We love learning from such a vast array of talented people from all walks of life on our podcast, and these three recent ones provide a great array of left brain/right brain strategy and execution from all angles. We are thankful to have them, and hope you extract some tidbits from each. As always all our pods can be found here.
Talking The Latina Creative Mindset and Building Media “TOGETHXR”: We spent time speaking with Kati Fernandez, Chief Content Officer at TOGETHXR, on leadership, innovation, and the fast-changing world of sports media. A Dominican Republic native who helped shape the recent content vision and strategy for ESPN, Fernandez talks about how women’s sports have become a booming business, as well as dives into the strategy behind TOGETHXR’s short & long form video, and podcast production. She emphasizes how it is important to show up IRL as well as URL for events like the NWSL Championship, the Women’s World Cup, Winter Olympics, and LA28. Kati also offers insights into audience engagement, Latino market growth, and the balance between creativity and data in modern media. Click here.
The Entrepreneurial Creator: One of the most gratifying experiences around teaching is seeing potential realized. One of those doing that who has come out of out program in a nontraditional way for sports business is Aliyah Funschelle. Aliyah joined us for an in-depth conversation on the intersection of women’s sports, digital storytelling, and the growing creator economy on social media. As a sports reporter, and the founder of Sports With Aliyah, she discusses her journey from Wichita State to Columbia, and how she turned her passion for women’s sports into a thriving multimedia business. Funschelle shares how authenticity, community building, and showing up both online and in person have helped her collaborate with major brands like DoorDash, Dove, and Sephora, while growing an engaged fan base across the WNBA, NWSL, and others. She emphasizes the importance of posting content that you wouldn’t be able to see on a traditional broadcast, but rather the uncut and uncensored moments that fans truly enjoy. Great teachable moments here.
The evolution of coaching, teaching and leadership: Our third gem of a conversation is with Dave Clawson. A longtime college football coach whose success moved him up the ladder from a winless team at Fordham to Patriot League champions as a very young coach, and was followed not just by successful coaching stints at Richmond, Bowling Green and most recently at Wake Forest, but with successful programs that put athletes first and foremost. Dave talks about his decision to leave coaching after last season and his “what’s next” journey which includes ESPN/ACC Network analyst as well as Executive Affiliate at the Wake Forest School of Business. The conversation touches on how big-time college football is being transformed by NIL, the transfer portal, and donor influence. He breaks down how donors have effectively become “team owners,” why some players now treat college like true free agency, and what a future split between “professionalized” programs and everyone else might look like. Clawson also dives into the rise of sports science and analytics, from Catapult data and sleep tracking to hiring specialists to make sense of the numbers, while stressing why relationships, character, and a genuine love of the game still matter. A very candid and unique point of view conversation from a coaching veteran and how all these learnings are shaping an industry today. Listen in here.
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