The ZoomWithOurFeet Photography Podcast

A Pizza Drive-Thru Conversation That Launched a 20-Year Sports Media Career

• Timothy "TMac" McCarty • Season 2 • Episode 37

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Episode Snapshot:

From Hoover video class to MLB live experience

  • College access gaps and the value of Kent State’s TV2
  • Freelance work, internships, and the first break in Cleveland
  • A chance pizza-window conversation that changed everything
  • What unpaid internships really teach
  • Learning the “why” behind buttons and storytelling
  • Professionalism under pressure and crew culture
  • Growing from producer to department leader
  • Hiring for potential, passion, and communication
  • Spotting future leaders through team-first behavior
  • Mentorship, program legacy, and broadcast collaboration

New here? Start to learn photography and visual storytelling at zoomwithourfeet.com.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How opportunity actually shows up (and why most people miss it)
  • Why mentorship beats credentials every time
  • What hiring managers notice when no one’s watching
  • How leaders surface long before they get titles
  • Why team-first thinking keeps creative careers alive

Why It Matters:

Creative careers are rarely straight lines. Nick’s story is a reminder that longevity comes from trust, attitude, and being ready when opportunity appears—not from titles or tech.

About This Guest:

Nick Gambone didn’t follow a straight path into sports media—he worked his way in by showing up, learning fast, and earning trust. From early hands-on video work to leading live in-game experiences for the Cleveland Guardians, Nick’s career reflects what happens when opportunity meets preparation, curiosity, and team-first thinking.

“I don’t hire on perfection. I hire on potential and hustle.”

— Nick Gambone | Director In-Game Experience, Cleveland Guardians

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Nick:

That's part of the culture that you build is that safe area to talk about these growth opportunities. I have two people that I that I'm thinking of when I'm talking about this. When you see them help others and like not their role, not their job, but they're they're there just making sure that the team gets the project done and they're there for the betterment of that. And they they have the team goals in mind instead of their own goals. That's that's leadership quality right there.

TMac:

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Zoom with our feet podcast. With me, your host, T Mack, professional photographer, videographer, and teacher. So, what makes a teacher proud? To see their fledglings go on to do great things. I'm very excited to chat with a former student of mine who somehow managed to survive my first year teaching. And not only did he survive, but he became a great husband, father, and integral part of the Cleveland sports media landscape. On this episode of the Zoom Pod, Nick Gambone, Assistant Director of Live Experience for the Cleveland Guardians, talks about his media creators' journey. It's hot stove time for baseball, and our guest speaker is in the photo lab. Let's talk to a pro. Nick Gambone, welcome to the Zoom with our feet podcast. How are you?

Speaker 1:

I'm doing well. Thanks for having me, Tim.

TMac:

Oh, thanks for being here. Former student, full disclosure. I hope things are well.

Nick:

Yeah, I have fond memories of being a student back at Disverton and having you at Tom teach us the ropes.

TMac:

Nick was in my very, very first year of teaching, and clearly he has survived and thrived, and I had nothing to do with it.

Nick:

I don't know about that.

TMac:

You've had uh an interesting an interesting career, my man. So the first place I always start with everybody. So the reason I started this project is for me, A, keep teaching, b to sort of prove to everyone that um everybody's journey is different, it's original, but uh the thing is everybody started somewhere, and you can't uh sort of judge us by where we are now. And so what I like to talk about is the journey itself and how you got to your current position with the Cleveland Guardians. So let's work backwards uh from that. And what is your uh uh origin story in media production?

Nick:

I love this. Uh what's pretty wild if you think about it too is uh I've been with the Indianslash guardians now for 20 years, which means I started there in 2005, and I graduated high school in 2003. So a lot of my skills that I had going into that job right out of the gate was because of the video production class that you guys taught. Uh, and that's pretty incredible to really think back on. Um, but right outside right out of high school, uh went down to OU and spent a year there uh and didn't get my hands on any equipment. I was not in any video production classes, uh, and I was then driving back to the Kent area to freelance, college football games, and you know, and make you know a hundred bucks a game. And I'm driving a Jeep Wrangler from Kent to Athens, Ohio, so I'm spending all my money on gas to just work those gigs. Uh so I moved uh you know out of OU after that first year. I will say a little bit of that partying may have also been uh you know a reason for moving away from Kentucky.

TMac:

Of course.

Nick:

Uh but you know, you move to Kent, it's not like it's that much different of a school. Um, it's just a lot closer, uh, which was great. Uh and it afforded a lot of opportunities for me to get my hands on equipment right away. Uh, I did uh listen to your podcast with Paul Taylor. Uh shout out to Paul Taylor, who was uh my roommate at Kent State, actually, uh and is is my best man, was my best man at my wedding. So Paul and I go way back. Um, but he and I started at Kent uh together because he also was his first year was um at a satellite branch of Kent. So we both went to main campus at the same time. We became roommates. There you go, flash it off. Uh we became roommates, but then um really um we got into the TV2 program and the in the studio there, and we found that if you just wanted to do stuff, you could. Uh, and we were like super gum ho. We were ready to get our hands on anything. I had spent a year not touching any equipment essentially. Paul had spent a year at a satellite campus, so he was like eager to get his hands on equipment too. And you know, we jumped in. I was a sports director my first year there at the news station, my first semester. And like that to me is just a testament to what you can do when you find the right school and you find the right people around you to get in and then start having fun and then realize how cool this industry can really be. Um, but man, that first uh that those first couple years at Kent, um, they they taught me a lot. It was really like college was a figure it out era for me. Um, you know, it was a lot of learning by doing, shooting, I was editing, I was uh creating graphics, uh, I was producing shows, I was doing all these different things that I had never done before. And I think um, you know, one of the things that I did when I was young was I said yes to a lot of things before I was ready. Uh and I was confident in my abilities, and and again, I had a lot I've had a lot of um hands-on under my belt as I started saying these things, and it was just like you just keep, all right, I've never done that, but yeah, I can do it. Uh and it eventually turned into um you know a career, which is kind of insane to think, but um I I wouldn't uh, you know, like you said, everybody's journey is unique uh in their own right. And I thought uh at least a dozen times in those first couple of years that this is not the industry for me, this is not a career worth pursuing. Uh my father was like, you need to like get out of this and get a real job, uh, find something else to do. Uh and I just kept saying, no, this is fine. I'll do this for a little while, and then if I can't figure it out, I'll get a real job. Uh 20 years later, I'm still doing it.

