Paul Coggiola, LIFT Management - Scaling Sports Creators & Building Digital IP

Paul Coggiola is the President of Creator at LIFT Management. Born and raised in Plano, Texas, Paul grew up a passionate sports fan before starting his career in the trenches of sports ticket sales and team partnerships with the Houston Dynamo and the University of Texas at Austin. Moving to Los Angeles, Paul transitioned into entertainment, starting in the mailroom at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) and working with top-tier athletes, including UFC fighters, MLB players, and Shohei Ohtani upon his arrival in the U.S.Seeing the shifting digital landscape, Paul ventured into gaming and live streaming in 2018, joining esports organization Echo Fox and later representing premier Twitch streamers and YouTubers at United Talent Agency (UTA). At UTA, he spearheaded the launch of the agency's dedicated sports creator roster, bridging the gap between digital content creators and traditional sports media. Today, at LIFT Management, Paul leads the creator division to help talent scale their IP, build sustainable long-term brands, and navigate multi-platform opportunities beyond simple transactional brand deals.Paul Coggiola explores how creators and athletes are converging at global tentpole events like the World Cup. Paul breaks down why LIFT focuses on depth of engagement and 30-day value retention over vanity follower counts, how the firm identifies rising talent across platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and why human connection remains the irreplaceable element in an era of AI content tools. He also shares insights on creator-led IP, executive thought leadership, and what it takes to build a modern talent brand.

Podcast Chapters:

• 01:01 - Origin Story: From Texas Sports Fan to Ticket Sales in Houston & Austin

• 03:32 - Landing at CAA: Working with Shohei Ohtani & Traditional Athletes

• 04:47 - Crossing into Esports, Gaming & Twitch Live Streaming

• 05:54 - Building the Sports Creator Roster at UTA & Joining LIFT Management

• 09:15 - LIFT Creators Mission: Building Creator Brands & IP Beyond Dealmaking

• 13:34 - World Cup Reflection: Why Creators Stole the Spotlight from Athletes

• 16:06 - Sourcing Blue Ocean Talent: Moving Beyond Upstream Leaders

• 17:36 - The Role of AI in Creator Workflows & Preserving Human Connection

• 21:11 - Evaluating Creator Metrics: Why Video Views & Engagement Beat Followers

• 23:44 - The Emergence of B2B & LinkedIn Executive Creators