Women Leaders Podcast

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders in Sports Podcast... I am your host, Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in Sports.   Today we are joined by the author of THREE Wall Street Journal best-sellers and workplace strategist, Erica Keswin! Erica was a big hit as a LeaderShop speaker at our last convention and we are thrilled to have her on the podcast!   Erica's most recent book - The Retention Revolution: 7 Surprising (and Very Human!) Ways to Keep Employees Connected to Your Company – offers practical strategies for updating culture while attracting and retaining the best people... Erica provides us with really great tactical and actionable insights, so keep on listening, buy the book! and remember, We Are Women Leaders. 

Today, we take you back to our Big 12 Reception in Kansas City, taking place during the Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, where I had a chance to sit down with Commissioner Brett Yormark for a fireside chat!   Keep listening for more from the Big 12 Commissioner, and remember, We Are Women Leaders.

Welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. Today is a very special episode as I'm joined by Sheri Fella, the founder and CEO of Bloombase, an executive development firm that focuses on increasing the high-performance impact of executives and teams.    Sheri here today to talk more about her career journey, leadership and working with executive coaches. Listen in and remember, We are Women Leaders.

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders in Sports Podcast...I am your host, Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in Sports.   Today we have a VERY special guest – Angie Long, Co-owner of the NWSL Kansas City Current.  Angie and her husband Chris are not just making an impact on the NWSL and Kansas City, they are creating a legacy for women’s sports.   We discuss how it all began, including bringing the team to KC, the hiring of staff, building the FIRST-of-its-kind training facility, and of course, the new best-in-class, first female sport specific stadium  in the world - CPKC Stadium...with the home opener just 2 weeks away!    The women leaders staff and Board of Directors got a sneak peak of the stadium a few weeks ago - we were blown away!     Angie also shares insights on leadership and the journey to leadership; how to make big dreams a reality, and how she balances two full-time jobs and 4 active kids. WOW.     Listen in, and remember, We Are Women Leaders. 

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders in Sports Podcast... I am your host, Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in Sports. Today we are joined by Desiree Reed Francois - Women Leaders board member and University of Missouri’s FIRST female and woman of color Director of Athletics! We had Desiree on the podcast several years ago, episode 48 actually, and talked through her career journey, her why, and other leadership insights. So, if be sure to check that one out if you haven’t. This conversation is focused on creating a Championship Culture, which Deisree has done at Mizzou in a very short time. Everyone wants a “championship culture” but how do you actually build it? Desiree lays out the exact road map for building and sustaining it. She shares the “secret sauce” on getting buy-in, the importance of measuring everything, and insights on hiring the right people, which she’s done A LOT of in her 3 years with the Tigers. There are some really great tactical and actionable insights here. So listen in, and remem

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders in Sports Podcast... I am your host, Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in Sports.   We have a special episode coming to you straight from the College Football Playoff last week in Houston. In partnership with the CFP, Our “Celebrating Female Playmakers” event brought together over 200 women and men to connect and listen to a great conversation between top industry experts. And now we bring it to YOU!  The FIRE panel included:    Jen Cohen, Director of Athletics at USC Boo Corrigan, Director of Athletics at NC State University Rosalyn Durant, Executive VP, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN/Disney   And Judy MacLeod, Commissioner at Conference USA   We discussed the seismic impact of football in today’s market, as a driver and influencer in college sports.  And with women and people of color underrepresented in football leadership, this group tackled what needs to be done to accelerate change in representation at the top. There are SO MANY insights in here for wo

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders in Sports Podcast... I am your host, Patti Phillips. Today, we have a special episode on the Deputy Mindset that was recorded during our 2023 National Convention that took place in October.  We will hear from these four talented women shaping their organizations as great Number 2’s: Carrie Michaels, Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Shippensburg University Heather Owen, Deputy Athletics Director and SWA at Stanford University Jill Redmond, Deputy Commissioner at Missouri Valley Conference Summer Hutcheson, Senior Associate Athletic Director  Internal Operations and SWA at Washington University St. Louis During these candid Ted Talks, you will hear what it means to be in the deputy role from several different perspectives- as each one has impactful insights. You’re really going to love Carrie’s unique list of the “Deputy Dirty Dozen”. Make sure to stay on until the end to gain insights from the open and honest discussion between th

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders In Sports Podcast…I’m Dr. Angel Mason, Director of Athletics at Berry College. I’ll be taking over for Patti Phillips on this special podcast episode, coming to you straight from the 2023 Women Leaders National Convention in New Orleans earlier this month! The Women of Color Conversation is one of my favorite parts of Convention each year – our Women of Color Virtual Circle community comes to LIFE, and with over 300 members in attendance, I had the opportunity to sit down with the one and only Angela Taylor! Angela is an equity and inclusion strategist, executive coach, motivational speaker, podcaster, TV analyst…she’s an all-around ROCKSTAR who shares with us what is needed to be in place for impact and excellence as Women Leaders. Be sure to join the Women of Color Member Circle on ENGAGE if you haven’t already, for part two of this conversation with Angela at a later date. Lets dive in and we remember…We Are Women Leaders.

