3.5 Ideas from Mackenzie Brooks — CBS Sports Betting Analyst
“I speak for the nerds. Being the bridge between the scary data numbers and the casual fan is what gives me purpose.” — Mackenzie Brooks
Mackenzie Brooks, a Philly native, is a 23-year-old sports betting analyst for CBS Sports. She brings analytical insights to casual fans while revolutionizing how women engage with sports.
Mackenzie is graduate from the University of Georgia where she combined computer coding with sports media and transformed herself from a College GameDay coffee runner into what she calls “the Lorax of the Coders” — serving as the voice of CBS Sports’ projection and analytics team.
Creating a welcoming space for women to learn about sports, Mackenzie breaks down everything from “why the yellow line matters” to “which nights your boyfriend should actually be free during football season.”
3.5 Ideas from Mackenzie Brooks:
1) Finding Your Lane in a Male-Dominated Industry:
- “I knew I had an advantage pitching myself as the data person, as the stats person. I wasn’t trying to talk like I’m a 10-year veteran of the NFL, I’m talking about trends, I’m talking about against the spread.”
- “I call myself the Lorax of the coders. I speak for the nerds. And it’s ironic full circle because my major in college was really being the bridge between the casual and the coders. That’s really what I’m doing now.”
- “I’ll be the first to admit, being a woman has helped me get a lot of places…sometimes I’m the unicorn. But then it’s up to me to keep the credibility, show that I deserve to be in the room once I get in the room.”
2) The Power of Relationship Building:
- “A lot of times in this specific industry, when people are trying to meet the right people, they’re looking at the big wig faces on the camera, but those big wig faces aren’t the ones getting you the jobs. It’s the producers you want to really get to know. Those are the people that hire the talent.”
- “I would make a very adamant effort to be with them when they came for the SEC Championship… I’d start to pitch myself, like, ‘can I please come work for you guys?’ I wasn’t even looking for the money, I was just looking for the opportunity.”
- “I really made a point every day to really engage with them in a respectful way. I mean, they were there to work. I wasn’t trying to take away from their time, but you know, pick their brain about the industry, get advice from them… and that started to get them to really know me through that full season.”
3) Building Credibility Through Process:
- “The reps of pace and cadence and learning not to stutter and being able to get through 60 seconds of video… it didn’t matter I was in my sweatshirt in my room doing it, but just putting myself on camera, getting the reps in of speaking clearly, not mumbling, getting out a million and one facts in under a minute, makes it so much easier now when I go on air.”
- “I think I go on air sometimes with notes in my hand, but I’m standing just because it feels awkward not to and in my head mentally, it’s really just a crutch. Recently I’ve really digest the information… trust that you know what you’re saying. Once I know I know it and I trust myself, then I can focus on bringing out my personality, smiling.”
- “Professional bettors barely are above 500. Just to be above 500 is impossible. And a lot of people don’t realize that, especially casual fans… betting has ebbs and flows, has peaks and valleys and no matter who you are, that is the nature.”
3.5) The ONE LESSON Everyone Should Take Away:
- “Find a niche…be a one of one as much as you can. Once you get your foot in the door at a company, then you start to open up…start building that personal brand and find something that makes you as one of one as you possibly could.”
