UF alumnus and president of Daytona International Speedway Joie Chitwood III spoke in the Florida Gym during a segment of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute’s distinguished speaker series Tuesday. He told students about his professional background and giving them career advice.
At one point, Chitwood paused, looked around at the room full of UF students, and asked them “When you guys leave your college careers, who is going to be in sales?”
Two out of about 60 raised their hands.
“I have news for you: Every single person in this room is in sales,” he said. “You are selling yourself every single day to the people you work with.”
Michael Odio, a 27-year-old sport management, Ph.D. candidate said speakers help professors stay connected and pass along stories.
He said Chitwood provided insight about what it’s like to work in sports — knowledge that’s most effective when delivered by someone in the industry.
Chitwood graduated with a finance degree in 1992 and then got his master’s in business adminstration from the University of South Florida.
Odio said he thinks it’s helpful for students to listen and talk to Chitwood and other successful alumni who were once in their shoes.
“It shows that you can be there,” Odio said.
After college, Chitwood worked with the Walt Disney World Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and the International Speedway Corp. He was president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway before he became the president of Daytona International Speedway.
“You have to be relentless. You have to be shameless. You have to be unapologetic,” he told the audience.
Danielle Greenstein and Michael Potter, both 21-year-old sport management seniors, said that was the most valuable lesson they learned from Chitwood’s speech.
“You’ve got to figure out how you’re going to outwork the person next to you,” Chitwood told the attendees.
He recommended students develop good public speaking skills and be prepared to have opinions.
Chitwood said lucky opportunities come from hard work and preparation.
“I’m responsible for my own success and my own failure,” he said. “No one will do it for me.”
