Christopher Knowles is a former D1 Volleyball player at LIU Brooklyn.

He shares his story from college sports to entrepreneurship, content creation, and building a brand for athletes navigating life after sports.

We also dive into UnJerseyed, Chris’s platform focused on helping former athletes rebuild routines, mindset, and direction after sports.

Timestamps:

(0:00) – Intro & Chris’s Volleyball Background
(4:00) – Growing Up in a Pro Sports Family
(7:00) – Recruiting Reality & College Disappointment
(8:15) – Discovering Personal Development on YouTube
(10:00) – Dropping Out, Trying Entrepreneurship, and Failing Forward
(12:00) – Building Volleyball Growth Coach (247K+ Followers)
(14:30) – Viral Content, Growth Explosions, and Branding Lessons
(17:15) – Monetization Mistakes & Selling the Account Too Early
(20:15) – Playing at LIU Brooklyn & Finally Finishing the Dream
(22:30) – Identity Collapse After Sports Ends
(25:00) – Why Athletes Struggle After the Jersey Comes Off
(27:30) – The Vision Behind UnJerseyed
(30:30) – Surveying Athletes Instead of Guessing What They Want
(33:30) – Community, Career, and Mindset vs. Just Job Placement
(37:00) – Corporate vs. Entrepreneurial Paths for Young Athletes
(40:30) – Why Degrees Are Losing Signal (and What Replaces Them)
(42:30) – Where to Find Chris & Final Thoughts

Links:

Unjerseyed

LinkedIn

Instagram

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Vasu Kulkarni is a tech entrepreneur, investor, and lifelong basketball fanatic best known as the founder of Krossover, one of the first sports analytics platforms to bring video breakdown and data insights to high school and collegiate teams.

After scaling and exiting Krossover, Vasu moved into venture capital, investing in early-stage sports, media, and technology companies including The Athletic.

He has worked closely with high-profile athletes like Larry Fitzgerald, built a reputation for spotting outlier founders, and now spends his time backing innovative startups and advising entrepreneurs.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Vasu founded Krossover and scaled it from a college project
• The underrated lessons sports teach entrepreneurs
• Why former athletes often thrive in startups
• How venture capitalists choose where to allocate dollars
• Why being wrong 90% of the time is part of the job
• Behind the scenes of working with Larry Fitzgerald
• The art vs. science of venture capital
• How top teams prioritize product features
• What makes certain founders “outliers”
• The story behind the investment in The Athletic and their retention data
• Losing a competitive deal to Andreessen Horowitz
• The key questions he asks early-stage founders
• Vasu’s watch collecting hobby

Timestamps:

(1:30) – Intro to Vasu, childhood, and love for basketball
(5:30) – Getting to Penn & playing JV hoops
(9:30) – Entrepreneurship in his blood
(11:15) – Breaking down the venture ecosystem
(13:00) – Lessons from sports you carry into business
(15:45) – The fine line between quitting & persisting
(18:30) – Why most venture dollars go toward people
(20:30) – Why VCs are wrong 90% of the time
(21:30) – PE vs. VC: What’s the difference?
(25:15) – Working with Larry Fitzgerald
(26:50) – Venture capital: art and science
(27:40) – Prioritizing product features as a founder
(30:20) – Are there true outlier founders?
(31:40) – The Athletic deal & retention numbers
(34:00) – Are founders calling them first?
(35:30) – Why it’s not hard to go 0 for 30 in VC
(37:10) – Early work ethic stories
(39:15) – Vasu’s love for watches
(42:00) – Michael Jordan vs. Steph Curry

Links:

Vasu Kulkarni - Athlete, Entrepreneur, Blogger

Courtside Custom

Vasu Kulkarni | LinkedIn

x.com/Vasu

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

George Boyd is a former professional BMX rider turned elite video editor.

He shares how a career-ending injury pushed him into storytelling, working with the NFL, Disney, Meta, Air Jordan, and several others before launching his podcast editing company Cut The Pod, where he helps transform raw recordings into premium podcasts.

