Life & Work with Phillip ‘Phenom’ Robinson of Durham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip ‘Phenom’ Robinson.

Hi Phillip ‘Phenom,’ we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My story starts back in high school, if I’m being honest. I took a chance by applying for an internship with the Durham Bulls to work with their TV crew. I fell in love with television production and storytelling at 14 because of this opportunity. And I’ve been running with it ever since. It’s been 12 years since I started my journey in TV, and I’ve been blessed to be the ESPN+ producer for NCCU’s football streams these last few years and a camera operator for Duke, Carolina Mudcats, The Greensboro Swarm, and many other teams. Despite all of my technical storytelling skills, I began to develop a passion for helping others through my voice and life experiences to help them accomplish their personal goals. When I began this journey, I was blessed with two opportunities to be a TEDx speaker.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are no smooth roads in life. If you keep pushing long enough for what you want, you’ll encounter some potholes. One of the most recent struggles I encountered was when we were all on lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic. I was working for Apple at the time and quit that job because it was mentally taxing for various reasons. Since we were on lockdown, I didn’t have any sports I was working with, which halted about 2-3 streams of income for me. Then on top of that, since my mental health wasn’t where it needed to be, it negatively affected my day trading. The positive portion of this struggle is that I started my podcast ‘Execute: The Secrets To Fast Success’ around this time. The goal at the time was to teach others how to avoid certain traps I failed to do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My sports production career varies. As a camera operator, my favorite part is having courtside seats or being on the sideline of a huge game and having the chance of getting the money shot. It’s always cool to shoot an event and then see some of my shots on ESPN a few hours later. As an ESPN+ producer, it can be very hectic. I’m arriving at the stadium/arena 3-4 hours before the game starts. I’m scrambling with the crew to ensure the cameras are working properly, ad placements are cued up, and Bristol (ESPN) can get our feed for the stream. Once the game starts, it’s smooth sailing after about 10-15 minutes. If something goes wrong, it’s either my job or the director’s job to make sure no one watching the show realizes something is wrong.

On the flip side, the work I do under my Phenom brand is whatever is on my heart that I feel can inspire and push someone to become a better version of themselves. It began with inspirational social media videos until I decided to write a book one day. Once I got my book written, I started doing public speaking, hosting a podcast, and mentoring. It’s hard to say what I’m specifically known for. It just depends on when and where someone met me. I have people that only know me as a really good day trader. Some have just known me from being an athlete for so many years. If I’m being honest, I like it that way. There’s always something to uncover about me. Keep people on their toes. This may be an odd answer, but I’m most proud of my time management. My time management has allowed me to wander into whatever industry I please at the moment and work hard until I see the success I desire. I think that is what truly sets me apart from others. Not many people are masters at time management, and I’ve been able to prove time and time again that the clock is my best friend.

What’s next?
I’m currently working on a second book and an album. This album is probably going to be one of my favorite projects I’ve ever completed once it’s finished.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.phenomspeaks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phenomspeaks
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/phenomspeaks
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQg2j87PNUI