What is your role at NFL Films?
I work in Footage Research & Acquisition. I license third party footage from TV stations, Youtube videos, or photos and videos from the players' family—anything that producers want to tell a narrative. I'll do research to find footage and leverage my PR background in my outreach to broadcasters and players.
Do you have certain goals for the future, or is your vision more open-ended?
I think I have an idea of where I want to go. My current path has been my dream and I've worked very hard for it, but it's still not at the point where I want it to be. My goal was to work at NFL's headquarters in New York. I had countless interviews there but it never came to fruition. Still, I was able to be a part of NFL Films [in New Jersey] which has a really great working culture and allowed me to continue dreaming.
Moving onto the next phase in my life I want to build upon my experiences in PR and entertainment and sports and try to use it in a creative way, potentially as an entrepreneur. I don't know if I see myself being in New York forever. I think about what the next phase of my life might look like if I move to Seattle, since the job market is very different there.
What positions were you interested in at NFL headquarters?
I've worked in departments such as game entertainment, video production, event planning, and player relations. I've always wanted to be in a role that interacted with fans and could enhance their experience on game days. It's a fun but demanding lifestyle. You basically work all week and have a game on the weekend, so you'll have downtime maybe one day a week.
Over time I began to get more interested in international games. The league has been setting up games in the U.K. and Mexico every year so that international fans have the option to experience NFL games. That interests me because of my passion for different groups of people and what that can do in uniting people together.
You've worked with the Seahawks as well. Can you tell me more about that?
After graduating from University of Washington in 2014, I was a Game Presentation intern for the Seahawks which lasts for a full season. I helped with pre-game entertainment, booking and managing bands for several locations around the stadium.
I would work on content for the video boards, like matching music to video content that fans would see on the big jumbotrons. That was a lot of fun because I felt like I had a talent for finding hard-hitting music to match the highlight reels.
The job was a lot of hands on work. I was at my desk during the week, but there were also opportunities to go out for shoots and work with talent and crew. I really learned a different aspect of putting on events on a large scale.
The internship ignited my flame of wanting to continue in sports. I even went to the Super Bowl, since the Seahawks went during the 2014-15 season. Creating experiences for other people to enjoy is really at the core of my passion. Sports and entertainment have that ability to help people escape from their daily lives for a little bit. We all need that in some ways.
How competitive is the sports industry?
It's very competitive. That's evident in the number of times I've applied for jobs at the NFL league office and it hasn't been the right fit, even with my background. It depends on the department you want to be in and your background. Like any industry, it's about who you know.
You can always come back to a passion. It sucks in the meantime, but it might pay off down the line. You could meet your best friends, or a life partner, or become a stronger version of yourself. It’s not always about the money. When you find an industry where you feel a part of the community, hone in on that.
How did you persevere in trying to work in sports and entertainment?
I felt like my time wasn't up yet. After my internship with the Seahawks ended, I worked in communications for tech companies for two years. I was so unhappy during that time that I knew I had to go back to sports. The community kept pulling me back.
At twenty five years old, I accepted an internship at NFL Films in the player relations department at $8/hour, far below my previous tech salary. I knew the opportunity could potentially pay off and it led me to getting a seasonal role.
You can always come back to a passion. It sucks in the meantime, but it might pay off down the line. You could meet your best friends, or a life partner, or become a stronger version of yourself. It’s not always about the money. When you find an industry where you feel a part of the community, hone in on that.
What fueled your love for sports?
I grew up playing soccer. I played all through high school on a club team. Though I really wanted to play at University of Washington, I ended up tearing my ACL. It halted my soccer dreams and made me reevaluate.
Soon after I got an opportunity to help out the University of Washington football team. Though I wasn't playing, working on the business side still ignited the adrenaline and love I had for the game. It was my way to stay involved and be a part of the community that I had known really well.
In high school, I knew I either wanted to do video production or work in sports. Now I have the combination of the two, so I feel very lucky.
Are there special traits or qualities that help to break into the sports industry?
