Every June, we spotlight some of the incredible men who contribute to and enhance our great town. They are fathers and sons, business owners and experts, learners and teachers. One of these great guys is Mjke Fonseca. Meet Mike.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
A: I was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and an American mother from Long Island. I am the youngest of 4 children. We moved to San Diego in the second grade and I went to College at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Q: What is your connection to Fairfield and the community?
A: My family and I have called Fairfield home since 2006. After viewing a home on North Pine Creek, we made an offer on the spot. At the time, my wife was concerned my commute to the city would be too far, though I was unphased. Fairfield is such a special town and I've become its biggest cheerleader.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: My entire professional career has been dedicated to the sports management industry. I got my start at the storied IMG working in tennis and golf representation. In 2006, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the founding sports group at CAA (Creative Arts Agency). Most recently, I moved on from Excel Sports to start my own agency, The Fonseca Group, which is a sports management & private equity firm.
Q: Who is your typical client?
A: Professional athletes make up our clientele for the sports representation side. In the private equity space, we see more corporate clients or brands who lean on our expertise and relationships to raise strategic capital. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest names in sports across baseball, football, basketball, tennis, golf, MMA, boxing and more, so The Fonseca Group allows me to execute high-level sports marketing strategies and activations in a meaningful and profitable way.
Q: What sets your company apart? How is your approach unique?
A: Our approach is narrow and deep on the athlete side. Where I used to look after 50 athletes and transact on 350 deals per year, we now have six athletes and we want to do about 60 deals that range from traditional endorsement deals to licensing, content, private equity, speaking, brand building and non- traditional deals. On the private equity side, we leverage our relationships and expertise in business to unlock opportunities. Sometimes we attach our clients or other influential investors, but regardless we look for strategic synergies between the potential investor and the company.
Q: Any new or exciting things you are working on now to share?
A: Every day presents new opportunities. We get pitched on private equity deals a few times per week. Most are interesting, but very few rise to the top of the type of deals we really get excited about. We have a very cool real estate project in East Hampton village; we have a big golf project in Mexico, and we are partners in a very fast-growing Mexican restaurant concept with one of the most successful restauranteurs in the world. We are marketing the most popular Hispanic athlete. We are getting ready to launch an ultra-premium Mexican-owned mezcal brand called Zomoz in Fairfield after successfully launching in California; we just hosted the world premiere in Fairfield of an inspiring sports movie that one of our client's executive produced, so we have a very diverse plate at the Fonseca Group.
Q: Although you are an incredibly busy person, when you have some downtime, what are some of your favorite things to do in Fairfield?
A: Some of our favorite things to do in Fairfield is just enjoying what this special town has to offer. My wife, Taralyn and I love to walk our dog Duke around our neighborhood. We love to go to the beach in the summer. We enjoy going out to eat at all the amazing restaurants Fairfield has to offer. We enjoy watching our boys play baseball or basketball and spending time with a great group of friends in town.
Q: Best advice you’ve ever received that you use personally and/or professionally:
A: Believe that you are as good as everyone but not better than anyone.
Q: Biggest lesson learned?
A: Push your limits, or at least what you perceive are your limits. Be vulnerable and uncomfortable and don’t be afraid to experience real stress. You will quickly realize your potential far exceeds what you previously believed.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: My children. Covid taught me so much about balancing work and family. Prior to that, I’m sad to say I spent a disproportionate amount of time on what I thought I should have been spending time on. Not realizing you could spend your whole life working, and before you know it, you missed living your life and sharing the best experiences with your family and the ones you hold dear. Luckily, I realized that while my boys were still young enough and I’ve worked on becoming a better dad. Watching them grow up, enjoy life, play sports and develop their personalities and knowing that I get to participate inspires me every day.
Mike Fonseca
President
The Fonseca Group
thefonsecagrp.com