Ep. 10: Hannah O'Flynn: D1 Athlete to Content Creator - A Mission To Amplify Women in Sport

[00:00:00] I'm not really sure about this. You know what's funny? The more I've posted about specifically Women's March Madness, the most hate I've ever received. Actually I just post my own content on my platform and I'll do little things to support women's sports.

[00:00:12] I've just generally posted more of that and oh my gosh there's so much massage in it. It's actually the best. Welcome to the Champion This podcast with Veronica Salvador Edoic and Chelsea Poppins where we share

[00:00:35] the incredible stories of athletes and entertainers who are using their platform to create positive change in the world's day. Today we are fired up because we have our girl Hannah OFlynn, one of our really close friends.

[00:00:47] We just recently came off of MBA All Star Weekend where we won a three on three turny together with a certified bucket. But just to give you a little bit of Hannah's quick highlight tape, she's an Ivy League

[00:00:58] graduate former D1 athlete at Dartmouth or she was a track star. She's also a video producer and talent with a passion for thinking creatively, mixing it up on the basketball court getting those buckets and really empowering women through sports.

[00:01:11] She also spent her last seven years at ESPN and the MBA and now she really is leaning into her own social media platform as a creator and influencer with over 130K followers across her socials. She's worked with brands like WMIA Nike Wilson, Gatorade Fuma, Google among others.

[00:01:27] Stoke to have you here Hannah. I'm so pumped to be here. This is the championship squad right here. Yeah, I got the team back together. Oh, no. This feels so, so right after we've already interviewed Nico and Matt got the whole crew,

[00:01:46] the whole crew and also the timing is unbelievable with March madness game, legit and really just ending 10 minutes ago. We're hopping on this. Let's go. Selfier, Lana go the dove. Clark still went off. How do crazy first quarter? So the timing is pretty awesome.

[00:02:03] It is that it is what a season for women's basketball has been wild and hyped the decades right before WMIA season. Yes. Amazing. Oh my gosh. Quick question. Who was everybody going for? Obviously, Iowa here. Iowa's low-key South Carolina. It's just a squad and Don Staley's unbeatable.

[00:02:22] Yeah, that was my last one. I was watching the game. I was, I wanted Iowa to win but I knew South Carolina was going to win. I was mostly honestly just wanting it to be a close game and it was.

[00:02:34] So it was like the perfect ending where South Carolina who oddly hasn't been getting as much press as I think they should be because she's been overshouted by Clark in somebody crazy storylines. Yes.

[00:02:46] Finally in the end, the team that was dominating everyone got the credit and, you know, I was seeing Don cry and just be so happy and see those players. And also seeing Clark get like the respect she deserves and the fact that she's off to

[00:03:03] W now, there's so many positive things happening and everything that I wanted to kind of happen did. It was just like, okay cool. Everyone got their love and now we're moving to the moment. Yes. And people get out. So.

[00:03:17] Did you see that Gabby Marshall deleted her social media because everybody was hating on her. Yep, which yeah, that's is terrible. Terrible. That's a rough call. You know, it's funny. The more I've posted about specifically women's March madness the past three weeks. The most hate I've ever received.

[00:03:38] Like usually I just post my own content on my platform and I'll do little things to support women's sports but I've just generally posted more of that and also been on threads posting which is more like a Twitter world, but it's an on Instagram and yeah.

[00:03:53] Oh my gosh, there's so much massaging me. It's like it's actually I'm like y'all needs. Oh, they're so outdated. Really, I'm like we are in 2024. Like come on, please. No. And the reality is no matter what numbers you bring up to prove that women are actually like

[00:04:13] people don't care about fact. They don't listen. I'm like literally we had the most. I mean, literally ever men and women with 14 million in that LSUI was taking. Yep. And it peaked at 7. It didn't.

[00:04:28] Like completely dominated and it's just so funny because all usually not respond to anything because I know it's not really worth my time because the type of person writing that isn't going to be the type of person who listens. But yeah, I don't know.

[00:04:41] There's a little piece of me that responded to a few of them and I was like, I have a such a good argument. And then they don't even it doesn't matter. You know, so it's just yeah, which is more frustrated. It's more frustrated.

[00:04:54] So I'm like genuinely believing in self improvement here and I'm trying to educate you and enhance this entire like let's all broke together. You can be a better person. You know, like you can support the sports and forget about like no, you don't have to compare to you.

[00:05:10] You could just be like, wow, this is amazing for them. You can be so happy for them. But yeah, it doesn't this. Yeah. Anyway, no crazy. I always say there's a spectrum of people out there. It's true. Well, all right. I think this is a good transition.

[00:05:29] Hannah, because you really are one of the reasons we want to bring you on this. Besides, you're just being an overall incredible human is because you really are a champion for women's sports and you have to use your platform to help build a more gender

[00:05:41] equal version of sport and create those opportunities for women at girls. I'm really just give women the hype and the flowers that we deserve. So I want to dive into first your story a little bit, start to talk about kind of your journey with sports.

[00:05:54] You were a division one track athlete at Dartmouth. Yeah. Killed all the sports in high school at least three sport athlete. The loke, yeah, thank you played like eight. Yeah. I'm going to go so out.

[00:06:06] So tell us a little bit about what sports have meant to you a little bit about your journey and how that shaped to you our today. Yeah. So from the jump, my parents do me and almost every sport possible. At one time I was definitely playing eight sports.

[00:06:22] It was insane. Yeah. I just drive from practice to practice. They're like basketball, soccer, lacrosse, track, softball. It was just like, we boar so into it and my parents were so involved. So from the very beginning, like the development of who I was becoming as a person and

[00:06:43] getting my confidence and realizing what I'm capable of was pretty much rooted in sports. And I always say sports is the greatest parent and it can teach you lessons that parents can't. And it really allows you to discover what your physically capable of mentally capable

[00:07:06] of and also just learn to be a good teammate, push yourself. And they did a study and they found that it was like of all the women in the C-suite. It was like 90% of them played sports. So that's that's. And 54% played college or post sports, just mind blowing.

