Marketing graduate to media entrepreneur: Jamie Graham’s journey into sports content creation

Posted on: 21 July 2025 in Where are they now?

Jamie Graham, a Marketing graduate from the University of Liverpool, is now the Co-Founder and Director of Apergee Productions, a company specialising in high-energy, cinematic sports content. Jamie reflects on his journey and offers advice for aspiring content creators looking to break into the industry. 

Reflecting on your time studying Marketing at the University of Liverpool, what were some of the most enjoyable parts of the degree? 

I would say the modules on the Marketing with a Year in Industry programme that gave me more creative freedom were my preferred choice. An assignment in my final year focused around developing a marketing plan for a company of my choice. Developing this plan was entirely up to me - from choosing the company to deciding whether to improve an existing product or introduce something completely new to the brand’s offering. It gave me the freedom to generate new ideas, something that’s essential in both marketing and content creation. I can’t think of many groundbreaking adverts or campaigns by brands that have followed the typical ‘marketing formula’ at the time. 

You took a year in industry as part of your degree, working in communications and marketing at Alder Hey. How did that experience shape your skillset? 

Alder Hey showed me the value of having a career that provides value and help to others within your community. The work done by the doctors and nurses at Alder Hey can’t be praised or celebrated enough. Working within the communications and marketing team, it therefore became our responsibility to share this work online e.g. through incredible patient stories or new medical innovations created by the Alder Hey innovation team. I especially feel now that fulfilment and value are the most important factors when looking for clients to work with. 

How did you find the transition from university into the working world after graduation? 

My transition probably isn’t the same as many others. Going from university to working for yourself in some instances is very similar. For example, in both cases you can work whenever suits you best, but this of course, sometimes comes at a challenge of not knowing when to switch off from work. In many senses it is quite opposite too, there isn’t a guide or roadmap to success, you must make the steps yourself and see if they work. I often find that the idea of doing something is far more daunting than the task itself, for instance outreaching to potential clients. It can seem scary pitching yourself and company to a stranger but the absolute worst they can say is no, but the upside of one saying yes is always so rewarding. 

How have the skills you developed during your degree helped you navigate your current role and entrepreneurial journey? 

Learning how the inside workings of a brand’s marketing has helped me as a videographer. Now, as I am more of an outsider looking in, I can see the potential issues and problems a brand might encounter when trying to either increase brand awareness or customer loyalty for example. I’m able to tailor my content offerings to clients that provides them with the value they are looking for.  

You’re the Co-Founder and Director of Apergee Productions, a company known for its high-energy, cinematic sports content. What inspired you to start the company and how did the idea come to life? 

I have always struggled to explain the exact moment or point when I knew I wanted to do videography. I guess a good place to start would be when I met my Co-Founder in my first year at the University of Liverpool. We were both into fitness and went to the same gym for a little while. It was one summer where we started a fitness page on Instagram and overtime, we wanted to make the feel of our videos more cinematic and therefore bought our first cameras. After graduating we felt we could work with clients to help with their social media and marketing. With a huge amount of ignorance of what it took to start a company and some determination, we decided to set up Apergee Productions together to see where it could take us. 

Jamie, alongside his co-founder and fellow University of Liverpool graduate Ben Walton (Biology, Class of 2023).

Apergee has worked with some major clients like Saracens RFC, London Broncos, and Optimum Nutrition. What have been some of the most exciting projects you have worked on so far?  

I would have to say the PWR Final between Saracens and Gloucester Hartpury. A packed-out crowd with a game that really was a tale of two halves. Unfortunately Saracens, the team who were our client, couldn’t get across the line but it was still an unforgettable match. 

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're especially excited about? 

We’re always trying to either obtain new clients or work in sectors we haven’t worked in previously. The rest of summer has a lot of hospitality work involved and myself and my co-founder are always eager to develop and progress our videography skillset in different niches. You can check out all our work either on our website or on Instagram. 

What advice would you give to students or recent graduates who want to break into video production or sports content creation? Where’s a good place to start? 

To be truthful, YouTube is the best place to learn videography and sports creation. It is such an educational and useful platform and the fact it is free is quite incredible when you consider all the potential knowledge you can attain from it – not even necessarily just in my line of work either. In terms of then actually obtaining work, I feel you do sometimes have to start by offering your services for free. Getting the experience is the most important factor at the start and clients will see your potential over time if you keep working at it. When doing free work, I enjoyed taking a more experimental and liberating approach to my videos as there was no monetary value tied to my work so it could really be my own vision and video. 

For those looking to work with big clients or make a meaningful impact in the creative industry, what are your top tips?  

Post your work online - whether on a social media platform or a website you have made. Nobody knows your work exists if it’s not out there for them to discover! 

Continue to reach out to brands or companies in the sectors your particularly interested in. You may get 49 ‘No’s’ but all you need is that one ‘Yes’ and you’ll have a client that you can then begin to work with. 

Keep learning about your craft as much as you can. There is always something new to learn to enhance your skill set either through storytelling, visual effects, or sound effects. Developing these skills are what can separate you from other creators. 

A huge thank you to Jamie for sharing his career journey with us. Feeling inspired to share your own story or get involved? There are plenty of ways to stay connected: 

Connect with the University: Join your Alumni Group on LinkedIn 

Volunteer with the University: Discover our volunteering opportunities 

Future alumni events: Update your details and attend future events organised by the alumni team.