John Kmitta Associate Publisher / Editorial Brand Director jkmitta @ epgacceleration . com 763-383-4405

I recently had the pleasure of helping colleagues from our parent company with a conference they were hosting in my hometown of Chicago .

First , a little background : SportsField Management is published by EPG Brand Acceleration , a media company with more than a dozen brands in various markets . Our company is home to content creators , marketers and event specialists . In addition , our sister company , EPG Specialty Information , is a provider of data-driven insights and analytical services . So , although my focus is on SportsField Management , my extended corporate family includes other journalists , marketers , sales professionals , art directors , data analysts , events professionals , and more .

The recent event for which I lent a hand was geared toward beverage retailers , as well as bars and restaurants — completely out of my knowledge base and decidedly unrelated to may day-to-day tasks on SportsField Management . However , it was extremely beneficial to me in different ways .

First and foremost , it was about supporting my extended team . I ’ m sure you have regular interactions with others in your organization who have nothing to do with your athletic fields . Yet there are times when you feel it important to step up and lend your expertise — or even just a helping hand — to accomplish the task at hand . There is great value and pride

in being supportive , even if it means putting your own workload on the back burner for a bit .

I also benefit from seeing how others approach their jobs . For example , I have regular discussions with editors from our other publications . Although they are covering completely different industries , hearing about how they approach their jobs helps me to think more creatively about how I cover the sports field management industry .

As for the conference I just attended , I found value in hearing the guest speakers . Even though the core content was geared toward another profession , it is clear that we all deal with similar personal and professional development challenges . In addition , I always benefit from speaking with people from other industries and other walks of life — even if it is just as part of a group conversation over lunch . Much can be learned from the career journeys and life experiences of others .

So , although something may seem like it is not applicable to you , my advice is to get outside of your comfort zone . Look at how other industries and other professionals are approaching their tasks , ask people from other walks of life about their challenges and their successes , read about trends in other industries , and be open to new ideas . Then take a step back and think about how you can apply some of those lessons to your day-to-day approach . It will be well worth it . SFM

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SportsField Management | July 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com