[00:07:31] And it's so telling, right? Because you learn to thrive and to compete at a atmosphere, you learn to be a leader and also understands like preparation and consistency is how you gain success or how you learn to get better.

[00:07:45] So it's always just like such a classic question but it is unbelievable how much sports can teach you. And even more so how important it is for girls to be doing sports in order to value themselves

[00:08:02] in a certain way and not be influenced by the wrong things in their image on social media or like being self-conscious by anything or like not viewing themselves as something. Like, it's just about their look and it's not about like what you're able to do

[00:08:22] and how impressive and capable and kind and wonderfully you are. So I think sports has taught me that to value myself so much more for what I can do than what some stereotypes from the media or just the judge and real have tried to teach me.

[00:08:46] Yeah, for sure. I love how you said you were a multi-sport athlete because obviously I grew up in a small town so I played multiple sports too but there's traditionally today a lot of the kids that I train are one sport kids.

[00:09:02] This which has happened a whole time. It's crazy. So do you think that there's any advantages that help shape you just by being in multiple sports rather than solely within a sports? Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I see both sides, right?

[00:09:18] I think nowadays there's so much competition for a single sport. You want to get recruited that it's like some people just you fully invest your time into that one sport to get as good as you can, do you do private lessons just to get recruited and make it?

[00:09:37] And I think probably I want to say around when we are in high school maybe a little bit sooner that shifts start happening where you're doing multiple sports and you are like cross training and able to learn different environments and move your body in different ways.

[00:09:56] And that shift has happened where kids are going specifically for one sport and a lot of them are leaving public schools for private schools just to make sure you get chance. So it's tough because it's a more competitive environment but it's also, I don't know,

[00:10:12] I really, really am so happy that I grew up with multiple sports and that I continue to play that all through high school. I think it's a very different honestly. So rare and it used to be a lot more normal, right?

[00:10:25] You meet so many people, you grummit so many different worlds and so many different experiences and also you just like, I don't know, I honestly did track so I'd have more time for

[00:10:35] a basketball and then I always said it and I've got really good at track for good for better for worse. And I was like, shoot okay, you know, it's like you learn different things you're capable of by putting yourself out there.

[00:10:49] And I think it's better to try everything and zero in a one thing than to just only focus on one and never find out for everything else. That's hard. I felt like such a well-rounded person honestly when I'm growing up and being in so many

[00:11:06] different sports because like you said whether speed and agility through soccer, volleyball is a little more competitive but it was more like a raw ross for me. And basketball is so physical, so competitive and you can just rock people and throw them down but yes as we saw.

[00:11:25] Yes, right? Chelsea, you know, three, three, two. I've got thrown down. I was the one they got thrown. I'm pretty sure I got thrown down. I was the one they got thrown. No, no, we're not talking fouls. She was just drawing everybody.

[00:11:40] She was like South Carolina out there with the rebounds and she was all the boys all really. Yes, she was crushing that one. I was like, let me just watch it. Great. I'm just gonna like feed it to both of you. But no. Thanks guys. That was great.

[00:11:54] But it's true. There is like a certain level of well-roundedness and just like environments, different environments that you experience through different sports. So I think it's really important, especially when you're younger to try everything and then if you hyper wanna focus on one, great. Yep.

[00:12:14] And I almost kind of had a little bit of an opposite story because I was very hyper-focused from like age 10 on. It was all in on basketball, four or five basketball teams at a time including a boy's

[00:12:24] team, which I think you know allowed me to develop my technique and skills really well but I also had quite a few overuse injuries. So like you said, pros and cons. But before that I had done some gymnastics and some, you know, I had exposure to other

[00:12:38] sports that it's a track of volleyball but it really was kind of. I was gonna say the one point, the one point that I did get injured ever was when I transitioned from being a three-sport athlete to just track in college.

[00:12:51] And the shin splints and the overuse of certain muscles and also in different coach who doesn't understand how you operate and really is set on what their program is and not catering it fully to you. It's, injuries can really happen.

[00:13:06] I think you see that happen especially in women in college where whether it's like ACL or ankle screens or shin splints, I think there's like a very common thread between overuse and overdoing yourself, especially among like D1 athletes. Yeah, that's true.

[00:13:26] Hannah, for the switch, switch directions a little bit. You are now graduating from Dartmouth or maybe even while you're at Dartmouth. When did you start to kind of think about your next play quote-unquote life after sports? Oh my goodness. What am I going to do?

[00:13:43] How do I channel this passion and excitement for being excellent on the field on the court into my why? Like how did you discover your why? How did you discover your passion? Yes. That process like for you.

[00:13:53] So my senior year of college and honestly the whole year after graduating was surprisingly to some people extremely frustrating for me. I felt very hopeless. I was applying to so many jobs where I felt qualified, you know, I got all the ways

[00:14:15] at Nivey Lake School, I did a bunch of internships. I was like, I did everything right, you know? And I still wasn't hearing back from so many places. And you know, you hear from everybody like, oh, have you thought about this?

[00:14:28] Like as if you're not constantly thinking about it every second. And I just remember my soul, like, what am I doing? Which direction do I go? I feel so overwhelmed and I always tell kids who are in college or who are recently graduated.

[00:14:46] That's the time where you should feel lost. If you're someone who's pre-med, then yeah, okay. You need to know your path. You know what I mean? Like, you're like a 10. It's set up 10 years for you. Yeah.

[00:15:01] But like for most people, you don't know what you're going to do. And that is the most exciting, beautiful thing. And that's right where you want to be. And I think he used to think a bit more as a one step at a time, type process.

[00:15:16] So when I graduated, I was like, I just know I want to do something creative. I know I love storytelling. I had no idea, I was going to be a producer at ESPN and the MBA. I would have laughed.

[00:15:27] I wouldn't have been like, whoa, okay, I can see that's possible. But that sounds, that's like a dream, you know? So yeah. I think it's really hard for a lot of kids who compare at that age.

