In a world where success is often equated with fame, it’s important to recognize and celebrate those who have made an extreme impact in their fields without receiving the same flowers as those in front of the camera. Paxton Baker, my latest guest, is the perfect example of that. He joined me to open up about his experiences working his way through BET to an executive position, how he strategically put himself in the position to become a sports team owner, latching onto what you’re passionate about, and more. He’s incredibly business savvy but manages to explain his approaches and methods in ways that any listener can understand and work towards.
Key Takeaways:
Not everyone can claim to be a businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with over 30 years of experience across the entertainment, music, sports, and production industries, but not everyone is today’s powerhouse guest Paxton Baker.
You need to tune in not only to hear his powerful story, but to establish:
- A position for yourself doing what you actually find value and meaning in
- Long-lasting relationships that provide opportunities that you couldn’t have otherwise been exposed to
- Negotiating and communication skills that secure deals and make people want to work with you (hint: it’s not about how you tell somebody to do something, it’s how you ask)
- A multifaceted public persona as opposed to a one-dimensional character
- Healthy habits that leave you clear-headed and focused
- …and more!
Who is Paxton Baker?
He might not be a household name for every listener, but let me break down why he absolutely should be.
Paxton is a minority owner of the Washington Nationals Baseball club, chairman of the Washington Nationals Founding Partners Group, and governing Board Member of the Global Sports Summit, which is an exclusive gathering of global sports franchise owners and industry leaders.
In 2018, Paxton launched the Washington, DC office of Liquid Soul, the agency behind the marketing and promotion of blockbuster films like Black Panther and Fast & Furious 6. Prior to that, he served for 16 years as Executive VP and General Manager of CENTRIC, which is a BET network, and President of BET Event Productions, which produced music festivals, award shows, TV specials, and concerts across the world.
Additionally, Paxton was appointed by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives to serve as a member of The Congressional Award Foundation National Board of Directors followed by an election to serve as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the Board.
On the charity side, Paxton was elected to join the Board of the Washington Nationals Philanthropies, which is the Washington Nationals’ charity, serves on the Board of Washington DC’s NPR station, and is a member of the board of directors for the US Senate Preservation Trust. So in other words, this is a man with incredible experience across such a wide range of industries who has some powerful insights to share.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Catch the full episode on Apple Podcasts here: https://dj.daymondjohn.com/paxton-apple
Catch the full episode on Spotify here: https://dj.daymondjohn.com/paxton-spotify
Catch the full episode on iHeart here: https://dj.daymondjohn.com/paxton-iheart
Host: Daymond John
Producers: Beau Dozier & Shanelle Collins; Ted Kingsbery, Chauncey Bell, & Taryn Loftus
