Social media has completely rewired our society. It’s given new meaning to “breaking news”, and given us new ways to share, engage and express ourselves. But it’s also had a pervasive impact on the economy, politics, international relations, all corners of society, and the list goes on. Nobody has a better front-row seat to this activity than the journalists covering these beats.

Salvador Rodriguez (aka Sal) is one such journalist. He is a tech reporter for the San Francisco Bureau of CNBC where he covers Facebook and social media. Needless to say, he’s a busy guy. Prior to CNBC, he reported on the tech industry for Reuters, Inc. Magazine, the International Business Times and the L.A. Times.

In this episode, hosts Beth Cochran and Breanne Krager welcome Sal to The SuccessLab Podcast to hear how his love of football ended up being the catalyst for his pursuit of journalism. Sal also shares how his single-minded hustle as a college student led to a job at the L.A. Times, how he learned to look out for his career the hard way and what it takes to develop trusted relationships with sources.