In a competitive industry, do you ever feel like you’re waiting for an invitation that will never come? Stop waiting. The secret to standing out isn’t getting a seat at someone else’s, it’s learning how to build your own table. Meet Kelsey Nicole Nelson, an award-winning broadcaster, professor, and entrepreneur who has mastered the art of not just being seen, but owning the entire space. In this exclusive interview, Kelsey shares her journey of defying the odds by turning every ‘no’ into ‘on’ (game on). Learn how she leverages authenticity, a master-of-all-trades mindset, and a commitment to lifting others to redefine success in high-profile sports media. Discover the power of claiming your voice, controlling your narrative, and becoming the architect of your own career.
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Not Invited? Build Your Own Table: How To Stand Out In A Competitive Industry With Broadcaster, Professor And Business Owner, Kelsey Nicole Nelson
Our guest is Kelsey Nicole Nelson. She is a broadcaster, a professor, and an entrepreneur in her own right owning two businesses. She’s built a career in sports media by doing something so deceptively simple and surprisingly rare. She shows up as herself in spaces that were not always built with her in mind and yet she owns them completely and unabashedly and I love it. As a result, it made room for others to do the same. From covering major sports moments to creating platforms that amplify underrepresented voices, she’s not just reporting on the game. She’s changing who gets to be seen, heard and remembered within it.
Her show network is allowing so many to be elevated, which is exciting. One of the things that I find especially compelling about Kelsey’s work is it’s not just about representation. It’s about ownership, of voice, of narrative and of the space that you take up. Whether you’re in sports media or any other industry, the question underneath all of this is the same. Who gets to tell the story? Are you willing to claim your place in it? Be sure to stay to the end for KB takeaways. They’re good ones and I look forward to hearing what you think, so let’s tune in.
Readers, welcome. Please join me in welcoming a true powerhouse across so many fields. We are fortunate to be joined by Kelsey Nicole Nelson. She is a broadcaster. I would say award-winning broadcaster at that, professor and business owner and demonstrates that whole notion of “and” in life in so many ways. Kelsey, welcome.
Thank you, Kate. I’m so excited to join you. Thank you so much for having me here with your audience.
I’m so excited. Kelsey, you have a very sexy sports broadcaster, which is great. It’s awesome to have a woman at the helm in that. You’ve built this career in an industry that’s super high profile and yet, it’s still a pretty gate cap. How the heck did you do that? How did you get that gate open and say, “Back off?”
Resourcefulness In Building An Early Career
Again, thank you so much for the kind introduction. I always tell people I’ve always been a sports girl. I was always a daddy girl. I will tell you, honestly, my origins story begins in my household. My parents helped me from a very early age. They said, “Whatever you want to do, you can do it, but you’re going to have to put in the work.” One of the things they said was it starts with you to make it happen. I have always put that onus on myself to begin something. I’m always also just naturally competitive. If I start something, I’m going to finish it and finish it well.
The bar is always high. The expectations came from my parents, but the will to do so was with me. I always saw the sports industry, so I wanted a way in. I wanted to be what I saw and honestly, what I didn’t see. That’s why representation does matter. I want to see more women that look like me in the sports industry. I know I could offer something unique and different. My parents gave me so many life lessons.
Fun fact. I still don’t drive to this day. I don’t have a license but I always tell people how that happened. My parents always said, “You had the BMW or bus metro walk.” Now I’ve added R, because the bus metro is walking right. Essentially what I mean by that is, I had to find a way to get around. My parents worked a lot. I went to every camp and day care. I learned how to be resourceful very early on. I don’t drive and where I grew up, you needed a car to get around. Luckily, my friend’s parents drove.
A lot of them started driving me when they turned sixteen. Honestly, it’s the same thing with the sports industry. You need to be resourceful. I was volunteering for camps early on. When I wasn’t playing sports, I was watching sports. I was trying to meet coaches. I didn’t know that what I was doing was building sources, which is so journalism. What you learned in the sports industries is there’s so much crossover that happens. Someone you saw then is going to be someone you probably end up seeing down the line later.
