*GWI Participants pose with members of the CT Sun team (left); CT Sun Director of Creative Content Asia McMillan speaks to attendees as part of the event panel.*

The first stop on Girls With Impact's Summer of Success Tour proved that the business of sports is about so much more than what happens on the court.

On June 22, Girls With Impact participants gathered at Mohegan Sun Arena for "The Connecticut Sun & the Business of Sports," an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with the Connecticut Sun's front office. Before cheering on the Sun in their exciting 92–63 victory over the Chicago Sky, participants heard directly from the women powering one of the WNBA's premier organizations.

The panel featured:

Shamare Holmes, Director of Community Relations
Maggie Smith, Account Executive
Kim Woods, Senior Account Executive
Ella Speidel, Account Executive
Ro Lane, Public Relations Specialist
Asia McMillan, Director of Creative Content

Together, they shared honest stories about building careers in sports, navigating career pivots, and creating opportunities through persistence and meaningful relationships.

There Isn't Just One Way to Build a Career in Sports

One of the biggest surprises for attendees was learning that nearly every panelist took a different path to working with the Connecticut Sun.

Some began in customer service. Others studied communications, played collegiate sports, worked internships, or even changed career directions entirely before finding their place in professional sports.

As Account Executive Maggie Smith told attendees, “If there's something you're passionate about and something you're interested in, sometimes it's not obvious what that looks like. Your path might not be what you expect."

Fellow Account Executive Ella Speidel agreed, "What you major in college does not determine your career at all. No matter what you do, you can always pivot and redirect yourself."

For young women wondering whether they're "on the right path," the panel delivered an encouraging message: your career doesn't have to follow a straight line.

The Power of Networking in The Sports Industry

Throughout the discussion, one theme surfaced again and again: networking is NOT collecting business cards. It's the practice of building genuine relationships.

Director of Community Relations Shamare Holmes encouraged participants to make every opportunity count.
**"When you get spaces like this, use them. Making sure you dedicate time to following up just to say, ‘Hey, thank you for the opportunity’- Those touch points matter,"** she said.
She challenged attendees to send follow-up emails, connect on LinkedIn, and stay in touch long after an event ends.

Those small efforts, Shamare explained, are often what transform a single conversation into a future opportunity.

Career Growth Starts Outside Your Comfort Zone

Several speakers shared stories about taking risks, like moving across the country, accepting unfamiliar roles, and saying yes to opportunities that felt intimidating.

Senior Account Executive Kim Woods offered perhaps the day's most memorable advice, saying "You have to be uncomfortable to be comfortable."

That willingness to embrace uncertainty ultimately helped shape her career and led to opportunities she never expected.

The lesson for participants was simple: growth often begins on the other side of discomfort.

Build Your Personal Brand Before Your First Job

In today's job market, your personal brand begins long before your first full-time position.

Whether through internships, volunteer experiences, LinkedIn, or the way you interact with others, every experience helps shape your professional reputation.

Director of Creative Content Asia McMillan left attendees with a powerful keen insight: "It's not about who you know; it's about who knows you."

She encouraged participants to think intentionally about how they present themselves and to remember that every interaction has the potential to create future opportunities.

Why Passion and Curiosity Matter in Every Career

Public Relations Specialist Ro Lane spoke candidly about discovering her passion through internships and part-time opportunities before ultimately finding her place in women's sports.

Her advice was simple: "You can't just let jobs and internships happen to you. You have to actively pursue it."

The panel agreed that employers are looking for more than resumes. Ultimately, they want candidates with curiosity, initiative, and an enthusiastic willingness to learn.

For young professionals entering today's competitive workforce, that mindset can make all the difference.

Leveraging the Opportunity to Connect and Learn

The impact of the evening extended well beyond career advice.

Participants connected directly with Connecticut Sun staff, asked questions about careers in sports, enjoyed exclusive game-day experiences, received swag bags, and even watched the Sun's 92–63 victory over the Chicago Sky, with a few lucky attendees receiving surprise seat upgrades.
For first-time GWI attendee Cendall Carranza, the experience was eye-opening.
“**This is my first time going to a Girls with Impact event and I loved it**,” Cendall said.

“I feel like I heard so much amazing insight from people in different departments: sales, community relations, social media. A lot of them spoke about how they went to college for different things and ended up doing something totally different, and gave great advice such as doing informational interviews to land your dream role, doing shadowing opportunities, and just so much more. So, I'm very grateful for this opportunity and can't wait for more.”

Jaynie MacQuarrie, a GWI Innovation Academy Graduate, agreed.

“I had a really cool experience getting to know some of the job opportunities in the sports industry, specifically in communications and media and just business overall," Jaynie said. “I'm really glad that I got to experience this today.”

The Summer of Success Tour Continues in New York and Connecticut

The Connecticut Sun event marked just the beginning of Girls With Impact's Summer of Success Tour, a series of exclusive career experiences connecting young women with leaders across technology, finance, beauty, science, and innovation.

Whether touring Dyson's innovation showroom, exploring Henkel's laboratories, learning from Wella executives, or networking with professionals at Eagle Point Credit, each event is designed to give participants something they can't find in a classroom: real-world access.

Learn more about upcoming Summer of Success Tour events and reserve your spot today at https://www.girlswithimpact.org/summer-of-success

Careers in Sports: 5 Insider Lessons Girls With Impact Learned at the Connecticut Sun