Emily Staker on pursing her passion as an NFL agent and attorney.

What inspired you to be an NFL agent?

The need for holistic advocacy. I have always loved the game and grew up around football–when the people I care about began to get recruited by colleges and take the next step in their careers, I saw a real need for representation and advocacy that considers the entirety of the person and not just the athlete and/or his earning potential. I try to make decisions for my clients that represent all of their best interests. I am also extremely passionate about educating my clients throughout the course of representation. I think there is an untapped potential for agents to also serve as teachers to their clients as it relates to self-advocacy and recognizing one’s own potential. I can tell my clients that they are valuable and secure that monetary value for them, but the greatest gift I could give them is the ability to recognize their own intrinsic value.

Greatest achievement outside of sports management?

I was the first woman in my family to graduate from a University, and the first person to attend law school. Breaking generational patterns is of great personal significance to me–and it helped me never take an opportunity for granted.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

It can really vary depending on the time of year but as of right now considering that it is Draft Week, i’ve been waking up around 4-5, getting my first wave of emails done, getting a workout in, and then heading to my office where I also work as an attorney full-time. Throughout the day I work both in my capacity as an agent and as an attorney and I am so grateful to have created a life that empowers me to do both. I usually leave the office around 5 or 6 and will do some phone calls and catch up on emails but I try to wrap everything up around 8. This week has been an exception because so much can change in such a short amount of time, but it is manageable because it is relatively short-lived.

During the season, I usually work in the office Monday-Thursday, travel to whatever college I am recruiting out of that Friday, attend the college game Saturday and spend some time with the player and his family, and then fly to whichever game another client is playing in on Sunday. It is a lot of travel but I would consider myself a pretty restless person and enjoy being on-the-go.

How important is social media and promoting yourself in your field?

I think it can be a major tool and asset when you set healthy boundaries with yourself as to what you want to use it for. I don’t really use my social media for personal reasons and really only use it now as an extension of my work. It’s important that every person takes the time to really decide how much of their lives they want to share on social media, because once things are public it’s virtually impossible to change after-the-fact. Being intentional and purposeful are very valuable to anyone looking to utilize their social media for work

Any advice for someone looking to get into sports managment?

Be great at what you do but also be genuine and true to yourself. There is no one way to be a great agent, just like there is no one way to be a great player. The hard work and talent are the baseline but your values, your lifestyle, and your relationships with your clients are what you make of them. Don’t worry about being the Next Whoever–focus on being the First You.