Paper Dreams

by Melanie Wallace

Every dream has a beginning. Making that dream come alive starts with a passion and a plan. No matter what we may think in this technology-drenched society, dreams don’t require spreadsheets and metrics spewing forth projected timelines and outcomes; sometimes, to make a dream come true, you just need a pen and a paper napkin. That’s the way Michael Hitchcock started putting his dreams down, but first he had to clarify what it was he wanted out of life.

Upon graduation from high school at the Brookstone School in Columbus, Ga., where he excelled in athletics, Mr. Hitchcock attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., on a soccer scholarship. Although he graduated with a major in advertising, his plan was to attend Virginia Medical College and pursue a career as a physician. Two days before he was set to start medical school, he got out a napkin and a pen and wrote three words: sales, marketing, soccer. These were the words he hoped would define his future, so why was he on his way to medical school? He canceled plans to attend Virginia Medical and within two months accepted a position in advertising sales with Clear Channel Communications, a global media and entertainment company. The decision, charted by words on a napkin, changed the trajectory of his life.

Shortly after beginning work at Clear Channel, Mr. Hitchcock once again got out the “napkin of dreams,” and jotted down a timeline of goals for his future career progression, “Director of Sales (3yrs.), Vice President (6 yrs.) President/General Manager (9 yrs.),” but this time he would pull in the third word of his initial plan: soccer. He took a job with D.C. United, one of the flagship franchises of Major League Soccer and began working toward his goals. Once again he achieved his objectives almost exactly according to the timeline expressed on the napkin.

He began in entry-level ticket sales with D.C. United, moved across the country to join the Colorado Rapids and progressed steadily to becoming the director of sales and then the vice president of the Los Angeles Galaxy professional soccer club. In 2005, Mr. Hitchcock became the general manager of FC Dallas and moved his family to Frisco. In addition to his duties as GM, he was also responsible for the management of Pizza Hut Park, the home of the soccer team.

In 2010, with all three dreams from the original “napkin plan” achieved, Mr. Hitchcock took out the napkin and jotted down some new dreams. With more than 14 years experience in professional sports management, he quickly realized that’s where his passion still was; so, he began looking at ways to continue using his expertise in that line of work. The other thing he realized was that he wanted to run a business of his own. Mr. Hitchcock attributes his entrepreneurial spirit somewhat to a childhood of anticipating and embracing new experiences with the many moves his family made while his father served in the US Army. “Becoming accustomed to new places and new cultures gave me a sense of independence and accomplishment. I was very well-rounded and always ready for a new adventure,” he says.

He ultimately decided that this new adventure would be to create the top sports and entertainment company in the world. The best part was, he could do it without uprooting his family.  When they moved here in 2005, Mr. Hitchcock, his wife Jamie and their two children fell in love with Frisco; there was no question that Frisco would continue to be their home. “The quality of life here is unbeatable, from great people, to amazing schools, to visionary city leadership and a thriving business community, to a great cost of living and everything in between,” says Mr. Hitchcock. He lives out this belief by serving on multiple boards, including the Convention and Visitors Bureau. In addition to running a very busy household, Mrs. Hitchcock serves as the librarian at Carroll Elementary School in Frisco where 9-year-old Eleni and 8-year-old William attend school.

Mr. Hitchcock’s new business, Playbook Management International, or PMI, provides products and services to clients, which they call “partners,” with the goal of helping them realize their potential. Since many of their clients are in the sports industry, the “Playbook” analogy is a good fit. Instead of X’s and O’s, the playbook assists the organization in developing a plan to realize the organization’s goals by running a more efficient business operation and maximizing all of their revenue streams.

Mr. Hitchcock helps his partners save money and make money while becoming the industry leader in their respective market place. The Playbook is a business plan that becomes the road map to that success. It is built on years of experience, diverse management expertise and industry best practices from United States sports leagues as well as teams from around the world.

Eschewing a cookie-cutter approach to business planning, the Playbook takes the specific partner into account, according to Mr. Hitchcock. “The process is very inclusive; it’s your business plan so you and your team play a critical role in creating it. You and your team identify the priorities for your organization, and in turn, the goals you want to achieve. We make sure you effectively execute the plan.”

Mr. Hitchcock appreciates the fact that PMI offers him and his clients an additional benefit beyond just making money. It also provides an altruistic ripple effect. “I discovered I could assist others in maximizing revenue while also giving back to the community,” he says.

A perfect example is the STAR Soccer Complex in San Antonio. The PMI partner outlined a goal of bringing 400,000 children and their families to their facility. PMI helped create the strategy to realize this goal, and, in so doing, made it possible for the client to donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the event to develop the world’s first special needs amusement park, called “Morgan’s Wonderland.” Named for Morgan Hartman, the young special needs girl who is the inspiration behind it, the park is described as an oasis of friendship, a shrine of inclusion and an unforgettable wonderland.

Another professional soccer team, FC Tampa Bay Rowdies in Tampa Bay, Fla., hired PMI to help launch the franchise. Their goal? To sell out their home game opener. As they do with all their clients, PMI developed a Playbook, then helped execute the plan. The result was a completely sold-out stadium for the Rowdies first game. The excitement generated in that first game helped jumpstart the franchise to a seven game win streak and a ranking near the top of their league. Mr. Hitchcock believes the key to success is a simple management philosophy: good people, good plan and good execution. “It all starts with good people,” he says. “Once you have good people in the right position then you need to have a fully integrated, comprehensive plan to help your ‘team’ succeed.”

While still only in the start-up phase of his business, Mr. Hitchcock’s vision is to become the top sports and entertainment company in the world. He’s well on track to achieve that dream – PMI has grown much faster than anticipated. “My original ten-year plan could very well be accomplished much sooner,” he says with excitement.

Since the launch of PMI on February 1, 2010, the list of clients has continued to increase. In addition to STAR Soccer Complex and FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, PMI’s partners include, FIFA World Cup Fan Fest in South Africa, Brazil’s Atletico Paranaense, Homeless World Cup in Brazil, SKHY FC in Trinidad, Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, Crystal Palace Baltimore in Maryland and Nevada’s All Under One Roof Sports.

Mr. Hitchcock is delighted he and his family settled in Frisco and plans to continue building on the success his business has found here. If his plans come to fruition, he says, “PMI will soon be an internationally reputable company with a corporate office based right here in Frisco, Texas!”

These days, Michael Hitchcock rarely pulls out a napkin to strategize with his executive team or PMI partners, but if you ask him he can still show you the old napkin that has been the guide for his dreams for 14 years, and counting.

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