December 26, 2024 • 45 mins
On this episode of Levels to This, Sheryl and Tee are joined by Esther Wallace, founder of Playa Society. Esther shares what grew her love of art, how she first got into fashion, what prompted her to quit basketball and what gave her the push she needed to launch her own business. The three talk dream collaborations, the importance of betting on yourself and how the WNBA’s growth has impacted her business this past year.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hey everybody, I'm your girl, Tarrika Foster Brass Bed and I'm.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Your girl Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
What's up y'all? Hey? This is the Levels to This, y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
A podcasts, which is the show that we talk about
the shit that women go through, and we really do
have a great show lined up for you today.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
We have an incredible guest.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And I know we say that every week, but that's
because every week we really do have a bomb ass
show and we really do have an incredible guest.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, that's all we're saying.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
We tell no lies, We tell no lies.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
But I'm excited because Christmas is yesterday. Today is the
first day of Kwansa. I celebrate I kind of celebrate Kwansa.
Do you celebrate Kuwansa?
Speaker 5 (00:55):
Like?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
My celebration of Kwansa is more like I have my tablecloth,
I have my I have my candles, and I do
try to go through the daily routine of talking about today.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
So day one, Moosja Unity there we go.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
See, I want to get into celebrating kwanza I'm not
there yet, and maybe, but maybe it's because I need
to research more, because I definitely want to do that, and.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
You're the perfect You're the perfect one to teach me.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely it is.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
It is.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The seven days for those listening, It's the immediate seven
days right after Christmas, from December twenty sixth to January first,
and each day is a different principle, and so each
principle is meant to mean something to help the African
American community become more inclusive and more together. And so
I love that we get a chance to celebrate Hanukkah
(01:59):
for our Jewish leading up to Christmas, we get Christmas
for our Christians, and then we have Quansa, which you
can celebrate regardless of what it is that you that
you practice. It's really just about collective unity and being
together as one, and so I'm excited about it.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I always I have my candles, I have my tablecloth,
I have my little my little cup on my on
my desk that you're supposed to traditionally you're supposed to
put stuff in and drink it. But if I put
something in and drinking, it's gonna be some alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
And I feel like, I feel like that.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Ain't exactly what they was asking folk, So let me
just keep it cute.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
I'm like, that's I don't think that's what they meant
by putting something in that cup.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
So I'm gonna just keep it cute and it seriously.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Want to try it?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I do. I'm yes, okay, so I'm gonna help you.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
It won't be this year, right, Yeah, we got you,
but I will tell you that since you're talking about
stuff to drink, So you know, I have my whole
little farm garden stuff, right, yes, And I'm trying to
(03:09):
get better at doing this. And so just the other day,
my husband went out and harvested like he grew I
don't know how much ginger and tumeric.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So we just I just made some ginger.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Tumeric shots the other day and so we take them
every morning, and we have a whole YouTube channel. So
we're reading some of the comments and this lady commented
and said, wow, I pay four dollars and twenty five
cents at the grocery store for a two ounce shot
of ginger and tumeric.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
She said and you guys, yours is all organic.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
She said, I don't even know if what I'm buying
and what I'm drinking is truly organic. I know that
didn't really have anything to do with clansup, but you
were talking about drinks.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But that's that's a great thing to have though, because
I will tell your tea.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We've been doing it for the last three days now
and I can already like kind of sort of feel
the effects of what the ginger and tumeric is doing
to my body.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
It's good stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I need to I need to get up on it.
I said that I'm gonna show you now. Y'all can't
see it on the on the podcast, but I'm gonna
show you this.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I describe it.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I am okay.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, so I well, I'm gonna tell I'm gonna tell
everyone that I said I was going to start being
more Keto friendly, and I even downloaded this app.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
It's called the Keto Diet App.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Doesn't right, it doesn't want And the reason that I
said I was going to try being more Keto friendly
is because I feel like I need to do something
that will discipline me, not even so much that it
will it won't work.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
It's just that I'm not good at this type of stuff.
