SBC Audio Experience is back with a brand new episode of our “SBC Alumni Takeover Series,” featuring Colleen as she steps into the host chair and shares her powerful journey from student to sports business professional.

In this episode, Colleen sits down to reflect on her path through Sports Business Classroom, the NBA Summer League experience in Las Vegas, and how an unexpected opportunity helped shape her career in NIL and sports leadership.

 In this episode, she dives into:

• How she went from “I don’t know basketball” to being selected for the NBA Summer League/SBC Immersive experience in Las Vegas 
• What it was like navigating the pressure of a highly competitive sports business environment as a non-traditional basketball candidate
•  The mentorship moments that shifted her mindset and helped her build confidence in her own voice and strengths
•  How SBC helped her think like a front office executive and apply salary cap and roster-building concepts in real NIL work
• The unexpected networking moment in Las Vegas that directly contributed to her landing a role in collegiate athletics
•  Her experience playing professional volleyball in Greece and how adversity reshaped her identity and purpose
•  Why she created “Play Her Potential” and how she’s using sports to keep young girls in athletics and develop future leaders
•  How her mission connects sports participation to long-term success in business, law, leadership, and beyond

From SBC classrooms to international competition to NIL leadership at Mizzou, this episode highlights how sports can become a foundation for confidence, career direction, and long-term impact far beyond the game itself.

Follow SBC: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Follow Colleen: LinkedIn | Instagram

Learn more about Play Her Potential: https://playherpotential.org/

 SHOW NOTES

• Strict upbringing and realizing later how it shaped discipline and mindset (20:04)
• Parenting philosophy: structure vs independence and learning accountability early (20:32)
• Clemson transition, early college independence, and earning privileges like a car (24:20)
• COVID impact on college experience and loss of freedom + identity reset (25:15)
• Choosing philosophy as a major and learning ethics, identity, and “the good life” (27:17)
• How philosophy shaped values, perspective, and long-term thinking (28:43)
• Early adversity at Clemson (injuries, coaching changes, COVID isolation) (31:00)
• Joining sorority + leadership orgs to rebuild identity outside of volleyball (31:51)
• Black Student Athlete Summit and discovering broader sports career pathways (33:42)
• Meeting Dr. Leonard Moore and learning about NBA Summer League Immersive (34:50)
• Applying immediately and getting selected for SBC experience (35:45)
• Feeling unprepared for SBC and approaching it as a learning experience (37:35)
• NBA Summer League immersion and realizing scale of sports industry (38:44)
• Full-circle moment connecting SBC, Brandon Walker, and opportunity creation (39:30)
• Choosing Salary Cap track despite lack of basketball background (41:19)
• Steve Steinbaum keynote and message about starting from anywhere (41:57)
• Improv exercise and discovering communication + leadership strengths (43:10)
• Shift in confidence and identity during SBC experience (44:28)
• SBC as environment for growth, mentorship, and professional development (45:49)
• Transition into NIL Coordinator role at Mizzou (48:17)
• Fast-changing NIL landscape and need for adaptability + creativity (49:15)
• House settlement impact and strategic roster/budget thinking (50:21)
• Organic networking moment at SBC leading to career opportunity connection (51:03)
• Applying SBC frameworks to real NIL strategy, recruiting, and planning (52:51)
• How SBC shaped executive thinking, marketing, and scouting perspective (54:51)
•  Confidence gained through SBC + philosophy + athlete experience (55:26)
• Decision to pursue professional volleyball overseas in Greece (56:37)
• Shift from “never going pro” to embracing international opportunity (57:03)
•  Performance growth at Mizzou leading to pro consideration (57:41)
•  Coaching influence and decision-making process to go overseas (58:11)
• Reality of playing overseas: culture shock, isolation, and instability (1:00:45)
• Emotional growth and clarity gained from difficult professional experience (1:02:57)
• Return home and searching for next identity and purpose (1:05:00)
• Early ideas: mentoring, recruiting, and personal brand building (1:05:11)
• Breakthrough idea: combining athletics + pageantry + leadership platform (1:07:23)
• Miss America organization and alignment with scholarship + service values (1:07:50)
• Creation of Play Her Potential mission (1:09:44)
• Key stats on girls dropping out of sports and mission focus (1:10:14)
• Sports as foundation for leadership, confidence, and opportunity (1:11:23)
• Expansion into leadership development and community programming (1:12:14)
• Missouri Supreme Court event with former athletes and female leaders (1:13:16)
• Sports as pipeline to leadership roles and career success (1:14:35)
• How listeners can support Play Her Potential (social + website + collaboration) (1:16:19)
• Daily routines, discipline, and confidence through preparation (1:17:51)
• “Do everything in love” philosophy and mindset (1:19:09)
• “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and confidence as a process (1:20:32)
• SBC impact and reflection on growth journey (1:22:03)
• Announcement of podcast hosting opportunity (1:23:01)
•  Closing reflections and gratitude (1:24:35)

WHERE TO LISTEN

Listen to this podcast episode on:

LINKS

• REGISTER FOR SBC