Latest / Hurdle with Emily Abbate / 369. A New Era For Women's Sports: How To Create Buzz & Follow Your Instincts With The New York Liberty's Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson

Transcript

369. A New Era For Women's Sports: How To Create Buzz & Follow Your Instincts With The New York Liberty's Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson · Hurdle with Emily Abbate

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: If you really are tapped into your purpose and where
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: you truly believe your call to be, then the dots
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: will always connect. So you just have to be patient
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and trust.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: What's going on.
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  Speaker 3: Emily Body, here, I have a confession. I giggled when
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: I realized that this is episode three hundred and sixty
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: nine of Hurdle, a wellness focused podcast where I talk
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: to inspirational people about everything from their highest ties and toughest.
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Moments to essential tips on.
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: How to live a healthier, happier, more motivated life. We
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  Speaker 3: all go through our fair share of hurdles. My goal
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  Speaker 3: through these discussions is to empower you to better navigate
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: yours and move with intention so that you can stride
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: towards your own big potential and of course have some
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: fun a long way. For episode thirty six nine, I
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: am chatting with Shana Stevenson. She's the chief brand officer
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  Speaker 3: for the New York Liberty, Brooklyn's very own WNBA team.
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: I was elated to be connected with Shana last month
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: and so excited to have her on the show because
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: these are the conversations that light me up, the conversations
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  Speaker 3: that peel back the curtain so that we can see
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  Speaker 3: what's going on behind the scenes. In our conversation today,
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  Speaker 3: Shana gives me the lowdown on how she ended up
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: at The Liberty, at background in fashion, in sports, and
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: at one point a dream job at ESPN. We talk
• 1:41
  Speaker 3: about how that term dream job can evolve over time
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: and how, just like we are all growing and evolving
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: every day, so do our career aspirations. We chat about
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: the crazy evolution of the WNBA and what it was
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  Speaker 3: like when Shana first started working with The Liberty to now,
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: what goes into building a brand for a team like this,
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  Speaker 3: and how it feels that the fandom is really catching
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: on that Woman's bastball is in such a different place
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: than it was when she started with the team in
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  Speaker 3: twenty eighteen. We talk about the integral role that Channa
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: played and the team's transition to Brooklyn, what her responsibilities
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: are as the chief brand Officer, what it felt like
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: to be in the building for that championship win last year,
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: and how we're both trying to make more time for
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: our personal lives outside of work, which can be a
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: tad difficult when you're so invested in what you do
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: and the culture. Plus, don't you worry. Of course, of
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: course we talk about Ellie the Elephant. I also need
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: to add that Ellie reposted my photo last week.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: So I feel like I've hit peak status.
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: I don't know if my interactions on Instagram will ever
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: get more exciting than that. Make sure you're following along
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: over on social It's at Hurdle podcast. I am over
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: at Emily a Body and the Substack. It's the weekly Hurdle.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: It comes out every single Friday. It's absolutely free unless
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: you want to pledge and support, which is more than appreciated.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: But in it, I'm telling you a story from the week.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: I'm giving you my favorites, my gear, what I'm listening to,
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: what I'm reading, what I'm watching, and highlighting some of
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: what's going on in the world of women's sports, health, wellness,
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: links of the week, that sort of thing. So again,
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: to subscribe, it's absolutely free and the link to do
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: that is waiting for you in the show notes. Share
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: the show with a friend today and make sure if
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: you haven't yet rated Hurdle in wherever you get your podcasts,
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: do that too. Your support means the world. With that,
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: Let's get to it. Let's get to hurdling. Today, I
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: am sitting down with Shana Stevenson. She's the chief brand
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: officer for the New York Liberty. Welcome to hurdle, Shana.
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: How are we doing.
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  Speaker 4: I'm doing great. I'm so excited for this conversation.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so excited for this conversation too. We met last
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: I'm like lost all track of time last month. Last
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: month at the Travel and Leisure World's Best Summit. Say
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: that five times fast, right, And I was just so
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: impressed by the wealth of knowledge that you brought to
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: that conversation on sports tourism. And then I inevitably developed
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: a crush on you because I'm like, Wow, this woman
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: is such a boss.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Oh, it's mutual. As soon as I saw you first
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  Speaker 1: of all, your shoes were amazing, your nails were amazing,
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  Speaker 1: and I was like, yeah, I think.
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  Speaker 2: We should be friends.
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  Speaker 3: I think that's also something I've been thinking about this
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: a lot lately, Like when you meet someone or you
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: come across someone, you have a nice thought about them,
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  Speaker 3: I'm like to tell.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: That, Yeah, you need to tell that.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, I agree.
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  Speaker 3: Life is too short to see or to think nice
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  Speaker 3: things about people and not let them know. I love
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  Speaker 3: that yeah, I agree with that. So you are the
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: chief brand Officer at the New York Liberty. I am
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: explain what that means to people who might not know.
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: Let's start there.
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: Okay, so it sounds like a very fancy title, but
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: essentially I oversee all of marketing and branding and content
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: and social in arena experience design, like graphic design for
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: the New York Liberty. So how we show up on
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: game day, how we show up in and around the
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: community on social media, like establishing the voice and the
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: tone the content that we want to capture. I have
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: a phenomenal team, so I'm not as in the weeds
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: on it on the day to day, but all of
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: that still sits under my purview and it's exciting. I've
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: been with the team now since twenty eighteen, so this
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: is my eighth season with the Liberal, and every season
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: just continues to get.
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  Speaker 4: Better and better.
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  Speaker 1: I think what I love about the job is that
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: as a roster continues to evolve, the work changes in
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: a way because the team is different. So we have
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: to think about ways that we can continue to connect
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: with the community, connect with the fan, tap into culture
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  Speaker 1: in a way that feels really authentic. To who we are,
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: but also our players identify with and so that's something
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: that's fun. And then also as the league evolves and
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: the competition continues to improve and the gap is closed
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: between like the top tier teams and the lower tier players,
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  Speaker 1: that also challenges me in a different way, challenges our
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: team in a different way where we start to see
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: other teams are investing, you know, resources into their content
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  Speaker 1: teams or their branding or whatever it is, and how
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: can we stay one step ahead of everyone. And then
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: I forgot to mention Ellie as Wellwi it's also obviously
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: eight years.
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: We'll get into all of the growth and the special
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: things that have happened for The Liberty over the past
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: eight years. But when you think about yourself personally, talk
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: to me about your growth over the last eight years
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  Speaker 3: and what for you has been the most resonant as
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: you step into your own in this phase of your career.