I quit.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I don't quit anything in the world except a diet.
I will quit that ship heard you, I will quit.
I will quit in day two. I'll be like, you
know what, fuck it? Bring me the the hot chips
and the bread pasta and and all the pop you
can serve because I quit it.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So I'm there with you.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
And you know it's crazy because people look at me
and they're like, yeah, but you, for however long you played,
you were so disciplined, which I was when I played.
And so I told myself when I retired right that
I was going to take like a year where I
was going to eat whatever and not work out and
do whatever. Well, I've been retired for like eight years
now and I'm still eating whatever the fuck I want.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
To eat and do it.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Yet you want.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Yeah, so it and I hate it though.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Like I'm laughing right now, But I kid you not.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I told a friend of mine the other day, I said,
I really need to become more disciplined, Like I'm not
trying to be the way I was when I was playing,
but just for help and even shopping, like I hate
shopping for clothes because I don't like my body right now.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Same, and there's no one to blame but myself.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Same.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I listen, I totally understand. So listen, I'm gonna tell
you how this I'm over. I'm gonna tell you how
this works. I'm gonna tell you how this works. How
this works is we were talking about Kwansa and for
Day three. Kwansa's Day three principle is ujima, which is
collective work and responsibility. Right, so collectively you and I
(06:33):
are gonna hold each other accountable for.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Being better in twenty five.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, we can't get out right now.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
We're gonna and twenty twenty five we're going to We're
gonna hold each other accountable for being better.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
If I don't hold you accountable after week three, don't
blame me.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
I'm trying.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I'm gonna blame you.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
That's I don't know if you and I are are
good together, because you know what, because when you're like Cheryl, shit,
I'm done with this ship instead of there like no,
t let's go, I'm gonna be like, thank you Jesus, because.
Speaker 7 (07:05):
I have a.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
We are.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I gonta find me? No te we can't do that
we can't.
Speaker 7 (07:13):
We can't.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We need it, we do, we need another accountability partner. Well,
maybe today's guest can be our accountability partner because she
is really good at making people look good and feel
good with her apparel line. We have the one and
only founder, CEO owner of play A Society, Esther Wallace,
(07:35):
joining us this week on this week's episode of Levels
to this, So let's just go ahead and get into
this next level conversation. All right, friends, I'm really excited
about today's episode because we really are bringing the fire.
Like Cheryl when I say bringing the fire, We're bringing
the fire today.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Our guest. First of all, I love New England. Yes,
so I'm.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
In New England. Our guest is from the New England area.
She's from Springfield, Mass. I think everybody has seen something
or know something about this particular brand, because if you
are anywhere in the WNBA space, you absolutely know a
play a Society fit when you see a play a
(08:23):
Society design.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
When you see one.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I don't even have to be in a WNBA space, honestly,
because sometimes I'm just walking around the airport and I
see a T shirt and I'm like, oh my god,
oh that's Esther. You need to say that's play a
Society or that's Esther, that's Esther. So yeah, I'm excited
to welcome to the show today, the founder, creator, CEO,
and every other letter you want to put in front
(08:47):
of it. Our girl, Esther Wallace.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Hey, Esther, thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
What's all fat to be here.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
I'm super excited about it too.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
I got I'm sitting here with a big kool Eate
smile long because listen, I don't know we gonna get
into it. But if you don't know about playing Society
or Esther Wallace, you about to find out.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Today for real.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I feel like I need to go change my teeth
because me because I got about a good seven to
eight different ones in the room. I really should have
grabbed one to put it on for the show. Like
I feel like I'm misrepresenting right now. Don't worry at
the break. I'm gonna change my shirt at the break
because I need to make sure my girl gets some love.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
I was gonna, okay, I'm glad you said that, because
I really was gonna put on my.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
My Sheryl Swoops playing Society.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
T shirt and I was like, no, no, that I
would be.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I didn't wear it because I didn't want to be
that one where people are like, oh, she's so vague,
But yeah, I am, first of all.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
The subtle flex of having a T shirt. I was
gonna put on my shir shirt. But for playing society though,
I'm not mad anyone to represent.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
If you change at the break, I might.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Change the break.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'm telling you, I'm changing out the break. That's what
I'm saying. Esther, We're so excited to have you. We
know that you've been incredibly busy and your name and
face and style has been everywhere. So thank you for
making some time to chat with us and kicking with
us here on levels to this. But I just kind
of want to start at the very beginning. I think
(10:26):
that I mentioned at the top that you're from Springfield,
mass Maybe not a lot of people know that. I
think with your style and your talent, folks might assume
that you're from.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
A bigger city or from New York or something like that.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But just kind of talk to us a little bit
about what it was like growing up in Springfield and
how you kind of found your your niche for fashion.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
For sure, shesh, I say, people are like, did you
know or did you see it coming? I didn't see
any of this coming, to be honest, I was I
grew up introverted, right, and I was such an art
nerd which is what you see now. You just see
the results of that artner. But when I was growing
up in Springfield, it manifested itself as like this really introverted.
