ABOUT

The Company

Today's consumers are increasingly making active healthy lifestyle choices that include products and services related to sports, fitness, health, and wellness. They are educated and savvy. It is crucial that companies hiring talent, as part of their efforts to reach this audience, select talent that are authentic, credible and aspirational to these consumers. Sports + Lifestyle Unlimited (SLU) provides a resource of professional models and talent to support the production and branding needs of these clients.

We credit Dave Weiss, our CEO and Founder, with the vision to first recognize the need for a specialized resource of sports/fitness talent and lifestyle models. The seed for the company was planted after Dave moved to Portland in 1980 to pursue a commercial art career. Shortly after arriving, Dave was approached about working as a model and entered the industry. As a fit and skilled collegiate level athlete, Dave found that his marketability was of particular interest to brands seeking authentic imagery of sports, fitness and an active healthy lifestyle. From his first booking, Dave experienced a lucrative modeling and acting career working as a talent with over 100 companies, including brands such as Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Avia, and InSport. Dave's wife Molly also enjoyed a successful career in the industry both as a talent and as a broadcast producer.

"Create an air of authenticity; a one-of-a-kind business helping companies create that realistic aura."
— Portland Business Journal

In light of the fact that there were no other commercial talent agencies focusing specifically on sports, fitness and lifestyle related projects, Dave began acting as his own agent. Soon after, he began consulting with the companies that hired him, provide resources for talent, scouting locations, recommending photographers, and offering technical advice. In a short period of time, Dave realized there was a specific need for a talent agency specializing in providing a resource of fit, healthy, and skilled talent. Armed with the experience and knowledge Dave had amassed as an athlete and a model together with Molly's experience as a talent and broadcast producer, they founded the agency in 1991.

After almost twenty years in business, SLU has earned the reputation as the leading commercial talent agency in the United States providing real athletes with real skills, and lifestyle models representing an active healthy lifestyle.