And So She Goes

If you look deep into the soul of an entrepreneur, you'll find a few things-- tenacity, grit, assertiveness, a little bit of luck, and a lot of risk taking. Sanja Komljenovic embodies all of those traits and more. She is fierce. She is intelligent, and she is not afraid of overflowing her cup. After spending time with the Los Angeles Clippers and Nike, she went out on her own to start ONA Creative, a female-lead a boutique brand marketing agency. Not to ruin the story for you, but she is awesome and her business is also awesome, with big plans to expand.

In an effort to learn how to be a better ally to my black friends, neighbors, and colleagues, I had an open and honest dialogue with my friend Kimberley Martin. Kimberley and I worked together at Yahoo Sports. She recently made the jump to ESPN to cover and write about the NFL. She's a talented journalist, a generous spirit, and an honest human. I wanted to go to her to speak openly about race, social injustice, and how each of us play a part in all of it. The goal of this episode is to encourage you to have your own productive conversations with people you love and and maybe some folks you don't even know. Staying silent has proven to be ineffective and it's time we understand how to better serve and support the black community--our fellow human beings.

Renee Hanson grew up tall. After serving in the Army, she decided to start a clothing line for kids who need long in-seams, just like she did. Fast forward 10 years later, and she is now one (if not the only) female-owned brand with official on-field rights with the MLB for her products. Manufacturing in the USA, Renee makes non-stick athletic headbands, and as of recently, face masks and neck gaiters. In this episode, Renee tells an awesome story about Phillies player Bryce Harper, the importance of pivoting as an entrepreneur, and what she's learned along the way.

When Olivia Landis moved from her home state of Colorado to the Northeast to become the Team Reporter for the New York Jets four years ago, she didn't imagine she would get to use her platform in such an impactful way. Recently, as part of the team's in-house production crew, Olivia has launched a podcast about women in sports. She produces and hosts the show, talking with big-name women in the industry. She joined me to talk about her career so far, what her hope is for her podcast, and the importance of focusing on the here and now (something I know I needed to hear).

Although her childhood was very unique, Caley Chelios didn't think it was all that different from anyone else's. She grew up at hockey rinks, watching her dad play in the NHL for many years. Looking back, it's the reason why she's dedicated her career to the sport. Caley was hired as an on-camera Reporter and Host for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016 and has since expanded her role into the radio broadcast booth, providing color analysis for home and away games. Not sure if you've noticed but there aren't very many women doing color in the NHL. Caley spouts off a few of her favorites, the ones she looks up to and uses as motivation to press on in this male dominated space.