We recently connected with Rachel Perkins and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

When I started my company, PERKS Lifestyle Management, I had two major missions in mind. The first was to solve unique problems for professional athletes. The second was to actually CARE about clients as humans, not just as athletes. We provide our clients with complete lifestyle assistance because we know they have extremely unique lifestyle experiences. We anticipate the needs and wants of our clients, and know how important it is to have someone in their corner who understands them and can trust with all aspects of life.

Going back to the original question, I feel that this is what makes us so different from other companies in the industry. We listen to their story, understand their personality, are genuinely passionate about helping them become the best versions of themselves…not just on the field/court/track/course, but off of it as well. We curate a specific gameplan customized to each athlete based on their personality, schedule, and communication style.

Part of this game plan is evaluating their “team” and making sure that all of the positions are filled & the blindsides are protected. We believe that just as every teammate has a job to do on the field, every personal & professional team member has a specific role as well. For example, Agents negotiate contracts. Marketing Representatives bring endorsement deals. Financial Advisors manage money and investments. Lawyers protect them in legal matters. Real Estate Agents assist in buying houses.

At PERKS, we are the jack of all trades so that our clients can be the masters of one…their LIFE. We often act as the quarterback to evaluate the client’s current team, system, routine, and pain points to see where things may need extra support or added value, often times at critical moments of the game. We stay in our lane as a secret weapon providing the ability to assist in all areas if/when needed, and adjust the execution accordingly, both proactively and reactively. As a centralized member of the team, PERKS helps to streamline communication and execution among all team members. We let our clients call the shots, but help them “review the film” of their off-field life and readjust the game plan as needed. Our goal is to be a resource that helps guide clients throughout the course of their days, weeks, months and years of their career by creating and executing a structured approach to their overall lifestyle so they can perform at the highest level and achieve optimal results.

Rachel, 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?

When I started PERKS Lifestyle Management in 2018, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career, much less my life. I had done a complete 180 of my plans to move to Australia for a year after graduation and decided to stay in my hometown of Atlanta and take my “dream job” at the largest Sports & Entertainment Agency where I was managing 80+ professional athletes. I loved my job and my clients, but decided it was time for a change.

I’ve seen vital areas of personal and professional development neglected in athletes, and it starts early on in their lives and playing careers. I knew I had a strong passion for helping athletes learn life skills in order to build a solid identity off the field/court/etc…where it REALLY matters. I wanted to help them become better people so that when it comes to real life, they are the best men, husbands, and fathers for the rest of their lives, not just the small window they play a professional sport.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to be able to attend a ton of amazing, once in a lifetime events with a ton of “cool people.” I’ve been so blessed to be able to celebrate some of the most exciting moments of my clients’ careers alongside them and their family. However, I have also seen and experienced some of the lowest points in my client’s lives right along side of them. Whether it is something like missing a game-winning tackle in the playoffs, or something so heartbreaking like losing a family member or the loss of an unborn child, professional athletes experience real-life things just like the rest of us. Behind the scenes, they are just normal people who were gifted with an incredible talent and the opportunity to make a lot of money doing something they love. But more money always comes with more problems, more public attention, and more people constantly looking for a handout. My goal when starting PERKS was to help athletes manage their lifestyles – not let their lifestyles (and the people in it) manage them. And I knew there weren’t many resources available to do that.

That is why I started PERKS Lifestyle Management, a full-service consulting company for Professional Athletes. We assist clients by addressing the main stressors and obligations in their lives in order to minimize distractions so they can focus on their job, family and overall mental, physical and emotional well-being for the longevity of their career. We work with a wide variety of clients in age, interests, and lifestyles so we customize our role to each person specific to their needs and expectations rather than a “one size fits all” approach.

