Women Leaders in Sports Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 90: Jennifer Strawley Aug 23, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Jenn Strawley, Deputy Director of Athletics, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Miami. Jenn started her career as an NCAA intern back when it was located in KANSAS CITY, which is where our paths first crossed, and then spent 3 years in administration at Columbia before returning to the NCAA. It is Jenn's passion for working directly with student-athletes that led her to her current position at the University of Miami in 2012, where she capitalized on a great opportunity in a changing, and at the time, challenging environment. In our conversation, Jenn talks about her role overseeing football at a Power 5 institution, and she provides realistic advice for women looking to get into football oversight – I'll give you a hint – who you work for matters. She also talks about her passion around building a culture of support for women's athletics at Miami! And we of course touch on leading during a crisis. Jenn has been in the unique position to lead through both Hurricane Irma and the COVID-19 pandemic. She has great insights and emphasizes the importance of patience and listening! We hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 89: Nevin Caple Aug 09, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Nevin Caple, Principal Consultant and Founder of Return of Inclusion. As a student-athlete at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Nevin's experience helped her explore pieces of herself she had yet to discover. She used this background in sport to start not one, but THREE, companies and become a national thought leader on diversity, inclusion and belonging in athletics. Through her latest endeavor, Return on Inclusion, Nevin focuses on educating administrators and coaches and teaching them to navigate difficult conversations within their departments and with their student-athletes. In our conversation, we go deeper into several of Nevin's six ROI modules including covering, anti-racism, and privilege. She emphasizes the importance of making education a strategic priority within athletics and encouraging staff to have the courage to speak up, ask for help and allow themselves to be vulnerable. We also talk about leading during the ongoing pandemic and global reckoning happening surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. Nevin talks about how change starts with ourselves and stresses that it is never too late to become better. We hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 88: Terry Gawlik Jul 26, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Terry Gawlik, Director of Athletics at the University of Idaho.

Terry has had an impressive career as both a coach and administrator, including being the FIRST female to sit in the AD chair at the University of Idaho.

Her 13 years of coaching 4 sports and literally doing it all, greatly influenced her time as an administrator at Wisconsin, where she spent 25 years, including 14 as a SWA. She then took on the role of a lifetime and became the AD at Idaho less than a year ago, and only 7 months before our country, and sports, were halted by the pandemic.

In our conversation, Terry talks about the pivot from coaching to administration and the importance of utilizing a "Trust Tree" when making these decisions. We also talk about what leadership traits she had to rely on more when she became the AD, including listening, and she stresses the importance of aligning yourself with key people and thought partners in times of crisis. Great advice there! I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 87: Terri Steeb Gronau Jul 12, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Terri Steeb Gronau, NCAA Vice President of Division II, and Interim Executive Vice President over Inclusion and Leadership Development. Terri has quite a journey, having been at the NCAA for 20 years, starting as an intern in 2000 and elevating quickly during her tenure. In our conversation, Terri talks about her leadership style and how and why she made some of her career pivots and jumps, and of course, why she is so passionate about Division ll. As a VP at the NCAA, Terri has proven to be an extremely successful leader and relationship cultivator. She shares what it means to be a decision-maker, how to empower others, and the importance in getting out of your comfort zone and taking on new projects. We also talk about leading during the ongoing pandemic, and Terri gives us tips on the importance of both enhanced communication and creating sameness and stability during these times. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 86: Mori Taheripour Jun 28, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Mori Taheripour, entrepreneur, author and educator on negotiation. Mori has been teaching Negotiation at Wharton Business School for over 15 years. Her new book, "How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly" is unlike any other book on negotiation. In the book, Mori talks about assuming abundance, claiming your power, and that empathy isn't a nice-to-have—it's a must-have. She has found that the best negotiators are curious and present, and that the essence of bargaining isn't the transaction but the conversation and human connection. Mori explains how our pressure points, personal experiences, and even our cultural expectations can become roadblocks to finding common ground, and she shares the essential strategies to move beyond them and open our minds. She also tells us that we MUST have the courage to engage, because bargaining plays a crucial role in EVERY aspect of our life. Mori provides eye-opening and empowering insights to help YOU gain the confidence YOU need to achieve your goals in work and in life. There is so much strength and power in this podcast! I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 85: Kristene Kelly Jun 14, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Dr. Kristene Kelly, Executive Associate Athletic Director for Varsity Sports, SWA, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Dartmouth College. Kristene has a fascinating story. She came to the US from the Virgin Islands at age 16, and that's just one small piece of her incredible, untraditional journey to the AD chair and beyond. Kristene was a Dll athletic director and then accepted a job as the executive associate at Dartmouth. She has served at all levels, Dl, ll, and ll—something you don't see very often. She has been able to navigate those transitions because of her growth mindset, willingness to do the work and learn, her ability to manage up, and her cultivation of relationships. She walks us through her journey, decision-making processes, and talks about the value in not just learning, but being intentional about the learning and getting to know the right people along the way. As a frequent guest speaker on work/life integration, Kristene gives us powerful, personal insights, and she shows us how to integrate your work and life, the value in being present where you are, and as she says, "you don't have to be all things to all people." There is so much strength and power in this podcast! I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 84: Deb Steward May 31, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Deb Steward, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Yes, Deb is the athletic director at TWO colleges at the same time! In February of 2020, Deb was named director of athletics for both Hobart and William Smith Colleges. This was a monumental and historic decision as the colleges had previously operated with two different ADs. She loves it, she's rocking it, and she says "it's the best of both worlds." There's a lot more on this in this podcast! With over 30 years of experience at the Dlll level, Deb provides insight on how to raise money at small colleges by building and fostering relationships with the right people on campus and in the community. She also gives us tips on how to hire the right coaches and how to get experience and opportunities early in your career. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are women leaders.