TMac:

Well, I also think it is a testament to um career tech education. Shout out to career tech education. I am a huge proponent of um what you just said, which is do it hands-on, experience all learning. Um, and I think that um for some Hoover students, I'm looking at you, that was a hard transition to then go to higher education and almost an uh a different learning model where they set you aside, you have to take the classes um first before you even, as you said, get access to the equipment, get access to right, because it's run by the student media, it's run by the folks that put all that time in. Well that was a that was always a hard transition for um students coming out of a pretty sophisticated um video production program like Hoover High School. So I you're not the only one that that had that issue in that transition, but I appreciate you saying that you found it based on what they let you do and also what you could talk yourself into. And and that's obviously why you stayed. Um when did you graduate?

Nick:

2000. So long career in in maybe we can shorten this later, uh, but went from OU to Kent to Akron to Cleveland State, more as a way to kind of get myself up to Cleveland. Uh in I was already I was working by 2005. Um, so really, you know, as a sophomore junior in college, um, I was trying to balance a lot uh and it and it was tough. So it was you know, I I wouldn't I hope my children don't hear this. I have two kids now. Um, but you know, college isn't always the path that you need to take. Uh, and it's not always one college either. And I think, you know, when you start to form a career, you have to make decisions informed on where your life is at that moment. Um, and that's looking back on it, that's easy to say. Um, in the in, you know, at the moment in the time when we were going through it, and you know, I was saying, all right, I'm gonna transfer to another school. Though those were tough conversations to have, and you have to be confident in yourself. But you also have to surround yourself with the people that are gonna um support you in whatever decisions and career path you want to take. And that's a big part of also you know why I'm here, is also really having a really good support system this whole time.

TMac:

How do you think your Hoover experience informed your college experience?

Nick:

So my Hoover experience was one of one of my one of the best memories I have in high school was being in that class. Um and it allowed me to um work on programs like Abbott. And it's crazy the like final time Abbott. I think we were using Premier actually, even that first year that I was there. And those are softwares, again, that um you don't get your hands on, especially MAPI when you get into college. And so the things that I knew how to do coming out of high school were beyond what I found at OEU, um even at Tech State, Akron, Cleveland State. Nobody had the software um or the small class size that Ruber had. Where you're basically turning up one other person or doing projects yourself, and then there was almost a one-to-one computer ratio for kids at our high school, which is insane. We're talking 20 years ago. We're talking about 20,000 editing machines. One to one. That's that's that's that's wild. Um, um, and so you know, once you start to realize that, uh, it did a lot of reflection as I got out of uh a couple of those colleges and then I was moving around and it was like, hey, you know, you know, you know how to use this software, you know how to shoot shoot and edit and produce. Go look for that job. Go try to find that and then that'll get you your hands on experience where you're trying to do your book, you know, all the other classes that you need to get in college and balance that. And that's where I was trying to get my fulfillment when I when I wasn't able to get my hands-on equipment right away. I was getting through those freelance gigs. And all the time. Ultimately, those freelance gigs led me to Cleveland, which led me to you know the Indians, um, but that's that's what it was. It was it was it was just following that path. It was saying, hey, you know, I know this person uh you work in the cast. Like when do they hire it? What like when can I get into? I was uh I was a camera everywhere I went to start. You know, it means you start at the bottom of the ladder and you work your way up. But when you're when you're freelancing, when you're 18, 19 years old and you've got no other skill set really. Um you've got a new attitude, you can pretty much make it anyway.

TMac:

I'm stealing that. Um there is also some lore, Mr. Gambone, and I have it on very good authority because he was also on the podcast. There is a uh a legendary story about you working the drive-thru at a pizza place and encountering someone from the media. Shout out to Steve Warren. So I'd like to hear, I have heard his side of the story. I would like to hear the other side of the drive-thru pizza story. Uh not just for uh just thinking of it, but uh seizing this is a seize the moment lesson for anybody that wants to be in um media and a you know, you could do all the normal stuff, typical stuff, and shake hands and meet people, or you could do what Nick did. Carry on.

Nick:

I didn't listen to Steve's podcast. Uh exactly 20 years ago.

TMac:

Love it.

Nick:

But I'm only worked in a pizza place, so let me wait, let me can you just give you a reading.

TMac:

Uh there was a um there was a brief discussion with him. You recognized him. This is this is from Mr. Warren, that you recognized him and said, um, you know, are are you hiring?

unknown:

Uh-uh.

