#11 - Rebecca Feferman: Entertainment PR, Sports Media, Starting SXSports & “The FefCo”

May 24 2022 • 1 hr 5 mins

Rebecca Feferman has worked at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and culture in PR, strategy, production, content, BD, and brand management for a number of years. She founded her consultancy — “The FefCo” — and has worked with clients like Katie Nolan, MSG Networks, Bill Simmons, SA Spurs, & many more. Prior, she produced a Beto O’Rourke documentary that aired on HBO, worked with SXSW and started SXSports, and before that worked for ID Public Relations in LA representing clients like John Krasinski, Casey Affleck, and more. She first broke into the industry with Warner Bros. Pictures after graduating from University of Michigan. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she now also serves on the Advisory Council for the UT Austin Center for Sports Communication & Media and also lectures at UT Austin. In addition to her lengthy and outstanding background, she’s a hilarious and witty person, a friend of the show, and an amazing person.

Connect with Rebecca:

Website: thefefco.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccafeferman/

IG: @thefefco; https://www.instagram.com/thefefco/

Timestamps:

0:00 Foreword

2:15 Intro

3:41 How Fef helped produce a Beto O’Rourke Documentary

6:59 How Rebecca started the infamous “blue-out” tradition at The University of Michigan

13:33 What it was like working in Public Relations with companies like Warner Bros. and big names like Casey Affleck and John Krasinski?

Working on epic movies: Oceans 11, Matrix revolutions, Mystic River with Clint Eastwood, + more

24:34 The funniest person Fef worked with and the wildest story of her time working in the industry

27:41 How Fef started SXSports during her time working with SXSW

36:45 What it was like working with names like Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe, and more through SXSports

38:21 How Fef moved to Austin to work on herself after years of focusing more on her career; implications of self-development vs work prioritization in society, advice from Fef

41:59 The one constant in Fef’s career that’s allowed her to accomplish anything she’s been doing
46:01 Value of self-awareness; There is no correct path, there’s only your path

47:30 What Fef wishes she would’ve known earlier in her career

49:18 What The FefCo does, what it’s like having worked with clients like Bill Simmons and Katie Nolan

53:35 What Fef thinks about the future trajectory of the sports media space?