The call of entrepreneurship is impossible for some people to ignore... even when said people work for one of the world's most respected action sports-related companies. Such is the case of Jaimeson Keegan, who to many in Canada was the face of Red Bull -- a company that needs no further explanation for those who frequent this website. In his role as director of sports and culture marketing, he signed athletes, conceived and ran events, and aligned the energy drink with everything from the Shoot To Thrill skate video competition to the Canadian stop of the global Red Bull Music Academy.

Many were surprised, needless to say, when Jaimeson turned in his papers at Red Bull. They likely weren't surprised, however, when he announced that he'd be launching his own athlete and marketing agency, the aptly named Superheroes Management. The man simply has a gift for human interaction. He maintains a stoked and genial vibe at all times, but obviously has the smarts and balls required to back it up when it comes time to do business.

With the US-born Jaimeson now relocated from Vancouver to his previous home of Seattle with wife Julie and daughter Millie, Superheroes Management is officially open for business. Curious to see how the new gig was treating him -- and how he liked being everything from the boss to the IT department -- I dropped him a line to catch up. 

So how does it feel to be your own boss after working for a big, global company for so long?

On the whole, I'm enjoying it. As you can imagine, there are days when I find myself asking, "what the hell was I thinking?" but shortly thereafter I find another reason to be happy to have jumped off. Funny enough the thing I used to hate the most - the dreaded expense reports - is one of the things that I miss the most now. Paper-pushing is one thing - but paying for your own entertainment in our world is like a sharp kick in the nuts.

What about the relocation to Seattle; I know you liked Vancouver a lot. Was this a tactical decision for the new business?

Yes, for sure. As great a town as Seattle is, I miss Vancouver all the time. There were two major considerations for the move: First, we were able to take advantage of a massive discrepancy between their real estate markets in moving, selling high and soon to be buying low. And second, the corporate infrastructure in Seattle is remarkable. There are several major global corporations here that I hope to work with in the future. So speaking long-term, Seattle should be good for the business development.

How long had you been thinking about starting up Superheroes?

I wrote the business plan for Superheroes Management four years ago after a discussion with some successful entrepreneurs that inspired me. They told me that the best way to see what I'm made of is to work for myself. While I'm a little embarrassed to admit it took four years to find the courage to jump, its only because my prior gig (Director of Sports and Culture Marketing at Red Bull Canada) was so good that it made the decision that difficult.

Was being a rider agent something that you felt a natural inclination for?

I've always been a huge fan of sports and related entertainment fields. As a kid I had the massive baseball card collection, leading to a long string of Powell Peralta and Burton pro models. If I believe in an individual or an organization, I can live, eat and breath selling and bringing recognition to them and what they do every day.

What ran through your head on your first official day of running the new business? Something like, "holy shit, what am I doing?"

Did you mic my office? [laughs] Yeah I remember buying my domain names and then not being able to set up my new email accounts with them. After a period of head-banging, I just shut it all down, and made a list of every single person I knew that might be able to help me in my new endeavor. That and a couple cocktails helped me sleep the first night.

Jaimeson with superhero/snowboarder Mikey Rencz.

You've got a pretty impressive crew of riders you're looking after already. Want to break it down for us?

Thanks. They say that in management your clients are your only calling card, so I'm really proud to have an all-time legend like Devun Walsh on the roster. He joins Mikey Rencz -- not only one of my favorite riders -- but one of my favorite people in the world. Seb Toutant recently entered the Hall of Justice as well. He brings tremendous promise to the future of the company. I also represent one of the world's best young freeskiers, Sean Pettit, and a top international freeride mountain-biker named Brandon Semenuk. It's a great crew to launch with; fun, intelligent, hard-working, gifted individuals who make a global impact in their sports. They really are superheroes.

How much do you see yourself expanding, in terms of bringing on new talent?

The priorities for the business include: 1) a larger female focus; we have a couple star prospects in that category whom I'm really excited about; and 2) a better balance of summer sports to winter sports -- nearly everyone that has approached me to-date does something on snow, which is awesome, but naturally limiting long-term -- and 3) more internationally-based talent. The whole roster right now is Canadian, which creates a great story, but because some of our target sponsors don't do business in Canada, we need more international clients and Americans too.

Being an agent carries a lot of stigmas, whether it's fair or not... I am sure you've heard a few Jerry Maguire jokes already. What are you going to bring to the game that'll be different from other agents?

I think it's fair. Being a sports agent lies right between hocking used jewelry and arms' dealers. I've heard dozens of stories that disgust me and reinforce the stereotype. With Superheroes, I hope to bring a sense of honesty, belief, and dedication to my clients. I also want to help educate today's youth-oriented brands about how they can both add and gain value from our subcultures in a manner that is supportive, not disruptive. I want to help companies understand that they can become integrated into the fabric of our subcultures if they commit to it. They just need to rethink the traditional process of writing a check, shipping the banners, and popping the tent up.

What's the best and worst part about running Superheroes?

The best part is seeing your client succeed. Big wins or small, I suppose its a little bit like being a parent (especially since I'm 35 and some of my clients are only 17!). Your pride in your clients' accomplishments helps fulfill yourself. The worst part is probably unreturned correspondence, ie the 2 dirty words known as ‘cold calling.' This is not my first experience with it - I used to sell advertising for an all-music weekly in Seattle - and it can be brutal. I want to help bring new companies, categories and therefore revenue streams to our industry, but I need to create greater opportunities to have an audience first.

Why Superheroes Management?

For years I've been telling people what I do is working with superheroes, along with the occasional villain -- Villains Management - been thinking about that one too. I often feel like Professor X of the X-Men, helping his young stars develop so that they can focus on what matters the most - raising the bar for themselves and their peers every time they drop in. I also want to thank Push.ca for the opportunity to share, to my people that have already hooked up a favor for me, Red Bull for the support on my way out, and to my amazing family and new clients for believing in this.

Visit: http://www.superheroesmgmt.com/

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