Chief Brand Officer Rich Orosco on culture, consistency, and creating the best live sports experience in L.A.
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Show Notes:
In this Mission Matters episode, Adam Torres interviews Rich Orosco, Chief Brand Officer at Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), live from the Pacsun Purpose Partner Summit in Los Angeles. Rich explains how LAFC led with purpose—uniting the city through soccer—while focusing on relationships, brand consistency, and community impact. He also teases a transformational player signing aimed at keeping LAFC in the global conversation.
About Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)
The Los Angeles Football Club, MLS Cup Champions of 2022, has been representing the broader Los Angeles region in Major League Soccer since 2018. Having secured the U.S. Open Cup in 2024 and the Supporters’ Shield twice (in 2019 and 2022), LAFC strives to build a premier soccer club reflecting the dynamic diversity of Los Angeles while delivering an exceptional fan experience.
LAFC’s ownership group comprises local leaders and trailblazers with substantial intellectual capital, financial strength, operational excellence, and notable accomplishments in entertainment, sports, technology, and media.
Committed to both the world’s game and its local community, LAFC has invested in constructing the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium and developing a cutting-edge training facility on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
Watch Full Interview:
Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to mission matters.com and click on Be Our Guest to Apply. All right, so today I’m in Los Angeles, California. Let me tell you, PacSun invited us out for this amazing conference.
Um, I’ve been, I’ve brought on some of their youth influencers. I’ve got to know about this report that they created. Um, and there’s a whole lot going on here, but let’s. To get into my next guest. First thing, first, rich, welcome to the show. Yeah, thank you. Um, very excited to be here and to be with the hardest working podcaster in the world.
So that’s what I say. Congrats on what you’ve built and the stories you tell. So very excited to share our experience today. Ah, very kind, rich. So, um, speaking of today, what, what brings you out to the summit? So we are friends and partners of Paxon, and what I respect most is when you lead A, they’re getting an incredible community together to start a conversation.
And b, it’s all about purpose. It’s very hard when you’re a billion dollar plus company and you have a leader, it has to come from top down. Yeah. And the fact that Bri Olson, uh, Paxton, CEO, um, committed to a group like this, got everybody together, created a conversation and they’re super clear about what they’re about.
Yeah. That’s, uh, that’s inspiring. So, uh, I’m at the Los Angeles Football Club. Mm-hmm. I’m the Chief Brand Officer and we’ve been working with Paxon for a few years on great merchandise, collab drops and sports, and we just try to create a new conversation here in la. Um, they’re all about it. So we’re very happy to be here.
Yeah. I wanna get further into brand and what that means to you, but I do need to circle back to brief for a moment because, and this is specifically, um, the reason I asked this question is because there’s other business leaders in the world that are, that are gonna watch this and, um, CEOs and other individuals.
And what I noticed and what was unique to me about this was that, um, when they created this research and this report. Like, it wasn’t just, it wasn’t about promoting their brand, it was about advancing the conversation of what’s going on with multiple generations, not just the youth, but multiple generations and how we can all work together and move forward.
Like what does that, what does that even look like? Yeah. I think it’s different, right? Yeah. I think what we feel from PacSun. Yeah. And I think what Brie exudes and what, uh, their chief merchandise Officer, rich Coch exudes is relationships, not transactions. Mm. Just them taking a leadership role in their industry to commission this report, to educate all of us in different fields.
Yeah. Not all of us are all in merchandising or retail Exactly. To educate us, get us together, create that convo. Like we appreciate that. Mm-hmm. You know, walking up today, I just told her real briefly when I, when I saw Bria, I was like. Amazing vibe, amazing people. Um, beautifully curated, great conversation.
And again, the company is taking the lead in, creating conversation. And that helps you in business. You know, relationships help business. Um, she always talks about people and purpose. Mm-hmm. Which, which again, it’s hard when you’re a big company to stay committed to that. Mm-hmm. But in aggregate with consistency that that works.
Mm-hmm. And I think we’re seeing that with Paxon and the brand. Mm-hmm. Um, on in your end brand that, and that’s what you’re in charge of, um, on a day-to-day basis. Like, how’d you get into that work? Like Sure. So, um. I’m the Chief brand officer of LAFC and I actually joined the club. I was the seventh person in, get Out, no colors, no stadium, no team in a 10 team professional sports market here in Los Angeles.