You don’t expect that when you’re first starting out, but those connections come to fruition. Honestly, it was my parents but also making sure that I was in the right places and spaces. I was always doing something. I was always active. Anybody who’s known me for a long time has known I’ve never had just one job. I’ve never done one thing. I’ve always known I’ve had to be around the game or in the game some way, somehow. That’s how it happened.
You take that and then you go to school. I was able to major in broadcast journalism, luckily at Maryland. I had such a great journalism program. Again, I put a lot on myself. I didn’t want to just go through the program and graduate. I wanted the top level. Probably that separated me as I didn’t do over fifteen internships in college but they aren’t all in sports. I wanted them to be a diverse range of things. I was doing everything from education unions. I moderated a public debate show, where lobbyists folks would come in and debate each other. I called PublicSquare.net.
I moved to Charlotte. I worked for NASCAR. Again, I kept doing a vast array of things and meeting a lot of people along the way but, honestly, learning how to separate myself. I’ve been in the sports broadcasting game professionally for more than a decade and it’s been amazing. It’s taking me so many different places. It means a lot, especially to have grown my career in my hometown area at the DMV.
It’s pretty clear early on you realized, “Some people can fit in but that’s not me. I got to define myself and truly over show up.” How would you define your speciality or your quiver or you’re like a game? People say, “I need this, Kelsey.”
People always tell you, “You can be a jack of all trades and master of none.” I think you can be a jack of all trades and master of all if you do it right. To your point, when people call on me, they know they can get a variety of different things. As you said in my title, not only am I a broadcaster. I’m a business owner. I can talk about the economics of sports. I got my master’s degree in business. Alluding to the business of sports, I can talk about it on a different level. Small business and entrepreneurship is such a big topic now. I can talk about that from experience but also having worked with other business owners.
People often say you can be a jack of all trades and master of none. I believe you can be a jack of all trades—and master of all—if you do it right. Share on XAlso, having been in a bunch of Chambers of Commerce and things of that nature. I likely said, at the end of the day, I’m a journalist. I can talk to the X and Os. I’ve done everything from hosting, sideline reporting and analyst work. I called games as a commentator. You name it, I’ve done it. That’s why people enjoy me because they know if you put it on me and I’m able to break it down. As I said, I have a background in education as well. I’m a Professor. I also taught in the classroom. Especially when it comes to athletes’ foundations or things of that matter.
I can work for unions. I can talk about it in a different and unique perspective, because that’s what folks have to remember. I’ve covered the political trial. Sports touch everything. I went to Maryland and did a whole public policy program. I can touch on the intersection of sports and policy. All of these different things that sometimes we might have to get six people for can be like an all-in-one package deal. They will be like, “By the way, she’s very high energy. She brings fun to the broadcast.”
For me, it’s what’s been able to propel me for it. I was telling people I’m not learning. I’m always learning. That’s one thing I love about living in Washington, DC. Everything happens here. You can be in a sports conversation. You can be in policy conversation. Also, international rings. I’ve had a chance to live abroad in high school. I teach a lot of international students now at George Washington University. Essentially, my toolbox is always getting refueled from the background that I have.
I’m grateful that people do see that as a value add and a world that tells you that you need to be one thing and do it well. I’m the opposite of that. You can do multiple things, but you need to do them well because it’s still quality over quantity. Again, learning what your superpower is. If I was a superhero, I wouldn’t have just one super power. I’d have multiple superpowers. I do take pride and value in that because that essentially means, again, I always have to be on it.
I have to know what’s happening with everything for what’s happening now in Iran because people sometimes think that might not impact sports. I’ve moderated and hosted sports diplomacy conversations and different things of that nature matters. Essentially, I’m a sports and news junkie that has turned that into a lifelong career that I’m grateful for and people see a value add in instead of being afraid of someone like that.