TMac:

Words to that effect, and that you were a student student in Hoover Video Productions, which for Steve is like the ultimate, because he he likes to call himself patient zero in the way back in the 70s when the first camera arrived at Hoover High School. They handed it to Steve. But his story was you he arrived to pick up a pizza and met a young Nick Gambone who uh recognized him, asked him, uh, how are you doing? I'm uh I'm Nick Gambone, I'm uh video production student. And in so many words, are you hiring?

Nick:

So I think I'm gonna be able to do it. True or not, sir. I do remember the story now. Um just hearing a couple of words. Um I was working at the pizza place. Uh and I was really uh the pizza maker, uh not necessarily the window operation type, if you will. Uh so it was really lucky that I walked over to the window to you know give this man his pizza, and I look up and I see Steve Warren. And you know, if anybody knows Steve O, he's recognizable, um and he's got this, always got this smile on his face and is approachable. And as you know, you know, as I'm in him as pizza, I just felt like there was an opportunity to talk to him. I knew what he did, we were communications, and I said, Hey, I know you're from North Kingdom, you've come and talked to our class before. Um I know that you work in Indians, and I would love to get a job there. Are you hiring? Um what you didn't know was that I was moving back from OU, I was uh free because I didn't know what I was gonna do. Um it was really one of those like just just meant to be the moments, I think, because that was the start of a really awesome relationship between Steve and I. And I still see Steve around from time to time at the ballpark. And I've told him that's one of the things that always is in my head within him is that someone's he hired me as an intern in 2005 and he left the following year to go work for sports time. I'm still still kind of processing what that means. I'm not sure he would like to try and burn bridges on his way in and like let's get in here, but it's definitely not a joke, a joke. Uh he was he was he was just an incredible person. Um obviously ran a really great department that I came into and got to jump in and have fun every way. And then he was still still around, so I got to talk to him uh pretty regularly those first few years when he was with STL. I don't see him as much anymore, but I definitely see him two or three times a year, and we've always got that wave or handshake whenever we get up to him. Steve Steve always a unique person, and I truly wouldn't be here like to today where I'm at if it wasn't for him.

TMac:

Um full disclosure. Um his side of the story, because he is a master storyteller, includes the following that there was a resume taped to the top of the pizza when it passed through the window.

Nick:

But but a good version details. I don't know if I have those readily available with me at the pizza shop, but but that does sound like a C H little acknowledgement. But uh you know, there's a good chance I sharpened my phone number on that pizza box.

TMac:

Um I I think what is impressive to me is the Hutzpa to do it, um, to understand and take advantage of that serendipity. I mean, uh and and most people would just like, oh, that's right, but to step out of yourself and whatever you may have thought of the situation, you you um you acted, and that says a lot about probably how you've conducted yourself, and and there's a fearlessness about how you attack uh work. So um, yes, it may seem uh a little embarrassing now, but I'm sure at the time it was I I should I should grasp this this opportunity. I know that he appreciated it just for its originality and um just the knowledge that you um he thought, you know, uh this is off camera, sir, that he you know he appreciated you stepping out in doing that. I think the lesson I want to impart on people, um, and I think you'll agree that are that are you know want to work in media production is uh sometimes you have to take a chance. Um it's it's uh you mentioned it before, everybody's everybody's journey is different. Mine is completely different than everybody else's. However, some of the consistencies. Are um stepping out of your comfort zone to introduce yourself to somebody, having mentors, because after that I'm sure he became a mentor. And um, even though he wasn't uh directly working with you anymore, he was checking up on you. I know he was, because I've done it with um former students, so there's a kinship, I think, in the industry. Uh, but I just love that story, and I wanted to try to embarrass the crap out of you by making sure that you knew he told that story to me in his interview because we were talking about former students, and he said, Yeah, I embellished it. What I tell people, I uh yeah, he stuck a resume on the pizza. So that's a pretty famous pizza, is basically what I'm saying.

Nick:

I love it. I think it is a good story too. And to your point, like if you don't put yourself out there, it's gonna be tough to really try to make some of those moves that you want to make. And you gotta not be worried about failing or embarrassing yourself because what's the worst that's gonna happen? Like they say no, right? What's the best that can happen is 20 years later. So we're working.

TMac:

Well, speaking of that, that's a good segue. So let's talk about so um a couple of journeys. So journey from Hoover to a professional break. Now you manage to uh you know, the pizza guy hired you. The the pizza guy got hired. So now um you were hired as what internal.

Nick:

So I was I was a seasonal intern, which which meant uh you know you know April to um and end of September.

TMac:

Okay. What did pay?

Nick:

Uh this is amazing. Zero dollars perfectly. This was this was before um laws like three or four years later, laws came through that said you can't have unpaid interns. Um my full internship year. No, no, I did pick up a couple of pay throughout that summer, but I think I made $2,000 the entire summer. And that was that was essentially my gas call driving from Texas to Label.

TMac:

Right. Um and uh inter job descriptions can be pretty wide. How was uh how was this one?