[00:15:41] And the important thing is to realize it's really like you had to do an internship. You have a good experience. You move on. You're going to have a internship. Oh, God, it's terrible. I definitely want to do this. That's extremely valuable to know. That's just as important. Yeah.

[00:15:55] And so I basically refused to allow myself to do a job that I didn't think was going in the direction that my core felt was right. Like I really just listened to my gut and was like, okay, I really want to do something

[00:16:13] and creative and do something that I'm like passionate about. Anything that didn't serve that, I was like no. So you know, I want to always career fairs where they were like, oh, consulting. And you know, I was like, yeah, especially coming from an Ivy League, they're all investment

[00:16:29] banking, consulting. Yeah. And all my friends are going to Wall Street being doctors, being lawyers. And I just couldn't see myself doing that. I was like, there's got to be something else.

[00:16:42] And now it's good because like I can be someone who people can reach out to and I'm in touch with career services there. So if someone speaks on, hey, I want to do like sports media, film production, content production, social media, like anything in that space.

[00:16:56] They know they can reach out to me. But I remember during that time being like, I feel like I'm doing everything right. I'm going to career services. I'm trying to climb myself. And I just was like, I don't know where to go. And I think that's okay.

[00:17:10] And that's just fully part of the process. And the worst thing you can do that situation is not apply yourself and sort of just give up. I think you just have to each day, apply to something, go step by step if you get in,

[00:17:21] go experience it, experience it, maybe it's great, maybe it's not but either way. It's very important to just go do it. But yeah. So basically my personal process was I did a bunch of internships all through college, which I think was a game changer.

[00:17:37] I interned at like this, today show Nickelodeon. Amazing. Yeah. Just a few little spots. Yeah. We have little connections. Yeah. It was, you know, I look back. I'm like, I'm really happy. I had those experiences and sort of Dartmouth trimesters. They have a weird calendar.

[00:17:55] So it's sort of a lab. They'd to feel okay with taking time off during school and making up for it on another term. And yeah, they're systems a little bit more fluid in that way. They think about like those type of things. So that was good.

[00:18:10] And then I graduated, could not find a job for the life of me and it up getting an internship at this Startup Sports Media Company called Whistle Sports. Worked there as their content production social media intern.

[00:18:25] And then I applied to a job at the base level of the MBA. And I remember when I applied thinking, I feel overqualified for this. But God, I just want to get in and I got the job which was amazing.

[00:18:41] I remember the interview I was so into what I was talking about and then they give like a major exam on all knowledge of the MBA. And I was like, God, wow. I always wanted to enter the recruitment. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:56] That's why if anyone ever applies to like, yes, yeah. I'm the MBA colleague. Oh, you prepared that. And I was a type of friend. But I was like, I had no knowledge and I was clearly very into it. And more than anything, I knew I was capable.

[00:19:09] I just had a lot of knowledge of like, you Adobe's we in editing and the production process. And I was, you know, I felt like I was a good teammate to work with. So I was confident and good interviewing.

[00:19:20] And honestly, half the time interviews are really just people. Like, are you legit? Are you someone I want to hang out with for hours and get worked on with? You know, so I felt like I was like, yeah, I can do those things.

[00:19:32] But I ended up getting at MBA. I was a logger. So it was like base level job. Basically watch the games and mark, you know, was it a three-star dump? Who was it by, like, Katie or LeBron or whoever.

[00:19:47] And then editors can go back and find that footage. So you feel like a robot. And so I was actually there for a week. And then I ended up the entire week being like, I didn't need to do creative things.

[00:20:00] And I know I can help and I know there's teams that need people. So I was almost the entire time finishing what I was asked to do. But then I would take any extra time or even time after work to work on projects that

[00:20:13] kind of was in the direction that I knew I wanted to go and where I knew the company would help. So at the time Snapchat was popping. And I was like, let me just make some videos that I think I could be on that channel

[00:20:27] that I think would be really strong and relevant. And so I think that's a huge takeaway for listeners too is like Hannah, you already had that internal voice that was pulling you towards your purpose and your why.

[00:20:39] Even if you're in a place where you're like, okay, this is cool, but it's not exactly what I want to do. My own purpose. So I'm going to, you know, go above and beyond and hustle to make that happen. You got to hustle.

[00:20:50] So that was my biggest takeaway at the NBA. So that's one example. I after I did that, I moved onto the Snapchat team where I was editing and producing. And then one of my biggest moments at the NBA did not even fit my job description.

[00:21:05] I was like an editor at the time. I've tried to move up from like editor and like production assistant. And I was like, I want to be a producer and director. I want to be, you know, interviewing these athletes and really like running full on productions.

[00:21:21] And so far, far before the NBA All-Star happened, I sent like a extremely detailed doc of this idea I had for All-Star and interviewing each of the players individually that I think would work for like the social media platforms for the NBA.

[00:21:38] And it was like, it was just like too good and too detailed for them to say that. So I ended up producing the All-Star social circuit. So like each player that during that LA All-Star came in and I got to interview them

[00:21:54] because you know, it had always questions prepared. And I was so adamant and felt really strong about it that they were like, let's just let this girl do it. Like she seems like she's just doing it.

[00:22:04] That's my biggest takeaway is always do what your asked, do it very well. But then if you're not feeding what you want to do in the next step, it'll be much, a much slower process to get there.

[00:22:20] So make sure you're doing your ask but in addition to that, doing what, like working on what you want to get to next. And you know, just making sure that you're putting time and care into that and also voicing what you want.

[00:22:36] I think oftentimes when you're younger especially you're like, oh, I can help with what everybody you need. And I can help with whatever it's like, I don't want to rock the bow. It's fine. Especially as women. When you, we just like, I don't know, silence always but 100%.

[00:22:49] Make sure when you join a company, you make it clear, you want to help as much as possible. You're have skills in these things and tell them where you want to be. And if it's a good company, they're going to help you get to that place.