That’s the thing that is terrific. You are both breadth and depth. The fact that you can speak to the business side and perhaps, in some ways, even more unique is the policy side. People so often forget that. With someone as accessible and engaging as you, it then is a great entry point for people to understand what you just mentioned with regards Iran and that policy is impacted by some of these things.
Intersections Of Sports, Policy, And Law
Look at NIL instead of NIL conversation. I also moderated a conversation on the potential unionization of collegiate sports. We’re having a lot of conversations about that now. I was on a panel with all lawyers. That will tell you, again from the background, being able to dive and dig into the weeds. For me, they say, “She’s a journalist. She’s in the classroom. She teaches student athletes.” I sat on the GW Athletic Senate of Recreation. I also have sat in that seat and held that role.
Also from the legal side, most people who know about me say that I was pre-law for a while in Maryland. At one time, Kate, I was going to be a sports lawyer, but I’m glad I took the sports journalist route. Those skills again that you learned in the classroom, being able to go back and dive in on that. I worked for the Atlantic 10 Conference, so the whole first NCAA. I was able to dig into the weeds in that. That’s honestly what’s been so fun.
I never know where something is going to show up in my career. I might have done it and learned it. A decade later and here somebody is asking about it. I’m grateful that everything has mattered. There’s never been anything useless that I’ve learned or I’ve done. It comes up some way. Even my Psychology. I started as a Psych Major at Maryland. So much of my job is understanding and learning people, their body language. There’s so many different things. I’m also grateful for that background because it carries me through it every day.
By doing all of that and being so consistently intentionally curious, it opens up so many different opportunities. I can imagine when you got started, though. Tell me if this is true. People probably plunch you in a box and showed up with a ton of assumptions. How did you navigate that? How did you go, “Hold on a second?”
That’s exactly what I did, Kate. I’m one of those people. I always tell people, I have always been willed and strong-minded. I’ve always known my capabilities. I understand society will try to place you in a box and tell you what you can and can’t do. Most are surrounded by a society that tells us what we can’t do and instead of a world that tells us what we can do. That’s very unfortunate. It’s like for me. I love languages. This is why I took a journalism major. That’s why I’m a journalist now. Even for small things. I remember, they would say, “You’re at risk youth.” I would always turn it around and say, “I’m at risk of greatness.”
Building Your Own Table And Lifting As You Climb
When I started out, everyone was trying to tell me what I didn’t need to do in front of the microphone. They said, “You need to be behind. You’re not ready yet. This is too much for you. It’s too big for you. You’re going to blow the opportunity.” Think about it. You just graduated and this is the first thing that people are telling you when you feel like you’ve done good. Honestly, I was pushed into building my own very early. With entrepreneurship, I didn’t think about it like that at the time. Luckily for me, I had done a whole bunch.
I had done a radio show in college doing sports. I wrote for the newspaper. I had done a couple of podcasts with guys where I was the only female. I always do what I can do. Luckily, one of the best things that I did was build my own early. My show that I still have Listening with KNN, I was able to launch that in DC. My first guest ever was Brian Mitchell. Who if anybody is a Washington Commander’s fan, that should resonate and ring a bell for what he did on the football field. Brian was interning back at what was Comcast SportsNet Washington, which has now evolved and morphed into Monumental Sports Network.
Essentially, I will tell you. When I launched my show network, I had Brian on as a guest. I broadcasted live talking to Brian from a golf tournament. Let me just say, the US Gulf is so big. When I launched this first episode, I had so many eyeballs, like, “Who is this young girl that got Brian Mitchell talking about our awesome show?” Essentially, I also learned that early power of branding. Again, it was not intentional. It was just to show like, “I’m ready for the microphone. Let me show you my interview skills. Let me show you my hosting skills.” That was one way that separated me from the pact and from Brian Mitchell.
I stayed on with all celebrity guests from the sports world and again, everybody was trying to figure out like, “How is she doing this? She’s not on a radio network, but she’s getting the same people were getting in and getting them to talk longer. Obviously, she’s dealing with PR reps and agents.” Honestly, for me, I was unscripted. We went everywhere. That’s my biggest thing. I had a real conversation. I always tell people. It’s one thing to not be invited to the table, but it’s what you do after that happens.
