Episode 21 of The TOP Lessons Podcast features Teri Schindler, Co-founder and CEO of Herzog & Schindler, who takes us through her remarkable journey from working in live television at The Big East Conference to becoming a pioneering force in women’s sports media. Throughout the episode, she breaks down why simplicity fuels disruption, why “help me understand” is her communication mantra, and how curiosity, critical thinking, and pattern recognition remain essential even in the era of AI. Teri closes with insights on embracing uncertainty, navigating change, leading with intention, and the advice she’d give her 18-year-old self as she continues to challenge norms and build what’s next.

About Today’s Guest

Teri Schindler is the CEO and co-founder of Herzog & Schindler, a global brand innovation and digital communications consultancy. A multi-Emmy Award–winning producer, writer, and director, she has developed and distributed award-winning content for NBC, CBS, ESPN, HBO, and major sports organizations, including the NBA and WNBA. Schindler made history as the first woman to produce live NCAA March Madness games for CBS and to lead Olympic venue coverage for NBC Sports. Before founding H&S, she helped pioneer digital and brand strategies for broadcast networks, the NBA/WNBA, and agencies like DARPA. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she began her career with the Big East Conference and continues to bridge storytelling, strategy, and innovation across sports, industry, health, and consumer sectors.

Key Points from this Episode:

• 0:00 Welcome to The TOP Lessons Podcast!

• 0:23 Introducing today’s guest, Teri Schindler, Co-founder and CEO of Herzog & Schindler

• 1:43 How Teri Schindler started her firm and became CEO of Herzog & Schindler, following a passion for being in live television

• 2:30 Starting at The Big East Conference, learning to spot opportunities, and launching the first women’s televised package for women’s basketball 

• 9:54 Working with the WNBA because she was the only person doing women’s basketball on television, rethinking sponsorship

• 13:37 Teri’s lessons learned through the networking world and deciding factors in starting her own company 

• 16:53 Transitioning to entrepreneurship, fears in unfamiliar fields outside of sports, pivoting to work with DARPA, and impact as a driving force

• 19:52 Catering to communities with content and extending knowledge of sports to other fields, embracing being a disruptor by explaining with simplicity

• 24:30 “Help me understand” as a modern mantra and basis for building trust and communication across industries 

• 27:13 Not abdicating curiosity, strategy, and ideation when using AI to help with the execution of ideas, and the power of curiosity, critical thinking, and pattern recognition

•  39:20 On being open to the uncertainty of the future, being willing to be dynamic, and managing change 

• 44:02 On being a disruptor and selling the disruption vs. imposing it on others

• 51:57 Advice Teri would give her 18-year-old self

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Connect with Kathy Inglot on LinkedIn

• Recommend a Guest for The TOP Lessons Podcast: [email protected]

• Connect with The TOP Lessons on Instagram: @thetoplessons

• Subscribe to The TOP Lessons on YouTube

• Connect with Teri Schindler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terischindler/

• Follow Teri Schindler on Twitter/X:  https://x.com/Teri_ktm

• Learn about Herzog & Schindler: https://herzogschindler.com/

Thank You

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