Passion has met it’s purpose for Camron Brown, current senior at University of Kentucky and entrepreneur building Scoreboard Media Company along with trusted friends. On this episode of The Studentpreneur Show, we hear from Camron Brown about Scoreboard, what he is learning about the sports media industry, life as a studentpreneur, and chasing one’s dreams.

What is Scoreboard?

Scoreboard is a sports media platform changing the way consumers engage with sports. They develop and curate content in addition to giving users the opportunity to also create and share their sports content.

Scoreboard is in development and should be live soon.

The goal of Scoreboard is to lead the change in the way sports are being consumed. They way they are doing this is by giving fans and journalists more control of the content. The content on Scoreboard will be diverse, but also include more personal interviews with players in addition to giving users the opportunity to create their own content from articles and videos.

Scoreboard helps solve the issue of decreasing engagement of sports television. According to Camron Brown, over the past two years sports media companies have seen a decreate in ratings. Camron and his team realize that people want to engage with sports differently. Something he is addressing in his book! Scoreboard will helps since this platform can be used by stations and media corporations in addition to consumers.

Engaging with sports has shifted over the past few years. Scoreboard aims to adapt with fans to keep everyone engaged.

The company plans to make profit first through advertisement. Later on they hope to grow in sponsorships and partnerships, but also want to create a subscription plan. Even thought it’s not public yet, Camron has a small, dedicated team building the business.

Finding Passion to Start a Business

Camron Brown’s vision started many years ago in high school. He was working with some people on a youtube channel called Inside Circle Sports (HERE is their first episode!).  While they were having fun something clicked for Camron. Now, Camron is a senior at the University of Kentucky. In his first year there he worked for the media department, specifically covering sports at the school. Camron loved it so much that he started a blog called Inside Circle Sports (his sophomore year).

Tapping into his passion, Camron began reaching out to professional teams and was able to work at NBA games and recently interned with the Baltimore Ravens NFL team. These experiences built his confidence and curiosity in the sports media industry. Like many entrepreneurs, his passion built as momentum grew.

Scoreboard will help you engage with sports in a whole new way!

In a few years, Camron and his team see the business growing significantly. They aim to be as big as Overtime. They also hope the business is sustainable for all of them and as a platform in the long run.

What is the Studentpreneur Experience?

Camron shares more about his experience as a student and entrepreneur. Taegan digs deep into what it’s like to be a studentpreneur.

Taegan asks Camron, “what in college has helped you the most as a business owner?” Camron’s answer: people. He shares that in his experience people are the most important. Networking, being transparent about his passion, and working hard has helped grow the business. He reminds us all that in college you have so many resources, including good people.

Camron shares the hardest three things about being a student while building a business are:

• Prioritizing school
• Connecting with people and taking time to rest
• Staying in touch with family

He also dives into the three best things about being a studentpreneur:

• Gives you a sense of confidence
• The support and sense of community people provide
• Opportunities to help others

Camron also shares his experience at the University of Kentucky and the entrepreneurship department.

On this episode you’ll also hear his honest thoughts on if college will help you grow your business and the different responsibilities and pressures present with being a student and being an entrepreneur.

Being a studentpreneur is somewhat like being an athlete. The drive and the influence are strong.

Measuring Success and Lessons Learned in Starting a Business

Camron isn’t shy with his story. His first business, Inside Circle Sports, failed. Now he sees success different. Today success means making sure he can take the next step in the business. In 10 years, success will look different. It’ll involve a few more KPIs. It’ll likely mean producing original content and buying major content and pushing it on their platform in a profitable way.

Already Camron and his team have learned so many lessons. One of the biggest lessons has come from writing his book about sports media. Recently Camron learned that people want to consume content differently than how they have engaged with it in the past. As a business they plan to (and recognize their need to) integrate several strategies into their platform.

Of course, we have business tips in this episode! Camron’s biggest tip: honesty.

He shares that it’s so important to be honest about where you are at with your business. Once he was able to personally be honest with where he was at, more opportunities came.

