Founder Michael Raymond

Full-service sports & entertainment agency specializing in athlete, talent & brand management. Developing athletes into entrepreneurs and leaders.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

The first goal of the World Cup hasn’t even been scored yet…

10+ campaigns. Record-breaking revenue. Incredible brand partners. Culture-shifting moments with some of the best athlete creators in the world.

We knew World Cup 2026 would be massive. We just didn’t know it would be this big.

This is exactly why Raymond Representation is the Home of the Athlete Creator.

We’ve always said our talent touches every major moment in sports—and the World Cup is proving it once again.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

One year ago, May 2025 was one of the toughest months in our company’s history.

When you’re in the middle of a difficult season, it’s easy to search for answers. Was it the market? Did we lose momentum? Were we not aggressive enough? Did we have the wrong strategy? Was our team executing at the highest level? Was I?

The truth is, sometimes you don’t immediately know why a month goes wrong. But you do have a choice in what happens next.

You can let a bad month define you, or you can let it develop you.

Fast forward to May 2026, and we’ve just completed one of the best months in Raymond Representation’s history.

The difference wasn’t luck.

We made changes.

We signed bigger talent. We focused heavily on the biggest tentpole moments in sports, especially the World Cup. We became more organized, more intentional, and more strategic with where we invested our time, energy, and resources. We negotiated larger opportunities for our clients. And we expanded our network by collaborating with trusted agents, athletes, and partners throughout the industry because I’ve always believed that collaboration creates growth.

Most people want success without reflection.

But growth comes from being willing to reverse engineer your failures, identify what went wrong, and make the necessary adjustments.

One of my favorite quotes is:

“Don’t come up from the ocean floor without the pearl.”

The valleys are where the lessons live. The setbacks are where the growth happens. The difficult months are where you discover what needs to change.

Don’t waste the struggle.

Find the lesson. Take the pearl.

Because one bad month, one lost deal, one failed opportunity, or one difficult season does not get to decide your future.

Keep going.

The comeback might be closer than you think.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Deal 🚨

@tphills collaborating with the @nike family 🔥

Just Do It ✅

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Client Spotlight: @Aj_greene15

The face of youth football, my brother for life, and one of the biggest athlete creators in the game. Mr. AHWIWIII to the kids and a source of motivation to all of us. AJ was one of the first people to believe in this vision and helped build this agency from the ground up.

Four years later, we’re still here. Bigger moves, bigger wins, and most importantly impacting millions along the way.

Most importantly though… Happy Birthday familia 🎉 @ajgreene15

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Welcome to the family The Elastico King 👑

One of the most creative minds in soccer content, and we’re just getting started ⚽🔥

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Headed to Cannes June 22–25 ✈️🇫🇷 Already have a slammed schedule, but if you'd love to connect, share exciting events, or meet up, send me a DM.

First time attending and beyond excited for this experience. Ready to create some dope content, connect with incredible people in the space, and make unforgettable memories in the South of France.

See you in Cannes

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Deal 🚨

@jessicaMacrina collaborating with @cocacolafutbol for the World Cup 2026 🔥⚽️

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Deal 🚨

The worlds most famous bodyguard @yasstcheuko collaborating with HBO Max and @championsleague🔥⚽️

[Scott Morrison, CFP® @SMorrison_]

$1.2M NIL deal at 18.
Most keep $588K. Michael kept $805K.
The $217,000 gap was four decisions wide.

Meet Michael. 18 years old. From California. Never filed a tax return in his life. Just walked into more money than most adults will see in a decade.

Here’s how we drew it up.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝟭: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.
California has a 13.3% top tax rate. Texas has none. NIL income is taxed based on your state of domicile, not your school’s state. We established Michael as a Texas domiciliary.
Saved: $127,000.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝟮: 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
NIL income is self-employment income. As a sole proprietor, Michael would pay self-employment tax on every dollar. We set up an LLC taxed as an S-corp, paid him $190K in salary, and took the rest as distributions.
Lower SE tax. And it unlocked the next move.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝟯: 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀.
Remember that $190K salary? It wasn’t random.
It maxed out his solo 401(k): $24,500 employee + 25% employer match = $72,000.
Add a backdoor Roth IRA at $7,500.
Tax savings today: ~$26,000. Plus 50 years of compounding.

𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝟰: 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
Here’s the one most athletes never hear:
Off-field NIL income lets you deduct agent fees. On-field salary doesn’t.
Agent fees ($60K+) + business expenses ($20K) = $80K off the top.

Four moves. $217K back in his pocket. Now we invest.

If Michael puts $685K to work at age 18 and never adds another dollar, an 8% return gets him here:

Age 30: $1.7M
Age 40: $3.7M
Age 50: $8M
Age 60: $17M
Age 70: $37M
Age 80: $80M

He’s 18. His superpower isn’t the $1.2M.
It’s the 60 years of compounding nobody his age understands he has.

What he does in the next 12 months decides whether $1.2M stays $1.2M or becomes $80M.

If you’re on a big NIL deal, let’s talk.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Success is not just about doubling down on what you’re great at. It’s also about surrounding yourself with people who fill in the gaps where you aren’t.

Not a great editor? Find the best.
Not a designer? Find the best.
Not organized? Find the best.

The strongest people don’t try to do everything themselves. They build teams that make everyone stronger. Play your strengths, trust the right people, and build something bigger than you could alone.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

We are officially 30 days out from the biggest event of the year ⚽️

The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest opportunities we’ve ever seen for athletes, creators, brands, and sports marketing agencies.

And for us at Raymond Representation, it has already been a game changer.

2026 is off to a record-breaking start for our agency with an incredible Q1 and strong momentum heading into Q2. While the World Cup is not the only reason behind that growth, it is absolutely playing a major role in the evolution of athlete creator marketing and global brand storytelling.

Specifically around World Cup related opportunities, we are already approaching seven figures in brand partnerships, long term endorsements, commercial campaigns, and digital activations tied directly to the global momentum surrounding the tournament. These opportunities span across professional athletes, creator talent, and non-exclusive agency partners representing some of the biggest legends in sports and entertainment.

A few of the brands we’ve had the opportunity to work with already include Adidas, Coca-Cola, Yerba Madre, HBO Max, PepsiCo, and Emperador Cookies, with even more announcements on the way.

We are also actively working on opportunities connected to some of the biggest official sponsors involved with the 2026 World Cup, including brands like Home Depot, Motorola, and others preparing to make major investments into digital influence, athlete driven storytelling, and creator led campaigns.

The World Cup is only getting started.

There is still so much opportunity ahead, and we are excited to showcase more of the campaigns, activations, and partnerships we help bring to life throughout the year.

This is also why Raymond Representation continues to separate itself in this space.

Our roster is intentionally diverse across sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and digital media, allowing us to touch every major tentpole moment in sports while helping brands activate in ways they were never able to before, especially across the modern digital and creator economy.

That is why we proudly call Raymond Representation the Home of the Athlete Creator.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

@f1 2026

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Deal 🚨

@ava_carneyy collaborating with the @cadillacf1 for an incredible activation during F1 weekend 🔥🏎️

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Don’t be a sports agent……. It’s not worth it 🤝

Man I love what I do!

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Anything significant God is going to do in your life is going to take longer than you want, but be better than you could have ever imagined…..

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

RR Network Episode 2 with @Aj_greene15

There is no blueprint for this path. No one way to break in, no single formula for success. What most people don’t realize is the impact they’re capable of creating when they lean into who they truly are.

From chasing the dream of becoming an NFL wide receiver to building a platform that reaches and influences millions of young athletes every day, AJ has become the face of youth football in a new era.

This is what it looks like when passion meets consistency and purpose turns into impact.

[Founder Michael Raymond @Raymond_Rep]

Deal 🚨

@yasstcheuko is officially a @yerbamadre athlete 🔥

Extremely excited to have put this collaboration together.