Ross Goodman always seemed to have a knack for carving his own path. It’s a trait he credits to his father, who spent time as an executive for RCA Records in New York while his family lived in Samford, Connecticut. The family would later move to Nashville, prompting Ross to attend the University of Tennessee and take part in its storied broadcast journalism program. From there, he fell in love with Knoxville, and hasn’t looked back.

He then pursued his first career in sports broadcasting. Goodman worked on productions for VFL Films as well as taking his talents across the southeast with the SEC Network and ESP. Some of his favorite memories are familiar to most Volunteer fans; A walk-off home run against Wright State in baseball to win the game and becoming colleagues with former orange-clad legends like Chris Burke. He also recounts great moments working with some of the most well-known broadcasters in the business like Tom Hart, Chris Burke, Jimmy Dykes, Carolyn Peck, Courtney Lyle, Karl Ravech, and Dave Neal.

While there were several highlights to his previous profession, Goodman called an audible about three years ago. Newly married with a child, he began to seek opportunities that still allowed growth and success while prioritizing his newest and most important job titles of husband and father. It’s a whole new game, but one Goodman seems well-adjusted to take on.

“Banking has been a completely new adventure for me,” Goodman said. “For years I was involved with sports broadcasting and always thought that was my path. After pursuing an MBA while working at Tennessee, I was introduced to our then market president, Brent Ball. We had a great meeting and conversation which led to him taking a chance on me. It’s not been a typical journey to get here, but I’m grateful for how it has turned out.”

If anything, broadcast and its many iterations have prepared Goodman for a life of change in any career. The past three years haven’t been a cake walk in the financial sector by any means. Threats of a recession, interest rates drastically increasing, and other disturbances at local banks have all threatened the industry. Thankfully, he credits FirstBank for being an establishment that adapts to market needs as well as his own intuition in leveraging these tough times into success.

“For me personally, I’ve tried to use the turbulence in our sector to my advantage,” Goodman reflects, “by focusing on the people and building long-lasting relationships that will withstand any swing in the economy. I’ve been blessed with some amazing clients who are willing to provide others with my name and help build my network.”

Relationship building seems to be the name of the game in a lot of sectors, banking being no different. Goodman says nurturing a client’s needs is always the key to his success, with the numbers on a spreadsheet naturally reflecting how well one can do that. On top of that, authenticity and honesty are the key, especially when handling a person’s financial security. It’s something his colleagues and clients value and admire.

“Having a great team and wonderful clients helps!” Goodman said. “I think the key to good work-life balance is being able to fully break away and be present in what you are doing. I’ve tried to be better about my phone and emails when I’m with my wife and daughter to enjoy that time with them.”

When he’s not working, Goodman can usually be found at home playing with his daughter and taking walks around his neighborhood with his wife. He also enjoys playing basketball and golf with friends, and, of course, watching the Vols on gameday.

Adam Delahoussaye is a freelance writer for the KnoxTNToday who loves telling stories about music, arts and culture in and around his hometown. Have a story for Adam? He can be reached at or text 865-919-5059 with your story idea.