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a great question.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: I think over the past eight years, I've had to
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: learn how to trust the people that I hire. When
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: I started with The Liberty, I was a team of one,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: so I was literally shooting the content, posting the content,
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: writing the captions, interviewing, the players, updating the stats in game,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: you know, editing the video. I was doing it all
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: And so as the team has grown over time and
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: I've hired more people to come on board, I've had
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: to just kind of like trust that they get it
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: and they have the same amount of care that I
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: have when it comes to how we show up and
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: how we execute. Also recognize that their approach might be different,
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean that it's wrong, you know. And
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: so as someone who's a control freak, I'm a leio,
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: so you know, everything has to be top tier all
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: the time. How we show up, it's our reputation, it's
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: our everything. And just being able to just kind of
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: like let go and trust that it's going to be fine.
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  Speaker 4: So that's something that I would say has.
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  Speaker 1: Been the biggest area of evolution for myself, is just
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  Speaker 1: being able to delegate and not be so in the
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: weeez and just like let go when I need to.
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: Also a gift to have this opportunity now to delegate,
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  Speaker 3: knowing what you used to do all on your own
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  Speaker 3: such a massive undertaking. I love what you said about
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  Speaker 3: just because someone does something different than you doesn't mean
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: that it's wrong. And I think that oftentimes when we
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: talk about hiring a team, you're almost looking for people
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: to do things differently or see things differently than you do,
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  Speaker 3: to challenge that perspective, to bring in different points of view.
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure.
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: And I'm older, Like I still think I'm like cool
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: and I know it's hot. You were cool, Well, thank you,
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: But I'm not like a twenty something year old's cool,
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: right and so, and a majority of our players are
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: a twenty something and so having a social media manager
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: who speaks their language in a way that I don't,
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  Speaker 1: I just trust, like, all right, if you guys think
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: this is hot, then I trust that it's hot. Or
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: even in terms of the celebrities that come to our game,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: we just had the cast or a few cast members
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: from the Summer I turn pretty never heard of that.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Show, never heard of it, never heard of that show.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Literally everybody on this team was like, oh my god,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: they're coming to our game. And I was like, okay, Like,
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: if you guys think this is going to move the
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: needle or resonate with a subset of our crowd, then yeah,
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: let's put them up on the jumbo tront you know.
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  Speaker 4: So Yeah, being able to.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Just trust and know that this is that area is
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: not my specialty when it comes to like pop culture
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: gen z stuff that's happening. Yeah, but also knowing how
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: to surround myself with the people who are tapped into
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: that yeah, and know that they're going to get it right,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: you know, And so so that I mean, it's fun
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: because I don't have to think about a million things
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: like I used.
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: To, Yeah, like I used to, Yeah, which I'm sure
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: could get overwhelming and then perhaps be an easy avenue
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: for burnout. From the early days when you were doing
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: so much all at once, and also stepping back into
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: corporate life from working for yourself, how did you navigate
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: maybe the anxiety, the pressure, the inevitable burnout that comes
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: with doing it all.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: That's still a work in progress. I'm being completely honest.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: I think just because I have a bigger team now,
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: it doesn't mean that I'm still not overwhelmed at times
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: with work. And like before we started recording, I told
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: you that I'm like always trying to find that balance.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: And because our season is in the summer, I don't
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: have a traditional summer like everyone else.
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: Like this summer, I didn't take a vacation. I usually travel.
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: Didn't travel this summer, and so that's something that I'm
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: trying to still like navigate daily. I carve out moments
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: in the day. I try to work out every day.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: If I don't get it done in the morning, it
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: won't happen. And I know that about myself, so really
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: just prioritizing that hour in the morning to just like
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: get it in, make sure I get in a good sweat,
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: and then throughout the rest of the day it's like, Okay,
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: everything else will take care of itself and fall into place.
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: But I notice that if I don't.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: Prioritize working out in the morning, I just feel sluggish.
• 11:59
  Speaker 4: Attitude is off. I it's just like the vibes are
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: just low.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: It's just like I'm a very low vibrational person when
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: I don't work out.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: And so for me, I have.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: To prioritize that because not only it's not only for myself, but.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: It's more the people that I also interact with.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: You know, I want to just make sure like I'm
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: always showing up as my best self, and for me,
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: that is something that is really important.
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you have to put your own oxygen mask on first.
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: As like cliche as that can sound. It's not only
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: so that you can help yourself and show up for yourself,
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: but it's so that you can show up for your
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: other people.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: So it's been a very fun year for the Liberty Championships.
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: Last season, big season for the team again.
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: And as you said, so much has changed since you
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: joined the Liberty. When would you say was the tipping
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: point that you really felt like the w was starting
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: to get some more traction.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: So there are two moments that come to mind, and
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: I would say one was twenty twenty, and that was
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: the season that we played in the bubble, the WNBA bubble,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: and I was in the bubble for about a month
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: of that time, and that was the height of you know,
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: the protests and Black Lives Matter and Breonna Taylor, George
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: Floyd and also when Atlanta like flipped the Senate seat
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: for that Senate race in Atlanta, and so just social
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: justice was really at the forefront and seeing these athletes
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: use their platforms to really make noise about something that
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: mattered to them but was also better for our country
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: and for them to start to get the recognition and
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: the publicity around it, but not do it for that reason.
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: They just did it because I felt that it was right.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: That was a really pivotal moment I think in our
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: league's history and our story, and they've always had history
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: rooted and activism within this league. When you think about
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: the league being majority black women or women of color,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: you know a large queer LGBTQ plus population within the league.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: So being marginalized people, you can't stay silent about these issues, right,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: and so they recognize like there's a lot on the
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: line and just saying like e fit, we have to
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: use our platforms to speak up and for them to
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: really be united in that was really really special and powerful.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: So to be a part of that at that time,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: it was really meaningful. I mean, there were so many
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: nights in the bubble where it was just like such
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: an emotional time just because it was like, what are
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: we doing? How can we better use our platforms? As
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: someone who's not an athlete but understanding that I'm there
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: also for a purpose and how can I support you
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: in that? And not just liberty players at the time,
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: but just all of the players that were there, the
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: one hundred and forty four players that were there. So
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: that's a moment that really stands out to me and
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: then also for the Liberty specifically, we played our first
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: season in Brooklyn in twenty twenty one. Twenty twenty two,
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: we went to the playoffs and we played Chicago in
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: a series, and admittedly, when we went to Chicago on
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: the road for Game one, we didn't expect to win.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: They were just much better than us, and we ended
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: up stealing a win in Chicago, which then forced a
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: Game three back in Brooklyn, and we suddenly were like, Okay.
