Women Leaders in Sports Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 120: Rachelle Paul Apr 24, 2022

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today, we are talking to Rachelle Paul, Director of Athletics at Saint Peter's University.

You all have heard of St. Peter's by now... the small Jesuit school in New Jersey that was the first 15-seed ever to make the Elite Eight during the NCAA Men's basketball championship. Rachelle first shares her journey to the AD chair and emphasizes the importance of relationships throughout her career. And in her short time as AD at Saint Peter's, Rachelle has faced several historical moments: navigating COVID in her first year and then navigating the historic run of her MBB team during this year's March Madness. Listen in to hear the behind the scenes of that historic run, and all of the challenges, learnings, and excitement, from an athletic director's perspective. Rachelle shares many great insights on how to build on that type of momentum for both the athletic program and the university. We talk quite a bit about sport being a unifier, especially teams that win, and that winning is contagious. And I happen to really love the advice she gives at the end. It's such a fun conversation! Don't miss a moment... And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 119: Dr. Roberta Page Apr 03, 2022

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Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today I'm talking with Dr. Roberta Page, Director of Athletics at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

Roberta is back home at her alma mater, after previous stints that included an AD role at Shippensburg, and 12 years as the Director of Championships at the NCAA. She said she gave away a lot of national championship trophies at the NCAA and is excited to build that championship culture at Slippery Rock, and she talks about how to do that.

I loved hearing Roberta's story about how it all begin…when she convinced her parents to sign her up to play on an all-boys youth football team, because she just wanted to play. And she talks about how even at a young age, she focused on inclusivity which has been foundational in her leadership and career in athletics.

Roberta uses her platform to be her authentic self and to bring positivity to campus to inspire her staff to be their best selves for not only athletes, but all students at Slippery Rock. Being positive is defiantly one of her superpowers.

There's so much great info here, don't miss a moment of this great conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 118: Angel Mason Mar 13, 2022

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today I'm talking with Angel Mason, Director of Athletics at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Angel has a fascinating journey to the chair, including playing basketball overseas and being a high school athletic director. She shares with us her journey of self-discoveries, intentional moves, life decisions, and lucky breaks that got her to where she is now. Angel believes in bringing your authentic self to work every day. She knows her strengths, and she works with her challenges. In fact, she says she's actually an introvert operating in an extroverted role—and she shares rituals that help keep her energy up. She is buoyed by gentle confidence and tells us humility is essential because we don't reach leadership positions or do the work alone.

Don't miss a moment of this great conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 117: Kim Damron Feb 20, 2022

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports, and today I'm talking with Kim Damron, CEO of Paciolan, a leader in ticketing, fundraising, marketing, analytics, and technology for live entertainment organizations. Kim has been at Paciolan for 16 years, initially as the COO, a role she loved. In fact, she never imagined herself as a CEO, and you need to listen in to hear how her jump to CEO in 2017 happened. As the leader, Kim has navigated enormous change, including an acquisition and the Covid-19 pandemic. Through it all, she says communication, transparency, and being there for employees were keys to maintaining trust and a healthy culture. In fact, many practices started during the pandemic, such as company-wide town halls, have been continued because of their positive results. Paciolan was founded based on an inclusive culture, and Kim has carried on that legacy. 69% of Paciolan employees are women and minorities, which is fabulous. She shares tips on her hiring practices that help achieve this. Kim is a leader with a growth mindset and her team reflects that. In the process of managing a diverse workforce, Kim has learned a lot about being a leader. We cover topics like the need for confidence going into a new role, gaining followership from employees, being an empathetic, authentic leader but also having thick skin, and prioritizing time to care for oneself so you can perform at your best. Don't miss a moment of this great conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 116: Jen Cohen & Chris Petersen Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. For this episode, we're doing something different! We've brought in two incredible leaders - former Women Leaders board member and athletic director at the University of Washington, Jen Cohen, and former UW head football coach, Chris Petersen, and the conversation is powerful. Jen and Coach Petersen are inspiring, seasoned leaders with a strong relationship based on mutual learning - and they share some of their most significant and valuable leadership lessons in this conversation. Jen and Coach P worked together for six years at the University of Washington. During that time, they developed shared goals for the program, reciprocal trust and humility, the ability to anticipate each other's needs, and fill gaps for one another. All of this stemmed from their willingness to do the work to become self-aware so they could create positive change within themselves and those they lead. Our conversation covers a lot of ground on the topic of leadership from the lens of two leaders, in very different roles, but who were aligned in their belief in the purpose of leadership. We dive deep on everything from the skills Coach P thought made Jen an outstanding football sport supervisor and then athletic director, to the paradox of leadership, the importance of modeling the behaviors you want to see from the people you lead, how to maintain perspective, and how to learn to lead in the storm. There is a ton of great content here, so don't miss a moment of this inspirational and thought-provoking conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 115: Jill Sharp Jan 09, 2022

