For Shenay Rivers, the sports world has been a space she has been immersed in and passionate about since a very young age. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Shenay remembers spending her days playing basketball, running track, and dancing growing up. It was a world that she loved. A space that connected her like no other. It wasn’t until her time in college though, at Northern Illinois University (NIU), that she solidified her interest in pursuing a career in the industry upon graduation. After securing an internship with the Sports Marketing Department her junior year, Shenay learned all about event activations, sports marketing, and game operations. It was only up from there! After graduating from NIU, Shenay was determined to take the next step in her career and work for the NBA. From attending career fairs to connecting with business professionals on LinkedIn, she was committed to making her dreams a reality. Suddenly, it was happening. Those opportunities she had been dreaming about and working towards were unfolding. Shenay received the opportunity to interview for a position with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was the moment she had been waiting for—the chance to begin her career in the sports industry and find her way to her dream city, New York. But, the universe had other plans. Plans that were bigger than she could have ever imagined. After not obtaining the position in Minnesota, Shenay took a step back and reflected on her true desires. She knew that she wanted to live in New York and work for a NBA team within the entertainment space.
Shortly after, she received an opportunity that would lead her to do just that. She earned a position to work as an Inside Sales Account Manager for the Brooklyn Nets. Although this wasn’t the area she wanted to focus her career in, it was a stepping stone that would allow her to achieve that sooner than she imagined. After just 11 months, Shenay was promoted to the Entertainment Coordinator role for the Nets. The rest is history. Currently, Shenay is the Brooklyn Nets’ Entertainment Manager and has fostered a personal brand that extends well beyond the court. She recently launched a community platform alongside her boyfriend Dre Martin called "Unite Black Voices"—a support group that spreads awareness and resources for social and economic progression in the black community—, and has organized a series of segments such as "Unmute Black Voices"—a platform where they host a solution-based discussion around understanding and coping with Black trauma. As she continues to strengthen her brand both on and off the court, Shenay is committed to using her platform to give back and empower communities across the nation and around the world.
You shared that in college you studied Marketing and Business with a minor in Dance, but were very open to having a sales position upon graduation to get your foot in the door. Could you share more with us about your mantra and the mentality you maintained throughout those times where you were not receiving the position you wanted or were getting turned down? How did you remain motivated?
I have always been a person who knew what I wanted, and knew what I would have to do to get it. I can attribute that (mentality) to my mother—she persevered through everything. Also, being in sports, being a dancer, and being on different teams, rejection comes a lot. I was able to build up that thick skin. It doesn’t mean it hurts any less, but after I take my moment to be in my feelings I always tell myself, “Okay, you have two choices: you can let this keep you down or you can take this, and what you have learned through this rejection to create an opportunity for yourself.” It was really about taking the positive out of it. For me (it became), “Yes I didn’t get this job, but I got so much out of in terms of the interviewing experience, the connections with these managers that I could use as resources (to improve), and carry that into the next opportunity.” I also relied heavily on my faith. I lost sight of where my heart was, but taking the time to regroup, go back, talk to God, and be with Him, really helped me pick myself back up and continue. I strongly believe in (the mantra), “You change your mindset, you change your life.” Relying on my experiences, and knowing it is okay to be in your feelings for whatever moment that is—but leaving it at that moment—, is a mentality I have kept (as well). If you are going to survive and be a role model for someone, you have to push through. You got to trust your path, trust your process, trust your journey—and those (experiences) were a part of my story. I was able to be exactly where I wanted to be when it was time for me to be there—to the point where when I went to Brooklyn, the Minnesota manager was hitting me up like “Dang, I wish I would have hired you.” That was probably the most gratifying thing because I was like, “You know what, I didn’t give up. I pushed through and I did my thing.”
You made a great point on the importance of staying motivated throughout it all. Transitioning into your personal brand, what are you inspired by? What are some things that fuel you throughout your journey in sports?
I am a person who, and I am learning this more and more as I am getting older, wants to just effect change for the better. I have struggled with like, “Okay how will God use me as a vessel to get this message out?”—because He uses all of us in different ways. Through sports, obviously it is entertainment, the unique thing I have learned (about) why I love what I do is 1) I get to help nurture home, and 2) I get to watch people and offer support to people who get to live out their dreams. They get to live (them) out doing what they love. That is so awesome to watch because I have watched them work and train really hard, and to be able to support their growth is so rewarding. A step beyond that, being able to create memories with people (is inspiring). I have been doing this for a while now, and sometimes you can get a little jaded because we take it for granted. It’s like, “Yo, I get to watch live basketball pretty much on the court 44 times a year, and then if we go to the playoffs, past that.” I have (also) gotten the opportunity to go to different arenas just through shared connections to watch teams play. Knowing that I have that opportunity and experience to be able to create (those) memories, that is dope. I think one of the coolest memories for me is (when) my brother, his wife, and my nieces and nephews came out and I got them tickets to the game. My nephew got to meet some of the players and get autographs, and being able to provide that was so cool to me. This is something we do all the time, but it is just so different and it hits (differently) when you see people’s faces light up. Having the privilege to do that is very, very rewarding, and I feel like that—being able to create memories for people that will last forever—is what keeps me going.
What has that experience of building your personal brand off the court been like for you?