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders In Sports Podcast…I’m Patti Phillips, and today, I’m NOT your host. We have a very special episode for you though, as we give our community a behind the scenes look into our decision to evolve our brand to be more inclusive of all women working in sports.     Nicole Auerbach, a leading voice in college sports, will help facilitate the conversation– Nicole is a senior writer at the Athletic, serves as a studio analyst for the Big Ten Network and is a radio host for SiriusXM!   I’m also joined by Women Leaders President and Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh, Heather Lyke  We’ll discuss the organization's history, the “why” behind the evolution to Women Leaders in Sports and how our mission remains steadfast – to develop, connect and champion women to advance and be a powerful influence in sports.   I hope you enjoy learning more about our brand evolution, and if you aren’t a member, that you will join our community!  We Are Women Leaders. 

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips…And I’m super excited about today’s conversation. We all want to be able to speak as well as we think, right? Well, get your notebook ready! Communications expert Angie Bennett joins me for the ultimate coaching session. Angie, a long-time friend of Women Leaders, is the Senior Vice President at Dardis Communications, where she’s been teaching people how to share their gift, for the past 12 years. Just a few tips you’ll learn are why communication is physical, how to develop an elevator pitch, how to “Brief the Boss’ – this is one of my personal faves, and how to develop confidence in public speaking. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or looking to ace your next interview, Angie’s communication coaching will resonate with you. Let’s dive into this masterclass in communication…and remember, We Are Women Leaders.

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips…    Today I am thrilled joined by the President of Baylor University, Dr. Linda Livingstone! President Livingstone, a former Division I Women’s Basketball player and the current chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, has led Baylor through an impressive transformation during her tenure that started in 2017.     Throughout our conversation, she breaks down her leadership style and the importance of creating a culture that works. Hear straight from the President on what qualities she looks for when hiring and tactical leadership skills women can improve on to land the next role.     We also talk candidly about the slow pace of women elevating into the Athletic Director level, and she provides ideas and strategies on how to change that.     Lots of great nuggets here, let’s dive into this important conversation…and remember, We Are Women Leaders. 

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips… Today I’m joined by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner Sonja Stills! Sonja is the first woman commissioner in the conference’s history, as well as the first woman commissioner of a Division 1 HBCU Conference…talking about Kicking Glass! There are so many great insights in this conversation – including the importance of going above and beyond in your job, and how that will always pay off for you down the road. Sonja says jobs are not a-la-carte, and she gives great examples from her career about how saying yes and taking initiative pays off. She also passionately and clearly talks about the importance and benefits of HBCU’s. Let’s dive into this insightful conversation…and remember, We Are Women Leaders.

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast.  I’m your host, Patti Phillips…    Today we honor and celebrate Juneteenth - the day that enslaved black Americans in Texas became free.  Juneteenth gives us an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.      In this episode, we take you back to a vital conversation that took place at our 2022 National Convention in Kansas City, where Dr. Angel Mason, Director of Athletics at Berry College and one of our Women of Color Circle Leads, sat down with Colorado College President L. Song Richardson, for an honest discussion about race and gender.     President Richardson, a legal scholar, lawyer, and expert on implicit racial and gender bias, has dedicated her career to civil rights and equity.    These two women leaders tap into the importance of celebrating the victories, but also point out the challenges still ahead, and why we need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Let’s dive into this important conversation…and remembe

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips… I’m excited about this episode which highlights the strategies leaders use in recruiting and hiring top talent. It’s obviously a topic that plays a crucial role in shaping all successful organizations. And we’re joined by two rockstar Women Leaders, who have excelled in the world of college sports and are at the forefront of hiring talent at their Universities. Kristy Bayer  - the Athletic Director from Rockhurst University Has been the lead or part of most hires during her 20-year career as a head coach, senior ranking and deputy AD, and now as athletic director, and has incredible insights on how to stand out and succeed in the hiring process. Jenny Borg is Notre Dame’s Senior Associate Athletic Director – Strategy & Culture. Jenny has held roles as supervisor of employee services, as consultant to Human Resources, and advisor to athletics strategy, all of which has required a keen eye or recruiting talent that builds winning