(11:07):
I was this kid that walked around with my sketchbook.
I wanted to design for the major fashion houses, right.
I never even saw myself in a role of an
entrepreneur or a head designer. I was like, oh, I'm
going to work for Vera Wang or Oscar Dala Renta
or something like that. So I really never saw it coming.
So it wasn't until I started playing basketball, which I was.
(11:28):
I was pretty late too, I would say, that's what again,
I didn't know at the time, but that's what built
up that momentum for me to then become like this
leader or even have the concept of becoming an entrepreneur.
So I started hoping in high school. So a lot
of people, actually I never tell the story about how
I started high school. At this performing arts high school,
(11:50):
the nerdiest thing in the world, Like it was just
a bunch of like theater kids, and like, I went
to this performing arts high school for a week, dropped
out because all my friends went to the local high school.
I was like, oh, no, I can't I can't do
high school, which left out right, I can't.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Do high school with all my people.
Speaker 7 (12:05):
So I dropped out of Performing Arts High School and
ended up at Springfield Central High School, which happened to
have the number one girls basketball team in Massachusetts. Didn't
know anything about any of that at the time, so
I think it was just like divine intervention, whatever you
want to call it.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
It just fell into place.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I would say, at what point were you like, all right,
basketball ain't gonna be it, but this is the route,
this is the path I want to take.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
It started as a break from basketball because I when
I graduated college, I was headed overseas to play basketball.
I was getting like a physical one week before I
got on my flight to go to England, and I
actually I was diagnosed with a heart condition. So again
this was all by chance. So I was diagnosed with
a heart condition. I was told that I should not
play basketball anymore, but I was like, no, you know what,
(12:54):
I'm gonna play one more year.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
I'm gonna take my chances for.
Speaker 7 (12:57):
One year, which maybe I wouldn't recommend that to anyone
else who needs right, we'll.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
See, got me all those things? Ye got me?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm trying.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
No. My mom was really like.
Speaker 7 (13:08):
My mom was like, I'm not about to look at
you every day and see you moping around the house
because you're not playing basketball.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
She was like, go take your behind to England and who.
So I was like, all right, my mom ain't scared.
I guess I should be scared.
Speaker 7 (13:20):
I played one season, but because of that, I was
thinking about, Oh my goodness, like what's next. But also
it was just such a way to carry So I
think I just needed a break from basketball because it
just felt like this.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Burden at that point.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
And when I was overseas, I was getting my master's degree.
At the same time as I was playing, I was
coaching all of these things, and I was working on
my master's thesis and it was about the underrepresentation of
women in advertising, media, sports, and then that went down
this rabbit hole of apparel in the apparel marketplace and.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
All of those things.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
So it really just started as like this project that
I was just like working on to get my mind
off of basketball and all of that, and it evolved
over time.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
But you never really get your mind off basketball, right Like,
no matter how many, no matter how hard we try,
you just never there's basketball somewhere as intertwined and whatever
it is that we're doing. Because that's just how it
happens for those of us who always have a love
for a game. We just never can fully get away
from it, even if we actually aren't on the court playing.
