YNS Live with NFL Thread Juliet Hahn and Cynthia Zordich

Listen to a new episode of YNS Live with NFL Thread with hosts Juliet Hahn and Cynthia Zordich featuring special guest Ashley Smith.
 
The 2023 season marks Ashley Smith’s 6th season in the football industry and 3rd in the NFL. Currently she serves as Manager, Player Engagement for the National Football League. Smith works within the Football Operations department and heads up the league’s programming geared towards the personal and professional development of current and former NFL players. She oversees programs such as the Career Tours, Broadcasting & Media Workshop, Real Estate Workshop, Personal Branding & Social Workshop, and more. Additionally, Smith serves as a co-lead of the NFL Women’s Community that serves as a central platform for resources, events, programs, and initiatives that support and champion women involved in the game. Ashley and her Women’s Community co-lead, Cesley Tafoya, work to streamline communication and amplify resources that support the personal and professional development, health & wellness, and cross-collaborative engagement of women in the NFL family.
Prior to joining the National Football League, Smith spent a summer interning with the Kansas City Chiefs in their inaugural Norma Hunt Player Personnel Fellowship Program. In this program, Smith assisted the General Manager and player personnel staff in evaluating players, trimming the team’s roster, and practice operations.
Before transitioning out of intercollegiate athletics, Smith served as the Assistant Athletic Director of Player Development for the Tennessee Football Program in 2021. In this role, she spearheaded the football program’s programming in the areas of leadership development, personal enhancement, community outreach, and career and professional development. Smith worked at the University of Tennessee for a total of five years. During this time, she worked for both the football and student-athlete development departments.
From June 2013 to July 2016, Smith worked in the Championships & Alliances department at the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Her time there began as a postgraduate intern and then developed into an assistant coordinator position. Smith had the opportunity to work a total of 19 national championships across Divisions I, II, and III. While assisting with the planning and execution of these events, Smith’s duties and responsibilities consisted of creating championship manuals, working with national sport committees, developing social media strategies, event operations, etc.
Smith graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and collateral in entrepreneurship. She worked as a student manager for the Lady Vols Basketball Program for four years. During that time, she had the opportunity to work with the late Pat Summit and assisted the coaches and staff in recruiting, administrative, and operational capacities.
She earned her master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Florida in 2017.
 
Remarkable Quotes
 
“Continue to show up, continue to share, because you never know how you're inspiring other women. You never know how you're helping the woman that's sitting beside you.” 



Sponsor
 
The YNS Live With NFL Thread Super Bowl Experience is sponsored by Shutterstock Editorial.  Wherever you go - Shutterstock is there to capture it!
 
Contact Shutterstock at assigments@shutterstock.com and take the field with Shutterstock’s award-winning photography superstars.
 
Find Us Online!
Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread

Tune in for the engaging second half of the YNS Live with NFL Thread podcast, broadcasting live from @flankerlv at the @nflthread luncheon in Vegas.  Stories have the power to truly unite us.
Thank you to all of our sponsors, and everyone who helped make this event successful.
@waterloosparkling @21seeds @johnhardyjewelry @rocketmortgage @shutterstocknow @ubs @xoxoginaofficial @burnfactorypodcast @offthefieldnflwives @profootballhof @mcmillian29 @adreanne_realtor @officialqueenv @drinkbodyarmor @chomps @livinglibationsofficial @ny2la_designs @beeinamatchbox @waleogunleye @beautyexpertgina @mrsanacarter @draungelevans @lovelee_aroma_candleco @amberroxie @livinggracehomeslv @notestoselfsocks @mybrooke @imsomistyblu @marnieschneider1 @eriniquelynch 
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#nflthread #thread #ynslive #nflwives #podcast #nflluncheon #threadevents #storiesconnectus #ynslivewithnflthread #vegas #superbowl #lasvegas #podcastshow
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Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread

Big thanks to all who joined us at YNS Live with NFL Thread podcast, broadcasting live from the vibrant @flankerlv at the @nflthread luncheon! It was an absolute blast connecting with each of you, listening to your incredible stories, and finding inspiration together. A special shoutout to @cynthiazordich for her unwavering trust in me to capture and share these remarkable stories!
Thank you to all of our sponsors, and everyone who helped make this event successful.
@waterloosparkling @21seeds @johnhardyjewelry @rocketmortgage @shutterstocknow @ubs @xoxoginaofficial @burnfactorypodcast @offthefieldnflwives @profootballhof @mcmillian29 @adreanne_realtor @officialqueenv @drinkbodyarmor @chomps @livinglibationsofficial @ny2la_designs @beeinamatchbox @waleogunleye @beautyexpertgina @mrsanacarter @draungelevans @lovelee_aroma_candleco @amberroxie @livinggracehomeslv @notestoselfsocks @mybrooke @imsomistyblu @marnieschneider1 @eriniquelynch 
🎥 @intangibleproductions 
#nflthread #thread #ynslive #nflwives #podcast #nflluncheon #threadevents #storiesconnectus #ynslivewithnflthread #vegas #superbowl #lasvegas #podcastshow
Find Us Online!
Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread

Listen to a new episode of YNS Live with NFL Thread recorded live on Fireside with hosts Juliet Hahn and Cynthia Zordich featuring special guest Kathy Maurella.
 
