LEAD by Example
Zach Fiegel, 2014 marketing alumnus
National Basketball Association Management Associate, New York
Hometown: Grayslake, IL
Quick Career Bio
In my first year after graduation, I did
four rotations in the NBA’s management
associate program: Global Media
Distribution—International Business
Operations; NBA Development
League—Business Operations
& Marketing; Global Marketing
Partnerships—Business Development
area, and; Global Merchandising
Group—Licensing. Along the way, I’ve
had the opportunity to work for and with
some incredible people, make trips to
some really cool places (Berlin, Santa
Cruz), and show the Big Apple a
little bit of that Huskie pride!
What does success
look like to you?
I honestly think there are
seven billion+ ways to define
it. It’s up to each individual to
decide what success
means in his or her mind,
and that can change at
different stages of life. I
like to set shorter term
(1-3 month) goals that I
What’s your best memory
of your years as an
NIU Business student?
I had an incredible experience
at NIU—one that I wouldn’t trade for
anything. In reality, the answer to this
question is a 600 way tie. This answer
embodies a lot of memories, but I’ll
say everything that we built in the
NIU student group CAUSE
(Collegiate Association of
Unreasonable Social Entrepreneurs).
Because of the efforts of a lot of great
people, all of whom happen to be my
friends, we pulled off some really cool
stuff. Through it all, we exposed a lot
of people to a different way of thinking,
raised a ton of money, and were able
to make some significant contributions
to some great organizations.
be a positive figure and a rock in their
lives, while helping them surpass any
level of “success” that I’m able to hit.
Tell us your “Why?”
Fantastic question. If you happen
to read this, head to YouTube and
type in “What’s your Why?” It’s one
of my favorite videos. I have a lot of
“Why’s,” but the most deep-rooted ones
come back to my family. I won’t dive
deep into my story, but my mom and
dad, despite their differences, made
some pretty incredible sacrifices to
give me opportunities that they never
had. Thinking about that gives me a
kick in the rear to be better on a daily
basis, but even more than that, I’d
say my four younger siblings are my
“Why?” They inspire and motivate me
more than they’ll ever know. I want to
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measure myself against, but for me, it
really comes down to evaluating myself
daily on “the little things.” Above all, I
aim to bring a positive attitude and a
work ethic to whatever I’m doing every
day. I know those are two things that
I can control no matter what. Those
two items branch out to things like
“Did I do things to make the days of
the people around me better?”, “Did
I give the groups I worked with my
full attention and energy?”, “Did I
add some smiles to the world?”, etc.
For the Bulls fans out there, I think
a Stacey King (Bulls color analyst)
mantra sums it up best: Did I bring
the “HeartHustleN’Muscle” today?