Meet Jaydeep Joshi | CEO of Flex Sports & Sports Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaydeep Joshi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaydeep, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?

When it is all said and done, I would like my legacy to be the culmination of a few things: 

1. I followed my passion and found success, without sacrificing my morals and character.
2. The relationships I have with everyone are authentic, and people will always get the real me.
3. I never give up.

The sports representation business has immensely grown in popularity since I embarked on that career path more than a decade ago. This is obviously due to the overall popularity of professional sports but is also in part due to mainstream media programs like ‘Entourage’ and ‘Ballers’ glamorizing the the business. Add to the fact that some of the biggest agents in the game today are seen as celebrities, themselves — which is contrary to the fundamentals of talent representation in general, but I digress.

As a result of this popularity and desired fame, new agents are perpetually entering the space while incumbents are looking for ways to gain an edge in recruiting, signing, and representing athletes, for better or for worse. Speaking negatively of competing agents and slandering is commonplace and is just the tip of this iceberg of the lengths some will go to find success, but it is certainly not a tactic I subscribe to. Young athletes often seek out what they consider to be the “cool” choices in representation when the best choice for them is likely the person who can offer the most time and effort to them. Unfortunately, a lot of athletes get swayed by false promises in the recruiting process and my active decision to avoid doing just that, and refusing to stray from my moral compass truly does make my job exponentially more difficult. But I can sleep well at night knowing that people are getting the authentic me, from start to finish.

My favorite aspect of sports representation is that it is a business built on relationships. Being able to nurture meaningful relationships with people, becoming part of their extended families, and working together towards a common goal is the best part of the job. As such, I treat the recruiting process as an opportunity for me to demonstrate that my intentions are sincere and that I truly care about those individuals, their families, and their overall well-being.

The profound lesson I have learned along the way is that life is not necessarily about searching for clear skies but figuring out how to weather the storms. I always joke around and say, “Statistically, you win some and lose more”, but in both the wins and the losses, one thing that stays consistent about me is that I find ways to learn from them both. I never give up, where most see problems, I begin working on solutions. This is what I am most proud of and what makes me good at my job.

What should our readers know about your business?

I am in the business of athlete management. My job is to represent professional athletes in all their business endeavors and beyond. For team sports like basketball and football, I assist athletes in negotiating contracts with their respective teams, and for all my clients, I source and negotiate their endorsement deals with brands within and outside their respective sports.

Working and succeeding sports is just like every career – it is a lot of hard work. This career is something I began manifesting at the age of nine, and I have been working in sports marketing and representation in various capacities for the better part of a decade. How I got to where I am today starts with the village of support I have from my family and peers. Finding success is not a one-person effort, and I would be remiss to not acknowledge those who were instrumental in helping me reach this point. I am also blessed to have grown up with the most ideal examples of role models beyond my immediate family— one being the late, great Kobe Bryant. Consciously I was a fan of his incredible talent as a basketball player, but subconsciously, Kobe had 20 years of imprinting on me that success is a culmination of the work put in when there was no immediate tangible reward. I learned from him that remaining intentional with my efforts and consistently showing up and putting in the work would yield the results I desire.

The business demands constant attention, and that does not come without agents having to make sacrifices. For better or for worse, my sacrifice comes in the form of fewer hours of sleep. What makes it bearable is a combination of my generally jovial nature along with a bit of help from the copious amounts of caffeine I consume. All this does not come without some semblance of balance though. I am proud to say that I can manage my time despite my growing responsibilities, and I am still able to make plenty of time for my family as well as myself. My favorite stress reliever is a good two-hour gym session, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who trying to expel any type of stress in their life. During my time at the gym, although I am still available to my clients via phone call, I do not check my emails or text messages and try to disconnect from my responsibilities from the outside world. These boundaries have enabled me to improve my overall well-being and enable me to refocus on my work with the same vigor, day after day, without suffering from burnout.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I may not have a week long itinerary off-hand, but I can give you the recipe for a perfect day. Start the morning early and take a nice hike up the Hollywood sign. This is one of my favorite hikes because it is very accessible and is also dog-friendly! After burning off some calories, take some time to replenish them with a breakfast taco at Homestate, a Tex-Mex style eatery. If you want to cool off, you can take a 45-minute drive to Venice beach and take a dip, or seek shelter in your residence until the late afternoon. One that afternoon heat dissipates, head to Farmers Market off of Fairfax Ave. They have a great outdoor covered bar with amazing beer, amongst a ton of food spots if you are craving an afternoon bite. Right next door to that is one the best spots to walk around, get a drink and people-watch: The Grove. They have great restaurants, outdoor bars, and a bunch of shops from Nike to Nordstrom, if you need to get your spending on. If you would like to continue a food tour and dinner is up next, I would have to say Sugar Fish on La Brea is the best place to go because frankly, they have some of the best sushi you can find in SoCal. In my opinion, a lot of the other sushi places around LA are either overrated or way overpriced, and this is where Sugar Fish shines, being of great value (relative) and amazing quality. And of course, you know we can’t spend a night out without visiting a sports event, either at Staples Center (I refuse to call it anything else) or at So-Fi Stadium. Then we may finish the night out with a nightcap at my favorite rooftop, Freehand.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would like to give the biggest shout-out to my number one client and fan: my wife, Tanuja. If there was a secret formula on how best to support one’s partner in all aspects, she would certainly have it. Like in most other careers, success in sports is not an overnight phenomenon. Initially there were times when I struggled to see the progress I was making because I was concerned with success equating to that homerun moment. Fortunately for me, I have not had to navigate the emotional rollercoasters alone, and Tanuja has been just the co-pilot I have needed to weather the storms. I have always told her she is a “one-percenter” because of her grace and poise in the most stressful of situations, and her unique ability to see those moments from the most positive perspectives. That is her greatest strength and I hope to learn that skill from her as we grow together. On top of that, she has selflessly and unconditionally supported my dreams and aspirations. I am forever grateful to her for everything she is to me. There is nobody who I would rather have by my side, and all my victories, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, are equally hers.

I would also like to shout-out my amazing parents. Their support has come in many fashions, but what resonates most with me is how they have allowed me to freely pursue a career in sports, all without suggesting other careers, which they may have deemed were more stable. They are both from very technical backgrounds, and although they could not provide a blueprint for me to follow my dreams, all they ever asked of me was to be honest on where I could utilize their help. That positive outlook and allowing me to figure it out on my own has always been more support than I could ask for; and every other form of support they’ve provided along the way has been the cherry (or cherries) on top. I love you Mom and Dad.

Website: flexsports.net

Instagram: instagram.com/jayjoshisports

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayjoshisports

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaydeepMJoshi/