How to two-time Olympic medalist Lia Neal found her Next Play

In 2021, with weeks to go before the U.S. Olympic trials ahead of the Tokyo Summer games, Lia Neal decided to retire from swimming.

It was a decision she came to after the pandemic forced her to pause and reflect like never before, eventually helping her discover that it was not only the right time to walk away from the sport, but that she’d been avoiding the thought of doing so for so long.

“It's just a very daunting question of, like, ‘what am I going to do with the rest of my life?’ And it seems silly to look back on it now,” Neal said in an interview with LinkedIn News. “But when I was in the sport, you get so caught up in the day-to-day that you're not really thinking long-term or big picture.”

These days, Neal has a new day-to-day routine.?

She’s a strategist at Red Antler, a marketing agency headquartered in her native New York, where she’s taking on her first job role following the dramatic career transition.

In an interview with Next Play, our video series highlighting athletes and their endeavors outside of sports, Neal discussed why many athletes can find it difficult to walk away from their sport, how networking helped her find a new career path, and why she created Swimmers for Change, a platform dedicated to racial equity, during the pandemic.

Check out the interview in the video above, and, if you haven't already, follow Lia Neal on LinkedIn here.

The Starting Five

Each edition of this newsletter will share five sports trends, stories or figures on LinkedIn that are worth following. Check out this week's Starting Five below.

Osaka’s deuce

Over a span of about six weeks, Tennis star Naomi Osaka has announced the formation of two major businesses. First, in May, she announced the launch of her own talent agency, EVOLVE, which has since signed Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios as its first athlete.

Then, this week, the world’s highest-paid female athlete announced the creation of a media company, Hana Kuma, in partnership with SpringHill Entertainment, the entertainment company co-founded by LeBron James.

Hana Kuma plans to produce “scripted and unscripted television series, documentaries, anime and branded content,” according to the New York Times. And, naturally, the company already has its LinkedIn page up and running.

To see how people on LinkedIn are reacting to this story, read, “Osaka, King James aim to rule media.”

A moment of Pride

In 2007, LinkedIn Influencer John Amaechi became the first NBA player to openly identify as a gay man, making national national headlines and inspiring news segments about gay athletes and their presence in sports more broadly.

In a post on LinkedIn, the U.K. native recently shared the moment that inspired him to come out, and how the moment highlighted a need for representation.

“People need to know that Black people can be gay,” he wrote. “And that one does not make the other lesser.”

Check it all out in his own words, here.

The athlete effect

While Stephen Curry’s performance on the court during the recently concluded NBA Finals naturally drew the most attention, the New York Times highlighted something interesting he was doing off the court the whole time.?

Curry, who won his fourth NBA championship last Thursday, had gone out of his way to wear clothes made by Black designers before games. That meant those designers’ styles were likely to be broadcast on national television whenever cameras inevitably captured Curry making his way into the arena.??

“I’m an independent operator, so moments like this are very important for the growth of my brand,” one designer told the New York Times. “And when he wears my clothes, it makes other NBA players pay attention.”

To read more about Stephen Curry and why he began wearing styles by Black designers, check out the New York Times article, which provides insight on the effects athletes have on the brands they wear.

Shawn Johnson’s next leap

In the 14 years since she won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, star gymnast Shawn Johnson has leveraged her fame to create business opportunities that intertwine with her lifestyle.

As a content creator, for example, many of the videos she shares on YouTube focus on the growth of her family with husband Andrew East, himself a former athlete. As a startup founder, Johnson is honing in on the same focus.?

“Currently, I’m working on building out our company, FamilyMade, which is a media property that produces and distributes family lifestyle content,” she wrote in a lengthy LinkedIn post detailing her entrepreneurial ambitions. “We started FamilyMade because too many people navigate relationships, pregnancy, parenting, and family life on their own.”

She later added, “My goal with blogging here is to keep you guys updated on my latest business ventures and the things I’m learning along the way.”

To follow Shawn Johnson on LinkedIn, click here.

Serving notice

Like tennis star Sloane Stephens earlier this month, Super Bowl winner Odell Beckham Jr. is yet another athlete on LinkedIn looking to hear from followers.

That’s why the NFL star shared a post teasing a series of discussions, about a variety of topics, he’ll be looking to spark on the platform over the summer.?

“I look forward to doing a four part series over the next couple of months where I'll be asking questions and starting conversations around investment, fashion, fatherhood, self care and human performance, all things I'm passionate to learn more about.”

To share feedback with Odell Beckham Jr. about the topics he should explore on LinkedIn, click here.

On Deck

The upcoming edition of Next Play will feature Alana Beard, a WNBA champion and four-time All-Star.???

Since retiring from the WNBA in 2019, the Duke University alumna has worked in venture capital and become a startup board member, among other endeavors. Her passion for networking and her business experience have inspired her to create Transition Play, a company that helps match female athletes with post-career opportunities.

“When I think about a female athlete, we bring just as much value to sort of any organization and we deserve to be in those rooms,” Beard said. “We deserve to be at the tables, having those conversations with these startup companies. And so my push is just to create that access, create that opportunity.”

Subscribe to Next Play, and you’ll get a notification when our upcoming edition with Alana Beard is published.

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