Episode 101- First African American Female NFL Coach Collette V Smith

Are you feeling down and discouraged, or just have a general sense of malaise about the world and your place in it? Is Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends” running through your head? Then get ready, because this week’s episode is going to make you leap out of your seat and get motivated during this dystopian Y.A. novel that is 2020!

Seriously, tune in and you’ll get your bathroom painted, your garage cleaned out, your resume updated, and that Great American Novel started. (Disclaimer: If you start writing, but do not finish, the aforementioned novel, the hosts and producers of Why? The Podcast will not be held legally and/or fiscally responsible. We can’t help it if you refuse to write at least 1,000 words a day. Also, starting the Great American Novel could just mean starting to read one. We recommend Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Sorry, The Great Gatsby, you’re a little played out.)

We don’t normally suggest a soundtrack for each episode, but put on “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire before you continue reading this blog because our guest brought some major positive energy with her. For episode 101, we spoke with Collette V. Smith, the NFL’s first African American female coach. She is also the first female coach for the New York Jets franchise, and the third female coach in the history of the NFL. Plus, before that, she played football for the women’s pro football team, the New York Sharks.

Lest you think that’s ALL Collette has accomplished, she’s also a professional speaker who founded her own company, bringing her skills and knowledge to schools, corporations, and workshops – really anyone needing a new perspective. And once you hear us chat with Collette, you’ll understand why she does what she does.

Our episode revealed a lot of great truths. For instance, if you are the first female anything, you get asked a lot of ridiculous questions that your male counterparts would never be asked. And if it involves football, the questions become increasingly exasperating. Tune in to find out how to shut down idiots. Even if football isn’t your thing, Collette provided some pearls of wisdom that are universally applicable.

Another great truth is that there should be a level playing field for all people. Plus, we all suffer from Impostor’s Syndrome at one point or another. Oh, and cats are assholes (we’re talking to you, Charlie).

After listening to our episode, if you’d like to learn more about Collette and her coaching there are a lot of ways to catch up with her. Check out her company, Believe N You. Believe N You is on Facebook, and Collette has a personal page there as well. If you’d rather spend your Facebook time checking out the New York Jets, click here, here, and don’t forget about here. Collette is also on Twitter, and the Jets have professional and fan accounts as well. Finally, if Instagram is your thing, the Jets are represented not once, but thrice.

So now we’re ready for September. We have received serious motivation from a professional football coach, and we have our Dog Brew beer from Busch, along with some wings, for tailgating. Oh, you need a song to listen to while laughing at your friends for drinking Dog Brew by mistake? It has to be Neil Diamond’s “September Morn.” And that’s not because we can’t think of any other songs off the top of our collective head about September. It’s just that September morning still can make us feel that way.

Okay, Luke is off to run laps and Heidi is going to sketch out some new uniform designs for the servers at Hooters. Captain is going to figure out just what he’s the captain of, and you are all going to check out episode #101. And… hut!