The Started With A Dream Podcast w/ Jacolby Gilliam

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Leah Edmond, a University of Kentucky volleyball alum. Leah is a pro volleyball player at Athletes Unlimited (AU). Today, Leah shares her story of going from a young dreamer to a pro athlete while facing racial stigma when it came to others describing her game and injuries. Despite it all, Leah continues to be a strong force in the world of pro volleyball. Leah begins by sharing her dream as a young athlete. She talks about wanting to play at the University of Kentucky and going for it. She shares with us the expectations required from her as a freshman and a black athlete. She also discusses the stigma black volleyball players face and why volleyball should be made accessible to different communities. The episode comes to a close with Leah giving valuable advice on how to love what you do but, at the same time, not play through the pain. Key Points: Quotes: Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Jaimeson Lee, a professional volleyball player, playing in Portugal and represented by Athletes Abroad. Jaimeson shares today her inspiring story of how she found her love for volleyball. Growing up with athletic parents, Jaimeson has always been surrounded by sports. She shares that her dream as a younger athlete was to play in D1 and how that dream has evolved over time. She discusses how she decided to attend George Washington University and the struggles she faced while trying to balance volleyball, school, and social life. She talks about going pro and how she has found friendship and not just team bonding with her teammates. The episode comes to a close as Jaimeson offers advice to younger athletes on how to stop comparing themselves to others and to never give up. Key Points: Quotes: “My biggest thing is wanting to play. I didn't want to go to a big school and sit on the bench for two or three years behind another sitter.” “If volleyball were to end for me, would I be happy here?” “What commitment is that person willing to make to be the best setter and player that they can be in the future?” “Stop comparing yourself to other people, and just work with what you've got because it's enough.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Connect with Jaimeson Lee: Instagram Athletes Abroad Website Athletes Abroad Instagram

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Lauren Page, a pro volleyball athlete playing in France and represented by Athlete Abroad Management. Before her professional career, Lauren played at the University of Oregon, helping her team finish 9th in the NCAA. Today, she shares her story with us, starting with a young girl who loved volleyball for the fun of it and transitioning into a pro athlete. Lauren begins with how she fell in love with volleyball despite being an introvert. She explains that volleyball was easy to love because she was surrounded by love, her team and her family. Lauren explains the difference between playing in high school and college and how to quickly adapted to new rules and plays. Later, Lauren describes the moment she decided to go pro and how her pro career has proceeded thus far. Key Points: Quotes: “As we get older, our goals change.” “The connections and the friendships that I've made through the sport made it so fun.” “I always tell people all the time, this is the place that I was meant to be, I met my best friends there.” “As I got older, I knew I had to grow up and step out of my comfort zone a little.” “I left part of my heart there.” “I needed to be a better teammate, needed to support my teammates more and not make it about me.” “Being a team player and being there for your teammates makes you a better player at the end of the day.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Connect with Lauren Page : Instagram TikTok

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Julie Lengweiler, a professional volleyball player playing in Spain. Volleyball has been in Julie’s life for as long as she can remember. This propelled Julie to go pro at the young age of 16 in Switzerland. Julie is duly represented by Athletes Abroad Management and today, she shared with us the challenges and wins she has faced as a pro athlete and advises young athletes to dream big so they can live their dream. Julie begins with her dream as a younger athlete: to play in the big leagues. She shares with us how that dream became a reality and how she began playing volleyball professionally at 16. This also came with struggles, having been the youngest on the team. However, she was determined never to quit. Her resilience carried her further as she later played in Finland and now in Spain. Julie’s story inspires us that we can achieve much if only we dare to dream. Key Points: Quotes: “I want to inspire more kids to dream big, because I also felt that with my dreams, I was very lonely.” “It's a very weird feeling. It was something I worked for. And it was something I wanted. But when it happened, I did feel like wow, this is maybe a little bit too much.” “It's so much more than being ready for that level. It's being ready for loads of practice and pressure and games and expectations.” “Who am I without the sport?” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Connect with Julie: Instagram Athletes Abroad Website Athletes Abroad Instagram