Camron has provides a lot of inspiration for the studentpreneur. Check out the full episode about Scoreboard and subscribe HERE. 

Looking for ways to recharge on a weekend or during a college break? Consider an outdoor adventure! BookScouter contributor Seth Craig shares his experience and insight on the benefits of and tips for your outdoor experience! 

Needing To Recharge After A Tough Semester:

After my last semester, I was burnt out. The 16 unit class load, multitude of group projects, exams that seemed to come every week, and finding ways to stay  grounded was exceeding my stress threshold. Basically, I was ready to recharge. After the anxiety of finals week came and passed, I was left with time off to relax, recoup, and take stock of my academic situation so as to figure out if I was going in the right direction with my education. 

Staying at home for break left me with a problem; I was still distracted and reminded of college life. In my bedroom, annotated textbooks, crumpled homework assignments, and my post it note filled college planner only enhanced my post-semester anxiety. I even struggled to deny the urge of logging into my school email to check on info for the upcoming term from my professors. I needed a change of scenery. 

It was at this point a classmate reached out to me about going on a day trip to one of the national parks in our home state with her and some friends. With the last concrete memory of me doing anything “outdoorsy” was in elementary school pitching a tent with friends 15 feet away from my house, sleeping bags in toe, a single lamp, and pretending that we were all somewhere in the lone wilderness ready for a “scary” encounter with a cougar, or more realistically, a stray neighborhood cat; I was a bit apprehensive to say the least. Legitimate planning/prep questions arose in my mind like: Would we bring enough food? What if we got lost? And how would we handle coming across a large wild animal? All reasonable questions for someone like myself who felt more at home in a classroom than in nature. However, when we arrived at the national park, my worries subsided.

While nature can be unpredictable at times, being in the great outdoors has significant benefits.

Personal Benefits Of An Outdoor Experience:

The park was filled with scenic hiking trails, captivating waterfalls, majestic wildlife, and, at times, I felt like I was experiencing a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough. I was surprised to discover that the quaint and quiet environment only known to nature that allows for simple, reflective thinking had the greatest impact. That clear thinking, in turn, helped me relax enough to allow myself to have a memorable experience and to not get caught up with responsibilities I had waiting for me back at home. College peers that I had really only talked to in class I could now call friends of mine because there was not an obligation to discuss a class project. The outdoor day trip ended up providing what I need the most from a college break: the chance to forget about my stress and to reflect on what I accomplished both in and out of school that semester ensured I would be in a healthy state of mind for the upcoming term. 

Enjoy the great outdoors with your friends from college.

Research Shows The Benefits of Being Outdoors: 

f you are still unsure of the benefits nature can have on your academic career, there is research that shows a positive correlation between time spent in nature and mental performance. A growing field called Ecotherapy has documented nature’s ability to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. A 2015 study compared the brain activity of two groups: one that took a 90 minute nature walk, and the other group taking a walk in an urban setting. It was discovered that the group who took the nature walk displayed less activity in the prefrontal cortex; the area of the brain associated with repetitive thoughts, which are generally negative and can increase the likelihood of having bouts of depression or anxiety. Studies in Ecotherapy have also found a correlation between the sounds of nature and/or the lack of sound found in the wild with decreased blood-pressure and lower counts of cortisol, the stress hormone. 

 These mental and physical health benefits nature provides are unique compared to the many other stress relieving outlets such as exercise, supplements, and taking stress management classes. College students juggle an assortment of responsibilities during a semester. Being constantly immersed in the repetitive schedule of classes, assignments, and clubs, while exciting, can mentally and physically wear out a student, and that exhaustion can lead to incomplete homework assignments, poor class attendance, and bad grades. The occasional nature walk or multi-day trip to the mountains can provide a much needed refresher for your mind, and one of the best perks of an outdoor excursion is that to experience these positive effects on your health, your own nature adventure does not have to be a 5 day hike; you can experience the benefits on a short or long outdoor trip. 

National Parks are a great outdoor adventure option for college students with their grand views and epic experiences.

