Today we’d like to introduce you to Henry Organ.
Henry, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a Bay Area native who grew up in Berkeley, California. My family played an integral role in shaping me into becoming a visionary. My grandpa on my dad’s side was the second black President of American College Surgeons and went on to save Warren Buffet’s life. My grandpa on my mom’s side was one of the first black engineers at IBM and then started his own real estate business because he “wanted to make money while he was asleep.” My mom was also a top sales representative for Johnson & Johnson. Being surrounded by business-minded family members, I learned how to negotiate and broker deals by creating win-win situations for all parties.
My goal has always been to follow in my family’s footsteps in my own unique way. After graduating from Portland State with a degree in Communications, I went on to pursue my master’s in Business and Sports Management at the University of San Francisco.
I launched my career at Nike in Football Brand Marketing and was responsible for bringing projects to life. While working at Nike, I began developing connections with top athletes who were consistently getting drafted. I’m the only agent in the NFL who has experience in working at Nike in Football Brand Marketing. When I left Nike, I ran a sports modeling agency that serviced ex-athletes who did not make it to the league. This is when I realized that sports agents were not educating their players on how the game really works. I saw the need to make a change in the sports world by truly advising and educating athletes. Instead of stroking their egos, I wanted to develop these players into successful young men.
I wanted to start a sports agency of my own that was minority-owned and focused on empowering athletes of color. With my education, several connections, and an innovative approach, I launched Disruptive Sports Agency in Oakland, CA.
“Me being a minority myself in an industry that is not dominated by people who look like me does not intimidate me, rather inspires me.” – Henry Organ on Disruptive
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road for every entrepreneur has numerous struggles. To me, the most prominent struggle yet has been not paying any mind to the naysayers. The biggest struggle we all face is blocking out the naysayers. People that have never done what you’re doing will always tell you what you can’t do. As an entrepreneur, finding the people that have done what we want to do and getting advice from them is crucial. Even with sound advice, as an entrepreneur, you must learn how to trust your gut and intuition. You must be confident in navigating uncharted territory and believe in yourself even if no one else fully understands your vision.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the founder of Disruptive, one of the only minority-owned sports agencies. We pride ourselves in teaching players financial literacy and setting them up for success on and off the field. While many people promise that, few deliver. Not only do we pride ourselves in our negotiation tactics for our players to capitalize as professional athletes, we equip our clients with a playbook so they never have to work again once their playing days are over. We want players to be able to not only transform their families lives but make an impact in their respective communities. Disruptive is here to revolutionize the sports agency industry.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success in my mind is positively impacting as many lives as possible. Personally for me, success is defined by how many players I can help obtain their goals, but more importantly, making my clients wealthy and changing their families trajectories for life. It’s imperative that I help minority athletes realize the game can and should be utilized simply as a tool for everlasting success.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.disruptivesports.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henryorgann/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/henryorgann
- Other: https://nflpa.com/profile/agent/55577
