Turning the Wheel
Why Bernie Mullin believes finding the path forward begins with the first turn
In his new book, "Reimagining America’s Dream: Making It Attainable for All,” Bernie Mullin reflects on a 50-year American journey as an immigrant that embodies the essence of perseverance and adaptability—one that has helped guide him to becoming one of the world's foremost marketing and sales experts. Noted for his exceptional and groundbreaking contributions in studying consumer behavior, purchase, attendance and viewing patterns in the fields of sports and entertainment, Mullin also became the first foreigner to run a major professional sports franchise.
In recounting his remarkable journey, Mullin remains grounded in humility and gratitude, acknowledging the opportunities afforded to him by the American Dream. His enduring message is one of resilience, reminding us that the journey forward necessitates the courage to turn the wheel and embrace life's myriad twists and turns.
The following is a snapshot of the earlier pivotal moments in his life and transformative decisions that marked his journey to America:
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” - Henry Ford
One of Bernie Mullin’s favorite parables is one he read years ago in Zig Ziglar’s book, “See You at the Top.” The story discusses fleas and flea training. As the parable goes, when the flea trainers place the fleas in a jar and leave the top on, the fleas will jump over and over again to try and escape. But, once you put a lid on that jar, the fleas continually hit the top of the jar, shortly thereafter, they stop jumping as high as the lid. Eventually, the trainers can remove the lid, knowing the fleas have set a limitation in their minds. The ultimate message being – never place a lid on your own thinking!
The story serves as an inflection point for Mullin when he assesses the milestones he has achieved. Ziglar’s parable, in which he equates fleas to dreams and aspirations, is a spiritual lesson on the importance of staying in control of where the boundaries are set in our own lives. It is a story—and a lesson—the world-renowned marketing and sales expert has reflected on often in the more than 50 years since he left Liverpool, England in search of the American Dream.
You can fast-forward and rewind the personal and professional career of Mullin anyway you want. But when the dial stops, it lands squarely on a body of work that is unprecedented for a boy whose introduction to the world of business started while tagging along with his father as he sold insurance door to door. In the five-plus decades since, in a career that has strategically melded everything sports, scholarly and business, Mullin has guided himself between doing what he wanted and what he needed to do.
“My career continually evolved. It wasn't as planned and seamlessly transitioned as it could have been, but rather was a series of opportunities that I was gifted, sometimes even unconventional ones.”
The First Turn
His first turn started in a working-class family in Liverpool, where he was raised on the tough and gritty streets of northwest England’s iconic maritime city. Liverpool, known for its tough yet artistically, culturally and architecturally rich communities, boasted significant contributions to the world. It birthed The Beatles. It was home to football powerhouses Liverpool Football Club and Everton FC. And it pioneered innovations like the first electric signaling railway and the world's first metal-framed building, Oriel Chambers.
For several generations of Mullins, Liverpool’s influence was equally as profound. His grandfather, a dock worker, faced challenges in getting hired due to his Irish Catholic background, often struggling to find work in a pre-Union and predominantly Protestant environment. Despite walking miles twice every day seeking employment at one of the city’s 60 docks, where work was uncertain due to ever-shifting weather and the time of the tides dictating opportunities. His father’s own career was penalized, despite his high life insurance sales production, due to taking a stance as the Union Rep advocating for his colleagues.
Rooted in a lineage that prized giving their all, Mullin cultivated the virtues of diligence, tenacity and ambition that would shape his destiny. Under his father's tutelage, he imbibed the ethos of guardianship and sustenance. "My dad pushed me hard, molding me into a man of classic masculinity and toughness when I was younger. Rightly or wrongly, he taught me to suppress emotions like sympathy and sorrow, traits he saw as weaknesses."
In the course of his early life, Mullin’s father had become his rock—a safety net he knew he could always turn to for help or advice. Until he couldn’t.
Lessons. Learning. And the Path Forward.
When Mullin first heard about his father’s death, he was working at Camp Takajo on Long Lake in Maine. The summer job, which he found through an organization called the British Universities North America Club in 1970, was as a soccer counselor. In exchange for counseling campers, Mullin would receive a summer work visa, free food and accommodations, with a little money left over to see some other parts of the US. It was his opportunity to experience the American dream.
That first trip was a whirlwind of eye-opening experiences. It began with a four-day trip to New York City where he and a friend from England witnessed a homeless person tragically die after falling into one of the docks on the west side, followed by a night in Times Square, where they were caught up in a drug bust they stumbled upon, and then witnessed a bank robbery.
Even if Mullin’s first trip didn’t provide everything he had hoped from the American experience, it gave him a glimpse into what was possible. It would be two years before he would return—a transformative time filled with even more twists and turns. A first-time homeowner, thanks to some money his father left behind, Mullin also became engaged. He met his first wife, Chris, shortly after returning to Coventry to finish his undergraduate studies. Smart, beautiful and athletically gifted, she would become a key partner on the journey ahead to emigrate to the USA.
