PROJECT DETAILS

COACHING THE COACH: A  PLAYBOOK FOCUSED ON STORYTELLING

In the competitive world of NFL coaching, Lyvonia “Stump” Mitchell was flying under the radar. Despite having some successes on the sideline, Mitchell was more well-known for his time as an NFL player. (He once held the St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals franchise record for the most all-purpose yards.)

When Brenits Creative first met Mitchell, we learned that his coaching resume included time spent as a head coach, assistant head coach and a position coach at all levels of football (professional, college and high school). 

We also learned of Mitchell’s interest in taking his expertise to the next level, by becoming a head coach in the NFL. But it took more time for us to come to know Mitchell and what makes him marketable in his industry.

Strengthen the Coach’s Story

By nature, Mitchell is a somewhat quiet and reserved person. It took several discussions with him to move past just the team names and big games he was part of. When Mitchell began sharing stories that demonstrated his leadership abilities and love for developing talent, it was then we felt like we knew Mitchell’s story, inside and out.

Given Mitchell’s hopes to become a head NFL coach, we knew he needed a more compelling, complete “what’s Mitchell about, in a nutshell” story. It needed to be easy to recount and share and one that didn’t take several interactions to come to understand.

We knew we could help Mitchell reinvigorate and package his personal brand and were excited to get started.

Craft a Repeatable, Shareable Story

Working with Mitchell, Brenits Creative developed a personal branding framework that guided the work that was to come. Its focus was on three areas: who is Stump Mitchel; what’s his story; and who needs to hear it.

Previously, no one, including Mitchell, was able to fully talk about his background, other than to recite stats and the players and teams he worked with. No one could articulate what exactly Mitchell did as a coach and how his expertise and techniques made a winning difference.

We developed several core messages to support Mitchell’s expertise and successes, tailoring it for key audiences — particularly NFL team leadership. We came up with a more succinct elevator pitch for Mitchell and staff to use and a longer version for mediums that supported more detail.

With new messaging in-hand, we partnered with Mitchell and his agent on the best way to get his story out to the NFL, to industry media and to the public, at large. We worked to ensure that Mitchell’s story resonated one-on-one and also with larger audiences. We also advised Mitchell on the best way to share his strengths and background in a way that was inspirational, yet it didn’t sound like he was bragging.

New Online Presence, Supported by Social Media

We developed a new website for Mitchell to share his new, improved story, with supporting messaging and industry-focused visuals and language.

We wrote new content about Mitchell’s years in the NFL (e.g., Too Small, Too Slow: The Stump Mitchell Story) and included the expected background resume, along with compelling copy about his passion for developing players and winning teams.

Brenits Creative also advised Mitchell on how to effectively use social media to connect with players, NFL team management and football fans.

During the time we worked with Mitchell, he earned a spot as a running back coach for the New York Jets – one more step in his journey to becoming a head coach – and we celebrated the win with him!

THE KEY TAKEAWAY

STUMP MITCHELL’S PERSONAL REBRAND

In January 2019, Mitchell was named to the position he holds today as the run game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

Though we’re not working with Mitchell currently, we continue to follow his work with the Browns. We’re happy to see Mitchell still being supported by the compelling story we helped craft — and how Mitchell continues to thrive in an industry he’s given his heart and soul to.