PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
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Photo by: WTA
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■ An insight: When starting out, find something you love to do and fight for it.
■ An influential person in my career: The senior partner at my first law firm, who taught me that your credibility is your most important asset.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Sensors inside of balls to determine scoring plays and in/out calls.
■ A timeless idea: Instead of replying to an email, pick up the phone. Handwritten thank-you notes.
■ A business deal: MLB’s new collective-bargaining agreement reached without any public hoopla.
DIANA MYERS
General Counsel,
Women's Tennis Association
■ Where I'm from: I grew up in Hartland, Wis., and now live in St. Petersburg, Fla.
■ Where I Went to School: B.A. in finance, University of South Florida; J.D., Stetson University College of Law.
■ My First Job: Golf course 19th hole.
■ A sports facility: Lambeau Field in December.
■ A sports event: Wimbledon.
■ A strategy: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
■ A hire: Someone who doesn’t just talk the talk, but walks the walk.
■ An innovation: On-court coaching in tennis.
■ A pro league or team business initiative: NASCAR-Twitter digital partnership.
■ A story that bears watching: Initiatives to speed up sporting events.
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Twitter.
What I Like about …
■ My job: It is something new every day. Additionally, I am motivated by seeing our younger tennis players growing into strong, independent women.
■ Sports: Cheering for the underdog.
■ Sports business: Sport has an ability to change people’s lives, and that inspires me daily.
■ Sports media and technology: Worldwide mobile access to live events and instantaneous scores and stats.
■ Competing: The adrenaline rush of a game-winning point, hit, touchdown, or goal is not something you can replicate in many other areas of life.
■ The future (or direction) of sports business: More health and safety initiatives for players. Bringing fans closer to players.
■ Sports fans: Passion and loyalty.
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Speed up instant replay.
■ See more of in sports: Athletes giving back to fans.
■ See more of in sports business: More female agents and female executives in sports.
■ See less of in sports: Injuries.
■ See less of in sports business: Distrust between owners and athletes.
■ See different: Shorten the MLB season and expand the playoffs.
■ Eliminate: The unfortunate situation of former million-dollar athletes in bankruptcy.
What I don't like …
■ In general: Dishonesty.
■ Pet peeve: Adding “’s” to the end of a word that ends in “s.” Mrs. Borzykowski, my English teacher at St. Charles, would roll over in her grave.
■ In sports: Thursday night football. Not enough time to adjust my fantasy team roster.
■ In business: Win-at-all-costs attitude.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
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Peachy Kellmeyer
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ That would surprise those who know me: I was in the first group of girls allowed to play Little League and I made the All-Star Team.
■ Heroes: My parents; they never missed a day of work and instilled in all of us that family is the most important thing. Peachy Kellmeyer, a WTA tennis legend, who spearheaded a lawsuit that paved the way for Title IX, which provided me as well as our WTA players with the opportunities we have had in sports and business.
■ Teams: Tampa Bay Rays, Green Bay Packers.
■ Possession: A replica World Championship Wrestling belt from my former job.
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Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Memento: I keep a book of tickets from all the events my husband and I have attended since we met.
■ Magazines: People Magazine is my great escape from legal trade magazines.
■ Websites: VRBO.com, seatguru.com and pretty much anything else I need to know I can find on the MSN home page.
■ Gadgets: GPS is one of the best inventions ever!
■ Chores: I never let my husband do laundry.
■ Hobbies: Anything outdoors: running, biking, hiking, skiing, etc.
■ Movies: I stay to watch all the credits at the end of movies.
■ TV: “Sex in the City” reruns.
■ Concerts: Steve Miller Band at the outdoor DTE Energy Music Theater.
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Adele
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Artist: Street artists in the cities we visit.
■ Dessert: Anything chocolate.
■ Drink: There is nothing better than a draft beer in a microbrewery tasting room.
■ Scent: Lilacs. It always reminds me of the first warm day of spring.
■ Singer: Adele.
■ Quote: “I am a strong believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”
