One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

@1QLeadership Question: How can leaders in college athletics use their own story and environment to build better systems for student‑athlete success in the age of NIL? Dr. Ron Moses, Deputy AD at Old Dominion, shares how dropping out of high school, serving in the Army, and returning to college shaped his people‑first leadership style and commitment to mentoring. He explains why he keeps his office in the academic center, how his counseling and HR background inform mental health, academic, and NIL education, and why he treats revenue sharing as a financial literacy and life‑skills...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: How can leaders uncover the hidden unwritten rules in their organization's culture to move through resistance and find success? , Executive Coach at and Professor at Temple University, explores how leadership, communication, and culture intersect. Dr. Bullock posits that real leadership lives in the tension between struggle and success, not in titles alone.  Bullock traces her unconventional path from sports information and student affairs into academia and coaching She breaks culture into four parts including values, unwritten ground rules, logos, and organizational systems...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

In this episode of One Question Leadership Podcast, University of Southern California Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration sits down with host to offer insight into her journey from Appalachian State soccer student-athlete to senior-level athletic administrator. The conversation explores the mentors who opened doors throughout her career, the servant leadership philosophy that guides her work, and how she navigates the complex responsibilities of overseeing multiple sports. Jaffe also offers practical insights on sport administration, coaching relationships, leadership...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: Can qualitative process metrics lead to increased revenue in a college athletics department?  In this episode of 1Q, University of Houston Executive Senior Associate AD/Chief Revenue Officer, details how he applies coaching principles to his leadership style, dissects the department’s people-first hiring preference, and discusses how a process-focused revenue strategy has impacted the Cougars in the NIL and revenue-sharing era. Franklin discusses a “people-first” hiring framework that relies on an evaluation of candidates beyond an AI-driven resume screen. This...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: How can schools use NIL and personal branding to serve all athletes, not just the superstars? This episode of 1Q features , Founder and CEO at Influxer. The discussion gives a fast, practical look at how a former walk-on built an NIL company that can help all student-athletes, not just the top 1% of stars. It blends leadership lessons, athlete development, and very concrete ways administrators can plug into Influxer’s “NIL for all” model. Tyler’s walk-on story sets the tone as he pivots from baseball to football, earns a scholarship, and experiences high-level success...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: Are there measurable metrics beyond revenue that lead to championships in college athletics? George Mason AD shares how he walked into a department hungry for leadership and, in three years, built a people-first, championship culture grounded in a clear strategic “playbook.”  He breaks down the staff survey that set the tone, the shift from bad‑news‑only meetings to high‑energy all‑staffs, and a revised coach evaluation model that finally matches expectations to resources and values more than just wins and losses. Lewis also explains how he uses a senior deputy...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

In this special episode of 1Q, Tai M. Brown welcomes former pro runner and longtime interviewer Steph Garcia Cichosz as the new co-host of the One Question Leadership Podcast. Both reflect on what they learned from years of interviews on the AthleticDirectorU platform.   They discuss former Oklahoma AD, Joe Castiglione’s “water the plant” analogy regarding developing staff, former Washington and current USC AD, Jen Cohen’s focus on mentorship, and other insightful conversations that have influenced how they think about leadership.   They also introduce a new framework that...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: Is compliance leadership superpower in college athletics? This episode of the One Question Leadership Podcast follows ’ journey from law school to becoming Executive Senior Associate AD for NIL Strategy and Initiatives at UCLA. It explores how compliance, instinct, and relationships prepare leaders to guide student‑athletes and coaches in an era of NIL, the transfer portal, and high‑stakes competitive success. Path to college athletics Erin shares how growing up an Arizona fan, choosing law school, and trying both pro sports and college internships helped her realize...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: How does an alumnus-turned-athletic-director leverage personal history, modern college athletics trends, and deep relationships to transform a tradition-rich military institute without losing what makes it unique? , Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at VMI, talks with Stephanie Garcia-Cichosz about how his path from student-athlete to athletic director at his alma mater shaped his leadership style and philosophy The discussion examines how he is modernizing VMI athletics through fundraising, marketing, NIL, and strategic planning while staying true to the institute’s...

One Question Leadership Podcast with Tai M. Brown

Question: How can an athletics director build and sustain a championship‑level athletic department in the Great Plains? Montana State Director of Athletics, Leon Costello, discusses presidential leadership transitions on campus, the strategic growth of the athletic department, and how aligned support for athletics drives institutional success. Costello explains how strategic planning, investment in student‑athlete support staff, and revenue growth have fueled competitive success, culminating in a football national championship and a strong departmental culture. He also reflects on coach...