In Episode 4 of Athena Talks, Katy welcomes Riley Tejcek, Marine Captain, US Olympic Bobsledder, and published author. Together, they explore Riley’s extraordinary journey from D1 athlete to Olympic hopeful, all while serving her country as a Marine officer. Riley shares the inspiration behind her book, If You Can Dream It, Be It, which encourages young girls and boys to see limitless possibilities for their future. She highlights the importance of setting parental example and not setting limitation on our children. Allowing children to figure it out for themselves is crucial to inspire and uplift children, causing ripple positive impact across future generations.

Riley discusses overcoming online haters and negativity with peace and love, recounts memories from OCS and her first Iraq deployment, and reflects on what led her down her path to success despite her resistance against the initial cards she was dealt. She also offers advice for aspiring athletes in the military, delves into leadership lessons from deployment, and recalls what winning her first gold medal meant to her. Packed with so much inspiration and wisdom, this episode is one you won’t want to miss!

Join Katy this week as she talks with powerhouse lawyers Stephanie Niehaus and Meghan Quinn. Stephanie is a trailblazing lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs who marched her way into Peloton Interactive and leads their litigation and investigation team. Meghan is Stephanie's mentee and has blazed her own trail as a brilliant trial lawyer at Squire Patton Boggs. Together, they take us on the twists and turns of navigating a legal career, and Stephanie inspires us all to take risks and believe in ourselves.

What legacy do you want to leave in this world? Sarah Shadonix has been intentional about creating a legacy of integrity, community, and empowering those around her to be successful. Join Katy Spicer as she talks with Founder & CEO Sarah Shadonix about her decision to walk away from the comfort and stability of her career as a successful litigator to start the first clean-crafted wine club, Scout & Cellar, a company that changed the standards of the wine industry and impacted the lives of many customers in the process. In her journey, Sarah has learned the importance of mental and physical health, having a good partner and knowing your audience. She discusses her sales approach and how she disrupted the direct sales industry by being bold and decisive. If you are considering starting a new career or business journey down an unconventional path or leaving the security of your current career or job, Sarah’s inspiring perspectives will motivate you to take that leap.

For more information on Sarah and Scout & Cellar: www.scoutandcellar.com

Dreaming of starting a business and actually starting a business are two different scenarios. It took a year-and-a-half to get Athena Talks off the ground, but it is finally here. At the start line. In this episode, co-founders Katy Spicer and James Collins share some of the high and lows of starting a partnership and how they stuck it out to get to this very moment. Of course, much of it had to do with their Marine connection and the discipline, mission focus, and resilience that comes with the Marine bloodline. Throughout their journey they have learned that gritty hard work, alongside people you trust, leads to results.