WEBVTT - Olympic Gold Medalist Breezy Johnson Talks Winter Sports

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to jump in right to our next two

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<v Speaker 2>guests because they just are at a panel the Legacy

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<v Speaker 2>play how global sports shapes cities, economies and culture. And

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<v Speaker 2>we think about so many things that bring communities together,

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<v Speaker 2>and sports is certainly one. So delighted to have.

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<v Speaker 3>Two stars.

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<v Speaker 2>Brizzie Johnson, US Olympic Old Medicine World champion of course skiing.

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<v Speaker 2>We all know who she is. Yeah, just got in here.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, yeah, just last night, just last night.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, Jesus, you're awake.

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<v Speaker 3>We're not.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't know about us.

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<v Speaker 2>Joshah Worthington is with US chief Revenue and philanthrop Officer

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<v Speaker 2>at US Ski and Snowboard. Thank you guys for being

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<v Speaker 2>with us. Where to begin? You come to milkin? Joe

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<v Speaker 2>and I keep talking about sports. There's a ton of

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<v Speaker 2>money in sports. A lot of pressure though, on every

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<v Speaker 2>sport to make sure that they are generating revenue. Tricia,

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<v Speaker 2>let me start with you. Tell us what you guys

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<v Speaker 2>are doing, how easy it is, how hard you're all

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<v Speaker 2>competing with dollars for dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>I should say absolutely, Yeah. We have two main revenue

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<v Speaker 1>avenues of revenue at USK and Snowboard, and that is

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<v Speaker 1>primarily private giving as well as corporate partnership, and both

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<v Speaker 1>are really equally supporting these athletes. Everything we raised through

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<v Speaker 1>those two avenues, support their training, their traveling, they're coaching

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<v Speaker 1>everything they need to get to the level that Breezy

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<v Speaker 1>did in Italy.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, it's incredible to have you here and wonderful to

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<v Speaker 4>meet you. You're a hero for a lot of folks

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<v Speaker 4>who watched you in action, and I'm wondering what kind

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<v Speaker 4>of a reception you're getting here today because you're a

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<v Speaker 4>draw and you help, you're an ambassador for this message,

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<v Speaker 4>right what kind of reaction are you hearing from those

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<v Speaker 4>who are holding the dollars at Milkin.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean it's really such an honor to be here.

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<v Speaker 3>I think, you know, I would say I'm not one

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<v Speaker 3>of the most well known athletes right now, But you know,

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<v Speaker 3>once the gold starts shining around, then except.

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<v Speaker 4>Johnson, that starts a conversation in itself, doesn't it exactly exactly?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I think, you know, winning an Olympic gold medal,

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think I really even could comprehend the value

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<v Speaker 3>of it to the American public. I think we as athletes,

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<v Speaker 3>we work our whole lives for it. But I think,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, there's a lot of pieces that need to

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<v Speaker 3>come together. Ski racing in particular is very much you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's I think more similar to a Formula one operation

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<v Speaker 3>than like what most people would expect from an Olympic operation,

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<v Speaker 3>and we're trying to do that on a very small budget.

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<v Speaker 3>So you know, for everything to come together at the

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<v Speaker 3>right time once every four years is definitely a challenge.

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<v Speaker 2>Mean and mean can make you extreme, Like I totally

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<v Speaker 2>see a play out pas He talked to us about

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<v Speaker 2>after winning the medal, Like, what does that mean in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of sponsorships, do all of a sudden is the

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<v Speaker 2>phone ringing like crazy? Give us an idea of how

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<v Speaker 2>that changes things?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it definitely changes things, although it's slow. Right. So,

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<v Speaker 3>as athletes, I would say most of our income comes

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<v Speaker 3>from four main revenue. So Or says, for alpine athletes,

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<v Speaker 3>you have your helmet sponsor, your kind of title sponsor.

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<v Speaker 3>We're lucky enough to work with Stefel on the USKE

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<v Speaker 3>team and they work with me personally. They're a great or,

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<v Speaker 3>they're a great you know, company, and they work they're

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<v Speaker 3>super invested in skiing and also expanding our appearance globally,

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<v Speaker 3>which is super important for sponsorships. Then you have your

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<v Speaker 3>sort of nil deals, your Instagram deals, things like that.

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<v Speaker 3>That's it's a small piece of the pie, and I

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<v Speaker 3>feel like it's somewhat getting smaller as the market gets

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<v Speaker 3>larger with NCAA athletes, et cetera. Then you have your

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<v Speaker 3>endemic sponsors, your equipment sponsors, things like that. That's sort

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<v Speaker 3>of holding pretty steady, I would say, but with inflation,

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<v Speaker 3>I would say, somewhat decreasing. And then you have your

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<v Speaker 3>appearance fees, your you know, conferences that you speak at,

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<v Speaker 3>your you know, keynote speeches that you do, so that

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<v Speaker 3>obviously has grown a lot. Some of the deals you

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<v Speaker 3>know that I've had are definitely growing. And then obviously

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<v Speaker 3>you make more from your endemic sponsors through bonuses and

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<v Speaker 3>things like that around the Olympics. But I would say, yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>it's an ever changing landscape for sure, and especially with

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<v Speaker 3>you know, nc double A and those pieces, it's definitely evolving.