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: We have to sell tickets. We have to try to
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: fill this arena.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: And at the time we were able to get eight
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: thousand fans in the building. And I say get eight
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: thousand fans in the building because that wasn't all tickets sold.
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: It was some comps, you know, some sold, but it
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: wasn't just like all paid tickets, and it was such
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: an electrifying energy in the building, and it was just
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: so loud and so for context, eight thousand fans pretty
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: much filled the lower bowl in Barclay Center, so the
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: top was still curtained off.
• 16:12
  Speaker 4: But when we looked around and we saw a.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: Full lower bowl, that gave us a sense of what
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: was possible in Brooklyn. And then as we started to
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: look ahead to the twenty twenty three season. My goal
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: was just to carry that momentum into twenty twenty three
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: and really position the team as growing and fun to
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: watch and just have this team that just has this
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: buzz about it in Brooklyn. And so from that moment on,
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: we knew that we had something great and we were
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: really building something wonderful and we were on the right path.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: And then we also had a really special free agency
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: that summer or that off season we were able to
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: sign while we traded for JJ and we signed Rihanna
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: Stewart or Stewie, and we also signed Courtney van der Slute,
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: so that also helped. But I would say that those
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: two moments were the ones for me.
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't even imagine what it had to be
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: like being in the bubble, which will be the word
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: I use now moving forward. And it's so interesting to
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: me now hearing you say we wanted to portray this
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: team as something that was electric and exciting, and so
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: then I think about what it's got to be like
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: to be you, Shana and to be like, Okay, I
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: know that this is my goal. How do I do
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: this right? How do I what balls do I put
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: in motion? Who am I talking to? What am I creating? Like?
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: How does your head go about that type of problem solving?
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's working really closely with our game presentation
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: team and a lot of what and I know you
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: come to our games regularly, so a lot of what
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: you experience at our games today existed. Then it's just
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: like you know, ten times amplified. Yeah, it's just amplify
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: just because now there's twice as many fans in the
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: building every game. But a lot of it is just
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: like really being in tune with the DJ, our game director,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: understanding what songs to tap into. And again it goes
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: back to that trust, right, So me being the person
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: that kind of leads it all and has this vision
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: of how it should all come together, being able to
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: effectively communicate that in a way that they understand and
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: it translates for them to be able to execute. I'm
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: not a DJ, you know, I can't tap into the
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: songs at the right moments, but we have someone who can,
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: and he understands the type of vibe, the type of
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: music that we want in the building when to hit
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: those moments. Because it's something that we've discussed over time,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: and if there are moments where it feels off, I
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: send a text like midgame like h please don't play
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: that song again, you know, or not at that moment,
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: and so all of us have to really stay in
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: in communication around that. And then obviously, like Ellie's team
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: is a huge part in that. Christia Long, who's our
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: senior director of entertainment. She manages Ellie and the entertainment team,
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: so timeless torches, torch patrol and little torches, and she
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: also does it for the nets and the Long Island nets.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: But she's so talented and so we can talk about
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: Ellie should perform as Nicki Minaj for a home opener,
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: and that's all, you know, that's the conversation between the
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: two of us, and then she just goes and executes
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: however she feels like it'll come to life and then
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: I'll come in and like look at it and be like, yeah,
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: this looks great, or you know, for halftime performances during
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: the playoffs. We understand the type of vibe we want
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: in the arena. We want there to be a party.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: We wanted to feel very New York. We wanted to
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: feel intimidating for our opponents, and so you know, collectively
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: will id eight around. How does that, you know, transform?
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: How does that all come together? So everyone is completely
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: bought in, Everyone understands their role. Everyone stays in their lane,
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: so there's not people trying to do jobs that is
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: someone else's. And I think, you know, that's why we
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: have so much success on our team, because there is
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: a lot of trust there and a lot of respect
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: for you know what everyone else brings to the table.
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: So cool, you've mentioned Ellie. We must tap into Ellie
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: at least briefly, right now. Ellie short for Ellie the Elephant,
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: also a reference to Ellis Island, Ellie the Elephant, elephants
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: crossing the Brooklyn.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: Bridge right back in the days of P. T. Barnum
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: and Bailey.
• 20:36
  Speaker 3: And so I take a step back and I think
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: about the thought process and the people in the room.
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: So when you were throwing around ideas for Ellie, when
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: did you know you hit the nail.
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: On the head.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: It didn't happen in that early phase because when we
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: when we started ideating around a mascot, we were still
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: in Westchester, and then the pandemic hit and then that
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: put a pause on everything.
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: So we really didn't start. We didn't really.
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: Resume planning Ellie until the latter part of twenty twenty
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: as we started to head into the twenty twenty one season.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: But even then, we were still dealing with a lot
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: of the after effects of COVID. You know, we were
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: testing fans every day, and our entertainment teams couldn't even
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: perform on the court, and so we built a stage
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: in like one of the end zones where that's where
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: they were performing. And so we had a subset of
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: fans who were loyal to the Liberty but also really
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: loved our previous mascot, Maddie. And so, you know, because
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: Ellie wasn't able to really perform in the way that
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: we know her to today, it took some time for
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: us to figure out, you know, who is this mascot
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: going to be, Like, what is she going to be
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: most known for? And so even with the costume, like
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: Ellie's look has evolved over the years, and a lot
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: of that just comes through her just trying new things,
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: and we realized, like she's an amazing dancer, and the
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: weight of the costume was inhibiting her ability to really
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: perform in the capacity that she wanted that, we wanted
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: that fans could really connect with. And so it's really
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: just been, you know, an evolution. I think when Carti
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: B tweeted about Ellie because at the time, Ellie had
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: done a TikTok dance to Bongo, one of Cardi B's
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: songs from a few years back, and she says something
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: like that elephant ate me up. It was it was
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: something to add effect. And then Billboard picked up Carti's
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: tweet turned it into a headline and a story about Ellie.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: And then that's when I was like, wow, like this
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: is this is different. And then you know, since that moment,
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: She's danced on stage with Sierra at Sierra's concert, She's
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: collaborated with Justin Timberlake when he was at Barclay Center.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: She's performed with Little Kim at our basketball game. You know.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: So Ellie can do it all.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: And I don't even think that we've reached the capacity
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: or limits around what Ellie is capable of.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: I think there's still so much more for us to explore.
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: It is so fun to see how she has evolved
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: in like Ellie getting partnerships.
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: I'm like, shoot, Ellie's making the bag Ellie.
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: Is getting to the bag.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it started when she started to
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: dress in more fashion forward looks in the Tunnel and
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: she wore the tel Far bag and everyone went crazy
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: over that, just because what tel Far represents and you know, culture,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: and the fact that she pulled it off in the
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: way that she did it was just.