Pursuing Your Passion at All Costs In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Charlotte Harris. Charlotte is the first female American licensed FIVB agent and founder of Athletes Abroad. After playing in college and pro volleyball in Sweden, Charlotte realized her passion for coaching and worked with an agency before founding Athletes Abroad, a company that helps athletes enrich their lives and succeed in their chosen sports. Today, Charlotte shares with us her dreams as a younger athlete, her determination, and how she continues to pursue her passion despite being faced with many odds. Charlotte starts with how she began playing the sport of volleyball. She shares that her dream as a young athlete was to play in Division One. She also discusses how she had to learn to be a team player and work hard for her dream. Having survived an ACL tear, Charlotte became unstoppable, starting her pro career in Sweden and later working with an agency. She talks about founding her company, Athletes Abroad, and what makes this company different from other agencies. Charlotte reminds young athletes to continuously pursue their dreams at all costs because it’ll be worth it in the end. Key Points: Quotes: “Anytime I was playing volleyball, I wanted to be on the court.” “My parents sacrificed a lot to even get me there.” “It's easy to give up on something when you think all of a sudden that you know that you're being wronged and that it's not fair what's happening to you, instead of looking at it as ‘what can I do better?’ ‘How can I work harder?’ How can I contribute to my team in other ways?’” “I love the sport, I also love interacting with people and giving back to athletes and I love helping people believe in themselves and get to that next goal of theirs.” “It's about getting a little bit better each day and challenging yourself within your own frame and within where you're at.” “Keep going after what you love and working hard and good things will happen.” “I want to be there to support the players every step of the way, and have a player-first mentality and prioritizing them and their needs kind of above everything else.” “I want them to have this community within athletes abroad and have these strong, powerful professional athletes that are supporting each other and helping each other because that's so important when you are thousands of miles away from family and friends.” “If you are pursuing what you love, then it'll be worth it in the end.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram

The Power of Intention with Lauren Schad In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Lauren Schad, a former professional volleyball player and ambassador of the Red Ribbon Skirt Society. Lauren is a Nike N7 ambassador and a graduate of the University of San Diego. Today, Lauren shares her inspiring story of starting as a young athlete whose goal was to get a letterman jacket to becoming a pro athlete. helping younger athletes achieve exposure and reach their goals. Lauren starts by sharing her goal as a younger athlete and how being brought up in South Dakota encouraged her to be involved in multiple sports. She talks about exploring colleges and how her dreadful freshman year almost had her giving up on her dreams. She talks about the moment she decided to go pro, and ended up playing and settling in France. Lauren inspires the upcoming indigenous athletes through her community efforts and work with the Red Ribbon Skirt Society. Lauren is driven to encourage younger athletes to chase their dreams and enjoy their moments. Key Points: Quotes: “My freshman year is the only year out of my entire volleyball career that I've won a championship.” “It's okay to put a little bit of pressure on the coaches, especially when as an athlete, you can't miss on those other opportunities.” “As athletes, we just look at our next goal. We achieve it, we look at our next goal, we don't ever really take a time to reflect on the things that we've done, and to really appreciate the work that we have put in to get to this point.” “This sport, as much as I loved it, had started becoming more of a job for me.” “The impactful thing about athletes is that they're able to make a big impact on strangers from all over the world...You're bringing in a new group of people every game.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook

Taking The Chance Is Worth It with Pro Volleyball Player Maggie Speaks In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Maggie Speaks, a Pro volleyball athlete, and North Carolina State University, graduate. Maggie is currently entering her fifth season as a pro volleyballer and is represented by Athletes Abroad Management. Today, Maggie shares her story from hating volleyball as a young athlete to falling in love with the sport and facing challenges along the way that almost made her give up. Maggie begins by sharing her dream of becoming an Olympian when she was just in kindergarten. Growing up with a family that was involved in sports drove Maggie to develop an interest in sports. She talks about taking a liking to soccer and basketball but was less interested in volleyball at first because it proved to be difficult. She discusses what drew her to volleyball and finally how she navigated the struggles of finding a college to play for. Despite not being her dream college, she was able to grab the opportunity and play at North Carolina State University. She shares some of the mental struggles she faced as a student-athlete and advises younger athletes to always prioritize their mental health, have fun along the way and never give up. Key Points: Quotes: “I was that kid in practice that every time I made a mistake, I would cry.” “Maybe it's not exactly what I had expected, or what I wanted, but in the end, it ended up being for the better. We beat USC every year for four years.” “I didn't fully mature into that student-athlete role until my senior year. ” “ I wish that I would have let go a little bit more, especially in those college years, and just really tried to enjoy where I was at a little bit more.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter

