089: The Wild World of Sports in CCI

Catalyst is a Creative Industries podcast, from Chapman University. Each episode features Chapman students who have completed a Podcasting course through the Center for Creative and Cultural Industries at the university. Students who had no podcasting experience or technical ability in the genre before taking the course were able to contribute all the segments to Catalyst this season with the goal being that they will take this ‘hands-on’ experience and carry it over to the launching of their very own series. Each episode of Season 11 will feature one to two different interviews conducted by CCI students, exploring different aspects of the Creative and Cultural Industries.

The first interview of Catalyst’s eleventh season features Leah Hallal, speaking with Sarah Hallal, a designer with the consumer direct marketing, Creative Studio division at Nike. They open the interview by discussing the dynamic world of fashion marketing. Sarah then talks about her career journey starting with navigating internships, and then moving on to talk about the pivotal choices that led to her current job with the iconic company. Sarah also shares what a day in her role might look like, as well as offering some valuable advice to young creatives. The pair conclude the interview by exploring what the future may hold for Sarah.

We wrap our inaugural episode of the season with an interview of Denver Broncos NFL RedZone host and digital media freelancer Kim Becker by Bella Leach. Leach delves into the dynamic world of sports journalism with Becker as they discuss how her decades long position as a professional ice skater for Disney on Ice helped her on her journey to the career of her dreams. In addition to discussing Becker’s favorite memories on the job and the evolving landscape of reporting, they also cover current trends in sports journalism with the rise of social media and Becker shares her perspectives on how platforms like Twitter and Instagram have transformed how stories are told and consumed. They close with an insightful conversation regarding Becker’s career as a woman in sports and sports journalism, and advice for young women looking to enter the industry.