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Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today, to start the new year, I'm excited to share this illuminating and inspiring conversation with Jill Sharp, a performance and health coach for leaders and teams. This is the perfect way to start the new year! For the past 17 years, Jill has been on a mission to create positive change and unleash potential. She is an expert in the field of energy and performance, and she supports those looking to sharpen their personal and professional edge. Jill tells us that the linchpin in our ability to perform in life lies with our energy—how much we have and how well we manage it. In fact, much of how we show up and what we can deliver in life is about energy management, not time management. And we're talking about more than just physical energy—we are talking mental, emotional, relational, spiritual. So if you want to thrive this year, listen in as Jill shares her Performance Formula, which can also be a template to help you set your goals and intentions for the year. This includes thoughtfulness about your mission and goals, mindset, training, and more. And guess what, we are always training our bodies and minds, whether we are conscious of it or not. Jill shares her performance formula and talks about how she coaches people to be fully in the driver's seat of their lives. Don't miss a moment of this conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 114: Dena Freeman-Patton Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today I'm sharing an insightful conversation with Dena Freeman-Patton, the Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics at California State University-Dominguez Hills.

Dena grew up a child of educators, and although she played rec softball and informal basketball growing up, high school was the first time she played organized basketball. That was early enough for her to earn a Dl scholarship! It was through one of a few internships that she discovered her love for working in sports. Her longtime inclination to support others influenced her decision to pursue academic advising in college athletics. But as she climbed through the administrative ranks in Division I athletics departments, Dena reached a crossroads. Through career training and conversations with connections and mentors, Dena realized she needed to change the industry perception of her and her skillsets, and she chose to become more strategic about moving up in athletics. She embarked on a 360-degree reflection, started "cross-training" (as she calls it) with trusted colleagues who could lend new skill sets, and set boundaries on what career moves would or would not be right for her. In our conversation, Dena reminds us that we are in control of our career paths. She emphasizes that transparency allows leaders to be both effective and known...and being known leads to opportunities.

Don't miss a moment of this conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 113: Sam Rapoport Oct 24, 2021

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I'm Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today I'm sharing an uplifting conversation with Sam Rapoport, the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the National Football League. Sam started playing football at age 12 in Canada, ultimately rising to play for Team Canada and pro tackle football teams. By the end of college, she knew she wanted to work in pro football. Sam landed an internship with the NFL by pitching herself as a quarterback who could deliver a ball 386 miles—from Montreal to New York City. Sam still recommends finding ways to stand out.

In two stints with the NFL, Sam has brought significant change to the league, spearheading programming to retain, develop, and promote qualified diverse candidates into the football operations pipeline at NFL clubs and the league office. Rapoport created the Women's Careers in Football Forum in 2017, which served to inspire and connect qualified women to football operations positions in professional and college football programs. As a result, 82 female coaching, scouting, and operations candidates have been hired in the three-year period, a record number. By developing strong relationships and giving people reasons to believe in her, Sam forged a unique path in the NFL and proposed bold new initiatives. Sam tells us that sometimes, doing something new or different might not be well-received. Figuring things out and proving her credibility helped remove some of the obstacles and has created truly impactful change. Don't miss a moment of this conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 112: Sherryta Freeman Oct 03, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips shares an energizing conversation with Sherryta Freeman, Director of Athletics at Division I Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Sherryta fell in love with the administrative side of sport while she was a student-athlete and athletic department intern at Dartmouth College. After graduation, she landed at the Ivy League conference office—and her trajectory in the industry, eventually landing in the athletic director chair, was in motion. A collaborative leader, Sherryta learned early that when you focus on excelling where you are, new opportunities come, and that all the relationships you build along the way prepare you for whatever lies ahead. In our conversation, Sherryta talks about why the book Essentialism had such an impact on her, and She stresses prioritizing and letting the little stuff go while still doing great work and moving forward. Her message for all women is one she tells herself every day, "You got this"! Don't miss a moment of this conversation! And remember, we are Women Leaders!

Episode 111: Diana Sabau Sep 12, 2021

Show notes

In this podcast, Patti Phillips shares an uplifting conversation with Diana Sabau, the new Deputy Commissioner/Chief Sports Officer at the Big Ten Conference.

Diana recently shifted to the Big Ten after 27 years at The Ohio State University, where she started as an intern after college. Despite her unique longevity at one institution, change is one of Diana's life mantras. She always finds ways to change, grow, and move forward—and to do so, she reminds us that performance predicts promotions. She has relied on taking advantage of opportunities, taking risks with bold innovations, and leaning into bright colleagues, trusting them to carry the water with her.

Diana admits that when she was young and impatient, she didn't know what she wasn't ready for. She learned to value relationships, her energy and its impact, and the process of developing trust over time, which often happens by listening rather than doing. You'll hear how Diana's long stint at Ohio State helped shaped how she shows up every day—and put her in the right position for her newest role.

Don't miss a moment of this 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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