IAM552- Podcaster Speaks Her Mind on All Things Sports

Abby has always had a passion for sports specially cheering on her Ohio State Buckeyes and all Cleveland sports teams. She wanted to find an outlet to talk about sports where she didn't have to fit a certain mold as a woman talking about sports. Many women on national sports platforms become a mediator in these conversations, and Abby wanted to speak her mind without having to change who she is. And thus, Rollin' With the Winners Podcast began.

• CEO Hack: Book- Rich Dad Poor Dad
• CEO Nugget: 1) I deserve the things I worked for 2) My thoughts, voice and opinions are meaningful
• CEO Defined: Having control and doing things that are fulfilling

Website: http://rollinwiththewinnerspodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Instagram- @rollinwiththewinnerspodcast
Twitter- @rollin_podcast

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from me, I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. Abby Mueller of Rollin' With The Winners Podcast, Abby, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Abby Mueller 0:40

Awesome. Happy to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:42

Yes, super excited to have you on and super excited to hear a little bit more about all the awesome things that you're doing. And before we jump right in, I want to read a little bit more about Abby so you can hear more about her.

Abby has always had a passion for sports, especially cheering on her Ohio State Buckeyes and all-queenless sports teams, she wanted to find an outlet to talk about sports, where she didn't have to fit a certain mold as a woman talking about sports.

Many women on national sports platforms become a mediators in these conversations. And Abby wanted to speak her mind without having to change who she was. And thus Rollin' With The Winners Podcast began. Abby, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Abby Mueller 1:19

I am ready.

Gresham Harkless 1:20

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I want to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. What led you to get started with your podcast and all the awesome things we're working on?

Abby Mueller 1:29

Yeah, absolutely. So as I kind of mentioned, you had mentioned in that intro there, I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and I graduated from Ohio State University in 2018.

So I think really, the combination of those two upbringings has caused me to be a very passionate and dedicated sports fan, like most people are in those two cities. And as I mentioned, I always felt like there was a gap in the way women were portrayed in sports media. I grew up with ESPN Sports Center on my television.

And it felt like it was always a table of men sitting around discussing their opinions about things happening in sports, while one woman sat there and kind of acted as a mediator in that conversation, which is no fault of her own because that was the role she was given. But it never really sat well with me.

And like I said, I've always been a passionate and opinionated fan. And I don't shy away from my opinion. So I wanted a good platform as a woman talking about sports, where I could speak freely, bring different guests on, and just give my general opinions about things that are happening in sports with really, without really toning myself down in order to be more digestible for a typical sports media audience.

And thus Rollin' With The Runners was created.

Gresham Harkless 2:48

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. And I appreciate you know, this day and age where a lot of times if we feel frustrated, or we want to see something that we don't have or isn't represented, and we don't have to wait on the sidelines for that to happen. A lot of times we can jump in and create it ourselves.

Abby Mueller 3:03

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 3:04

Yeah. And so I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper if you take us through a little bit and hear a little bit more about what we can find on the Rollin' With The Winners and what have been some of your favorite episodes as well.

Abby Mueller 3:14

Absolutely. So a lot of the episodes are kind of just me sitting there giving a lot of my opinions whether it is when we had the NFL Draft, I broke down all of my draft predictions.

I've had a couple of different guests on I think one of my favorite episodes was when I had the DJ of the Dallas Cowboys come on and do an interview, which I thought was really interesting, because it really tied in music, in sports into one world, which is one of the most interesting things to me about sports, that throughout the history of our world and country, sports and pop culture have kind of always directly aligned.

And sports ended up mirroring the things that are happening in the world, whether it's music or politics. So I got into a lot of topics related to that. I also really get into some of the inspiring stories that sports bring us. So we see a lot of bad things happening in the world and on the news every day.

And a lot of times, we can take some positive stories and lessons that sports have brought us and tie them into our own lives. So that's a lot of what I like to bring to the table and the different episodes as well. I've had a couple of family members on as guests since they have the same type of passions as I do related to sports. So that's been a lot of fun for me as well.

Gresham Harkless 4:33

Yeah, definitely, you know, sounds like it's been a great kind of way to kind of grow, you know, the site, the podcasts, and everything too.

