The Rise of Women’s Sports, NIL Money, and the Power of the Everyday Athlete

Hey, friends.

Welcome, and welcome back to noseyAF conversations about art, activism and social change. I'm your host and friend, Stephanie Graham, and happy new year. Welcome to 2026.

This week is sort of one of.

Those, like, back at it kind of weeks.

It's like I've started back at the gig.

You know, folks are. You know, the holidays are over, and so we have to, like, clock in focus just.

And do our work.

So I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and break and yeah, it's gonna be a great year.So today's conversation is one of those that starts in sports and then ends up somewhere much bigger, like visibility, identity, creativity, and what it means to move your body on your own terms.My guest today is Angela Hollowell, a filmmaker, writer, and the creator of Melanin MVP, a platform dedicated to celebrating women athletes of color. From Olympic champions to what Angela calls everyday athletes, a phrase I love so much. Like, I'm totally an everyday athlete.

Okay.

As I tuck my hair behind my ear, Angela and I talk about why women's sports are finally getting attention.How nil money changed the game and why glam and athleticism do not cancel each other out, and how creativity, movement, and confidence are deeply connected. This conversation is funny, thoughtful, a little chaotic in the best way, and I.

Think it might help you. Not that you need help, but I.

Think it might just, you know, sort of get the juices flowing of rethinking what an athlete looks like. So let's get into it. Welcome to noseyAF.

Gotta get up, get up tell the whole world you a winner, winner vision of a star with a mission in the cause what you doing, how you doing, what you're doing and who you are Flex yourself and press yourself Check yourself, don't wreck yourself if you know me then you know that I be knowing what's up. Hey, Stephanie Graham is nosy as Angela. Welcome to Nosy af.

Thank you for having me. It feels like a long time coming. Yes.

I am so happy to talk to you because, you know, when I started really getting into art, I listened to a podcast that is called Bad at Sports and it's still around, which was really funny because when I was growing up, it was like you were either in sports or you were in art. In the art hallway, like, it was very rare that somebody was doing both. So I really, like, resonated with the whole, like, bad at sports thing.And so when you came around with Melanin mvp, I was like, ooh, okay. Because right now it seems like all eyes Are on femme athletes, like women athletes.And I wondered if you could kick us off with why you might think that that is the case, because obviously they've always been around, like, black women. Is it women in femme or women? Is there an appropriate way to say it?

I typically just say women. Okay. I think that as we are all seeing now, the way people express their femininity and to what degree they express it looks wildly different.Yeah, they're all valid.And I think if we were trying to pinpoint, you know, where that this influx of attention and eyes have come from, I think it's a couple different things. I think that it is the confluence of the nil making women athletes more visible due to a larger sum of investment very early on in their careers.

Sorry, what's nil?

Name, image, and likeness. So previously, college athletes could not make money from their name, image, and likeness. They couldn't. If they appeared in a commercial, great.But they were not able to get paid for that as a college athlete. They weren't able to take anything other than the scholarship they were offered to play at college.

Wow. They can't even get, like, $500 or anything?

No, no. I remember it was, like, a huge thing. So I'm from Alabama, and I'm. My hometown is near Auburn, Alabama.And I remember it was, like, a huge thing when Cam Newton, it was like, reported that he got, like, a laptop for free as a college football quarterback. And it's like, dude, this dude's about to take y' all to a national championship, and y' all are harping over a $500 lap, like, right.Don't y' all have better things to do with yalls time? So now people are making, like, millions off of this. Right?And for brands, they're like, oh, if I get in with this athlete in college, I can be with them through the majority of their pro career versus waiting for them to go pro. Especially for women, that was really hard because they have to go through all four years of college.I don't believe it was an option for them to leave before their senior year. Right. Wow.So you're talking about waiting through high school topics, going from high school to college, and then from, you know, through your college career, waiting essentially roughly eight years to be able to finally sign an athlete who now has had the time to develop a relationship with an apparel company, likely the one they went to at college, develop a relationship with a hydration company, likely the one they used at college, all these different types of things. So I think that was a Part of it.And then kind of in the age of social media, where that's prevalent especially and popular for younger athletes, you have all this money and they have money now to invest in content and media around themselves, around who they are, around the sport, around their experiences, and around the brands that they know, use and love on a regular basis. So we're talking about a massive amount of money and attention at one time to really, really incredible athletes.And now that's translating to the pros because they're like, hold up, skirt, skirt. I'm a pro champion, I'm an Olympian, where's my deal at? And seeing them get a piece of the pie as well.So I think it's kind of like kismet timing in terms of money, meeting talent and attention at the right time.

Wow. That seems to be a lot of pressure.

Being.

It seems already like to be a student is a lot of work. Right, right. And then now you're an athlete and now you also like a content creator on top of that.

Yeah, it wasn't for me. Let's just say it wasn't for me.

Wow.

Being an athlete creator, that's what you want to call it, but even just like an athlete with now a more visible personal brand, I think is very, very daunting when you're still so young that you're trying to figure yourself out and you're trying to figure out what matters to you and what parts of yourself you really feel comfortable sharing. At the end of the day, I think we've seen the negative effects of that, but also the positive effects of that.And I think we're still, unfortunately, very early in the era of people having a team around them that can help them navigate that more easily.

Do you think in high school, right, when like the athletes that are in high school, are they being taught branding and stuff like that? It just, I'm sort of blown away by all that pressure.Like girls basketball team being taught about a day of, you know, I don't know, like picking out outfits or like how to post on Instagram. I don't know.

