Tag: Grind

Nia Symone is a trailblazer. A young, gifted, visionary who is only just beginning to bless the world with her talents, while also using her gifts to bless and inspire others. I am also extremely proud to call her my friend. Nia is many things in one. An ex-college hooper now using her basketball expertise to help former, current, and upcoming student-athletes navigate life post-basketball through her company Purpose To Be Heard.

A storyteller and director, and the host of Nike’s Come Thru, Nia has had quite the year, and before leaving for Los Angeles to work on her next film project, she was kind enough to catch up with us to talk about her budding career.

ONE37pm: Thank You for speaking with us Nia! We wanted to first ask you about what you are building with your company “Purpose To Be Heard.”

Nia: Purpose To Be Heard is a digital sports storytelling platform. It’s a passion project that we are building to tell the real and raw stories of athletes, while also changing the way society views athletes. A lot of times the world doesn’t see the human side of athletes, and there are so many layers to us that people don’t know about. There’s a lot of pressure on athletes, and anxiety and depression have doubled.

What we are doing at Purpose To Be Heard is combating this issue through editorial-style storytelling. Outlets like Players Tribune cater to a certain demographic which are retired pros. With us, we are focusing on non-profit efforts, mental health, healing, and community. Most student-athletes are friends with other athletes, and once we’re out of that bubble, we don’t have a direction. Fewer than two percent of athletes go pro, and after college, you don’t really know what to do. It’s sort of an identity crisis that you struggle with.

ONE37pm: You mentioned before the interview that you are heading to L.A. to work on a film project. When did you first discover your love for film and storytelling?

Nia: I’ve always been a huge documentary geek. I’ve watched all of the 30 for 30 episodes to get insight on athletes and coaches. I love authentic storytelling, and I’ve always known that it was something that I wanted to do. Issa Rae is a huge inspiration for me in terms of how she was able to go from Awkward Black Girl to Insecure, and now one of the most powerful women in the entertainment and production world. I’ve always been very creative, and I want to write and direct all sorts of projects.

You can continue to keep up with Nia and her journey on Instagram.

As sneaker life begins to return to its pretty-pandemic state, there’s one budding business that every sneakerhead should have on their radar. Bottom Bunk Sneaker House is your new home for all things sneakers.

Located in the heart of Melrose, Bottom Bunk is a fully self-funded business founded by Cole Richman. Richman has a very atypical rise to success-the founder and creative director went from sitting behind bars to creating this highly successful sneaker house.

Bottom Bunk

Bottom Bunk Sneaker House

Cole was born and raised in Los Angeles and got caught up in drugs & gang-related activities at the age of 14. After going in and out of the prison system for years, Cole was sentenced to eight years in prison at the age of 27. While in solitary confinement, Cole decided that when he got out, he would turn his life around.

Released from prison during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, with nothing more than the shirt on his back and $200 from the state, Cole used that money on a pair of “Smoke Grey” Jordan 1’s, which he then resold for a profit. With that money, he purchased a pair of Yeezys, resold them, and began working with various brands, using the same methods & abilities.

Thus, Bottom Bunk (refers to the bed Cole slept in for years in prison) was born. With a bright future ahead, ONE37pm spoke to Cole about his redemption journey.

Bottom Bunk

Bottom Bunk Sneaker House

ONE37pm: What can visitors expect when they visit Bottom Bunk?

Cole: Walking into Bottom Bunk is like walking into your local neighborhood for shoes. We want it to be an elevated shopping experience, and it’s like that with everything. We also deliver exclusivity when it comes to shoes, so that is also something that we are proud of and want our visitors to experience.

ONE37pm: Cool, now let’s take you back. When did you first discover your love for sneakers?

Cole: I’ve always loved the experience of buying sneakers. I think I got my first pair of Jordan 1s around 1991/1992, and I was heavily immersed in sneaker culture. For those that don’t know, I spent eight years in prison, and I got released during the pandemic in 2020. I had struggled with drugs and spent time in a halfway house. My roommate at the halfway house was doing shoes, and when I got released, the state gave me $200.

I used that money to get a pair of Smoke Grey Jordan 1s, and that got the ball rolling for me in terms of getting into the reselling game. I had spent the majority of my life hustling, and now I was using those same skills to hustle in a different way. Now I can really focus on giving back and helping other people through my store.

