GAMETIME WITH SHAUNA GRIFFITHS. CONVERSATIONS WITH IMPACTFUL LEADERS. – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the launch of GAMETIME WITH SHAUNA GRIFFITHS. CONVERSATIONS WITH IMPACTFUL LEADERS.

For nearly five years, we've been bringing you real talk with real leaders through the podcast formerly known as THIS. with Shauna Griffiths.

It's been Shauna's mission and honor to elevate voices of diverse authentic leaders who are committed to learning, growing and evolving. These impactful conversations have been designed to help you take your leadership game to the next level. Her passion for that mission has only gotten stronger over time.

In this Sport of Leadership, Shauna puts in work to take her game to next levels including with her podcast. She's proud to drop this first episode featuring 2025 Leadership Athlete Draftee, Andrew Schwartz. 

Andrew is a prolific leader in the business of sports, entertainment, real estate and beyond who is revered by some of the people in the business that Shauna respects the most. When you ask about Andrew you get comments like – "He’s a gem." and "He’s one of the good ones." and "He’s the best." 

He's been the Co-President of the Howard Hughes Corporation, and he's worked for the Brooklyn Nets, Sirius XM Radio, the MLB, The New Jersey Devils, and the NHL. Now, he is Principal of his consulting firm, Five + A Game. 

He's also avid fan of the game of hockey – a player and coach – who transfers principles of the game of hockey the game of leadership. He is a testament to Shauna's theory that Leadership is a Sport. This is an Ice Hockey Edition.

Tune-in to hear about:
- Andrew's stories career journey including early stints in the mailroom and as a mascot
- A look at what he is today as Principal of his consulting business, Five + A Game
- His take on leadership, his leadership style, and why it works
- How his leadership style has been influenced by his experience in hockey - his love and respect for the game
- Parallels between leading senior level people in business, and coaching children in ice hockey
- His choice to lead authentically with awareness and intentionality
 
We hope you enjoy this episode, and we look forward to hearing your feedback! 

LEADERSHIP IS A SPORT.
IT’S GAME TIME. 
LET’S GO!

Welcome back to THIS. with Shauna Griffiths!

This episode, Breaking Down C-Suite Recruiting, features ON Partners Chief Commercial Officer, Vicky Wilkens, and Partner, Matt Mooney.  These former collegiate athletes deliver game-changing leadership for clients and candidates at one of the hottest executive search firms in North America. 

Named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and to the Inc. 500/5000 lists nine times, ON Partners is consistently ranked among the top 20 retained executive search firms in the U.S. It is the only pure-play retained executive search firm building C-level and board leadership teams across industries and functions. With offices across the country, they rebuilt the institution of executive search for the way you work. 

Their approach to executive search is untraditional – by choice. You'll get that sense in this straightforward, informative and authentic conversation. 

Tune-in for the Inside Scoop on: 
 

• If a former University of Michigan varsity women's basketball player and soccer player will actually get along with a former Texas Christian University Football Varsity Player 
• Guidance for Candidates and Companies: Leverage Recruiters as Trusted Advisors
• The Leadership Athlete Mindset: Accessible and Difference Making for Candidates 
• Executive Recruiters Bring Unique Insights: Cross-Industry Perspectives and Market Understanding
• What Executive Recruiting Takes: Creativity, Problem-Solving, and the Drive to Win
• Debunking Search Myths: Full Time vs Fractional and the State of Resumes 
• The Transition from Action to Positioning: Lessons from an Athlete to an Executive
• Authentic Branding and Communication in Job Search: Say What You Want
• Tips for the Assessment Process: Embrace Self-awareness and Humility
• And more! 

We hope you enjoy the episode and look forward to your feedback about it! 

#leader #leadership #recruiting #csuite #recruiter #coaching #consulting #leadershipathlete #builtbysport 

Welcome back to THIS. with Shauna Griffiths!

This episode, Breaking Down Breaking Out on Your Own features Scott Zimmerman, Co-Founder of The Rocket Punch, a brand and consumer experience consultancy. 

Before Scott broke out on his own, he had an incredible career in Global Retail & Merchandising Strategy, Product Leadership, and Brand Building. He's also a Board Member, a First Draft Class #LeadershipAthlete, and a dear friend of mine through miles and years. 

The roster of world-class championship brands under his belt is impressive to say the least – including the NBA, NIKE, New Balance, Carhartt, Shinola – and now he's bravely caught his dream of creating his own consultancy. 

