Kimberly Beaudin, CEO of College Football Hall of Fame

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As the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta gets ready to celebrate 10 years, Rick talks with the CEO, Kimberly Beaudin. Great insight and inside look at the Hall with Kimberly.

The College Football Hall of Fame was established by the National Football Foundation in 1951.

The Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, which opened on Aug. 23, 2014, is a 94,256-square-foot attraction located in the heart of Atlanta’s sports, entertainment and tourism district.

When the 2022 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted in December, only 1,056 players and 226 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.54 million who have played or coached the game over the past 152 years. In other words, only two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game have earned the distinction.

Inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 1951 included 32 players and 22 coaches, including notables Red Grange (Illinois), George Gipp (Notre Dame), Knute Rockne(Notre Dame), Amos Alonzo Stagg (as a coach and player) and Jim Thorpe (Carlisle [PA]).

317 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Fame player or coach.

The College Football Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted each December during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas.

The Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame opened its doors in Atlanta on Aug. 23, 2014. Redefining the concept of a traditional museum with cutting-edge technology, the building has drawn universal praise for creating a venue that rises to the occasion of paying tribute to the game’s greatest legends while engaging fans with a unique range of compelling exhibits.

“We knew that downtown Atlanta offered the perfect setting for the Hall, and the city, as well as people from all over the country, have embraced our home in Atlanta as a major epicenter for college football,” said Archie Manning, the chairman of the NFF, which launched the Hall in 1951 and partnered with the city of Atlanta to raise the money and open the Hall in 2014. “We knew we had something special in the proposal and planning stages, and it has been even better in reality.”

The Hall, built at a cost of approximately $68.5 million, measures 94,256 square feet, including 50,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 45-yard indoor football field. The attraction offers a total “Fan Experience” matching traditional, museum-quality memorabilia with interactive, multimedia exhibits that invite fans and visitors to engage with their favorite college football team or Hall of Famer.

Fans are given an RFID-enabled All-Access Pass as they enter the building and are immediately greeted by the three-story helmet wall representing all 771 U.S. colleges and universities with football teams. When fans register their RFID All-Access Pass, their school’s helmet actually lights up. As fans explore the rest of the building, the RFID badge continues to pull and display information about their school throughout their tour.

The Hall has been a prime space for private events in Atlanta, hosting more than 250 annually. Visit cfbhall.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

Chase Griffin, UCLA Quarterback from the NIL Summit

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Rick gets a quick talk with UCLA quarterback, Chase Griffin from the NIL Summit in Atlanta.

Griffin is active in NIL and he talks about that along with his philosophy.

Bio:

Enrolled at UCLA in January 2019 and took part in spring practice.

2022
Saw action as a reserve quarterback in two games (Alabama State and at Colorado).

2021
Did not see game action … served as the scout team quarterback for most of the season.

2020
Saw action in 4 games, with starts at Oregon and against Arizona … came off the bench to throw for 4 touchdowns against Stanford while completing 9 of 11 passes on the game … Threw for a season-high 195 yards at Oregon … guided the Bruins to a win over Arizona in a starting role … saw his first career action during the final series of the win against California.

 

Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck

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An Exclusive with the President of Tauck this week on family travel.

Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck and mother of four. Tauck is a 98-year-old leader in upscale guided travel offering more than 150 land journeys and cruises to 70+ countries and all seven continents. Included in Tauck’s portfolio are 20 Tauck Bridges family travel adventures in North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Jason Carlson, Founder and CEO of Wallabing

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Rick talks with Jason Carlson of Wallabing, about providing RV enthusiasts an open road to revenue, adventure, and peace of mind.

With life on the open road remaining as popular and alluring as ever, one innovative company, Wallabing, is seeking to transform this growing lifestyle trend by streamlining the recreational vehicle experience for owners and renters.

“Owners make more, renters pay less” is the simple but powerful concept at the core of the Plano, Texas-based company’s forward-thinking business model. Wallabing is a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace and mobile app connecting RV owners, renters, travelers, and wandering adventurers alike.

Bringing owners and renters together in a platform providing value for each has fueled Wallabing’s rapid growth since launching in 2021. Through leveraging its unique team of 164 independent consultants able to assist owners and renters in 32 states, the company has increased its inventory by 682% in six months.

It’s a dilemma faced by many RV owners for years – how to get the most out of their RVs even though they only use their vehicles for a few weeks each year. A recent survey by Verified Market Research found the average RV owner uses their RV an average of 20 days each year leaving 345 days to rent to others. Despite the growing popularity of RVs and outdoor travel, industry experts cite there are more than 54 million idle RVs at any given time, worldwide.

Meanwhile, in recent years, the rental market for RVs has been on the rise. In 2020, the RV rental market size was valued at $546 million. It is projected to reach $810 million by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.31% from 2021-2028, according to Verified Market Research.