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: Like it blew everyone's mind. But yeah, you know, we.
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: Announced a partnership with se Nails and they signed Ellie
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: or I don't I can't remember the official term, but
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: it was like she's like the first ambassador of their brand,
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: and they approached us and said, you know, asked us
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: to consider putting nails on Ellie's costume. We didn't even hesitate, honestly,
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: because it's just again the evolution of her look.
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: She's just so glamorous.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: She's walks red carpets and worn gowns, and it just
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: felt like, yeah, this is a natural next step for her,
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: so yes, let's talk about it. She has, you know,
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: helped us launch our away partnership. So it's just really
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: fun to work with brands and partners who are also
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: thinking out of the box and not afraid to try
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: new things and really understand who we are as a brand,
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: who Ellie is as an asset to us as an influencer,
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: and we just get to try so many cool things.
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: Taking a break from Jday's episode to talk to you
• 24:52
  Speaker 3: about my sponsor at Element, stay hydrated without the sugar,
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• 25:35
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• 25:39
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• 25:42
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• 25:45
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• 25:59
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• 26:06
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• 26:19
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• 26:21
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• 26:39
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• 26:43
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• 26:50
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• 26:57
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• 27:01
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• 27:04
  Speaker 2: It's vibrant.
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: It's bright, like papaya and passion fruit. It's for people
• 27:07
  Speaker 3: that really want a louder flavor. Citrus my go to.
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: It's sweet and tangy, tastes like orange, lemon berry is
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• 27:17
  Speaker 3: like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and for many it's a fan favorite,
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: and of course can't leave out the original. It's got
• 27:25
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• 27:31
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• 27:41
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• 27:44
  Speaker 3: in my body and makes me feel more energized and
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• 27:57
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• 28:18
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• 28:20
  Speaker 2: Let's get back to it. I want to go back.
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: To talking about Shana and speaking about not being afraid
• 28:35
  Speaker 3: to try new things. So you did work at ESPN
• 28:38
  Speaker 3: for a considerable amount of time and then you tried
• 28:40
  Speaker 3: a new thing, which was going out on your own.
• 28:43
  Speaker 3: Talk to me about how that felt for a little
• 28:45
  Speaker 3: while being your own boss, and if that felt at
• 28:49
  Speaker 3: the time like it was something that really resonated with you.
• 28:52
  Speaker 4: It did at the time.
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: So I was at ESPN for three years and I
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: felt like that was long enough. It was long enough
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: for me, and I remember telling my parents and my
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: brother when I was considering leaving. I was like, I
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: think I'm going to quit and I want to start
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: my own thing. And even my friends everyone's reaction was like, what,
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: you know, who leaves ESPN. That's everyone's dream job. And
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: my reaction was, yeah, it was my dream job too
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: until it wasn't. And I don't want to stay somewhere
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: just because of you know, it's ESPN. I had a
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: mentor at a time, and she and This is something
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: that I still live by today, and it's also something
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: that I share a lot when I speak publicly. And
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: she said, use the letters, don't let the letters use you.
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: And you think about working for ESPN or working for Google,
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: working for Apple, working for Nike, like these, you know,
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: amazing brands that everyone wants to be a part of,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: or say like I'm the insert whatever title here at
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: this company, and you realize though you're unhappy every day,
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: you know, every time my phone would buzz, I would
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: get like a.
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: Pit in my stomach, and I was like, I can't
• 30:13
  Speaker 4: live this way.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: So I knew I had to make a change for
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: myself in order to really feel fulfilled in the work
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: that I was doing, and I also wanted to be
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: It was also about impact, and I just felt like
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: there was a ceiling and I wasn't really able to
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: contribute that much.
• 30:31
  Speaker 4: There, and I was just like, it's just time to go.
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: And I also read the room in terms of seeing
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: how people who had been at the company didn't necessarily
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: there weren't really opportunities for them to grow. There were
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: a lot of lateral movement, but that was about it.
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: And I was like, I'm not going to be stuck here,
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: and so I made the decision to leave and start
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: my own. At the time, it was a sports marketing company,
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: and I had previously worked in fashion, and so the
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: vision was to be an image consultant who not only
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: helped athletes with their marketing and endorsements, but also like
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: styling and image and branding. And this was in twenty ten,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: in twenty eleven, and the NFL was on a lockout
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: at the time, and the NBA was on a lockout
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: at the time, and women athletes were way more underpaid
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: than the now, and so the timing of it just
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: wasn't great for me and my brother, who's also an entrepreneur,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: and my family like, we're very direct, we do not
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: sugarcoat anything. So my brother was like, this is not
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: working for you, you know. And at the time, I
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: also started a blog where I was just like writing
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: about sports in New York and sports culture in the
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: intersection of those two things, and that really started to
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: present itself as being more lucrative for me in a
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: way that the marketing agency part of the business wasn't.
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: And my brother was like, I think you should like
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: lean into this and put that on hold for now
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: and like, let's just go all in. And he supported
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: me in terms of like helping to fund a lot
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: of the production stuff that I creative ideas that I
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: had around video series and recording a podcast.
• 32:31
  Speaker 4: And all of that, and so he was like.
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: Super supportive in that and it helped open a lot
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: of doors for me. Eventually, ESPN hired me back as
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: a writer. I wrote a couple you know features for
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Bleacher Report. I was asked to go on air to
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: be a talking head around you know, issues related to
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: sports or sports activism or sports and culture, you know,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: just hot topics.
• 32:57
  Speaker 4: And that opened up a lot of doors for me.
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: And then as a result of that, I was able
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: to work my way back into sports marketing and I
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: was started to consult and so I was just like
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: juggling all of these things and.
• 33:12
  Speaker 4: It was fun. You know.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: It was a grind financially, you know, I initially had
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: a savings and then you blow.
• 33:20
  Speaker 4: Through that so much faster than you think.
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: I remember when I would pitch clients, I'd take them
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: to dinner and then eventually it turned into lunch and
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: then eventually just turned into coffee, you know, because I
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: was like I can't spend two hundred dollars on taking
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: this person to dinner and it yields nothing, you know,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: So I just had to.
• 33:41
  Speaker 4: Be smarter about it. Would I live in Harlem, so.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: I would walk over to Columbia and use their law
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: school lobby because they had AC and I didn't want
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: to use the AC in my apartment.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: Dude.