Should I Plan A Short Or Long Outdoor Trip On My College Break? 

My national park adventure was an example of a small trip; a single day, short distance vacation with friends. These short trips are easy to plan, a reasonable cost (always a positive for students), and generally involve short distance travel. Without the need for long term camping gear, a short  trip, at a minimum, requires a small bag of supplies: boots, sunscreen, hat, etc…, a quick trip to the grocery store for snacks and/or sandwich items, and minimal fuel costs for travel. Parks such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, or the Red-Woods are great options to experience the wonders of nature with only a small day fee; However, if you do not want to pay for entrance fees, or do not live near a large national park, researching wildlife areas around your local area is a great option. Many have nature trails and are open to the public for free. If you decide to go this route for your outdoor micro trip, you will assuredly have a short travel time to your nature destination.  

Now, even though short  trips are great for the aforementioned reasons, larger  outdoor adventures are unique in that they offer you that feeling of being in an isolated, quiet space for long durations. For these types of trips a group is always best to travel with so as to keep costs low as well as to minimize the difficult tasks that are sometimes involved with camping. However, beyond the finding of firewood, pitching tents, and making sure everyone has enough mosquito spray, longer trips offer the chance for camaraderie and to focus on oneself. The difficult 5 mile hike on the second day of a three day trip to a famous waterfall is not memorable only for reaching the destination. It’s memorable when someone in the group lags behind, and you all lightly poke fun at your friend while  encouraging them to keep going. It’s memorable when on the hike, you take the time to stop at a rest point and look out at the scenic view, which reminds you that sites like this exist beyond a classroom. It’s memorable because when you finally reach the waterfall, you know that when you are back in school, stressed out, you can close your eyes, slow your breathing, and recreate this scene in your head and that will give you enough strength to keep pushing through another semester. 

Resources For Outdoor Adventures: 

Wanting to find an outdoor adventure near you? Check out these resources and start planning! 

National Parks

National Forests

Hiking Tips

Camping Tips

A Outdoor Getaway In Each State 

National Parks, like Zion National Park pictured here, are great outdoor adventure opportunities for college students.

The end of summer can bring mixed emotions. From the excitement of starting a new semester and reuniting with friends to bittersweet feelings about the conclusion of a carefree summer, it’s that time of year where students have to pack up their possessions in the trunk of a car (don’t forget your shower shoes!) and set off for another year of college. To avoid the monotony of a long drive ( and to prevent your parents from going over your dorm packing list yet again) here are the top playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks for your road trip back to college! 

Top playlists for your road trip back to college

Spotify’s Year in Review Playlists

For a welcome supply of nostalgia from your middle school days or the good ol’ days, Spotify offers playlists from practically every year’s hits. Play the 2014 playlist for flashbacks of high school dances or go even further back to the 2008 playlist to evoke memories of simpler times. 

Road Trip Sing-Along Songs by Spotify

Belt out classics like All Star, Livin’ on a Prayer, and A Thousand Miles with this unimaginably fun playlist to lift your spirits on a long trip. 

Keep your road trip back to college interesting with a fun playlist.

Apple Music’s It’s Lit!!! Playlist

This collection of hits is especially perfect if you’re driving with friends back to college. This playlist will build the hype for a new school year! 

The best podcasts to keep you company on your drive back to school

When listening to music becomes tiresome and your voice grows weary from trying to match Ariana’s range, a podcast is always there to keep you company in the car. We truly live in the renaissance of podcasts with a seemingly endless plethora of stories to listen to. The most popular and prevalent category is of course true crime, and therefore the top picks are divided below into two categories: “True Crime” and “Other Podcast Fun”. 

True Crime

Dirty John

This widely acclaimed podcast was recently adapted into a TV show starring Connie Britton and tells the story of the titular Dirty John, whose shady past catches up with him after starting a new relationship. Captivating and stylish from the start, Dirty John sets itself a part by not revealing what the crime is until the final episode of the podcast, instead offering a slow burn with plenty of lead-up and foreshadowing. This six- episode series will have you awestruck at the actions of all parties involved and provides a very satisfying conclusion. 

