When the pandemic forced Pepperdine alumna Jessica Campbell to end her internship early at the John R. Wooden Award, an ESPN award show for college basketball players, she joined forces with her former boss, Earnest Baskerville, to co-host the Sports 4 Positivity Podcast in summer 2020.
Prominent NBA, NFL and MLB athletes have appeared as guests on her podcast to talk about how they cultivate positivity and give back to their communities. Sixteen episodes have already aired on Spotify and Apple Podcasts with guests such as Jesse Sapolu, four-time Super Bowl champion; Rowdy Gaines, three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer; and Ryan Hollins, former NBA player and UCLA basketball star.
“Sports had stopped, and we just wanted to do something about it,” Campbell said. “We wanted to make a difference; we wanted to bring that element of positivity back into people’s lives.”
Campbell finished her degree in integrating marketing communication in the fall 2020 semester, however she said she is only set to graduate this spring. She aspires to intertwine her love for sports and marketing into a career.
Growing up with two brothers, Campbell said sports was a major part of her life.
“For me sports have such a huge platform and a huge positive platform,” Campbell said. “You feel the energy whether you’re watching it with your family at a sports restaurant or when you’re at the game.”
Working as a marketing intern at the John R. Wooden Award, Campbell said she was able to get an inside look into the sports industry and meet prominent basketball players, like Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.
“It really gave me that push in — the jumpstart to solidify my passion and know that I wanted to go into this industry,” Campbell said.
It also connected her to Baskerville, who kept working with her to start the Sports 4 Positivity Podcast when her internship ended.
Campbell said she is amazed by the generosity of the sports figures she interviews and is glad she can give them a platform to share the different charities and causes they stand behind.
“They’re amazing people with even more amazing hearts,” Campbell said. “They get to talk about what they do outside of their sports accolades, which they usually don’t have the platform for.”
Steve Bauer, a visiting professor of marketing at Pepperdine, said he admired Campbell’s ability to persevere in a challenging time and start such a successful podcast. Bauer first met Campbell in January 2020 when she took his principles of marketing course and then counseled her when she lost her internship position.
“She’s the type of person who goes after things and makes them happen, ” Bauer said. “When the COVID-19 pandemic was starting around a year ago, what I remember about her is she didn’t get disillusioned but rather redoubled her efforts to find opportunities.”
Campbell said the podcast has had a positive impact on her, not only because of the incredible network she has made but also because of how it has helped her grow personally.
Being a young woman in the sports industry was challenging for Campbell, as she felt she had to carry herself a certain way to be taken seriously. Campbell said a defining moment that helped her find courage and strength in her abilities occurred during her interview with Hollins.
“While we were talking in the interview, it was the first time someone had said a professional, like you, in the industry,” Campbell said. “That was when I kind of felt empowered and I knew it — I knew that this was what I wanted to do and that I am taken seriously.”
Campbell said mentors at Pepperdine had also played a huge role in her podcast.
Sam Lagana, Pepperdine associate vice chancellor and stadium announcer for the Rams, and Ned Colletti, Pepperdine sports administration professor and former general manager of the Dodgers, introduced Campbell to many big names in the sports industry and taught her their ways.
“They both have really taken me under their wing and just helped me fly,” Campbell said.
Looking to the future, Campbell said she hopes to continue doing the podcast, and eventually hold charity events and talks at sports tournaments. She also dreams of becoming the chief marketing officer for the Lakers or Dodgers, as a team environment invigorates her.
“I love that aspect of the team where you all get to stand with the team and then route on the team together because you win together, you lose together, and then you’re there again the next day,” Campbell said.
Christina Buravtsova completed the reporting for this story under the supervision of Dr. Christina Littlefield.
