Kolby Castillo, has taken his love of sports to the audio waves of individuals. Having recently started his Sports as Job Podcast, Kolby now runs a network of sports podcasts, focusing on a range of different areas within sports.
We caught up with him to talk about his career and ambitions, including his new podcast, The Build Up Podcast, which talks all things football (soccer).
Tell me a little bit about you and who you are as an individual?
My name is Kolby Castillo born and raised on the island of Oahu, HI. I’d like to think I have always been someone that did things that were different than most people. At 18 years old I decided to leave Hawaii for college and go all the way to Minnesota to continue my education and American football career.
Let’s just say Hawaii and Minnesota would be on opposite ends on a scale of weather. The most common question I have been asked is “Why did you leave Hawaii?” Well, I can simply answer the question is that I am trying to turn my vision into reality. I have a passion for sports and people. Now it’s through that passion I am looking to combine the two. Sports is my life, not just a job but part of who I am.
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Tell us about the Sports as a job podcast? When was it launched?
Sports As a Job Podcast started in November of 2019. It is about bringing the stories of individuals in the sports industry to life. We interview everyone from interns to executives in sports. We don’t care which sport or where you are from in the world. Our mission is to pop the bubble of limitations around each of our individual lives.
Through the stories of others, we want people to be exposed to the many opportunities and possibilities life has to offer. Each of us is powerful, it just so happens some people may have not realized it yet.
Where did the idea come from, and how did it grow into what it is now?
I resonate with many people who have good ideas and have never put it into action. Yet, the switch finally got turned on and the idea turned into reality. For me, podcasts have always been a form of entertainment and my way of developing. I am not a reader so podcast helped me consumer information.
It started as a way to network and learn more about people in the sports industry. Now its turned in to bigger than that. More importantly, I understood that many of the people working in sports industries have interesting stories and they are not being put into the spotlight. Stories and experiences that many others could learn from I did not expect it to grow as fast as it is but it has turned into a platform that has helped many people.
You now have several podcasts under the Sports as a Job umbrella? Tell us a bit about them?
Yes, an exciting time. The new podcasts are “The Build Up Podcast”, “The Book Club”, “The Student Spotlight”, and most recently the “Sports Edge Podcast”.
Each of these shows focuses on the mission of popping the bubble of limitations around each of our lives. The Build Up Podcast focuses on individuals in the football (soccer) space. It’s our duty to bring their stories to life and help grow the game of soccer in America.
The Book Club is hilariously about a live show on Twitter where we discuss a book we are reading for each season. Each episode we cover several chapters that we discuss the book. I am not a reader like I said but I can’t ignore the information in books. This is our way to make it interactive with our community.
The Student Spotlight is our effort to give students/interns a platform to showcase who they are with the hope of getting them their next opportunity in the sports industry. We understand how difficult it is so we just want to help.
Sports Edge Podcast is all about three dudes passionate about sports betting and sports cards. Our journey to gain the edge in those aspects is your journey as well.
What have been some of your challenges as a sports podcaster?
The challenge for me is the marketing of the podcast and content. Recording podcasts is just one part of the game. The other part is packaging it for people to the consumer across social media platforms. Everything is new to me right now so I am learning as I go.
Yet, when you have a mission that many others believe in you’ll see that many people come to the rescue. To name a few Scott Peace, Olivia Puttin, Max Simpson, Shahob Mehr, Emily McMillian, and Rayoni Matos.
And your successes?
My successes are in the community we have built and are continuing to build. The Sports As a Job was started to impact others lives but it has changed my life. I can’t believe the impact I could have. Success to me is the people that reach out and say how this helped them finally decide to make the decision they’ve been stalling on.
My success is the success that people achieve because of what we do.
Let’s talk a little bit about The Build Up Podcast, which has to do with soccer (Football), and why you decided to venture into that sport?
It is an interesting sport. I will tell you right now I am not a soccer fan. I have never watched a full game but I have a curious mind. It is hard to ignore the beauty of soccer and that it is the WORLDS game. The co-host Max Simpson is an avid soccer fan so for him this a way to talk about his passion and the other people that share it. More importantly, this is our way of trying to grow the beautiful game here in America.
What is soccer like in the US, and what goes into the game?
Soccer in the US is in its infancy stages compared to the other sports. America is known for Football, Basketball, and Baseball. It is considered a major sport but it has the potential to be bigger. We are seeing new professional organizations around the country. We are seeing communities embrace the game and the atmosphere. It still has a long way to go through.
What do you have planned for the future with The Build Up Podcast?
We are hoping to bring on more and more guests from the soccer industry. We want to learn about everyone’s build-up to where they are today and help build up the beautiful game of soccer.
What would you say to young individuals who are looking to get into sports as a job, or even perhaps go into sports podcasting?
I am going to borrow Nike’s slogan: JUST DO IT! I would have told myself this a long time ago. Don’t overthink it, it doesn’t have to be professional right off the bat. What will carry you through is your passion for the topic you are talking about. The episodes and content will get better over time.
The more you overthink it then the less time you’ll be spending on sharing your passion with others. I started recording episodes holding my iPhone to my office phone speaker as guest were talking. It’s worth it. JUST DO IT!
Any other comments, or perspectives you would like to add?
I just want to shout out all the people that have help build this community. The guests all trusted me without knowing much about me. We are all on our own individual journeys but you are not alone.
Anyone that needs help or want to talk about anything sports or podcast give me a follow.