Nick:

I you know what's crazy is this job description um was was pretty I don't I don't even know if I can tell you what it was specifically, um but it it it allowed me to um it allowed me to edit videos, it allowed me to shoot, it allowed me to work on a game day and work uh positions like main scoreboard. That's not even a position you would even have on a regular podcast, right? Scoreboard operators that's that's kind of different. Um this was a year after the brand new 2004 scoreboard was built. Uh so it was a it was a new toy for them that I got to just basically he sat me down and said push buttons until you think you're broken. Um, a 19-year-old kid who doesn't know what they're doing, um, but that wants to learn. And so obviously I pushed every single button I could to figure out what things did. Um that first year taught me a lot. It taught me that I can work a job that I love, making no money, and I'm perfectly happy, which really informed me uh for a lot of the rest of my career that you know, do I want to chase money or do I want to chase the feeling? Um and I you know that feeling that that feeling goes like this. Every job that you have, you love it, and then there are times you hate it. But I think more often than not, I still love this job, and it started with that first year knowing that I can do it for free, honestly. And that was a big thing.

TMac:

And I think Steve also probably that first year told you about um professionalism and uh showing up, um keeping up, and understanding it's a lot more corporate than people think, and that you know there's a lot to learn uh beyond pushing buttons. Tell me about that transformation as well.

Nick:

Yeah, yeah, those early years were pretty awesome. There was um just a really good group of people that were there that um were really um they cared about the people around them. And I think you know a lot of that came from Steve's culture and his ability to impart just a great working environment around him. Um but I don't I think it's pretty rare for um people to teach you how to do a job really well, especially on the broadcast side. The broadcast side is different than maybe an in-house gig. It's it's uh a lot of people think that in-house is really a step, they just don't get to broadcast, and a lot of times it can be. Um people don't like to teach you things, or at least they didn't back then because they were worried you're a young kid, you're gonna take my job. Like there's only so many years I got left with this camera on my shoulder. I'm gonna try to do that, and I'm not gonna tell you how to do it. Um you take that to the Indians at that time, and it wasn't that. It was hey, hey, here's how this works, here's how that works, here's why we do this. And the why became the most important part because that's how you learn not to just push this button, but why you push this button. And those are some of the things that um just Steve O, but again, the crew that he had there informed me how to how to be that kind of person. When it comes to professionalism, uh I will say like that is something that I feel like being an Eagle Scout uh and I and I worked with you on gigs, and I've worked with Tim or Tom on Gigs. You guys are professional. And as much fun as we have behind the scenes and doing different things and um communicating, just talking and joking around. When it comes time to do that job, I saw you and Ms. Wilson snap into those, and I've seen those people that can take it from the joke and then oh, it's my job now. And they're serious and they're focused. No, they're not tight, they're still loose, they're having fun with it, but it is a shift to oh, that's what a professional looks like. And you start like if you're paying attention, you start to really see that right away. And I was able to see, okay, okay, here's what professionals look like. And I mean I was still in college, but here's what college kids look like. And I'm and I'm like, wow, those guys are a good job. I know that. So I'm gonna act like a professional a little bit. And you know, you know, by professional in the video production world, you know, standards are still pretty low. So you know, it was a pretty easy bargain for me to move into only being two years removed from our high school video production class. And then I'll also have free like a bunch of gigs. You know, you know, it was easy to almost rise to the top in that group, even, which I was able to do, but rise to the top in that group because I had a wide skill set. I could talk to people. And I'm not sure. And I was a young kid who kind of fearless. Maybe it was my own ignorance, but I was kind of fearless going into every every every kind of endeavor that I tried to do.

TMac:

So what's next then? So intern, uh what do they offer?

Nick:

So that was 2005. In 2006, they offered me a part-time year-round job, which I thought, yeah, absolutely. You know, you know, still in school, but I will take a you know, I'll take a year-round job right now. And you know, it's a terminology, it's basically a full-time job, but just hourly, right? Um gig. Um at that point I had gotten to know a lot of people on our crew. Uh that same year I also started working for Cast as a freelancer. And I was running um under the hoop for a little while. And then there was a game, I'll never forget there was a game LeBron's like the first couple of years, too. By the way, right under the hoop in those first few LeBron years. Incredible. Yeah, absolutely incredible.

TMac:

So wait, sad story. Wait, this is how this is how old I am. I can remember during my heavy calf years, um, they uh St. V used to play in the afternoon at at the arena, the gunned. That's how far back I go. And so we'd be setting up for the Cavs game, and it was funny to be able to like look out on the court and go, who's that adult out there playing with the with with with those kids? Like you you would stop and you'd go, Who is that? And I have very distinct memories of of doing that, of being on the court, of setting up for the pro game that was that night. Saint Phoebe was beating the tar out of somebody, uh, and you just looked at this kid and you went, he's not what he's gonna play. He's a high school player. Sorry, continue. LeBron is a good example of being able to experience that you were paying attention, is what I'm trying to say.

Nick:

Absolutely. And so the in 2007, when I started uh 2006 season, I think that's what it was. When I started working for the Cavs, I was grip, and I'll never forget there was a game I couldn't tell you when, but like halfway through that season, probably in December-ish, the other. Under the camera um camera operator, under the camera operator clicked. When they made it in, and they were looking for anybody with camera experience, and I was like, I've not done that. And I was on to grip that game anyway, under that same hoop. And I sat in that chair, and I cannot, I'm not I may have not I may have only missed two more games the rest of that season. They loved what I did. And that was when I knew that was when I knew I could be a real camera operator. That was when I knew this was my calling, this is what I could do. They put me under the half side hoop as a first-year employee halfway through the season. That's crazy. And I'll tell you what, I wouldn't have those camera skills if it wasn't for you. So I like thank you. Uh and I'll never forget this may be a segue back even a little bit further, but uh one of one of the first camera moves you top, uh you know, I produced our football video right now.

