Q: What brought you to the University of Michigan?
A: Growing up in Michigan, in many ways, the decision was already made for me. There's such a strong connection, a strong sense of pride to the institution in the state. It’s embedded and ingrained in you at an early age, particularly if you follow sports. And with the performance of the football and basketball teams at the time, it was a natural evolution to envision my college career at U-M.

What really solidified it for me were the programs the university offered. Having such a deep passion and desire to work in sports, I wanted courses and opportunities that allowed me to continue on that path and provided me with experiences that I was interested in but, at the same time, challenged me and introduced me to new things. When I discovered the sport management and communications program that U-M offered at the time, it seemed like it was meant to be.


Q: Were your family athletes or at least U-M sports fans?
A: Yes, but the fandom was more so just around. Everywhere you went, you couldn't escape it.

I can remember very early on when I was in elementary school, my dad took me to the scrimmage that the U-M basketball team had at one of the local high schools. That was my introduction to all things Michigan, and the moment when I truly fell in love, seeing U-M sports up close and live.

From that point on, the aura was reinforced on a regular occasion, whether it was seeing your classmates or others in your neighborhood walking around in Michigan gear or watching U-M sports on the television.


Q: Once you arrived at U-M, did that feeling continue? Was your experience everything you wanted it to be?
A: It was everything I wanted it to be and, even more so, it was beyond that. ‘Cause you know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know. And I had no idea the world that would open up to me, what I would be exposed to, when I was at Michigan.

Everything was additive, even those things that felt like challenges at the time. I reflect on them now, and I'm so thankful that I experienced those things. You know, trying to pass an exam or the all-nighters or juggling the demands of your schedule. Being exposed to different perspectives, different backgrounds, different ways of thinking — all of those things were conditioning me to be able to operate in the world that I live in now.

And you know you're surrounded by excellence at Michigan, and so it forces you to raise your game as well. You want to uphold the legacy and reputation of the university as being one of the best in the world. So not only did I want to succeed for myself, but I also wanted to make sure that I was holding up my end of the bargain, if you will, in terms of contributing to the overall legacy of the university. So it was all that and more for me in terms of what I got out of it.


Q: Were there any particular memories that stand out to you as formative?
A: You know, my 4 years at Michigan were the best years of my life and certainly some of my most memorable years.

Even before I arrived at U-M, I remember the acceptance letter in the big packet that I got in the mail. It was so elaborate and extensive in terms of the materials, but I kept looking for the confirmation that I got in. Even though it said they were excited to welcome me to the school, I was looking for plain language that said, ‘You’re in.’

Or moving onto campus and being introduced to a whole new level of independence and responsibility and having to build relationships with people that come from an entirely different background as you.

Or having these late-night conversations in my dorm room or working on a project but taking a break to play a video game and then having some philosophical discussion. You thought you were so wise, but you realize later that you were so naive.

Or the football team winning a national championship my senior year. Seeing that team go undefeated and Charles Woodson winning the Heisman Trophy, that was incredible.

Or the very last time that you're there, whether it’s the conclusion of each year, where you’re moving out of the dorms, or graduation — those are always bittersweet moments.

So there's so many different moments that stand out that I can look back on. They’re less about the technical side of school itself and more all the other things, right? I maybe took those moments for granted then. But I look back on them and realize that I won’t get those experiences ever again in life. You really have to cherish them and celebrate them.

Q: When you graduated, what were the next steps on your path to Nike?
A: I was quite confident in thinking that I could have a career in sports in some form or fashion. I still didn't know exactly what that would look like, but I was thinking, ‘Hey, yeah, I can do this.’

I ended up taking a couple of internships with some teams and the NFL and the NBA. Afterwards, I received an offer to move to New York to join the New York Knicks in their public relations department. I spent five years working there before moving to Reebok for two years. Midway through my time at Reebok, I had a conversation with my now former boss, who was then in the role that I'm in now at Nike. He was asking me about my experiences and how I saw my career and they offered me a job. I’ve been here 18 years now. 

All of those other things were stepping stones to where I got, to my success. I think about some of the trials and tribulations of my experiences, and I wouldn't trade any of that.


Q: Are you willing to share some of those experiences that might have seemed really tough at the time but ended up helping you?
A: Well, those early days were tough because even though I had a lot of conviction, it was still met with a ton of struggle. One that I talked about in my commencement speech [for the U-M School of Kinesiology earlier this year] was my first internship in Tampa.

I didn't have the means to get on a plane and move and be put up in a nice apartment and so forth. I grew up in Flint, in a very humble environment, and my sister had given me a car that was pretty beaten up. It barely ran, to be honest. I had been in a couple of accidents, and the driver-side door didn't open, so I had to get in through the passenger side, and the tires had no traction on them.