[00:23:03] When I was at ESPN, my first few days there, even my interview, I was like, hey, this is like the job I'm applying to. This is what I want to do and this is what I eventually want to do.

[00:23:15] And you know, ESPN, the position I was in, the department I was in was fantastic. So I actually genuinely eventually got there. So it's so important to make sure that people know, higher up what you actually want to do later. And you voice that and work towards it.

[00:23:34] What I loved about what you said was, like, you were hungry for whatever. Getting to where you want to be and you are actively seeking out, taking work off of or creating work in that case, creating work for,

[00:23:50] that kind of was like a stepping stone to get to where you wanted to be. Because at the agency, I'm at, I've seen a lot of people who interns that come in and they just, they're, they're aimless. They don't really know they want to just get experience.

[00:24:05] They're not actively asking me, I'm already busy with stuff that I'm doing. But if they asked me for things that they could do, I would actively distribute it to them. So I love that you were actively seeking what you, and you know, what it means.

[00:24:18] I've found this is through, you know, careers, relationships, everything. When you think of the perspective of the person that you're working with and think about what you're trying to work towards or what you need.

[00:24:34] If you prepare an advance and kind of, almost like beat them to the chase with whatever they're going to ask of you, your life is going to be enhanced so much. So like for example, I find that ESPN and they're like, okay,

[00:24:49] I know today I'm going to need to do for UGC user-generated posts on the ESPNW account. So I'm going to go ahead and prep those before even anyone asks. And then there's just one thing that I know I want to work on. It's a really big story.

[00:25:06] So I'm going to, like the moment I finish that, I'm going to pivot and work on that. But you know, I'm going to message my boss saying, hey, why don't you let you know this is what I'm working on today.

[00:25:18] I've just completed four posts that I'm going to put up throughout the day. I'm focusing my energy towards this story that I'm really excited about. Let me know if you want me to work on anything else.

[00:25:30] And that way, you set the tone of what you're going to work on instead of someone else giving you something that you don't really want to take. You know? And you're like, oh, they're bored. So I want to make them do spreadsheets.

[00:25:41] It's like, oh no, actually she's working in a story that she's really excited about. And she already finished all these things and we'll give somebody else. You know? Yes. So it's totally, and let's do the same with anything like a relationship or anything else.

[00:25:54] It's like, okay, I'm going to clean this thing or help this person with this one thing and and make sure that I'm thinking of them and what fills their needs and also thinking about making sure I get my complete as well. Yeah, for sure.

[00:26:11] You worked on quite a few in your time at both MBA and ESPN. You were able to work on some incredible projects. One of my favorite ones is you've shared a little bit with me about and I've read up on

[00:26:23] is this project around Title IX, the history of women trailblazers in sports. Can you talk about that project and some of these projects like that one that you've seen be able to drive that positive impact? Like I'm assuming that was probably a self-starter type of project.

[00:26:39] Like you just first behem out but yeah, it tells a little bit about that and and the role of sports media and driving forth positive change. So that Title IX show was a complete game changer for me.

[00:26:58] I had for the longest time been saying, I've done everything in post production. I've been a producer, I've been a director, I've been the editor, I've been the one behind the camera, telling the talent exactly what to say and how they should say it.

[00:27:11] Thinking about like how we're going to edit it and post and for the longest time I had always been like, I physically really want to be on camera. Like I just want to try it and I think I can do it.

[00:27:22] And that was the first time professionally that I felt that I had been fully given the reins and so it was like this beautiful mixture of like, it's happening but also Holy shit. It's just happening and I'm going to have to like everything I do

[00:27:44] is like met as so important, right? So I remember I you know, I wrote out each I had a co-producer with me who was super helpful. You know but for the most part it was very very very small team and I found myself writing

[00:28:01] up the scripts coming up with like almost the entire concepts, reaching out individually to each athlete that I was interviewing, making sure I had like the entire history of the sport. All the knowledge of it, all the knowledge of the athletes and making sure I was asking

[00:28:16] like the best questions. So the the basis of the show was educating people about Title IX and as it was a 50th anniversary of Title IX but in addition to that I was like let's make it

[00:28:29] more involved and more interactive and more fun where we're taking like modern athletes who are big names and not only professionally as an athlete but in the social media world and learning a skill from them and then literally going back in time and a time machine

[00:28:46] and learning about the OGs and the trailblazers with the net sport. So like an example a few videos that we did were how to drop in with sky brown who's the youngest professional skateboarder ever I interviewed her when she was 13 she was like just skateboarding around with

[00:29:02] Tony Hawk like she's doing who would skate in a tutu right? The lot girls do that actually yeah that's true yeah yeah no she's she's next level she's one gold medal so it's ridiculous

[00:29:15] so no she taught me how to drop in I had all the padding on and then we had this free screen where we go back in time and you know I'm like talking about the first woman who was a professional

[00:29:26] like skateboarder ever and like how it grew as a sport so we did that we did like how to properly tackle with a loaner mar and like she's one of the top rugby players in the country

[00:29:38] she knocked the wind out of me I like was doing again but I was like out that was exactly you know I was with Chris uh who was like the 13th home globe trodder and then we went back and

[00:29:50] to get into a net wooder who was the first ever Harlem globe trodder who actually fun fact had the record for the most points before Patel and Clark did and called to us

[00:30:00] so he's a content yeah I took a video on that sourcing you know stuff like that where it's like let's learn something let's like be like oh my god these current athletes are unbelievable but

[00:30:11] let's also like educate and bring people back to like the original um mdp's and people who really made a possible for us to be doing what we're doing today and so that process was so rewarding

[00:30:25] but it was also the most exhausting like I legitimately would finish shooting a show and we'd have to release it in two days and I would pull like multiple all-nighters of like editing

[00:30:35] trying to turn around I would be crying but I'd be like I have to do this you know it was like a whole like it's funny the most exhausting and you know physically intense times which three you

[00:30:50] actually experienced one which I don't know if your member is during all star yeah was sooner you know you're not scared good mavia so I got you girl that was wild yeah you get these opportunities and