TMac:

Your past coming back to haunt me.

Nick:

No, no, this is this is this is a good story for you too. Don't worry, I got some other ones I'll tell later.

TMac:

Yeah, I know where the stop button is, pal. Go ahead.

Nick:

Uh so we were um at that first football game, and you were in charge of teaching me the roads, like what to do. I had a camera. I was always like, where do I stay? What do I want to do? And you're like, yeah, yeah, we were so great. I don't even know if you remember this, but you're like, all right, so we want to try to stay about 20 yards ahead of the play. And we you know, when you get into that missile zone, you've got to make that decision whether or not you've got to get to the other side of the team or you want to stay on this side behind the wall.

TMac:

Right, right, right. Covering football.

Nick:

You did the first video that's yeah, yeah. So we're standing on the field, and you're telling me again again, it's it's the why. It's it's not just staying here, it's not just point at zoom in, zoom out. It's here's here's how you try to capture that. And this goes beyond photo. I know you mentioned like you were teaching us photo techniques, but I'll never forget this one. So our team is maybe at the 20-yard line, they're in the red zone. You're like, hey, you've got to go right to the back uh tile on the corner. And I want you to start on the goalpost, and I just want you to give you a slow hand down to the uh to the team as they hype the ball. And I'll never forget the first time I did that, hand down, just as the team is breaking and the guy runs in and scores a touchdown. Right? Right? And then that's the storytelling. And you were so proud of that's it. That's the storytelling we're talking about with the camera. And then I was like, there's storytelling you can do with the camera, like it still didn't dawn on me until you know years later. And obviously, I was like editing that video, even I'm like, oh, that's a really good camera. Like, but but that why you do these things, why you try to capture things in different ways was what resonated with me. And so I took that into this cav's job. And I was like, well, I'm gonna focus and I'm gonna give them this, and then I'm gonna pull out this, or I'm gonna focus from here to there, and I'm gonna tell the story from under the hoop right on that calves sideline. And that's why they loved it. And again, that that that would not have done that had I not learned that from from you. So thank you. Because that gave me like a tenure career with the calves running camera under the hoop, which was so much fun.

TMac:

Well, um it it's I I appreciate it. I I can remember um that that was at the time that football video was real work. It was minimum nine games plus some playoffs, and you were a single camera your way through it, finishing with essentially a documentary on the season. You had to interview seniors, you had to cover every game. Um and I can remember um when Tom and I talked about it, I was uh really excited because I thought this is real-world experience. Someone is gonna walk away from this experience with what what you just said. They may it may not click right away, but it's going to help them along the way. And I can remember all the different students that that did that job, almost all of them are working in the in the industry because I think that that type of work early sets the hook. Number one, clearly you mentioned that, but number two, the skills and and using the camera as a tool. I can remember stressing positioning. You don't want, you know, I I do remember saying to all the the football folks, are you paying attention when the coin toss when there's a coin toss at the beginning of the game? And I remember all of y'all looking at me like, what? Coin toss. And I'm like, Yeah, coin toss, because now you know who's receiving, who's kicking, and which directions the team are going. And then you all would go, oh, and I would say, Don't stand at the 50-yard line. If you know that Hoover's kicking or receiving, you position yourself accordingly. And true story, it wasn't you, it was somebody else. But I gave him that speech, and he was, you know, a non-believer. And I said, We're walking ourselves down to the you know 10-yard line, and I said, Here's what's gonna happen. They're gonna kick that ball, he's gonna run up the middle, he's gonna bounce around the side, and he's gonna run right down the sideline. Now, I honestly, I was describing a situation. It happened, and he had it the whole way. Uh, all of the the the whole thing he looked at me and I said, that'll be $45 advice fee.

Speaker 3:

I love it. And that's you know, you know, to be a good thing.

Nick:

That's kind of stuff that um like like you said, like that's a project. There's there's there's there's you're you're you get paid for it, there's so there's pressure on getting it right. Um and it it it it was literally my first pay gig and gave me so much confidence in it. It was good confidence or blind confidence. I went out and used that parlay to anything that I could because it was it was it was such like just valuable again. Like I wasn't doing any of that kind of stuff until years after high school, which was really incredible, I think.

TMac:

I think that um what you learn from those experiences you carry forward, you bank it, like you said, but when they when they put that camera in your hand for whatever reason, right? And there's a lot of people who um got jobs because somebody got hurt, somebody got sick, somebody uh wanted something uh a different type of job kind of thing. That's that's a that's a pretty standard, but you being able to um bank that experience, and even though it it didn't apply uh directly to football, it applied to camera work. And that's what you know that's that's the universal thing. Okay, so now you're part-time. When did a full-time uh your your on the team happen?

