Welcome to

the Grow a FanBase Podcast

Latest Episode: Nick Engvall – 500,000 podcast downloads and king of content strategy

Nick is a legend. It would be easier to list the things Nick hasn’t done than what he has. He’s laid the foundation for content at multiple organizations such as NiceKicks.com, Sole Collector, Finish Line, Complex and StockX. He’s the host of his own podcast, Sneaker History that has over 500,000 downloads! And he’s one of the nicest and most generous human beings on the planet. He’s responsible for connecting me to 90% of the people that I know in the sneaker industry.

In this episode we talk about sneakers, marketing strategy and leadership – I hope you enjoy our conversation!

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Previous Episodes

Drew Hammell – a 160K following that got deleted by Instagram

Drew Hammell is the man behind the legendary instagram account “Nikestories”. For over 7 years he took sneaker fans back in time to a world full of Eastbay magazines and original Air Jordans. Through hard work, Drew was able to grow his account to close to 160,000 followers, which included celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Andre Agassi, Virgil Abloh and more! However, one morning Drew woke up to a locked account and one that would eventually be deleted by Instagram. Hear his entire story, how he handled the shut down of Nikestories, what he’s up to now and plans to do in the future! 

UNCHAiNED – the radio’s next big band!

I sit down with 5 of the 6 members of the band UNCHAiNED based out of Springfield, Illinois. “Unchained is on the right track to hit the “toppermost of the poppermost.”

What? That’s how the Illinois Times, alternative weekly in Illinois’ state capital, announced that their readership had voted UNCHAiNED as “Best Original Band” in Abe Lincoln’s hometown.

The guys talk about how they got started, the challenges they’ve faced along the way, the rewarding moments, and of course their plans for future which included a brand new album dropping Spring ’24. 

Hang in there because some of the audio cuts in and out due to wifi issues, but the story is worth it! 

You can learn more about the band at https://unchainedofficial.com/

Kyle Lacy – CMO Jellyfish, Three time author, 42K linkedIN followers, 34K on twitter

Kyle and I have been friends for 20 years. If there’s anyone who knows what it takes to grow a FanBase, it’s Kyle. He’s scaled multiple companies while leading the marketing team, written three books, awarded Indiana’s 40 under 40 at the age of 24, has 42,000 LinkedIN followers and 34,000 on twitter. Kyle talks about what it means to stay disciplined, to give yourself grace, and the power of a network all while weaving in his own professional journey. 

Seth Crossno – the man behind ITB Insider and Fyre Fest Legend

If you live in or around Raleigh, NC chances are great that you follow “William Needham Finley IV” to catch up on all things “Inside the Beltline”. What started as a fun email exchange turned into a full time business for Seth over the years. His account exploded when he found himself stranded on an Island in the middle of the largest musical festival scam, Fyre Fest. 

Jake Fehling – CMO Movement Mortgage + Carolina Panther’s Hype Man

Jake Fehling leads the marketing team at Movement Mortgage (top 10 lender in the country) out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Movement is known for their philanthropy efforts as they give most of their profits away to go back into the local community – in a two year span they gave away $300 million. When Jake’s not leading the Movement team, joining his wife on their own podcast, you can find him on the field at every home Carolina Panther’s game as the official “hype man” for the team. 

Unboxing 1.3 million YouTube subscribers with Jacques Slade.

Learn how Jacques turned an unfortunate job loss into an opportunity to create one of the most influential and popular YouTube channels focused on sneakers and golf. We’ll cover how he got started, what an average day / week looks like, how he makes a living, and advice for those looking to start and grow their own channel. 

Our relationship started professionally but has grown into a friendship over the years and I couldn’t be more thankful and excited to have him as my first podcast guest. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the King of  sneaker unboxing, Jacques Slade

Join the FanBase

Get off the bench and in the game by signing up for the FanBase newsletter. Subscribers will get updates on upcoming episodes, bonus clips, bloopers, and more!