At least you got to overseas girl. I figured that
(14:21):
out after high school. I was like, this was great,
but I'm gonna do something else. This ain't gonna work
for you. But with that being said, who and dare
I say she's on this call?
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I don't know?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
But who were some of the players that you looked
up to or that you idolized, or were some of
your favorites when you were playing.
Speaker 7 (14:41):
So I'm always like super super honest because I always
feel like I can't name it, Like I started watching basketball,
it was like, I don't know, it was like oh
eight maybe when I started watching basketball, So I.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Can't claim like that exactly right.
Speaker 7 (14:56):
So it was Canna's Parker, it was Skyler Diggins, and
it was Tina.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Charles, Sylvia Fowls.
Speaker 7 (15:02):
Those were the players of that era, and I was
watching them and I would record like a Tennessee game
Tennessee LSU, and then I'd go across the street and
I'd be practicing cannases moves and all that stuff. So
those are the players I was watching, for sure.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I love that girl, don't don't fake it. You ain't
gonna fake it. And but I love that though. Yeah,
and you name some pretty good ones. I know it
wasn't like it was chopped liver so.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
In naming those players, right, you started watching in O
eight and fast forward to where we are today. What
you're doing now? When you think about doing no, I
won't even go with collabse.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Let's just talk about all of the work you've done.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
How do you decide, like what athlete you're going to
do next?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
You know, especially in the beginning, it really it was.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
So My favorite thing is like how organic it was
when I I didn't the first player T shirts. I
think it was twenty twenty two around All Star Chicago,
and I had been working, so I had to teach
myself how to sketch on an iPad. So in high
school I used to like paint or whatever. It was
not it was like high school artists. Maybe there's some
(16:17):
really good ones out there, but I wasn't like top level.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I was good. I was all right.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
So in college I also did some fine arts, some
sketching and stuff, but never to the extent of what
I had envisioned in my head. So like, I could
envision what I wanted the product to look like, but
I didn't know how to get it there. So I
literally spent six months teaching myself how to sketch on.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
And so the first sketch was the Cannis Parker sketch,
and it took me six months to sketch that because
I had to learn how to sketch on the iPad.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
And then I had to go.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
Through some really bad route like stuff that I would
never let anybody see. I don't care no sketch, They're
so bad. And then I got to a place I
remember I was on like the what I thought was
a final sketch, and it was like probably six months
in and I threw it away and started over.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
I was like, oh.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Yeah, this is it. Like I knew it.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
I knew I needed one more level up on it,
and so I was like, let me start over one
more time. And then that's when I got it to
the point where I was like, oh, yeah, this is it.
And then I did sill because it was the year
if SO was retiring, and that was probably just it
was just an emotional connection to the work with those
first few sketches.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Wait, was this the Candace Parker sketch that I ended
up seeing on the Shy and the opening scene?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
So do you watch the Shy Shirl?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I know what it is, but I don't want yes.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
So I'm sitting at home in my basement because I
watched the shot. That's my shit, that's my show. And
it's the opening scene. And the actor in the opening
scene is walking around his kitchen and he turns around
because it's obviously based in Chicago, and he turns around
and he's got on the white shirt with the blue
because it's a Chicago sky candas so it's like the
(17:59):
light blue and the goal in the shirt.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I turn around and I'm like, wait a minute,
is that?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
How the hell did he get that?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
It's crazy to look on showtime and see your work,
and so to that effect, how first off, did you
know that he was gonna wear that shirt?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Did you know that they had that shirt anywhere? Number one?
But number two?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Just as you started to push your merchandise and people
started to really see it and crave it, was it
ever initially an instance where you'd say, Hey, I think
I'd like to get licensed by the WNBA, Or was
it more of this has become the demand and so
maybe I need to figure out what the next steps
needs to be in order to make this official.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
It was like a I don't know. I think it
was a little bit of both.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
Because so for three years from twenty eighteen twenty twenty one,
I places I was most known.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
For the female athlete T shirt.
