5 Quotes by Famous Baseball Players to Inspire Your Content Production

Baseball is off to a rough start in 2022. If you’re like me, you’re anxiously waiting to see what the season holds as the lockout continues.

Baseball is and always has been a part of both my personal life and my work as a producer. As we wait for this year’s baseball season, join me in taking a moment to enjoy some baseball quotes by famous players that can be inspiration for your content production process.

 

Babe Ruth: Make sure you cover every base

If there’s one thing the Great Bambino can teach you about content production, it’s to make sure you don’t miss any step before you round the bases. Whether you’re putting together a statement of work or a shot list, it’s about more than making sure your production team hits a home run. When it comes to content production, success means double-checking every piece needed to ensure everyone involved from the Production Assistant to the Photographer to the Executive Producer has what they need to reach their goals.

Call sheet ready for tomorrow’s shoot? Check. Legal requirements for location met? Check. Payroll, contracts, and other paperwork signed and ready to go? Check. There are many more check marks to add to the list, but the Sultan of Sweat reminds us that when it comes to content production don’t overlook the small things when you want to knock one out of the park.

 

Todd Helton: Know your goals and how far you can go

Do you know what you want to accomplish? Do you know what messaging and story you want your video to say about your brand? Inspirational words from former Colorado Rockies player Todd Helton also speaks to the need to define your goals for your content. The five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove Award winner clearly understands the value of both knowing your goals and understanding how far you can push your success.

Before you develop creative or put together a budget, do you know what results you’re looking for? Do you want to generate awareness of your product or service? What story do you want your content to tell? How do you want audiences to think, feel, or react to your content?

Prior to starting any project, take a moment to review what you’ve done and where you want to go with your future video or photo content. Todd Helton’s advice shows us that knowing where you’ve been and where you want to go can help you determine what it looks like to reach and surpass your goals.

 

Hank Aaron: Learn from failure

There is no shortage of baseball quotes by famous players about success and teamwork, but Hank Aaron’s words of wisdom touch on an important lesson for your content. Not every video or photo will be a grand slam. But instead of dwelling on mistakes, what supports your future approach to your content production process is what you learn from your failures.

During one of my video shoots, my co-worker had asked us to capture an event to use as b-roll. Unfortunately, she didn’t mention that the spaces had union crew and regulations. The events manager also didn’t see my message notifying her we would be filming that day. The videographer also forgot to mention he wanted to record sound as well.

All of the miscommunication led to a frustrated crew and a lesson for me on what questions to ask and whom to ask. Before my next video project, I sat down with the production crew to understand union rules, who needed to be notified, and what I needed to clarify with our events manager ahead of time. Taking Hammerin’ Hank’s advice to see failure as an opportunity to learn served not only the production and events team and my company, but also my leadership approach for future shoots.

 

Ken Griffey, Jr.: Make adjustments when needed

After you create and communicate your production schedule, that’s it, right? Not exactly. Knowing how and when to change course is important in case the results don’t happen as planned. As someone who set the record for the highest percentage of votes in the history of the Hall of Fame at 99.32%, Ken Griffrey, Jr. understands when it’s time to make necessary changes in order to accomplish what you want.

When you work in photo and video production, making adjustments is a part of the process. The unexpected always happens and you have to be flexible to figure out solutions on-the-fly. On nearly every video shoot, I’ve been asked if it’s possible to unplug refrigerators, turn off air conditioning in a specific room, and whether or not we can use colorful furniture and rugs from the lobby. Knowing where random items are and whom you can ask for support goes a long way when things don’t go as planned. On every shoot, I thank Griffey, Jr.’s advice for reminding me to stop, ask questions, and make necessary adjustments to get production back on track.

 

Jackie Robinson: Don’t overthink it

One of my favorite baseball quotes by famous players is this one from Jackie Robinson, and that’s not just because I’m a Dodgers Fan. Robinson’s thoughts are an important reminder to not spend too much time dwelling on doubts and indecision.

Working as a content producer, I’ve faced imposter syndrome more than once. When conducting an interview, I wonder if I could reframe a question or if I have the talent and knowledge to do my job. It can be easy to fall into a whirlwind of “what ifs,” but it often leaves me paralyzed and nothing gets done.

There are times when it’s fine to be a spectator, such as when I’m listening to a client’s concerns or observing a photographer as they give pointers to someone during a shoot. However, the one thing I am constantly working on is knowing when I have to get off the bench, trust my instincts, and move forward with a decision. If you wait too long to make everything perfect, you miss the opportunity to add valuable insights to the production process.

 

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