Demand for RV ownership, which is already at 11.2 million U.S. households, is growing by 500,000 to 1 million annually. Market research predicts that 20.5 million households intend to purchase an RV in the coming years.

Looking ahead, Wallabing’s five-year plan is to have 150K RVs featured on its site and on the road. To further build out its marketplace and increase inventory, Wallabing has developed a responsive business model and lowered its service fee, while keeping modest customer acquisition costs.

Wallabing is planning to launch an upcoming crowdfunding campaign to expand awareness about their company’s platform and mobile app among RV owners, renters, and potential investors.

A great option to try an RV and a new experience.

Jason Carlson
Founder and CEO, Wallabing

I’ve been interested in outdoor recreation for as long as I can remember. My family spent at least one weekend a month camping when I was a young boy and we had an annual reunion at a national forest each August. Between hiking, fishing, boating, and anything else I could get up to out there, I was always taught to appreciate all the wonders our world held for us and was encouraged to explore.
 
After earning a degree in finance at Southern Methodist University, and working in asset management and consulting, I realized I wanted to get back to that spirit of adventure that was instilled in me by my parents. When I started my own family, I was eager to show them the wonders that an RV adventure could bring. They fell in love just as I did and that was the true foundation of Wallabing. From there it took a few years to marry my expertise and educational background with the desire I had to instill that same sense of curiosity and exploration in each client to create the product we have today. Every day since then has been a different and challenging adventure on its own.

John Sapiente, CEO of Volition America

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John Sapiente is the CEO of Volition America, a patriotic apparel brand that celebrates the country and supports the military community. Born and raised in Chicago, John is a University of Kansas Jayhawks alumnus.

John’s extensive background in manufacturing and his passion for country and community led him to build Volition America, despite his non-traditional background in apparel, consumer goods or brand building. He currently owns and operates two companies that manufacture Safety-Critical components for the Automotive Industries and Disposable Devices for the Med Device Community.

John’s mission to build a brand that celebrates the country and supports the military community was inspired by his involvement in the Folds of Honor Foundation, a 4-star Goldstar-rated charity that has provided over $220,000,000 and 44,000 scholarships to children and spouses of our fallen soldiers and First Responders, and served on the board of directors. He was inspired by Lt. Colonel Dan Rooney, the founder of the charity, which has provided over .91 of every dollar donated going to the recipients.

Marucci Sports is the latest partner to join Volition America’s curated coalition of premium lifestyle brands, building towards unity in our country and inspiring the power of choice.

Volition America is a movement changing the way we connect with America, through innovative apparel and accessories. Volition America is a collaboration of labels and a collective expression of love for America that transcends culture, gender, race, age and political beliefs. Empowering people to live through positive choices is the driving force of the company and its partnerships. Volition America is both a symbol and a catalyst for unity – when you see the VA logo, you are part of a movement that cares. This alliance of brands and the consumers who engage with them are making a conscious choice to express the power to celebrate America and build strong communities.

John’s dedication to the military community, combined with his manufacturing expertise, has allowed him to create a unique brand that unites and supports America. He is committed to making a positive impact and driving positive change in the world.

Charles McEnerney, ‘Dear Graduate’

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A little book that could pay big dividends for the new or old graduate in your life.

Dear Graduate asks a series of questions of the reader—about how they want to spend their lives and what values they’ll develop, evolving to bigger questions about how they act in the world and who they want to become and what they will achieve. It’s 33 questions in all. Even for many athletes I deal with that have a hard time realizing how they fit in to the world after graduation.

Laura Albert (aka JT LeRoy, author of Sarah) called Dear Graduate, “A non-interrogation, subtle and sweet guiding system for any recent graduate.” We think she nailed it.

Dear Graduate is hardcover, 6”x 6”, and 88-pages of text and bright colors, starting with a page for a note to the graduate.

All at www.deargraduatebook.com

This year, Dear Graduate was selected by Uncommon Goods!

Rick talks to the author, Charles McEnerney.

The book started from a conversation with my partner Adam Larson as I was talking to him about my two children, my son who was graduating NuVu Studio School in Cambridge (and will enter MassArt this fall!) and my daughter Adacie McEnerney who will graduate Boston University in three weeks!

We realized that the question we’ve all been asking each other for so many years, “What do you want to BE when you grow up?” probably isn’t the greatest of questions. It assumes the aspiration is a title instead of a passion or a personal mission.

We thought a better question was, “What will you DO when you grow up?” That led to more questions, and then more questions.

The idea is to celebrate all kinds of work and all kinds of people. Dear Graduate gives the reader a moment to stop and think deliberately about the decisions and life ahead.

At $15.99, it is not much more than a greeting card these days and makes a great gift for high school or college graduates, or even kindergarten or elementary school.Or it’s great for anyone!