We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Faith Knight a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Faith thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

During Covid, I had the opportunity to dust my basketball shoes off and play again. However, I was in the height of my modeling career and I knew I would have to scale back on modeling in order to train and play basketball full-time again. Basketball never fully stopped, as I always ran games with college players and stayed in shape on the basketball court on a daily basis. However, I needed to find a way to harmoniously execute both modeling and basketball. I thought of an episodic sports show later named Ballers Lounge. I figured I could play against professional and collegiate athletes of any sport, and also learn about their stories in the process. It was the perfect way to blend my two careers, still play actively, and learn about these incredible athletes outside of their respective sports. As an athlete myself, I know what it is like to have your identity associated with your sport, therefore I wanted to provide a safe space and platform for all athletes to come onto my show and showcase their own truth.

Faith, 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?

Over the course of my life, I have been involved in a lot of activities and leadership roles, from athletic, academic and entertainment careers. My training began with gymnastics, Junior Olympic springboard diving, then on to elite-level basketball. Although athletics were my main goal and passion, my love for entertainment was just as strong. I began modeling and acting as a child and this all represents the foundation in which fueled the formation of Ballers Lounge. The purpose of Ballers Lounge, as a sports media brand, is to convey the stories and real truth of athletes, and showcase their skillset outside of their respective sports. We offer an episodic based series, following various athletes in a documentary and/or interview format and end with a competition. We strive to give athletes a place to rewrite their own narratives, or show the world who they really are, in their own way. In the media world, athletes are held at a separate tier than any other public figure. We want to restore the idea that athletes are human beings as well, despite their extraordinary athletic abilities. The implementation of competition in each episode, showcases the true talents athletes possess when they are not competing against their peers. We also are in a niche of our own, as we collaborate with athletes on our show and create merchandise that their supporters can purchase, giving them a sense of brand identity and community. These perspectives clarify what it truly means to be an athlete.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Networking has been the key to gathering clients for each episode. The initial season was focused on basketball, as it was the most accessible way to jumpstart the show. After spending time of interviewing at a popular Dallas-based Pro AM League and social media, I was able to form connections and collaborate with many athletes who trusted in the vision of Ballers Lounge. Credibility is one of the main factors when creating a business, therefore for our brand identity I had to prove that we are developing a trusted brand who can handle and convey the stories in the way that each athlete desires.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Although our audience is still small, we have a community that supports our brand and show. Our initial marketing approach centered around our audience grasping the concept and purpose of the show. This led to an opening trailer video, followed by a season opening trailer to visualize whats in store for the first season. We used this to promote the channel, the brand, and explain our mission. Another key, is posting short clips that can show glimpses of the episodes most exciting moments, to grasp the viewers attention.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theballerslounge.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballersloungetv/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ballerslounge

Image Credits
Image Credits Elijah Smith, Ryan Robertson, Quran Gooch, Armani Creighton.