The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast

Beyond NIL: Investing in Future Pro Athletes with Finlete

In this episode, host Greg Glynn, is joined by Rob Connolly is a seasoned entrepreneur and the dynamic co-founder and CEO of Finlete, a pioneering sports tech company based in San Diego, CA.
With an impressive track record of founding and scaling startups, Rob has not only led two companies to successful exits but has also cemented his reputation as a visionary leader in the sports technology arena. His extensive experience in sales and business development forms the backbone of his approach to building and growing innovative platforms.At the helm of Finlete, Rob is revolutionizing the way fans interact with high-potential athletes. Finlete stands out as a unique platform that empowers minor league baseball players by enabling them to sell a small percentage of their future earnings directly to fans. This model not only provides athletes with fair market value for their talents but also builds a strong community of supporters who share in the athletes' journey both emotionally and financially. Under Rob's leadership, Finlete is redefining athlete support and engagement, making it more than just a platform—it's a movement.Driven by a passion for empowering athletes and enhancing fan experiences, Rob's vision for Finlete is rooted in creating meaningful connections and ensuring athletes have the resources they need to excel on and off the field. His innovative approach and unwavering commitment to the sports community are what set Finlete apart in the competitive sports tech landscape.
In this episode:
What is Finlete?
How does Finlete work?
Athletes Finlete is working with
How can athletes get started with Finlete?
Who can invest in Finlete athletes?
Why Finlete is looking for brand ambassadors and new NIL opportunities
How to get in touch with Finlete.
Links:
Finlete.com
PliableMarketing.com
Guest contact information:
Rob Connolly
Rob@Finlete.com

How NIL lead to a book and bright future for a former baseball player

Host Greg Glynn sits down with Ryan Schachtner, a former college baseball player that turned a career and MLB dream ending injury into one of the fastest growing financial planning firms in the Southeast. While working with professional athletes, Ryan was encouraged to write a book to help guide future generations manage and keep their money. His book, The Foundation for Financial Excellence was released July, 2021 shortly after Name, Image and Likeness went live and quickly became an international best seller. 
 
Ryan quickly noticed that the athlete development space needed some disruption and co-founded Success Beyond Game Day. The focus of Success Beyond Game Day is to help athletes, while they continue to develop athletically, build a parallel path to maximize success in life after sports. Through a custom assessment, a neuroscience-based platform and an online education community they are able to create a unique and relevant development path for every athlete. Working with colleges and teams from DIII to Power 5, High School, NFL and international soccer clubs their goal is to impact 1 billion athletes. 
 
In this episode:
How Ryan started his baseball career
The shoulder injury that ended his baseball career
Ryan shares how he selected a college to play baseball
Why Ryan felt like he lost his identity after his athletic career was over
How the COVID-19 pandemic led to his book, Success Beyond Game Day
Why he credits name, image and likeness (NIL) court ruling for turning his book into an international best seller
Ryan talks about the challenges for athletes at the end their career
The importance of a parallel personality
Ryan’s recent experience at the NFL combine
Greg talks about personal branding and athlete branding and why it matters
What his program does to help athletes become more mature and focus on longevity
What Ryan thinks are the best opportunities for NIL
The definition of the true NIL and story behind Katie Shanahan
What Ryan is working on next, including working with the NFL 
The impact of the transfer portal on colleges and career development for athletes
Ryan’s advice for today’s college athletes
Links:
successbeyondgameday.com 
Social Media
@amust.win - instagram
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanschachtner/ 
Katie Shanahan: https://www.instagram.com/katieshanahannn/
Connect with Ryan:
ryan@successbeyondgameday.com 
About Pliable Marketing:
PliableMarketing.com

Advice from Monique Smith about working in athletic administration

Monique A.J. Smith, is a Leadership Strategist that guides Athletics Departments/Sport Organizations and Individuals who wish to advance in Athletics Administration/Sports Management careers through her company, Seeds of Empowerment LLC ®.
Smith, a Sports Management veteran of 30 plus years, was Adjunct Faculty at Hampton University teaching Sports Management Courses. In 2023, Monique published her 6th issue of Significance in Athletics and Sports Magazine that features Black Womensharing their ‘Specialized Knowledge’ in the Industry. All issues can be found it www.seedsofempowermentstore.com or Amazon. She is most known for her 10 seasons as the host of the internationally recognized weekly podcast "A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith”, that spotlights Women of Color in Athletics/Sports.
In this episode:
How Monique got into the sports industry
How she turned her passion for sports into her career
Advice for athletes to get local news coverage
Why leadership is important 
Her opinion on name, image and likeness opportunities for college athletes
Why educating influencer is important to reaching decision makers
The importance of mental health for college athletes
Why she think hometown NIL partnerships are some of the best partnerships
Greg and Monique talk about local outreach to businesses to support athletes
The role that compliance departments play in NIL
The impact of state by state laws for NIL and why educating is so important
Media training advice for athletes during interviews
Why internships are so important for college students
The sociology of sport and how NIL can change women’s sports
Why she encourages women to intentional.
The importance of a good NIL contract and marketing agent
Why the NCAA should standardize NIL contracts
Links:
PublicFiguremask.com
Monique’s Podcast:
ChatintheGarden.com

Finding Success Beyond Game Day with Samantha Card

In this episode, host Greg Glynn sits down with Samantha Card, a former NCAA Division 1 softball player, MBA graduate gone Fortune 100 company trail blazer, Amazon Best Seller and “level up” expert.She epitomizes the athlete who has “hit it out of the park” when she transitioned from her sports career.Samantha passionately crystallized her abilities, curated her knowledge, capitalized her assets and catapulted her athletic career finale into a mega corporate and life success before the age of 33.Samantha, once referred to as “Sammi from Miami”, is on a global mission to teach athletes, coaches and administrations how to develop a proactive championship routine from Day 1 that can be leveraged beyond game day. Sam prepares athletes to win in all aspects of lifeby identifying opportunities, taking action, and applying the life tools gained in competitive sports to business success.
Topics include:
Why Sam started playing softball 
The importance of having a mentor
How Samantha Card transitioned from athlete to entrepreneur
The importance of failing
Sam’s identity crisis after her sports career
How athletes can use their leadership to get ahead in their career
Why it is important to connect with experts in your industry
The importance of finding a legacy and giving back
Why Sam loves helping athletes, including helping athletes with mental health
The importance of finding your why
Greg shares the story behind Hannah Dukeman and Emma Eubank’s cleats to cure cancer
The reasons why Sam wrote her book, “Success Beyond Game Day”
How people can work with Sam and her company at Success Beyond Game Day
How Sam uses AI and and technology to help athletes
Why athlete branding matters for high school, college, pro athletes
The cost of mind labs and the program for individuals and teams
Defining your authentic self and why that is important for NIL
What is next for Sam and her business, including corporate athleticism
Advice for today’s college athletes; what is the why behind the you?
The story behind how Natalie Beaudoin stepped up to support her community in Lewiston after the mass shooting.
Links:
Successbeyondgameday.com