Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Meagan Roberts, Los Angeles Rams
Position: Vice President of Client Services
How did you get your start in a career in football?
Sports have always been pivotal to who I am as a person. Growing up in St. Louis, I was a Rams fan with the Greatest Show on Turf. I played college soccer, which supported my education. When I graduated, I was on the science side of sports, but I shifted gears in 2010, enrolling in a masters of sports management program. It was during that time when I got an internship in ticket operations and service with the Rams, which was all completely new to me. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes work of distributing tickets, filling a stadium and everything that comes with it. I was also fortunate to engage with season-ticket holders and fans during that internship, watching the excitement and people bonded together on Sundays.
After that year-long internship, I was offered a position as ticket operations coordinator. The next goal for me was a career in suite services because I saw it as a unique intersection of operations and service. I tried to put myself around as many people as I could to learn and build relationships, and things evolved professionally for me.
Now as vice president of client services, what does your role entail?
I oversee both our member services program, which is inclusive of our club, reserve or premier members, and our suite services program, which involves our Rams suite owners who own annual leases. I also oversee our suite rental services for single-game experiences and game-day guest experience. We employ about 100 Rams ambassadors on game days, who are sprinkled throughout SoFi Stadium to make sure that our fan experience is seamless. It's a complex building, so helping people find their seats or with anything else they might need is our main goal.
I also oversee renewal collections strategy for our memberships by creating new experiences, benefits and continuing to add value at each and every turn. We want to keep them connected to the team.
This is your 16th season working in the NFL. Sometimes your team wins the Super Bowl, sometimes it's hiring a new head coach or has new star players. You've seen it all. When the team does have a trying season on the field, what kinds of challenges do you encounter?
We look at those as opportunities rather than challenges. We have been fortunate enough in Los Angeles to be successful on the field, which I do not take for granted because that wasn't the case in the final years of being in St. Louis. The thing I learned very early during my time in St. Louis was you really need to invest in people. That's treating people as individuals. They aren't paychecks or numbers or another ticket distributed. It's about how we can add that emotional piece because we can't control what's on the field. We have to create experiences to add value to the game. We're at the forefront of trying to deliver those opportunities to our members first and foremost, because they are investing into us. I want to treat our members the same if we're 17-0 or 0-17. If we're fortunate enough to have playoff games, we have to make sure we are embracing that because those are memories that will stay with you forever.
That makes sense. So, what is the most challenging part of your job?
Constantly trying to re-evaluate and invent. Los Angeles is a very competitive market, and we're competing for people's discretionary income. They can spend with us or the Dodgers, Lakers or a million different things in L.A. There is so much to do here. Just because we introduce great things every year, we're always looking at how to improve. That can get a little daunting because we rarely get much time to celebrate our successes. You're always trying to one-up yourself. I try to instill in my team that we're striving for improvement, not perfection because even though it was great once, we can't sit idle.
You've worked your way up within the Rams organization. Why do you think you've had so much success?
I've just never given up. There have been plenty of people who have gone from an intern to a VP in their own companies, but what's unique about my journey is there have been times when I've been denied for positions. Instead of letting that deter or push me away from the Rams, I looked at myself and asked why I wasn't the best candidate for that role. I poured back into myself. In St. Louis, I applied for a suite services manager position and I was passed over. I think that outlook has helped me become resilient. There have been a ton of challenges in my career, with the move to Los Angeles and trying to find our identity as an organization here. Looking at how you can improve and not take those things personally is what has helped me.
When the Rams moved, I wasn't chosen to come to L.A. Our ticket office was given severances, and it made sense. There are people who can do service in Los Angeles. I knew that there was a need to help with the ticket operations piece and smaller things that get overlooked, so I continued to show up to help the department prepare for the move and record-breaking on-sale of deposits and conversions. It ultimately earned my coworker and I a spot to come to L.A. I don't think most people would've shown up to do that. I think that's what has set me apart to be successful here. I proved I was going to show up, be dependable and pour myself into this job. I knew that this organization was something I wanted to be a part of because I believe in the morals and objectives we set out to accomplish.
Wow, what a great story. And when you look back on your 16 years, what have you learned about yourself?
I have learned a lot of lessons. There's a journey of finding a balance between putting your career first and pouring into yourself. I do think there were times when I got lost in that. I had to step back and find the balance of being able to do great work but also look out for myself. I think that was probably the biggest lesson I've learned. I think it's necessary to put your career first at times, especially to find growth, but building a strong support system around you is so important. When my career really began to accelerate, it was great to know I had people in my corner on a human level who were going to support me no matter if I was successful or not. Yes, I have this title, but it didn't come from just me. It was them who motivated me during the times I doubted myself.
What are some other goals you have for your career?
We've been calling SoFi Stadium home for five years, but there's so much we're still trying to learn and build on the service side. For so much of my journey, I've learned by being the person doing the work. Once you hit a certain level, I realized that it's important to delegate and let others do those things, too, because that's how they will learn. Service is constantly evolving, and I want my team members to be able to put their own marks on things and refine the things I maybe created and make them their own. Seeing them blossom is always a short- and long-term goal.
And what would you say you are most proud of?
I think getting to this level. Looking back, I never thought I would be a VP at an NFL organization. I was raised by my mother and grandmother, and it wasn't like I had every advantage. I had to work for everything that I've had. I put my way through college, starting at junior college because that was the only way I could afford school. I look around me at my peers, and we've all come from so many walks of life. It's really cool to see that through hard work you can sit at the tables you thought you were counted out of. I knew I could forge a path for myself and be successful, but I never thought I could be this successful. There's more I can set my sights on, but if I didn't take a moment and be the best in this position that I can be, I'd be doing myself and those around me a disservice.
Now, let's turn to mentorship. Do you have any mentors, and what advice have you received from them?
Being somewhere for 16 years, you obviously gravitate toward people you admire or people I've worked directly for. Early on, Kanyon West and Matt Cady were the two people who hired me. They taught me a lot in ticket operations and service. I learned the more strategic side of things of ticket operations, which really helped me level up as I got further into service. The morals Matt instilled in me early on about what service is has stayed with me for 16 years.
Early in my career, there weren't so many women around me, but we as a front office now have so many women involved. I always looked up to Molly Higgins and Keely Fimbres, who have been in leadership positions for a long time. Looking up to them and then becoming peers with them, it's been cool to see their journeys, too. They continue to set a precedent in what they do. As an organization, I am motivated by all of our female leaders and am so thankful for their guidance.
That's great that you have so many mentors. Lastly, what advice do you have for other women looking to get into a career in this space?
It can be intimidating to work in an industry that has been historically male-dominated, but there have been more and more women coming into this space. It's such an inspiration to see. Don't let the fear hold you back. Believe in yourself and put in the work. Self-confidence and hard work can take you to places you never thought you'd go.
Find your support. I'd be remiss if I said be confident and forge ahead in times of struggles. I've had those times where I felt that I'm not enough. But being honest that you feel that way and leaning on your support system to build your confidence back up – and interject your own opinions – is important.
