From the college football sidelines to the basketball court and beyond, Maria Taylor has all your sports coverage for ESPN. Maria has quickly become a star broadcaster known for her versatility and drive. She is a co-host on College GameDay, sideline reporter for ABC’s Saturday Night Football, and is expected to be added to NBA Countdown this season. Passionate about paying it forward, Maria is the co-founder of The Winning Edge Leadership Academy which helps young women and minorities get opportunities in the sports industry. On today’s episode, we talk about the hustle it required to break into the industry, the lessons in failing fast, and how she got comfortable using her voice.
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Show Notes
- How she broke into the sports industry (2:20)
- The power of saying yes (4:34)
- Pushing through doubt and discomfort early in her career (7:28)
- Be so good they can’t take you out of the game (9:42)
- How she builds trust with high-level coaches and athletes (11:13)
- The life lesson she learned from Nick Saban (13:04)
- How she prepares (15:54)
- How she manages her energy to avoid burnout (17:56)
- Learning to say no and don’t try to prove anything (19:33)
- The on-air mistake at the Rose Bowl she had to learn from (21:18)
- How being a two-sport student-athlete prepared her for her career (23:23)
- How she has navigated being a woman in a male-dominated industry (24:54)
- The advice she gives young women on pulling your seat up to the table (25:55)
- Why she started the Winning Edge Leadership Academy (28:58)
Resources / People Mentioned
- The Winning Edge Leadership Academy
- College GameDay
- Saturday Night Football
- NBA Countdown
- University of Georgia women’s basketball
- University of Georgia volleyball
- FOX Sports South
- Comcast / Charter Sports Southeast
- Matt Millen, NFL executive and broadcaster
- Dan Mullen, University of Florida football coach
- Nick Saban, Alabama football coach
- Kobe Bryant, NBA
- Serena Williams, tennis
- Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
- Joyce Meyer
- Steven Furtick, Elevation Church
- 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship
- The Rose Bowl
- David Pollack, football player
- WME, agency
- SpringHill Entertainment
- LeBron James, NBA
- Dwayne Johnson, actor
- Megan Rapinoe
- Andy Landers, basketball coach
- Robin Roberts, media personality
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Caril Lloyd on Outworking the Competition
- Dabo Swinney on Leading from the Heart
- Inky Johnson on Overcoming Adversity
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