Pitch and Pros

Pitch and Pros

por Justin Wolfe and Stefan Curtis Jones
Temporada 1
Episode 12 | Football for All (feat. Cody Pillon)
In the latest episode of the Pitch & Pros Podcast, Stefan welcomes Oakland native Cody Pillon (0:00), a former collegiate and semi-professional soccer player turned community builder who's dedicated his life to making soccer accessible to every kid in his hometown. Cody breaks down the origin story of Oakland Genesis, the cost-free youth soccer club he co-founded in 2019, and dives deep into the broken pay-to-play system it was built to fix (2:00). He shares how the partnership with Steph Curry's Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation has strengthened OG's mission (16:08), then walks through what it took to establish the organization's official Board of Directors (20:00). Cody talks about OG's growing connection with Oakland Roots (22:59) before getting into one of the biggest wins of his career — helping bring one of only two FIFA World Cup pitches in the country to an Oakland middle school (26:03). He shares some of OG's proudest academic success stories (28:20), gives his World Cup predictions and thoughts heading into the tournament (32:05), and introduces Oakland United, his citywide coalition working to guarantee every kid in Oakland access to soccer regardless of zip code (35:10). They then head into the "Fast Five" segment (42:20) before closing out the show with Cody's pitch on how to become a pro at establishing sports nonprofits (47:08). Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our YouTube. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Follow our socials for more advice from pros on & off the pitch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 11 | Shared Frequencies (feat. Niyah Badass)
In the latest episode of the Pitch & Pros Podcast, Justin and Stefan welcome their first female and musical guest, Niyah Badass (0:00). Niyah is a DJ, producer, innovator, and the founder of Shared Frequency - a community space that turns album rollouts into real life experiences. Niyah shares the origin story of Shared Frequency (3:03), which leads the trio to discuss their connection to Billboard top-charting rapper, Don Toliver (5:17). They then get into where Niyah gets her music inspiration (7:24), her process for hosting DJ events (9:41), and what it's like to manage workload independently in the music industry (12:31). Later they transition into fashion, learning about how Niyah curates her style (19:00) before breaking down what it takes to become a DJ in 2026 (25:52). Niyah also shares her honest life lessons from her touring experiences with artists such as Boslen, Lil Mosey, Lil Tecca, and Jack Harlow (31:00). She and Justin talk about how important their family is to them as support systems (34:55) before transitioning to the "Fast Five" part of the show (38:04). Finally, they close out the show with Niyah's pitch and how to become a pro DJ and independent creator in the music industry (42:49). Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our YouTube. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Follow our socials for more advice from pros on & off the pitch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 10 | How To Gain Clients in Sports Business
In the latest episode of the Pitch & Pros Podcast, Justin and Stefan open the show by reflecting on Justin's 2025 football season with Oakland Soccer Club and his intentions for the 2026 season (2:20). They then get into what it takes to build a clientele of 300+ athletes as an independently contracted coach and how to establish meaningful business relationships that convert to 5-figure partnerships, such as Stefan's Hulu deal during his time at Ballislife (18:35). From there they explain how to understand different partner/client objectives and how you can successfully track athlete development and campaign performance (34:29). Afterwards, they share tips on how to establish good rapport with clients and manage their expectations (40:27). Finally, they close out the show answering some of your questions in a mailbag segment (52:47) before delivering their closing pitches (1:07:29). Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our Patreon and YouTube. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/PitchandProsMedia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Follow our socials for more advice from pros on & off the pitch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 9: For The Town (feat. Max Ornstil)
Max Ornstil is a former pro footballer who turned his life into an entire creative ecosystem. He played professionally with the Portland Timbers and Oakland Roots, and after stepping away from the game, he didn’t leave football — he redefined his relationship with it. He’s now the Co-Founder of Neighborhood Sports Club, a community-first platform blending futsal, fashion, film, storytelling, and physical space. He sits at the intersection of athlete, artist, and entrepreneur — having worked with the likes of NBA legend Derrick Rose and Bay Area rap icon Larry June — using creativity and culture to build something bigger than himself. Rooted in Oakland, powered by community, and driven by purpose. --- Want early access to episodes and exclusive perks? Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/pitchandprosmedia/membership. Follow us on socials to stay updated on all things P&P. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ LINKEDIN: https://share.google/Y8QD1T0e22mK0L9bu TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 8: The Pros & Cons of Working in Sports