• 33:59
  Speaker 3: I had a cousin when I was like a young
• 34:02
  Speaker 3: entrepreneur I'd say, like nine years ago, and he worked
• 34:06
  Speaker 3: for we Work, and so he gifted me like a
• 34:10
  Speaker 3: hot desk membership where I could go into the Wee
• 34:12
  Speaker 3: Works and work. And it was such a gift because
• 34:14
  Speaker 3: I also couldn't afford to run my air conditioning all
• 34:17
  Speaker 3: the time and work from home, and so I was
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: popping in and out of we Works like I mean,
• 34:20
  Speaker 3: it was my job.
• 34:21
  Speaker 2: I was living inside who we Work.
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: So you get really creative in terms of like, Okay,
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: I really need to stretch this twenty dollars for the
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: next two weeks, So where can I cut? Because I
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: wasn't making money, you know, but I still had rent
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: to pay. I also still wanted to have somewhat of
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: a life and be with my friends. But I remember
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: you know, they would go on vacations and the invitation
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: stopped because they knew I just didn't have it.
• 34:50
  Speaker 4: And it was a moment where it was like.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, guys, just don't even bother asking because I don't
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: have it. But I was happy. You know, it didn't
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: matter that I wasn't making money. I was so fulfilled
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: in what I was doing, and I was so committed
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: to living and walking in my purpose that I knew
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: that eventually it will work out for me.
• 35:13
  Speaker 4: And my parents didn't understand.
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: You know, I was writing one day, I was hosting
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: a podcast another day, I was on air doing something
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: another day, and not all of those opportunities were paid opportunities.
• 35:27
  Speaker 4: I was also like an adjunct professor.
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: I was doing so many things, but it was all
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: related to women in sports or sports activism, so there
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: was a common theme. And that's where I was really
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: able to just like establish.
• 35:43
  Speaker 4: A name and a brand for myself.
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: And then people started to associate me with that and
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: really respect me for like put in the work in
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: and paying my dues, especially at a time when you know.
• 35:55
  Speaker 4: Think about that that's like fifteen years.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: Ago, being on and quote unquote like the Forefront of
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: women's sports in a league that's now turning thirty next season.
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: People didn't care about the WNBA or women's sports period
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: fifteen years ago. So now when people who know me
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: from then see where I am today, they're like, well,
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: you've been doing this, you know for years. You've been
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: making a name for yourself and telling people for years
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: and no one listens. So everyone is really happy that
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: it's like paid off for me. But I mean I
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: didn't care about that. Like for me, it was really
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: just like this is where I really where I feel
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: called to be, and so whether I was making one
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars or one thousand dollars, I was really committed.
• 36:46
  Speaker 4: To that at the time.
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: And so I'm happy, you know, obviously with the growth
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: and the trajectory of women's sports and that I'm still
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: a part of it, you know, as it's being celebrated
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: in the way that it is.
• 36:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so awesome and wonderful to see that you
• 37:04
  Speaker 3: really stood in your purpose and your passions and you
• 37:07
  Speaker 3: were able to follow that along your path to happiness.
• 37:10
  Speaker 3: I always talk to people when they asked me about
• 37:13
  Speaker 3: being an entrepreneur, and they're saying, like I'm not sure
• 37:15
  Speaker 3: what to do, and I say, all right, I want
• 37:17
  Speaker 3: you to make a column A, a column B, and
• 37:19
  Speaker 3: a column C. And A is all the stuff you're
• 37:21
  Speaker 3: doing right now that you absolutely love, and B is
• 37:24
  Speaker 3: the stuff you're doing right now that's like fine and
• 37:26
  Speaker 3: you don't mind it. And C is the stuff that probably,
• 37:28
  Speaker 3: like right when you begin, like you're doing a lot
• 37:30
  Speaker 3: of stuff in C you don't want to be doing
• 37:32
  Speaker 3: it at all, but like that's the stuff that maybe
• 37:34
  Speaker 3: that pays the bills. When you were in this period
• 37:37
  Speaker 3: of flux and working for yourself, what would you say
• 37:40
  Speaker 3: was the most in column A?
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: Hmmm, I think it was using my voice like a
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: like establishing my voice and using it in a.
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: Way that amplified others voices.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: Why I started writing, or why I started my blog
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: was because you know, sports media was largely white male,
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: and growing up, I wasn't an athlete, but I consume
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: sports like no one's business, like avid sports fans. So
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: I would read the newspaper, read magazines, I would watch
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: all the sports documentaries. I would listen to sports talk
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: radio on the car with my dad. In the car
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: with my dad and my brother, we constantly would debate it.
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: I watched every sport you could imagine, and I just
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: noticed that the coverage was always very slanted. The tone
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: of it also had a lot of microaggressions in it,
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: and it lacked humanity towards majority black athletes, men or women,
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: and I just felt it just didn't make me feel great,
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: and I felt like what was missing was a voice,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: someone who could really humanize these athletes. And while my
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: little corner of the internet, you know, was so tiny,
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: I was like, I don't care if one person reads
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: one of my stories and tells someone about it or
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: it makes them think differently about an athlete than I
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: feel like it's worth it. And so that was something
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: that I was really really proud of. And everything that
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: I wrote wasn't heavy, you know, like I would write
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: about which athletes showed up at the met Gala, which
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: this may Stewie JJ and Sabrina and Clara Wussai who
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: owns The Liberty, they all attended the met Gala. So
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: that was like a complete full circle moment for me.
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: But it was like, you know, just like tapping into
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: that intersection of sports and culture, regardless of how that
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: showed up, whether it was fashion or music or art,
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: whatever it was, the business side of sports was also
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: really important to me in highlighting the discrepancies between me
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: sports and women's sports, but then also just covering, you know,
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: stories through a lens of a black woman in America
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: and understand how racism is prevalent and a lot of
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: the way that the media covers sports, and so being
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: someone who would speak out about that. So that was
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: something that I was extremely passionate about and ultimately why
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: I said yes to working for the New York Liberty
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: because the values of the organization really reflected who I
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: am as a black woman, and that was special for
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: me to be able to show up at work and
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: not feel like I had to be silent about who
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: I am or you know, even my ability to wear
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: my hair the way that I do and in its
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: natural state. Like when I worked at ESPN, I didn't
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: feel like I had that freedom. And it's not because
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: anyone said anything to me. I just didn't feel like
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: I could truly show up the way that I do
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: today then, And so that I would say was like
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: really what inspired me to get up every single day
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: and you know, I would be up watching sports until
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: like one o'clock in the morning because like those ten
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: PM games, which, by the way, did you hear that
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: they're going to be airing NBA games at eleven pm?
• 41:20
  Speaker 2: Absolutely not that absolutely not.
• 41:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's insane.
• 41:25
  Speaker 2: Well you know what less fans for the NBA.