That’s what I was going to ask. Exactly.
You’ll then know, “You guys don’t want me at this table, will guess what? I feel that I do have the skills and tools to build my own table.” The biggest thing is, I don’t only build my own table. I’m very big in lifting as you climb. For me, also when I started my show network. Early on, I wanted other women to be part of that story, so everything from my first people and my first friends that would help me produce shows and create graphics because there’s so much that you have to do when it comes to it.
It was the biggest thing. Building a table but making sure that I brought chairs for others. Not only that. I wanted to have my saying that leadership is important to me. I always tell folks I don’t want to just be at a table if I can’t put my elbows down and talk and be listened to. That was what was important for me and building a table. I’m making sure that I was the executive producer and having a say. They wanted somebody else to come in and tell me what to do with the show, especially after all you do. Not just a host.
The other thing was, early on, I watched my internship program. I wanted to give back other young people because I understood they were probably going through the same thing that I was going through. It was that. It was building my own but not in building my own. It was welcoming to others as well. If you’re going through something, more than likely you’re not the only one going through something.
I wanted to make it better for everybody else. Fast forward, the show network has remained strong. We’ve had amazing guests. We just had Chris Paul on and it was such an amazing show. Honestly, my story has been defying the odds. When people said no, I’m turning that around to the word on and being put on to something else. I’m learning how to make that opportunity the best and the most of it.
I love that. Taking that no and turning it on. As in, game on. Thank you very much.
That has been my life story, I feel like.
You probably couldn’t imagine it any other way, because it’s just who you are and you’re wired.
I’m just that way. Life will throw you so many different things. I think adversity is how you react and respond. It’s so easy to give up, especially in the sports industry. People will see social media and think that’s reality and you have everything that comes to you. I still get no’s to this day. I still get told I don’t have enough experience, though I’ve been in this industry over a decade. It’s how you take it. Do you take it? Do you sulk on it? For me, I use it as energy for the next thing.
There’s always opportunities out there and you have to chase them. The thick skin you need in this industry and it teaches you a lot. Also, I feel like for every no, it’s put me on again to something greater and that’s what’s been so fun about this journey. Who knew my broadcaster would take me into teaching, which would take me into launching two businesses. It was never the goal or plan but again, opportunity after opportunity has come forth based on the one initial dream of being a broadcaster. Now, it’s broadened into so many multiple things that I’m proud to hold.
The breadth of that casting and the platforms from which you do so. I do think that is true. Often, they always say rejection is protection. It helps you guide to where, frankly, those people who early on said, “You’re not ready for it.” Actually, you all aren’t ready for me. It takes you to places that are ready for you and saves you the time from wasting energy and critical insights in a place that wouldn’t ever get it. You end up surrounding yourself and putting yourself in more mutual reciprocal It fuels you. It’s nourishing, as much as you are nourishing it.
Exactly. That’s what life is. None of us gets a yes to everything that we’ve ever wanted. That’s why I truly do enjoy the journey. For everything that I thought I wanted, it turned out that I didn’t need it and I got something greater. I’ve been able to work on the team level. I’ve been able to cover national leagues. I’ve been able to talk abroad. I’ve launched a whole public speaking career. I wouldn’t trade any of this for the world, but it wouldn’t have happened if I kept getting those early yeses because honestly, that’s when complacency kicks in.
I would agree with you.
When you’re getting the nos and you’re going through adversity. It’s a lot harder to be complacent because more than likely, you’re not going to be happy. That means you’re going to have to find a way to still get to what you want. That winding road. For me, I’ve never been complacent. I always tell people, “Every day for me is an audition. Every time the sun goes up is an audition for me to try out for the next opportunity. The next thing while also trying to keep my roles in what I’m doing.” That’s what I love. I love that challenge.
