Meet Leigh Steinberg | Sports Agent

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

Hi Leigh, what’s your definition for success?
I was raised by a father and mother with two core values: 1. Treasure relationships, especially family
2. Make a meaningful difference in the world by trying to help people who can’t help themselves

Success is being a good father, a good son, a good brother, and good to my friends when they really need someone to support them. I also ask, did I design programs and projects that address societal problems and help people in need.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I was a dorm counselor while going to law school at UC Berkeley in the early 70’s in the undergraduate dorm. The freshman football team resided in our dorm and one of the athletes, Steve Bartkowski became the first player selected overall in the 1975 NFL draft. He asked me to represent him in his contract negotiations with the Atlanta Falcons. The field of sports agentry was embryonic and unregulated at that time. Franchises were not obligated to take calls from agents. I made the decision that I would only work with athletes who were willing to serve as role models and trigger imitative behavior. We asked them to retrace their roots to the high school, collegiate, and professional communities that supported them. We set up scholarship funds and charitable foundations. I had to make an adjustment early on and realize that there were relatively small sector of the athletic community that shared those values. I needed to profile prospective clients and select those who shared that philosophy to present to. Otherwise, my pitch would fall on deaf ears. The most important skill I needed was the ability to do active listening. Create an atmosphere of trust around another person to get them to share their deepest anxieties and fears as well as greatest hopes and dreams. It was the ability to put myself in the heart and mind of another human being and see the world through their eyes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Newport Beach surrounded by the beach and the bay. There is a ferry to Balboa Island that I would take my friend on. From there, we could catch the Catalina Flyer and travel 25 miles across the sea to that resort. I would visit Disneyland with them which is a place of joy for me. I would visit Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios as well as the Chinese Theater to see the actor’s foot and hand prints. I would take them to Lawry’s Restaurant, the scene of our fondest family memories and then hit the local restaurants, Billy’s at the Beach and Louie’s at the Beach for a dinner looking at the bay and sunset. I love Indian food so we could have Tikka or curry at Mayur where the seasonings are irresistible. We would hit Newport Beach and body surf or boogie board or surf with a surf board.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was inspired growing up by political leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandi who showed courage in fighting for liberation for their people and stood on principle. I would like to dedicate my shout out to my parents Warren and Betty. They told me that when it comes time to fix a problem or right a wrong, I couldn’t wait for the amorphous “they” – older people and political figures to act. The “they” is me and this imbued me with a sense of responsibility.

Website: https://steinbergspeaks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighsteinberg/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesteinberg/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leighsteinberg

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