Todd Burach is the Senior Vice President of the Entertainment Division at City National Bank, where he manages banking relationships with some of the world’s most exciting athletes, helping them achieve their financial goals.

A graduate of Syracuse University, where he was a member of the Syracuse Orange Men’s Basketball team, Todd later completed his MBA at NYU. He has worked in financial services for over 15 years.

In this episode, Todd tells us about the chance encounter that led to him playing basketball for Hall of Fame coach, Jim Boeheim, at Syracuse University. He explains how this experience impacted how he prepares for and approaches life hereto.

Todd tells us about his professional role, and what it means to be a Chief Financial Officer for athletes. We discuss the unfair financial learning curve athletes face and positive trends Todd has seen over the last decade as it relates to athletes’ wealth management strategies.

Todd provides important insights on athlete transition from sport. Here, he discusses who should be at the table when athletes are preparing for their future and when athletes should begin planning for life after the game.

We learn how college athletes are navigating financial management in the NIL era and what mindset they should have when it comes to financial management. Todd discusses unique financial risks and pitfalls currently facing athletes and provides steps for how one can identify a trusted advisor.

Taking the mystery out of how to save financially for the future, Todd gives listeners an easily applicable formula they can use to help secure their financial wellbeing.

This episode is great for athletes and non-athletes alike, as it delves into current financial trends and practices and provides important considerations for approaching one’s future.

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Sarah Flynn is the Chief Marketing Officer at 35V and Boardroom. 35V is a multi-faceted media and investment company founded by NBA champion and MVP, Kevin Durant, and Rich Kleiman. In 2019, 35V launched Boardroom, a media network covering the business and culture of sports and entertainment.

In this episode, Sarah not only takes us deeply behind-the-scenes of all that went into launching Boardroom and quickly scaling it, but what it really takes to start an athlete-centric brand that thrives.

Before coming to 35V, Sarah worked in marketing and distribution for several indie record labels. After moving into the book publishing space, her sports career was launched when she began working for Roc Nation—the agency founded by Jay-Z. It was there that she met Kleiman and began working with Kevin Durant.

In this episode, Sarah tells us:

· How a “go with the flow” attitude has allowed her to pursue a multi-faceted career;

· Why she approaches marketing from a talent-first perspective and what that means;

· How the versatility of athletes necessitates athlete-centric media platforms; and

· Advice for marketers and others in building trust with professional athletes

Sarah also gives us great insight into 35V, including:

· Its areas of business focus;

· How it sources deal flow; and

· What ultimately led to the creation of Boardroom

As Boardroom quickly rises in popularity as a top-destination for content, you won’t want to miss Sarah’s discussion on:

· The strategy the team employed to scale Boardroom;

· How involved Kevin Durant is in the company; and

· What it takes to grow a successful newsletter and why the hard work doing so is something creators should consider

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Kenny Vaccaro is an eight-year NFL veteran who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Born and raised in Brownwood, Texas, he went on to play college football at the University of Texas. Kenny retired from the NFL in 2021 to pursue entrepreneurship as the founder and CEO of Gamers First, a professional esports organization putting esport athletes’ mental and physical health at the forefront.

A serial entrepreneur, Kenny tells us not only about building Gamers First, but how it ties into his other entrepreneurial endeavors.

In this episode, we discuss:

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Erin Ashley Simon is a multi-media personality, host, producer and consultant within esports, gaming and entertainment. Erin is a leading face of Puma’s esports line and has worked with leading organizations—from Evil Geniuses and Riot Games—to provide more industry-focused opportunities for those from underserved, underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Today, Erin is the co-owner of one of the fastest growing gaming and lifestyle organizations, XSET, where she also serves as the Chief Culture Officer. She is also a host of the NFL and Enthusiast Gaming’s Tuesday Night Gaming. A graduate and former soccer player at the University of Kentucky, Erin has created an esports fund that is paying the way forward for other Wildcats to enter the industry.

In this episode, we discuss:

We also talk about what it means to become the CEO of your own life. Here, Erin gives great strategies for how to turn off your inner critic. She also provides important insights as it relates to obtaining equity stakes in projects one is working on.

This is a great episode if you are looking for a mindset shift to find the courage necessary to pursue your dream career.

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Karin Kildow is the owner and CEO of Content Capital Group, a social media advisory for high-profile, high-net-worth individuals dedicated to building influence — not influencers. Karin has worked with hundreds of athletes to develop and scale their social media brands, including in roles at Red Bull and LeBron James' Uninterrupted. In this episode, we discuss how growing up in a hyper-athletic family--Karin's sister is Olympian Lindsey Vonn--paved her way to a career in sports. Karin walks us through the digital media strategies she employed to grow Lindsey Vonn's social media following into the millions, and gives listeners tips from this process they can apply to their own brands.

Throughout the episode, Karin gives listeners easily applicable how-to steps to build a social media brand that people want to follow. She provides relevant case studies for how to create content that captures audiences, including a fun example involving a Blake Griffin campaign for Red Bull. Listeners will hear proven strategies to grow a social media following and increase social media engagement.

Karin also tells listeners how they can utilize their social media brands to positively influence others and change the world. Here, she walks through an incredible case study of how DeAndre Hopkins utilized his social media presence to effectuate critical change at Clemson University.

In an age where social media usage is causing anxiety and depression, Karin tells listeners of the need to "train" their algorithms and provides relevant strategies to curate a social media experience that is inspiring.