The Power of Never Giving Up with Brian Bell In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Brian Bell joins our host Jacolby Gilliam as he recounts his story as a Paralympics gold medalist. Brian is a pro wheelchair basketball player and 2x Paralympic gold medalist. Brain shares with us today, his uplifting and inspiring story as a young athlete that lost a leg and his path to success despite all odds. Brian starts off by discussing his dream as a young athlete that wanted to play football and how this dream changed when he was involved in an accident that changed his life. He talks about how he never gave up and how he continues to enjoy sports with a prosthetic leg. He describes how he found interest in basketball and decided to go all in despite not being big enough. His motto “back-to-back cuts to back-to-back goals” motivated Brian to not only work hard to make the national team but also win gold at the Paralympics. Brian believes you can achieve anything you set your heart to do and calls on athletes with disabilities to try everything and stay determined. Key Points: Quotes: “Finding sports again, and that support network from friends and family helped tremendously.” “If you're younger and you have a disability, I will say just try everything.” “I try to maximize as much of my flaws as possible to be a more well-rounded basketball player.” “Back-to-back cuts to back-to-back goals.” “If you really want to accomplish it, put in the extra work, make sure that you put in all the hours, make sure that you maximize all of the different areas that you can use to increase skills.” “Even though I was not the biggest guy out there, I was able to use my speed, my skills, and intelligence, to level out some of the more fiscally gifted athletes or older athletes at the time.” “I am going to represent my country at the world stage and be able to compete against the best of the best in my sport. It was just a surreal, amazing feeling.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast

In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Bryce Cornet, a Mazda MX-5 Cup Series driver sponsored by Hixon Motor Sports, Mazda motorsports and a scholarship recipient of the 2021 Mazda motorsports. He earned a master's at the University of Central Oklahoma while working and also pursuing a career in motorsports. Today, he shares with us his story of starting out in the world of racing, battling with heart abnormalities at a young age and bagging a sponsorship with Mazda. Bryce begins by narrating the ordeal he faced at 15 just when he had begun to show interests in motorsports. He talks about a documentary that was created to show how he battled with heart abnormalities and how he never gave up his dreams in spite of them. Turning his dream into reality required a shift in mindset and immense motivation to keep going. He shares with us how he pitches himself to sponsors and his experince as a Mazda sponsored driver. Bryce shares his view on the future of the racing industry and what he hopes to achieve in years to come. Just like he didn't let his challanges hold him down, Bryce challenges you to work hard and never give up. Key Points: Quotes: “I had a story, I had something that was unique.” “That year 2018 will forever go down as the craziest year for me.” “As a driver, you have different driving tendencies, we have to learn a whole different new skill. It's like learning how to write with your left hand almost at times.” “More for me is competing and being better this year, getting better, becoming a better sports car driver. And then also supporting Mazda more by being a proper brand ambassador for them.” “You've got to be mentally strong to be able to have composure.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast Instagram

In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Kathleen Gates, a former seven-year pro volleyball player who now works as a development manager at Athletes Abroad. Athletes Abroad Management, a company that helps athletes enrich their lives and succeed in their chosen sports. Kathleen sits with Jacolby today to share her inspiring story of starting as a 5 year-old dreamer in a small town with dreams of becoming an Olympian. She shares with us her journey of resilience from playing in high school to going pro. Following the end of your pro run, Kathleen is building the future of other athletes and inspiring younger female athletes to believe in their dreams. Kathleen starts the conversation by describing the dreams she had as a young child and how she found her grandfather as an inspiration. She shares with us the struggles she went through in building her volleyball career and the challenges she faced in college. She also shares her story of hitting a low point in her career where she sustained a major injury and how this drove her into depression. Despite it all, Kathleen made her comeback and learnt valuable lessons along the way. Kathleen hopes to encourage athletes to never give up. Dream big and work hard and watch yourself soar. Key Points: Quotes: “I was really fortunate that I was in this small town. And so it was cool that we were able to kind of try everything.” “One of my coaches for the High Performance Carolina region, the quote that he gave us is that ‘when you're not working, somewhere, someone else is and when you two meet, she will win. ” “It was tough, because I've put so much of my identity into being Kathleen, a volleyball player, the pro athlete, the leader of the team, the setter to being like the bench player on the bench.” “Dream big, then work harder.” Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Podcast

