Athletes to Entrepreneurs: The Alumni Journey

On this episode of Alumni Direct’s show, "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," Rob Finkelstein sits down with Brandon Cullen for an honest talk about what it’s really like for athletes when the game ends. They dive deep into the tough identity struggles many athletes face, how important it is to start building a network early, and the lack of support out there for life after sports. Bra...

"On this episode of Alumni Direct’s show, ""ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey,"" we talk to Nicole Donnelly, former professional snowboarder turned entrepreneur. Nicole shares her transition story from professional snowboarding to founding BabyLegs and her current role with AI Smart Ventures. She and host Rob Finkelstein discuss the challenges athletes face when moving from sports to b...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Christian Black, a dual-sport athlete and emerging entrepreneur whose story embodies resilience and innovation. After only playing eight snaps of high school football, Christian walked onto the Baylor University football team, defying the odds with sheer determination and skill. Christian shares his...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Reggie Rusk, former NFL player, entrepreneur & the founder of Stay Recruited. Reggie talks about the challenges athletes face during their transition from sports to business and shares insights on how athletes can prepare for life after sports. Reggie's advice for student athletes: "Network. Und...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Jennifer Leachman LaPoint, a Hall of Fame professional water skier and the founder of COMPETE. Jennifer is a serial entrepreneur with over 50 years of experience in the sports world. Before getting into professional water skiing, Jennifer played Division I basketball at Ga Tech. On the difficulty of...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Adrian Camargo, former professional soccer player, mentor, and founder of Athlete CEO. Adrian discusses the challenges athletes face during their transition out of sports, the importance of networking, and how to leverage their skills and experiences in business. He talks about his journey into entr...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Matt Mieske, former professional baseball player, financial advisor & founder of Mieske Financial Services. How did sports shape you growing up? "Sports was really a lifestyle for me. I remember at a very early age, always having a ball or a bat or a glove in my hands. I played every sport and n...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Mike McQuillan, former college wrestler, marine, & public speaking coach. Mike talks about all he learned through sport, why he was so passionate about becoming a coach, and what he's up to today. On transitioning out of your sport: "The influence you have on people is for...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Jim Ayres, former college football player, chemist and Managing Director at Amway. Jim talks about growing up playing sports and all it taught him: "I was never the biggest or the fastest, but I made the coaches play me because of my effort and my attitude. And that never left me....

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Tim Selgo, former college basketball player, coach, athletic director and consultant.  Tim Selgo had a career of thirty-five years as a leader in college athletics as a coach and administrator. From 1996 to 2016, Selgo served as the director of athletics at Grand Valley State Universit...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Nischay Rawal, former college tennis player, accountant, & founder of NR CPAs.  Nischay is originally from India and came to pursue his American Dream on an NCAA Division 1 tennis scholarship in Mississippi in 2014, where he assisted his team to win the NCAA Division 1 Tennis Champ...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Natalie Hummel, former college volleyball player, business coach and founder of the nonprofit, Every Kid Sports. Natalie talks about how growing up playing sports shaped her throughout her life: "For me, sports was such a positive outlet. It was a place for me to make friends, it...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Jason Frank, former college baseball player and college athletics administrator. Jason shares how sports shaped him: "It's not a guaranteed thing that because you're an athlete, you possess all of these great qualities, but sports gives you a platform and an opportunity to...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Antonio Vaglica, former college baseball player, podcast host and the co-founder of GFG solutions. Antonio talks about his love of baseball, his dreams of going pro, his difficult transition out of sport and what he's up to today. What is some advice that you would give to athletes...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Kelsey O'Connor, former college softball player, motivational speaker, and founder of Life Beyond Labels. How did playing sports shape you? "Playing a team sport and showing up for my teammates really did make me a better person...And speaking-wise, I was really quiet and kind...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Taylor Cook, former professional hockey player, mental performance coach and founder. Taylor talks about the importance your mindset plays in sport: "At the end of the day, it wasn't just the physical side of the game that was important; it was also the mental and the things t...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Bill Burke, former college football player, author and associate partner at Podium Group. Talk about how sports shaped you growing up. "Sports teaches us so many great lessons, like hard work, camaraderie, and the willingness to risk failure for the opportunity to succeed." D...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Matt Wisler, former major league baseball player and the co-founder of Elite Performance Medical. Matt shares about growing up playing sports and his love of baseball, his transition into the Major League after high school, and his current experience transitioning out of professional s...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Steve Hasty, former swimmer, entrepreneur and the owner and president of Hasty Awards. How did sports shape your life growing up? "Coming from the sport of swimming, it's a pretty demanding sport when it comes to practices. From young age, going to practices at 5:30 in the mor...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Buddy Biancalana, former professional baseball player and the founder and CEO of Zone Motion. Buddy talks about growing up in a family who loved baseball, and how he developed a love of the sport at an early age. "Baseball allowed me to fall in love with something, and I happened...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Dan Lazar, National Tennis Champion and the founder & CEO of HeroX. Dan talks about how important it is for kids to start playing sport at a young age: "I feel like all parents should get their kids into sports, especially tennis. As I've done many sports, I feel like tenn...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Chad Eichten, former college basketball player, certified athletic trainer and business development executive. Chad tells us about growing up playing sports from a young age, and how that shaped him throughout his life. Chad's advice to college athletes: "Spend more time. Find...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Steven Webster, former martial arts athlete and the founder & CEO of Asensei. Steven tells us about growing up playing sports and how he ultimately landed on martial arts. He later transitioned into Karate and tells us about his passion for the sport. Steven's advice to current...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Brett Portera, lacrosse player, surfer, and the co-founder and CEO of Crest Surf Clubs. Brett talks about growing up playing all different sports and everything it taught him: "I think I owe everything to sports in my opinion, whether that's what I personally learned, the habi...

On this episode of Alumni Direct's show "ATHLETES TO ENTREPRENEURS: The Alumni Journey," we talk to Clifford Starks, former professional MMA fighter, founder and transformational coach. Clifford's advice to current athletes: "Everything comes down to community, and knowing how to effectively utilize your community...You always want to be fostering the relationships and the c...