Lilibeth Rendon: Bilingual Content Creator & Host

A desire for change. A commitment to following her true passion. Two catalysts that prompted Lilibeth Rendon's start in the sports industry, and ones that continue to fuel her daily throughout her ventures in the space. For this New York City native, pursuing a career in sports and social was something she aspired to do for as long as she could remember. Despite not knowing how to turn this dream to reality, Lilibeth recalls the moment she decided to go all-in. "I was 30 years old when I realized I wasn't happy with my life. I was like, 'What can I do to change this?'," she highlights. This was it. This was the moment Lilibeth decided to take matter into her own hands and create opportunities that allowed her to bring this dream to fruition. In 2022, during the FIFA

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World Cup in Qatar, she began interviewing fans across local bars. She hasn't looked back since. From working with Area Sports Network—a digital platform providing MLS, USL, NWSL, and international soccer coverage—to collaborating with brands such as Walmart, Nike, Diageo, and Adidas, Lilibeth has established an incredible personal brand in the world of soccer over the past three years and cemented herself as a content creator changing the game in New York City.

Take us all the way back! How did you get started in the industry?

Yeah! I’ve always wanted to do something in sports and social (media) but I didn't know how to do it. I started chasing this dream maybe three years ago. I am 33 now, so I was 30 years old when I realized I wasn't happy with my life. I was like, “What can I do to change this?” I was working at a full-time job that I wasn't happy in (as well). I currently actually still have a full-time job and I'm trying to transition into making sports and content my full-time job. It was during the Qatar World Cup actually (where everything kicked off). Before it started, I said: “I need to do something. You know, no one is going to give you a job in sports because you like sports. How many sports fans are out there? A million. What do I do to get my foot in this door and have people start knowing my face and my name?” So during the World Cup, I started going to bars and interviewing fans of whatever teams were playing. I was asking them questions. I would go to all kinds of games—the opening game, the big games. I started that way and then this outlet called Area Sports Network—that I freelance with now and have been doing work with for the last few years—reached out to me. They are an independent outlet that covers Major League Soccer on the Internet. They were like, “We don't have anyone in New York City. Would you be interested in covering NYCFC or the Red Bulls?” Since I live very close to Yankee Stadium, I was like: “Yeah, absolutely! This is good exposure for me, and it helps me get better at public speaking and talking about soccer which I absolutely love.” I've been with them since the 2023 MLS season and because of them—and all the exposure that I've gotten making my own content as well—, I've worked with so many brands now. I've done a lot of work with Walmart, Diageo, Nike, I've done an Adidas activation…so I've been able to grow and do all these things that I could have never imagined all because one day I was finally like: “You need to get out there. You need to start doing something.”

Where did your passion for journalism and broadcasting stem from? How did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in sports within the realm of content creation?

I felt at the time that because I didn’t have a background in going to school for sports, I was never going to get hired at a traditional sports job. I didn’t have any experience in that. I was like, “What is the new outlet? Social media.” Social media was big in ‘22 and it's even bigger now. I was like, “This is a good way to expose myself and it's not traditional. I know what I'm talking about. I know the sport. I've watched it my whole life. I love it. So let's start here.” Through starting to cover MLS, I was able to really practice that first season. I look back at those videos and then the videos I make now, and you can just see how much more comfortable I got—not just talking on a camera but talking about the game and being able to sound like the people I used to watch on TV. You know, it was hard then. Even now, I still have a full-time job so it’s hard balancing both. I don't have very much free time, but I am lucky that a lot of the games obviously are in the evening or during the weekends so that helps me a lot.

As you reflect back on that journey early on, what were some challenges that you faced and how did you work to overcome them?

I think just being confident in yourself and imposter syndrome. I mean, that still happens to me to this day sometimes. You know, I didn't go to school for this. I don't have a normal career trajectory in this where you learn from the bottom and work your way up. I learned a lot of things on the fly and just (by) speaking to other colleagues about their journeys and taking advice from journalists and people who just do content for fun. It's helped me a lot (though)—especially with getting over that imposter syndrome.

Let’s talk branding! How did you get started building your personal brand in the space?

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