We get a chance to do it every day but also knowing I want to grow. For me, that’s how I measure my success. It’s about growth. If I’m saying steady, that is comfortable. I need to be growing and moving on. Again, everyone’s different. Some people might be comfortable with that straight line but for me that’s never been. I always want to be better this year than I was last year in growing up. It’s been a fun journey. I would have never expected it. If you told the seventeen-year-old me that this would be where I am now. I would have never believed it but, at the same time, I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I truly am happy with what I am.
You feel it. It’s palpable. You’re incredibly good at what you do.
Thank you. I’m humbled.
I love that, too. I always say if I ever believed my press releases or anything that said or the words. God, please, slap me because that’s complacency, too.
Exactly.
Humility is an extremely key and crucial asset for folks to have. Not false but true and real. You speak live and you have to respond in the moment. I’m thinking of people that are reading. There are people too that are going into a meeting. What is your preparation process? How do you stay grounded? I got to assume. There are going to be sometimes when things don’t go as planned.
All the time. Welcome to the world of live television.
Over-Preparation And The Daily Audition
How do you prepare? In your head, do you go to plan A or plan B? I could also see where we go, “This what I’m thinking is going to happen but let’s see.”
I wish life went as everything should. If you’ve ever worked in production, you know that never happens. I had a microphone that wasn’t on but the show must go on. I have a loud voice so we kept it rolling. I’m very big into over preparation. I’m in my NFL draft world and the NFL draft is so focused on any draft. There’s so much information that you need to know. Knowing most of it, it won’t even come out of your mouth as a broadcaster. You have to be over prepared because you don’t know the questions you’re going to ask. You don’t know, obviously. You have assumptions about where people will go but you don’t know for sure.
Again, you’re live. For me, when the draft happened for the Washington pick, we were watching it in real time and then, boom, you’re live and having to give your analysis. I breathe and consume. As I said, sports and news are what I watch. Ask me a reality show and stuff, Kate. I’m probably the worst one for you. Anything happening like the world as a whole like because I’m a learner where I memorize things very well. Luckily, that’s what helped me through school. I hear it and I remember it.
I’m one of those people where I’m always writing and always typing. When I see it, I want to put my notes down. It’s also how I get and retain information. For everybody, it might be different. For me, for instance. I can only have one sound. If I have the TV on, I can’t have music playing, too. My mind doesn’t know which one to focus on. I have the TV playing and then I’ll be writing something and I’m good. That’s what it is. It’s being over prepared.
In journalism, we always say, “Stay ready so you never have to get ready.” That’s really what it is. For me, it’s like in the offseason. You’re still learning like you have been building. Honestly, even as a professor, I’ll still be planning for the next course in adoration in making this better. It might sound cliché but you have to be learning every single day.
You have to be getting better at your craft every single day. For me, a lot of times, too, it’s talking to different people I know within the industry, different sources and trying to get new information. Even now, honestly. A lot of it is following people on social media because sometimes it’s how you learn about the people you’re going to interview from what they post. Is it a new baby in their life or did they just get married?
All of those little details.
They all matter because you never know when you’re going to have to pull up that information and how it might parlay. That’s the biggest thing. Even if it’s just the young people. If you are going to be on your phone first thing, it better be checking what’s happening. You need to know at a minimum what’s happening in the world around you. Also, I love to bring things back local. I think about my strength and power, going back to what I’ve known. I’m all things DMV Sports and in the draft also. Even if it wasn’t a commander’s pick. I didn’t know the DMV guys that are getting drafted. Who came from the area that people should be following and watching.
I am old enough to remember encyclopedias and learn that way. I still love going to the library. That’s one thing if I had more time now, I would love to do. I still do read books but it looks much different now. Even sports have so much history and what happened before. I love talking to retired players. Again, just getting their perspective, how things have changed and what they see happening in the future. It’s all of those different things. That’s why, for me, no day truly is the same. Essentially, every day I’m getting knowledge. That’s the one thing that is consistent.