Yeah, I don't think they're being taught how to use social media. I think the like, get ready with me's and like day in the lifestyle, like short vlogs are just popular by nature.I think we've maybe always had some form of that in our past lives. Whether that was Instagram before it was Instagram now or that was MySpace or Rip Vine. That was Vine, Twitter.We've had our version of short form virality. That was just almost like this unfiltered peek into our day and our lives.I think what's missing is the filter that's like, okay, just because you can share this and you have a phone that can connect to the Internet at any time, do you need to share this? What does this do for brands that want to potentially partner with you?Would they feel comfortable partnering with someone who has shared certain things previously? A lot of. A lot of questions that we. We haven't really answered yet. And quite frankly, I feel like we're moving a little too slow on.

Yeah.

In terms of answering.

Yeah. And, you know, it makes me think, like, it makes sense that, you know, that brands would want to connect to these athletes.And when I think of athletes, even though I know there's, like, tons, I'm really thinking about, like, the women basketball team right now or like, the ones that have just, like, blown up, because I feel like I've only gone to one Chicago sky game, and this was before all the stars. And I had courtside seats, which was amazing, but I had no idea my mom had scored these. I had no idea what I was, who I was watching or whatever.I just thought, okay, this is, like. It made me pay attention because I'm like, you see the media and stuff, so I better be, like, watching, you know?Okay, so, like, thinking about these brands. When I was in film school, you know, Canon always hooked us all up.And then when we graduated, we were all using Canon, you know, and it makes sense because that's what we had been had in our hands all four years for everything. Or like, ARRI cameras, you know, so I could see how these brands are like, no, If I latch into this kid now, you know, it just makes sense. But still.Oh, my God, such pressure. Cause we weren't visible, you know, we weren't visible. But, yeah, yikes. I don't want to be a. Well, I'm too old, but I don't.

Want to be a college basketball player. Yeah. I mean, I just vaguely remember my time. And I say vaguely. It wasn't that long ago, but I remember that. And I just.On top of being a student, I could not imagine adding in regular practices, regular travel, and then on top of that, now almost having this business aspect to your life at such a young age. I was still trying to figure out how to get to class on time. And now you want me to be at a meeting with, like, Global Brand about. About what?Like, what are we talking about? I. Right. I can't imagine it. I.You know, Again, like, really hoping these athletes of all kinds are just, like, having people around them that are helping them navigate this.

Yeah. And that are, like, honest and helpful. So how did you come up with the idea of Melanin mvp? Did you play sports and all of that stuff?

Not seriously. Like, I wasn't a college athlete, as you can tell.I played recreationally, you know, in high school and, you know, have since rekindled my love for cycling. But definitely didn't start Melanin mvp, because I was like, I'm this huge athlete that's gonna attract other huge athletes.I was like, I feel like, has to be someone like me who's probably a more casual, everyday athlete who wants to support women athletes at a higher level. You know, pro women athletes, college women athletes, and even, you know, top tier marathoners, top tier triathletes.And I started Melanin MVP in the summer of 2024 around the Olympics. And it just felt like a really apex moment for me because I was obviously, I've been a huge women's college basketball fan for, like, years.But again, like, as nil, money started flooding in, and I'm like, oh, I can watch them as they go to the wnba. That's a thing. Cool, let me do that. And I was really into the wnba and the Olympics happened during the WNBA break, so. And I'm like, hold on.Why is this the first time I'm learning that they're going for, like, their eighth gold medal in a row? Like, what kind of crazy accomplishments? What other storylines could I potentially be missing?Because I just haven't been as aware or vigilant in this space.And so I looked high and low, and I was like, I don't see anything that's specifically for women of color athletes, you know, And I was like, well, if you don't see it, just create it. And so I started the newsletter with, like, a substack of hope and a prayer, you know, no big.You know, just like, can I at least have an archive, a document of these women across the diaspora that are achieving incredible things at the Olympics? And then the Olympics ended, and I was like, okay, what next? The WNBA playoffs, soccer games?You know, how can I grow this into something that's more meaningful but also more representative of people like me?How can we give a good mix of what's happening in, you know, mainstream culture around women's sports, but also, like, who are the people like me who are doing everyday things that are amazing and that are also contributing to our perception of women athletes? And so it's kind of grown and evolved since then, but that's kind of the premise of it.

As you were talking, I was thinking, like, wow, there's black women soccer players I've never seen before. This is.

This.

This is very ignorant of me. This is very ignorant of me.

Yo. Hey. It's the first time learning for everybody. I. I learned a lot. Let's just say I've been learning a lot.

Yeah. I feel like I love that you have this project because it's the same as, like, following, like, an artist. Like, you get to see their career flourish.You know, like, you're watching these, you know, athletes and their careers flourish. I'm wondering why I've never seen, like, it never even dawned on me.I always see, you know, I have a lot of black friends that take their black kids to soccer, but I've never seen a famous one or, like, a known one. Like a professional one, I guess is the right word. Professional.

Yeah, no, that's a good. A good question from. I'll say maybe two perspectives here. One from, like, a Southern person and then one from, like, a women's sports fan.So living in North Carolina, the North Carolina Courage played in Cary, which is between Raleigh and Durham.

That's the soccer team.

They're a women's soccer team. Okay. And one of the bigger names on the team is Brianna Pinto, who is from Durham, and now she plays for the North Carolina Courage.So she is, like, almost like your hometown sweetheart, who's, like, incredible soccer player. So it's incredible to have. And she's a black woman, incredible soccer player on the team. So I was like, whoa, like, this is in my backyard.Like, this is crazy. Yeah. And I also remember when before Atlanta had a team and Atlanta got a soccer team. And I'm like, okay, do people in the south like soccer?Dude, they were sold out the whole season. And we're talking about, like, the stadium where the Falcons play. Like, what that. Like, soccer in the South. So.And it's like, my hometown, where I'm at right now, Phoenix City, Alabama. It's near Columbus, Georgia. Columbus, Georgia, is about an hour and a half.Do you know how many season ticket holders live in Columbus, Georgia, that drive an hour and a half into Atlanta traffic willingly to watch men's soccer? So I learned a lot that we have soccer fans everywhere. I think there are sports fans everywhere.It's about whether or not people have a team that's accessible to them and whether or not those teams and arenas and stadiums provide an experience that is Worth raving about.