Bottom Bunk

Bottom Bunk Sneaker House

ONE37pm: That’s a pretty quick turnaround for just a two-year time period! Especially with you opening up your own store. There are some people who started before you in the sneaker game that still aren’t where you are.

Cole: It’s hard work and a little bit of luck. I got lucky that the prison gave us a little bit of a stimulus, and I’m also fortunate to have had people that helped my business along with financially supporting me, even though I had been in prison.

ONE37pm: Right now, we’re in a weird space in the sneaker game. Of course with the pandemic, sneaker buying was primarily online, and people have been getting fed up with the online buying process. Now we are slowly starting to transition back to more in-store purchasing. What are your thoughts on that, and what can sneakerheads expect from Bottom Bunk?

Cole: It’s a couple of different things. I have the relationships necessary to get early access to certain shoes, and I’m not trying to take advantage of people. I definitely think the pandemic played a part in why people are frustrated because we were all cooped up in the house, and you could pretty much only buy online. Now it’s beginning to be more accessible through in-store buying when it comes to new sneakers.

Bottom Bunk

Bottom Bunk Sneaker House

ONE37pm: Are there any specific shoes that sell the most?

Cole: We sell a lot of the Panda Dunks, every type of Jordan 1s, and also the UNC 1s which are very popular. A lot of people like those UNC colorways!

ONE37pm: Where do you see yourself and Bottom Bunk in the next few years?

Cole: In the next 12 months we would love to have one to two more locations. Obviously, SoHo would be nice, and maybe even Atlanta and Nashville. In the next few years, we’ll be able to rival StockX!

Since we are now officially in February, it’s time to start thinking about our springtime fashions. On January 14th, UNKNWN dropped their Spring 2022 Sport collection, which is a reflection of the evolving styles of its founders LeBron James, Frankie Walker Jr., and Jaron Kanfer.

UNKNWN

Spring 2022

The collection is inspired by activewear and reimagined with an emphasis on modern sportswear design and functionality. It debuts shirts, polos, jackets, joggers, biker shorts, sports bras, and accessories designed to lend an elevated feel and designer lens to activewear.

Intended for the everyday athlete to be worn anytime or anywhere, the collection was tested by athletes in Fit Clubs and workouts that UNKNWN hosts weekly at its Wynwood store, and focuses on performance, and multi-paneled designs that offer lightweight and breathable materials, along with stretchable sweat resistant fabric.

UNKNWN

The color story offers neutral, cohesive, and cool tones consisting of ivory, chalk, navy, white, and ice effortlessly ready to incorporate itself into a wide range of wardrobes and personal styles. The best part? It is reasonably priced with pieces ranging from $40 to $115 each.

ONE37pm spoke with UNKNWN co-founder Jaron Kanfer to talk more about the Spring 2022 Sport collection.

UNKNWN

ONE37pm: Congrats on the new collection! What was the inspiration for this latest drop?

Kanfer: This collection is active and athlete-inspired. We wanted to create activewear that was elevated through a designer lens and make it functional to be worn every day. 

ONE37pm: You guys had a great 2021, what can we expect in 2022?

Kanfer: Expect more UNKNWN brand collections as well as collaborations with the top sneaker, fashion, and gaming brands. There are so many talented creatives we’re excited to team up with. At our Miami store, we’re hosting weekly workouts and special events in our courtyard. We designed this aspect of the store as a place where the community can get together and be active.

ONE37pm: How has the brand evolved since the beginning?

Kanfer: UNKNWN was founded as a way for people to discover new brands by combining high fashion with contemporary wear. We’ve always wanted that experience to be accessible for anyone. As we’ve grown, we are constantly amplifying our efforts to support new brands with collaborations and special events. We continue to expand the UNKNWN brand with new collections. Most importantly, we’re expanding our community and providing opportunities locally to come together for special events and workouts. 

UNKNWN

ONE37pm: This is a really versatile collection! You can really create a lot of different looks, right?

Kanfer: Exactly. The idea behind the collection, and all of our collections, is to create looks that can be worn together as a matching set or mixed with other collections for individuality. We design collections around a cohesive color story to make building full looks or mixing pieces effortless. 