What You'll Hear About:

• Growing up in the BMX world and getting injured
• How filming BMX led to a video-editing career
• Creative risk-taking and betting on yourself
• The mentor who changed everything
• How George landed NFL projects (Jamar Chase, Eagles)
• Building Cut The Pod into a storytelling powerhouse
• SEO keywords, packaging, and audience clarity
• The biggest mistakes podcasters make
• Lighting + production tips
• Promoting himself on LinkedIn

Timestamps:

(0:00) - Intro to George Boyd

(3:05) - Early days falling in love with BMX

(4:50) - The different worlds of BMX

(6:50) - Where did BMX come to an end?

(9:35) - Filming and BMX

(12:35) - Risk taking

(16:20) - Aspirations to do something big

(18:05) - Mentor that changed his life

(21:35) - Doing work for himself + reaching out

(24:35) - Jamar Chase’s offseason profile (first NFL job)

(28:35) - Working on video for the Eagles

(29:50) - George’s first podcast clients

(32:50) - Handling packaging for clients

(34:40) - Ex-Athletes stories

(35:40) - Who am I talking to?

(40:35) - Making a story out of anything

(42:10) - Short storytelling segments

(44:20) - Doing the simple things best

(46:20) - Podcast lighting setup

(50:05) - Consistency

(52:20) - Asking for subscribers

(53:40) - Don’t be afraid to ask

(54:30) - Fighting the demon to not be yourself

(57:50) - Twitter vs. real life

(59:35) - Promotion on LinkedIn

(1:00:05) - Dillon Gabriel and George’s favorite project

(1:04:20) - Dubai Cricket

(1:04:40) - Where to find George

Links:

Cut The Pod - Make Your Podcast Look The Part

George B. (@cutthepod) / X

GWB Creative - A Video Editing Partner to Help Your Brand Grow

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Bela Carrasco is a former soccer player at Marquette University and currently an Assistant VP of Investor Relations at Origin Investments.

She is also the host of the "How Do You Know?" podcast where her goal is to help people feel more confident about investing.

What You’ll Hear About:

• How Bela launched her real estate career after college
• The mindset shift from athlete to investor
• Whether she would invest the same way again
• How to build an emergency fund
• The power of understanding your Why before making investment decisions
• How multifamily real estate works
• Knowing how your advisor is incentivized
• Why Bela started her podcast
• How she balances a demanding VP role with content creation
• Why asking questions is your most underrated advantage

Timestamps:

(0:00) – Intro to Bela Carrasco
(0:50) – Lessons from playing soccer at Marquette
(2:30) – First jobs out of school
(4:50) – Real estate investing herself
(7:00) – Would she invest the same way again?
(9:00) – Build an emergency fund first
(9:45) – The 50/30/20 rule explained
(11:30) – Bela’s podcast
(13:50) – Pro athletes’ relationship with money
(16:30) – Multifamily investing in the Sun Belt
(19:45) – How are advisors incentivized?
(22:00) – Confidence in the team investing with you
(23:15) – Underwriting a deal
(25:15) – Knowing your Why with investment strategy
(27:00) – What cities should you be watching?
(28:50) – Why asking questions will accelerate your career
(30:10) – How Bela balances her time
(31:20) – Dream guests for Bela’s podcast
(32:30) – What’s next for Bela
(33:20) – Where to find her

Links:

Isabela Carrasco | LinkedIn

How Do You Know?

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Kianna Smith is a former college basketball player at Cal and Louisville, drafted 16th overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the LA Sparks. She played a few years overseas in the Korean Women's Basketball League.

She talks about what it really takes to reinvent yourself after sports, NIL opportunities in college, to navigating injuries that cut her professional career short.

Timestamps:

(0:00) – Intro to Kianna

(2:10) – Kianna’s basketball journey

(3:50) – Playing in a Final Four with Louisville

(4:15) – WNBA Draft and career highlights

(5:20) – Handling pressure in big moments

(8:10) – The talent level in today’s WNBA

(9:55) – NIL and retroactive athlete pay

(11:20) – Looking back on her WNBA career

(13:20) – Transitioning out of basketball

(17:25) – Trying coaching & new paths

(18:55) – Landing a job at Nike

(21:10) – Career support for athletes post-WNBA

(22:25) – Building Society & Co. for athlete creators

(26:10) – Transferring sports skills to the corporate world

(28:55) – Kianna’s advice to young athletes

(31:25) – Where to find Kianna

Links:

Kianna Smith | LinkedIn

Kianna Smith (@kismith14) • Instagram photos and videos

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Dean Snell is a hockey player turned plastics engineer and entrepreneur, co-designer of the Titleist ProV1, and founder of Snell Golf, a direct-to-consumer golf ball company based in New Bedford, MA.