And I love how you kind of touched on it because I've always found I'm a sports junkie myself, and I find that sports is great, of course for the competition, you know, everything that actually is happening, but I think is also very representative of a lot of ways that people can connect with each other and communicate and I think that sports is kind of way by which people a lot of times can come together.

Abby Mueller 5:02

Absolutely, totally agree with that.

Gresham Harkless 5:05

Awesome, and I definitely appreciate that. And so now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And it could be for you personally or the podcast. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Abby Mueller 5:16

Yeah. So I think, really, in general, just the fact that I am a 24-year-old woman from Cleveland, Ohio, talking about sports, I think that is not the typical type of persona that you see on your television screen or in your sports talk radio.

So I think who I am as a person in general just brings that different perspective. I always talk about how people from Cleveland have, they've been through a lot, we've got a lot of snow every winter, and we see some, some tough years of our sports teams that put us through a lot of things.

And I think it makes us tough people. And I really like bringing that kind of perspective to the table.

Gresham Harkless 5:53

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that I definitely appreciate that. Because, again, as I said, you have so many opportunities to hear from different perspectives. But I think with podcasting, blogging, and websites and videos, there are so many different ways that you can kind of get that different perspective because I think there are people who want to get that unique perspective.

And I think by you doing it, you're also empowering other people who have something they want to see, rather than just waiting to actually go and create it.

Abby Mueller 6:20

Absolutely, totally agree.

Gresham Harkless 6:23

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app or book or habit that you have, or something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Abby Mueller 6:35

Yeah, so this one is slightly unrelated to the podcast. But my dad introduced me to this book a couple of years back called Rich Dad, Poor Dad. And I can't say I agree with every single concept in the book. But the overarching message is about taking control of your own life.

And this really kind of inspired me and helped me aspire to have that. It really speaks to the way our society I think, has convinced us that there is only one path to success, which is to go to a good college, get a safe, stable job, work for 40 years, and then retire.

And the book kind of challenges that ideology. And I think it's something that really made me question everything that I have always thought and everything I have been taught. One of my favorite sayings from Kurt Warner's Hall of Fame speech that I talked about in one of my episodes is that sometimes you have to do what you have to do while you're waiting to do what you're born to do.

And I think that has really pertained to me as well because I am still working a full-time corporate job right now, while also trying to pursue my passions. Because sometimes it's not ideal for everyone to immediately jump right into running their own business.

And I think sometimes you can do both at the same time, and it's okay to ease into it and take those small steps to get to where you want to be. But I think the biggest thing is to just start somewhere.

Gresham Harkless 7:59

Yeah, absolutely. What I definitely, you know, appreciate you, you know, talking about fat because I think so many times we see people at the, you know, the finish line or the end of the race or hoisting up the trophy, we say, oh, that person just basically was born and became you know, the winner.

But in reality, a lot of times, it is a process that it takes to do that. And a lot of times it takes step by step by step. And just by moving it helps you to get to where, you know, it is to be successful.

Abby Mueller 8:25

Absolutely, totally agree. I think you do see people and all their success. And you wonder, you know, did they just appear there, but everyone has a different path and a different way they got there. For some people, it happens in one year, and sometimes it takes 10 years, but like I said, you just have to start somewhere.

Gresham Harkless 8:43

Yeah, absolutely. And I think her Warner was bagging groceries. I think when he was caught up,

Abby Mueller 8:48

he was I actually in one of my episodes give a little monologue of his Hall of Fame and shrine and speech where he talks about that where he was bagging groceries at three in the morning and started talking to a Dan Marino Siri or Cheerios box where he was speaking to him telling him that he needed to go pursue his dream.

And then he ended up being in the Hall of Fame sitting there with Dan Marino right behind him. So definitely an inspiring story from him.

Gresham Harkless 9:15

Yeah, that's definitely inspiring. I had no idea. Yeah, I hadn't heard all that talking to the Cheerios box.

Abby Mueller 9:20

Yeah, I talk, It's a great story.

Gresham Harkless 9:23

Yeah, it definitely isn't it I mean, I like it. Like you said, even though with what you're doing, and what you've been able to create, we talked about the Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I think that so many times that if you have a vision for what you see, or you don't see, you shouldn't be afraid to go about and do it yourself.

