Dr. Madeline Barlow works as the Director of Programming with the Hidden Opponent and mentors athletes as they transition out of competitive athletics into new chapters of their lives! She completed her Ph.D. at Temple University in the Psychology of Human Movement with a specialization in Exercise and Sport Psychology. She is the CEO of Mind-Wise Mentoring, an educational speaker with the Hidden Opponent, and a transition coach for Athletes Soul. If that’s not enough, she is also the author of the book The Highly Sensitive Athlete: How to Embody the Magic of Your True Self in and Out of Sport, which was published in 2021. She co-authored Athlete to Entrepreneur: Powerful Stories of Transition from Players to Professionals. She swam at the Division II level at Bloomsbury University where she was an individual and team record holder and NCAA qualifier.

We had a great conversation about the transition out of sports and the different tools athletes can utilize to support themselves on that journey. Dr. Madeline has excellent advice that can be transformational for anyone wondering what’s next for them after competitive athletics!

I am so glad we got to chat, this is a topic I am very interested in, and it was awesome to hear her thoughts today!

Connect with her on Instagram @mindwisementor

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton. 

Taylor Smith is a Journalism student at UW Madison and an assistant with Wisconsin Athletics. She will be graduating this May of 2024 and previously ran the Badgers women's hockey tik tok while contributing content for a variety of other teams, including golf, and writing articles for the Badgers website. Taylor has interned with the Madison Capitals, Good Karma Brands, and the Milwaukee Admirals. Today, we talked about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone, why it is not embarrassing to pursue something you love, and her advice for anyone looking to pursue a career in the sports industry!

It was great to speak to her. Big thanks to Taylor for coming on today!

Connect with her on Instagram @taylor_smith77

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton. 

Lauren Ball played varsity hockey at the University of Toronto before transitioning to working in the sports industry with Canada Snowboard, Lululemon, and more! Today, she talked about her biggest lessons from being a student-athlete, advice for connecting with others, and tips on finding a role in sports! Lauren is driven and confident. She has great reflections from her time as a student-athlete and inspiring insights from her work in sports now! It was such an honor to speak to her.

I hope you take away valuable insights from this episode!

Connect with her on Instagram @laaurenball

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton. 

D Jay grew up playing hockey in Canada, eventually playing Junior A, WHL, and college hockey. On the road to his hockey dream, D Jay experienced anxiety and depression, which led him to turn to alcohol and substance use to cope. After battling addiction for a decade, D Jay began his recovery journey on June 6th, 2022. Now, he works as a supporting figure, helping athletes be vulnerable and reach out for mental health support. I am excited I got to speak with D Jay! He is very vulnerable and strong.

Connect with him on Instagram @djaymcgrathhockey and on his website: https://djmhhockey.com/

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton. 

Matthew Cusack hosted the popular podcast College Hockey Talk, where he interviewed players about their hockey experiences. The podcast helped top female players gain the notoriety and recognition they deserved within the hockey community. He also showcased elite men's players in a new light. 

After four years of podcasting, he is moving on to other projects in the sports industry and will be graduating from Framingham State this spring. 

It was great to hear Matt's perspective today! Enjoy the episode!

Connect with him on Instagram @mattcusack34 and @collegehockeytalk

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton. 

Today, I talked with Jeff Levechio. He played hockey at Western Michigan, then signed with the Boston Bruins and played overseas for a total of ten years playing professional hockey.

Now, he is a strength coach based out of St. Louis where he trains thousands of athletes, from NHL players to NFL players to youth + junior hockey athletes. He has over one hundred thousand followers on his Instagram, where he shares training videos and talks mindset.

It was great to talk to him today; he is incredibly passionate and inspiring. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Connect with him on Instagram @jefflovecchio

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FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton.

Ivan Tchatchouwo is a former captain of the men's basketball team at Concordia College and is currently the CEO of The Zone, a company dedicated to improving the well-being of student-athletes. 

Ivan has a master's degree in Applied Physiology from Columbia University and is passionate about human performance. He has worked as a performance specialist at EXOS, a pioneer in the field. 

He shared his experiences with mental health in sports, the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, and his why. 

It's a great listen, and Ivan will give you some great takeaways to apply to your own life. I am thrilled to have spoken with him!

Check out The Zone: ⁠https://www.itsthezone.com⁠

Connect with Ivan: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-tchatchouwo-78292195/⁠

@ivantchatchouwo on Instagram

FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers.

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona @fionahatton7

X @FourMinutesPod

Hosted by Fiona Hatton.

Hania Taduran plays division 1 beach volleyball at University of the Pacific. In 2022 she was nominated for the preseason all-conference team and named most offensive player. In 2021, she started a mental health awareness club on her campus called Breaking Barriers. Their mission is to "get rid of the stigma towards mental health/illnesses while simultaneously giving our athletes a platform to share their voices and empower each other as a community."

Hania lost two important people in her life to suicide. Today we talked about the difficulties of balancing grief while being a student athlete. Prioritizing emotional wellbeing with a packed schedule is difficult, but Hania shares why it has transformed her life for the better! We also talked about supporting loved ones who may be experiencing grief, and how different the experience of grieving can be from person to person. I loved talking to Hania about her experience and appreciate her being so vulnerable during this interview. 

Everyone experiences grief but it's rarely spoken about. Conversations like this are so important to normalizing being vulnerable and reaching out for support. 

I am so thankful to have gotten the chance to talk with Hania!

Connect with her on Instagram @⁠⁠⁠⁠hania_t16⁠

FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers. 

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona

Twitter @FourMinutesPod

Tik Tok @fourminuteswithfiona

Hosted by Fiona Hatton.

Maggie Wigoda played basketball at East Stroudsburg University and is now in graduate school! She is actively involved in mental health advocacy work with The Hidden Opponent and founded the THO chapter at East Stroudsburg. An absolute powerhouse on and off the court, Maggie has incredible insights to share about mindset!

We discussed her experience with mental health as an athlete, what it was like tearing her ACL as a senior, and her advice for navigating life post grad. She has so much wisdom to share, I know that all athletes will benefit from listening to this episode.

I am so thankful to have gotten the chance to talk with Maggie!

Connect with her on Instagram @⁠maggiewigoda

FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four-minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers. 

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona

Twitter @FourMinutesPod

Tik Tok @fourminuteswithfiona

Hosted by Fiona Hatton

Stefano Cantali is from Montreal where he played youth hockey before moving on to Division 1 at Mercyhurst University. Following that he skated professionally overseas in Belgium, then transitioned into hockey advising, content creation, and Twitch streaming!

He shares insights from playing high level hockey, the habits that have dictated his success, and the importance of having mentors throughout life.

At the end we talk about his favorite hockey memory, it is a must-listen story.

I am thrilled to have gotten the chance to talk with Stefano!

Connect with him on Instagram @scantali1

FOUR MINUTES WITH FIONA PODCAST

A four minute podcast with athletes, entrepreneurs, and high achievers. 

Instagram @fourminuteswfiona

Twitter @FourMinutesPod

Tik Tok @fourminuteswithfiona

Hosted by Fiona Hatton