Episode 83: Renee Baumgartner May 17, 2020

Show notes

On the most recent episode of the Women Leaders Podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Renee Baumgartner, Santa Clara University Director of Athletics.

At just 22 years old, Renee was named the head women's golf coach at the University of Oregon, where she built the program from the ground up to a national championship team in just 6 years. Renee knew in her first year coaching that she someday wanted to be an AD, and she took very intentional steps to get there – earning both a masters and a PhD, taking on every imaginable administrative role, and moving her family across the country for a job that allowed her to expand her skillset into the external world of athletics. Ultimately, she says being really good where you are is major key to success and advancement. Her work ethic and passion stem from her fierce determination to knock down doors and windows for future women and girls in athletics, including her own daughters. Listen in to learn HOW Renee set herself apart from others to grow and advance in her career, the power in being a "visionary leader" in the AD chair, and why she is so proud to be part of the committee that CREATED a new NCAA sport for the first time in 100 years. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 82: Chrissi Rawak May 03, 2020

Show notes

On the most recent episode of the Women Leaders Podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by Chrissi Rawak, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services at University of Delaware. Chrissi has such an interesting journey – she started as an assistant swimming coach, and spent time as both the Personnel and Business resources director at Northwestern, and as the Talent Management and Dev. Operations VP at Michigan – her alma mater. Not the job titles we normally see in athletics advancement- which I loved. Listen in to hear which one best prepared her to be an AD. .And for those interested in in fundraising, Chrissi shares a tip , "no means maybe, and maybe means yes!" Chrissi also talks about the most challenging parts of transitioning into the AD chair, the value in surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you, and she shares the four phases to her Critical Thinking Model, which I found fascinating and have borrowed. Chrissi gives us A LOT of nuggets in this podcast, so be sure to take it all in! I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

Episode 81: Molly Fletcher Apr 19, 2020

Show notes

On the most recent episode of the Women Leaders Podcast, Patti Phillips is joined by entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author of 5 books, and former sports agent Molly Fletcher. We love all of Molly's books, but we spent time talking about the Energy Clock, and"A Winner's Guide to Negotiating, Molly mastered the art of negotiating as a sports agent and says negotiations are about communication, confidence, and relationships. She shares several valuable tips on how to negotiate effectively and confidently at every stage of your career! The Energy Clock is also a must-read, and Molly shares how to give yourself an "energy audit," how to recognize and change your energy drains, the importance of clarity in your life—especially for leaders, and the power in being curious every day. As a 2-time Women Leaders National Convention speaker, Molly has incredible energy and unwavering optimism, and you can FEEL it in this podcast! I hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders! Head to womenleadersincollegesports.org for more about us and to become a member! Follow us at fb.com/WomenLeadersCS, and on Twitter and Instagram @WomenLeadersCS.

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