[00:31:02] Sabrina's dropping this new shoe with Nike and they asked you to direct the shoe but you get you know like two days notice and you're like okay with the plan and they're like well we just want

[00:31:11] you to be like okay so I have to make the plan so you know I say I just want to hype you up really quick because I saw Hannah in this process and my girl was literally up oh my god she was up until

[00:31:25] like four in the morning and then had to be on site to shoot the video and direct this video I think I like six or seven in the morning yeah so maybe it's like two three hours and absolutely crush that

[00:31:37] like and look fabulous doing it I know wow but like my respect to the process I don't think people always recognize how much effort goes into like building out the stuff that you put out Hannah

[00:31:49] such a small niche it's so powerful but it doesn't come just you know oh I just woke up and it's just landed in my lap like you worked really hard to make it happen thank you yeah I mean

[00:32:01] you did something similar this last NBA All-Star ordering Taco Bell at the one or two a while you're video editing in your bed yeah it's funny because you know on on Instagram I think everyone's

[00:32:15] like oh my god you're traveling the world and you're getting all these athletes and I'm like go half the time I'm like I'm like I'm blind arrived on a laptop like there's so much that goes into

[00:32:29] having the ability to even get opportunities to do this and it is like I don't take any of it for granted and I really worked so hard and making sure it's like quality and great you know so

[00:32:43] that's just something like I know how important it is to post all the time and be consistent and I think influencer gets like a certain stereotype assigned to it but I really do take the production and preparation process so seriously because I think it affects everything I think

[00:33:03] you know at least for me personally I'm so much more confident and at ease when I know I've done everything I can to be as ready as I can in that moment and the only time that I'm a little bit

[00:33:16] nervous or off is when I felt I didn't have enough prep and advanced before then to really kill it you know so yeah let's rewind a little bit about you taking the jump into your full-time owning your own business

[00:33:34] and leaning into the basketball creator and producer that you are can you tell us what transpired be like at push you into this leap and to build your own business and do what do you do now?

[00:33:46] Yes so almost my entire career I've been super corporate you know like nine to five but honestly like the hours were always so crazy because in the sports media world it's like you might be getting at a five-year-old and turning around a show and then going to

[00:34:01] fight I like three A.M. it's just but overall big company benefits you have a certain degree of safety that that you feel in these positions and when I was at ESPN I at the same time

[00:34:21] had been working on my platform and I got to this point where I was like they aligned both so well it's both basically empowering women through sports and just like the sports environment

[00:34:36] but I was going to the point where I was getting so busy with my own brand projects that I couldn't fully serve the ESPN team as much as I once had or as much as I wanted to and so it was just like

[00:34:53] a point where I wasn't seeing my family as much I wasn't seeing my friends much I was getting minimal sleep because I would produce a show at ESPN that I go straight to work on edit on for my own

[00:35:03] brand for Nike the rest of the night you know so it was just like oh my gosh these are all really great problems yeah but at the same time I was like I feel overwhelmed and I remember putting out a

[00:35:18] post a story being like everyone was just hitting me up and thinking of me for things to help them it wasn't like random stranger as it was like you know people that I was really close friends with

[00:35:31] that I could genuinely help with things so I wanted to and I got to a point where I was just like I'm not going to message anyone or like do anything for the next two weeks please just give me

[00:35:44] some time to breathe because I was already so overwhelmed with my own things for sure so yeah when the point came where I like basically could decide to move on to just doing my platform um

[00:36:01] I was debating as should I try to apply myself and go back into something else and it wasn't even it was like a no-brainer like I'm definitely doing my own platform and going on this and um you know

[00:36:15] I think a lot of people just go straight to the like influencer content creator route before you're really you know have the network have the money coming in have the support like no kind of what

[00:36:28] you're getting into and I don't want to discourage anyone from that but it's definitely like you want to kind of build a foundation and know what you're getting into and at that point I was

[00:36:41] probably like four years until like paid gigs and I've been doing social media for like God I don't know seven or eight but my platform I've been growing for probably like six years and

[00:36:52] yeah I kind of was like whoa what if I do go all in on this because this is something that if I choose to work on it like it could be a really big thing and you know I'm a few months into doing it

[00:37:06] all my own now and I'm like thank goodness I guess for I'm you know getting all of you money yeah so I started like August going on on my own platform so actually more than a few months now

[00:37:21] time flies one of the things that's most impressive to me about your work in that space also is your ability I think sometimes influencers maybe they're good on air personalities but they're not necessarily great at like the storytelling element or producing post production like really

[00:37:43] the full package of what sports media entails and I think your content is such high quality and I think there's such a process in the way that you do tell them stories and I think it's you know

[00:37:56] even talking going back to that question on gender equity and sports on the role of sports media if we were to kind of take that more high level question like you know today we saw NCAA March Madness

[00:38:09] final take place it's amazing we touched a little bit on the power of sports media and starting to get more media attention around women's sports but what role do you think that sports media does have a creating that more gender equal version of sport wow what a mouthful

[00:38:24] but yeah just speak a little bit about that and how you're how you're leaning into that as well I remember when I first started working at ESPN seeing the shift that happened between the everyone just being like sports sports sports but mostly men sports and then like

[00:38:47] yeah like no we're going to hyper prioritize and be intentional about women's sports and I remember like seeing and experiencing first hand every Wednesday we have a meeting where our whole team gets

[00:39:00] together and we go through a PowerPoint that any team member can add to and you basically talk what the priorities like moving with intentionality making sure like if we missed anything we

[00:39:13] we voice it if we did well on anything we voice it and I remember having like multiple meetings where we were like this event is happening in women's sports it's extremely important it's all hands-on-deck specifically yeah and it's it's it's it's so amazing because it's no

[00:39:31] longer and after thought you know what I mean and it's never have been but because like sports started as mostly like a male dominated thing and it's transitioned into this thing now like years

[00:39:42] later that we're fully part of and should be part of and should have been from the jump it's just encouraging to see and be in those rooms and spaces where it's like the top brand in sports

