From the Ground Up: Business Beyond Pro Sports

Podcast: From the Ground Up | Host: Inc. Magazine
Episode: Business Beyond Pro Sports with Stephon Marbury & Cam Juergens
Date: September 1, 2025

Overview

This lively panel, recorded at Inc. Founders House in Philadelphia, dives into the journeys of former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury (Chief Brand Officer at Chamelo Eyewear) and Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Juergens (founder of Jergi Beef Jerky). Deputy Digital Editor Graham Winfrey leads a candid discussion on how skills from elite sports careers translate to launching and scaling companies, overcoming unique entrepreneurial hurdles, and building brands with purpose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Innovative Ventures: Eyewear and Jerky

• Chamelo Eyewear:

  • Marbury joins as Chief Brand Officer, drawn by the company’s cutting-edge lens technology, which shifts from light to dark in 0.9 seconds.

    “It gives people the opportunity to experience something completely different in the eyewear space, which is a big space.” — Stephon Marbury [01:51]

  • Next-gen features include AI-driven calorie assessment, navigation integration, and liquid crystal lenses for energy-saving applications.

    “It'll be able to look and see and measure calories from fruit, from vegetables... The next wave of the future.” — Stephon Marbury [02:58]

• Jergi Beef Jerky:

  • Cam Juergens’ business roots trace back to family traditions on a corn, soy, and cattle farm. Entrepreneurship “came naturally” after making jerky at home.

    “Last name Jurgens. Everybody called me Beef Jerky... everything with this business kind of just grew organically.” — Cam Juergens [03:37]

  • Jergi aims for high-quality, local, traceable ingredients, differentiating from processed mass-market brands.

Personal Branding & Origin Stories

• Nicknames Fuel Opportunity:
  • Jergi owes its name and brand to Cam’s locker room nickname at Nebraska:

    “Everybody called me Jerky or Beef Jerky, and I love beef. So it’s just simple—everybody calls me Beef Jerky.” — Cam Juergens [06:11]

  • Marbury’s “Starbury” moniker led to affordable sneaker lines for kids, emphasizing community impact.

    “I sold shoes for $14.98 for kids... trying to create access for all.” — Stephon Marbury [07:19] “It wasn’t about making money. It was about the message.” — Stephon Marbury [09:24]

Scaling & Managing Dual Careers

• Balancing Sports and Business:
  • Cam focuses on football during the season, doubling down on Jergi in off-months, with trusted partners running day-to-day operations.

    “Make sure the main thing stays the main thing... In the offseason, I pick up a lot more with Jergi.” — Cam Juergens [11:26]

• Learning to Delegate:
  • Both athletes highlight the importance and difficulty of delegation as founders.

    “It’s like trusting somebody with your basketball game.” — Stephon Marbury [14:28]

• Building the Right Team:
  • Trust and shared values are key:

    “Find people that you can trust... Maybe they have answers, maybe they don’t—but as long as they know how to find them and are willing to work.” — Cam Juergens [12:13] “Work with people who want to help other people.” — Stephon Marbury [13:06]

Partnerships, NIL, and Community Impact

• Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) as Growth Lever:
  • Jergi leveraged NCAA NIL rules to launch, partnering with Iowa State and donating profits to student athletes.

    “All the profits are going towards the NIL program... our money’s going towards every single student athlete there.” — Cam Juergens [19:21]

  • Marbury teases imminent NIL campaigns for Chamelo.
• High-Profile Partnerships:
  • Chamelo is collaborating with ex-Mets star Jose Reyes and selling at Madison Square Garden with the Knicks.

    “To be able to have a partnership with the Knicks and for us to be inside of Madison Square Garden, selling exclusively gives us a great big presence.” — Stephon Marbury [20:12]

Branding, Differentiation, and Category Challenges

• Purpose-Driven Branding:
  • Marbury’s footwear was “really about... allowing kids to know that they can go to a store, buy a pair of shoes at this price point... on their own.” [09:24]
  • Juergens strives for transparency and better nutrition in a “junk food”-stigma category:

    “We want good quality beef with good ingredients... everything is just so processed and so unhealthy for you.” — Cam Juergens [26:49]

• Educating the Market:
  • Marbury acknowledges the hurdles of explaining new eyewear tech and challenges comparison with past failures like Google Glass.

    “It’s better to show you.” — Stephon Marbury [21:57]

  • Chamelo’s technology includes fast transition lenses, in-glass speakers, navigation, and future automotive/building applications.

Growth Strategies & Long-Term Vision

• Jergi:

  • Goal for 2025: grow local Philly distribution, maintain quality and organic growth, keep the business manageable.

    “It’s got to be careful... grow it the right way.” — Cam Juergens [17:38]

  • Personal mission to reward his mother (cofounder), ensure legacy beyond football.

    “My mom’s got a big piece of the pie here with my company, and so I just want to put some money in her pocket.” — Cam Juergens [28:36]

• Chamelo:

  • Focus is on raising awareness and slow, sustainable expansion, both in consumer tech and commercial applications.

    “We just want more people to become aware of what we’re doing and check the product out.” — Stephon Marbury [28:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No, it didn’t come naturally. You learn. It’s like trusting somebody with your basketball game, right?” — Stephon Marbury on delegation [14:28]
• “We want good quality beef with good ingredients, and in a world we live in today, everything is just so processed and so unhealthy for you.” — Cam Juergens [26:49]
• “I sold shoes for $14.98 for kids... trying to create access for all.” — Stephon Marbury [07:19]
• “Make sure the main thing stays the main thing... That’s football and that’s my main job and that’s my source of income.” — Cam Juergens [11:26]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:51 | Marbury introduces Chamelo Eyewear and its unique lens technology | | 03:37 | Juergens on entrepreneurship roots and jerky brand origin | | 06:11 | The role of Cam’s nickname in launching Jergi | | 07:19 | Marbury discusses Starbury brand and affordable shoes | | 11:26 | Cam on balancing pro sports and entrepreneurship | | 12:13 | Hiring and building a trustworthy, committed team | | 14:28 | Marbury’s delegation learning curve | | 19:21 | Juergens on NIL partnership with Iowa State | | 21:57 | Marbury on the challenges of educating consumers about eyewear technology | | 26:49 | Juergens on confronting unhealthy stereotypes in the jerky market | | 28:05 | Marbury’s vision for Chamelo’s growth | | 28:36 | Juergens’ personal mission in business success |

Tone & Style

Candid, motivational, and relatable: Cam Juergens brings a practical, down-to-earth attitude, while Stephon Marbury weaves in big-picture thinking and social purpose. Both share humility about what they’re still learning as new founders, and a desire to make an authentic, positive impact with their businesses.

Summary Takeaway

Both panelists reveal how experiences—on the farm, in the NBA, or on the gridiron—shape their vision, business resilience, and appetite for giving back. Their paths, while different, are rooted in authenticity, community, and the creativity to see beyond the boundaries of professional sports.