At PERKS Lifestyle management, our clients have ranged from professional athletes to world-famous musicians, meaning no two days are ever the same. A typical “day in the office” can include anything from setting up last-minute dinner reservations and coordinating VIP travel logistics to planning wedding proposals or interior design work, As long as there’s access to cell phone service and a nearby airport, we figure it out and get the job done.

Although there are many “perks” associated with this lifestyle and it may seem like a luxurious setup at times, life on the road is not always glamourous. Often, this includes very little sleep, clients in various time zones, and being on-call at all hours of the day (and night). However, we are extremely passionate about our clients and put 100% effort into everything we do, no matter how big, small, or seemingly ridiculous the ask might be. We often joke that the job description is a “professional babysitter,” but our clients are never surprised when we quickly and efficiently creates solutions for their very unique needs and challenges. They know we will always make their lives easier and less stressful, but more importantly that we cares about them as a person regardless of their fame, fortune, or athletic ability. We aim to develop them as people and will always put their best interest at heart, even if that means sometimes telling clients what they don’t want to hear. At PERKS, you get a friend, confidant, colleague, personal assistant and family all in one.

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

I’ve had two major pivots in my career. The first I briefly mentioned earlier about when I decided to forgo my move from Georgia to Australia in order to accept my former job at a large sports and entertainment agency. The other one actually just happened a few months ago when I realized that I was so busy focusing on helping my clients take control of their lives and identities, I was losing control of my own. It wasn’t until after a major car accident back in February which resulted in my second concussion in a year that I realized just how burned out I truly was. It was when I began resenting my company and even sometimes my clients that I knew I needed to make a change. I listened to a podcast interview of Tony Horton, the creator of P90X. He was talking about how entrepreneurs are ambitious, which is great, “but they don’t bother to check how stressed out, pissed off, and unhappy, depressed they are,” And as much as I didn’t want to admit it or tried to cover it up, that was true. I was so busy working IN my business that I wasn’t working ON it, which led to doing a job that I started for the flexibility, entrepreneurship, to become something I felt so trapped in. I lost myself in the daily mundane tasks of “to-do’s” and began focusing so much on other people’s problems that I started taking them emotionally on as my own. I was burning the candle at both ends and needed to make some adjustments. Tony’s advice was that “It’s about balance.” I kept seeing this theme come up in many different areas of my life, that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I began focusing on myself, my health, and my priorities in life first. I’ve realized that although I thought I knew who I was and what I wanted, those things change in the blink of an eye, so it is important to continually self-reflect in order to focus on your own growth. In turn, this has helped me to set boundaries in my personal and professional life and regain my passion for helping others do the same in theirs. I realized that every relationship takes work, and being an entrepreneur means being in a 24/7 committed relationship with yourself and your business. The highs are high, and the lows are lonely. Most people, even friends and family, won’t always see your “behind the scenes” or the grind it takes to build a company, but don’t let that discourage you. Wake up every day and remind yourself why you started, the problem you are figuring out a solution to, and the impact you want to make for others.

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

I would say establishing trust and reliability from the very beginning of relationships, whether it is with a potential client or someone else, has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. In sports, you really do have to “have clients to get clients” so your reputation in the business means everything. Staying true to yourself and who you are is an important part of that, because you align with the people and contacts who appreciate you for who you are and what you stand for, and in turn refer clients or business your way. I have a pretty flexible contract and partnership agreement with clients because I want to make sure it is the right fit for them, as well as for my business. Early on in my career, I struggled to say “no” and assumed that all business was good business. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. In a cut-throat business like the sports industry, it can be very hard to navigate who you can trust and when to take “advice” from people. Just like any industry, there are a lot of people out for themselves or will always look to take advantage of your time, resources, energy, and compassion. However, knowing who you are and the type of clients you want to work with is the biggest key to growing your company and signing your dream clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.perkslm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelperkins/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perkslifestylemanagement/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellperkins/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjTqtsNNvh8H_thni1LG0fw
• PERKS IG: https://www.instagram.com/perkslifestylemanagement/