Performing stunts with his bike, racing through challenging terrains and traveling across the country to compete: Jimmy Smith, Missouri State University student and professional athlete, lives his life the way he plays his sports — with focus, adventure and passion.
Besides juggling a full class load and two part-time jobs, Smith, a senior marketing major at MSU, also trains and competes in BMX and mountain bike racing. He has completed seven events so far this year.
“As soon as I slow down, it almost freaks me out. I like to be constantly busy,” said Smith, a southern California native who grew up in Hawaii and moved to Springfield when he was 15. “Whenever you really enjoy something, it doesn’t seem too difficult.”
Why marketing?
Smith, who started competitive BMX racing at the age of 14 and mountain biking just last year, has managed to combine his love for action sports with his interest in marketing as a future career —– an interest he says was cultivated by exposure to Red Bull’s presence in sporting events.
“Being an athlete, racing and trying to make it a career is awesome, but it’s not very sustainable over a long time. I knew I wanted something beyond sports,” said Smith.
So after obtaining an associate’s degree last year, he transferred to MSU to pursue a bachelor’s degree in marketing with an emphasis in sales management. His ideal job — besides being a professional rider — is to work for Red Bull as an athlete marketing manager.
“It’s a really unique position because you have to be someone who can relate to the athlete and a business-minded person. You’re taking the athlete’s dreams and abilities and turning them into content that’s tangible,” said Smith.
Making connections
To attain that goal in the future, he realized he had to gain work experience and network now. When he learned about Red Bull’s student brand manager program, he knew it was the right job for him, but he could not find an opening for the position at MSU.
Instead of giving up, Smith found a way through his involvement in mountain biking to meet with Red Bull’s marketing manager from St. Louis at an event last year. It paid off, as shortly after that September meeting, he got a call with the job offer.
“I just met the right people through mountain biking, made myself apparent and he ended up calling me, which was crazy,” he said.
His main responsibility in this role is to promote the brand’s image on campus in different ways, such as distributing products, sponsoring events and supporting philanthropic activities.
He said the job has not only been exciting but also given him the opportunity to expand his knowledge in marketing and apply the concepts he has learned in class in a practical way.
Full steam ahead
When he graduates in May, Smith is ready for another adventure — moving to Colorado and focusing 100 percent on competing on the professional mountain biking circuit. His goal is to race in every event of next year’s Big Mountain Enduro series, a multi-stage competition throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
“I’m diving in with everything I have and seeing where it’s going to take me, which is scary, exciting and cool,” Smith said.
His marketing knowledge and skill set will be put to good use as he strives to market himself to sponsors and grow his personal brand.
This article was written by Emily Yeap and appeared in the November 17, 2016 edition of The News-Leader and can be accessed online here.