[00:39:56] is really focused on it and now to see the results and the numbers so blatantly in your face and knowing that all of these other people who may have been towers before are like whoa okay we should

[00:40:10] probably get into this like a lot of funny things like you know so yeah it's like no way we can make some money we love women you know so it's like yeah my god I've been talking with this forever

[00:40:23] and now people are finally catching on and seeing the value in it and I think it's really genuinely the duty of the media companies to focus on prioritizing these things and not just telling the

[00:40:38] stories of like the big name athletes that you know we're gonna get press so honestly now for example Caitlin Clark she's a big name athlete now she's she's a little brown or whoever like you

[00:40:50] know no matter what is said she's going to get the numbers I think there's a responsibility of people but she wasn't once a big name even though she was doing amazing things right so I think it's the

[00:41:02] responsibility of the media outlets of the like bleachers and bleacher reports and the ESPNs and like the house of highlights over time like all these people to do their research and see the numbers

[00:41:16] and see who's actually performing extremely well and see the stories that are untold and make sure that they make it important because they decide you know and I think with social media we can

[00:41:27] decide what's important on our own too we don't rely on those networks so I think with the power of social media and and at the time their own ability to tell a story and the power

[00:41:40] of yeah out let's realizing how important it is I think you're creating this exciting time in woman sports or you can't not listen now yeah and social media I think has changed the game in so

[00:41:53] many ways it's really democratized media in many ways and a lot of women are amazing storytellers a lot of women athletes have really leaned into brand building and I think being able to have a

[00:42:04] directly with their fans has been incredible and I think the storytelling that goes behind that has also helped contribute to that kind of rise in brand and star power and women's women athletes

[00:42:15] were actually seeing fans are more loyal to women athletes and they are to men athletes even in terms of fandom and for looking at the business case behind women sports brands who sponsor women

[00:42:26] sports fans of women sports are two times more loyal to those brands so I think you know it's great for business like we talk about and I think that story telling where we're able to get behind

[00:42:36] the scenes and understand okay what makes Caitlin Clark take what is Candace Parker like off side outside of the court all those things storytelling and media historically they told us about you know we knew the stories about many of our favorite athletes Michael Jordan etc but those

[00:42:51] women stories in addition to the coverage they were receiving on the court weren't always told and I think you know we're seeing more and more of that and Hannah you do a great job of that as well

[00:43:01] thank you yeah I mean you see so many athletes that you want to have the like shine on them and it's hard because if you do have to have a bit of a presence now on like the

[00:43:13] social media world and so you know there's so many W players that are really impressive but they don't care about their social media so it's like there's like a hand in hand that goes there of being like

[00:43:23] okay if you really want to get these brand deals and have these like Nike Copa Cola whoever hit you up and promote your stuff you gotta have that following so I think it's really exciting

[00:43:33] because you know women's college basketball is for many reasons like the perfect place to be for those opportunities at the four years you have to basically stay to build that affinity

[00:43:48] for people to like you as a person and as a player and to learn who you are through your team versus MBAs when it's done that they just move on and then yeah obviously like social media and the

[00:44:01] younger generation growing up with it and like kind of learning and knowing what the right thing is to do to promote yourself it's a really cool time because you're not limited by outlets anymore

[00:44:15] you can really write your own story and you know it's very exciting yeah do you have any insight on any initiatives that are happening right now or any exciting projects that you're working on?

[00:44:30] Yeah I mean shoot so I'm going I don't know if I'm allowed to tell this one I know we know it were like it's so cool that we'll give us the juicy D okay I'm going to

[00:44:46] Paris with Pruma in a day and Brianna tomorrow girl I love yeah just tomorrow usually for Paris um and it's gonna be something related to Brianna Stewart so that's very exciting

[00:45:02] amazing yeah and then legitimately a few days later um I'm flying back to New York for W draft and I'm going to be hosting the Orange carpet with Alia Boston so that's gonna be crazy

[00:45:18] so that's a good thing for Caitlyn Clark or Angel Reece like just call it I'm gonna be live from like 4.34 pm over the face timing you hand up yeah we're all doing it so

[00:45:33] I have some questions yeah but that's gonna be really exciting again complete dream come true legitimately just would love to be there and the fact that I get to like be part of it and

[00:45:49] intervene these athletes and you know try and do them justice and also just like celebrate them this pretty awesome um but yeah try and think if there's anything like crazy coming up you're also going to be in the finals too right aren't you gonna be in Kigale?

[00:46:07] my girl yeah there's like a galley and a few months so today after W draft I go to India and oh they're casual yeah I'm gonna be there for the rest of the month and I'm on teaching kids

[00:46:20] basketball it's called like India crossover um and saying what I'm gonna do like mentorship slash like leadership skills and basketball and just be playing basketball with like kids and you might do a little woman's panel it could be cool um and then I go straight from there to

[00:46:37] Senegal and then Kigale which is fast while I forgot to leave um they're in their fourth season and um I just I see so much potential in a basketball growing in other countries beyond the states

[00:46:52] I think like yes I would spend a few months in Paris um spend some time in Africa last year and now going to India I just I think the opportunities that we get in the states is not

[00:47:07] we we are so lucky we don't realize how much they're granted oh my gosh so I think there's so many kids with so much potential and all they need is a shot and mentorship and guidance

[00:47:18] yeah so I just in any small possible way I want to be like part of it and like just see it grow and so um yeah basketball athletes can be really cool I'm doing like BAL for her

[00:47:31] which is like specifically for like you know mentorship for career stuff for the girls and all those girls are all set up in the real-year-old's for me yeah yeah my real-year-old's for me yeah yeah my

[00:47:42] Reva girl heries Jean Luke yes terrible doing so many important things and they can't cannot get enough love for it so um yeah that's this yet it's kind of nuts I'm

[00:47:57] bringing in I can take us the batacle yeah yeah we'll be uh on the real I was just talking to Jean Luke so my my be going to cagali my girl we'll see we'll see stop we'll talk offline we'll talk