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<v Speaker 4>So, Tricia, how do you grow a sport that for

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<v Speaker 4>many people is not accessible and is known at least

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<v Speaker 4>for having a high barrier of entry? How do you

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<v Speaker 4>make this successible some more Americans.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think doing a good job on the corporate

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<v Speaker 1>sponsorship side and having those corporate partners help us raise

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<v Speaker 1>awareness for the athletes because we are such a small sport,

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<v Speaker 1>so we work with big brands like Stifo that Breezy mentioned,

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<v Speaker 1>but also Visa, Toyota j Crew, all exposing us to

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<v Speaker 1>audiences that aren't endemic necessarily to the sport, so that

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<v Speaker 1>that would be a key part of that.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel like the last couple of years, you know, hallelujah.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, women and sports are getting some recognition, They're

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<v Speaker 2>getting the broadcast audience. I do feel like there is

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<v Speaker 2>a shift going on in a big way. Investors want

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<v Speaker 2>to invest not just in men's teams, they want to

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<v Speaker 2>invest in women's teams. Tell me about let me start

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<v Speaker 2>with you. You know what you are seeing specifically.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean, our women are killing it right now,

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<v Speaker 1>you know Breezy Lindsay for but the strongest women's moguls

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<v Speaker 1>team in the world. And so because there's so much

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<v Speaker 1>hype around women's sports, it is attracting corporate partners to

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<v Speaker 1>the team, and so you know, it's definitely helping us

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<v Speaker 1>grow that area. Of our support to a much bigger,

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<v Speaker 1>you know size, and it has been traditionally.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to ask you, I just want to ask

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<v Speaker 2>Breeze the same question, like how because you started doing

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<v Speaker 2>this when you were how old and what you've seen

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<v Speaker 2>your trajectory of how kind of the acceptance of women

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<v Speaker 2>in sports? The success of women?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean I would say that in many ways,

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<v Speaker 3>I think social media has changed the landscape because in

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<v Speaker 3>the ability for everybody to tell their story, I think

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<v Speaker 3>people have realized that women have just as compelling of

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<v Speaker 3>stories as men do, and I think that has you know,

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<v Speaker 3>exploded online the ability for women to market themselves. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, I think in terms of marketing, you often

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<v Speaker 3>are talking about a form of investment, right and I

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<v Speaker 3>think people are now seeing that investing in women's sports

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<v Speaker 3>through marketing is you know, that is an undervalued asset

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<v Speaker 3>right now, and so to invest in it is you know,

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<v Speaker 3>a much better return, whereas I think with men's sports,

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<v Speaker 3>yes there's great return on it, but also you know

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<v Speaker 3>people already have it's not undervalued in the same way

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<v Speaker 3>that women's sports is really interesting.

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<v Speaker 4>Just lastly, then, what would be your advice to a

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<v Speaker 4>young person living in the middle of the country without

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of disposable income, who wants to do what

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<v Speaker 4>you did?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I think, to me, sports, you know, is

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<v Speaker 3>such a broad category, and I personally like I love skiing,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think that they're for one. You see stories

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<v Speaker 3>of skiers from like Buck Hill, small ski hills, and

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<v Speaker 3>I think we're working through you know, organizations like Shaer

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<v Speaker 3>Winter and things like that, to try to expand the

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<v Speaker 3>sport to a broader socioeconomic background. And then as far

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<v Speaker 3>as like sports in general, I do think that there

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<v Speaker 3>is a sport for everyone. I think that, yes, there

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<v Speaker 3>are different kind of genetic advantages to different sports, but

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<v Speaker 3>I think that everybody sort of has something for one

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<v Speaker 3>of them, whether it's you know, the eyesight you need

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<v Speaker 3>for skiing or the fast switch muscles for sprinting. And

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<v Speaker 3>so I think just trying a lot of different sports

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<v Speaker 3>is what I would recommend to a lot.

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<v Speaker 4>Of fascinating Well, you've inspired so many Americans and we

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<v Speaker 4>thank you for being here. It's wonderful to meet you

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<v Speaker 4>in person, and thanks for doing everything that you're doing.

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you absolutely.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, really wonderful staff.

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<v Speaker 4>So Christy Johnson and Trisha Worthington with us here live

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<v Speaker 4>at the Milk and Global Conference in Beverly Hills,