He holds 40 US patents and is widely considered one of the foremost authorities in golf balls. He spent 18 years at Taylor Made and 7 with Titleist before launching in Snell Golf to provide golf balls at an affordable cost to the consumer.

Timestamps:

(0:00) - Intro to Dean

(2:20) - No interest in golf growing up 

(4:50) - Dean’s hockey background and career

(6:25) - Start of his career at BF Goodrich

(7:55) - Getting to Titleist 

(9:55) - Building the ProV1

(12:10) - Where’d the ProV1 name come from? 

(13:40) - What’s the players’ involvement? 

(15:30) - John Daly & John Daly Story

(18:25) - Sergio Garcia 

(20:10) - How good are modern golfers?

(21:10) - Feedback from players 

(22:10) - Original idea for Snell Golf 

(24:00) - Building Snell Golf & Giving back to the consumer 

(26:40) - The business inside golf 

(29:00) - Expensive to be on tour 

(31:10) - Staying engaged with customers 

(32:10) - Challenges since COVID

(33:40) - Courses on his list - Augusta 

(34:40) - Where to find Snell Golf

Snell Golf Balls – Premium Golf Balls for Every Golfer | Snell Golf

Snell Golf (@snellgolf) • Instagram photos and videos

Snell Golf News

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Lucas Espada is a former soccer player at Northeastern University, professional soccer player, and Founder of ShowNxt, an AI-powered recruiting platform reshaping how student-athletes connect with college programs across the US.

With ShowNxt, he’s helping players promote themselves, connect with teams and scouts, and open new doors in sports and beyond.

Lucas shares how he brought his idea to life from scratch, why the propensity to learn is more valuable than experience, and why giving away value for free early on can set you apart.

What You’ll Learn:

• Lucas’ passion for entrepreneurship and building something from nothing

• What ShowNxt is and how it’s changing the game for athletes

• The journey of bringing an idea to life from scratch

• Why a propensity to learn beats years of experience

• The importance of giving value away for free early on

• How to overcome fear and ask, “What’s the worst that can happen?”
• The revenue model and what’s next for ShowNxt

(0:00) - Intro to Lucas

(2:10) - Soccer background, ankle injury, and going pro

(5:40) - Navigating pro soccer without an agent

(6:25) - Becoming an entrepreneur

(9:25) - What problem is ShowNxt solving?

(11:15) - Equitable access for athletes

(13:10) - Bringing the idea to life

(14:40) - Visualizing what you want to build

(16:10) - Propensity to learn

(17:40) - Look in your backyard

(19:40) - The first paying customer

(23:25) - What’s the worst that can happen?

(24:55) - What pushback does he get?

(27:25) - Cornell story

(30:40) - What’s next for ShowNxt?

(31:40) - Where to find Lucas and ShowNxt

Links:

Lucas Espada LinkedIn

ShowNxt LinkedIn

Lucas Espada Instagram

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Drew Shore is a former NHL player with the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks.

After retiring from hockey, he transitioned into the business world, building a career as both an agent and a founder of Amalfi, an exclusive community helping athletes transition into business and connect with top entrepreneurs.

Drew is also the host of a podcast Betting The Limit, where he talks to athletes who have successfully pivoted into the business world.

