The video he originally posted about fishing in the elites gave me and a lot of others a negative view of him. However, the dude may not know how to get and retain sponsors but he can fish! Seventeenth at Toledo Bend and presently in top 20 on Fork. He needs a social media coach and he might get the sponsors to be financially successful in the Elites.
Watching him weigh in, it appears to me that he is too shy for public speaking. Sponsors want strong representation, not timid people.
Knowing how to fish is secondary to sponsors, selling their product that you are representing is #1. If he doesn't understand the business side of sponsorship, then he better go back to school, as there are no free meals in today's world.
I agree.Originally Posted by Bass in the grass
Not uncommon really. Surprised he didn't get that hurdle overcome in college, but some small colleges aren't really that great-they are just "box check colleges" for people to say they got a degree. He might have to sign up for a real workshop course like "Toastmasters" or the like. It is good to see him do well in spite of his soft competencies in important aspects of his career off the boat.
The only other alternative is to be an incredible worker able to make money on your own with a side hustle. I didn't really get that impression based on him stating he "hated guiding", and how he made it 2 weeks working at amazon before he quit.
It's funny on Zaldains podcast Trait was saying she knew somebody who went on a guide trip with him before these youtube videos and it was apparently the best guide trip he had ever been on. Foutz needs to lean into the guiding / teaching 1 on 1 and try to make some friends / contacts in the sponsor world off of that. I don't think youtube videos are the way, its just too competitive and guys with way bigger personalities already have the market pretty dominated.
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
wow - 9.3!
If professionals who's careers depend on catching fish use FFS then that's what I'm using. Might be too simple of a philosophy but makes sense to me.
He is shy and may have schizoid personality. In any case, his video a while back, while true in many respectsm I think where he says the advice of all the old pros was to take care of fishing and the rest will take care of itself could be a bit dubious. I think it may have been said and that was the part he wanted to hear, but all the old pros I know a;; talk about how rough its always been to get financing'
Exactly, I think him acting shellshocked that you can't make it being on the elites with fishing alone was some selective hearing. I don't think I've ever heard an established pro say they only need to fish well to make a living at it.
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
+1, if you will notice, the most successful pros have no problem standing on the stage and talking. They might not tell you all of their secrets but they can stand there and talk all day. I recall going to a weigh-in many years ago where Gary Klein had finished second, and far and away, he gave the best interview as he elaborated on what he had done all three days.
Tournament fishing has changed sooo much in the last year or two. Wonder what it will look like in two more?
There’s no use being stupid if you’re not willing to show it off.
There are two revenue streams, winning tournaments and winning sponsorships. He clearly can cash checks but when it comes to getting companies to see him as a salesman he's "zero'ing". And that's OK, not everyone has the skillset for things they want to be in life. I for example wanted to be a porn star but just couldn't memorize all those complicated lines. Life goes on!
Being good at it and enjoying it is 2 different things.
I think you're right. Like the old ladies used to tell the bachelors that "someday the right girl will come along". Then they either get taken to the cleaners by that "right girl" or this "right girl" never comes along at all. Sometimes people's kind advice is the worst advice they could ever get.
As someone who can relate to what seems to be Foutz's personality I can honestly say that there are people who are a natural at being social, people who aren't generally social but force it when they have to be, and people who have panic attacks when they have to be social. I think Foutz could force it if he had practice but how many of you could honestly stand up on a big stage with a bunch of people staring at you and belt out a good speech with confidence? If I had to guess NOT MANY. I know I could get my point across but with speech problems being a nervous tic and not an impediment like the ignorant ones assume it is my speech would probably be a disaster. If Foutz puts his heart and soul in professional fishing he might have a chance. We all know he can catch them but that's only a small part of being the "salesman" professional fishermen have to be. As for him only lasting two weeks at Amazon I hear they run their employees into the ground so can't say that I blame him. On the guiding thing if he's really good at it but hates it he might want to consider a different career as a fallback from professional fishing.
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Treat others like you want to be treated when on the water EVEN WHEN IN A TOURNAMENT! No fish is worth having a confrontation because you cut someone off or came in on top of someone.
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