Meet Neha Kumar, Brand and Design Lead at Queensland Rugby Union (Queensland Reds).
Neha's career started out in retail and moved into marketing before she landed her first full-time role as social media lead at GIVIT, a Brisbane-based not-for-profit, where she taught herself graphic design, photography and videography on the job and even got to create content for a royal visit from Queen Camilla.
Around the same time, she started WATCHHERFOOTY, a passion project covering the NRLW that's now grown to 22,000+ followers and put her on TV, on radio, and on The Female Athlete Project stage. That page changed everything. It sharpened what she wanted, and when a role opened at the Reds, she backed herself despite never formally studying design and getting knocked back in other roles.
She's since gone from Design & Communications Coordinator to Brand and Design Lead, run game-day production at Suncorp, MC'd in front of 30,000 people, toured Fiji with the men's team, and been named #12 on Ministry for Sport's Young Guns Under 30.
In this episode, Neha shares how she turned a passion project into a role at the Queensland Reds, why backing yourself beats waiting until your CV feels \"ready,\" and the pinch-me Fiji moment she never thought she'd get.
We cover:
(03:01) - Interview begins
(05:13) - Quick Fire Questions
(08:59) - Neha's journey to working in sport and how WatchHerFooty came to life
(13:21) - How Neha balances time between her full-time role and WatchHerFooty
(16:00) - Collaborations Neha has worked on through WatchHerFooty
(18:17) - What is WatchHerFooty's most viral video
(20:34) - Neha's experience with The Daily Aus x Nike Mentorship program
(24:02) - Neha's work with GIVIT
(30:44) - Neha's transferable skills helped land her role with the Queensland Reds
(32:49) - How Neha's role has evolved since starting at the Reds
(38:30) - Neha's experience MCing a game day
(40:34) - Neha's experience on the international trip with the Queensland Reds to Fiji
(43:57) - Experience at Suncorp Stadium during the British & Irish Lions Tour
(45:28) - Neha on making the 'Young Guns under 30' List
(46:48) - Challenges in entering the sports industry
(48:33) - How Neha decided what career path to take when she felt lost for direction
(50:03) - What helped Neha stand out when she landed her role at the Qld Reds
(51:38) - Impact of mentors on Neha's career
(53:26) - How to land a job in sport media in the next 30 days
(57:03) - Biggest Pinch Me moment working in sport
(58:08) - What life would look like if not for a career in sport
(59:45) - What is a brand and sports partnership you'd like to see in the future
(01:00:55) - Neha's question for next guest
If you liked this ep, give these a go next:
#286: Inside the GWS Giants Social Media strategy with Jacob Gaynor
#347: Sport Marketing & Communications - How to work in AFL, NBA and Seven Sport with Anthony Alsop
#354: How building Kanga TV led to a PR & Comms job in sport, with Marnie Cohen (TGI Sport)
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Thanks for listening, much love!
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