In episode 104 of the 9INE POINT Started With A dream podcast, Jacolby talks with pro volleyball playerJaidyn Blanchfield about her journey. Jaidyn story is on of perseverance and refusing to let hearing no stop her from achieving her dreams. Instagram - jayjay_b13

In this episodes of the 9INE POINT Started with A Dream podcast, Jacolby talks with Team USA wheel chair basketball gold medalist Jorge Sanchez. Jorge's journey is one that is pure inspiration. Inspiration that is supported through is positive and never give up mindset. At the age of 8, Jorge was diagnosed with cancer. This moment started a journey for Jorge that no one could imagine. From battle cancer, waking up from a coma, finding wheelchair basketball, and to ultimately winning gold. Jorge Sanchez story is one that will inspire all listeners that no matter what obstacles they are facing, that they to can overcome them to achieve their version of greatness. Jorge Instagram - athlete_jorge_sanchez

When you are away from friends and family for nine months abroad, how do you create your home away from home? In this episode of The Started with A Dream Podcast, professional volleyball player Alli Cudworth shares her journey. Tune in to learn how to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you are playing in. In this journey, she shares a few things like how she overcame a knee injury in high school. How she figured out how to push herself as an athlete. Lastly, how to create her second home why she plays overseas in Cyprus.

Episode 101 of the 9INE POINT Started with a Dream Podcast features professional volleyball player Greg Petty. Greg talks about his first experience of playing abroad and how he got there. There were times in his journey when it all almost stopped. Greg talks about how he overcame some challenges that come with being an athlete by being self motivated and having a great support system. Follow Greg on Instagram @gregorypetty9

Flashback to 2020 and the year is almost over. COVID has made a huge impact on all industries including the world of sports. In this episode, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Taylor Milton about her journey to becoming a pro volleyball player to how she has continued to make positive opportunities during times of adversity. Taylor is an experienced professional volleyball player with a demonstrated history of working in the public relations and communications industry. And, when COVID caused her to stop before the season’s end there was definitely a mix of emotions, especially the feelings of uncertainty. In order to express these emotions among team members, friends and fans, Taylor and her friend, Courtney Felinski, created a space, MATCHPOINT COVID, to encourage athletes to virtually share their emotions so they can virtually experience what is going on and be there for each other. MPC gave these players an opportunity to view volleyball from its different perspective while keeping their dreams uniquely alive. If you wanted to share your story, what will write? In this episode, Taylor shares her journey of sport realization from childhood till becoming a pro player. Although starting off as a multi-sport athlete, Taylor decided, in high school, to stick with volleyball. Being a lover of so many sports make it very heartbreaking to pick one so, why did Taylor decide to pick volleyball. It’s not an easy journey but it’s been reaffirming and quite fulfilling. She talks about her diverse experiences and how its all aided in shapening her personal and professional life. Regardless of the current situation, Taylor believes that being able to keep that spirit of belonging up makes a huge the difference. Key points: Taylor’s athlete goal as a younger multi-sport athlete and how she went on to achieve it (00:56) Being athletic over an athlete will make you better How Taylor decided that volleyball was what she wanted to The club level v the high school level of volleyball why it matters Taylor’s first recognition and how it affected her performance The kind of growth she experienced in college and how she was adapt Taylor’s advise to her younger self The decision play pro abroad and what it’s been like so far (18:08) Impact of COVID on the season What MATCHPOINTCOVID is and why it was created Taylor’s future plans and the kind of interesting skills she has been developing during this period Sometimes, beautiful results spring from bad situation. It doesn’t make the situation better but it definitely enhances our experience. Connect with 9INE POINT: Website Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Connect with Taylor: Website