Nick:

So we it was pretty fast for us in our department. Um I'm gonna give a quick synopsis of just the guardians here. So 2005 I was an intern. 2006 I became a part-time year-ound employee. And we were going through a department transformation in 2007 where we we essentially let any any part-time year-round person go with the intention of hiring back a full-time salary employee. It was kind of a way I think for us for us to um you know weed out a little bit of the older group. Um but so 2006 intern. I'm sorry, 2005 intern, 2006 part-time year-round, 2007 full-time uh long full-time I was a producer of Indian game entertainment. And then uh we had another full-time producer for like commercials and another full-time producer for like long form documentary style things. But my focus was specifically on Indian game entertainment, and so I created a lot of the um scoreboard featurettes that you see that went on the scoreboard, um we would play, and then a lot of the animations like charge and mix noise. Um those are all uh from my you know, you know, from my my role. Um then from from 2007, so that was 2007 to 2012. Um in 2012 I became the manager of video production for the Cleveland Indians, and that's when I took over the department that created what I was telling about all those producers, so I took over that department and managed those other producers as well as the um seasonal staff that works game days. So now the scoreboard staff reports something as well. Uh and then I was uh also directing then um the majority of the scoreboard show games into 2012. So that promotion was a really big one where again I'm managing the department of Create content creators managing the pool of seasonal employees that come and work the games and then also directing 90% of the games. So that was a really big job. That was the first real big step for me. And then from there, it was another, I think it was 2016-ish, when I became the assistant director of um live experience, and really the creative director for our organization. And all that really meant was now I also had to, I was also responsible for commercial campaigns, advertising, and everything we went into that. Now I actually don't have to deal with advertising and brand commercials and all that kind of stuff anymore. And then they didn't differ for a little while. Now we have our marketing department again, and that's who's responsible for all of those commercial campaigns, which honestly was a really blessing because commercial campaigns and those things are those 15-second snippets now you see at the beginning of YouTube videos or whatever, right? So it's not that storytelling that it used to be. And really, they said, We want you to take your focus back to the in-game entertainment to try to make that the best it can be.

TMac:

And now you got the opportunity to sort of take on that role officially. So I have been there several times and can say and have been to a lot of parks, and I I think it balances the right level of information, and there's a there's a balance that you have to try to strike. Um, and I think that uh you guys you guys do it well for um the size of your shop. You're still accounted, you having to account for the same number of games that the New York Mets are uh are producing, or the LA Dodgers, or uh you know where I'm going with this. So I think that that um you're in the right spot, my man. I I I'm I'm really proud of you and and how you built a career the right way. And I bet in this new role managing creatives, um you're meeting some young Nick Gambones, are you?

Nick:

And what's funny is uh I've got a video production kid that I hired as an intern, and now he's been with us for almost 13 years.

TMac:

Wait a minute, who?

Nick:

Mike Mike Donovan.

TMac:

Do you know Mike Donovan? Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. Good for him.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

TMac:

All right. So here are the pay it forwards questions. This is how we'll this is how we'll we'll end. Um you know, I didn't I I I'd lose my ex-career education teaching card if I didn't ask you, you know, what's the next step? Um, you know, what more do you want to do? And I know you well enough to know that you're open um for things, but you know, everybody's got I like to say two-year, five-year, ten-year goals. Um, what what what would you like the next step to be?

Nick:

Yeah, that's that's a great question. Uh it's it's tough when you've been interested in the same place for 20 years. Um and you know, there's um there's sometimes aren't the same um spots for advancement as if we were to leave and come back and say, you know what I mean? There's there's just opportunities with new newness. Um and so when you've been around for a while, um you kind of have to set your expectations appropriately about what those next steps can be. You want to stay where you're at, essentially. So you know, I can go and uh be a vice president and entertainment somewhere, easily. Like what I have under my belt and the things that I've managed. I can be at that level. Um but I really like the team. So my next steps specifically are um just to continue to build my creative leadership skill set um and just see where that takes me. I don't have a title or a goal or a place in mind, but I want to keep working with people that care about the work they're doing and care about the people around them. It's not about for me, again, and I think this is the the insight that I get with 20 years in the same spot is that the people come and go, but like the people around you matter. And if you can't work with the people around you or you you don't want to because they're not good people, that that that changes the environment where you're at. And I'm so lucky to have worked for 20 years with people who I love and I call friends. And that's that's why I'm still there. So really my next step is just to continue to grow my crazy thought power and how to help people develop their own thought power.

TMac:

Well said. Okay. So kind of the the point of the project are the last couple of questions. So you are now in the position of, or correct me if I'm wrong, are you in the position of hiring interns?

Nick:

So great question. I wish we still had an internship role. We haven't had an video production intern in a while. Um, we're not necessarily hiring um in that intern role, but we do hire every year seasonal staff to work the scoreboard show. And that is one of the best things that any young kid can get on. Any kind of in-house show.

TMac:

Good answer. So part two, two question, uh, two-part question. Okay. First part is um what do you look for in a potential potential hire? Include hard skills, soft skills. Go.

Nick:

So I always tell people I don't hire on perfection, I hire on potential hustle. Uh and that to me is um why we've been successful. That's why we've been successful with the people around us. You know, you know, it's I can teach you where where to point that camera or which button to hit at the right time, but I can't. But I can't teach you a go-getter attitude or a self-starter mentality. That's something that you have to bring to the table. So I always tell people when you go into an interview, be confident, uh, know what you're talking about. You don't have to be overly confident, but you have to have a passion for what you're talking about. And then that passion will come through through a conversation. And that's what I'm looking for. I'm just looking to know that you care about being in the room and talking about this stuff. I want to know that you care about what you're gonna come do for us. And if you're sitting there like a bump on a log, that makes it that makes more work for me to pull out what you actually bring to the table. And so if you can bring to the table that skill set, you know, you know, and make it visible and make it known, and you know, you don't have to be this crazy person in an interview, but you just have to connect with the person that you're talking to and make sure that they understand you really do have a passion for what you're what you're going for. And that's that's what I look for most. You know, obviously resumes come through and some skills are better than others. And you know, those hard skills when we're hiring for a technical director, let's say those are important. Like those are that you've got to know how to use a switcher if you're gonna come in and be a technical director. So those mixed mixed, you know, so you'll get that and you'll see like, all right, this guy you know maybe has a little more skill than this guy, but but gosh, if that guy that that second guy didn't give the best interview we've had out of the 50 candidates. You know, I'm I'm gonna go with that guy because I want to work with that person, you know, you know, and then that's that's kind of the difference. Obviously, we honestly we probably hire both of them and good candidates. But um it it's you know, you know, you gotta have the hard skills if you want those above-the-line jobs, and you gotta have the personal skills in any role that you're gonna be.