Support Karin's family's fundraiser for the ALS Foundation in memory of their mother, Lindy: here

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Bishop Sankey was the first Running Back drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, when he was selected by the Tennessee Titans. A top college Running Back for the University of Washington, Bishop Sankey discusses committing to the University of Washington after verbally committing to Washington State University. In this episode, Bishop talks about transitioning out of the NFL and gives advice on athlete transition from sports. He uses real-world examples for how to stay positive in the face of challenges and provides strategies to overcome obstacles. In particular, he shares with athletes how to stay positive and move forward when athletic careers are cut short. Finally, Bishop talks about life after the game and how to find joy in new opportunities.

Bishop's story depicts resilience. In 2018, Bishop's NFL season was cut short when he suffered an ACL tear. The next season he competed in the Alliance of American Football, a start-up football league. The league went bankrupt before the end of the first season. Bishop tells us how he approached the end of the Alliance of American Football. In 2020, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, and again had his season cut short because of COVID-19. 

Bishop tells listeners how they can recreate themselves and build new careers. In particular, he discusses life after the game of football and how athletes can build successful second careers. Where is Bishop Sankey now? Bishop lets listeners know what he's up to today and what is next for him. 

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Dr. Morgan Heinzelman-Weisbaum is a former intercollegiate athlete, who is now a neurologist, completing a fellowship in the areas of sports neurology and pain medicine.

In this episode, Dr. Heinzelmann-Weisbaum tells us about the unique moment in her athletic career that cemented her desire to focus on neurology. While she wanted to be a doctor from a young age, her own experience with a traumatic brain injury led her to want to help others experiencing the same.

In the last decade, there has been a greater focus on athlete brain health, but for athletes and the public alike, much mystery remains. In this episode, Dr. Heinzelmann-Weisbaum breaks down some of the mysteries surrounding neurology and gives listeners actionable steps they can take to promote their brain health.

In this regard, she discusses when an individual should see a neurologist and how to identify a reputable one. She highlights the benefits of baseline testing and second opinions for all athletes. Then, she walks us through what happens in a typical neurological visit.

Even if you’re not an athlete, this episode is an important listen, because we hear straight from a neurologist what we all can be doing to promote our brain health. Dr. Heinzelman-Weisbaum gives us four, applicable things we all can be doing to support our brains.

Nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice and listeners should contact their own medical professional for advice, opinions and care. 

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Rashad Jennings is an eight-year NFL veteran who competed for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and New York Giants. After competing in football, he went on to star in--and win--Dancing With the Stars. He has since become an author, with his first book--The If In Life: How to Get Off Life's Sidelines and Become Your Best Self--becoming a New York Times bestseller. 

In this episode, we explore how Rashad has found success in multiple arenas—and how he continues challenging himself to do so in new areas.

Rashad talks to us about one of the central aspects to his ability to accomplish great things: preparation. His level of preparation isn’t basic—it is preparation at all costs and no matter what the outcome. We hear how despite receiving no playing time as a high school football player, Rashad stayed prepared, allowing him later to surprise critics and make the NFL.

Rashad has great advice for how to stay positive and motivated when opportunities you seek—and believe you deserve—aren’t being delivered. He talks about the importance of believing in yourself the most and how to find joy in seasons that aren’t fruitful.

Through this, Rashad discusses the criticalness of falling in love with the process of what you’re doing—rather than being guided foremost by the outcome. He highlights how this mindset helped him not only to appear on Dancing with the Stars, but to win the entire competition.

Rashad is a man of faith and he discusses the role prayer has played in his life. He speaks to finding motivation in proving critics wrong and the need to self-advocate.

Rashad is truly more than an athlete. This conversation will inspire you to believe anything is possible for your life and to get to work pursuing what captivates you.

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Greig Carlson is a former USC Trojan football player who won a National Championship with the team in 2004. Today, he has teamed up with former USC teammate, Matt Leinart, as the CEO of Hall of Goats, an NFT platform connecting amateur athletes with their most loyal fans. 

In this episode, Alicia and Greig discuss the keys to the early-2000s USC football teams' unprecedented successes and lessons learned from famed football coach, Pete Carroll. The two explore the dynamics of rosters that featured three Heisman Trophy winners and the leadership traits those stars demonstrated. Greig talks about how despite the extreme levels of success present in the locker room, a common denominator eliminated egos. Greig takes listeners through the highs and lows of the 2003 and 2004 USC Football seasons to explain how the team went undefeated to capture a National Championship.

Greig and Alicia examine the NIL era of college sports through the lens of the NCAA's sanctions on USC following Reggie Bush allegedly taking improper benefits. The two question just how much money the 2000s USC Trojans football stars could have earned if they were allowed to profit from their name, image and likeness.

As CEO of Hall of Goats and through his extensive tech industry experience, Greig gives listeners applicable advice and strategies for how to best release and monetize NFTs. 

Learn more about Greig and Hall of Goats: https://www.hallofgoats.com/ 

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Heidi Marsh is the Executive Chef for one of the world's most renowned esports franchises, Team Liquid. In this episode, we discuss how she has partnered with Team Liquid to use food and community to foster and reimagine well-being amongst esports athletes.

Not only do we go into the nutritional program she’s built for Team Liquid athletes, but we explore the unique nutritional needs of esports players as they seek to optimize their performance and lengthen their careers. She discusses how food can be used as a tool to address mental health concerns and also boost performance and cosmetic appearance.

Chef Heidi also has great nutritional advice for all listeners, and speaks about the importance of mindful eating and consuming a biodiverse diet. She provides insight into the career trajectory of a chef—and how success in the profession is about so much more than food.

At her heart, Chef Heidi is a teacher. And that’s why I know you are going to love this episode. When I met her at the Team Liquid training facility, I was struck by how she was able to take complex concepts and break them down for laypeople to understand.

My hope with this episode is that you will be inspired to evaluate your current nutritional habits and explore ways that you can make accessible tweaks to live a healthier life.

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