What do you enjoy the most about being a fundraiser coach?
Helping teams raise money for their needs that are not covered by the schools budget.
What is the best part about being a Gold Athletics Sales Rep?
Meeting the players and coaches. As a coach myself during the summer with high school aged players, I know each has a different comfort level. So I try to give them the confidence to do something that is outside of their comfort zone.
How would you describe the company culture at GA in a few (2 or 3) words?
Loyal to each other.
How did you get into sports fundraising at GA?
I was recruited based on my participation on a Youth board. I had three interviews that felt so natural because of what I did in my youth program. I was hired by Steve Ash who is a great mentor.
What didn’t you know before you started that you wish someone had told you?
How much time it would take to sign merchants for our discount program. That's changed because we now have a merchant team. Now I miss that a little bit but just a little bit. I still will make a cameo merchant visit here and there.
What would you tell someone hoping to enter the field?
It’s rewarding and when you work with a team, you like to follow their success, I feel like I am part of the team…torn a little when two teams I work with play each other.
What is the one thing that makes you good at your job? And one thing you are striving towards in your role?
I am a coach coaching high school level players. I understand the day to day challenges both the coaches and players have. I know the coaches number one priority is their team and I like to give them that space. I strived to get the coach to realize we run our program that is modeled on previous successes. For the players I hope what I teach them helps off the field as well as the team bonding they get by working with Gold Athletics.
What is changing the most in your fundraising industry?
New technology has taken away from the face to face interaction, it's both good and bad.
How will your role evolve in 5, or 10 years? How will it get there?
Time will tell, I am the old guy on the team but I'm just a boy in a man's body. I want to keep helping programs raise money and instill confidence with the student/athlete.
What kind of person would do well in your role?
Someone who understands that being flexible and being able to understand that not everyone is the same.
Keep up with Fundraising Coach Sharky on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn!
Twitter: Mark "Sharky" Chatalian
LinkedIn: Mark "Sharky" Chatalian
ABOUT Gold Athletics is dedicated to career development while servicing the experience for not just Coaches, Supporters and Players, but employees and team members, too! The 'Interview with a Sales Rep' series was created to reach future employees and share GA's company culture, proudly. We are on a roll, sourcing top talent and showing the world what our team is made of. In order to build relationships with current and future reps, we are sharing our Fundraising Reps experience working with the team, about the industry and how we're making waves in today’s world of Sports Fundraising. Company culture is important to us and we want to share the in's and out's, on a more personal level!