And I think when you do that you also inspire others, just as Kurt Warner has, just as you're doing as far as us to be able to go and paint the picture we want to see in the world we want to have.

Abby Mueller 9:45

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 9:47

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you can happen to a time machine. What would you tell your younger business self?

Abby Mueller 9:58

Yeah, so right now I'm only about a year and a half out of college. But I think through every step of my life up until this point, I would have told myself to just be more confident. I think as a young woman, I know I deal with a little bit of impostor syndrome at times.

And this is something a lot of women deal with in their careers and throughout their life, where you're just working hard putting in the time, putting yourself out there, and you still have this, this internal feeling of doubting your worth or doubting that you earned your seat at the table.

It's definitely something I still struggle with and have leaps and bounds to improve upon in that, but I would just definitely always remind my younger self that I deserve the things I've worked for, my thoughts and opinions are valid and my voice is meaningful. Because I think it's hard to see that when you're younger.

Gresham Harkless 10:50

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that one of the things that I remember reading in, I Think, thinking to Grow Rich Minds, thinking we're Rich, the mindset, talks about, sometimes the biggest thing that we have to work on is kind of our self-image and our self-appreciation for ourselves.

Abby Mueller 11:07

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 11:08

And we don't look at ourselves and appreciate our thoughts, and our opinions are our aspirations and our goals. And we don't continue to kind of cultivate that and work on that. That can be the biggest detriment to us getting to be as successful as we are capable of being

Abby Mueller 11:22

A 100%. Yeah, I totally agree that we're the worst critics and are our biggest obstacle at times.

Gresham Harkless 11:31

Yeah, absolutely. So I appreciate you for reminding us of that. And of course, you know, practicing what you preach is always the best thing. So now, I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on this show. So Abby, what has being a CEO meant to you?

Abby Mueller 11:48

Yeah. So I think this project has been really important to me, because for two reasons, one, it allows me to feel like I have some type of control over my own life. And I'm not solely being run by my own job and having that control my entire life.

And number two, I'm doing things that are important to me and fulfill me. As I've mentioned, sports have always been my passion, and something I've loved talking about. And I've been able to channel that into this platform, which I think has been really powerful in my own life.

The podcast is still fairly new, but I'm just super excited to continue to grow it and become someone whose opinion people value and really care about. So I guess, overall, yeah, it just means having control over my own life and doing something that's important to me.

Gresham Harkless 12:40

Absolutely, Lily, I definitely appreciate that. And I think so many times we think we have to choose one or the other. But the ability to be able to do both have to be passionate about it and be able to kind of take control of your life is definitely something powerful that we're able to do. So I appreciate you again for reminding us of that.

So appreciate that. Appreciate your time, even more, what I want to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional, you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best they can get a hold of you find out about the podcast and all the awesome things you're working on.

Abby Mueller 13:10

Totally, I think my last bit of wisdom would just be to pursue your passion regardless of what type of limitations you feel exist out there. I definitely sometimes allow myself to feel stressed looking at the typical path or conventional path that a lot of people my age are following.

I tried to remind myself it's okay to take some time to be selfish pursue your passion and figure out what you want your life to look like. So I think that's my last bit of wisdom. But in order to find my podcast, you can really find it on any platform that you listen to podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, any of those.

You can follow my personal Instagram at Abby underscore Mueller underscore or the Instagram for the podcast, which is at Rollin' With The Winners Podcast. And feel free to ever DM me with any topics or questions you want to hear on the podcast, I am totally open to suggestions of what people want to hear about in sports. So always open to that.

Gresham Harkless 14:15

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Abby, we will definitely have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you. And of course, subscribe to the podcast, but definitely appreciate you for reminding us again, you know, to pursue our passion.

I think a lot of times, we can be seen as selfish for pursuing our passions, but I think when you think about it holistically and all the gifts that we have to give the world when you do pursue your passion, you actually are gifting the world in the best way possible.

So I appreciate you for doing that and of course, reminding us to do that as well.

Abby Mueller 14:44

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me on today.

Gresham Harkless 14:47

You're welcome. Have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Outro 14:49

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE And leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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