Meet the Team: Josh Shelton

Josh Shelton grew up on a putting green. Before he could walk, his dad would prop him and his brother up at their local course, give them plastic clubs, and let them putt around. His playing style has evolved since those early days, through high school in Alexandria, VA, and beyond, but his love of the game never left.

He joins StoryTeller Club Marketing as our new Marketing Operations Specialist, and he hopes to share that passion (along with his experience as a sports anchor, journalist, and Allied Golf Association expert) with our clients and their members.

From the Student Newsroom to the Olympic Games

Josh studied broadcast journalism at Ball State University, which he picked for its immersive learning program. Students there worked on real projects from their first semester.

He anchored sports for four years at the school’s student-run TV station, which aired four days a week, and spent his last two years as sports director. He also traveled with Ball State teams and called play-by-play for the baseball program.

In February 2018, Josh and four classmates traveled to Korea with a professor to cover the Winter Olympics, fully credentialed through Team USA.

"We were college students rubbing elbows with NBC executives and personalities and every other international media outlet," he recalls.

He loved telling stories of games, athletes, and Olympic triumphs. After college, he would take that passion to the West Coast.

Live from Southern Oregon

After graduating in 2019, Josh headed to Medford, Oregon, as one of two sports anchors at KDRV, the local ABC affiliate. For three years, he covered everything from high school football to college football. In a smaller market, every high school coach in town knew his name within months.

Then 2020 arrived, and sports stopped. Josh pivoted to news, reporting from drive-thru COVID testing sites to show viewers what to expect.

"I don't know how many times I got swabbed on live TV to show that it's not that bad," he says.

He also hosted the station's golf tip of the week, visiting local courses to share advice on improving your game or playing a course's unique features.

Oregon is also where Josh met “Reno.” When a coworker realized the rescue dog they'd adopted had back-leg trouble and might need surgery, their stair-filled apartment became a problem. Josh lived on a single floor, so he took Reno in.

They’ve been together since.

Inside the Allied Golf World

Looking for a bigger city and a new challenge, Josh accepted a role as Manager of Communications and Marketing with the Tennessee Golf Association, just outside Nashville. He spent four and a half years with the TGA, learning how Allied Golf Associations operate.

"What I appreciated about it was this really collaborative culture when it comes to sharing ideas and best practices," Josh says. A quick question to a peer association could easily become an hour-long call.

Having worked in both regions, he also knows that a message that lands with golfers in the Southeast may not land in the Pacific Northwest. The right way to communicate depends on the region and the golfers being served.

On the Job and Off the Clock

"At the root of most communications roles is storytelling," Josh says.

At StoryTeller, he's adding HubSpot to his toolkit and giving allied golf associations a partner who already speaks their language. Clients can expect plenty of questions from him.

"Our job isn't to upsell you to the next thing," he says. "We're looking for long-term fixes, not duct tape fixes."

Never Without Plans

Josh’s friends start to worry if he goes two days without plans. These days, that means driving range sessions and Thursday night softball.

Reno joins him on walks around Nashville, stopping often at coffee shops that serve pup cups. Reno knows where they are and will pull Josh toward them even after closing time.

Hockey season means plenty of Nashville Predators games. He misses the hiking he found in Oregon and is hoping to squeeze in a few camping weekends this fall.

And of course, he's always up for a round of golf. Just give him some notice first.