EGQT002 – Excellence in soccer: International soccer-themed adventures with an ex-professional – Interview with Billy Hartman

Posted April 3, 2016

Brief introduction of my today´s interview partner:

Billy Hartmann is living his dream! He is in passion with what he always wanted to do: Youth development in combination with soccer and travelling!

Soccer always has been giving a lot to him! During his first stay abroad, in the age of 15, at a training academy of Aston Villa, where he became selected for an extended stay, he could feel the impact not only on his soccer game but also what this stay meant for his personal development in terms of different cultures and mentalities. That time he realized already how this stay has been broadening his horizon! This first time far away from home was actually the beginning of founding later on his own business. Since that time he always wanted to hand over to other young kids such windows of opportunities. His drive, his motivation was not necessarily to become an entrepreneur, in order to achieve this. He would have been also happy working for a company, which would have focused on youth development on such a level and at the way he wanted to do it. But a company like this did simply not exist, so that he decided to make his own thing. And this, he did really impressively well. What he and his partners have build up until today is absolutely stunning and breath taking!

They are meanwhile very well established and excellent linked with the top European soccer clubs. They have formed – with the support of adidas – cooperations with e.g. Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chelsea London among others, which allow Billy´s team to utilize their training facilities and their coaching staff. Meanwhile they have kids even from Canada, Japan, India and Australia, who are going to join their programs and they offer travelling even to South America! And according to Billy, this is still all under development, still so much more to do, so much potential not even scratched! As Billy mentions, he is feeling like just being in a 10 year start-up phase! When you listen to him, you can feel his sparkling in his eyes, his passion and his joy to bring his programs even to the next level!

Due to his motto „Do what you like and like what you do!“, he created for himself a comfort zone where he could make out of his passion his profession and he is furthermore excited to see what all else may still happen in the future!

Just join his interview and come to know more about this really outstanding program(s) and the character Billy Hartmann with his point of view in many different aspects. Apart from the fact, that it is really a pleasure spending some quality time with this special character!

Helping young kids to learn more about theirselves combined with soccer led him to the fact, that today he can feel at home at many places in and outside the US…! Be prepared for another audio-firework with Ricardo Setyon! Ricardo – world traveller and speaking 8 languages – has a lot more to share in today´s 2nd part of his podcast interview. No wonder, because only one podcast episode is a bit short for somebody, who lived on almost all continents and who has accompanied 8 Football World Cups, 10 Under 20 FIFA World Cups and 6 Summer Olympic Games, besides numerous coverages in the Formula 1 during 6,5 years.

Profile interview partner

Name: Billy Hartman

Age: 52

Residence: Atlanta/ Georgia, USA

Marital status: Single

Children: 3 lovely girls (18, 15 and 13 years old)

Professional education: MBA in communications

Current profession: Owner and operator of „Generation adidas international“

Interests, hobbies: Soccer, food, working in a company he is enjoying doing so much

„Do what you like and like what you do!“

(Billy Hartman)

„No-no“ that he is unwilling to tolerate at all: People, who are not open to other cultures and not open to learn from other people who are different from them.

Professional career

His professional career in soccer was very short. It was a couple of years after college, when he played indoor soccer for 2 years, which would best be described now as semi-pro. At that time it was the only professional league available for college graduates, which was back in the late 80s respectively early 90s. From there he decided, after an injury, that put him back a little bit, to go into a family business. They were operating their own business with different benetton stores. It was a tremendous experience for him, which gave him a first sniff for entrepreneurship, which still today he not wants to have missed. 8 years later, after they had sold their stores, he began working for Umbro. He really felt like that it was important to get some corporate structure and experience, after having made his first professional experience in an entrepreneurial environment. So he started working for Umbro as a middle manager in marketing and worked his way up 8 years later to the vice-president in sales and marketing for the US division. But then it was time for him to leave Umbro and to start his own business, which he is doing now.

And what he has to share here with regard to his business is absolutely stunning. They way he is helping younger kids to open their eyes for other cultures and to make their own experiences also outside of the soccer field is just outstanding!

Billy appreciates the endless opportunities which soccer has been offering to him his whole life and is more than happy to share this with the younger generation (and not only the younger generation…). A really remarkable character who understands quite impressively to draw wonderful parallels between soccer and daily life/ profession.

I just can encourage you to spend some of your precious time for listening to this interesting interview partner. It´s worth it!!!

You may expect here as usual a shortened version of the interview (32:53 min.) and the unabridged original version (53:03 min.). To get free access to the unabridged original version, simply click on the „VIP“ area and get your password. Then continue under „VIP“ in the corresponding podcast at minute 30:45, if you want to avoid any repitition from the shortened Version.

Content abridged podcast

In the abridged version of this interview (32:53 min.) you will hear amongst others about …

what makes his program(s) so special
how it all started with his exclusive international program(s)
why he feels like being in a 10 years start-up phase
why the cooperation worked with adidas and not with Umbro
what makes his new program „third half soccer“ so exciting
the different program locations and relationships
why he is so grateful and fascinated by his international team
how he deals with international travelling
why he felt in love with soccer and not with American football
his soccer network and his cooperation with the MLS (Major League Soccer)

Content unabridged, original version

The unabridged original version in full length (53:03 min.) opens you additionally the opportunity to hear about…

why Dave Richardson as the former academy director of Aston Villa is the personality, who has impressed him most in his life
his biggest professional challenge
how a domino effect of boards led to an unforgettable and funny memory of his first soccer game as a pro
how the summer in the soccer academy in Aston Villa had changed his life
remarkable parallels, he draws between soccer and profession
with which nice measures he promotes team spirit in his team
how he reduces his stress level
a wonderful and very special encounter between kids from his program and kids from Westham United
what quality of life means to him
which wish/ desire he still has for the future