In Episode 99, we chat with volleyball player Kristen Moncks about her journey and the progression of her career. Kristen's journey will inspire you to keep chasing your dreams. Knowing each year to aim to getting a little better than you were the year before. This mindset helped Kristen Moncks as she overcame obstacles and setbacks. Leading to her achieving several of her dream opportunities such as playing in University, professionally overseas and ultimately on the Canadian National Volleyball team. Instagram: @kristenmoncks

In Episode 98, we chat with Thays Deprati about her journey and the power of choice. Thays is a professional volleyball player in Switzerland and currently on the national team. Instagram: @thaysdeparti

We had the honor of sitting down with international professional volleyball player Malina Terrell to talk about her unique journey of becoming one of the top athletes in the European professional volleyball circuit. We talk about how the line of chasing a goal in athletics may not always be a straight one. For while we strive to succeed in one category of our life, we just might have to put in some work to the other parts of our being to get there. Terrell shares the raw realities of her athletic journey where she was met with deep moments of self-reflection and confronted with adversity in paving her own way. Yet through all the hurdles, the light of Terrell shined bright, leading her to a professional career with countless Top Scorer and Top Outside Hitter titles in respected leagues from Finland, Denmark, Germany, and recently France where she just finished her third season competing for one of the top teams in the league, participating in the highly renowned CEV European Cup.

In episode 96 of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby talks with professional volleyball player Taylor Fricano about her journey. Taylor shares the story of the Olympian that inspired her to start her volleyball journey to what it was like during the recruiting process. Once after having success during her college career it was time for her and pup Peanut to head overseas. Tune in to hear more about mental health, patience while chasing your dreams, and remembering to have fun along the way.

In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam has a conversation with volleyball Paralympian and owner of Zummo Collective, Bethany Zummo. Bethany shares her story on how she became a volleyball athlete, some of the significant challenges she faced along the way. Through this journey, Bethany has grown and developed a new level of self-confidence to be the best she can be at what she loves. She believes that everyone has their own 'normal,' and you have to embrace your own normal instead of being afraid of not being someone else's normal. Bethany wants other adaptive athletes to know that they are more than able to not focus on the label this is out there as disabled. Because of COVID, her Paralympic title defense has been put on hold for a while in 20202. However, Bethany has spent her time trying to curb the spread of the COVID. By using her sewing skills with the help of her family, The Zummo Collective was started to create filtered masks as a way of helping others and giving back to the community. Key Points: Intro (0:11) The biggest goal Bethany's wanted to achieve as a Paralympian (0:52) What is normal and why Bethany believes normal can only be self-defined (1:51) Bethany's first sports journey and some of the major challenges she faced (2:39) How Bethany hurdled through the challenges she faced to develop and reinforce self-confidence (4:54) Why it's important to embrace diversity (6:48) When Bethany realized she was good at the sitting game (10:17) Self-belief; Why Bethany beliefs that she deserves the best and how she works hard to arrive as the best (11:50) Why Bethany decided to try the sitting volleyball (15:27) Some of the fears and struggles Paralympian's face about wanting to not be labeled and why it's okay to not feel okay at first (17:10) Bethany's dreams of the Olympics and Paralympics pre-COVID and how she was able to mentally carry on regardless of the current situation (21:40) How Bethany is trying to make the most of the situation to help as many people as she can (26:15) How Bethany became the mask maker to render as much aid as she could to others (27:00) Other ways Bethany and her sisters have been giving back to their community (32:34) Quotes: "I would love to leave the sport knowing that it can be really competitive and really challenging to play. And that's the goal, I think for anyone, leaving the sport better than you found it." . "If I met someone who was like a little Bethany, like I would want to do my best to empower them and tell them, like, I know that you, you think you think this way now, and it's okay that you feel this way and it's not your fault that you feel this way." Connect with 9inepoint: Website Podcast Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Connect with Bethany: Website Linkedin Instagram