Hartford Business Journal

as much as I thought because we ended up doing the show out of my attic for three years.'' Laughing now, he added: "at's not the move a lot of people make — that you're doing SportsCenter and now you're in your attic doing a radio show." Early on, Patrick went "door-to-door" to get radio stations and other distri- bution partners to take the show. He eventually got connected to Fox Sports Radio. KLCA in Los Angeles put Patrick in a desirable 6 a.m.-to-9 a.m. slot. at "changed the trajectory" of the show, Patrick said, because other radio stations began to follow suit. Entering the 'Man Cave' Aer three years of working in his attic, Patrick reached out to DirectTV to see if it would be interested in simulcasting his broadcast. An agreement was reached and the show moved from the attic to a location above a nearby Milford bar. Four years ago, a former United Rentals building on Naugatuck Avenue in Milford was identified as an ideal location for a larger production studio. e 20,000-square-foot structure that once rented industrial tools and equipment was repurposed into what looks like an all-things-sports museum. e Man Cave is complete with 13 studio cameras, a mini basketball court, scoreboard, lounge-area studio, bar, barbecue patio, large collection of pro- fessional athlete photos and posters, sports memorabilia and Adam Sandler movie posters. Patrick's competitive zeal and perfectionist nature were aligned to the re- alities of the business world where he is fighting daily for ears and eyeballs, sponsorships and partnerships. "Dan has a saying: 'Every day is the Super Bowl,' and that is his expectation," said Eric Jones, Patrick's director of operations. Jones has worked with Patrick for the past 11 years. "He gives us the space to do our job, but he expects us to be very agile and efficient in both the creative process, as well as the more mundane tasks that it takes to run a business and a facility." 'Voyeuristic feel' e show thrives on spontaneity and active listening. Patrick's questions are succinct, conversational, probing and open-ended. He wants his listeners to be so riveted by the conversation that they must stay until the very end. "ere is a voyeuristic feel that I try to create," Patrick said. "Like you are eavesdropping on something that maybe you shouldn't, but you are glad you are. I put so much emphasis on every segment. You just can't ease up. You can't go in and say: 'Let's mail it in today.' Every single day you want someone to come away from your show telling someone about your show — an interview, a comment, whatever." e business world is driven by the mantra: If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense. But Patrick believes that if the focus is on delivering great content, the busi- ness and revenue will follow. "I learned not to chase money," Patrick said. "When you do, you are doing it for the wrong reason. I want us to put out a quality product every single day." Some of the show's sponsors include Mercedes-Benz, Keeper's Heart Whis- key, Sleep Number and Traeger Grills. Recently retired ESPN communications director Mike Soltys, who worked 43 years at the network, said Patrick's gi is that he is an outstanding studio host and exceptional interviewer. "Dan wanted his career to evolve, wanted to do less SportsCenter and work close to his home," Soltys said. "ESPN, at the time, wouldn't allow what he want- ed, but likely would today. Everyone follows their own path and has their own circumstances. Dan was able to reinvent himself and still flourish." Upon retirement, Patrick said he will stay involved in his sportscasting school. He'll also spend more time traveling with his wife of 37 years, Susan, and step up his golfing, reading and acting. e father of four is also a grandfa- ther, one who loves music and fast cars, particularly Porches. Patrick's message for young broadcasters and would-be entrepreneurs is to "utilize their full ability.'' "Don't let someone have a glass ceiling above you," he said. "You will hit it eventually. But don't let someone set it for you. And don't take 'No' for an an- swer. … You must be obsessed with being great. Every day." Continued from previous page 8 C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 3 I

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