After graduating from Trinity-Pawling, it didn’t take Andrew Manley ’08 long to discover his love for studio production and media management. Equipped with a communications degree from Southern Vermont College, he dove headfirst into the industry and dabbled in a variety of production jobs, from audio mixing to special effects. In 2016, Manley followed his passion to New York City for a new job opportunity at an up-and-coming digital media company — now the pop-culture sensation known as Barstool Sports. “When I started working at Barstool, there were only 40 of us on the team,” he explained. “Now, we’re well over 250 people! We’ve grown exponentially and this is just the beginning.”
Manley serves as the Manager of Studio Production and Live Events at Barstool. A problem-solver by nature, he helps to keep the studio operations running smoothly, which means every day at the office is a little different. “I never know what the day will hold for me, so it keeps things exciting. We have four podcast recording studios, a radio studio, and four video filming studios here at the headquarters. I’m in charge of maintaining the spaces during production — from lights to mics and of course, any and all troubleshooting.”
When the pandemic rocked the world in the spring of 2020, Manley and the team at Barstool Sports stepped up. In an effort to help small businesses struggling to stay afloat during COVID-19, Barstool founder and CEO Dave Portnoy created the Barstool Fund. It didn’t take long for the grassroots fundraising effort to go viral. Now one year later, the Barstool Fund has raised a whopping $37 million dollars with 332 small businesses fully supported — and there’s no end in sight.
“Barstool has done charity work before, but nothing will ever top the Barstool Fund. It’s truly inspiring to see the generosity and people’s willingness to help others during a challenging time,” Manley shared. “It has made me genuinely proud to work here.”
The best part for Manley? “I help to produce the FaceTime videos in which Dave gives the exciting news in real-time to each small business owner. Witnessing the sheer joy and gratitude on their faces…it’s incredible. I get to see firsthand the difference the Fund is making for families and their businesses. Our work is demanding here at Barstool, but it’s so worth it.”
Looking back, Manley credits Trinity-Pawling — specifically his former dorm parent and teacher Jay Kellogg — with putting him on the track to success. “T-P taught me the importance of being present and putting in the right amount of effort. We’re all still learning, whether as students or professionals, and we’ll never have all the answers. What matters most is the care and time we put into finding the answers. I learned that at Trinity-Pawling.”
“Here at Barstool, we’re a comedy brand at heart. We try to keep things fun and upbeat,” Manley concluded. “The Barstool Fund has allowed us to bring joy and relief at a time when everyone needs it most. Playing a small part in sharing that feel-good story with the world makes me so happy.”
by Emma Christiantelli