• 41:27
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I can't. I will not be saying watching those games.
• 41:31
  Speaker 4: Why it's crazy.
• 41:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: And then I would like wake up at five am
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: every morning because I wanted to get my blog posted before,
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: you know, so it would be ready on people's morning
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: commutes or whatever. And so I was only getting like
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: four hours of sleep at night. But it mattered to
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: me because you know, it's you know, as you know,
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: it's like all about consistency. And there were days that
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: I did not want to show up, or I wanted
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: to stay asleep, or I didn't feel like there was
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: any I didn't feel inspired to write.
• 42:01
  Speaker 4: But I was just like, all right, I just have
• 42:03
  Speaker 4: to do it.
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: You know, I can't skip a day because I don't
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: want people to forget about me or Yeah. So I
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: would say that that that was probably like what was
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: primarily in my alumn Yeah, my column is.
• 42:18
  Speaker 3: You know, early on in the podcast, a mentor of
• 42:20
  Speaker 3: mindset something that was so valuable to me. He said,
• 42:23
  Speaker 3: just make sure you give your audience a realistic expectation
• 42:26
  Speaker 3: of when you'll be around. So, if you're someone and
• 42:30
  Speaker 3: this is like a common issue with podcasting and why
• 42:32
  Speaker 3: so many of them just don't survive, it's because someone
• 42:34
  Speaker 3: gets very excited about the beginning and they realize that
• 42:37
  Speaker 3: the reason that they started the show wasn't really rooted
• 42:40
  Speaker 3: in themselves at all. It was for external validation or
• 42:44
  Speaker 3: external reasons. So the goal is to be consistent and
• 42:48
  Speaker 3: say like, Okay, if I'm going to launch this podcast
• 42:50
  Speaker 3: and say like I only have the maybe actual bandwidth
• 42:53
  Speaker 3: and then emotional bandwidth to do it every other Monday,
• 42:56
  Speaker 3: then stick to every other Monday, right until you feel
• 43:00
  Speaker 3: like you can have a reasonable expectation that, Okay, maybe
• 43:02
  Speaker 3: I'm going to try doing it every Monday or then
• 43:04
  Speaker 3: twice a week or whatever feels right for you. You
• 43:06
  Speaker 3: want to make sure that you're giving your audience a
• 43:08
  Speaker 3: reasonable expectation of when you're going to show up, and
• 43:11
  Speaker 3: so I can really relate to you when you say,
• 43:13
  Speaker 3: like I wanted to show up every morning, like that
• 43:15
  Speaker 3: felt right for me. That's what I was conveying for me.
• 43:19
  Speaker 3: Now I also really appreciate this acknowledgment of your values
• 43:24
  Speaker 3: and that you have put in a certain amount of
• 43:28
  Speaker 3: work to understand what it is that is important to you.
• 43:32
  Speaker 3: And then we're able to take a step back and
• 43:34
  Speaker 3: look at the liberty opportunity and say, this really aligns
• 43:38
  Speaker 3: with who I am. Talk to me about how you
• 43:40
  Speaker 3: were able to discern that, because I think that a
• 43:43
  Speaker 3: lot of people might struggle with that when it comes
• 43:47
  Speaker 3: to choosing a job that's a fit for them, their values,
• 43:50
  Speaker 3: their lifestyle. Right, So what was it about this opportunity
• 43:54
  Speaker 3: specifically that you felt like.
• 43:56
  Speaker 2: Really aligned with you?
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: So I never thought I would go back to corporate
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: in America. I thought I can't imagine it myself. So
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: I hear you, Yeah, I never thought I would go
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: back to corporate America. I thought I would work for
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: myself forever. Again, my brother is an entrepreneur and he's
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: worked for himself for about twenty years. My mom and
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: dad have had their own businesses here and there.
• 44:19
  Speaker 4: They're both retired now. But so that was something.
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: That was modeled for me, and I thought that I
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: would just follow in those footsteps. But then I also
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: had to be honest with myself as I often as
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: I always try to be, and I was like, chasing
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: checks is exhausting, you know, and not having insurance is
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: not great, you know. So I really had to sit
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: and think about what mattered to me. And as you
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: get older, your value shift and you have to be
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: honest about Okay, yeah, yesterday I cared about being able
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: to sleep in and make my own schedule.
• 45:01
  Speaker 4: Today not so much.
• 45:03
  Speaker 2: You know.
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: Or you get to a point where you can be
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: a little bit more flexible with your schedule, not in
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: the same way that you could have before, but there
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: still is an opportunity for that. And so I reached
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: a point where I also wanted to. For me, has
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: always been about impact, and so when I thought about
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: the New York Liberty opportunity and understood that they were
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: being relocated and up and were put up for sale
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: and that ultimately the goal was to get them to Brooklyn,
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: even though at the time there was no not even
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: an owner. So when I came on board in twenty
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: eighteen as a consultant, Kia Clark, our CEO, was still
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: interviewing prospective owners and we didn't know who was going
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: to come and purchase the Liberty, but she told me, like,
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: the goal is to get this team sold and bought
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: by someone who will keep them in New York and
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: hopefully bring them to Brooklyn. So that was something that
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: was exciting to me because it was a challenge and
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: I love marketing women's sports, and as someone who's from
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: New York. At the time, there were probably about four
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: or five players on the team who were actually from
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: New York. So the idea of being able to market
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: and rebrand a team that's from New York and it
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: has about four or five players who live in New
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: York on the team, like that was super exciting to me.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: By the time we actually got to Brooklyn, the makeup
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: of the team was so different than what it was
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: when I signed on, but it didn't matter, Like I
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: was completely bought in, And I just also was really
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: excited about the challenge of just re establishing the identity
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: for this original franchise in the WNBA. I recognize like
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: this is kind of a once in a life opportunity,
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: lifetime opportunity and you really only get to do it
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: one time, you know, and we had to get it right.
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: And at the time, I'm like Kean and I were
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: like the only two employees. I think we also had
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: like someone from sales who actually are ticketing, who's actually
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: still with us, But from just thinking about how we
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: wanted to show up in Brooklyn, it was just the
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: two of us making these big decisions, and ownership just
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: trusted us, and that's what it also felt, right like
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: she respected my expertise and my judgment and she just
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: trusted me to just lead and go and.
• 47:32
  Speaker 4: That was great for me.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: So I still felt like I had the autonomy as
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: I did when I was an entrepreneur. You know, I
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: obviously had to like run things past her for approval,
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: but I was fine with that. And also she gets it,
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: like she understands like what my vision is and the
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: identity that I was proposing for the team and the organization.