You have to be overprepared because you don’t know what questions you’re going to ask or be asked. Share on XI always have learned something, even now. I’ve already learned something that I didn’t know yesterday and that means something. That’s the thing I would challenge people on. You can never know too
much. There’s always something happening, especially in sports. Sports are always moving fast paced. Sports never stopped. Even during COVID, we were still talking about sports stories. It was just in a month. They were just happening in a different realm and lens. I would say that’s what it’s been. Consistent non-stop learning.
For me, it’s a lot of late nights and early mornings, to be honest, and learning how to power nap throughout the day when you can. It’s because, essentially, I always just have to know. I always tell people. The worst thing you can say is, I don’t know. It’s better to say you don’t know than to say something wrong. I never want to get to that point because I want to know. I do my best to make sure I can retain and know any and everything about a subject matter that I’m supposed to be an expert on.
With a mind like yours and avid, rabid curiosity for knowledge too, combined. There’s a real gift of connecting dots and being able to, I often call, the eagles eye view or hawk side view, where you can see and you can go, “Ha.” Not necessarily trend spotting but potentially where you could make in prep maybe, I wonder. You could probably even have a game with yourself like, “This and this. I wonder if X, Y, and Z is going to happen.” I could see that being a fun part.
It’s one of the fun things. Even like NASCAR. Michael Jordan’s 23XI team has had some success and it’s been so fun. I said I worked for NASCAR in their integrated marketing communications department and I cover the NBA as an NBA analyst. Being able to pull from his basketball success to again just understanding NASCAR and also the lawsuit that Michael Jordan went through with the sport and why he wanted now too and all this success happening.
I love those different connections in parallel points. Here’s a man that obviously played basketball at the top level. Here is now in a sport of NASCAR where he has been trying to find more success but a lot of it has come after tenacious relationships. The lawsuit that happened with his team. Now here he is back in the success window. It’s what I love. As I said, from the DMV guys. I love when I’m able to pull the local connection. Here’s the high school and there’s so many of us now. Here’s a guy now going to the top levels.
As you said, there’s so much of that. The guys I went to school with who played in the pros now. It’s so much fun. That’s why at the end of the day, through all the different titles, I always tell people I’m a Storyteller and connector. Those are the two things I truly am. I tell stories and I connect dots. I connect people and things. I do like being that middle bridge for folks between like what’s happening out here, what you need to know and what you should know. I try to be that gap for folks.
Speaking of the future out there looking at trends and things. Beyond the side of AI and new platforms, athlete, driven media. Where do you see the biggest opportunity for women to not only participate but to lead?
Opportunities For Women In Sports Betting And Emerging Leagues
I love this question. There’s multiple spaces. The one that sets out the most is sports betting. I had a chance to do a sports betting commercial for the first independently-owned sports book in the country, Grand Central, which is in DC. I don’t see enough women in the sports betting space. It’s only going to grow. We continue to see laws to make it legal. We know money rules everything. This is a capitalistic society. Think about it. You can’t watch a broadcast now without sports betting only being somehow some part of it.
I would love to see more women in the sports betting space and understand that because it is only going to grow and move forward. I’d also say the gaming space there’s not enough women in. A lot of the biggest stars on Twitch and things of that nature. That’s an opportunity and space I’d love to see more women in. That’s what it is. Especially now that the US is going through a phase. We’re seeing the boom of international sports. Cricut is quickly growing. Pickleball is growing here. There’s a lot of opportunity.
Also, Squash. I heard about the National Squash league. More sports we typically would see more internationally are growing here. That is such a great opportunity for women to also hop in on. Don’t just do your major sports here. Everybody knows and wants to do football, basketball, baseball and probably hockey. Soccer is obviously as always been global but as I said, the sports I mentioned never usually see enough women’s coverage in those. I think women can fill those gaps and spaces because we do have a new influx of folks wanting to learn and now.
