#27 Shana Renee - Major League Badass

Shana Renee
2010.
Spelman College.
I am Black.
I am bold.
I am worthy.
Be courageous.

Badass Quotes
> “I feel like chicken is a gateway drug to fast food.”
> “It’s interesting how things you just did for fun, become your career.”
> “Being a Black woman in sports, there’s not many people that look like you. A lot of times there's pressure to assimilate and feel like you need to change who you are or suppress who you are just to fit in.”
> “For me, it was my hair. I didn't feel like if I wore my hair like this that I wouldn’t be taken as seriously as one of my white counterparts.”
> “If you want me, then you want my hair.”
> “And so me, wearing my hair in a fro is what makes me feel beautiful and confident.”
> “I wasn’t growing. I didn’t see the opportunity for growth. I just wanted more.”
> “I feel like I’m my own competition.”
> “As Black women, we are always trying not to be perceived as the angry black woman, because that's the perception of us.”
> “I want to have a staff of writers, a staff of video content creators, where we’re  telling stories about black athletes that aren’t told.”

Podcast Intro:
Shana Renee is a 5-ft tall sports fanatic whose passion was triggered in her sports-loving family. She says she was lucky to have grown up in the 90s - “the best time for sports” - and has cultivated this love alongside a commitment to create way more room in the industry for the telling of important stories of Black athletes. She is a producer of content - writing, podcasting, and video. She is an expert on the intersection of sports and culture. Shana Renee is a major league badass.

Official Bio:
Shana Renee Stephenson is a Sports Culture Analyst with an astute awareness of how sports, pop culture, and the language of today’s athletes intersect. She’s a true sports-minded woman representing the future of the game – knowledgeable, ever-evolving and not easily defined.
A former ESPN marketing professional and Madison Square Garden marketing consultant, Shana Renee has a passion for storytelling – adding a unique perspective, [more…]

Biggest Takeaways:
> The role fashion plays in her daily life
> Why she decided not to be a pre-med major in college
> Why getting one more hour of sleep can be better than an “A” in class
> How she started working in sports
> Her passion for being the voice missing in sports
> Prioritizing self-care
> Speaking out about the NFL (and why that is brave)
> How she is becoming an “architect of dope”
> How sports intersects with everything else
> What her big brave goal is

Major Conversation Highlights:
> Why she’s a vegan
> Why the 90s was the best time for sports
> Discussing imposter syndrome
> When and why she started wearing her hair in an afro
> Natural hair as a point of judgment within Black female community
> What it’s like to work at ESPN
> Fear about people responding to her work
> Discussing Serena vs. Naomi Osaka
> Discussing whether Nike is brave or strategic?
> Her favorite interview so far (and person she is most interested to interview)

Social Media:
Instagram - @itsshanarenee
Twitter - @itsshanarene

Key Links:
Blog - All Sports Everything
Podcast - The Majors

Noted Discussion Items:
What Is Imposter Syndrome?
How to Deal With Imposter Syndrome
James Baldwin - “A black, gay writer, who wasn’t afraid to talk about it.”
Donald Goins
Nike Dream Crazy Campaign
Osaka Will Serve You Now  By Shana Renee

Shana’s Favorite Books:
> An American Marriage - by Tayari Jones
"A story of the impact a wrongful conviction has on the convicted and his family."

> Return to Love - by Marianne Williamson
"A book about love, faith and all of its goodness.

> Siddhartha - by Herman Hesse
"An Alchemist type book about spiritual journeys and self-discovery."