In Episode 8, Justin and Stefan reunite after a 1 year hiatus to recap their 2025. They share updates on how their careers and personal lives have developed since Episode 7 before getting into the pros and cons of working in sports. Finally, they close out the show with their goals for 2026 and what the P&P Family can expect from them in the future. Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Follow us on socials to stay updated on all things P&P. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ LINKEDIN: https://share.google/Y8QD1T0e22mK0L9bu BLUESKY: https://share.google/NLlwob5phJZryOQy6 TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 7: Learn From Our Mistakes
Justin and Stefan kick things off with a quick check-in (0:00) before breaking down how they approach rough days in the life of sports (12:31). The two then dissect the many lessons they've learned from lived experiences (27:10) and how that helped them with finding a work-life balance as a student-athlete (38:00). And they close out the show explaining why it's important to not miss out on early networking opportunities (53:10). Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Follow us on socials to stay updated on all things P&P. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pitch-and-pros-media BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/pitchandpros.bsky.social TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros
Episode 6: Sports Entrepreneurship w/ Nigus "Goose" Kidane
Nigus "Goose" Solomon Kidane is the CEO & Co-Founder of soccer training platform, Golden Booty Academy. He sits down with Justin and Stefan to discuss his journey as an Ethiopian immigrant, the motivations behind his love for football, and the successes and struggles of being an entrepreneur in the sports industry. FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pitchandpros Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pitchandpros.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pitch-and-pros-media/?viewAsMember=true Justin: https://www.instagram.com/justinwolfe06/ Stefan: https://www.instagram.com/stefancjones/ Subscribe to Golden Boot Academy: https://www.youtube.com/@goldenbootacademy Follow GBA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenbootacademy/ Follow Goose: https://www.instagram.com/nihgooseee/ BOOK A SESSION w/ JUSTIN ⚽️ https://app.upperhand.io/customers/1425-goldenboot-academy/events/81110-sf-south-bay-private-training-1-hour
Episode 5: Mastering Mobility & Coaching
Stefan opens with a monologue addressing the fires that have devastated Los Angeles County before him and Justin start the show (4:10). They do a deep dive into five musicians they've been listening to lately along with their favorite album from that artist and favorite song from that album (7:40). Then, the two discuss the importance of incorporating mobility into your routine as an athlete and healthy individual (30:40) before dissecting Justin's approach to coaching European football (27:10). If you or a loved one has been devastated by the LA County fires, here is an ABC 7 Los Angeles link to an aggregated list of resources: https://abc7.com/amp/post/socal-wildfires-where-palisades-eaton-hurst-sunset-fire-victims-can-get-help/15780705/. Prefer to watch us instead? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PitchAndPros. For all Pitch & Pros related updates, follow our social pages: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pitchandpros/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pitch-and-pros-podcast Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/pitchandpros.bsky.social
Episode 4: Navigating Mental Health
Justin Wolfe and Stefan Jones intro the show with their reactions to Kendrick Lamar's surprise release for his new album, "GNX" (2:00) and have a quick check-in with each other about how they've been lately in the midst of Q4 2024 (11:00). They then get into how your physical health impacts your mental health (14:30) and how that can affect your ability to manage the ebbs & flows of your career in sports, music and entertainment (16:00). They discuss the importance of practicing acceptance in life (24:00), nourishing relationships with coworkers/teammates in a healthy way (25:30), and make a distinction between knowing when to just listen and support and when to offer advice (27:00). They close out the show sharing their experiences with therapy (29:30) and being vulnerable about the biggest mental health adversity they've faced and how to overcome those when they arise (37:00).
Episode 3: How to Become a Pro Athlete + Sports Journalist
After a couple months of a hiatus, Justin and Stefan share what's been new and welcome back their producer/editor, Jeremy from his Asia trip. They introduce their new social media content series and reveal that guest will be joining in 2025 (10:43 - 14:20)! The two then relive their favorite moments from their experience at the Don Toliver "Hardstone Psycho" album tour (14:20 - 29:19) before diving deep into the parallels between footy and sports journalism, providing tips on how to become a pro at their respective crafts (29:19 - 1:26:15).
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