We were lucky to catch up with Classye James recently and have shared our conversation below.
Classye, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
The cornerstone of Shakeout is diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a nonprofit organization focused on educating and connecting current and former athletes to tools and resources for personal and professional development. We motivate, assist, and provide athletes a platform to enable success as they prepare for life after sports. The success of these athletes is rooted in their accessibility to financial support, career opportunities, and a supportive community.
Shakeout is in the midst of creating a multi-million dollar endowment in partnership with some of the most notable financial institutions in order to provide athletic scholarships to HBCU Student Athletes. A new narrative concerning Black athletes attending HBCUs can be created by taking chances and enhancing the athletic programs. Regardless of where they attend school, Black athletes can believe in the power of change and their ability to make a difference. Additionally, I am creating a Minority Athlete Loan Forgiveness Program to help former athletes pay off their students loan debt. While Division I and Division II schools provide around $2.7 million in athletic scholarships each year, almost half of student athletes at those schools don’t get one. And Division III schools don’t give out any athletic scholarships.
Classye, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley provided me a unique lens into the technology and entrepreneurial industries at a young age. While I always fostered a love for technology, the majority of her life was primarily focused on sports.I played basketball competitively for 17 years and continued to the Division I collegiate level with the ultimate dream of becoming a professional basketball player. After a career-ending injury, I was forced to retire at the age of 22, ending a major chapter in my life. I was suddenly thrust out of a world I had always belonged to and knew so well. I found herself at a crossroads…
Equipped with a degree in Business Finance from San Jose State University, I leveraged my network and got a job at one of the biggest tech companies in the world, Cisco Systems. While at Cisco Systems I made the decision to go back to school and get my MBA. I was inspired by Jen Sincero’s book “You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life,” and decided to turn something I was passionate about into a business. From the struggles I encountered as an athlete dealing with Life After Sports, I realized there was a gap in the world of competitive athletics. Shakeout, was created to fill that gap. My mission is to enable individuals to see the light within themselves, and motivate them to accomplish any goal they wish to achieve.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
It is really important to understand where you audience spends most of their time. While Instagram is a great tool, I actually spend most of my time cultivating business relationships on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. You can build a professional identity, discover professional opportunities, and get the latest news and insights to better yourself. As I was fundraising for and promoting my first conference I realized I wasn’t getting the traction on the Instagram I hoped for, which made me pivot and focus on LinkedIn. Over the years I had created an amazing business network on LinkedIn and once I started posting about the Athletes Unite Conference, I began to get the traction I was looking for on Instagram.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Transparency, consistency, serving others and staying true to myself have helped me build my reputation within my market. I am not perfect by any means, but I am progressive. I own my mistakes and learn from them. I believe in reciprocity, and am always looking for ways in which I can be a blessing to others. I truly believe that when you are a blessing to those around you, you will continue to be blessed. Lastly, I know who I am. I don’t want to be anybody else but me. It is so imperative that you stay in your lane, and refrain from comparing yourself to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.classyejames.com, https://www.shakeoutinc.org
- Instagram: @classyej
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/classyejames
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shakeout8970/featured