Tune-in to this episode to hear about:

• When he started thinking about breaking out of corporate and what he wanted to be different in his consultancy - and takeaways for others wanting to break out on their own
• What The Rocket Punch focuses on with clients and how they are uniquely positioned to help companies
• Where the name come from
• Scott's commitment to learning, growing and evolving as a leader 
• The three pillars of the personal leadership mantra that Scott developed and uses daily 
• Key takeaways for about the consumer retail market
• Key takeaways for people in evolving as leaders

We hope you enjoy the episode and look forward to your feedback about it! Feel free to reach out to either of both of us directly on LinkedIn too. 

#entrepreneur #retail #merchandising #experience #consumermarketing #engagement #consulting #coaching #leadership 

Felisa Israel is the principal owner of 10 Fold Entertainment and the co-founder and lead instructor of Impact Internship at IMPACT Learning Institute. She also served nearly a decade as the director of live programming and entertainment at the NBA. Tune in to learn how she got to where she is today. 

In this episode, Felisa talks about:  

• Her journey from the team side, to the NBA, to founding her own company & her cross-country moves along the way 
• How understanding others contributes to being an effective leader  
• The importance of honesty and authenticity in forming relationships and connections (which includes an incredible Whitney Houston story) 
• How wanting to give back helped inspire her to start the IMPACT Internship  
• She gets very real about her desire to be a mother and her infertility journey  

We're releasing this oldie but goodie in honor of Felicia Hall Allen becoming a founding partner! 

In this can't miss episode Felicia shares:
👉 her perspective on paving the way as a black woman in the sports and entertainment industry including working for NIKE, and leading a WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) team at the age of 30
👉 her passion for racial, social and economic justice related to her role as a founding member of Advancement of Blacks in Sports
👉 a look into her companies Felicia Hall & Associates and A STEP UP (a professional development arm for college coaches),
👉 her role with BaseLine Performance Finance Ltd.

Annika is a Front Office Sports Rising 25 award recipient, part of the Sports Business Journal Mentorship Program and an Associate Manager of Partnerships at the Drone Racing League – this woman is DRIVEN! Listen to what fuels her and how she got to where she is today and what she’s looking forward to next. 
In this episode, Annika talks about:  

• Her journey from college to where she is now  
• What the Drone racing league is all about and what drew her to it  
• How great leadership and an amazing team help fuel her  
• Her shift from marketing and sales into partnerships  
• Planning vs. organic growth in regards to career advancement  
• What’s coming up for the Drone Racing League in 2022  

Sabrina brings 20 years of communications experience to her roles as agency CEO, strategic advisor and adjunct professor. She shares all her secrets and the lessons she’s learned from working with some of the biggest and fastest-growing brands including FC Barcelona, LaLiga, Drive by DraftKings, FC Bayern Munich, Facebook, Google/YouTube, DAZN, The Mom Project, and so many more.  

In this episode, Sabrina talks about:  

• Her career trajectory so far 
• How having a breadth of experience before starting her business lead to her success 
• The shift in PR to be more of a conversation with the audience rather 
• Juggling being a mom, wife, and having her own company  
• Working with clients that disrupt and change the industry  

From homelessness to #FailingForward - Jacob is a former professional athlete turned businessman, entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and the Executive Vice President of Element5 Digital, a branding and web design + development agency in Metro Detroit.  
In this episode, Jacob talks about:  

• All the ups and downs of his career  
• Remembering all the people that helped you along the way, and extending that courtesy to others when you make it  
• Dealing with Imposter Syndrome  
• Striving for progress, not perfection  
• The importance of how you speak to yourself  

THIS. With Shauna Griffiths | Featuring Lydia Knoll  Lydia works in Communities & Impact at adidas. She and Shauna were brought together by the Sports Business Journal Game Changer Awards and the CSM Sport & Entertainment Mentoring Challenge - and we're so thankful that they were because this episode is so insightful. Listen up, there's a lot to learn from the next generation!  In this episode, Lydia talks about:  

• Her career evolution so far from Indiana University to adidas and how her values and passions changed along the way  
• Finding her core values and aligning her career to them  
• Generational stereotypes 
• Her advocacy for social and climate justice and the intersectionality between the two  
• The type of leaders that have had the greatest influence on her  

Alicia is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at the Detroit Pistons. We’re talking all things rebrand and evolution this week as REAL TALK becomes 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚. 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘴, Alicia shares how her Pistons are relaunching their brand this season and really being a team of the people in the heart of Detroit.  

In this episode, Alicia talks about:  

• Her career evolution starting with the love of the game but not being able to play (being 5 ft. tall has 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 drawbacks) 
• Coming from an immigrant family and how that inspired her to work hard, make sacrifices, and be appreciative of everything  
• How she balances work and personal life, and how her personal life grounds her and helps her relate to her team 
• The importance and the benefits of having diversity in the workplace  
• Some behind the scenes insight on the Detroit Pistons new relaunch