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This story is part of our CSC 360 package for February 2023, to view more stories,
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Bloom where you are planted
Baylor's Cody Soto
by Shelby Hild – Baylor University, Director of Communications // CSC Job Seekers Committee Chair
In an ever-changing business, how can we ever be certain what the next step is? What does it look like? Are we qualified? The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, the fear of being uncomfortable can be intimidating.
As communicators in this industry, we strive for perfection. Some would argue that our worth is based on our athletics programs’ social media impressions, clicks on a news article and number of headlines in a newspaper. But that isn’t — and shouldn’t be — the case. As communicators, we are worth so much more. We are professionals with a unique and versatile skill set. We are storytellers. We are creatives who have the opportunity to build a brand at the highest level.
So, what happens when an unexpected opportunity arises in a different department at your current institution? That was the case for Baylor University’s Director of Social Media and Digital Engagement and CSC member,
Cody Soto.
Soto poses with the trophy after Baylor's women's basketball team won the Big 12 title.
After working as a student assistant in the athletics communications office at Baylor during undergrad, and a short stint at the Big 12 Conference office, Soto returned to his alma mater in June 2017 and served as the primary contact for the volleyball, men’s tennis and equestrian programs during his final year as an SID, while assisting with men’s and women’s basketball, softball, track and field and women’s tennis programs during his tenure in the office.
“I started out in this profession as a sports reporter for our school paper,
The Lariat, but quickly realized I was more interested in what people behind-the-scenes were doing. After conversations with the head of the athletics communications department at the time, I decided to join the student program my junior year.”
Soto went all-in and was able to be a part of some pretty special moments in Baylor history. He was a part of conference championships and postseason runs, and built relationships along the way. The more time he spent around coaches, student-athletes and administrators, the more he wanted to make sure he was doing a good job and representing Baylor in the best way.
Soto participating in a 2021 Juneteenth parade with the Baylor Bears wearing their United for Waco shirts.
He never considered moving into a full-time social media role, but once he was presented the opportunity, he knew it was something he couldn’t pass up.
“Administration came to me with this open position and immediately I thought it would be a good fit because it was obviously very social media focused, and that was my favorite part of being an SID,” Soto said.
Making the jump from managing sport-specific accounts, where your audience is smaller and you can use input from coaching staffs to create a voice behind it, to a much larger account with more eyes on it can be scary.
Soto, front left, with his Baylor communications coworkers on set for College Gameday in Waco.
“I went from promoting and telling stories of very specific teams to now having to do it from a brand perspective," said Soto. "And that scared me because I knew I could do it on a smaller scale, but I didn’t know if I was ready to make the jump to a much larger account.”
Despite the initial fear, Soto relied heavily on his skillset he developed as an SID to give him confidence in this new role within the marketing and fan engagement department, as well as the support from those around him at Baylor and peers in the CSC profession.
The use of research, communication and writing are just a small sample of what he has used in his role in the marketing and fan engagement department to cultivate Baylor’s social media presence. It also helps that his boss,
Erin Bean, who is the Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Marketing and Fan Engagement at Baylor, has a background in athletics communications.
College Gameday on hand for basketball in Waco. Soto with social media student assistant Sara Jones.
“It makes for good conversation to work for someone like Erin," Soto said. "We both know what the values of Baylor are, how to integrate our strategy not just in how something is presented, but we also evaluate fan sentiment based on our communication with them leading up to an event. Our fans are really good about giving us feedback, so it challenges us to be sharper in our messaging and be as clear as possible, especially when there’s a call to action.”
They always say that the people you surround yourself matters. After his experience as an SID at Baylor, Soto knew that he was well supported. For him, it has always gone back to the connections and relationships he has built, both as an SID and beyond.
“The CSC community is really fun and unique," Soto said. "People are very open to being vulnerable and being honest about the demands of working in collegiate athletics. It has always been reassuring that you’re not the only one going through a heavy crossover season, or that you need more work-life balance. I always want others to remember that you’ve got people in your corner that you can reach out to. That’s just so special and I don’t think there are a lot of people across the sports industry that have support for others in their profession.”
In his 10 years at Baylor, both as a student and full-time employee, Soto has put in the work to get to where he is today. He has grown personally and professionally with so many more opportunities ahead of him.
There is tremendous value in being present where you are. The opportunity to bloom could be in the place where you are planted.
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