PR expert Crystal Frost, a MADWMN influencing boxing and life

Crystal Frost works behind the scenes as a PR director for Mayweather Promotions and is the founder of her own company MADWMN.

professional boxes is one of the oldest sports of modern times, having its origins in the late 19th century. However, it is only just fully evolving into the 21st century in terms of gender equality. Fighters like Claressa Shields, Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor fight for change in the ring, but the likes of Crystal Frost are doing their part outside.

When boxing on television, the focus is on the fighters, but there is a team effort to ensure these events run smoothly. Managers, promoters and broadcasters are some of the key players that help pull off a fight promotion and they all have PR experts.

This is where Frost comes into play. She began working at Mayweather Promotions in 2016 and was quickly promoted to Head of Brand Communications where she helps introduce her fighter world to the world.

Her journey into boxing PR wasn’t her original goal. In a way, it found her.

Frost knew she wanted to be in the PR world and took the right steps to get there. She earned her BS from USC in Business and Management and made her way into the profession. Her focus was on fashion.

“So I got into fashion,” Frost told FanSided. “And after doing some internships at some fashion agencies in LA, I quickly realized that fashion wasn’t for me. The personalities, you know, everything when you think about fashion and you see it in movies and things like that, it’s real. And so for me I’m operating, you know, more behind the scenes, and I just like having my sanity front and center. It quickly became clear to me that this would not work.”

The arrogance and mean attitude you love to see in movies The devil Wears Prada turned out to be reality, and his negativity was something Frost didn’t want any part in.

Frost grew up a sports fan and played softball for most of her youth. She was interested in sports and received an interesting call from a friend.

“Ironically, a girl who, you know, Mayweather Promotions in 2016 that I knew before is like, ‘Hey, you know, we’re looking for a little help with marketing and PR, yeah interested?’ And so I thought, ‘Sure, why not?’ And then she says, ‘Well, you have to move to Vegas.’

“And that was really for me, you know, as an LA girl, I’ve never spent more than a weekend in Vegas, I’ve just, you know, thought about it, thought about it. And I think, well, this is a unique opportunity to work with a unique icon, you know, Floyd.

Crystal Frost is the Brand Communications Lead for Mayweather Promotions and the founder of MADWMN

Destiny worked at Frost’s side, taking her from the fashion world to boxing. Frost’s father was a boxing fan, so according to Frost, she watched numerous fights on TV, including those of Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Now she would work for Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers in history.

After spending two years in the fashion industry, Frost needed to match her PR skills to boxing, so she invested months in boxing research.

“I think it took me about three to four months to understand how often the fighter should fight, like everything from matchmaking to scoring,” Frost said. “You know, just all the things you don’t really think about, all these intricate details.”

Feeling prepared and ready to take on the boxing business, Frost moved to Las Vegas, NV and acclimated to her new area of ​​expertise. One of the first steps was meeting her new boss, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking,” Frost recalled. “I’m not usually overwhelmed. I just remember thinking, oh wow, like, okay. He went to the gym, I remember. And I had to keep my composure, because you don’t want to look like a fan girl, especially not as a woman in sports. It’s like, you gotta wear your own. And I just remember just watching. I didn’t really say much. I was just kind of watching him move. As you know, his crew was with him.”

Frost was now part of the Mayweather Promotions team, and she really felt at home working on one of her biggest early struggles with the company.

While doing PR on the night of the Badou Jack vs. James DeGale fight in 2017, Frost felt she had the full trust, love and respect of her new company.

“And every time I’ve seen him [Mayweather], you know, just after that, when Badou fought DeGale in Brooklyn in 2017,” Frost said. “And I remember being on stage and having to get audio clips. And he said get this girl what she needs. Give it to her.

“And I just remember, like, wait, what? You know, he kind of enabled me to make sure I got everything I needed for the promotion. From a press perspective, whatever it is, that’s what would make the show, you know, I just had to walk, and that’s why I was super grateful.

Frost’s performance and dedication to her position allowed her to become a key player at Mayweather Promotions. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions, soon made Frost head of brand communications, giving her responsibility for all PR. It’s a position she still holds.

Boxing was a friendlier environment than fashion, but Frost felt that because she was a woman in a male-dominated sport and business, she was sometimes treated differently by others. Frost stayed tough, making sure to stand her ground when faced with misogyny.

“I think there were definitely more moments than not where I felt like I had to prove myself, because who is this little girl that just showed up in boxing?” Frost said.

Frost added: “I had to earn respect and really assert myself. There were times when I had to say, ‘No, I think we should do that.’ And how really, how, stand firmly by what I was so urging at the time. But I also had to show my knowledge.”

Frost has more than proven herself and gained the trust of the fighters she worked with. Gervonta Davis and Rolly Romero were just a few of the boxers who took Frost’s advice to heart.

Frost cruised the boxing world, and then the pandemic struck. Boxing, like the rest of the world, was dying, and that’s when Frost saw other opportunities.

“But I think, like a lot of people, the pandemic was a pretty pivotal moment where people would either fall behind or leap forward,” Frost said. “And I realized there’s so much I can do with what I’ve lent these fighters that can be applied to a lot of people.”

Frost helped these fighters in their daily lives. She even helped Davis set up an IRA at Mayweather Promotions.

“I was wondering, do you have an IRA setup?” Frost said. “You did, you know, he was about to have his child and he didn’t know anything. And I think that’s what you have to do. And, you know, just like little things like that, that’s when I felt like I was making the biggest impact.”

Realizing her advice went beyond boxing, Frost thought there was more she could do in terms of PR and brand management.

With a stint in boxing, Frost decided to start her own company called CRAZY, which she directs in connection with her responsibilities at Mayweather Promotions. The “MAD” in MADWMN stands for Marketing, Advertising and Design.

One of their first clients was former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant. She used her ancient roots in fashion to help Plant transcend boxing.

“My first client was Caleb Plant, and I came on board when he did the Canelo fight,” Frost said. “And he knew I had a lot of good connections in fashion and music and things like that. And he was like, I want, you know, I want to create a bigger platform for myself, that’s the biggest moment of my career.”

Frost developed a collaboration between Plant and fashion company FEATURE. This was Frost’s first step in building her business. Word of mouth spread quickly and she added clients like BMX rider Nigel Sylvester and actor Javaon ‘Wanna’ Walton.

Frost credits her position at Mayweather Promotions and learning from Ellerbe with giving her the experience she needs to become a well-rounded entrepreneur. Frost still works for Mayweather Promotions and represents her fighters, but she’s finding ways to take her boxing life to other areas. In addition, she does the same at MADWMN for celebrities from other walks of life as well.

Frost has a knack for seeing opportunities in her clients that they didn’t know existed. Her ability to understand, empathize with and work with them has broken down barriers for them and them.

“My day is always, why not?” said Frost. “Like, why not? Why can’t we? It’s not you, then who?’

Frost has proven she can, and her example inspires others.