Yeah.Does melanin MVP cover, like, badminton players or any of these other, you know, at the Olympics, they always have, like, these sports and you're like, what, like, people are, like, riding those ponies and stuff, like those stick ponies.

I have so many things to deal with. Yeah. In terms of, like, your maybe less popular sports, like your cricket, your badminton, things like that. Handball, we have.Not currently, but we want to in the future. We're hoping to cover a ball hockey women's event.

Okay.

In Rhode Island. Rhode Island. Wow. So we're excited to try some different things, but I also think we're trying to cover golf.Apparently, there's people, women of color that play golf. News to me.

Okay. Yeah, me too. I just thought that we just had Tiger woods out there, but, you know.

Listen, listen, we're learning.

Yep. I'm sure some of my listeners are like, this is. Stephanie really needs to get it together. Thank God Angela is on the show today.

So trying to cover. Trying to cover some different things. Just cover the U.S. open.I think tennis arguably has gone up in popularity, but again, I think it's gone up in popularity because we feel more representative in the sport. You know what I'm saying?Across men and women, you know, shout out to Ben, shout out to Taylor Townsend, shout out to, you know, all these people that are just making the sport more popular. I think so. Yeah. The answer. The short answer is we're hoping to. We're trying our best. Yes.

Yeah.

Right.

Okay. You've mentioned a few times everyday athlete. Can you talk about that phrase?That is a term that I've heard you bring up through, like, your podcast and your newsletters, and I love it. It feels so inclusive. It makes me feel like I'm an athlete. When you said. When you say everyday athlete, I'm like, okay, I'm an athlete.You know, so can you talk about that term?

Yeah, it's kind of a term I've used for a long time. So I. A little bit about my background.I worked with an Outdoor Trails Network organization for a long time, and part of my work was documenting, you know, runners, walkers, cyclists, people with strollers, people who rolled. Just all the different types of users that would use a trail recreationally or for transportation or for commuting to work or to school.And for us, that was a term we used to describe everybody who was not a pro athlete. You know, people who were just, like, getting outside, getting active, moving their body.And I think, you know, again, someone who's commuting for Work may not consider themselves an athlete, but they are doing something athletic by, you know, riding a bike and moving their body on a regular basis.And they probably have a lot to share with someone else who's interested in learning to ride their bike, using their bike, recreationally, taking care of their bike. These are all things that are relevant for people who want to get outside and get more active.So that's kind of the first way I used, you know, everyday athlete in my own kind of life and work as a creator, I think.And through that work I also again reconnected with cycling because I'm like, okay, if I want to keep up with somebody on a bike, the best way to do that is to also be on a bike. So I started riding more regularly. I ended up getting a bike eventually. And yeah, I just been at it ever since.And when I think about, you know, my own relationship with sports, do I care about competing? No. Do I care about regularly moving my body? Yes. Do I care about my health and well being? Yes.Do I care about competing in a bodybuilding competition because I'm so fit from writing every day? No.Do I think it's good for my life and mental well being and mental capacity and productivity to make space for movement that is challenging but fun and social in some ways? Yes. And I think that's the majority of people fall in that bucket. Right?Most people don't have aspirations to be the fittest man on the planet or fittest woman on the planet, but they want to feel good about themselves. They want to feel good about the work they're doing and they want to feel good about their health and well being.And I think that being an everyday athlete fits into that. Anybody who competes, runs, you know, trains for anything that's extra, that's awesome. And we champion those stories.But the majority of people are still trying to get from Couch to the track or to the trail.And it's like, how can we continue to influence people positively reinforce healthy stories around our bodies and our relationship to movement through this work? And so that's. So that term kind of means for me.

Yeah, I really love that. And it makes me think of this story.I worked at this camp and one of the counselors would always ride his bike in and he had like the whole like outfit, like all Lance Armstrong. And another counselor would call him Lance Armstrong.

And he, and he told HR Not HR.

We were like, okay, here comes. They was like, here comes Lance. Here comes Lance.Because he would go and like do a quick shower and change and he'd be like, I'll have you know these shorts are to keep moisture appropriate and my shirt sweat appropriate. Okay. I'm not Lance Armstrong. Oh, my God. He was so offended. I was like, aw. I thought he meant it, like, in a sweet way.Like, look out, like, clear the bathroom. Because here comes Lance. You know, he's going to need to use the bathroom to change and everything. But yeah, he went to hr. I was like, dang.

Yeah. And there's like, there's people who are just like, no, let me be very clear. I am doing this for my health and well being and for the environment.And then, then there's the people who are like, commuting every day and like shorts and flip flops, like, no protection whatsoever. Right, Right. Yeah.

If you ever come back to Chicago, like, during the bike, the drive, or like, they close down Lakeshore Drive and just let people like, ride their bike.That's always really fun because it's either just like families that are there with their kids, or there's people who are trying to be like Lance Armstrong.They're really, like, timing themselves, which I'm usually, I'm like, they should, like, make space for them because you, like, can bring your, like six kids out, you know, and they're like taking their time, like on the span of the drive. And this person is trying to, like, use the time to time themselves, you know. So I'm like, y' all should like, figure that out.But yeah, no, that is fun. It is. I do like, I like the everyday athlete. I think I like thinking about being an everyday athlete.I would do like, pole dance as a, like my athletic thing.And what I loved about it is that everybody always in class was at like a different level, you know, like, there's some people who were just there who can't climb the pole or just starting to walk around. Other people are like, flipping. But each time it's just like your own personal challenge.And the teacher was like, working with everybody individually. Cause everybody would just be at different levels.But I really enjoyed that because, yeah, like, maybe some folks are using that for work, other folks are using it as a time away from family. And other people are just there to have fun and like, socialize with their girlfriends.Like, it's all such an individual thing and I like that thinking.