TMac:

Good answer. Uh but somewhere along the way, you will have a candidate, um, I don't know, a young Gambone, for instance, that has um management potential. And do you is in your mind, um do you have somebody in mind that I'm asking this question about where and at what point do you start saying to that person, um you clearly can do this. Um you start where I started, which is what do you want to do in two years? What do you want to do in five years? That kind of thing. So, specifically for somebody who um loves the work but may want to manage uh down the road, what do you tell those folks?

Nick:

Uh this is a great conversation to have with your employees. I recommend anybody listening to this who is a manager have this kind of conversation with their employees because that's hard to do. Part of the culture that you built is that safe area to talk about these growth opportunities. And if you are able to then have these conversations with your people, and I do this regularly. I wasn't sure you know, you know, as an intern, you know, moving up like when he'd be ready to start managing people. Um but when you see people that I that I'm thinking of when I'm talking about this, when you see them help help others and like like not their role, not their job, but that they're they're there just making sure that the team gets the project done and they're there for the benefit of that. They they have the team goals in mind instead of their own goals, that that's that's leadership quality right there. And that's that's the kind of stuff that you can identify and that you can you know you know you give that positive reinforcement to. And then you can start to have these conversations of like, okay, well, what does management look like for you? What is creative leadership look like for you? You can you can take those examples that you've seen and and just kind of give that back to them. Tell them like, hey, I think you're ready because of X, Y, and Z. And if uh you know, if again if you have that safe space where you go back and forth, you can also say things like, Well, here's here's the couple things I think we would need to do if we want to take that next step. And so through through that back and forth conversation, and again, like this is a safe space. Like the goal is to get that person's mindset in a place of like, all right, I have these things checked off. I'm gonna continue to do those well. And then maybe time email response is a very specific thing I can work on. You know, you know, something like that. And then again, if it's uh if it's a safe space to have that conversation with your employees, um then it's a much easier way to then you know, you know, make an opportunity area a strength. And and and and I think that that's all that's that's what it is. So like you see the leadership qualities and you just just do it before they're ready. I mean I mean honestly, like that's that's what that's how they're gonna learn. And and like the good news is like you're there to help them. So if they have questions on how to manage a certain situation or certain things that pop up or personnel issues, like at this point, I've been through a lot of it, so I'm able to help them kind of say, Well, here's how I went through it last time, or here's what I did with this person. And they they trust trust me, like like once once you have those conversations, they really find that valuable. And that's how I've been able to help build that leadership qualities. I'm only I say build, like I'm just playing off of what they're already good at.

TMac:

Again, very well said, spoken like a manager. I think the um, you know, in my in my case, I was teaching um even when I was a professional traveling camera operator. You are absolutely correct. There are a lot of guys that wouldn't reach out to the uh to the grips and and to the utilities, and I was like, that's uh not sustaining the industry. You know, I I was thinking bigger, and I had an experience at Firestone where I went up to see some of the boys that are still doing golf because I, you know, at the height was was a golf guy and got to see some old friends and and whatever, and noticed a lot of new faces up on the camera towers. And in the TV compound, somebody came up and shook my hand and said, Do you remember me? And I was like, Oh, this is putting me on the spot. And and he let me off the hook easy. He said, You when I was a utility, you would let me go up on your camera tower at lunch and shag golf balls. And I said, Really? And he said, Yeah, and um that practice made it so when I was ready and got asked, um I was uh I was ready. And it was like, you know, what you are saying for me is you you have to be willing to um uh pass on what you know. That's that's kind of the whole reason for this project is to just keep teaching, but it was a great experience for me to have someone say, uh, you did that for me. And I'm like, Are you gonna and my parting shot was are you gonna do it to one of the utilities? And he said, Yeah, yeah, I am. And I'm like, Okay.

Nick:

I mean, that's that's just it. Like the industry you were a diamond in the rough, like back then. Like there were not a lot of people that I've been called.

TMac:

I've been called a lot of things, Mr. Gambone, but that is not one of them.

Nick:

I think so fondly of you in those times. Again, like there was not a lot of people who would teach us what to do uh with podcasts. And that you know, you know, you were there, you lived it, you know how to do it. Like you were the professional that came in and was like, this is it. And I'll say this too. Like, you taught us pretty early on um about culture and about having fun in class. So that when we got into those pressure moments, like that's when we would focus. And like a lot of that came together. I'll never forget. Like you told me about your college career, and that inspired like all of those things you were talking about, like getting kicked out of your dorm one day. And I'm like, what? Like, like who is this guy now he's teaching? And that, like, like, obviously, like I remember that that has stuck with me through my like my college experience and what has gotten me to this day. It's like you just gotta be a good person, like like be a good person first, and everything else will fall into place. You used to bring me Columbia coffee in the morning. Do you remember that? No, that was one of my favorite memories was when you show up with a cup of coffee. Uh like I started it was just you were such a good person that it made everyone else want to be friendly and a good person to it. You know, and I think that that like that was the thing that we needed to see as young people going into this. So I like I always like my grips try everything now. You know what I mean? Like anybody who wants to try something gets tried on my group. And that's that's that's because that's openness that we were taught from a pretty early, you know, pretty early time.