Kathy Maurella serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at Waterloo Sparkling Water, where she leads marketing strategy, brand development, consumer insights and go-to-market planning. Upon joining the team in late 2020, Kathy has been instrumental in building the branding infrastructure to deliver accelerating growth in this large, highly competitive category.
Prior to Waterloo, Kathy was a strategy and brand marketing consultant on diverse projects for top brands, including Panera, an LVMH division, Cole Haan, and Avon. At Panera, she led new business development for the CPG business unit, developing a five-year innovation road map and launching multiple new categories. And, at Starboard Cruise Services (LVMH), Kathy was responsible for the company’s first strategic, foundational consumer research and the development of the creative campaign to differentiate the brand’s retail experience.
Kathy launched her career at Kraft Foods | Nabisco Biscuit Division, where she was classically trained as a brand marketer and led the Nabisco Biscuit Hispanic marketing strategy across its $4 billion cookie and cracker portfolio.  Prior to her marketing career, Kathy worked in Nabisco's logistics/supply chain management department across multiple roles.
Kathy earned an MBA with concentrations in Strategy and Marketing from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Logistics/Supply Chain Management from Pennsylvania State University.
 
Remarkable Quotes
 
“Go all in. Go for broke. Water down nothing fits the Waterloo culture.”



Sponsor
 
The YNS Live With NFL Thread Super Bowl Experience is sponsored by Shutterstock Editorial.  Wherever you go - Shutterstock is there to capture it!
 
Contact Shutterstock at assigments@shutterstock.com and take the field with Shutterstock’s award-winning photography superstars.
 
Find Us Online!
Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread

Listen to a new episode of YNS Live with NFL Thread recorded live on Fireside with hosts Juliet Hahn and Cynthia Zordich featuring special guest Jelani Jenkins.
 
Jelani Jenkins, a five-year NFL veteran turned renowned speaker and Certified Mental Performance Coach, is an expert in the field of personal transformation. Known for his dynamic, engaging talks, he inspires his audiences to unlock their potential, break down barriers, and realize their highest vision.
 
Beyond his successful NFL career as a starting linebacker for the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Texans, Jelani has made waves in the entrepreneurial world as the founder and CEO of Postseason, a social learning app that empowers athletes to continue their growth, success and fulfillment beyond sports. His innovative approach and commitment to supporting others in their post-athletic journey was recognized by Forbes in 2021. It also led to Postseason winning first place in Founder's Live's pitch competition and being selected as a finalist at the LA Sports and Innovation Conference's Start Up Showdown.
 
A coach at heart, Jelani continues to lead his clients to self-discovery and self-mastery. However, as a speaker, he is not only inspiring teams and audiences, but also reshaping the narrative of success in sports, corporate settings, and life itself.
 
Remarkable Quotes
 
“I want athletes to recognize that they don't have to give up their identity after sports, but that their identity is their strength.”



Sponsor
 
The YNS Live With NFL Thread Super Bowl Experience is sponsored by Shutterstock Editorial.  Wherever you go - Shutterstock is there to capture it!
 
Contact Shutterstock at assigments@shutterstock.com and take the field with Shutterstock’s award-winning photography superstars.
 
Find Us Online!
Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread

Listen to a new episode of YNS Live with NFL Thread recorded live on Fireside with hosts Juliet Hahn and Cynthia Zordich featuring special guests Paul Frase and Alison Rockett.
Paul Frase and Alison Rockett had everything—Paul was an NFL defensive lineman; Alison was an assistant manager for Guns N’ Roses and a personal assistant to fashion design mogul Max Azria, founder of BCBG.
Their first child, Joshua, was born with a muscular disorder called myotubular myopathy (MTM). The doctors would not give him more than 24 hours to live. 
Alison became Joshua’s advocate, and eventually the patient advocate for a whole community. 
Alison taught herself how to keep her son alive and had to resuscitate him numerous times. Before Joshua had his first birthday, Alison and her husband, Paul, started a foundation that would one day find the cure for their son’s disease. Knowing nothing about scientific research for a rare orphan disease, Alison educated herself and trusted her instincts, and when she received a vision of handing a large check to a renowned researcher, she chased that vision with relentless passion until its fruition.
Alison has since been published in Human Gene Therapy and was featured in the MIT Technology Review. Alison has forged relationships with MDA, NIH, NORD and Global Genes during the Joshua Frase Foundation’s quest for a cure for MTM. Paul and the family were featured in USA Today during the week of Super Bowl 32, when he was a member of the Green Bay Packers squad.
You can find more on their Website.
 
Remarkable Quotes
 
“I am the woman I am because my son lived, and I mean that wholeheartedly. If God gave me the choice today not to have lived that journey or to do it again, I would do it again, because truly, the joy outweighed the pain.”
 
“This book is Joshua's story. It’s a story about inspiration and hope and love. That's what Joshua is. A lot of people couldn't put the book down. They read it in one sitting.”



Sponsor
 
The YNS Live With NFL Thread Super Bowl Experience is sponsored by Shutterstock Editorial.  Wherever you go - Shutterstock is there to capture it!
 
Contact Shutterstock at assigments@shutterstock.com and take the field with Shutterstock’s award-winning photography superstars.
 
Find Us Online!
Fireside: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
Instagram: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread
LinkedIn: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich
FB: Juliet Hahn | NFL Thread
Clubhouse: Juliet Hahn
YouTube: Juliet Hahn
Twitter: Juliet Hahn | Cynthia Zordich | NFL Thread