Athletes know how to live on a schedule. Early alarms, late practices, long travel, and somewhere in there, a paycheck that rarely reflects the effort. That’s where AthleticFreedom Consulting has built its lane, teaching athletes how appointment setting may fit alongside training instead of competing with it. For anyone trying to keep a sports career alive without another draining shift on their feet, that option could feel like a lifeline.
When a Side Job Threatens the Main Goal
AthleticFreedom Consulting grew out of Leon Johnsson’s worst-case scenario. The former professional footballer spent 14 years chasing contracts, only to end up washing dishes for 12 hours at a time just to afford the next season.
The work paid, but it also ate the hours and energy he needed to stay competitive on the pitch. Johnsson started looking for income that respected recovery days and evening training, not just employer convenience. Appointment setting, focused on booking sales calls for companies from a laptop or phone, offered that mix of structure and flexibility.
Turning Athlete Habits Into Sales Skills
Johnsson, founder of AthleticFreedom Consulting, built his company on a simple observation: athletes already train like salespeople are told to. They repeat the same actions, track progress, and get comfortable with pressure. Instead of starting from zero, his program treats those habits as raw material.
The company offers sales scripts, step-by-step training, and introductions to businesses looking for remote appointment steers, all tailored to people who might be squeezing calls between gym sessions and team meetings. Since 2024, more than 300 athletes have gone through the program, with some coming from student teams and others from professional locker rooms.
“We don’t train average salespeople, hence why we don’t get average results,” Johnsson said. The goal is to find a path that may let athletes experiment with remote work while they still chase their sport. For some, that could mean paying rent without picking up a full-time job that clashes with game days. For others, it might become the framework they use once their playing career winds down.
As appointment setting and other remote roles keep growing, AthleticFreedom Consulting plans to continue helping athletes learn to sell from a screen so they can keep showing up on the field.