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips… I’m excited to bring today’s episode to you as I talk with two phenomenal women about their experiences with Making a Pivot in their careers: Jenn Hunter currently the Chief Impact Officer for the Big 12 Conference, pivoted from the pro sports space after working at the Portland Trailblazers for nearly four years. Joining her is Angie Torain, the Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Chicago, who made the pivot from working in Division l at The University of Notre Dame to Division lll to sit in the chair at Chicago. Both women talk about how their varied and diverse experiences transferred to their new roles in new arenas and ultimately, allowed them to bring (or add) value in transformative ways. They not only explain how they navigated these big changes but give tangible actions steps on how to make a pivot and be successful doing it! Jenn and Angie are CRUSHING it and I can’t wait for you to hear their storie

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast.  I’m your host, Patti Phillips.   Today, I’m here with a very special guest, Laura Gassner Otting, Washington Post Best-Selling Author and Speaker – Yes, the same Laura who delivered an epic keynote speech at our 2022 National Convention in Kansas City!       I’m excited to have her on the podcast today to talk about her newest book - Wonderhell!     Which is Inspired by conversations with movers and shakers, ground-breaking leaders, entrepreneurs, and of course, her own experience with success.     The title of the book actually threw me, until she explained that success isn’t a destination, its a portal.  What we thought was the pinnacle of achievement (its a wonderful!) is instead a door that invites us to live up to the burden of our newfound potential (which can be hell!) aka WonderHell!    This is exactly the kind of book we all need to help us get to that next level in our professional and personal lives by structuring the chapters as an am

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m your host, Patti Phillips…CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. Today we bring you part two of our series on Managing Up, and we have Texas A&M in the house! I am joined by Kristen Brown, Deputy Athletics Director, and Senior Women’s Administrator…and Ross Bjork, Director of Athletics. They are a dynamic duo, and we have a great convo. Kristen is an all-star coming to Aggieland in 2020, after serving as an Associate Athletic Director for administration at the University of Maryland since 2014. She has a huge portfolio at A & M, and obviously manages up to Ross. Ross is an industry veteran with a proven track record of success AND empowering women at every stop in his career. He has managed up to many leaders throughout his career, and currently manages up the President of Texas A&M, Katherine Banks, who also happens to be the first woman president he has worked for. This is a continuation of the conversation from our last episode, where New Yor

Hello and welcome to the Women Leaders Podcast. I’m Patti Phillips, and I am pumped to kick off the first episode of our two-part series on Managing Up! I am joined by Lindsey Pollak, New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading career and workplace experts and WOW!...She nailed it! We have been hearing from so many leaders that today’s workforce isn’t executing on Managing UP at a high level, or at least as much as we used to. Lindsay explains why, and then gives tips on what to do about it. Whether you are in your first job, a middle manager, or are leading an organization, this conversation is for you! It is literally, a MUST LISTEN. Let’s dive right in with Lindsey! And remember, We are Women Leaders.

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I’m Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports.   In this episode, I’m joined by Judy MacLeod, our 2020 Women Leaders Executive of the Year winner, and the first female commissioner of a FBS conference.   We dive deep into Judy’s career journey - She has excelled in the industry for years as a coach, athletic director and most recently in her current role as Commissioner of Conference USA.    You won’t want to miss our open dialogue on how her team is navigating the landscape of change and conference realignment, and how they leveraged that to secure an exciting new broadcast deal for the conference.   Judy also touches on how her time on campus set her up to succeed as a Commissioner, the importance of serving on national committees, and how she has navigated being the “only woman” so many times in her career.   Don’t miss a moment of this conversation...and remember, we are Women Leaders!

Hello, and welcome to the Women Leaders podcast! I’m Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports.   A few weeks ago, we attended one of college sport’s biggest event: the college football national championship in Los Angeles! In partnership with the College Football Playoff, Women Leaders hosted a panel and reception at the Grammy Museum.   I sat down with four industry leaders including: Gloria Nevarez, Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, Desiree Reed-Francois, Athletic Director at the University of Missouri, Diana Sabau, Deputy Commissioner & Chief Sports Officer at the Big Ten, and Mike Bohn, the Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics at the University of Southern California.  This panel did not disappoint...we discuss why football continues to take up so much of the conversation within college athletics, the obstacles and biases that have prevented women from leading athletic departments with prominent football programs (although that is slowly changing), and how we can levera