Major League Soccer SVP & CMO Radhika Duggal
Turning Casual Viewers Into Lifelong Fans
Key Takeaways
✅ Moments don’t build fandom—habits do
✅ Understand what the consumer is looking for
✅ Fewer, bigger bets drive stronger results
✅ Always take time to say “thank you”✅ Big events need a long-term plan
Memorable Moments
💡 “It takes time to build interest and passion.”
💡 “Confidence will make you successful.”
💡 “Pick three things and make the outcomes as big as possible.”
💡 “Our job is to turn World Cup fever into MLS fever.”
💡 “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
The World Cup will get Americans talking about soccer. Can MLS keep the conversation going?
This week on Soul & Science, Jason Harris is joined by Radhika Duggal, SVP and CMO of Major League Soccer, to discuss what it takes to grow a league when your competition isn’t just other sports—it’s everything people do for fun. With a background in consulting, fintech, and pharma, Radhika brings an outsider’s perspective to MLS, using data to understand how to turn first-time viewers into diehard fans.
They discuss how mapping the full fan journey reveals that consumers stay in the “awareness and consideration” phase much longer than you might expect, and why the most important step for growth is understanding what your consumer is looking for. Radhika also shares why focus is her most important leadership tool, what it means to market a product that’s shared across clubs and platforms, and how she’s preparing MLS for a once-in-a-generation opportunity as the World Cup heads to the U.S.
Hold Your Vision: Grit, Resilience, and the Soul of a NASCAR Trailblazer
In this episode of the Soul and Science podcast, host Jason Harris sits down with Amber Balcaen, a third-generation race car driver and the first Canadian woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the U.S.
The conversation explores the high-stakes intersection of athletic grit and entrepreneurial strategy. Here is a short summary of the key takeaways:
1. The Business of Speed
Amber highlights a harsh reality: in NASCAR, talent isn't enough—you need funding. Unlike "stick and ball" sports, racing requires millions of dollars in sponsorship. Because she didn't come from a "trust fund" racing background, Amber reveals she spends 80–90% of her time on the business side, focusing on brand building and sponsorship acquisition just to earn her seat on the track.
2. The "Challenger Brand" Identity
Amber embraces her status as an underdog. She leans into the juxtaposition of being unapologetically feminine (matching her nails to her car’s paint scheme) while remaining a "badass," gritty competitor. This authenticity allows her to attract brands that value resilience and unique storytelling over traditional "old school" racing archetypes.
3. Mindset and Resilience
- The Power of "Now": Amber describes driving at 190 mph as a form of "forced presence," where everything slows down and she operates purely from the subconscious.
- Neutralizing Failure: Because racing involves losing far more often than winning, she emphasizes the importance of a logical, rather than emotional, approach to setbacks.
- Mantra: Her guiding principle is "Hold your vision," a reminder to stay focused on long-term goals when sponsorship or results get tough.
4. Advice for the Next Generation
She warns young athletes that "comparison is the thief of joy." In a sport where some drivers have better equipment or deeper pockets, focusing on one's own "lane" and ignoring the "outside noise" is the only way to maintain the mental toughness required for a long career.
