Eight Things I Learned from Dana White

It’s not every day you get to share the stage with Dana White. But that’s where I found myself last Wednesday, when the UFC President headlined the opening day of CSFX 2014. Imagine my thrill of conducting a live Q&A, in front of my peers, with the brains behind the fastest growing sports organization in history!

So while Mr. White may have thought I was innocently conducting a conversation to entertain our CSFX delegates, I was secretly attempting to pick up some timeless sports marketing lessons.

Trust me, Dana, you fulfilled my wildest dreams. Over the course of forty-five minutes you gave me and the 300 CSFX delegates a lifetime of invaluable lessons. Hope you don’t mind my sharing them with my blog followers. They were so good I would feel selfish keeping them all to myself.

With a nod to the genius of the octagon, here are eight things I learned from my conversation with Dana White at CSFX 2014:

1. Fighting was the world’s first sport. Before any sticks or balls were invented, two guys had a fight, and a third guy ran over to watch, claims White. Fighting is in our DNA and he attributes this as one of the reasons for UFC’s undeniable success. I never thought of fighting as the world’s oldest sport, but he does have a point. Wonder if those first two pugilists were on skates?
2. Chuck Lidell is the world’s toughest accountant.  Who knew the Mohawk sporting former UFC great was a Cal Poly accounting grad? I didn’t, but Dana White loves his fighters because they are multi-talented and, unlike boxers, don’t all have the same downtrodden wrong side of the tracks story. New twist on an old lesson… judging a book by its cover is not only unfair, it can be dangerous!
3. Ronda Rousey is a game changer for women. There is no question Dana White knows how to hype his product. But when it comes to Rousey, his belief in her talents eclipses mere promotion. He is convinced that not only will she transform the image of women in sport, but that Rousey will become a symbol of empowerment for women worldwide. He may be right. She’s a dominating superstar in one of the few sports where women “play” by the same rules as men. But her skill, personality, and determination are Tiger/LeBron/Manziel once-in-a generation like. The lesson? Sometimes it’s okay to believe the hype.
4. Embrace your challenges. When White and his partners bought UFC, they faced stiff political resistance and regulation. UFC couldn’t even get on pay-per-view, when porn was widely available on PPV. Instead of fighting a losing battle, White set out to make the sport safer and embraced regulation. Makes me realize the genius in turning your biggest challenge into your biggest asset.
5. Fan loyalty is key to building a sports brand. Access to athletes has been a UFC hallmark and no matter how successful they become, that won’t change, said White. He was incredulous about stars in other arenas who won’t take five minutes to acknowledge the fans that make them rich. It’s called the customer is king and we all need to be reminded of it.
6. Yes, Dana White loves Canada. White stated that their original business plan focused on the USA, Mexico, and England…all great fight markets. But in his own words he never saw Canada coming and has been thrilled by their success here. Despite the business decision to move the upcoming Jones-Gustafsson fight to Las Vegas (from Toronto), he’s bullish on the GWN.
7. There is no finish line. Many people have a belief that when they reach a certain title in their career or revenue in their business, that somehow things will get “easier.” Just the opposite, said Dana. The more successful you become, the more there is to do. His words remind me that it’s worth remembering the journey is the reward.
8. Dana White walks the talk. At the conclusion of our chat, White agreed to pose for some photos with our delegates. After nearly thirty-five minutes of smiles and selfies he was still greeting every delegate like his new best friend. I was amazed at his utmost generosity with his time.

Dana, thank you for this special moment in my career.