This month’s subject of five goals is Jorge Sedano, who co-hosts afternoon drive on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles. He also contributes in myriad ways to ESPN’s NBA coverage, including as a sideline reporter. Keep an eye out for him in the NBA Playoffs!
In his own words, here are five goals he seeks to accomplish:
1. Empower the Latino community
At this stage of my life, one of my priorities is to highlight the beauty and importance of the Latino/LatinX community in our business and our country. This is in no way to minimize the importance of diversity as a whole or the plight of other communities, but to show pride in the unique nature of the Latino/LatinoX experience. The community has faced challenges because it’s not a monolith. Whether you’re Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Honduran, etc… you may have had different upbringings or experiences, but at its core the experience has many commonalities.
You had to navigate your way through two worlds. One world generally included honoring a different language and customs. The other included assimilation into this country we all love and desperately want to be a part of. By nature, many first-generation immigrants want their children to do what they did. Put their head down and work. Don’t make waves. However, the nature of second and third generations is to make progress, to expand upon the footprint that those before us laid out. This is why it’s of the utmost importance to me that the stories and voices of the Latino/LatinX community be heard — that this community that represents nearly a fifth of this country’s population be represented in a more profound manner both in the entertainment space and across all the facets of our lives.
2. Provide guidance to up-and-comers.
I have been unbelievably fortunate in my career to have incredibly kind, talented and knowledgeable friends to lean on for advice. This business is full of pitfalls and isn’t easy to navigate. Over the years, I’ve been quite active in paying it forward and feel that doing even more of it is necessary. It’s really been an emphasis of mine throughout, because at a young age I saw that not everyone in this business is going to be willing to help you. As a matter of fact, in a lot of cases they’ll push you aside in order to maintain their own stature.
Also, the landscape in media is changing by the moment. That makes it even more important to guide each other as best we can and focus on helping the people that are along for the ride with us — not to mention, lend a hand to those coming behind us. Remember, the people you will see on the way up are the same people you will see on the way down. Your relationships with those people will factor into how your career trajectory will go. Also, it doesn’t hurt to just be a good person.
3. Maintain work/Life balance & mental health.
So this one is definitely a work in progress. We all get consumed by what we do for a living. It’s not always the healthiest path. I’m sure plenty of companies offer this kind of support, but this is where working for a company like Disney is paramount. They really stress striking the proper balance between work and life. They provide tools for us to seek help if needed.
I’m going to try to make this as brief as possible to not bore you with the details. Plus, every single one of us has our own mental and emotional baggage. I’m going to try to explain mine in a way that hopefully let’s anyone out there that needs to hear this — that they’re not alone. It begins nearly 20 years ago. My father, who has since passed away, became very sick. While most people in their early 20’s are trying to figure out who they are, I had to also become the parent to my parents in a lot of ways.
I turned down lucrative opportunities to take care of them and keep a watchful eye over them — something I would still do 100 out 100 times. Life has had its ways of rewarding me many times over, both personally and professionally. Fast forward to 2013 after years of flirting my dream job opportunity of working at ESPN comes about. With the blessing of my parents and consulting with my wife, I moved to Connecticut and subsequently Los Angeles years later in pursuit of my professional dreams.
It always weighed on me (still does) that I wasn’t more present in their daily lives, particularly as my father’s health deteriorated. Sure, I could hop on a plane a few times a year to see him, but it’s not the same as hopping in my car to see him any time I wanted to. This is when my bouts with anxiety and depression really accelerated. I was somewhat familiar with the feelings of anxiety previously. I’ll never forget the first time I had a panic attack. It was shortly after my dad’s initial health battle.
I was at a restaurant in Miami, having dinner with some friends and my heart was racing so fast and there was this pressure in my chest so intense that I thought I was having a heart attack. I reasoned with myself and went to the restroom to catch my breath and pour some water on my face before returning to the table. I drank a couple of glasses of wine like they were water to calm me down. It worked, for the moment.
Years later, when I moved to LA, my father’s health continued to deteriorate. My mother was also growing older and had her own sets of challenges to deal with as well. Those infrequent episodes of anxiety and depression became more common. In retrospect, it affected everything I did and all my relationships to an extent. My wife was dealing with the brunt of this — mostly, because I was too stubborn and felt that I could handle it.
This was life and I just had to deal with it. Stop being such a baby, I’d say to myself. Man up! Well, eventually I did, “Man Up!” This is where I sought out help. Disney has an EAP program for all its employees to seek guidance for mental health therapy. That’s where I met the fifth most important woman in my life (behind mom, wife, daughter and sister), my therapist Vanessa Fierstadt.
Over the last five years she has been an important voice in my life to keep me grounded:
– Helping me understand myself and my emotions.
– How to release these feelings and tension in a more productive manner.
– Helping me find that proper work/life balance, including finding some daily time to check in with myself.
– Give myself the proper space and boundaries in all aspects of my life.
Again, it’s definitely still a work in progress and those bouts with anxiety and depression don’t go away simply because you seek help. However, life is about managing. The sessions I have with her allow me to manage and create those boundaries to allow me to try to be the best version of me. Seeking help is helping me to continue to try to reach that goal.
4. Live more in the moment.
This coincides some with the part where I discussed work/life balance and mental health. However, I think it deserves its own category. We all have unique experiences in our lives. We should do a better job of enjoying them as they’re happening. The example I like to use is, whenever I’m about to go on the air on tv or radio I take a breath and I look around. I’m ridiculously blessed to do something for a living that I love — whether that’s hosting a show or working a game.
I never used to just soak it in because I was so hyper focused on the job at hand. The pandemic has taught me that nothing is a given. Therefore, whether it’s my personal life and I’m taking the kids to the beach or whether I’m covering a playoff game, I try my best now to really look around and observe every little detail. We live in a world where we like to document everything with our phones. The best camera in our possession to create memories is the one in our head.
5. Try something new.
Every year I try to begin a new journey of sorts. For example, during the pandemic I decided I was going to give myself a better understanding of finance, cryptocurrency and investing. I had basic knowledge. However, I wanted to be literate in a way that I could understand the nuances of it.
I read a lot, listened to a lot of podcasts and chatted with my friends in that industry to gain a better grasp of it. I grew up the son of Cuban exiles that worked multiple jobs when I was a kid. Eventually, I settled into a more “traditional” life. Nevertheless, there was mostly no understanding of how IRA’s or 401k’s work. I felt it was important, not just for me, but to eventually pass along that knowledge to my kids. My parents gave me plenty of unique gifts. This could be just one of the ones I could pass along to mine. Next year, I want to tackle a new language. If anyone has any suggestions — I’m game!
Ryan Glasspiegel is a contributor for BSM. He has previously worked for Outkick, The Big Lead, and Sports Illustrated. In addition to covering the sports media business, Ryan creates promotional products for brands and companies including t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and various types of swag. For business inquiries email him at Glasspiegel.Ryan@gmail.com or find him on Twitter @sportsrapport.
