We recently connected with Carlos Romero and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Carlos thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

My desire to start a college recruitment service began many years ago but I did not act on it officially until covid hit. I found myself with more time and I began thinking of ways to get it running. I had a clear idea of the basic and I knew I was going to hit some challenges but I was willing to go for it. The main one was getting clients and connecting with Coaches. Also, feeling comfortable establishing an appropriate fee for the service. With time all these areas have evolved and continue to develop. My advice to any young entrepreneur is to not get too ahead of yourself and let the challenges come because it’s an extremely good tool for learning and adjusting.

Carlos, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Carlos Romero, born in the US to Colombian parents. I got involved in this industry due to the roots I have in the game of soccer. I played from an early age and had dreams of playing at the biggest stage but unfortunately I was not part of the small statistic that make it. I had the opportunity to play for some reserve teams and play college and all these experiences let me to feel comfortable getting into this field. I knew that the college recruitment service could impact many young athletes as I was there myself through my journey. I decided to open Arrow Athletic Group to guide student-athletes in the college process and connect them to programs looking for talent. Many athletes are not aware of how the college process works and sometimes put themselves in a tough situation if not counseled. I make it a point to go over all possible scenarios so they can make an educated decision, The most rewarding part of this job is when they have finally committed to a University and they look back and see how our guidance has allowed them to achieve their goal.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to pivot a lot in this industry during the process of creating partnerships or associations with other entities to acquire athletes. It is somewhat disappointing when clubs say they want to help their athletes yet they ask for outrageous commissions that sometimes make it almost impossible for a client to consider the service we provide. This is a challenge I am still navigating through but my advice is to follow your gut, if you feel it is not good for your brand or the client it’s better to step away from that partnership and go elsewhere. Helps me sleep better at night too.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Providing a good service has been key to growing my client base. I hardly rely on marketing or social media. Everything to this point has been word of mouth and it has proven the value in being genuine and caring in the service provided.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arrowathleticgroup.com
• Instagram: @arrow.ag
• Youtube: @arrowathletes