
Jennifer Portee knew she wanted to pursue a career in sports for as long as she can remember. For this West Palm Beach, Florida native, it all initially started with the dream of one day playing in the WNBA; and slowly morphed into a commitment to remaining close to the game from the sidelines. It was during her time in college though where Jennifer became more determined than ever to bring her passion and love for sports to the forefront of her endeavors. She was on a mission. Along with earning a bachelor's degree in sports management and an MBA in sports and athletic administration, Jennifer also worked events with several professional sports organizations throughout her time in school—including the Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins, NBA, and NFL. Upon graduation, she continued to build her personal brand further and expand her network in the industry. Committed to bringing more coverage to women's basketball and giving fans insights into players' stories, Jennifer took it one step further. In 2020, she started her own podcast called "Let's Talk Women In Basketball'' and began interviewing athletes in the WNBA, sharing player stats, and discussing trending topics around the WNBA. From WNBA players to high school and college athletes to coaches, Jennifer has featured several sports professionals since; and is eager to build her platform even more in the years to come. Amazing!


When did you discover that you were interested in the business side of sports and wanted to dive into the world of sports management?
It came in college, but at a young age it (started). I'll never forget…when I was in the 4th grade, me and this other student used to—during recess—compete for who could memorize all of the NBA players. We would name all the NBA players and then we'd decide: “Ok, now let's see who knows all of the stats for each player.” We would compete like that in school early on, so I knew that I wanted to be in sports; but I always thought it would be playing. In college (though), that's when I took it very seriously and decided: “Ok, if I'm not going to play basketball, I'm going to definitely go into the industry—whether it is me working in marketing or me working in what I'm doing now and creating my own podcast.” It's really hard to break into the sports industry, so it's not good to wait for an opportunity but to create an opportunity. That way, you can showcase your talents to the sports industry. Right now, they want to see what you can bring to the table. You can create your own opportunity, so you can show them: “I'm going to be an undeniable force.” You know, break into the industry by creating an opportunity instead of waiting.

Let’s talk branding! How did you get started building your personal brand in the space?
Yeah! One day, a good friend of mine told me: “You need to showcase your talent.” He said, “You know so much about basketball, so why don't you create your own sports show?” I never thought of that. So I went back home and it's almost like God was just giving me all kinds of ideas of what I could do for my sports show. At first it was originally called “Let’s Talk WNBA,” because I knew I wanted to talk about women's basketball due to the fact that women's basketball doesn't get enough media coverage. I said, “Ok, if I'm going to talk about sports, it's definitely gonna be women's basketball because my brand would be: where fans could go so they can learn more about the players’ journey and also get updated stats and trending topics around the WNBA.” That's when I said, “Ok, I'm gonna start my own podcast.” That's what I did. I started my own podcast. It was originally called “Let's Talk WNBA,” but I changed the name to “Let's Talk Women in Basketball.” Now, I’m not only talking about WNBA players, but I'm also talking about the high school players as well as the college players.

That's awesome! Let's dive into your podcast. Could you share more with us about the inspiration behind your podcast and the mission of your platform?