Landing that first real job is never easy, especially in the world of sports, which is why we’re “kvelling” for Jake Brown.

Like millions of kids growing up in St. Louis, Brown probably dreamed of one day playing for the hometown Cardinals. In fact, he got a lot closer than most of us, having earned a scholarship to play Division III baseball at Amherst College in Massachusetts after graduating from Clayton High School in 2015.  And while the pros may not have been in the cards, working in sports was the direction Brown was heading. Brown, who grew up a member of Central Reform Congregation says he always wanted to pursue a career in sports.

“Beyond the traditional childhood hopes of becoming a professional athlete, which became less and less attainable, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the business of sports,” said Brown.

The dream of sports

Sports was always Brown’s passion, so learning the different paths into the industry was something he focused on while growing up and while playing ball at Amherst.

“During my time in school, I also leveraged my summers building a resume in sports,” said Brown. “From 2016-19, I worked for Major League Baseball, Univision Deportés, and the Burlington Royals, a then Minor League Baseball affiliate team of the Kansas City Royals.

It was through these experiences that Brown, a political science major, gained the important education you can’t learn from books. He used those summers to learn what that really meant. And, in turn, he became passionate about it.

Finding that first job

In 2019, during the spring of his senior year, Brown found a sports opportunity that intrigued him, though it wasn’t one he had ever considered. The job was with World Wrestling Entertainment, otherwise known as the WWE.

“I can tell you this – I did not type ‘professional wrestling job opportunities’ into my Google search bar at the time,” remembers Brown. “Rather, I came across it passively. Then, when I heard back about my application, I started to consider the idea of working at WWE more seriously.

Seriously enough, that he began to really examine the opportunity and develop a profound appreciation for the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment.

“I went to my first event that summer in Indianapolis (yes, I’d never been – not even as a kid),” said Brown. “Nothing beats the live experience at a WWE event – I was hooked. I began at WWE later that fall.”

Getting to work

Now living in Stamford, Conn., home to WWE’s global headquarters, Brown works on the partnership marketing team. The team manages a portfolio of global integrated partnerships.

“To put it simply, we execute sponsorship campaigns. And, although we wear a lot of hats at times, our primary responsibilities are managing the production of WWE’s branded content and planning on-site activations at client and/or WWE events and WWE Superstar appearances.”

So far, Brown has been loving his first gig.

“The job is incredibly fulfilling. We often have the unique perspective of seeing projects from their infancy through to their executions. So having an active role in that process and helping those ideas come to life can be very rewarding,” said Brown.

The toughest part has also been one of his favorite aspects of the WWE life, no off-season. The company hosts over 500 live events each year among its multiple sports and entertainment brands, so the commitment can be demanding at times.

“That said, there’s rarely a dull day in our world, and there’s a natural energy that brings. It’s the restless pace that keeps the job fun,” said Brown.

Excited about the opportunity

While the role isn’t quite what comes to mind for someone considering working in sports, it certainly is unique and a real conversation starter. Being introduced to the world of professional wrestling has been a thrill for Brown.

“Beyond just the product you see on TV, pro wrestling is a culture shared by an audience across the world. One that I’d hardly known existed during my childhood. So being able to learn and absorb that from a pretty unique perspective has been a neat experience,” said Brown

Coming home 

Later this month, Brown will be returning home to St. Louis, and bringing some friends from the WWE along.

On Jan. 29^th, St. Louis will be hosting the first of WWE’s yearly premium live events, Royal Rumble at The Dome at America’s Center to kick off the Road to WrestleMania 38. The event will air on pay-per-view worldwide and will be available to stream through Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally, which will make it the first Royal Rumble to air on Peacock.

“It also has a pretty unique format, which makes it a fan-favorite among the WWE Universe,” said Brown. “We’ll be activating throughout the city that weekend, hosting partner events and producing sponsored content,” said Brown. “If you happen to miss us then, you can tune into the broadcast that Saturday, where our partners and the work we produce together will be featured throughout the night.”

Congratulations to Jake Brown and thanks for giving us a reason to Kvell!

If you have a Kvell to share, email me at [email protected].