Today we’d like to introduce you to Raheel Ramzanali.
Hi Raheel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Sugar Land and graduated from Clements High School. After high school, I attended The University of Texas in Austin majoring in broadcast journalism with a focus on sports journalism. I always knew I wanted to entertain people and I love sports so this was a great major for me. After college, I landed my first job in Houston at a startup station called 1560 The Game. I was there for four years before I pivoted to a career in social media management. After a few years of doing that, I had the opportunity to return to radio with ESPN Houston. During that time, I did a daily show and also worked with CW39 hosting their weekly sports updates on NewsFix, was the game day host for XFL Roughnecks, and was featured in the Modern Day Man campaign by lululemon.
After leaving ESPN Houston, I’ve done freelance work with ABC 13 where I co-hosted the No Layups podcast with my bff David Nuno, hosted Houston SaberCats Insider on AT&T SportsNet Southwest, digital video with Golden Nugget Sports Book, and sports updates with NTV Houston. Outside of sports, I’m an ambassador for lululemon and also one of the global faces for Movember!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was not a smooth road! The entertainment industry is hard and you have to get really lucky to survive in it. In 2020, I was part of budget cuts at ESPN Houston and was laid off like millions of other Americans. Luckily, my network came up huge for me and helped me land a lot of awesome roles since then!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the end of the day, I’m a content creator focusing on sports and entertainment. I don’t take myself too serious and I think that’s helped me stand out in a crowded space. I’m most proud of being able to help others in any aspect of creation. I take pride in helping others achieve their goals.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
So many!
Apps: Youtube because I can take yoga classes and other health-related classes anytime I want!
Podcasts: Slow Burn podcast by Slate. I highly recommend seasons 3 and 6 with Joel Anderson because it’s great story-telling and research.
Blog: While not a traditional blog, The Morning Brew daily email is my favorite way to start the day to catchup on everything happening around the world.
Books: When I need a creative break or laugh, I pickup anything by Shea Serrano. My current favorite is Hip-Hop (and other things).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raheeldoingthings/
- Twitter: twitter.com/the_raheel
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/longhornraheel