TMac:

Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I'm sure there are some laws being broken now about giving students caffeine, but you know, it is what it is. You turned out fine.

Nick:

I think your wife brought it from from somewhere too. It was like some serious stock.

TMac:

Oh no, no, no. That was Bolivian coffee. Her her um her brother uh lived in Bolivia and it was amazing coffee.

Nick:

I literally had to share this with somebody, and I was like, I'm not sure.

TMac:

I was I was Nick Gambone. I can't thank you enough for being a part of the project. Uh you are a breath of fresh air from my past. Uh, and I'm so proud of you and so proud of what you what you've uh achieved. And it's uh, you know, the best part for me is finding out that you're uh treating people who want to be in this business correctly and mentoring and teaching. Uh and that uh that makes the the heart uh swell for me. That you two knuckleheads that used to race down the hallway, you and Paul, we had these, and I told him this story too. It's like, you know, I don't have any hair because of guys like Paul Taylor and Nick Gambone, because we had a little modular thing when we would do these live events, and everything was on a table. The audio had an audio, the TD had a table, the switcher uh or the um audio TD and all that. And our room to the auditorium was down in this long straight hallway. And the next thing I know, you and your knucklehead friend are just pushing these fiber board tables with these little tiny wheels on them and irreplaceable gear for a school video program, and you two hotshots are just racing down the hallway with them, and I'm like, they didn't teach this in school teacher training, that's for sure.

Speaker:

That's funny.

Nick:

Yeah, oh I've broken more gear than I can uh than I cared at. I'm glad I didn't break any in high school, though, because then I would have been out of the high school.

TMac:

I would have gotten fired.

Nick:

Because you were responsible for it.

TMac:

Yes, I was. At one point in life, I love to tell people, yes, I was responsible for Nick Cambone and Paul Taylor and Josh Branch. And you know, that whole class. So you survived me being a knucklehead my first year. I appreciate it.

Nick:

Well, I appreciate you. I appreciate everything that you and Wilson have done. Not not just for for our class, um, but but just for people in this industry. You know, you know you've done so much, but but Wilson, I don't know if he's gotten any shoutouts on this podcast yet, but his ability to write grants, create a program at Uber that is literally steamed. I mean, talk about the still doing it.

TMac:

Yeah.

Nick:

So I mean it's it's it's hats off to the two of you and everybody that's coming through saying it's like it's it's it's been it's it's fun to say that we're from Hoover.

TMac:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that program is still kicking ass and taking names. And um, it's you know, the broadcast program that then got sort of developed literally right after um your class. I think it was like 04, 05. Um, Mrs. Drake, uh Valita Drake came along and they created the broadcast journalism program. And for me, that was really the um the real um event that turned it into the incredibly uh well-run program that it that it is, is having the writers and the production people work together to create content. You know, and everybody goes, well, isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Well, even in even in education, it's siloed. And I know for a fact at the college level, it's siloed. Right. So all right.

Nick:

Well that I've kind of class that you're mentioning was my first class, my senior year, but the first year of the year.

TMac:

Right. Right, right, right.

Nick:

I remember the leader coming in and having talent then, and so we were able to program the news and teleprompters and like people who were writing stories and like we were capturing content for like you know, location stuff. Nothing to the level of like your mobile storytelling that you know they have now. But um that first year that was definitely an idea. I thought I'm gonna want to make movies, and then then we did this broadcast, and I was like, oh, this is kind of fun too. And then you know, I worked into a bunch of different areas and found a bunch of different things. But that first year working with the uh that group was different. It was something that we have never done before.

TMac:

I I remember and uh seven documentaries later, um they're you know teaching high school kids how to make documentaries.

Nick:

I still have my last slide on Corregidor poster uh somewhere in my files from that documentary. And that was shout out to George Clancis for uh his I think he was the on-air talent for that that year. Yep. Uh the broadcast journalist class coming together with the video production class and creating and honoring you know somebody who had been a war. It was such a cool thing to be a part of.

TMac:

Well, I uh I gotta thank you for uh taking the time. I know you're busy even in your off season because that's your family time. So uh I really appreciate you and thank you for being on.

Nick:

Absolutely. I appreciate everything that you've done for us. I hope Paul said in his podcast, if you have more that you want to bring us on, you can bring us on together whatever you want. I will I'm here for you guys.

TMac:

See you down the road. All right, see you later. Thanks again to Cleveland Guardians Assistant Director of Live Experience, Nick Gambone. You can check out his team's fantastic work on mlb.com slash guardians. Hey, if you're looking for gear or a cool photography t-shirt, you can trick out your kit and your wardrobe at the Zoom with our feet shop. Use our affiliate links from Small Rig, Adorama, and Printeak. Remember, anytime you purchase using our links, we get a small commission that doesn't affect the price of the item. The Zoom With Our Feet Podcast is a production of TV Commando Media. Our theme music is by Novembers and their funky groove, Cloud10. Be sure to take a peek at other episodes of the Zoom Pod at zoomwithourfeet.com, Apple Podcast, and Spotify. Until next time, creators, if you're not shooting and editing, you're not learning.

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Timothy "TMac" McCarty

Host