ONE37pm: We had to ask. Any plans for more retail stores in the future? 

Kanfer: Stay tuned… 

We guess we’ll have to stay tuned. In the meantime, you can check out the collection at UNKNWN’s flagship location in Wynwood, and at UNKNWN.com.

When we last spoke to Khristina Williams in September 2020, the entrepreneur had already accomplished a lot with Girls Talks Sports TV with plans for more. Today Williams has some big news. Athletes Unlimited has partnered with Girls Talk Sports TV for the 2022 Inaugural Basketball Season, taking place from Jan. 26 to Feb. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Williams, a 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30: Sports selection, founded the digital sports media outlet Girls Talk Sports TV in 2018, providing a place to give women a voice in the sports media industry and has served as a destination for WNBA social and digital content.

Athletes Unlimited

Athletes Unlimited x Khristina Williiams

She will join Athletes Unlimited Basketball for opening weekend, produce content and engage with fans through initiatives such as a live watch party, Instagram takeovers, weekly mailbags and written content for AUProSports.com. Girls Talk Sports TV has amassed 23.5k followers across Instagram and Twitter, while Williams has 20.k followers on her own channels. In 2021, she launched “Women Sports Wednesday” on Spotify Greenroom, where she discusses the latest & greatest in the world of women’s basketball.

We caught up with Williams yesterday to discuss the exciting news. Here’s what she had to say:

Imani McGee Stafford is coming back, Kalani Brown who decided to join and is looking to make a WNBA comeback and use this opportunity to show her game. This could be the start of her 2022 contract. Then you have Sydney Colson who is another player as she didn’t play last year. Athletes Unlimited is a great way to get second chance opportunities. You also have Ty Young who has retired but wants to stay around the game, and then you also have Courtney Williams who because of the altercation that happened last year, is gonna use this opportunity to prove why she’s an all-star. This is great all around the bar, and it’s going to challenge me to tell all of these stories, whether it’s writing or the weekly content show.

In addition to Williams, the league will also be collaborating with Basketball content creators Jasmine Baker, Greydy Diaz, Terrika Foster-Brasby and Victoria Jacobi to give fans an inside look at the first weekend of action.

Athletes Unlimited Basketball’s first season will take place in Athletes Unlimited Arena at the Sport Center of Las Vegas, less than two miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Games will be broadcast in the U.S. on either FOX Sports, CBS Sports Network, Bally Sports or Athletes Unlimited digital channels. Additional international media partners will also be added. 

Tickets are available via AUProSports.com.

Our 2022 entertainment continues to get off to a hot start with the relaunch of Renee Montgomery’s podcast Remotely Renee. Now dubbed Montgomery & Co., Montgomery is joined by wife Sirena Grace, her mother Bertlela Montgomery, and sister Nicole Young as they speak with some of the top names in sports, culture, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.

Previous guests include the likes of Ros Gold-Onwude, Amar’e Stoudemire, Cari Champion, and more, and the relaunch officially debuted this past Thursday featuring special guests Jemelle Hill, and Bo Han, the founder & CEO of Buzzer. We spoke to Renee and Sirena about the relaunch this past week. Below is the full interview.

ONE37pm: You mentioned Jemelle Hill, so it’s fitting that she’s one of the first guests. You all talked a lot about NIL and how it’s going to change the landscape for female athletes. Could you expand more on that?

Montgomery: The potential for college athletes to build brands was always there, but we didn’t have that recognition until NIL as you had to become a professional athlete to have those opportunities. You see that so much in players like Candace Parker who have built an empire, and now young players can start doing that in college.

Grace: It changes the landscape for sure. NIL gives athletes the chance to take their brands and make them appeal to the broader masses. With social media anything is possible, and I think in the future you’ll see athletes with clothing lines, starting their own brands, etc. 

New episodes drop every Thursday. In the meantime, you can keep up with all things Montgomery & Co via Instagram. Be sure to also check out Renee and Sirena and all of their latest updates on IG as well.

PG Sports is on the rise. Founded by Paul Guarino, PG Sports specializes in sports marketing and sports management, representing notable athletes such as Jeff Adrien, Crystal Dangerfield, Renee Montgomery, and more. Closing out 2021 on a high note, Guarino is looking forward to accomplishing even bigger things in 2022. We sat down with Guarino last week to talk about all things PG Sports.