Everybody thought we were crazy. Everybody thought LA didn’t need a new team. Um, I think the key with Brandon, if you really get behind the definition of brands, how do you feel? What do you feel about apac, sun and LAC? So. In creating feeling, you gotta connect and you gotta, you gotta really focus on depth and not with, you gotta focus on your why.
And again, back to your purpose. That to me is a competitive, strategic differentiator in the market. Mm-hmm. If you’re really focused on your why, especially in a crowded space, and I, my background’s in entertainment and, and television marketing, et cetera. Mm-hmm. And there’s thousands of TV shows that launch a year.
It’s like. What is that message that resonates with people with depth? Yeah. That’s gonna cut through the clutter. And so with LAC is, we were just super focused on our identity early. We talked about uniting the world city through the world’s game. What does that mean? That means everyone belongs. Yeah.
Right. And every conversation matters. We talked about bringing joy to people as a sports team, that that’s pretty well, and what does that mean? That means that we want to create moments that last a lifetime. Mm-hmm. And then lastly, we talked about being a force for good. And what does that mean is how do you make a real impact in people’s lives as a sports team?
And not a lot of sports teams are talking that way in LA or No. Still talk that way. Yeah. But I think, I think we needed to talk that way to make an impact, to make a dent as a challenger organization. And I think that’s what people lose sight of. Again, if it’s a crowded market mm-hmm. Put that extra work in with depth and it’s hard.
It’s hard to take that time to have that conversation. But if everybody in the organization is saying the same thing. That, that itself can be the Trojan horse in any credit market. Mm. Did I hear you correctly to say you joined before there were colors, before it was even? Wow. Yeah. We, we, uh, we were announced in 2014.
I started with a club in March of 2015. I’m now 10 years in, which blows my own head. Wow. It’s pretty, well, I’m nine years in this one. Yeah. So there we go. So you’ve been there. So you, you remember from Zuta where you are now? Yeah. Yeah. And you probably remember the principles that you stuck with. It’s insane.
And the consistency, I think a lot in brand like. People. It’s tough. ’cause not a lot of people stay at jobs a long time. They’re all bouncing around. So you can’t, it’s changed in sports, for example. Mm-hmm. It’s a very transitional culture. Mm-hmm. Um, you can’t create an impact in the city in two years. I mean, you can, you could throw in your resume and act like you changed the world.
It’s not gonna happen. People need memories with that brand. Yeah. And you know that with what you’ve created, so For sure. Um, my philosophy and brand is a get a group of people that really believe in the product. Mm-hmm. Those are the people who are gonna stay up till 4:00 AM you know, with that perfect edit, with that perfect music piece, with that perfect event production.
Yeah. Um, but be consistent. And I think, um, a lot of people forget that brand if you don’t stay consistent mm-hmm. And you don’t stick to it over time. It’s like marinating, you know, a good barbecue. Yeah. It’s like you gotta, you gotta let it ride a little bit. And then ideally, if your depth has that kind of impact and, and genuine, um, you know, desire to make an impact in your community, it can hit.
But a lot of brands, like they look for the quick hit. And a lot of sports teams, it’s all about a quick hit. Yeah. I, I love that you said they’re gonna be up till 4:00 AM Yeah. And so little, little you’ve been there. Well, well wait. Little BTS for the audience here today. Yeah. Guess when I got my last, uh, interview, uh, my last email from the Pac Sun team was 3:30 AM and I’m like, what?
And I, I just already knew like, why working that a lot of’em, different events be covered. And I’m like, no, I’m coming to this because it’s special. I know what they’re doing in the team is different. Yeah. So I wanted to do that. And then so when you said that, I’m like, man, they were doing that and I was up too getting ready for this, right?
Yeah. So you’re, you’re committed. There we go. You’re committed. Um, I got personal question. Mm-hmm. Now that you’re 10 years in and everybody’s wearing these jerseys and these colors, you can’t go in, how do you just feel, wow. How do you feel about this? Like, it’s, uh, big thing too. I know it’s a team, but Yeah, for sure.
Big thanks to our ownership group. Yeah. If, if they were the ones who committed first. Right. I, I think I’ve had the, um, I’m very grateful to be, um, found by them, so to speak. Mm-hmm. And then also, um, given the trust Yeah. To create what the, my participation with the club and. For them, they wanted to create a legacy for the city.
Yeah. So, you know, for example, we created our snapback and in, in football, I say football, not soccer. Yeah. Um, it’s not normally known for a hat. Yeah. Right. And our vision was to how do we create the next Dodgers cap in LA with the world’s game of soccer, uh, in the colors of black and gold. So this was like a little example.