Mullin’s life was moving in myriad directions. After playing semi-professional football (soccer) for Oxford City Football Club, he was awarded a highly competitive scholarship in 1970 by British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), a highly successful automotive, truck and bus manufacturer that owned iconic brands Austin, Morris, MG, Triumph and Rover. During his time at BLMC, Mullin was given the chance to experience work at almost every level of the company, from the production line to sitting in on senior management meetings.
The experience opened his eyes to the intricacies of doing business in Britain. “I soon learned that no matter how impressive the brand and how far-sighted the leadership team, a house divided against itself simply could not stand. The problems at BLMC were a reflection of broader fault lines in British society at the time. A key part of the problem was that radical union leaders held sway, leading to confrontational labor relations. I had to fight back my astonishment at this display. I knew that there were no easy fixes for the conflict between workers and management, but I had no idea just how bad things had become."
Determined to take another major turn, Bernie again set his sights on America. In 1972, he returned to Maine, this time with Chris, for a second summer at Camp Takajo. When their summer jobs ended, they headed back to England, where Mullin went to work for Serck Tubes, which offered him a marketing manager position. Just as his career was taking off, Goldman, the Owner of Camp Takajo, offered him a scholarship opportunity to study for a master's degree in the US, using his new job as Head Counselor during the summers as justification.
So, in 1973, Mullin turned his sights on America yet again and never looked back. His Master’s and Ph.D. degree pursuits led him to the University of Kansas, where he received his Doctoral degree in organizational behavior and administration. For 10 years, he became an academic leader, serving as a School of Management and Sport Business Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The Professor
Driven by his strategically wired academic thinking and an artful business sense, there is a reason they call Bernie Mullin “The Professor.” The nickname was solidified after he co-wrote the book, “Sport Marketing,” along with Dr. Bill Sutton and Dr. Steve Hardy. Considered the bible for sport marketing, the best-selling book, now in its fifth edition and featuring a web study guide, continues to direct students to a better understanding of the theoretical backbone that is sport marketing.
That Mullin has spent the next 40-plus years systematically working with professional sports, collegiate athletics and entertainment venue operations at the highest levels of the game employing those techniques is no accident. Mullin continues to be a credit to his profession, proof of which can be found in his mentorship to a number of the industry’s highest profile leaders.
Over the years, specializing predominantly in start-ups and turn-around situations, Mullin helped refocus, build and drive proven winning organizations on the field, court and ice. By helping develop and lead a number of high profile peak performing organizations, the lad from Liverpool set the bar as high as it can go. His work can be seen with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who hired him in 1986 as its SVP – Business Operations. His path included stints with the Colorado Rockies (SVP- Business, 1991-1993); the Denver Grizzlies (President/General Manager, 1993-1995); the University of Denver (Vice Chancellor of Athletics, 1995-1999; the National Basketball Association (SVP Marketing and Team Business Operations, 2000-2004; and the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Philips Arena (President/CEO, 2004-2008).
In 2016, he eventually founded the sports marketing firm, The Aspire Group, where he acted first as CEO, and later as Chairman. Aspire went on to become one of the leading outsourced revenue-generating firms globally in the space, generating more than $125 Million in new and enhanced client revenues per year, and over $1.75 Billion since its inception. Mullin’s firm accomplished this while serving 300-plus global brands with 200 employees working in seven countries in 17 different sports. The culmination of his efforts hit an apex when he sold The Aspire Group to Playfly Sports, the fastest growing company in sports multi-media rights, marketing and technology.
“I have been fortunate to experience much of what this exceptional country has to offer. I have lived in three time zones and have worked extensively in the fourth. I moved from the midwestern heartland to New England and back again; from Pennsylvania to Colorado; and from there to the frantic bustle of New York and onto the refined southern hospitality of Georgia. I was caught up in the whole American dream without a doubt, which is why my book is so important to me. I knew that life could be better, and it certainly has proven that way 10 times over. I have climbed the sometimes greasy ladder as a corporate executive, and have built and managed my own successful businesses. In a very real sense, I have lived out much of what the American dream has to offer. I will always be grateful to this country for the challenges and opportunities it has given me.”
To move forward takes change, a change Mullin says you always have the ability to steer.
“You are going to have to turn the wheel. Being able to decide on the direction you must take is a start. If you cannot decide, there are always consequences for every action, and every inaction.” - Bernie Mullin
In a journey with myriad twists and turns, peaks and valleys, Bernie Mullin’s ability to turn the wheel in the right direction has not only paved the way forward for him, but for the scores of lives he continues to touch.
Veteran brand-building and professional development leader Dr. Bernie Mullin shares the insights and strategies leaders use to elevate their teams, organizations, and career strategies. Learn the secrets to transforming your company, building a winning culture, elevating your brand, and mastering the hiring and retention process to reach peak performance.
Order your copy of Reimagining America's Dream today!
I’m thrilled to announce that Bernie Mullins new book is now available for purchase. ALL proceeds from his book: Reimagining America’s Dream, will be donated to The Aspire Difference Foundation to benefit and support single-parent families with preschool children.
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