Name: Nicole Bienert
Position: Dolphins VP/Partnership Activation, Retention & Analytics
Age: 35
Where I call home: Ft. Lauderdale
Where I’m from: Peachtree City, Ga.
Focusing on right now: Rewiring our partnership program to a less-is-more approach.
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Bienert sometimes unwinds
by doing yoga |
Best advice: My dad, GEORGE, always told me there is no quick way to make a buck, and success won’t find you, you have to go out and seek it. You have to want it and believe that you’ll be successful. You have to believe in yourself. I took that mentality from a very young age.
A must for a new hire: We’re doing a lot of hiring right now. I look for drive and passion, very in line with my own personal philosophy. We also look for a positive attitude, and competitive, driven, motivated individuals, but ones who are humble, too.
Exec I most admire: Dolphins President TOM GARFINKEL. I followed his success with the Padres and have always been impressed with his track record within the industry. When I was with the NBA and TMBO, I actually used him and his sponsorship team as best practice. I think every one of my presentations had at least one Padres example in it. The tenacity and heart he has as a leader, he cares about his people, he is competitive and very intelligent and has that drive to be the best but to do it the right way.
Best book I’ve read this year: It’s called “The First 90 Days,” by MICHAEL WATKINS. I got it my first week here. It covers the first 90 days of a leader transitioning into a new group and instilling change. It gives some great case studies and exercises and process points of what I could take into this position. I enjoy personal development books. I used to be a yoga instructor, so I read a lot of yoga books, too.
First thing in the morning: I check my e-mail, then do a quick look on Wall Street Journal and N.Y. Times to see the latest buzz. Then I fix some tea with lemon and local honey, and I usually take a run. I come back and turn on “TODAY” while I get ready.
Talking tech: I’m connected through Apple products -- I have a Mac, iPad and iPhone. The suite of products that Apple provides with list-keeping and Evernote and being able to sync to the cloud has been helpful. I’ve found that my day is completely packed with meetings, and if I’m not able to get information quickly or send information quickly, then I am not helpful to my team.
Must have music: I’m dialed into Spotify -- if you pull up any of my lists you’ll see a lot of Indie rock. I have friends in the industry and have seen a lot of epic shows. Music is a big part of my life. I saw a few MUMFORD & SONS shows on "LETTERMAN" tapings when I lived in N.Y., which was really cool.
Food for thought: I don’t find a lot of time to cook and I’m not a very good cook, either. I love trying new things and going to good locally grown, organic-type restaurants with chefs who use seasonal ingredients and ones who like to experience with different tastes. In Brooklyn, my favorite spot was a little Mediterranean place called Café Mogador. Best breakfast in the world.
How I unwind: I’m one of those born-to-run people -- that’s a huge relaxation and relief, and I enjoy it. When I was in the NBA and traveling so much, one of my favorite things was to run around a new city to explore. It’s a really cool way to see a city. I also have been practicing yoga for about 20 years; it’s an important piece of my life and routine.
Day in the life: I’m about four months into this role -- most recently coming from the NBA and TMBO -- and the Sun Life Stadium modernization project really was one of the main drivers in me coming here. With a project changing essentially everything but the address, collectively as an organization we’re undergoing a massive transition. That was inspiring for me to be able to be a part of that.
