Sekou Thornell has built his reputation as a visionary who understands the pulse of American soccer culture. As the Creative Director and Founder of the Kitboys Club, he’s dedicated his career to driving participation and fanbase growth of the American game through authentic storytelling and community engagement.
His work as a Creative Strategist for ForSoccerVentures, an investment firm focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer, has positioned him at the forefront of the sport’s evolution in America. With collaborations spanning major brands like Adidas, New Balance, and Atlanta United, Thornell brings a unique perspective on what it takes to build genuine connections in today’s saturated market.
What makes authenticity so crucial in today’s marketing landscape?
I think it ultimately comes down to the new form of marketing. You’ve got to be humanistic, you have to be purpose driven, you have to resonate at a human level in order to be successful. We’ve been saturated by a lot post-pandemic and I think people are slowly realizing ethics, code, morals and values are what makes you authentic. When you stick to those guns, you can’t lose.
Why focus on building community rather than just individual advancement?
I think it comes down to the simple sports aspect of it. Somebody can’t do anything in this life without other people beside them. When you represent a community, that’s your foundation, that’s your base. For me, that’s what is really driven in. I can’t do this thing alone. It takes giving back to certain people. It takes really creating a future for myself. But in doing that, you’ve got to nourish the people that help you get up and really pay that back to them. That’s why the community aspect of it is so important.
What three principles do you want to instill in the next generation?
The biggest three is probably consistency. Everything in life is either time or consistency. The more consistent you are, the more you can bring your dreams into fruition. The second thing is, nothing in this world you can do by yourself. You need a team and a strong team to support you on whatever avenue you want to go. The third thing is, stay true to your guns and be purpose driven. Drive with a purpose, move with a purpose. People are going to show you love back in that regard.
How do you define creativity?
Creativity is the freedom of expression. The will to be able to move your expression in any avenue you see fit. That’s what true creativity is.
What role does curiosity play in your approach?
The power of curiosity is exploring and breaking through the fold. Seeing what the box is and finding a way to get outside of it.
How important is trusting your instincts?
You have to trust your gut, your heart. In sports you learn a lot. You have to trust your heart when you go out on certain things. That’s translatable. You have to trust what you intrinsically feel. The consistency needs to bring into fruition.
How do you maintain focus amid all the demands of your work?
The way I keep my head in the game is mindful moments and being present with things outside of the craft. I think it’s important you explore different avenues, different crafts. Sometimes it’s easy to get the water muddy if you stay in it all the time, but having passions, having hobbies outside of it, having people who support you, and really being a part of that is how you kind of keep the water flow.
What three elements are essential for your personal well-being?
Sport and fitness, making sure I’m moving, my body’s moving, I think that’s a key one. Always finding inspiration is something that’s maybe culturally adjacent, for me, is also a big one. Finding inspiration, seeing where it can take you, and finding new different forms of inspiration is a big one. And then the third one for me is, root yourself in the family and where you come from. That’ll always be the place where you start for inspiration.
Why is overcoming fear so critical to success?
I think denying fear is important because you never know what’s on the other side of the hill until you get there. You can have everything in your life that you ever wanted, but the fear is the only thing that’s really keeping you from having it.
How do you find peace when surrounded by chaos?
I think the best thing for me is chasing what you love and being able to provide the means to do so. Making sure you build the foundation, even if it’s doing stuff you don’t like in order to, down the line, do the things you do like. It’s a sacrifice. And knowing that that sacrifice really comes to fruition is about the peace and tranquility of it.
What does effective collaboration look like to you?
The power of collaboration is building with a team and making sure they win just as much as you do.
What does your partnership with Adidas represent?
Being able to collaborate with Adidas is a full circle moment. A lot of my origin was based in Adidas early on. It was the first team to ever sponsor my youth team. So again, this is a full circle moment and something I get to pass down and have the generation after me see in my space.
How do you define Black excellence?
Black excellence means taking the best step forward every day for my culture, for my people and making sure I break that fold so other people can come behind me.