I do think there will be opportunities for them and no spaces and places. I would be remiss if I didn’t say the way women’s work is growing. We want women to tell those sports stories. The fact that women sports continue to dominate headlines. A friendly reminder to folks. In the NIL space, women athletes are outpacing males in terms of getting NIL money. I think there’s a reason for that. The growth of women’s sports we’ve seen, especially the growth and boom of women’s college gymnastics and women’s volleyball.
Most folks probably already know about women’s college basketball. It’s an exciting time for women because what we’re seeing from college sports is the growth that these new sports leagues. Now, we have the women. We have athletes united and softball. We have the women’s pro baseball league. They most probably don’t even know about that. I definitely also say there’s so much space in women’s sports as well. I hope we see more women who have been on and tell and own those stories.
Money rules everything in a capitalist society. Think about it—you can’t watch a broadcast today without sports betting being part of it. Share on XI’m going to put a shameless plug in here for a mentee of mine, Kelly Okun, who has a space called Fairway to Green. She’s been working on this platform. She’s graduated two years out from Darden Business School. She’s a passionate former golf pro and said, “It’s time. I got to get a platform out there to get more voice and more coverage on this.”
Golf is another one. I love that. Especially now as we see golf expand in new leagues. There’s opportunity. The great thing now is the media space has opened. In the media, they are sharing opportunities with content creators. You don’t necessarily have to be a female journalist to get in these spaces. People want the content. They want to consume in some way, shape, or form. For a woman, think about it like now. You don’t need to only get to the preferential networks. Streaming services are pouring so much money into sports now. There is opportunity for you.
Absolutely. In closing, I’ve got to ask. Knowing what now because you’ve talked about this person. What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to start early. I did a year book club like a lot of folks in the newspaper. It was great. We didn’t have phones like we had now, but there was a camcorder. I could have easily been broadcasting more stuff early. I think the name of the game in this business is repetition. I say that to say I could have been building my brand earlier. I don’t think I realized my brand value until after college. If I knew what I knew now and what I was going to do. I would have started building then. I would have started getting content.
Everyone calls me KNN. That’s become my brand but I didn’t until after. My whole life, people were calling me KNN. There are my family because essentially, I was their news network. I would always play on CNN. It’s Kelsey news network. Kelsey is able to give us everything, but little did I know then that would have become my entire brand in all that I do. It encompassed under it. I wish I realized the power of my brand early on. I wish I would put myself out there in terms of the visual medium of broadcast earlier. I waited until college to find me and get myself on camera for people to see me. Kelsey, you should have started earlier.
I’ve got to just say, thank you so much.
Thank you.
The generosity of all these ideas and the positivity and energy and not to sound corny but the can do. Yes, I can. I don’t know about that but that means I’m going too soon. To your point, I’m always going to learn something every single day, is infectious. Thank you for showering the audience and myself with all these insights. I hope you’ll join us at the Women’s Advancing Summit that’s happening in February 2027.
I’m excited. I’ll put it on my calendar because if it’s not in my calendar, it won’t happen. It’s in my calendar, Kate. It will happen. I love that you’re doing that. I would just love to love women with that. Don’t ever let anybody put you in a box unless you, yourself put yourself in a box. Otherwise, break that box down and let people know all.
That’s my thing. Come outside those lines. Everything is fabulous and thanks again. I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Thank you so much. I appreciate you for your time.
Thanks.
—
I told you Kelsey is a powerhouse. We didn’t even get to delve into the professorship and her entrepreneurial spirit owning those two businesses. Perhaps another conversation is needed. For now, my KB Takeaways for this is clearly, it starts off with the first conversation point we had, which was talking about visibility. That’s not the same as power. While being seen is the start. More important is being heard, respected and compensated. That’s where the real shift occurs.
We’re seeing a lot of that taking place now with the onset of NIL and it growing and growing. Yay women for outpacing the men. I’m just saying. I’m glad everybody’s getting some money but yay women because we’re been under compensated forever. You owning your platform changes everything because then you can control the narrative. You then have such a steady seat as the architect and not just the participant.