I like thinking about Chicago and riding on metro drives.

Yes. Yes. I'll tell you the next one. Like, maybe if there's like a way to sort of pair it with your speaking or something, that would be cool.That'd Be cool. Actually, maybe to do a meetup. Yeah, that could be, like, a cool, like, Melon MVP meetup. Like a bike.

I would love that. I would love that. There's such a cool culture in Chicago already, so. Yeah.

Yeah. Quick question. That has nothing to do with sports, but how far is Huntsville, Alabama, from you?

Ugh. I think, like, four hours.

Okay. There's a big reality show there. Are you familiar?

No. What is it?

It's called Love and Huntsville. I'm obsessed with it.

Oh, that sounds disgusting. I bet it's great. I bet people, like, love it, though.

Well, it started out, it was supposed to be really great because it was three couples who were into rebuilding north Huntsville. They were all contractors. And then at some point, one of the married couples has an affair and gets a side baby and calls the baby mama a peasant.And it has gone downhill from there. And everybody's like, wait, we thought we were watching, like, black folks rebuild a community.

Not.

And now it's gotten dark. Like, social media is another fourth character of it. But anytime you. I, like, read about you, like, mentioning Alabama, I'm always like, oh, my gosh.I wonder if I went to Alabama.

If I could convince Angela to go to.

One of them has a bar. And I'm like, we can all go to the bar.

I want to troll this so hard right now. I want to figure out what's happening.

Yeah, it's. You know, the show has really taken a turn where we all were tuning in because we thought we were seeing, like, black excellence.And then they were taking this part of, like, north Huntsville. They all had these capacities. They were all contractors, and we thought we were gonna see them building these communities.And, yeah, that has not happened anymore. So anytime people mention Alabama, I always ask them, like, their relationship to that city, because, I mean, that city has put. I mean, it's put.It put Huntsville on the map. For me, I had never heard of Huntsville, but. Yeah.

Yeah. Let me give some context to my understanding of Huntsville and my perspective in Huntsville.So, for me, I knew about Huntsville, one just because I'm an Alabamian, but also because, like, of NASA. So NASA has a location at Huntsville. And so there's a lot of, like, aerospace engineering, like, University of Alabama at Huntsville.Aerospace engineering is, like, really big there. They also have a hockey team, one of the few in the state. So I knew about it from, like, college.That was kind of, like, my perception of University of Alabama, Huntsville, also, that I was really far away, and I didn't want to be that far away. From home. So it wasn't really somewhere I was interested in going.

Yeah.

But now they've built this, like, amphitheater called the Orion Amphitheater, which, you know, NASA Orion. Makes sense. Yeah. Really want to go to a show there, like, desperately bad. It just looks so beautiful.And, like, what's better than, like, music under the stars?

Yeah, seriously, that's really cool.

But, like, Alabama in general has this, like, way of blending Southern charm with, like, the most chaotic mess you've ever heard of in your life.

Okay. Okay.

And honestly, part of me can't even fault the show for that because I feel like I'm also an embodiment of Southern charm and chaos. So on some level, I get it. However, have I ever called somebody a peasant and then knocked them up? No. Do I ever plan on doing that? Also? No.So, again, excuse my people. We are the nicest people you will ever meet. On 90% of the days you meet us, 10%. You just gotta be prepared for some chaotic stuff.You just gotta be prepared for it to go left. And I think most people that experience Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, they experience a 10%, and then they're like, oh, the south is crazy.I could never move there. And we're, like, more for us. Shame on us for showing you the bad parts, though, so. Yeah.

Hey, well, you know that show, they do have a resident therapist that they all go see, Dr. Francis. And he seems amazing.Like, I would love for him to have his own show, but it's also probably, like, not the best idea because, you know, reality show fans are insane, and they'll probably try to, like, pick him apart, but he's always really great on that show.And actually, your context of Alabama, it makes sense how, you know, we were starting out with contracting and, like, building up a community, and next thing you know, somebody's side chick is being called a peasant, and we don't go back there again. So, Angela, you are also a filmmaker. What's your favorite kind of films to make?

So far, I've made pretty much exclusively documentary films and documentary short films. I thought for a while, especially after I finished trail therapy, that my next step would be making a documentary feature.And then again, the chaotic side of me kicked in, and I decided that my patients could not abide by the time it takes to make a documentary feature as an indie and the amount of money that it costs to make a documentary feature. And I was like, you know what? It's time for me to write. I've done a couple documentary shorts.Was at the start of doing film festival circuit towards the end of last year. And I said, okay, cool. I'm getting my documentary fixed.I have something that I'm known for, Chill therapy, for those of you who also or not maybe as Aware is a short film about a black woman runner and therapist in Durham, North Carolina. So again, maybe I'm a little Huntsvillian as well. I don't know. But yeah, I was like, okay, it's time for me to write something.So I've been really trying to put my head down and write something narrative.I've gotten really close to what I think is a good working draft that I think I would be ready to share with cast and crew, kind of working narrative, short film script. And I have ideas slash outlines, slash storylines for three different TV series.And I say TV series because I think anything that's not feature length film is. And that serial content is meant for tv. So yeah, so that's kind of where I'm at now.Hopefully I'll have something to show for that very soon, but we'll see.

Yeah, it's definitely a process, right? Like, yeah, don't underestimate the power of a good script. That's for sure.

So, yeah.

Yeah. But it seems like.Do you find that preparing your narrative films and documentary, like the prep for each one, like, is there one that's faster than the other for you or is it because maybe this is like a. Maybe not new, but a different lane that you're focusing on in narrative? Do you feel like which one seems faster to you?

