Elevating The Whole Human With Lululemon’s Malachi Jones

Guest Malachi Jones, Lululemon

20:26 min watch

Summary

Lululemon North America Sports Marketing Lead Malachi Jones sits down with ADU’s Tai M. Brown at the 2024 NIL Summit in Atlanta to reflect on the journey of transitioning out of sport and share more about the brand’s goal of elevating the whole human via its Ambassador and NIL programs. Jones, who was a Football student-athlete at Appalachian State during its jump from FCS to FBS and went on to a career in the NFL and Arena Football, discusses the experience of discovering who he was outside of sport and how his athlete mentality could further his work at Lululemon. Jones also shares insight into the development of Lululemon’s NIL pilot program and the brand’s goals within the intercollegiate athletics landscape.

The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).

- You were a football player and after playing, found a job with Lululemon. Tell me about the process of trying to find the rush that you used to get from football in this phase of your career.
- It looks like you left Lululemon but then came back?
- Tell me about your role as a "community lead" - did that feel like it tied you back into sport?
- So you're the North America Sports Marketing Lead - what does that entail?
- I imagine the NIL aspect of the Ambassador Program is new?
- Tell me about the Ambassador Program. How does that translate into NIL?
- Where's the line of demarcation between the Ambassador Program and student-athletes representing the brand via NIL?
- So the relationships are primarily with individual athletes - are you doing anything with schools as a whole?
- Talk to me about the process of discovering your identity outside of the sport you played - either from your own personal experience as a football student-athlete or from your perspective as the brand offering opportunities to current student-athletes.
- How has your student-athlete, "I'm a winner" mentality translated into your role with Lululemon?
- I imagine the culture at Lululemon embraces that mentality?
- What specific role are you playing within Lululemon when it comes to building this NIL program?
- Are there other former student-athletes on your team?
- So then you guys understand how student-athletes work.

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