I have nothing but positive things to say about people who work in the industry. I think it has this stigma that it's predominantly men. It's somewhat true, but there are a lot more women than you would think. I've never felt uncomfortable working in sports, which might surprise some people. It's really been a place where I've felt part of a community. I've worked in tech, and did not feel a part of the community there.
As for personality traits, people are very personable and passionate about what they do. They're funny and very hard-working, because their lifestyle is centered around their work more than the average person.
You work seasonally, from late summer to winter. What do you usually do during off-season? Is it difficult to not be working?
I go into each off-season with things I want to accomplish, which they don't always happen. Last off-season I wanted to pursue learning a language and start a side gig, neither of which happened. It's hard not to be hard on myself. Not having a schedule or identity to connect to is definitely challenging, and I don't know if it gets easier. It's something I have to keep playing with every season and figure out how to take care of myself mentally.
Everyone wants downtime, but when you're given too much downtime, it becomes a void where you question how to center yourself and structure your days. You want to set goals in order to grow and feel like you're contributing.
When you only have to be accountable to yourself, it's really easy to let that slide.
It's so easy. I have passion projects that I want to pursue in my off-season that I don't often have the time to do. I'm trying to get better at self-discipline, adhering to a schedule and making sure that I'm getting up earlier in the day and not just sleeping in because I can.
Everyone wants downtime, but when you're given too much downtime, it becomes a void where you question how to center yourself and structure your days. You want to set goals in order to grow and feel like you're contributing.
You also share culture and lifestyle content through social media. How do you think you weave together your various identities in different environments?
Last year I hit a pivotal point as a multiracial person who strongly identifies with my Asian side, even though I pass for white. I felt like I had a lifestyle leaning towards my Asian heritage but wasn't embracing that side publicly. I wanted to learn more about my culture without having to explain it. It's counterproductive because people are always going to question me, but I lead more with my identity now and it doesn't give others a reason to question.
With my family, I'm very vocal about engaging in my cultural side. My mom is half-Taiwanese and she doesn't engage with her culture as much as I do. It was harder for her to embrace and celebrate her culture when she was growing up than it is for me now.
I want to be an advocate for multicultural people. So many people are mixed, and not just black and white. Being multicultural is a difficult space to navigate. You're having to push one culture in front of the other depending on where you are. You have to assert how you want to be viewed because you're often ambiguous.
What do you think success meant for you growing up?
Success was always about financial stability. That's why I was the black sheep wanting to pursue entertainment because it was viewed as unstable. My parents always fought me on it. Their idea of success equals health benefits and a good income. It doesn't matter if you don't like your job, it's how you live. I think if you're going to be working countless hours, you should like what you do.
Did your parents push any specific careers on you?
My dad has worked in sales his whole life, so my parents suggested sales as something to lean on. He's been very successful in sales, but it was never something that I was drawn to. I didn't know if I had the personality for it nor did I know if I wanted to engage in that communication for business.
Have you ever felt lost about what to do in life?
I think we all feel lost at some point. Even when you think you know what you want to do, there are points in your journey when you start questioning because things aren't happening when you want them to happen. That's the hardest part—sometimes you may not get what you want until ten years down the line, not right after you graduate. You may have to take different paths in order to get there. A lot of us get locked into thinking that we need the result now, or else it's not meant to be. We have to be more open-minded to the fact that things don't always happen how you think they're going to happen.
What does work mean to you?
Work means feeling valued for your talents—both initial and developed talents—as well as your voice and opinion. It's about contributing and giving back to our world in a hopefully positive way.
How important is it to be fulfilled from your work?
It's very important. If I don't feel fulfilled in my work environment it's very easy to tell that I'm not happy. It's hard for me to continue in that role. I want to find a place where I have stability and still feel that fulfillment.
A lot of us get locked into thinking that we need the result now or else it's not meant to be. We have to be more open-minded to the fact that things don't always happen how you think they're going to happen.
How do you identify when you're unhappy at work?
It mostly comes from the work culture and environment. If I'm not able to spend time with my loved ones and life becomes all about pressures at work and colleagues don't acknowledge when I do well, that's when I become unhappy.
Kendal can be found on her Instagram.
