How to Get Sponsored by Wahoo's Fish Taco

Walk into a Wahoo's Fish Taco and you'll see more sponsor stickers, banners, bikes and autographed gear than in any other restaurant I know. That's on purpose. Co-founder Wing Lam has fed riders and crews at Supercross, motocross, surf, skate and X Games events for decades. The first time I met him, at a Supercross race, he was behind the counter in a VIP suite serving tacos, and I assumed he was hired help. Wing has been a guest on Meet the Sponsors and on my summit panels, and his approach to sponsorship is about people more than budgets.

Expect Wing to check up on you

Asked how an athlete gets his attention, Wing didn't hesitate: "Bottom line, run into me at an event." Then be honest, because he will verify everything you say. "Tell me whatever you want to tell me about who you are. I'm gonna call your team managers. I'm gonna get the lowdown on you, whether you do what you say you think you do or not. So believe it or not, do not BS me, right, because I'm gonna call you out."

He has been friends with team managers, judges and announcers for 30 years, and he uses them. "I'm going to know everything about you before I call you back," he said. ▶ Watch Wing Lam explain this

Your other sponsors are your references

The first question Wing asks is who else backs you. "First of all, I better know who all your other sponsors are, right? So we like to hang out with people that we like," he said. "If we know your sponsors, they already done a good job vetting the character... the intangibles, right? Is he a good guy? Is he the guy who's going to represent our brand and do what he's supposed to do when the time comes?" ▶ Watch the clip

For an up-and-coming rider, he'll often introduce you to some of his partners to see whether everyone is on the same page. He isn't trying to replace your existing sponsors, either. He wants to know what Wahoo's can add.

A sponsorship is a give and a get

Wing expects his athletes to remember who pays them. "You're getting money to represent the brand. Well, you better do a good job of representing the brand," he said. He has caught sponsored athletes holding a competitor's drink or wearing the wrong sunglasses, and the stakes are higher now: "In today's environment, that split moment gets caught in social media, you're done." ▶ Watch the clip

Being approachable matters just as much. On a summit panel he described athletes who sign a big deal and then treat every appearance like a chore. "Make your athletes approachable, make them friendly, and yes, you may have a rough day, but you still got a game face to put on." If an athlete makes him beg, he moves on: "I'm pulling teeth to get this guy to do anything, I'm like, thank you, I'll keep that one in mind and I'm not coming back, because I can do that with 10 other athletes here." ▶ Watch Wing on what he wants from teams

Drive people into the restaurant

Wahoo's is a restaurant chain, mostly in California, with stores in Las Vegas, Colorado and a handful of other places. A logo on your fender isn't what Wing is buying. He wants people walking through the door. When his team hands out coupons, he wants to see them used and posted. "One of the things we appreciate is when they use it, post it, right? Don't just take the free lunch. Post something... because that's what drives people back, is being seen at our restaurant." ▶ Watch the clip

He has done this for years with athletes like Tony Hawk, who once spent a week posting hints on social media that ended with free tickets to his new video's premiere for the first fans who showed up at a Wahoo's.

Pitch the cause, not just yourself

Wing will say yes faster to a community event than to a request for a personal deal. "When athletes ask me for, 'hey, I'd love for you to sponsor me,' I'm like, let's not be selfish. Let me come and help you sponsor the community events." He pointed to the events Ryan Sheckler and his family put on to give back. "If you're doing something to give back to the community, feel free to call me, because I'll be the first guy to say I think that's a great idea." ▶ Watch the clip

What Wahoo's gives back

A restaurant can't match an energy drink's checks, so Wing pays in other ways: food and hospitality at your events, introductions, and favors from his partners. "We won't pimp you out unless I think I can do something for you in a way where it works, right? It's got to be a win-win," he said. He once got a partner that was underwriting an event to give four big-screen TVs to an up-and-coming band that played in a Wahoo's restaurant. He has also run magazine ads featuring his athletes with every sponsor's logo showing, so they could collect photo incentives from their other sponsors. ▶ Watch the clip

The biggest asset is his network. "It's always nice to get a dollar, but if by talking to a guy like any of us you can get our network, all of a sudden you got five bucks without having to go chase it," he said. "It's easy once you have the reputation to get that referral." ▶ Watch Wing on working with other sponsors

Do something different from the podium finishers

Wing's final advice applies to every brand you pitch. "We know that you want our clothing, our money or equipment. We know that part. The big thing is, what are you going to do differently?" Results alone won't get you there. "Odds are, let's just say 97 of you are not going to get on that podium. So what do you have to do to make it as though you're on the podium?" ▶ Watch Wing's advice

Do that well, he said, and you'll stop asking for more because team managers will start offering it: "Instead of you trying to always ask for more, you're going to end up having team managers telling you, 'oh my God, we got to give you more.'" ▶ See the full interview

Your checklist for Wahoo's Fish Taco

• Meet Wing in person at an event. That's how Wahoo's finds athletes.
• Be completely honest about your results. He will call your team manager.
• Line up sponsors he respects. They vouch for your character.
• Use the coupons, eat at Wahoo's, and post about it.
• Bring him a community or charity event, not just a request for yourself.
• Be friendly and on time at every appearance, even on bad days.
• Show how you'll represent the brand differently from everyone else.