We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Grubb. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It’s been a difficult road getting to a place where I could support myself just from my work. The world of sports is not only highly-competitive, but the industry doesn’t pay a lot, so you’re forced to piece together a number of different gigs. I had been making nearly six figures in the corporate world doing public relations and marketing, but I didn’t love it. I felt like I had been using my voice to tell other people’s stories, and that I wanted to speak for myself about the things I was passionate about. When I made the transition, I had to work for free or for far less than what I was worth, but I knew I had a unique style and perspective that made me stand out. I could have sped up the process by being more sure of myself earlier in my career. I opted for security over purpose. I also would have been more proactive at networking. Though I worked in the communications business for most of my life, I was never good at introducing myself to people or talking myself up.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started out as a sports reporter on television working in some very small markets right after I got out of college, but I wasn’t really fulfilled there. In 2001 I made the transition to working in public relations for political campaigns because I wanted to make a difference. Unfortunately, that path led to a bit of a dead end. Hurricane Katrina changed the direction of my life and my career. New Orleans didn’t have any public schools open and so I came back to the city to join an organization that was the first to reopen schools after the storm as Director of Communications and Community Relations. That led to a job with the state department of education and then to jobs at Southern University at New Orleans and Dillard University. My desire to work in sports was reignited because I had to take on the role of Sports Information Director at SUNO and I just loved working with the young athletes. My storytelling skills were pushed to the forefront and I had to learn about graphic design as well. I’ve had a lot of successes in helping organizations find their voices and even in rebranding.

I did a complete overhaul of the graphics and website for the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, the only conference in the NAIA comprised completely by Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I helped our student athletes in producing their materials for their post-collegiate pursuits and developed some long-lasting relationships there.

At Dillard, our communications team set records for engagement, fundraising, and helped the university get national recognition for the National Day of Giving for best social media campaign,

When I finally decided that I wanted to pursue sports full-time, my career picked up rather rapidly. In 2019 I became the first Black person to host a daily sports radio show (Hard in the Paint with David Grubb) on a major network in New Orleans, breaking a barrier that had existed for far too long.

The pandemic forced the closure of my radio station so I made the transition to podcasting, and in my first year I earned the Louisiana Sportswriters Association Award for Best Podcast.

In 2021 I made a brief return to the radio in Lafayette, La., where I broke the color barrier as well. I faced a lot of backlash because of that, with hateful emails and calls from the outside and some internal problems at the station as well.

That year, I also became one of the original staffers at MLBbro.com, a website dedicated to covering Black and brown baseball players, founded by Rob Parker. I’m an executive member of the team, overseeing social media, branding, writing, and hosting our weekly podcast.

And, I started what has now become a four-year run with ESPN+ providing color commentary to Tulane University Men’s Basketball games.

In 2023, after working for others for so long I decided to start my own company, Hard in the Paint Sports Media. I continue to produce my own podcast as well as two others. I also took over the website TheBirdWrites.com, which has been covering the New Orleans Pelicans since 2007.

I think what sets me and my programming apart is that I don’t focus on having hot takes. I love taking deep dives into stories and content that interest me, things that aren’t normally discussed on radio or television. I related sports to the greater world around us, and I treat athletes like human beings rather than assets.

I’ve also sought out diverse voices across the sports industry. I’ve helped put other aspiring sports media personalities onto platforms of their own and have been intentionally in having representation in places where it hasn’t typically been.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative person is when people see your vision as intended and it impacts them in a positive manner. I get to find new and different angles to reach people in ways they never expected and give them something to think about. The ability to possibly change the world by introducing ideas or topics is very powerful.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had known about organizations like the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) much earlier. I would have seen people like myself in the industry and would have gained greater confidence in my ability to endure the inevitable rejections and failures that come in life by knowing just how many others were sharing my experience. That’s why I stay involved with NABJ now and try to be active as a mentor.

Contact Info:

• Website: Hitpsports.com
• Instagram: @DMGrubb
• Facebook: Hard in the Paint Sports Media
• Twitter: @DMGrubb
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@HITPSports?si=QU2pWV3DiYvBQGFp