That's a hard one. And I want to caveat why I'm saying that's hard.I think it's hard for me because, you know, arguably documentary short film prep, or any documentary film prep, it takes a lot of research and the hardest part about it is relationship building. Sure, I will tell anybody that will listen. I got extremely lucky with Sharon because I talked to her a week before, like the week of my birthday.So that's the end of January and we were filming two weeks later. Most people do not experience that.Like she was really ready to go all in and trust me and really allowed me to have creative control and has been incredible throughout this entire process. Like my girl was made to be a main character, you know. Yeah.And there are some people who think that they're good main characters and that want a documentary film about them, but they sometimes aren't as interesting as I think they are. They don't follow through.And what they feel like is a good storyline for them that Benefits, potentially, their personal brand, their work, their business isn't always what makes for a good and compelling film. And I say that not to roast anybody.I say that not to discourage anybody, but to really put in perspective that documentary films, the most compelling ones, are of people who have a sincere challenge, not a manufactured one that they're being dramatic about and that have the staying power to show you the progress towards overcoming that challenge. So I think from that perspective, trail therapy moved relatively quickly.There have been other ones that, you know, I think there's one that took me almost two years to film, and that was a short. And not just to film, but to create and get through post production and everything.So that's a really long time on the narrative side, theoretically, it can happen as fast as it takes you to write the script. Right. However, I am not Tyler Perry. I do not write a script from 8:00am to 12:00pm, right?

Yeah.

And then film it in a day. That's not my life. I like to have people read my things. I like to.

Right, Tyler. Be like, I got it. Let's go.

Tyler Perry's like, I woke up, I ate two eggs raw.I wrote a script instead of going to therapy, and then I called all my rich friends and actors who I know, and then we filmed the next day, and that was it.Like, that's just, you know, in a world with infinite resources and budget and nobody to check you and tell you, like, hey, maybe we should think about this for a second. Yeah. It can happen that fast? Has it happened that fast? For me, as of right now, no. Part of it was me feeling insecure.So I got to a first draft really quickly. I will say that that took me maybe one or two days, and I sent it out to some people for feedback, and their feedback was incredible.But then I got, like, really intimidated that I couldn't write something as good as they thought that I could write something. And so I left it alone for a little while.And then I was like, okay, I need to, like, excuse my French, but piss her get off the pot, and I need to revisit this. So I did. There's a software that I use to write scripts called Arc Studio Pro.They do a live stream just about every week for people to come on and, like, write live, and they, like, have a structure for it. And so I joined one of those, and I got really good way through the revisions that I wanted to make based on the feedback.There's a couple more things I want to add, and it'll be ready to go. Okay, again, the main hindrance is me.If I were one of those people who are like, I am an original filmmaker, I'm going to go sit in the woods for a month and write.Like, I could easily probably crank out something a lot faster if we're being honest, and then put out a casting call and a crew call and move on with my day. But that just hasn't been the process for me.Do I hope to get there where the time between idea and script and having it released into the world is drastically shorter than what is coming up on, what, eight months now? Yeah, drastically. So.But I think it's getting through that first one and getting the confidence to say, like, okay, you did one, you can do another one. And putting it out there isn't the end of the world. Like, it's okay. So, yeah, we're getting there.

Yeah. Yeah, you are. Does your cycling, like, help with your creativity and, like, your ideas and stuff?

It does. The cycling, the walking, it definitely helps, you know, whenever you have something in your head.Especially for me, like, I know when there's a problem I need to solve. Sometimes I'm just like, yeah, I've been staring at it too long. I need to step away. Right.Sometimes you can just really be too close to a problem and you just need to kind of get out of your own head. So it's almost like a shower, you know? It's like, okay, now that I can be free and think for a minute, it's like, oh, why don't I just do this?Oh, why don't I just ask this person how they did it? Oh, why don't I just check into this? Why don't I research this? This person's done it. How did they do it?So you start to put less pressure on yourself to come up with answers, too. I think, like, once you start thinking about all the ways something can be accomplished, you start thinking like.Or you start realizing, like, all the answers don't need to come from me. Like, I'm not the first person in the world who's probably tried this.Yeah, I can learn from other people and I can learn and iterate from their, you know, teachings pretty fast.

So when you do cycle, do you, like, listen to music and stuff like that, or do you just, like, let your time be clear to just see what comes through your mind?

It depends. More often than not, I listen to music just to one, not only for me, but for other people on the trail so they can kind of hear me coming.

Okay.

Yeah. So it's kind of, like, an awareness thing, too. Definitely have gotten some interesting looks as I listen to Doja Cat. Wonder why. Right.But for walking, it's definitely a mix. And I would say almost like 50, 50. Sometimes I'm just, like, in my own head, like, no music, no podcast, no nothing.But I put the headphones on because I don't want anybody to talk to me.

Yeah.

And then. Right.

Like, I don't need a walking partner.

I don't need a walking partner. We're good. We're good. So I do do that. Not gonna lie. So if you see me, just don't talk to me on the trail. I'm having a board meeting upstairs.Like, let me do that. And sometimes I'll alternate between podcasts and music when I'm walking. If I am listening to something.

Yeah. In the gym, I don't like that. If you see me, you know, like, working out, don't come home like, oh, yeah, how's it been going?Like, no, it's not a time to ask, how's it been going? Wave and, like, I'll just talk to you later. Like, we're. We're all on a time crunch here, you know?I mean, outside of that crew that's, like, they're over by the weights, and they're just there to kick it all day and, like, make their content, but, like, they can do their thing. And I'll, like, wave to them, but anytime. Anybody else? Like, it's not social hour for me. Sorry.

Yeah. No, no. Unless we are slated to go on a walk together.

Yeah.

Come up to me and think we're gonna have a conversation. We're not.