[00:48:11] off life all right to keep us on track do you have any advice for listeners regarding achieving their full potential or using their gifts to make positive impact for women women

[00:48:24] and sport or whatever their initiative is I have two things I think if you are in college or your fresh out of college I think you need to take all the things that you really love doing

[00:48:39] like really think about the few things that are important to you and continue doing them I think far too often we find that once we graduate we just stop because we don't see the point if it's

[00:48:51] not making us funny but if the point is that it makes you happy and it makes you come alive and it makes you kind of breathe and and not think about anything else and be really into it or

[00:49:02] you just you just something about it just makes you so happy that's more important than anything and I think a lot of my success is because I continued playing saxophone even though I'm not trying

[00:49:15] to go confess I continue to pick up basketball even though I'm not going to go be in the WMV like Chelsea or play overseas like three like I continue to do all these things that I love

[00:49:27] and that fed into my passion and also allowed me to be more productive throughout my professional life because I really enjoyed what I was doing no matter what so that's my first piece of advice

[00:49:41] and then my second piece of advice is it's really not easy to follow your passion and truly do what you want to do I think it's the harder path to take I think people aren't fully going

[00:49:56] to understand it I think the path to kind of realizing or attempting to raise your full potential can be very lonely a lot of people understand word and I think it's really important for you to

[00:50:15] figure out what that is and stay true to it and be honest with yourself and the people around you about what is actually going to take to get there I've you know when I was producing that show

[00:50:28] that was my dream if with ESPN and I was like the talent the director the host of this show at ESPN I didn't see my family for months to like talk to my best friends on random face time

[00:50:41] calls but was truly like locked in specifically on that and some things don't have to fully be like that but there are going to be moments like even now and going to be in the next two weeks I

[00:50:55] would have been in LA Dallas Paris, New York, India and so it's like wow that's so cool you're traveling but like you know you're only there for a few days you're pretty much working

[00:51:07] at the time and there's a certain sacrifice that goes along with that and I think realizing what you want once you figure it out which already takes time to kind of get to that point

[00:51:22] yeah is such a blessing but it can also be like if you're not ready to be uncomfortable and really go for it it can be really challenging so I think it's just important to honestly

[00:51:35] vocalize what you want with yourself and with your friends and like your close people so they know and align with like what you're trying to do and you feel supported and also know you can do it on

[00:51:48] your own like you you can go for it and make it happen and it's just like on you to decide how much you care so yeah that's a nice advice and you are a testament to that and yeah I think

[00:52:05] trusting that inner voice and then that circle that you keep around you and who you let kind of speak into your life is also huge because there are people you know for whatever reason that might

[00:52:14] doubt you or not think that you're capable or that it might come from a place of love but it just misguided and be able to trust that inner voice and and go for it I think is as massive

[00:52:24] and a big thing I realized too is typically you know the people who are doubting anything it's almost always because they don't see it as a possibility for themselves so you can't take

[00:52:35] it with too much you can't take it too hard because you have to realize that it's not their dream it's their voice of reason to themselves and it's not their dream exactly it's lightning round we have made it to the last round

[00:52:56] do you think the earrings let's go alright brie what are kicking soft sure okay so listeners as you have heard lightning round we are gonna ask Hannah a series of four questions and which she has about she has about 30

[00:53:12] seconds to answer so very quick rapid fire and we're gonna start it off with this first question so Hannah we know you have some killer dance moves we've seen them alive at the

[00:53:25] various NBA all star weekends the legend has it one time you were out of wedding I think it's your sister's wedding and you shut the wedding down because you were coaxed into a dancing competition

[00:53:39] and you busted out the worm can you give us this story really quick we have 30 seconds but this is gold lesson people the worm can change your life in so many ways we need to link

[00:53:53] this video into the show notes so please I should say how to do the worm video just so I can change while yes honestly I don't know what I'm doing it all is like basketball one sports stuff

[00:54:02] all you're really made and life is just to be really good the worm it'll change everything for you it's so funny I'm actually like how we have a few dance moves but like something about

[00:54:14] doing the worm is so unadded and so hilarious and so just like rattling that if you bring that move out at the end of a dance battle you're just going to win like almost always unless you're

[00:54:28] like an actual dance competition and then like definitely still do it because you're gonna you know it's gonna create all of like but if someone's crazy you're heading my loose it's okay on there

[00:54:40] uh yeah that was crazy I've had so many hilarious random moments where like I did the worm and then like I just like my life somehow transformed in like a hilarious way so

[00:54:54] I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure if I'm sure I can tell you some other time I'm pretty sure my back would break and I don't think my body bends like that

[00:55:03] I'm gonna be all right next question in your opinion who's the top women's who care in the game right now College or W let's go college um college I think I always struggle with these things because I think there's

[00:55:24] different types of players and um I think each of them are very valuable depending on what a team needs right so I think in my opinion there's like probably my head right now there's like a top

[00:55:39] three that are so talented and it's a very political answer I know so that's why she hasn't named any yet I know I've got to follow her back that's true there they'll just be there you're killing my 30 seconds okay so sorry

[00:55:58] well in the obvious Caitlyn Clark she shoots from crazy range she has a quick release she's a team leader she has the most points ever in college basketball history but she's also

[00:56:10] unbelievable as sis sees the whole court very confident had like a thousand assists in the season like it she's generational talent it's not even it's so obvious everyone's losing it second is Paige Becker's for basketball IQ it's off the charts G. No has said he's she

[00:56:29] who's you know coached all the top u-contains for years who have dominated the college basketball scene for you know who knows how long at this point said she's like the best basketball player in America

[00:56:42] and yeah she has been on the map longer than any of these girls I remember one over time featured her in high school and everyone was like this girl is it and she still isn't and um I think

[00:56:55] she will impact any team immediately because of how skilled she is how high her percentage shooting is her IQ is insane she'll give you crazy success she's a great team player and then the last one