Berk Work

Paul Guarino and Chad Dawson

ONE37pm: How did you develop the concept of PG Sports

Guarino: I started a Twitter page back in 2011 because I knew I wanted to be a sports agent. I made these Marshawn Lynch “Beast Mode” t-shirts to promote my business. I reached out to a graphic designer in terms of creating the PG Sports logo, and from there we just kind of had a contest to win the Beast Mode shirts. From there, I just started building relationships with athletes doing things like interview scheduling, making t-shirts, sports marketing, and sponsorships. I have clients in the UFC, WNBA, overseas, and more. The only sport I don’t work with yet is baseball. I currently have about 28 clients on my roster and it’s cool to see all of the connections.

ONE37pm: What does a day in your life look like for you?

Guarino: I’m on my computer pretty much all day every day. I’m scheduling phone calls, handing email, reaching out, and doing virtual calls. I’m pretty busy!

Moses Webb

Anthony Ireland Paul Guarino and Mustapha Heron

ONE37pm: Who are some of the clients you represent?

Guarino: I represent Kimbo Slice Jr., Renee Montgomery, Brandon Copeland, and Crystal Dangerfield to name a few.

ONE37pm: What’s on the calendar for 2022?

Guarino: Right now I don’t have anything special planned. Just more content, partnership deals, and my goal is to add new people to my roster. I also want to build bigger relationships with brands!

For more on PG Sports you can check out their official website and Twitter.

Outshine Talent is the mastermind operation that has launched the careers of some of the biggest social media stars and celebrities in the world including Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Frankie Jonas, Coco Rocha, and more. Last week the agency announced the addition of their division expanding an exemplary talent roster with the signing of Adrien Nuñez and Carson Roney.  Nuñez is the first NIL signing for Outshine, and the signing marks a monumental milestone for the company.

Shorefire Media

Barbara Jones

Headed by Barbara Jones, Outshine Talent develops and implements strategic, big-picture career plans specific to each of their talent’s roster. We spoke with Jones earlier this week to learn more about the agency, what a day in the life looks like for their clients, and what we can expect in the future.

ONE37pm: Outshine Talent has made some huge moves and signings over the years. Could you just talk a little bit more about the company’s evolution?

Jones: Prior to starting Outshine, I did influencer and social media marketing for brands, and TikTok hired our agency back when it was Musical.ly. That was originally how we started with TikTok, and we saw just how influential it was amongst high school students. My daughter found out about Charli D’Amelio, and it turned out that we both live in Connecticut. I connected with them for an influencer event that we were coordinating, and it was sort of like a snowball effect. I realized the D’Amelio family were going to need a team around them, so I created Outshine Talent, and slowly but surely we began adding new talent.

Social media has evolved a lot since I started at Columbia Records thirteen years ago. That was the beginning of blogging, the early stages of Facebook and Twitter, and before Instagram. I’ve gotten the chance to see it evolve.

ONE37pm: What does a day in the life look like for you?

Jones: Right now we have about 25 talents signed to our roster, and they each have a team around them. This includes a day to day manager, and just an overall support system. Everyone on our roster is at different stages of their careers. For example, we have one that is starting a podcast, and another that is working on an animated series. Everyday is different and about understanding where our talent wants to go. So we’re constantly vetting brands and negotiating deals. It’s super fun!

ONE37pm: What do you think the landscape of college athletics will look like NIL wise as we are already seeing athletes secure huge deals?

Jones: I think it will eventually turn into a recruiting tool. Right now schools are a bit unsure because there have been so many rules in the past, and I think there will be some ups and downs, but overtime teams and players will have tons of opportunities to open doors for more up-and-coming athletes. There’s going to be a lot of evolution in the future with helping athletes who have bigger dreams of acting, modeling, etc. The goal is to help them build their brand.

ONE37pm: What’s on the landscape for 2022? Anything you guys are working on right now?

Jones: It’s going to be a great year! Each of our talent has different goals, and we have podcasts, book deals, music, and animated series on the way. We are also going to be diving into the Crypto/NFT world which is something we are super excited about. It’s going to be great!