Passion to Profession: 25 Years Building Upper Deck with Mike Phillips

<p>On this episode of <em>Passion to Profession</em> presented by eBay, Brett sits down with Mike Phillips, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Upper Deck.</p><p>Mike has spent 25 years shaping one of the most iconic brands in the hobby. From his early days managing a card shop to creating some of the most legendary parallels at Fleer Skybox, Mike brings a rare perspective on innovation, competition, and building products that stand the test of time.</p><p>He shares stories behind sets like Essential Credentials and Fleer Brilliants, reflects on the launch of Exquisite, and talks about what keeps him motivated after a lifetime in the industry.</p><p><br>If you’ve ever opened an Upper Deck pack, chased a parallel, or wondered how the best products get made, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.</p><p><br>A special thank you to <a href="https://www.ebay.com/">eBay</a> for sponsoring <em>Passion to Profession</em>. The biggest and best marketplace to buy your next favorite trading card.</p><p>Get your free copy of <a href="https://subscribepage.io/CollectingForKeeps">Collecting For Keeps: Finding Meaning In A Hobby Built On Hype</a></p><p>Get exclusive content, promote your cards, and connect with other collectors who listen to the pod today by joining the Patreon: <a href="https://patreon.com/StackingSlabs?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&amp;utm_source=copyLink&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=join_link">Join Stacking Slabs Podcast Patreon</a></p><p>[<strong>Distributed on Sunday</strong>] Sign up for the Stacking Slabs Weekly Rip Newsletter using this <a href="https://stackingslabs.substack.com/p/coming-soon?r=hjr6d&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=copy">link</a></p><p>Follow Stacking Slabs: | <a href="https://twitter.com/stackingslabs">Twitter </a>| <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stackingslabs">Instagram </a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StackingSlabs/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/cvNbNG/">Tiktok</a><br>Follow Mike: |<a href="https://infernored.com/"> </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-phillips-16357b17/">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://upperdeck.com/">Upper Deck</a></p> <strong> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/StackingSlabs" rel="payment" title="★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★">★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★</a> </strong>