How Luxury Hospitality Experience Launched a Boutique Motorsports Agency with Lisa-Marie Thomas

Lisa-Marie’s Start

What was the first moment you discovered racing?

I've grown up with it. So, it's actually something I've been connected to since an early age. Both of my parents raced and still race sometimes, and my brothers as well, in different series. I started karting, so motorsports was always around me, like racetracks, race cars, cars in general. However, when I was younger, I never considered it as an opportunity to step into this industry and to work in it, because I thought you needed to be a mechanic, engineer, or driver. And well, since I'm none of those and also didn't want to pursue a career in that field, in a technical field—I did my hospitality studies, international hospitality management. As I grew up, doing my studies, et cetera, I realized there's so much more. There's a whole commercial and experiential side to the sports industry, and motorsports in particular.

‍

What was the first step you took to launch your career in racing? 

I made the decision to give it a try, and I did my master's studies in sports business management at the International University of Monaco (IUM). And I tried to focus, where I could, on motorsports subjects and topics. I had the chance to step into this world of motorsports by joining a sports marketing agency that allowed me to work on a motorsport account for Porsche Motorsport. That really taught me many lessons about sponsorships, partnership management, various kinds of activation experiences and services that are requested in this industry, and really helped me to get where I am today: setting up my own company.

Greg: When you are looking to break into this industry focused on sponsorships or experiences, what options are available to people?

The agency side, for me, was a really great step because you see so many different aspects of the motorsports or sports industries, and you're able to support on different ends and get lots of responsibility. So, that was really helpful. Then of course, you can go straight to a manufacturer or any other companies that work in that industry, let's say tire brands or brands for any technical support that's needed. So, I think that could be a first step as well.

And I would say, you can apply for internships to get to know the team that you want to work with. If you apply for an internship at the manufacturer, for example, I think that's a great step to figure out if that's something you would like to work on in that industry. Then maybe they open up a fixed position, which is also an option.

‍

Lisa-Marie’s Current Role

Most recently you were Business Relations Manager WEC/IMSA for Porsche Penske Motorsport. What did that entail? What did you have to deliver?

Well, a successful weekend for me doesn’t just happen on track. Of course, when the team wins, that’s very successful, but there are always two worlds: the commercial side and the racing side. So, for me, a very successful weekend would be to make sure everything is super well-prepared in the beginning before arriving at the track, making sure we have the guest experience sorted, we know exactly who's coming, who's not coming. I know exactly what's happening track side, I have the race schedule, but I also have our experience schedule ready and aligned. I know that hospitality is set up. And I think everyone working in sports or motorsports knows that adaptability is key. So, everything will change. As long as you come prepared, you're ready for all the changes you need to make.

I was responsible for bringing the partnerships that we had for the race team come alive, to make them be seen, and to ensure the guests that our partners brought trackside were well taken care of. The team that I worked for really tried to make all the partners and all the stakeholders be part of that racing family, and that was really essential. That really set us apart from all the other teams.

Then I made sure, of course, that our partners also have the chance to interview our drivers, to have any sort of activation with them, or the team, or our management. I made sure that certain things were taken care of when we stepped on the podium during the podium ceremony, that everything was sorted together with our PR team as well. 

Communication here is absolutely key to know exactly what your team does, and who's taking care of what situation, because as I said before, everything can change and will change. Driving back home, flying back home after a race event, what made it really successful is that communication was aligned, and that even if there was something that didn’t go according to plan, which for sure happened, that our partners, guests, any other stakeholders did not notice because it's not their job. It's our job to handle that.

‍

How would you describe your current role? Why did you decide to venture out on your own? 

I hope it came across already that I love my job. I love the jobs that I’ve had and the industry I work in. So, with this passion of mine for motorsport, for cars, for racing, all that stuff, but also for the guest relations, for the experience side and everything I did there, for the services, which are skills that I also learned in my previous career in luxury hospitality, I decided to become self-employed, to set up my own company, IGNT International.

I want to focus on exactly this, business relations, brand activation, experiential marketing in sports and motorsports, and then also the premium sectors, which are usually involved with brands who would like to use motorsport or sports events as their platform. It's a very thrilling phase. I love it. It's very challenging. It's everything I love about the industry and about the job itself. And yeah, it keeps me traveling, it keeps me interacting with people, it keeps me interacting with new cultures or different cultures, and I'm glad I took this step.

It was also based on the fact that I really enjoy taking ownership, being responsible for something, creating something myself, and also having closer relationships to my clients, customers, et cetera. I always felt it in me. We have many entrepreneurs in the family, so this was something that had to happen.

‍

What are the most rewarding and the most challenging parts of your role?

I think most, both challenging and rewarding, is the fact that you need to find your brand identity. Who would you like to be? What would you like to show? How would you like to enter the room? What is your company representing? It's not only about the logo and the design. It's about what you stand for. What service do you offer? Can you set yourself apart from others, other agencies, other freelancers? Finding your way and trying to make room for yourself in that industry now, as a freelancer, not being part of a big institution, team or agency, that is challenging, but also rewarding. I think, thanks to the network I already have in that industry, that really helps.

Networking is definitely something I would recommend everyone do. Even though I laughed about this when I was younger, even my professor said to network, that's key. And it's true because networking provides you with the possibility to enter the industry, to enter the room, let's say. And whatever your skills are and everything you do, that makes you stay in there. 

‍

What are the top 3 qualities that have helped you succeed in your career?

‍Relationship management

What really helped me was relationship management. Networking, being able to build your network, your community, and to make sure that you really care about the connections that you have. I love connecting with people, interacting with new people, new cultures, et cetera. So, relationship intelligence, I would call it. 