• 47:56
  Speaker 4: She was on board with it.
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: So it was really just a matter of her trusting
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: me and and just like because she has so many
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: other things to focus on, and so for me that mattered.
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: I didn't feel at the time that I was like
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: going back into this major corporate culture just because it
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: we were such a small and nimble team and we
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: still are a pretty small team when you compare the
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: number of dedicated Liberty employees to the number of dedicated
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: NETS employees. So we still very much have like this
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: entrepreneurial startup spirit about us, which is something that I love,
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: you know. So it's not corporate. It's not suit and tie,
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: you know, like we all show up to work.
• 48:44
  Speaker 4: In Jean's and j's or you know, it's just like
• 48:49
  Speaker 4: a hoodie, you know.
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: So it's like a very dressed down culture, which you
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: would what you would expect in sport. And it just
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: suited who I was and where I was at that
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: time in my life when I made that decision.
• 49:00
  Speaker 2: Two things to double click on.
• 49:01
  Speaker 3: One, how does it make you feel that there is
• 49:04
  Speaker 3: such a discrepancy between the let's just say sheer numbers
• 49:08
  Speaker 3: of the people that work for the Liberty Organization versus
• 49:10
  Speaker 3: the NETS organization.
• 49:12
  Speaker 4: I think it's okay.
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: Actually, like we have a small but mighty team and
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: we are able to draw in resources from the NETS.
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: So we have organizationally what we refer to as the platform.
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: So there's like the platform that sits across various functions
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: and then they support the departments within the organization and.
• 49:36
  Speaker 4: It's it's fine, Like.
• 49:37
  Speaker 2: We what I'm hearing you say, is you feel like
• 49:39
  Speaker 2: you have the resources that you need.
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: I do, yeah, And that's something that ownership has been
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: great about since the beginning. When, like I mentioned, when
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: I started, I was a team of one and I
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: did everything and now on like my marketing team specifically
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: who touches the brand every day, I would say it's
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: about maybe under fifteen people across graphic designers to content,
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: to social to brand. You so, and then when I
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: zoom out a little bit more and think about game press,
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: there's even more.
• 50:11
  Speaker 4: So I feel like very well supported.
• 50:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I love that.
• 50:14
  Speaker 3: You also said that you feel really excited and purposeful
• 50:18
  Speaker 3: with the work, but that doesn't mean that it always
• 50:20
  Speaker 3: feels easy to do it. Over the last eight years,
• 50:24
  Speaker 3: what would you say personally has been the biggest challenge
• 50:28
  Speaker 3: for you as you've really poured yourself into this opportunity.
• 50:35
  Speaker 3: For me, like, I'll give you an example, over the
• 50:37
  Speaker 3: last eight years, as I've been building solo, I have
• 50:40
  Speaker 3: not at all like prioritized my personal life. And it
• 50:44
  Speaker 3: is not lost on me that it probably makes sense
• 50:47
  Speaker 3: that my last serious boyfriend was literally eight years ago.
• 50:50
  Speaker 3: So while I am making a conscious effort right now
• 50:53
  Speaker 3: to date.
• 50:54
  Speaker 2: More and like put myself out there.
• 50:56
  Speaker 3: I do think that between like my personal life and
• 50:59
  Speaker 3: dating and then other I have let certain things fall
• 51:01
  Speaker 3: by the wayside because I've been so.
• 51:03
  Speaker 2: All in on my career. Yeah, I can relate to that.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, my last serious relationship now was about three years ago.
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: And I think the reason we and we were together
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: for about three years, and I think the reason that
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: we're no longer together is because I am very into work.
• 51:20
  Speaker 4: Also, I don't.
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: Know how to like be soft at home, you know,
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: because I am responsible for a lot at work.
• 51:31
  Speaker 4: When I come.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Home, I bring work home, and I don't necessarily know
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: how to just like shut that out and just be
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: a girlfriend or a partner or whatever.
• 51:42
  Speaker 4: And I think it became challenging and our relationship. I
• 51:45
  Speaker 4: also have.
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: Experienced in previous relationships men who are intimidated by women
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: who are successful and have strong personalities. And I've had
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: male friends tell me you look like you have it
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: all together, you know, and men need to feel needed,
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: and I'm just like.
• 52:06
  Speaker 2: I'm just sitting here really right, I'm sorry. What never
• 52:10
  Speaker 2: makes the internet? I'm just like biggest iroll.
• 52:13
  Speaker 3: Yeah, So I think that's what makes you great. I
• 52:17
  Speaker 3: do and I understand. I do think that there can
• 52:21
  Speaker 3: be space for both. I believe that it is amazing
• 52:26
  Speaker 3: and wonderful to be someone who is I like these
• 52:30
  Speaker 3: things this kind of way, and I am used to
• 52:32
  Speaker 3: working hard and I bring that home with me. And
• 52:35
  Speaker 3: also there's something to be said for allowing yourself the
• 52:38
  Speaker 3: grace to be soft, and that is something that I too,
• 52:42
  Speaker 3: have really been.
• 52:43
  Speaker 2: Working on over the last few years.
• 52:45
  Speaker 3: Personally, I've seen a lot of benefit from working to
• 52:48
  Speaker 3: embrace that. Do I think that that puts me ultimately
• 52:53
  Speaker 3: in maybe a better position to find someone to be with,
• 52:56
  Speaker 3: because I'm willing to open that up a little bit,
• 52:58
  Speaker 3: probably probably down the line.
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: And I think like one thing that I try to
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: prioritize now is even being softer with myself, you know
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: what I mean, like romanticizing the little things in life.
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: I watch Tracy Ellis Ross's solo travel series and I
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: am a big solo traveler, and it was just so
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: inspiring to see her be herself and you know, take
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: herself out on dates and you know what I mean,
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: and just like enjoy her own time. And I'm the
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: same way. Sometimes I think I enjoy my my personal
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: time too much. And that's why I'm like, Okay, I'm
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: off you, you know, I don't need to be with you.
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: And then I also watch Megan Markle series, which I love,
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: and just the way that she creates her bouquets of.
• 53:51
  Speaker 4: Flowers and goes to her garden, you know.
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: So it's like finding those moments in this chaotic New
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: York city where I I can just like romanticize the
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: little things and aspects of my life, cooking.
• 54:06
  Speaker 4: Cleaning, like whatever.
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: It is, just lighting a candle while I'm cleaning the bathroom,
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: you know, just like those little things that allow me
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: to just like be softer in my day to day
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: so that, you know, when I eventually meet my man,
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: it's easy for me to do that because I've already
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: been doing that for myself.
