11. Authentic Leadership with Chief Revenue Officer Samantha Hicks

The Reno Aces are the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Reno 1868 FC is part of the United Soccer League and the USL affiliate of the MLS San Jose Earthquakes. Samantha Hicks is responsible for driving revenue streams for both properties. Bringing over 13 years’ experience in the sports industry, she currently oversees the Sponsorship and Ticket Sales departments for both clubs. She was entering her 5th season with the clubs when the COVID 19 Global Pandemic hit. She has adapted her leadership to run revenue save campaigns for both sports. Making sure Sponsors and Season Members rollover their commitment to 2021 and beyond despite the current state of the Sports Industry having zero fans in stadium. Hicks has spearheaded sales strategy centered around driving millions of dollars year over year to keep the business thriving in downtown Reno.

She is passionate about exceeding goals and helping people grow in their career.

Previously, she worked for NBA/WNBA franchises in the Indiana Pacers & Fever and the Detroit Pistons & Shock. She has been part of two WNBA Championships. Hicks spearheaded the Sellout WNBA Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in October 2012.

Samantha has lived in Northern Nevada for five years. She loves spending time with her family and visiting Lake Tahoe. When she is not behind Microsoft Teams in this remote setting you can catch her walking her Dog Duncan and attempting to cook!

Top 4 Takeaways.

1. At the start of your career, find a few people you look up to in the company and just observe them. What is their body language, how are they dressing, how do they run a meeting, and how are they interacting with people? You can learn so much just through observation.
   
2. Set goals for yourself. You don’t have to tell anyone but it’s so important that you set goals for yourself. Silent pursuance is OK, just be clear and honest with what YOU want to achieve.
   
3. Developing as a leader is a process, we learn through experience and we don’t always get it right. For Samantha, being her true, authentic self has been the key to her success. The more she has showed her staff who she is, the more they have showed her who they are and showed up better for the job.
   
4. You have to be prepared and ready for your people. It’s a sign of respect to be prepared for the meeting. Use the 15 reminder on Outlook and your phone as a tool to get into the mindset of your meeting. To be extra prepared, review your schedule the night before or in the morning so you know what you signed up for that day.
   

Keep in Touch with Samantha:

https://www.instagram.com/s_s_h3/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-hicks-15093a19/

Follow Leadership is Female at:

https://www.instagram.com/leadershipisfemale/

www.leadershipisfemale.com

Host Emily Jaenson at:

https://www.instagram.com/emilyjaenson/