What You'll Hear About:

• Why Drew views his hockey career as a “failure” and how that mindset fueled his business success

• The mental side of hockey
• His transition into athlete representation with Wasserman

• Launching the “Betting The Limit” podcast 

• Building Amalfi, an exclusive community helping athletes transition into business and connect with top entrepreneurs

• Why athletes should start building relationships before retirement

• Hockey culture and missing the locker room
• Advice for current and former athletes on finding purpose after sports
  

Timestamps:

(0:00) – Intro to Drew

(2:40) – Growing up with three brothers & early hockey career

(4:00) – Scoring a goal in the NHL

(5:50) – When things didn’t go as planned

(6:55) – Viewing “failure” as opportunity

(7:50) – The mental game of hockey

(9:00) – Transition to becoming an agent at Wasserman

(11:55) – Starting Betting The Limit

(13:55) – The origin of Amalfi

(15:25) – How Amalfi compares to YPO

(17:40) – The Shadow Creek event experience

(20:55) – Daily highs and lows of entrepreneurship

(22:10) – Balancing pricing and access for young athletes

(23:25) – Does retirement uncertainty ever fade?

(24:40) – Playing again at the DU charity game

(27:10) – Closing the 5-year post-retirement gap

(29:10) – Hockey media & athlete personalities

(32:10) – The culture of hockey

(33:40) – Advice for retiring athletes

(35:10) – Building brand portfolios differently today

(36:00) – Where to find Drew

Links:

Drew Shore Instagram

Betting The Limit Instagram

Join Amalfi Website

Drew Shore LinkedInDrew Shore (@Drew22Shore) / X

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Post Game Podcast (@JoePod24) / X

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]

Jack Adler is the founder and CEO of Out2Win, a marketing platform that uses AI to match brands with athletes. He shares how he turned a passion for helping athletes into one of the most innovative companies in the NIL and creator economy space. 

From raising money to partnering with top college teams and brands, Jack discusses what it takes to build something meaningful in the constantly evolving NIL landscape as a first-time founder.

He also dives into how Out2Win uses AI and data to rank athlete marketability, why posting consistency matters more than follower count, and the mindset that kept him from quitting along the way.

What You’ll Hear About:

• How Jack built Out2Win from the ground up

• Why Out2Win partners directly with brands 

• Almost quitting and what kept him going

• Raising money as a 23-year-old with zero revenue

• Why one true supporter can change everything

• How athletes are becoming creators 

• How Out2Win integrates AI and analytics into athlete rankings

• Why posting frequency matters more than follower count
• The most marketable teams in college sports
• How to navigate the unknown as a first-time entrepreneur

Brandon Zachary and I talk on his Podcast, Athlete Resilience Center, which he co-hosts with his former teammate Matt Owens.

We talked about the mental game of baseball, figuring out what was next after sports, building the Post Game Podcast, lessons learned from cold outreach, and more.

We discussed:

• Lessons learned from college baseball
• Separation through the mental game
• Confidence vs. doubting your abilities
• Figuring out what was after baseball
• Starting the podcast
• Using the athlete platform to your advantage
• Podcasting for networking & building relationships
• The fear of rejection
• Lessons learned from the podcast
• Setting goals and having expectations

Timestamps:

(0:00) - Intro & Brandon's Intro

(7:30) - Background & early baseball journey

(9:30) - From Malvern Prep to Seton Hall

(13:15) - Dreaming of pro ball

(15:00) - Obstacles faced playing the game

(16:30) - Lessons from failure

(18:30) - Bryce Harper and confidence

(20:45) - Gratitude and perspective

(22:00) - Mindset lessons from Jalen Hurts

(24:00) - Transitioning out of sports

(26:15) - Building The Post Game Podcast

(29:00) - Life after baseball: finding purpose

(32:30) - Discovering interests beyond the field

(35:30) - Putting yourself out there

(38:00) - Starting the podcast journey

(40:50) - Creativity in outreach and growth

(43:45) - Overcoming the fear of rejection

(46:00) - Just getting started

(49:00) - Digging meaningful stories out of guests

(51:30) - Biggest lessons learned from podcasting

(54:30) - How to stay consistent with episodes

(59:00) - Setting goals and expectations

(1:05:10) - 10 Questions in 10 Seconds

Links:

Athlete's Resilience Center | Find Your Performance Arc

Athlete Resilience Center Spotify

Athlete’s Resilience Center (ARC) (@athletesresiliencecenter) • Instagram photos and videos

Brandon Zachary Instagram

The Post Game Podcast:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://postgamepodcast.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepostgame_podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/JoePod24⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-post-game-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email me: [email protected]