Why You're Only Getting One-Off Gigs (And How to Fix It)

What a Cotton Bowl VP Looks for Before Hiring Any Creative (MMCB S7E53) Get hired as a creative by a corporate brand: Cotton Bowl Classic VP Scottie Rodgers shares the content strategy, proposal skills, and creative branding tips top brands look for. What actually separates a creative who gets a one-off gig from one who gets a standing corporate contract? In this episode of MMCB's Resources for Creative Entrepreneurs series, Ron Ironically Jr. and Shy Speaks sit down with Scottie Rodgers, Vice President of Communications for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, with 32 years working in college athletics. Scottie sits on the hiring side of the table — and he's telling creatives exactly what he looks for, what makes him say no, and what makes him bring someone back again and again. From presentation and paperwork to sponsorship-driven content strategy and the mindset shift from "creator" to "brand," this episode is a masterclass in how to get taken seriously by a corporate client. If you're a creative entrepreneur trying to land bigger contracts — not just more gigs — this episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE 0:00 You are a brand as a creative 2:56 Meet Scottie Rodgers 5:43 Why his role is strategy, not creation 8:54 The 3 things he looks for before partnering with a creative 12:50 Beyond social media: streaming, internal comms, and owned platforms 23:31 What "follow-up" really means 26:25 Every creator is a communicator 27:45 Why you have to be able to sell your own work 33:48 The hard skills creatives skip: LLCs, W9s, invoicing 39:21 Why presentation has to match the work 40:26 How contractors get staffed in permanently 45:34 Building sponsor-driven content that raises your value 52:47 What he's had to learn and unlearn 56:26 Community, collaboration, and cash KEY TAKEAWAYS Talent gets you in the door — follow-up, consistency, and business paperwork keep you in the room. Every piece of content is an asset with a value you have to actively build. Presentation and packaging communicate value before your work ever gets seen. Being a "partner" instead of a vendor changes how a relationship gets treated. Complementary skill-pairing can win bigger contracts than going it alone. CONNECT WITH SCOTTIE RODGERS Vice President of Communications, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic CONNECT WITH MMCB Website: https://www.mmcbpodcast.com Join the Creative to CEO Challenge: https://www.creativetoceochallenge.com Subscribe for weekly conversations helping creative entrepreneurs build businesses through strategy, structure, and self-development. Comment below: What's one piece of "business paperwork" you've been putting off?