Sports can be a notoriously difficult industry to break into. Never mind playing as a professional, even landing sports-related jobs, whether that is in marketing, journalism or data analysis, these roles are highly competitive and fill up fast with seasoned and well-connected applicants.
Those obstacles did not stop Richmond Weaver from creating the podcast ‘Rich Take on Sports’, which now has almost 150 episodes exploring the influence and impact of sports. In every episode, the audience becomes witness to conversations with personalities and luminaries who have been impacted, built, and inspired by the role of sports in their lives as they share their personal stories. Because like Weaver has said, “sports shapes us, it heals us, it empowers us, it connects us and for so many people, including me, it’s been a major part of our own personal story – so I wanted to create a platform to share those stories.” The podcast can be found on all the major podcasting platforms and was even featured every Saturday morning on SB Nation Radio and their network of national affiliates from September 2018 to October 2019.
Since starting the podcast, Richmond has also become involved in local sports radio previously as a co-host on ESPN Upstate and as host of the ‘Ingles Tailgate Show’ each Saturday on 92.5 WESC. But radio and podcast were not the only broadcast experiences he was interested in. Weaver has helped produce the 12-episode documentary series ‘Clemson’s Greatest Games’ that aired throughout the state of South Carolina.
Weaver, a graduate of Clemson university, gravitated towards all sports at an early age while developing a true passion for basketball. During his time at Clemson, he worked with the men’s basketball team under Head Coach Cliff Ellis as a student manager before following his dream of coaching college basketball at the Division I level, serving as an assistant at Fairleigh Dickinson University for one year, followed by two years at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. When looking back at his career as a basketball coach, Richmond believes, “while I might have failed to reach the pinnacle of college basketball coaching it was through sports that I learned to have courage, confidence and conviction to face the unknown which ultimately led me to finally press record to start the podcast.”
However, life led down a different path, one in which he has enjoyed over 20 years in medical sales holding key positions at Elan Bio Pharmaceuticals as a sales representative, national sales trainer, and district sales manager before representing Medtronic Spinal & Biologics as a Senior Sales Consultant. After moving to Greenville, SC in 2012, Richmond founded the medical device distributorship, Touchstone Alliance, and in 2014 he helped build the salesforce for Rotation Medical which was ultimately acquired by Smith + Nephew.While his life led him down a unique career path, sports have always remained a constant in some way or another. This inspired him to start the Rich Take On Sports podcast based on his belief that “you never know when someone’s personal story might be an inspiration for hope for somebody else.” Past guests have included ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas, Clemson Football Head Coach Dabo Swinney, ESPN Host Maria Taylor, Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Defensive Lineman Grady Jarrett, WNBA Las Vegas Aces Guard Kelsey Plum, PGA Tour Pro Stewart Cink, and South Carolina Women’s Basketball Head Coach Dawn Staley and many others. As the podcast continues to grow, his sports endeavors are a reminder that a full-time job does not have to become your identity, and there is always room for your passion and a second chance at becoming who you have been all along.