Over My Dead Body

The first season of this thriller tells the insane story of a seemingly perfect marriage torn apart, ending in murder. Told through interviews and phone calls obtained by investigators over seven episodes, the series gives new meaning to the term “monster-in-law”. The only caveat is that this twisty case is still ongoing in court, meaning that it does not offer the finality many listeners desire. 

Up and Vanished

The longest time investment on the list and thus this podcast might be better if you’re going to school cross country rather than a quick in-state jaunt. The first season of Up and Vanished garnered publicity for the investigative efforts of its host, Payne Lindsey, who travelled to the town of Ocilla, Georgia to delve into the 2005 murder of Tara Grinstead. Up and Vanished places its host inside the true crime rather than on the periphery, and thus the listener feels as if they are right along for the investigation rather than listening to a summary after the fact. There are multiple developments in the case thanks to Lindsey’s investigation and this podcast provides a comprehensive glimpse into what it takes to crack a cold case. 

My Favorite Murder

This widely-acclaimed podcast is arguably the most well-known of the true crime genre. Its two hosts, Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff, have earned both cult and celebrity status. The podcast takes a “case-of-the-week” approach in contrast to the aforementioned podcasts. Each host brings a murder case to every episode that they unpack with a combination of brute honesty and irreverence that makes their storytelling so beloved. Some of the cases are infamously well known, while some are less recognized, but nevertheless compelling. This podcast offers a nice mix of needed levity with retellings of some of the world’s most shocking crimes. 

Kick your feet up (if you’re in the passenger seat) and enjoy a podcast on your drive back to school.

Casefile

Similar to the self-contained storylines of My Favorite Murder but minus the hosts’ personal commentary and opinions, Casefile also differs from its true crime brethren in that it takes on a variety of stories apart from solely homicidal ones. Plane crashes, robberies, and, of course, murders are detailed straightforwardly by an anonymous Australian narrator. Many of the crimes are cold cases, and thus updates are often provided in real time if a break is made in the case. Sleek, concise, and riveting, Casefile tells engaging stories without a big time commitment. 

Other Podcast Fun

Life Kit

Okay, let’s admit it. Even though we’re pretty much adults by the time we get to college, there is still so much that we have no idea about. This NPR-produced podcast helps alleviate that ignorance by producing episodes with titles such as “Millennials and Money” and “How to Get the Best from your Doctor” that offer practical advice on everyday topics that we might need to learn more about instead of calling our parents for the answer every time. 

Stuff you Should Know

For those students with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, this podcast offers in depth lessons about topics you would never even think to research. From the concept of petrichor to sand dunes, this podcast is for information enthusiasts looking to learn while driving.

Celebrity Podcasts

For some hilarious and easy-listening fare, check out celebrity interview podcasts such as Anna Faris is Unqualified, Fresh Batch with Michelle Collins, and Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. These podcasts among others consist of funny celebrity anecdotes with the podcast setting making celebrity guests much more relaxed and unfiltered in their responses. 

The Studentpreneur Show

Don’t leave all the learning for the classroom. Get a head start on building your entrepreneurial dreams and ideas with The Studentpreneur Show, produced by BookScouter. This podcast interviews college students who started their own businesses and professors with tips on being successful in and outside of college. Who knows, you yourself may become a studentpreneur. 

Audiobooks that you won’t want to end

For an even longer drive, audiobooks are  an entertaining way to pass time while immersing yourself in alluring stories. 

Psychological Thrillers

Just as we live in the renaissance of true crime podcasts, we are also in the midst of the reign of the psychological thriller: the current genre du jour that continues to captivate readers worldwide. Some are well known such as Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Big Little Lies, and The Woman in the Window. While others like The Woman in Cabin 10 and An Unwanted Guest are just as deliciously captivating. These books will hook you from the first page and have you wishing for another 100 miles in order to hear the twist-filled endings. 

