Coming Up

Monica McNutt is not only a shooting star in the media industry, she's also an incredible human being, using her voice to be a positive influence and to inspire change.

McNutt is a journalist, studio host and basketball analyst for a variety of networks including MSG, ESPN and FoxSports. She was an english major and college basketball player at Georgetown and later earned her masters in journalism from Maryland.

Some key topics of the discussion include: what it means to be black in America, what systemic racism means, the disconnect between white America's love for black culture and its love for black people, and how white folks can be an ally to their black friends and colleagues.

A rising star in the sports business industry, Kevin Belbey is 28 years old and already the Vice President of Sports Broadcasting at The Montag Group.

One theme that continues to pop up throughout the conversation is resilience. As a high school student, Kevin got a taste of his first big rejection when he did not get into the Newhouse School at Syracuse (the top journalism school in the country). Rather than accepting defeat, Kevin doubled down, got back to work, and then convinced Syracuse to reconsider. They did. And he later joined a long list of highly successful Newhouse Grads.

Kristi Toliver is a trailblazer. She is the first and only active WNBA player to simultaneously coach in the WNBA.

An 11 year WNBA veteran, Toliver has become a superstar, winning two titles in the last three years while earning back-to-back WNBA All-Star nods.

In addition, she is simultaneously serving as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Washington Wizards.

Throughout the show, Toliver discusses: the dichotomy of being a super star in the WNBA and a new coach in the NBA, her approach to winning and to failure, and her belief that great coaches are developed by great players.

Brandon Gaudin is a rising star in the sports broadcasting industry. Four years ago, he replaced legendary broadcaster Jim Nantz as the Voice of the Madden NFL Video Game for EA Sports. Since then, he has quickly risen as one of the top talents in the industry.

During our conversation, Brandon takes us behind the scenes of his role in producing the Madden video game. He also reflects on two failures that have propelled him forward, including a mistake he made on the final call of the Elite 8 in last year's NCAA Tournament.

Five years ago, Jimmy Sansone quit his corporate career. After rejections from grad schools, other jobs, and a failed business idea, he launched the Normal Brand from the basement of his parents house.

With the help of his brothers, Lan and Cronrad, Jimmy has taken the business from t-shirts and hats to a multi-million dollar clothing brand sold online and in stores nationwide.

Throughout our conversation, Jimmy and I discuss a range of topics including: his "burn the boats" mentality, how he transformed a simple idea into a family owned business with his brothers, and the paramount influence of his late grandfather Anthony Sansone Sr. (founder of Sansone Group).

Dickey Simpkins was the 21st overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and went on to win three NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls and Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Jackson.

Simpkins adjusted to a different role with the bulls, coming off the bench. He did not play in the playoffs during his first two championships, but triumphed to play a significant role in the playoffs that led to the second three-peat in the 1997-98 season.

Simpkins talks about playing with the greatest player and for the greatest coach in the history of the game, what leadership looked like on those Bulls teams and the crux of what made them so successful.

He takes us through his greatest failures, lessons learned and his transition from basketball to his post-playing career in sports media. Along the way, Simpkins peppers in stories about some of basketball's most polarizing figures like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.

Adam Trautman isn't supposed to be here, on the eve of the NFL Draft, waiting to hear HIS name called in the first few rounds. At least, that's what many people told him.

Trautman did not receive a single scholarship offer out of high school and chose to play at Dayton University, an FCS non-scholarship football program. There, after switching from quarterback to tight end, he excelled. Trautman was a finalist for the Walter Payton Player of The Year Award and earned All-American honors. Still, some people doubted he had a real shot at the NFL. After all, Dayton hasn't had a player drafted since 1977. All throughout his career, people have told him "you aren't good enough."

Yet, on the eve of the NFL Draft, Trautman is projected to be the second or third tight end taken off the board. Throughout our conversation he talks about his love for playing physical, how he gained over 70 pounds from high school to the end of college as well as overcoming doubt, developing a mindset of intentionality and what he looks forward to most in the NFL.

Mike Rabil has been a rising star in entrepreneurship since the day he graduated Dartmouth, where he was a captain on the football team. His MO is building businesses that reimagine the status quo.

His most recent venture is the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), which he launched with his brother Paul in the spring of 2019. Already, the PLL has differentiated itself as one of the most creative and innovative sports leagues in the world. The league is run like a start-up and it's growing rapidly.

Throughout our convo, Mike discusses a range of topics including his idea of leadership, how he developed the innovative mindset that he's brought to the PLL and his vision for the league going forward.

The best part of this podcast is the guest list. over the course of the season, Matt talks with rising stars in every field. Each episode blends light-hearted banter and storytelling with enlightening conversation, in which these rising performers drop wisdom and knowledge that can be applied in our own "come-ups."

Season 1 is coming soon. Please subscribe and stay tuned. For more content, check out @MattSchumacker_ on Twitter and Instagram.

Here we go!