Yeah, for sure. So, like, how do you balance your filmmaking? You also have podcasts and you write newsletters. How do you balance?I think you do all these things right. Which is a trend with folks that come on nosy af.But I guess, is there ever a time when you're working on Melanin mvp and you're like, I should actually be writing? Because sometimes I wonder, like, when I come up with these different projects, it's like, no.What's another project that you really should be working on? You know? So, like, is it. Do you ever see it as a distraction?

No. But I will make a note about balance. And this is probably the first time I'm saying this out loud. Okay.

Come on. Exclusive. I don't know if you've ever had an exclusive.

Wow, look at me. Look at me. Making an exclusive drop here. This year was kind of my year to say.Okay, like, I'M spending more time at home intentionally to spend more time with my family and to do some things I've never done, like writing a narrative short film and, you know, to get more serious about what it would look like if I were to make more money from original media and products than from freelancing.And I think a hard truth that I had to come to this year was like, okay, I know that, you know, somewhere between 60 and 80% of my income comes from freelancing. What does that look like for me to replace it?And while I can do a podcast, a YouTube channel, and a newsletter at the same time, not all of those avenues make money. Right. And quite frankly, some of them cost a lot more money, a lot more time than others.

Yeah.

So while I can't, what would it look like for me to really focus on the avenues that make me money? Grow my community, grow my authority as a creator? And I had to come to the conclusion as I'm looking at the first roughly three quarters of the year.We're almost to the end of September now, so we're almost at the end of the third quarter of the year. How have I spent the majority of my time in each of these quarters? And what is the best use of my time in the last quarter of the year?And for me, I decided that that means less time on YouTube, less time on the podcast, more time on leveraging and growing and monetizing the newsletter to grow my audience, grow the revenue that I'm making from ads, and potentially grow revenue from courses. I'm dropping a course this month.

Okay, cool.

And, yeah, like, it was really tough as someone who wants to do everything and someone who genuinely enjoys doing everything, but the reality is that, like, if I can do one thing really, really, really, really, really well for three months, it'll set me up with a business foundation. I need to spend even more time doing the things that I want to do, like the podcast and YouTube channel.So that is where I've come to the conclusion, on balance. The balance is that if you are juggling too many things, the answer is probably to focus. And you probably know what you need to focus on.You're just not doing it. And that by focusing on less and doing less, better, you're setting yourself up to do more of what you want to do in the future.

Yeah, yeah.There's a. I know there's always, like, I always have a project, and there's been, like, a script that I wrote, but after I wrote it, I was like, oh, I don't like, the ending. And so it's taken me, like, two years to, like, now finish it, right? And I'm like, just start. And then you can always change it after.But I don't know, sometimes I get stuck in my head that, like, whatever I change it to has to be the immediate, which obviously is not always the case. That's not the case. Times, you know, like, and with tons of TV shows, they're always submitting out, it's always sending out new pages all the time.Like, it's always changing faster than you can even think sometimes.

And I think too, the thing about a script that we probably also don't want to admit to ourselves is, like, we're just getting it to a version where an actor can or cast and crew can understand what's happening, right?Because when an actor starts to embody these characters, they're gonna have opinions on how the character would naturally act in that situation or in that scene. So you have to leave space for, you know, their input as well and that culture to develop through that actor over time.So, yeah, it's just understanding how to, like, just get it to good enough and then go into the creative process at the right time.

That's so real. That's so real. And I need to hear that.

You know, I need to hear that.

Oh, I know. You know, I taught, like, a workshop over the weekend about confidence. And the first thing I said, I was like, listen, I'm really talking to myself.So, like, don't think I'm like, a confidence, like, coach coming in here, you know, with all the answers. This is really like a 90 minute workshop of me just talking out loud to myself if I'm coming into being into sports.Because I think one thing Mellon MVP has taught me is to, like, how fun sports can actually be. It's not either or, you know, like, in high school, they were like, oh, are you an art kid or are you like a jock? You know, it's not an either or.It's like a yes. And my question is, you know, what's Angela's, like, top four athletes or five?I like odd numbers that you could put me onto to just start checking out.

Interesting.

Yeah. Like, I know the other. Like, I know Angel Reese and I know the basketball girls. I worked in a commercial with Camila Cardoso and her lashes.I loved how I'm like, you can see, like, y' all not about. You're not going on stage. Like, you are not a Broadway actor, you know, And I didn't say that, obviously.Obviously, she could see, you know, obviously she could see. But I think what I really love is the glamour of it all. I really am attracted to glamour.And when I was coming up in school, I feel like if I would have seen girls like that, I might have taken to sports more. But I wasn't really that athletic, you know, I was tall, but it seemed like you had to be like, look a real certain way.It was, like, white, no makeup, hair and ponytail. If you didn't look like that, you were not playing sports, you know, like, that's, like the world that I came out of. But I.So I feel like if I were to see, like, Angel, Reese and Camilla, you know, as a young person, I might try out basketball, you know, because of that. So I love that they. That they're like that and they have all these nails.Like, even when I was in film school, I would take cinematography classes and I would wear nails, and they were like, you need to cut your nails. You cannot load a camera like that. And a few times I got it.But eventually I'm like, if they're gonna keep harping on these nails, like, I don't wanna hear that each time. So I got rid of the nails.

You know, I think for me, coming up. And again, I went to, you know, majority black and rural school.Like, I definitely saw majority black women athletes, but people are not going out in full glam, right? So there still was an athlete look that definitely leans more tomboyish.So imagine my surprise when I'm seeing people in, like, full beats, full sets, like, playing basketball. Right. And running track. And I'm like, actually, yeah, yeah, yeah. If you gonna win like that. Yes.Quite frankly, to take it off would be cheating because you would have a clear unfairness right now also.

So.Always so curious about their skincare routines, because I'm like, I knew I would have all that makeup on and my face would be broken out because I'm going to bed after all that work y' all just put in. But y' all have to go home and wash your face.