Memoirs

Self-penned and narrated memoirs provide intimate portraits into 

lives of fascinating individuals. From Michelle Obama’s Becoming to Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, memoirs told by the voice they are about and were written by are truly intriguing. 

Classics Read by Celebrities

Maybe you need to brush up for an American literature course or maybe you just possess an enduring reverence for the classics, but either way Audible offers an array of celebrity-narrated classics. For example, Jake Gyllenhaal narrates The Great Gatsby and Anne Hathaway narrates The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in these fun, fresh renditions of timeless works of fiction. 

Whatever you do to pass the time on your road trip back to college, here’s to a safe and enjoyable trip and a semester filled with success and happiness! 

Written by BookScouter Contributor Parker Strubhar.

Parker Strubhar is a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma and currently resides and works in Washington D.C. He is also a freelance writer. Business inquiries can be directed to parkerstrubhar20@gmail.com.

Ever feel stuck when it comes to side hustle ideas? We have a new one for you that you might have not thought of ever before! 

We recently spoke with someone who is making money in a creative way. Always inspired by how people earn extra cash or supplement their incomes (We did start a podcast about Studentpreneurs after all), we want to share this real life story with you. 

Meet, Jan!

Jan finds free furniture.

Jan is tapping in to an opportunity that few of us have embarked on before. Jan is flipping college furniture! 

Believe it or not, his profit on this side-hustle is impressive. 

What are the numbers on flipping college furniture? 

In Jan’s case he is earning between $500 – $1,000 a month! That is pure profit. His overhead includes a garage which averages $60 a month and driving a car to pick up the furniture which average less than $8 each trip. With minimal overhead, Jan is able to sell his lightly repurposed pieces at a reasonable rate and still make a great profit. 

College students use furniture temporarily.

How does Jan flip college furniture? 

1. He picks up the discarded furniture from the streets
2. He takes photos of the futurnite found 
3. He stores the furniture in the garage
4. Places the images and prices on Facebook Marketplace
5. Once he sells a piece, he delivers the furniture for an extra $15 

What rates can you sell repurposed college furniture? 

Check your local rates on spaces like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay to help inform the rates you set. In Jan’s experience, he is able to charge about $50 for a single bed and $75 for a double. To help him store the pieces, Jan rents a storage garage. In this storage unit he is able to keep about 10 pieces. He is constantly restocking with new pieces. 

If he sells one full garage worth of pieces, he has made roughly $500. Since he often sells pieces quickly, he is able to make more than $500. 

A simple add on that increases his profit is charging for delivery. For students who need their new furniture delivered, Jan charges an extra $15. 

How often can you sell repurposed college furniture? 

You can sell college furniture at any time. Although the challenge comes with the supply of free furniture. The supply of used college furniture is based on the academic calendar. While you may be able to find free pieces at the end of a fall semester, it is more likely that you’d be able to find a plethora of furniture at the end of the spring semester. 

College students returning to school are in need of furniture. Capitalising on the influx of students at the start of the fall semester (occasionally start of the spring) can be incredibly profitable for you. Keep in mind, that you don’t have to sell to just college students. Try selling the repurposed furniture elsewhere to make a profit during other seasons. 

Recycle unwanted college furniture and help new students make their dorms feel more like home.

How does Jan not have to pay for the furniture he flips? 

Jan understands that many college students leave furniture behind at the end of the semester. If they are unable to sell the pieces, they will store them outside–making them free to the community. Understanding your local college’s academic calendar, can keep you aware of dates when free furniture may be lining the streets of apartment complexes around the local college. 

Another resource he uses to source the furniture is Facebook groups. While many of us use Facebook Marketplace, you can connect with groups on Facebook where people give items away for FREE. Search for terms like, “free stuff + city” or “free items + city” on Facebook. You can pick up the items, freshen them up (if need be), then turn around and resell on Facebook Marketplace. 

You can follow Jan on Instagram @thatguyvasary. 

For more side-hustle inspiration, check out The Studentpreneur Show!