But this internship was something that I really wanted, and those opportunities didn't come around that often. So I packed up in the middle of the night and put all of my belongings in a garbage bag and drove 20 hours straight from Flint to Tampa with $35, maybe $40, in my pocket. Gas was only 99 cents a gallon, so I only had to fill up twice, and I stopped to eat a bag of chips and a Little Debbie snack cake and Canada Dry soda as my meal.

Once I got to Florida, my car broke down as soon as I got off the exit of the highway. I ended up not having a place to live for a couple of weeks, and I made it through by sleeping in my car or in the training facility or in the media trailers that they had out on the field.

And then I decided to quit. That wasn’t my finest hour because I didn't communicate with them. I just left and went home, thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’

I went back to Flint, and I remember talking to the sports information director at U-M, who told me another former Michigan guy, who was leading comms for the Lions, was looking for an intern. He told me I could come and work there.

So I did that, but it was only for one season, and then, fortunately, the comms lead for the Pistons was also a Michigan grad who said, ‘Why don't you come over here?’ So I did that for a season, and then he connected me to the Knicks VP of PR. But even going to New York, I couch surfed for a couple of years, ‘cause you had to have so much money to get an apartment. So having to struggle, having to adjust and juggle — it was a lot.


Q: But as you said, all those experiences were stepping stones to where you are now. Can you tell me a bit about your current position?
A: My job now is that I oversee all forms of communications, both internally and externally, across all three brands within the Nike portfolio. So that's Nike, Jordan, and Converse. It’s everything from managing the company’s overall reputation to showcasing our latest product innovation (how do we tell the story for consumers?) to speaking about our financial performance to engaging with employees.

So it's an enormous role in that I am part of the senior leadership team that's responsible for the day-to-day management of the entire company. I report directly to our CEO. My function of communications involves working across the enterprise to ensure that through line and connecting the pieces that will allow us to be positioned as the most inspirational athletic brand out there, that delivers the best innovation in the world to athletes.


Q: That is a big role. How do you go about devoting time for each of those tasks in a sustainable way?
A: It’s a great question. I think, to be successful in a role like this, you certainly have to be nimble. You have to be able to juggle things and act with a sense of urgency. I do think a lot of the things that I experienced in the past may have allowed me to be able to adapt to an environment like the one that I'm in in terms of dealing with change and expectations and demand.

I fortunately have a very talented team that I rely on as well; it's not just on my shoulders.

Q: Is there anything that you learned in your sport management classes that you're applying to your role now?
A: I can distinctly remember a class about knowing or having a relationship with the consumer and not taking things for granted. We were taught not to be naive or to assume that you have all the answers and you can just shove what you want down their throat.

I think about that all the time. Because that was such a valuable lesson about having a true understanding of your audience and therefore, having a relationship with them. You want a balance of taking them to a place that’s unexpected, that they may not be aware of or may not know that they need. But you also want to make sure that it's done in a way that is receptive to them, so they can accept the invitation you're extending.

Q: Why were you interested in coming back to speak to our current students as the 2024 commencement speaker?
A: Having worked in the field that I'm in, I felt like my experiences are relatable to many people, especially the notion of having to overcome barriers or challenges. That's a universal thing that we all can experience. And any time I can deliver this message of resilience and fortitude and reiterate that success is not linear and just because things may not pan out the way that you envisioned initially doesn't mean that it won’t pan out for you — this message that’s rooted in realness — I’m honored to do that.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are entering the sport management field if they’d like to follow in your footsteps or, really, just succeed at whatever they’d like to do?
A: Have a genuine level of curiosity and desire to learn not only things that you are interested in but also things that challenge your assumptions or conventional thinking. And have a growth mindset; always look to continue to grow and evolve. Never settle with the level of knowledge you have. And be creative. I don’t mean creativity from just an artistic standpoint. But how do you understand things such as storytelling and the mechanics behind it, in terms of platforms and the ways you stitch things together to get the best reaction out of an audience?

That’s more on the technical side. If someone wants to get into sports more broadly, I think you have to truly love it. I’ve seen so many people who work in sports who don’t have that genuine passion for it and don’t understand all the ways it can change lives.

You don’t have to be the biggest fan and know the stats of everything or watch every obscure sport there is. But you do have to appreciate the athletes behind sport. ‘Cause sports are really about human potential, right? They’re about human achievement. They’re about building community. What happens when a team is formed? What happens when a team is representing a university or country or city? Those are moments that can build connections with people. Those are moments that can break down barriers. So much more can be done if one truly goes beyond the surface level and unpacks the potential of sports that are truly life- and world-changing.