• 54:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 54:25
  Speaker 3: Less centering men, more like what feels good for us,
• 54:28
  Speaker 3: Yeah exactly.
• 54:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, what would you say right now?
• 54:32
  Speaker 3: Is really exciting you about what's coming up the pipe?
• 54:35
  Speaker 2: Down the pipe for the Liberty.
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: The regular season's ending soon, so hopefully that means another
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: championship run. That's something that I'm really excited about, I think,
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: you know, just being able to experience that for the
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: first time last year we didn't know what we were doing,
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: and we like, you know, we went to the finals
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: in twenty twenty four, we didn't or in twenty twenty three,
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: rather we didn't win, so we like started to put
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: a little bit.
• 55:03
  Speaker 4: Of the pieces of the puzzle together.
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: But being able to see it all through last season
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: really opened our eyes. And so if we have the
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: good fortune of repeating, we are ready and we know
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: what to do. And I think, you know, the city
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: showed up for us last season and so excited to
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: see even more of the city turn out for us.
• 55:22
  Speaker 4: So that's something that is extremely high on my list
• 55:25
  Speaker 4: right now.
• 55:25
  Speaker 2: How did that feel for you last year?
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: When so gratifying, so gratifying, I you know, it's one
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: as a New York sports fan just understanding like what
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: sports represents in this city and the fact that we
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: had never won in franchise history, so to be part
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: of the team that does it, you know, and brings
• 55:46
  Speaker 1: a championship, brings a WNBA championship to New York, like
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: I can't even really put that into words.
• 55:53
  Speaker 4: And then also my family was around to be a
• 55:56
  Speaker 4: part of.
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: It, like they're you know, huge Liberty fans and for
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: them to be able to experience that with me was
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: really special. And then also just like we're like the
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: Liberty Squad like outside of the players, like, but the
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: business and the basketball operations teams, we're so close and we.
• 56:15
  Speaker 2: Really have a family friendly environment.
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: So the team and the players are able to travel
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: with their spouses or their kids or their parents. And
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: we also welcome our immediate family to be a part
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: of us as we're like all because they they sacrifice
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: so much for us to do what we're able to do.
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: So it's nice that at the height of the moment,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: we're able to invite them to be a part of that.
• 56:43
  Speaker 4: So that's something that is really exciting.
• 56:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I would imagine that a. I think that's awesome
• 56:50
  Speaker 3: that everyone can be integrated. Yeah, But also because of
• 56:53
  Speaker 3: the closeness of your relationships at work, I would also
• 56:57
  Speaker 3: imagine that at times that can be really challenging because
• 57:00
  Speaker 3: there is business to do. Yeah, and sometimes it's like okay, well,
• 57:04
  Speaker 3: in a regular friendship, you're like, well, I don't want
• 57:06
  Speaker 3: to hurt your feelings.
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: I don't think we Yeah, So we're very honest with
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: each other. I think, like I mentioned, the culture that
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: we've established is very entrepreneurial. Kia and I our offices
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: are right next do her to each other, and all
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: we do is laugh all day.
• 57:23
  Speaker 2: We just have the absolute best time at work.
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: But we're actually getting work done, like we're actually talking
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: about real important things that matter. But we just have
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: so much fun that we're constantly laughing all day. So,
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: you know, and I'm not afraid to throw out a
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: bad idea and she tell me no, or Morgan, our
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: VP of bops tell me no, or Sharen who's our
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: comms person, might throw out an idea and I'm.
• 57:49
  Speaker 4: Like, no, We're not doing that, you know.
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: So to be able to just like cut through the
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: bs immediately and say no, but what about this, or
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: you know, let's maybe approach it this way, so we
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: just have a ton of fun together.
• 58:04
  Speaker 2: I love that. Yeah, you mentioned that.
• 58:06
  Speaker 3: You know, sometimes you can be seen as someone that
• 58:09
  Speaker 3: is hard and very involved in your work and what
• 58:12
  Speaker 3: you do. But when you look in the mirror, what
• 58:15
  Speaker 3: is it that you see looking back at you?
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: Shana, Oh my goodness, I see someone who was brave
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: and courageous and not afraid to bet on herself, like
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: someone who really believed in herself, took risks and trusted
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: that it would be okay. Like I led with faith,
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: I didn't always have the answers. I didn't always see
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: the light at the end of the tunnel. But I
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: just like trusted in God and trusted in myself, and
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: I'm proud of myself for that, as you should be.
• 58:47
  Speaker 3: Right now, you have an opportunity to offer yourself a
• 58:49
  Speaker 3: piece of advice. Going back to let's say, when you
• 58:52
  Speaker 3: told your friends to stop inviting you on the trips.
• 58:54
  Speaker 2: You were like, Yo, we're just in it.
• 58:56
  Speaker 3: Right now, and this is what we're doing and it
• 58:58
  Speaker 3: wasn't always fun, but you we're walking in your purpose
• 59:01
  Speaker 3: knowing what you know. Now, what advice would you give
• 59:04
  Speaker 3: to yourself during that hurdle moment?
• 59:07
  Speaker 4: Just be patient, Be patient.
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: Something that I always share with younger audiences is that
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: the dots always connect right. So it's not linear, it's
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: not a straight line. There are detours along the way,
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: there are stop signs.
• 59:24
  Speaker 2: You're going to.
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: Trip and fall, You're going to hear a lot of nose,
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: way more nose than the yes is. But if you
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: really are tapped into your purpose and where you truly
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: believe your call to be, then the dots will always connect,
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: so you just have to be patient and trust.
• 59:40
  Speaker 2: Be patient and trust.
• 59:42
  Speaker 3: You said before that at one time at ESPN it
• 59:44
  Speaker 3: was your dream job. Would you say that right now
• 59:46
  Speaker 3: you have your dream job? Yes, Can you imagine another
• 59:49
  Speaker 3: dream job?
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: No?
• 59:51
  Speaker 2: I love that, Yeah, I love that. Shana.
• 59:53
  Speaker 3: So happy to have you here on Hurdle for those
• 59:55
  Speaker 3: that want to keep up with you, that want to
• 59:56
  Speaker 3: follow along with you?
• 59:57
  Speaker 2: Where do we find you?
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: On the Internet is where I'm most active, and my
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: I G handle is at It's Shane Rene I T
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: S S H A N A R E N E E.
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 2: And then of course she's hanging out at the Barclays time.
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm at Barclay Center all the time, so any
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: Liberty game.
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 3: She's a woman of the people. I'm over at Emilia
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 3: Body and at Hurdle Podcast. Another Hurdle conquered. Catch you
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 3: guys next time