Clocktower | Franklin Features
17
For Stacy McGranor, a single conference keynote 
changed everything. In 2017, while working for 
the San Jose Sharks, she heard a speaker from the 
Chicago Bulls discuss using behavioral economics 
to enhance fan engagement. That spark of 
inspiration led her to back to Franklin, where she 
discovered the master’s in business psychology 
— a decision that would reshape her career.
Today, McGranor is the founder of Blueprints 
& Playbooks, a consultancy dedicated to helping 
sports organizations build stronger connections 
with their fan bases. Her Franklin degrees provide 
a one-two punch: an MBA for the broad-based 
knowledge to fuel her entrepreneurial venture 
and an M.S. in Business Psychology for providing 
the specialized expertise that sets her apart. 
“I owe where I am to Franklin University,” McGranor 
states. “I use what I learned every single day.”
Her journey began with a simple online search. 
After the conference, she looked for behavioral 
economics programs but found them uninspiring. 
Then, she discovered Franklin’s business psychology 
program. It was the perfect fit. She applied that 
same afternoon, started the program in February 
2018, and graduated in May 2019. The experience 
was so engaging, and the instructors so supportive 
that she was genuinely sad when it concluded.
REDEFINING FAN ENGAGEMENT
The impact on her career was immediate. 
Following her graduation, the Sharks created 
a new role for her: customer experience program 
director, the first of its kind in North American sports. 
This position involved journey mapping, market 
research, and deep consumer insights — all areas 
where her business psychology background gave 
her a distinct advantage.
McGranor challenges a common myth in the sports 
world: that what the business needs and what the 
fans want are competing priorities. She believes the 
fan experience is the critical lever that aligns both. 
“Experience is the lever that makes both of those 
things work,” she explains. This philosophy 
guided her to a significant win with the Sharks.
By analyzing which season ticket benefits were 
being used most often and why, she uncovered 
valuable insights. Her team completely redesigned 
the benefits program based on this psychological 
understanding, moving beyond simple perks 
to create meaningful experiences. The result was 
extraordinary: the team’s season ticket renewal rate 
jumped by a full 10 points the following season.
This success is rooted in principles she learned 
at Franklin. One of her guiding rules is to never 
deliver a simple “no” to a fan’s request. “I can’t 
do that, but here’s what I can do,” she explains. 
This approach ensures the fan always feels heard 
and part of the conversation, fostering a sense 
of partnership rather than a one-sided transaction.
BLUEPRINTS & PLAYBOOKS: 
A NEW CHAPTER
Blueprints & Playbooks also affords her 
opportunities to broaden her impact through 
roles like co-leading a patron insights hub at the 
Australian Open. The hub, newly built for AO26, 
was a cutting-edge initiative dedicated 
to understanding the fan journey in real time 
throughout the tournament. She and the broader 
CX team gathered and analyzed feedback during 
the event — listening to what attendees said, 
identifying pain points, and pinpointing 
moments that drive satisfaction and loyalty. 
These actionable insights were shared directly 
with event organizers, operations teams and other 
key stakeholders enabling rapid adjustments 
and ensuring the experience continually 
improves for all current and future guests.
I owe where I am to 
Franklin University. 
I use what I learned 
every single day.

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.