Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Basantes.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Richard. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got to this point in your career?
Born and raised in Staten Island, NY, I moved to Atlanta in 1998 with no career path or goals. Shortly after moving to Atlanta, I discovered that marketing, branding, and sales were my passion, specifically in the fitness world. I spent seven years running a sales and marketing team for a big box health club in Georgia and Florida before I discovered that I could do it for myself.
I started by creating marketing campaigns for personal trainers, small gyms, and studios. This quickly expanded to providing more branding needs for my clients, from graphic design, apparel design, printing, sales, and management training. As social media evolved, my marketing strategies evolved as well, and I began creating ads, websites, products, and digital content.
In 2014, I discovered professional bodybuilding and became intrigued because it’s not recognized as a mainstream sport. I was drawn to how the business side of large professional bodybuilding events worked, but that intrigue quickly shifted to a desire to know the athlete’s story. I wanted to know why these individuals do this? What’s the end goal? Is it a trophy, money, or fame? I came to find out that some had often just gone through a weight loss transformation, personal achievement, or a painful life event. I realized that these stories weren’t known, nor were they told on stage. So, I decided to help these athletes out by getting their story told and offering more to them as athletes.
I was blessed to have connected with Rachel Payne of Southern Muscle Guide magazine as their social media director. Southern Muscle Guide caters to not only bodybuilding athletes but the stories behind them. This gives amateur athletes a chance to tell their stories to the masses.
In 2017, I met with Lee Haney, named Mr. Olympia eight times, and we discussed my firm running his marketing, public relations, and social media content for the Lee Haney Games, which takes place in Atlanta every year. Mr. Haney is the most recognized bodybuilder in the world, and I have been privileged enough to travel with him and promote not only his games but himself. From book releases to appearances and much more, I handle his branding as an individual.
I have met with amazing athletes in the sport, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Dorian Yates and Mike O’Hearn, all of which are advocates for making the sport better for individuals.
I focus my time now on managing professional bodybuilding athletes by making sure they get proper sponsorship, bookings for appearances, and photo shoots.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In my profession, there are always obstacles. In the ever-changing landscape of social media and social media influencers, trying to keep an individual or a product on top is always hard. However, when it comes to athlete management, I am always criticized because people believe bodybuilders don’t need management because they “aren’t real athletes.” That’s their opinion. We may not be recognized by ESPN or Nike, but the hard work and money that goes into just stepping on stage once is an accomplishment in itself. So when companies or individuals tell me bodybuilders aren’t athletes, I just push through because I believe in myself and my athletes.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I work in marketing and digital content creation. This includes videography and photography, graphic design, apparel design, and printing. I also work with product design and athletic management, and the branding required for both. Currently, I serve as the Lee Haney Games Marketing Director and the Marketing Director for his individual branding. I specialize in athlete management, apparel design, screen-printing, social media management, and graphic design.
What sets my business apart from other marketing firms is that I listen; I care about small companies and individuals. I care about the stories.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in rough neighborhood in Staten Island. While all my friends and the kids in my neighborhood went to public school, my parents sacrificed a lot so we could go to a private Catholic school. My parents sometimes each worked three jobs to put us through school.
I was pretty much a rebel and a stubborn, skinny kid. I was always fighting and getting into trouble. My biggest interest growing up was computers and music. I loved to DJ, and I still have my DJ equipment—vinyl only, of course. I have a large family that I love very much. I’m the oldest of three; with a younger brother and sister, I was always protecting them from the crazy neighborhood and people.
But one thing that has always been consistent about me was that I was always interested in things that were new to me, such as car mechanics, computers, lacrosse, and DJing. I just wanted to learn and see what I could with it. This is why I love my field—there is always something new happening.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rbmarketing.net
- Phone: 6784670481
- Email: info@rbmarketing.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardbasantes/
- Other: www.rbathletes.com
Image Credit:
Main pic: Lindsey Parscale – Eyes View Photography
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