And So She Goes

How do you know what you want to be when you grow up if no one before you has paved the way? Well, that did not stop Jennifer King from chasing her dreams of coaching professional football. After a successful playing career in football, she made stops coaching basketball at Johnson and Wales and Dartmouth. In this episode she explains how current Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera gave her a chance to prove herself as an intern with the Carolina Panthers, followed by a position in Washington. Jennifer is the first African-American woman to be hired as a full-time coach in the NFL. We talk about why it's taken so long for women to get opportunities like these, what makes someone a good coach, and how important it is that our generation is doing away with the "good ole boys club" in sports.

From playing soccer and acting as a kid in LA, to covering the Angels, the Kings, the U.S. Women's National Team, hosting American Ninja Warrior and so much more, Alex Curry has found success in many ways. It's the "how" she found all of these opportunities that will likely surprise you. Heck, they will surprise anybody. In this episode, we talk about the importance of persistence, where her sense of self-confidence comes from, and how there's always an opportunity to be better. No matter what.

After spending the past 11 months interviewing and highlighting other incredible women in the sports industry, Amanda Borges, Creator and Host of this show, decided it was time to let you in on her story. Amanda found her calling early on during a high school internship with a local TV station. She pursued journalism and sport management in college and then went on to host radio shows, report on all kinds of sports, travel with an NHL team, host fantasy football shows, and much more. She's made stops at Yahoo Sports, the New York Rangers, 1010XL Jacksonville Sports Radio, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Genesis Communications, and IMG College. This episode digs into her past, gives a glimpse of her uncertain present, and highlights the hope she has for the future of her career.

As the first female to lead one of the PGA Tour's six global tours, Alex Baldwin can educate anyone on how to lead a team and how to do it with grace and respect. She started her career as a sports agent working for IMG, Fenway Sports Management, and CAA. After spending years representing professional athletes from all over, she committed to golf and dedicated herself to the practice of getting the best of the best on a big stage. In this episode, we talk about what it takes to be a good leader, she gives advice on entering into a management role without experience, focusing on relationships with people, and what she learned in 2020.

If you call her a dreamer, then you also have to call her a doer. Heather Pink is someone that most of us would put in the "she has it all" category. And she did. Until she didn't. So, she did something about it. She worked her way through the sports industry as a reporter, producer, director, social media manager and more. From small stations, all the way to the NFL Network. She's worked with NFL players and on-camera talent to have a hand in multiple shows you've seen on TV. Yet, there was a void. What if she went out on her own and started her own company? Well, that's what she is currently discovering.

What started as a delicious snack to get her and her former NFL player husband through their yearly body cleanse, has turned into a full time business. Erica Liu Williams created Gr8nola because she couldn't find granola that was healthy and also tasted good. And let me tell you, her granola is outrageously tasty. In this episode, we talk about her experience as 13-year-old swimming at the U.S. Olympic Trials and what that taught her about life as a whole. She gives advice on how to enjoy the process of whatever you do, and explains how to trust yourself when going after what you want.

Seven years ago, Tori moved from Florida to Detroit to start a journey that would bring her so many different things-- cold weather, an amazing community of people, a plethora of stories to tell, and opportunities she will always be thankful for. As the Team Reporter and Host for the Detroit Lions, Tori's job requires her to tell stories about the team in a variety of ways, especially during a pandemic. In this episode, we talk about what she's learned about herself this year, traits we all should have to be successful in anything we do, and how she's helped the sisterhood of women in sports stay strong.

Have you ever had a really good idea and then actually brought it to life? If you're like me, that answer is no. If you're Ellen Hyslop, the answer is...well, I'm sure you know where I'm going here. As a sports fan, Ellen and her friends realized there was a huge gap when it came to fans and how they consumed their sports news. So, the three of them co-founded The Gist. Their mission is to level the playing field when it comes to talking and learning about sports. They're creating an awesome community of people, called Gisters, who come from all walks of life. In this episode, we talk about starting a company from an idea to now having more than 40 employees, creating company culture, becoming a leader, and so much more.

If you look deep into the soul of an entrepreneur, you'll find a few things-- tenacity, grit, assertiveness, a little bit of luck, and a lot of risk taking. Sanja Komljenovic embodies all of those traits and more. She is fierce. She is intelligent, and she is not afraid of overflowing her cup. After spending time with the Los Angeles Clippers and Nike, she went out on her own to start ONA Creative, a female-lead a boutique brand marketing agency. Not to ruin the story for you, but she is awesome and her business is also awesome, with big plans to expand.

Ever wonder what it takes to plan sporting events, big and small? As the Chief Operating Officer of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl 55 Host Committee and the VP of Events for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Claire Lessinger can give you a crash course. Using her playing and coaching career to her advantage, Claire has climbed to the top of the leader board as the queen of event planning for Tampa. Her biggest test is still to come, but she is enjoying every minute of planning The Big Game.