Some of the most important career opportunities in my life started with a conversation I wasn't even part of.
Today, I'll give my first lecture of the 2026-27 academic year to students at the University of Oklahoma.
The invitation came from Gregg Fort.
Gregg was my boss when I worked as the Media Relations Coordinator at Florida International University. But his impact on my career didn't end when I left FIU.
Years ago, Gregg had a conversation with one of his childhood friends, Sam Walker.
That conversation helped connect me to an opportunity at Texas A&M University-Commerce, now East Texas A&M, where I was able to move into a director role.
Think about that for a second.
A relationship Gregg had built long before I needed it eventually created an opportunity for me.
And now, years later, that same relationship between Gregg and me has created another opportunity—this time for me to speak with students preparing for their own careers.
That's what networking is supposed to look like.
It's not collecting LinkedIn connections.
It's not sending someone a message only when you need a job.
And it's certainly not asking, "What can this person do for me?"
It's doing good work.
It's treating people well.
It's staying connected.
It's helping when you can.
And it's understanding that you rarely know which relationship will matter five, 10 or 20 years from now.
That's one of the reasons I'm building GetSET2Connect.
I want students and young professionals pursuing careers in college athletics to understand something I had to learn through experience:
Your career isn't built by applications alone. It's built by people who know you, trust you and are willing to say your name when you're not in the room.
Gregg did that for me.
Today, I get an opportunity to pay some of that forward with his students at Oklahoma.
Maybe one conversation today helps someone five years from now.
That's the point.
Don't wait until you need a connection to start building relationships.
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