Greg:  What does it really mean to cultivate those relationships? 

Well, first of all, I think it's the approach that you use. It's not asking for a job because you know someone somewhere. For sure, I mean, that could be your end result, but it's more about learning how people got there. Networking for me means to take all the opportunities that you have. Let's say you're in university and you have an alumni talk, you have webinars to attend, you have speakers coming to your university or to any other event, it doesn't matter, even if you're not a student. Talk to the people, try to connect with them on LinkedIn, even look out for people on LinkedIn, even those that you don't know. See what they do in their life. Is that something you look up to?

You can connect with them and ask them to give you some advice. Even some people that are not in your industry. Maybe it's about leadership, maybe it's about, what's my next step, et cetera. This can be inside the industry you want to go into or another industry. Connecting, asking for mentorship, maybe, because everyone is quite proud to help out and to give you advice.

Then, if you have good connections and you see an open position and you know someone at that company, why not ask for a connection? But it's not about asking for the job. It's about making the right connections to position you in a better position.

‍

Ownership

As I said before, taking responsibility, taking ownership. I never liked saying, well, that's not my job. I didn't like that. On the other hand, of course, you sometimes need to understand you have to say no to some things, of course, but it's about, ownership, taking responsibility for the situation, making the decision. Then maybe you have to justify it in the end, but maybe there was no time to do something else. Sometimes it's better to do things than to do it perfectly. 

Attention to detail

I think the attention to detail is also what I learned in my previous career in hospitality, to really take care of the details. It's not only what you do, but also how you do it, and whether you do it with intention and passion or just focus on doing it the best way you can, and to always check what else is there. Always ask yourself, is there something I can add to this? I think the details are essential to stand out.

‍

Lisa-Marie’s Advice

If you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would that be?

To not be a perfectionist even though I am, and I will always be. I would always say I'm a perfectionist because that gives people the impression that you're very into details and that you really love what you do which is great and I agree, but don't take it too seriously. Perfectionism sometimes keeps you from making quick decisions. And in a fast-paced environment like sports or motorsport, you really sometimes just need to get it done quickly. And as I said, adaptability is key in that industry. Even though you plan everything to the point, something will change, 100%, and perfectionism is sometimes keeping you from just getting things done quickly, and sometimes it's better done than perfect for sure.

I would also say selling yourself is very essential, especially when you're entering the industry. For me, I entered the industry after my master's studies. I did not work in that industry before. I had a hospitality background, but why would someone employ me if you have not worked in that industry? So, I tried to find the right things to connect and to tell the right story. It's not about adding something that's not true to your resume or telling a story that never happened. It's more about saying, hey, I have my hospitality skills. I have this passion for motorsports. I've grown up on the racetracks, et cetera. I do understand both sides very well. I still have to learn a lot about the sports and motorsports industry, working there, literally, but it's really how you sell yourself and how you come across in an interview. That also helps later on in your career, presentations, et cetera, not only job interviews. I think that's really key, to understand how to sell the best skills and abilities you have to stand out. 

Also, I think the willingness to learn something new needs to be very strong. I think if you have a job interview and you make them aware that you're absolutely willing to learn, you're a fast learner, this helps. Of course I had someone who believed in me and gave me the chance, but still it's about how you present yourself. 

‍

What advice would you give to someone looking to be in your position?

I would definitely say, try to get yourself involved in that industry on a private level first, to understand whether you like the environment or not. Check out how different manufacturers present themselves, to understand what they're also expecting from their supporting crew in the hospitality area, read their press releases, or read their social media posts to understand what their language is. And then, if you agree with all that and you feel comfortable working in this very demanding industry and you are aware that you need to be adaptable, you need to have the passion for it, then I would say, just talk to the people. Maybe you’re at one of those race events and you maybe talk to someone in PR or communications, ask them for advice, and maybe you can send them your CV. Start to actively get in touch with the right people, apply for internships to get your foot in the door, even though there's no open position, and then also spontaneously send applications to race teams. I think that could be a very good step to get it all started. 

Before starting your own company, definitely get work experience. Because as I said before, I always wanted to set up my own company, but I always told myself; maybe I need to have more work experience to understand more, have a bigger network. And right now, I'm at that point where I can say, it's enough, it's okay. Just get it started. But without that network and without the experience, there's so much to learn, still, I'm learning every day. I think starting through an agency, having the flexibility of working different projects does really help to understand what you're getting yourself into.

‍

Lisa-Marie’s Career Highlights

What's been the most memorable moment of your career so far?

I would say, one of the most memorable events or experiences definitely was the first 24 Hours of Le Mans I attended. Five days into the job, being thrown in the cold water, starting right away and being part of that community. When I finished my shift and then sat on the grandstand at three o'clock in the morning, that was really insane, and I knew that's the career I want to pursue and the way I want to go. That's the thing for me. And at that moment, that three o'clock in the morning, in the Le Mans grandstands, I really promised myself to give it all, 100%, 150%. And there's a lot of competition out there, not only between teams, but between people who also have a lot of passion and are really good at what they do. So, I promised myself to just give my best and just hope that it's enough, and it seems like it worked out well.

‍

What’s one race or event you dream of working on in your new role?

I would say entering the electric racing series, to get into that community. Racing is a big word, motorsports is a big community, but to get into Formula E and maybe Formula 1 someday. I wouldn't say that one series is better than the other, it's just very different, and I really would like to get to know, especially Formula E, a bit more. So, with some other races coming up, also a different race schedule than what I had before with WEC or IMSA—they have races coming up in Monaco, where I studied. So, if it's a home race, or China, I think that would be something I would love to experience in the future. There's no specific race, no specific event, but I think to experience that series as well would be the next step for me.