[00:57:06] which I'm going to say is the future is juju um juju walkins she got the record for the most points ever as a freshman in a season I believe it's like 900 something like 920 jesus on record

[00:57:22] on path right now to beat Caitlin Clark's record if she continues that and stays healthy all through four years um I think she is like such a fantastic teammate is so fun to watch makes things look so

[00:57:36] seamless and easy and she's so strong and big for being a freshman let's use a grown woman you know so I was lucky enough to interview her two different time friends for gatoring and once for us

[00:57:48] p.n and both times I was like the poise she has and the humbleness she has she's going to do amazing things and I love that she chose u-s-c and you know she grew up in l-a so she's like really

[00:58:03] trying to bring them back in the map and she's already done that so um I think those three in my opinion are the top yeah love that love those choices okay Hannah next question you are one of five

[00:58:17] girls in your family yes are you the most competitive or is one of your sisters more oh I love this so much I don't get to talk about my family enough and these type of

[00:58:29] on interviews or in general they're everything to me um yeah I'm really competitive like when I when I ran track I oh my god there was like a different side of me that came out um I think

[00:58:42] I get a lot of my companions this for my mom um she's the person who watches March madness and will literally like loudly clap at the tv and be cheering as if like the players can hear her

[00:58:55] I got to bring in a March madness last year which is really special but yeah I think I get that a lot of that from her and then my dad kind of gives me the like desire to be the best version of myself and

[00:59:07] like really push myself as far as I possibly can so I think I get that from both of them I'd say some my sisters are more competitive than others my sister closest to me Bridget and I got to

[00:59:19] plant teams together and she's also extremely competitive so that was like such a special time and something I nostalgicly look back on often because we were always aligned you know what I mean

[00:59:31] when you when you are like wanted just as much as somebody else you don't have to say anything you just kind of like look at them and you're like let's go you know so yeah um I think I am

[00:59:44] but I you know yeah I think I am I'm not gonna lie I'm like extremely if you're a sibling and you want to contradict that statement yeah I'm ready for their comments they're always yeah feel free to trash talk

[01:00:07] I'm here for all the trash out of everyone definitely extremely supportive but at the same time they're also like the ones who are like I don't want to say judgy but like I am gonna say it

[01:00:19] with judgy because you know your siblings have to be happy for you you're siblings put in your place they're gonna like yeah they're like Hannah what are you doing and I'm like you're right okay thank you you know you're you're close close friends who can be real with

[01:00:35] you will be like that but before anyone you're siblings do that for you so I love this and I appreciate them for that so they they won't know problem tell me how they feel

[01:00:48] he he we did it all right last question you've traveled across the globe for basketball which country has the best hoop sculpture oh god oh no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

[01:01:00] yeah tough questions she another political answer coming okay I'm bias I think the states I think it's grown this forth the most I will say I think the way the game is played in America

[01:01:17] is different to other countries and I think America is little too crowds sometimes and they can learn a lot from a lot of other ways like I think a great example which Kobe brought up

[01:01:32] and many players I've heard bring up is we're such a flashy country and we're very much about the highlights and the ISO game and like shifty and like oh like I'm not just gonna do a lay up I'm

[01:01:46] gonna be like extra saucy and I might miss it because I didn't just hit the shot you know so I think we have a you we don't put as much focus on the foundation and the skills as a lot of places in

[01:02:01] Europe do and the selflessness and the quickness of playing overseas in Europe and I think YouTube of all people can definitely even have more knowledge on that than me but I think we have a lot

[01:02:17] we can learn about basketball from other countries and I think we should be a lot more open to how they play the game because I think there's a very selfless and skilled and I don't know more

[01:02:30] team oriented and quick impressive way to play the game that we don't see as often in the states and you see that and Luca you see that in so many yoke itch like all these players that didn't

[01:02:43] grow in the states being like oh it's actually ways you're scoring the MBA that is that like we're in the league I just played in back overseas so I think yeah that's my thoughts yeah I could

[01:02:56] attest to that and Australia I think we did way more ball handling than I've ever done in my life before practice or for most of the practice sometimes it was like the first 30 minutes was ball

[01:03:08] and I was a big that in my mind I'm the bread and butter I'm a post player and I obviously knew that I needed to get better but it was definitely definitely a challenging time

[01:03:21] those fundamentals they'll get you in Switzerland the like past past screen away cut cut I'm like wait I could just eat dribble down and cross someone and then we're good then I want to

[01:03:32] what exactly but I thought that was yeah that was a full part of the game for sure yeah and Australian Australians when I was there I'm sure it's still the same we're had much more fineness

[01:03:45] in the way they played and they've would shoot more on the outside they didn't my team specifically didn't really know how to use a post player and do post moves really I'm a post and they yeah

[01:03:56] that was like why did you bring me here? I remember like I mean the ball is going to be never let me shoot threes but okay I'll be finessed. I'll take it yeah I think there's something to learn

[01:04:09] about how the game has played outside of your country that's like very important and I think specifically the states in general can do a lot better job of like humbling themselves and

[01:04:21] well Hannah has been an absolute absolute pleasure having you on says truly your story is so inspiring it's incredible it's amazing you really are a champion in all aspects of the world and you are

[01:04:33] driving positive impact through your platform we're fired up to see how you continue to make this world better place and continue to shine your light thank you for your words or listeners for inspiring Chelsea and I tell us give the listeners some info on how they can stay

[01:04:47] in touch with Hannah all the show well thanks for joining us for this podcast if you like it like share follow all of Hannah's information so shows a bio all of that will be in our show notes

[01:04:57] and if you have any feedback positive mostly positive we don't care about the negative feel free to do this anymore. I'll take everything I'll take it off. I don't care bring it on

[01:05:09] I love you guys thank you so much I'm like so excited to see the direction this goes it's like just the beginning and I think there's so many important lessons to be learned from all the people that

[01:05:20] you're bringing on here so and from YouTube honestly so I love you and I can't wait for us to go play three on three and crush another championship sometime soon. Come into a coordinate or you