Wow.

Wow.

Ladies, go ahead. And if I had to name some athletes, I think you should check out, one of them is Taylor Townsend. She's a tennis player.

Okay.

She's a mom. She was the world number one doubles for women last year. And I think this year she came in, like, second. So she's second or third.So she's still, like, incredible doubles player. She went really far in the singles. Like, I feel like she's really coming into her own as a tennis star. So wow. Okay. Definitely Taylor Townsend.Try not to name all basketball girlies. I would say Brianna Pinto. Brianna Pinto is doing some incredible things right now, right?

Yeah. That's the soccer player, guys. Wow. Who knew?

Who else I would say for basketball? Dijonay Carrington. I've really been a fan of her. Someone. She was on my team last year and still kind of is my team. Connecticut Sun. She left.All the starters left. We're not going to go there, but she left. And she's going incredible on the Minnesota Lynx right now.So really happy that she's found a really good landing spot for her that I think she's going to stay at if they can protect her in this expansion draft.Another player from that team, Alyssa Thomas, in my heart of hearts, I want her to win the MVP for this season, but I know that she won't because Asia Wilson is just such a dominant player.

Okay.

At is the MVP in my heart. Let's just say that I think she's an incredible player.And while she may, like, shrug it off that she's not going to get MVP this year, I personally will go to bat for her every day of the year. I think she's done something incredible. I think she's kind of set the standard of playing with your spouse, your partner, I think.I don't think they're married yet, but they are at least engaged.

Okay.

Played together in Connecticut, and now they're at the Phoenix Mercury together.

Wow. That's probably, like, the only, like, married couple in sports in that way that, like, plays together or. Look, what do I know?I don't know anything about sports, but, like.

Okay, so.

Wow.

Okay, girlies, they be dating. All right.

Okay.

They be dating.

They're allowed to.

And they be getting engaged. So. Okay, so New York, Natasha Cloud and Izzy Harrison.

Okay.

They go together real bad. Okay. Like, I think they're also engaged. Wow.And Dijonay Carrington, before she got traded to the Lynx, she was actually playing with her longtime girlfriend who also got traded to the Aces. So they were, like, at the beginning of the season, they were on the same team together.

Hmm.

And there's probably a lot more, but, like, let's say this, they be playing together, but I feel like AT and dejuana Bonner, like, they, I would say, set the standard for dating on the same team.

They're like the hashtag goals1. If anybody. They're like the model to look at if you're gonna date somebody.

Yeah. They play together really well and they don't. Whatever. If they even have issues. They never affect them on the court.Like, they're very happy together, so.

Wow. I'm surprised that they don't have, like, like some type of clause in their contract that they can't do that, but maybe just have to disclose it.Maybe not, though.

We grown and we gonna play basketball.

Yeah. And then. And just don't bring it out on the court. Right. The coach is probably like, look, don't mess. Don't mess with my team. If y' all gonna do this.Don't mess. Don't come here with that mess.

I think that's the clause. The clause is keep it cute, Win a game. That's the clause.

I love it. The clause is keep it cute. We grown, period. Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much for putting me onto that because. Yeah, I don't. I don't know where to start.And you know, you're on Melanin mvp, y'. All. There's also a cross training quiz that you all have to take.I've taken it myself to get some ideas of other ways that we can incorporate movement. It is not for the week. I was told to do yoga three times a week and Pilates twice a week. Twice a week. So I gotta get busy. I think it's doable.

Yeah.

Because it doesn't also, it didn't tell me, like, do yoga, like 90 minutes a day. You know, you can do like five minute yoga, 10 minute yoga. So I do think that it is doable. And I love a plan. I love when people tell me a plan.

There we go. There we go. I'm happy. This is a great resource and I hope everybody that takes it let me know your thoughts on it.Let me know what it recommended for you. Like, I want to hear what it's. What it's cooking up. I want to make sure it's accurate and it's helpful.

Yeah. Will there ever be like, a Melon and MVP awards?

Mm. Say more. What would you like the awards to entail?

I think the awards could be physical awards that go to the athletes and maybe they'll say something. Even if it's just like. I think at first it could be an award that goes to them and then they could be like, oh, my gosh, thank you.What is Melon MVP like? That's so great. And then, you know, introduced.But then I think eventually it would be dope to have it be like an actual award show that we all come to and we're all. We all get jazzy and we go.

Yo, okay, so you're giving me ideas.

Okay, yeah.

Okay.

And now, and you know what, I'd be so excited to go because by the time that that happens, I will know the people and I'll be like, oh my God, Brianna is Brianna Fento. And I'll like ask for a picture and she'll be like, yeah, okay.

Okay. Okay. So. Okay, so questioners, is it pro athletes? Is it everyday athletes?

That's really good. Okay.

Do they try to get pro athletes and coaches to present the awards to everyday athletes?

I love that.And you know what, it reminds me, I don't know if they're still doing this, but there used to be a teacher's awards and people would be nominated and they did like these documentaries on like a teacher. Right. And they would show em in the classroom and then they would present the award to them. What if it was sort of like an everyday athlete who.Okay, so let's just use you as, as an example. So you cycle, right. And maybe you've done something for the community, like you've put somebody else onto cycling. Right.Maybe you run like a little cycling group.I don't mean to say little, like it'd be little, but you know, like you run like a cycling group for your community and you know, you guys are just having fun.Wouldn't it be cool if you know, insert black woman cyclist presented you an award for your contribution to cycling or you as the everyday athlete presented to pro athlete the cycling. I'm not sure. You know, that's a really good question on who, who we're awarding here.Yeah, but I just think I love the idea because there are so many athletes that we don't know about outside of just like maybe even in women's sports. And this is coming from somebody who I do not know about sports at all.But I feel like if I was to say the big sports, it would be like women's sports. It would maybe be like gymnastics, basketball and tennis. You know, I don't know anybody else outside of that.You know, and even gymnastics, it's from, you know, the people who are like probably have the resources to have the marketing, you know, like behind them to like make these big. I don't know who the professional like handballers are, badminton people or swimmers.

