We were lucky to catch up with Martez Brayboy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Martez , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?
Speed 21 Athletics first started as a Strength & Conditioning/Fitness business as I provided personal training, speed development, sports coaching, and nutrition programs to various clients and athletes in New York City and South Carolina from 2013 to 2022. It was December 2022 when I decided to make Speed 21 Athletics a sports agency. The idea stemmed when one of my previous teammates, Ross Robertson, from a football team in Arizona (Scottsdale Vipers) made a post on LinkedIn stating that he needed a sports agent. With my previous experience of being a professional football player that had a horrible experience as a professional athlete with a signed agency, I reached out to him to have a conversation about his need. I explained to him the importance of signing with a good agency and making sure to protect his brand by always consulting with council over any contracts he receives, even his agency contract. After the conversation concluded, a few days went by and the idea sparked that maybe I should have another conversation with him about possibly becoming his sports agent. Throughout my entire college and professional football career, I created my own opportunities, even with an agent. So, my thought was if I could utilize and hone those same skills as before as a negotiator and representation of my brand when I was a player, maybe I could represent professional athletes as they deserved. I had the conversation with Ross and he became my first ever client as a sports agent. Soon afterwards, I registered to make Speed 21 Athletics an LLC. Once registered, I started contacting teams on behalf of Ross. As months passed, I started getting contacted by various athletes in reference to professional representation. By the summer of 2022, of the (6) six clients total I had signed on Speed 21 Athletics, (3) three clients were signed to professional football contracts in Iowa, Paris (France), and Minden (Germany). Currently, as of December 2023, Speed 21 Athletics has (9) nine total clients and (5) five clients have already been signed to professional football teams for the 2024 season.
The advice I would give to a young professional who might be considering starting their own firm is to just take the risk. When I decided to become a professional sports agent, I knew nothing in depth about the field or profession. I just wanted to do right by athletes and help them to achieve their ultimate goals and dreams. So, I researched, and even took a brief course to learn more about the profession and how to succeed in the field. Lastly, to the young professional, always remember what is not known now, can be learned. Your talents and contributions adds the melody that the world needs to hear.
Martez , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
At Speed 21 Athletics, our mission is to propel athletes to their maximum potential by fostering a culture of excellence, integrity, and innovation. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive sports management services, empowering athletes to achieve peak performance, both on and off the field. Through strategic partnerships, personalized guidance, and unwavering support, we aim to redefine success in sports and contribute to the holistic development of every athlete under our representation. At Speed 21 Athletics, we believe in the transformative power of sports, and we are committed to being the catalyst for our athletes’ journey to greatness.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I put together the initial capital to start my business by coaching a season of boy’s high school basketball at my current school of employment. As Head Coach of the basketball program I was able to pay the LLC fee for Speed 21 Athletics, and several regular business expenses, such as: Speed 21 Athletics website, Europlayers agent profile, and Canva Pro plan for graphic design purposes. I also started to utilize a business credit card I was granted once the formation of Speed 21 Athletics as a limited liability company was complete. Lastly, once I started securing team contracts for my clients, the per game commission fees became helpful toward credit card payments as I started to build business credit for Speed 21 Athletics.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Before I became a professional sports agent through my own agency, I was a professional football player. The journey to become a professional football player was difficult and the reason I became a sports agent to assist other aspiring professional athletes. In college I had to work at my hardest to earn the opportunities I was granted on teams as I was a non-scholarship athlete. I can recall in 2008, I was transferring to the school I received my undergraduate degree from, Eastern Oregon University, and the coach had a full roster going into the summer. I would contact him each week to see if any roster changes occurred, so I could join the team. In the meantime, I was located back home in South Carolina working full-time at a manufacturing plant and training whenever I received the chance daily to be prepared for when an opportunity would arise. Weeks later, the head coach let me know a roster change had occurred and that I could join the team, but I would have to be in Oregon by Monday. The day of that contact was Thursday. I only had four days to travel from South Carolina to Oregon, with the addition of making a stop in South Dakota to empty my apartment and relocate to Oregon by the following week. So, with the limitation of finances that I possessed, I took out a title loan on my car and started my travel to South Dakota on Friday morning. I drove from South Carolina to South Dakota with no sleep, emptied my apartment, returned the keys to my landlord, and continued on my travel to Oregon. By Saturday evening with no previous rest or sleep, the toil was too much and I slept for a few hours in Montana at a rest stop. At day break, I started the travel again and received a flat tire as I progressed through Montana, which delayed my travel. During my delay, I also received the unfortunate news that the housing that was offered by the head football coach was withdrawn, so I no longer had a place to stay once I would arrive. Once I finally got back on the road, late Sunday evening I arrived to Oregon. The first night I slept in my car in a gas station parking lot and the following day I was granted a living arrangement by the track coach where I could sleep on the couch at the residence of some track athletes on the team. This is just one example of how through my personal journey of being a college athlete I was able to display determination, discipline, and resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: speed21athletics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speed21athletics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speed21athletics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martezbrayboy/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SP21Athletics
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@speed21athletics
- Other: Email: [email protected]