makes the best balls in the game. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 percent off all purchases!

2 Sep 202054min

Pressure is a privilege for Adrian Carambula

Pressure is a privilege for Adrian Carambula

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter features Adrian Carambula. Nicknamed Mr. Skyball for his towering, spinning serve, Carambula is one of the best players in Italy and in the race to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics with Enrico Rossi.  On this episode, we cover: - Carambula's move from Uruguay to the United States, and how he discovered volleyball on the shores of South Beach, Miami.  - His rise up the ranks in beach volleyball in the U.S., and how he began utilizing a creative, never-before-seen playing style - His tryout with the Italian Federation - The long list of adversity he had to overcome to convince the Italian Federation to give him a shot at playing with Alex Ranghieri - His breakthrough tournament in Porec, Croatia, where he and Ranghieri would take bronze, putting to rest all of the doubts the Federation had about him - Finding his new partner, Enrico Rossi, and where his career is headed from here.  Thanks as always for listening to SANDCAST! This episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball ! Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off all Wilson products.  Tri and I would love it if you guys ordered a copy of our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, which is filled with lessons from the pros on this podcast.  SHOOTS!

26 Aug 20201h 17min

Traci Callahan has 'quit quitting'

Traci Callahan has 'quit quitting'

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, features Traci Callahan, who has been competing on the AVP Tour since 2010, with a brief break in the 2015-2017 seasons.  We talk a lot about that break, as well as: - A journey down the Camino de Santiago, and how it inspired her to get back into beach volleyball - Her time as a coach, yoga instructor, bee farmer, organic farmer, and others in between her stints as a professional beach volleyball player - Why she got back into beach volleyball - The struggles of returning to the sport, which included switching positions, not being able to find a partner, and, you know, Covid - Her newfound dedication to the sport, and what it has taken to get back to the top level As always, this episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off! We would LOVE it, if you checked out our book, Volleyball for Milkshakes! If you like the show, we know you'd love the book, which is packed with some of the best lessons from our guests on the show.  Thanks as always for listening.  SHOOTS!

19 Aug 202059min

Wilco Nijland, King of the Court creator, beach volleyball's ultimate innovator

Wilco Nijland, King of the Court creator, beach volleyball's ultimate innovator

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, is with Wilco Nijland, the CEO of SportWorx, based in Utretcht, Netherlands, and the creator of the wildly popular King of the Court Series. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss: - How Wilco was able, despite all the Covid precautions, to hold a King of the Court - Innovative ideas in the sport of beach volleyball, such as having the first serve of the Dutch Tour in 2020 coincide with the sunrise -- at 5:24 a.m. on July 1, the first day professional sport was allowed - The high-speed format for King of the Court, and how it has attracted a much-sought after demographic: The 18-34 year olds. - The relationships Nijland has been able to build with the FIVB and AVP, working alongside both in the past three years - The idea for Skyboxes -- skyboxes! -- in beach volleyball As always, this episode is brought to you by our good friends at Wilson Volleyball. Use our discount code, Sandcast-20, to get 20 percent off all Wilson products!  And, of course, make sure to check out our new book, Volleyball for Milkshakes, which you can get on Amazon!

12 Aug 202058min

Tri Bourne has leveled up, winning his first AVP title in five years

Tri Bourne has leveled up, winning his first AVP title in five years

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, we bring on host Tri Bourne, who just won his first AVP tournament in five years!  Since launching this podcast, Bourne has battled -- is still battling -- an autoimmune disease, enrolled in acting classes, hosting classes, improv classes, begun reading books regularly, authored a book of his own, and is back in the winners circle on the AVP Tour.  He speaks a lot on leveling up on this show. He certainly has himself.  On this episode, we discuss: - The AVP Champions Cup Series, from week one to week three, culminating in his win - Trevor Crabb hilariously guaranteeing a win at the Porsche Cup, for no explicable reason - Reminiscing to when Bourne was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, when he had to have the conversation if he was ever going to play again - Bouncing back from a brutal first set loss to Chaim Schalk and Chase Budinger - What the next few weeks will look like for Bourne and Crabb Thanks, as always, for listening to the show. Be sure to give a shout to our sponsor, Wilson Volleyball, for making the show happen! Use our discount code, Sandcast-20 to get 20 PERCENT OFF! Also, we published a book! It's called Volleyball for Milkshakes, and we'd love it if you bought a copy, or dropped a review. Every little bit helps your favorite podcast :)

5 Aug 20201h 4min

Joe and Gage Worsley: 'Just figure out the best way to win'

Joe and Gage Worsley: 'Just figure out the best way to win'

This episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, takes a little turn off the beach and onto the grass. Two weekends ago, the legendary and annual Waupaca Boatride, known as the U.S. Open of grass volleyball, was held, and two brothers by the name of Joe and Gage Worsley took over, becoming the Cinderellas of the Boatride.  Joe, who now sets in Germany, was one of the best setters in the United States while he competed for Hawai'i. Gage still has one more season at Hawai'i as a libero, and he proved that, yes, liberos can play offense too.  On this episode of SANDCAST, we discuss - Joe and Gage's absurd, undefeated run through the best grass volleyball tournament in the world - Grabbing a drunk sub to finish their semifinals and finals after their middle, Dalton Solbrig, went down with an ankle injury - Joe and Gage's relationship, and how when they're fighting, it's actually a good thing - Joe's decision to commit to Hawai'i, before the program had returned to national prominence, over UCLA, Ohio State, and Pepperdine - Joe's difficult path to becoming one of the best setters in the country - How much fun grass volleyball is, and the creativity required As always, this episode is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. To get 20 percent off Wilson products, use our discount code, Sandcast-20 SHOOTS

29 Jul 20201h 8min

Whose stocks are up after week one of the AVP Champions Cup?

Whose stocks are up after week one of the AVP Champions Cup?

On this episode of SANDCAST: Beach volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, the hosts discuss the first of the AVP Champions Cup Series, the Monster Hydro Cup.  Bourne and his partner, Trevor Crabb, finished third in the event, which was won by Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena on the men's side, and April Ross and Alix Klineman on the women's.  In this episode, Bourne and Mewhirter discuss: - How it felt to be competing again for Bourne, who hasn't played many AVPs in the past few years.  - How the site setup in Long Beach was, and playing without fans.  - What players performed the best over the weekend, including: Skylar del Sol, Sara Hughes and Brandie Wilkerson, Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes, Dalhausser and Lucena, Traci Callahan and Crissy Jones.  - The improvement Bourne and Crabb have had on defense.  - What the rest of this three-week sprint will look like.    Thanks, as always, for listening to the show! This show is brought to you by Wilson Volleyball. To get a 20-percent discount on the best volleyball in the sport, head over to Wilson and use the code, Sandcast-20 for 20-percent off!

22 Jul 20201h 10min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
popradet
bt-dokumentar-2
forklart
stopp-verden
fotballpodden-2
aftenpodden-usa
dine-penger-pengeradet
det-store-bildet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-gukild-johaug
rss-ness
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
kommentarer-fra-aftenposten
nokon-ma-ga
e24-podden
unitedno