And then when we started seeing a hat in the street and a hat at the gym, a hat at the farmer’s market, it was like. All of us. Like it was just a sense of pride. And I would, every person early, I would, even today, if I see a hat in the wild, so to speak, I’m gonna have a quick conversation with you. I’m gonna see if you’re a fan, if you just like the colors, if it’s fashion or you like one of a new player.
So I could, it’s really cool. Um, again, nobody thought it could happen, but that little symbol itself turned into, again, one of our Trojan horses for the city. And it’s a, mm-hmm. Very, um, it’s very. It feels so good to see that we created something that’s important to people. It is important. Yeah. And I see people, and I also see like, just like you’re united, obviously you work for the company mm-hmm.
Of very dear because you created it. But you know when people are part of teams every. There’s an emotional attachment. Yeah. They’re watching with their kids. They’re watching with their family. They’re at a barbecue. They’re doing something else. So now what I find interesting is that when you know people run up to ’em and they’re like, oh, look at the, oh, you’re a fan.
You’re this, that. Exactly. And then you see people randomly on the street that may be having on the same colors, talking and building community around really the. Because it being recognizable, all the other things, the memories, the moments, the experiential, like layers that go into sporting events like is special and it’s uniting people.
Yeah. I’ve seen people having these conversations specifically over this brand by the way. They’re like, they’re like talking about last time they did this or that or what’s up? Can I be that happening this season? Like and you’re like, wow. Yeah. And the good thing is it fuels you for more. I’m sure you feel the same way when somebody recognizes you from your one of your podcasts.
Yeah, for sure. For sure. And you probably have a really small interaction and you’ll learn really quick why. You made an impact on them. Yeah. So we love getting those little data points still. Yeah. And then how do we double down on that and put gas on that? That’s still an exciting time. Love it. Well, rich man, appreciate you making some time for us today and, uh, and telling us out.
Last question for you. What’s up for the rest of the year? Like, gimme some plans, gimme a, so drop some scoops for the, the end inside. I’m gonna drop a scoop. Come on. We just, um, we just signed, uh, what we call a transformational player. Oh. Uh, sun Hung min. Mm-hmm. National Hero of South Korea. Um, 10 years in London.
Yeah, in the Premier League. And, um, we believe, you know, we’ve created an incredible grassroots fan base. Mm. And then five years in, we started dropping big global players on top. Wow. Gareth Bale, Giorgio Kolini, Olivia Rou, hug la. And now with Sun Hung Min, we think this one might. Keep us in the global conversation.
Interesting. We’re in the global conversation. Yeah. But I think this one might, we might look over the next five years. Like we are there. We’re at the table. We’re not just a, uh, part-time guest. Yeah. So very excited. So get to a black and gold match. Get to know FC game. Uh, this might sound crazy, but it’s true.
It’s the best live sports experience in Los Angeles. Yeah. And, uh, I’ll bet on that. So, uh, luckily we have a beautiful. Um, culture of the sport mm-hmm. To share with people. And, uh, the experience is amazing. So get here if you’re in LA or even if you’re just visiting. Yeah, man, that’s awesome. And I love to see the, the new edition of the new player and, uh, more Korea representation.
I’ve been covering the Korea conference for years. Oh, I got them coming up. So I have all, I have all kinds the, this everywhere. I believe you. I know. I’ve been covering it for years. Great. So, uh, all good there. Um, if somebody wants. To follow your journey, follow the brand, the team, anything else? Like look into the camera websites, anything you wanna leave.com on all socials at LAFC and, um, you know, we were the, we were the little guys that could, yeah.
And now we’re here and we’re making it happen. We’re very fortunate. We’re a global city like Los Angeles. Mm-hmm. Again, an incredible ownership group. So. Yeah. Super excited about our future. So support the black and gold. Yeah. If you know what’s good for you, that’s awesome. And real quick, thank you, the axon.
I gotta thank them for this. Oh, for sure. And for introducing us. Absolutely. Thank you, Brie. Thank you Rich. And uh, what a great day. Amazing for everybody at home watching, just so you know, we’ll put a bunch of links in the show notes so that you can click on the links. Go check out all the socials and the website of course.
And speaking of the audience, if this is your first time with Mission Matters and you haven’t done it yet. Hit that subscribe or follow button. This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re bringing you new content, new ideas, and hopefully new inspiration to help you along the way in your journey as well.
So again, hit that subscribe or follow button. And rich man, appreciate you take man.