As far as preparation, confidence as a practice. It is definitely not a personality trait. Preparation, repetition, precedence, all of that grows over time and it all only happens when you’ve done it again and again. You get the picture. Changing the room matters as much as entering it because true leadership does reshape culture. One of the most lovely aspects about Kelsey is her focus on helping those who are moving forward and making opportunities for those around her who might not always have that opportunity. Incredible generosity.
Finally, your voice is an asset. Use it extraordinarily intentionally. Your authenticity, your clarity, and your Eunice is what made her stand out. I love the visual of her sitting there talking to these big amazing sports heroes and she’s this young kid. Keep that young kid. Give her a mic and as Kelsey said, “Do it early,” and then enjoy what ends up happening. Learn a little something new every day and just say yes. With that, thank you for joining me. I appreciate your support. I look forward to continuing the conversation in the next episode.
Important Links
- Kelsey Nicole Nelson
- Kelsey Nicole Nelson on LinkedIn
- Kelsey Nicole Nelson on Instagram
- KryptiaNN
- PublicSquare.net
- Atlantic 10 Conference
- Listening with KNN
- Monumental Sports Network
- Fairway to Green
About Kelsey Nicole Nelson
Kelsey Nicole Nelson is a trailblazing and dominant force in the sports media scene both locally in the DMV and nationally was described as a “rising star” by Speakers Magazine. The multi- business entrepreneur is most known for her work as an award-winning sports broadcaster and Heisman voter who currently serves as a color commentator for the American University Women’s Basketball team and as a studio host for the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Kelsey also is a host/reporter for FOX Sports Radio and is the founder, executive producer and host of the award-winning “Listen In With KNN” podcast where she runs two collegiate internship programs. She is also a lecturer at George Washington University in the School of Media and Public Affairs where she launched and teaches “Intro to Sports Writing and Reporting.” She also serves on the GW Athletics and Recreation Senate Committee.
Kelsey has worked on a national level with Bally Sports, NBC/Peacock and the Draft Network. She’s also been featured on top networks in Dubai, London and Canada to discuss the latest sports topics. Kelsey also worked as a member of the Washington Commanders broadcast/digital teams. Sheen Magazine also recognized her as a trailblazing woman during Black History Month 2025. Kelsey has covered the top sporting events globally including the FIFA Club World Cup, WNBA Finals, NBA Finals and Super Bowl, where she had an opportunity to lead a media mastermind journalism course for collegiate students covering the NFL’s opening night during SBLX.
Most recently, Kelsey was named the Top Entrepreneurial Speaker at the 2025 Top Speakers Awards and named a Hometown Hero by SERVPRO. Last year she was also named to the 2025 class of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record and to The Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40 class. She was also named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce and was also named to the 2025 CORE 100 Most Influential Blacks Today. In addition to these accolades, she was named one of the 50 Top Influential Women at the 2025 Black Excellence Awards.
Kelsey is a two-time recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and she was named to the 2023 Emerging Leaders Awards class by Washington Women in PR. Her achievement list also includes being presented with the highest honor by the Thursday Network (of the Greater Washington Urban League), being named a Luminary Award winner. Kelsey was also awarded by W.O.W Magazine, the Black Entertainment Awards, the Black Girl Magic Alliance, the Next Generation Entertainment Awards and recognized as an honoree for the WKYS “Top 30 Under 30” class and named to the Terrapin Club 30 Under 30 Class of 2022. Kelsey has also been named D.C. Media Person of the Year and DMV Sports Media Person of the Year.
In addition to television, Kelsey has also been featured in numerous magazines and has graced magazine covers for her work nationally and abroad. Kelsey most recently served as Vice President for the Washington Association of Black Journalists, where alongside her executive board saw the chapter win “chapter of the Year” as presented by the National Association of Black Journalists. Today, she serves as the Co-Chair of the communications committee for the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmy Awards of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. She also sits on the board of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame and on the Washington, D.C. Regional Advisory Council of Tickets for Kids.