There's track and field.

Or track and field.

There's your, There's.

Yes.

Tara Davis Woodhull. There's your. I won't say Gabby Douglas, but Gabby something. Gabby Thomas.They have Melissa who just won like the 100 meter at the Tokyo World Championships.

Yeah, see, we Were shaming people.

Okay, right. Okay. Cool, cool, cool.

Maybe it would be pro athletes.So that way we get introduced, but then maybe there's, like, segments in between these pro of, like, just people in the community who are doing cool things. Or, like, maybe there's somebody who's ran their, like, Earth marathon. You know, like, just these different things that could be really cool.

Okay, so my thing is another question. As I'm thinking about this, I'm like, okay, who has an award show that we would potentially be competing with or that we could take notes from?Right now? ESPN probably has the lock on awards, which is like, the SPs, the ESPYs are fucking terrible. So.

And those are. Those are men and women, too, right?

Correct.

Yeah.

But it's like, I watched the last one because I was curious. Like, it happened, you know, again during All Star break, so I was like, let me see what's going on in the ESPYs. And they had a comedian as the host.Nobody was laughing. And the jokes, I'm not gonna lie, they were pretty good. They were pretty good.Like, I would say 70% hit rate, which is pretty high in general for an award show. And, like, no laughing. People were very dressed up, very stiff.I also have heard some rumblings, AKA tweets, from when people actually tweeted things that there's some athletes that don't have a good perception of the ESPYs. So I think there's. It's like a catch 22.It's like, okay, do I want to go toe to toe with ESPN and try to make something that a pro athlete would feel comfortable coming to alongside other athletes? Right.But also, if we could make something that was coveted, like that, that was this kind of really awesome experience that felt maybe black dress, you know, black tie, could we provide an experience that not competes with the espn, but provide something totally different and fundamentally better and more positive than the ESPYs?

Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? I remember. Remember when they had Black Girls Rock? And maybe that wasn't an award show. It was maybe more like a presentation.But I think people were awarded something. Maybe it's something like that. But I also really do like the idea of, like, honoring everyday athletes, too. I think that that's really fun.Maybe it could be sort of like how I was watching the MTV Awards, and they also had, like, those soundstages by Sprite, who were, like, the upcoming artists who maybe you never heard before. Like, they were like launch pads.So it's like we're watching Sabrina Carpenter here, but Then we also have, you know, blah, blah, blah here on this stage.

What if we did? So let's do a mix here. I like the idea of having people nominate people and then not only do they get an award, but they get a documentary from you.

Yes, Yes.

I love that.

Yeah.

I also am curious if we could do our own version of fan voting. Like, could we grow Melanin VP high enough to where we're doing fan voting for pro athletes? Maybe pro athletes.Like, who are the people they would be most interested in seeing and what is their perception of them? I think the SPs, and I want to say BET does an award for women in sports, but again, people just feel some type of way about voting each year.They always do. So, like, could we provide a better voting experience for an award show? For play?

Yeah. Nickelodeon had their, like, they have that People's Choice Awards or like, fans choice. I wonder how they do their voting. Yeah.And maybe it could be like a regional.

I really. It could be so fun.

Or like a yearbook. I don't know, just something we could be like, catalog the people of the year. Could be like, so cool.

We do have a yearbook in front of you. Yearbook. Okay. So we are gonna do an annual yearbook. And I think part of that was just because Melanin and vp, the podcast started in January.So it's like. Well, that just naturally makes it easy for us to do a calendar year each year.

Yeah.

You know, and then it gets hype, gets people hyped for the next year and, like, instead of trying to do seasons. So Honey and Hustle, my first podcast, is a seasonal show, but as you can see, some seasons, you know, they're not consistent.They're just kind of like, whenever I.

Get to them, look, it's like Atlanta, right? The TV show Atlanta. Like, we'll be back. We'll be back soon, we think.

But we haven't gone back to the pink. We don't know. Yeah, we don't know. We hope. Yeah. So that's. I'm trying to avoid that with Melanin vp. So, yeah, your book is the idea for now for that.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I love that we just took that into a brainstorm because that would just be so great. I'm so excited.You know, we have our shortlist here of who we're going to watch, you know, per Angela's suggestions, and see where that, you know, spans off into. I appreciate you coming and talking to us today on Nosy. AI.

No, I appreciate the brainstorm. I appreciate the conversation. This was great.

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much.

All right y', all, that was my conversation with Angela. What I love most about this conversation is how it reminds us that sports creativity and movement do not have to live in separate boxes.You could be curious, stylish, messy, competitive, chill all at the same time.If this episode made you rethink what an athlete looks like or made you feel a little more permission to move in your body in your own way, then the conversation was a success. Make sure you check out Melanin mvp, the newsletter, the podcast, and that cross training quiz we spoke about.And if you're discovering new athletes because of this episode, please let me know. I'm discovering new athletes all the time. I'm really because of Angela, like getting into sports. You know what I mean?I want to hear about who you are discovering. As always, thank you for listening to Nosy af. If you enjoyed this episode, share with a friend, leave a review and I'll see you next time. Bye.This has been another episode of Nosy af. I'm your host Stephanie Graham.If you liked what you heard today, go ahead and give nosy AF some love by leaving a 5 star rating and review wherever you're listening. It helps folks who find the show think, oh, if they like Nosy af, I might like it too.You can find full show notes and transcripts@nosyaf.com and while you're there, sign up for my newsletter Good stuff only, where I share studio stories, fresh art, messy ideas, and each month's episodes straight to your inbox. Thank you so much for your time today. Until next time, stay curious and take care. Bye.