Che Mock
Partner & Co-Founder | ESQ Sports and Entertainment Agency
Che Mock is a Partner and Co-Founder of ESQ Sports and Entertainment Agency and recent winner of the Nashville Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award. We asked Che six questions about his career and what inspired him to get into the sports and entertainment industry.
What is the best and/or most rewarding part of your role?
That’s an easy question for me to answer. I love seeing an action plan come to fruition. We work with our clients to understand their short-term and long-term aspirations and we dig deep to make sure they understand what it’s going to take to get there. I enjoy making a “life plan” with my clients and it’s so rewarding when I get to watch them fulfill their professional aspirations in the sports and entertainment world.
What advice do you have for attorneys interested in having a career like yours?
We always hear the term “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” I think that’s fundamentally wrong. It’s not who you know, rather, it’s who knows you on a favorable basis. Thus, this question is easy to answer because if you want to have a career like mine, then treat every task likes it’s the most important task you have ever undertaken. If you have a mentality of “this is the most important assignment ever,” then you are bound to give it your best effort. You are already in a position of success by making it this far, so you clearly have the mental capacity; now it’s just about creating enough time, energy and effort to put your best foot forward and execute on every assignment. Once you do that, everyone will know you on a favorable basis.
How did your time at Bass, Berry & Sims prepare you for your role?
Bass, Berry & Sims taught me the importance of time management, attention to detail, and managing client expectations. I could site numerous examples that capture each of those learning points, but one example that stands out to me, and is simple to articulate, is the importance of sending good emails to clients. Early in my legal career, I remember spending lots of time on emails! And, I was critiqued on email etiquette, the importance of brevity, and not spending too much time on writing emails; however, I also remember getting critiqued on providing full and clear detail in explaining information to a client. It took me a few months to balance the two contradictory pieces of advice and to understand how you could do both in an email. But, once I started interacting with clients and truly digested what I was being told and by whom, I realized that the balance is actually with each client and each counterpart you are working with. Thus, the firm helped me further understand client relationships and that each client, and partner, will have their own unique offerings; you have to identify what a client wants/requests so you know how to meet those demands appropriately with the right time management, attention to detail, and setting the right expectations.
What was your first job?
I started refereeing soccer games when I was 12 years old.
What was your childhood ambition?
I had an experience with some sports agents when I was 13 years old. They were recruiting a local basketball legend, Charles “Bubba” Wells, and my father was his undergraduate advisor. The agents and Bubba came to my house to watch the Tyson/Holyfield fight. That night, I interacted with Charles and the agents and thought that the agents had the coolest job in the world. Of course, there is a lot more detail to the story but, long story short, after that night I knew I wanted to be a sports agent.
If you could meet one historical person, who would it be?
I would love to meet the late Kobe Bryant. He was a fascinating competitor and individual and I would love to talk to him about being a good father, competing and “mambamentality.”