Speaker 7 (18:51):
I was like, that was all almost exclusively all asshold,
and I was just hustling those shirts at like basketball
tournaments on the weekend.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
I was still working full time.
Speaker 7 (19:01):
I quit my full time job in twenty twenty, and
that's when I was like, Okay, let's get real real
serious about like strategically growing this business. And then in
twenty twenty one I actually had the opportunity. It was
still all because of I think the female Athlete T shirt.
I had the opportunity to have a call with some
of the I didn't.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Even know who they were.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
At the time, just someone at the WNBA. So I
was like, Okay, how do I want to prepare for
this call? And I was like, I'm just going to
go in and go all in and like I put
together this whole presentation.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
I was like, this is what I'm going to do.
And this was my first pitch ever.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
I had never I never had experience like in an
apparel company or with collaborations or anything like that. This
was just off of me designing the female athlete T
shirt and then having the opportunity to have a conversation.
So I pitched to them the concept and I thought
it was going to be practiced, if I'm being completely honest.
I was like, Okay, I'll get some feedback from them
and then I'll keep working towards this goal of working
(19:56):
with the WNBA. And they came back like a week
later or something. They were like, yeah, let's go oh wow.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
And your reaction was.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
I really I was like, oh am I ready for this.
Speaker 7 (20:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
It's one of those moments we're like oh wow, yeah,
you just asked for something.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Now you got to be you got to be ready
to play when the coach caused your name. Yeah, that's
how it felt. It was like, oh, like time for
me to be ready. I don't have time to get ready.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah, well so Esther, because like, we keep it real
on this show, and you just said you'd like to
be real and honest for our listeners. You said you
quit your full time job in twenty twenty. Yes, And
I know there are probably a lot of people right
now who are debating, right if I quit right now,
what's next? So when you made that decision, what were
(20:43):
you thinking? What were your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Were you? And I know you were all in?
Speaker 4 (20:47):
But were you scared?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Were you nervous?
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Were you And then I'm sorry, I'm gonna add one
more part to that, and then you in this space
as a black woman, like what challenges have you faced?
And how did you feel at that time when you
were like all right, I'm going all.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
In child, Listen.
Speaker 7 (21:04):
It was the hardest, scariest decision I've ever made, but
it was also the most critical and pivotal decision. So
I was working full time in marketing in Boston at
MIT I No, no, shade, no shade to anybody.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
But I did not love my job. It was like
waking up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
It was like waking up in the morning, and I
was just like, man, I really got to go do
this when really all I want to do is design some.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
T shirts and ship them out to people.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
So it was it was harder to go to that
job than it was to like really go all in.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
I remember I spent a year debating this.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
So one of the things that happened was I had
actually gone to an event. And anywhere we go black
people we find each other. So I had gone to
this event and it was like a conference, and so
a group of black women we all started connecting and
all of that stuff, and I was talking to them
about play society and oh all the things I want
to do. I was like, I want to quit my
job at some point and just go all in. And
(22:04):
someone in the group a woman who produces her own
TV shows and movies, and she was like, let me
see your phone.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
So she actually put in my calendar this date.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
She was like, you're gonna quit your job in February. No,
So I actually spent like a year going like having
conversations with people I'm thinking about quitting my job. Like
I remember having a conversation with my dentists, and I
was like, because I would ask everybody, I would.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Be like, do you think this sounds like a good idea?
He was like, you're crazy, that's a terrible idea.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Okay, that's different.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
I would ask everybody, because that's how scared.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
I just needed one person. I was looking for one
person to be like, oh.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
That's a great idea, but nobody was saying that. And
then I ran all like the spreadsheets, all the financial data,
none of it was adding up. I was like, man,
when am I gonna When am I gonna get to.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
Quit my job?
Speaker 7 (22:51):
And I kept asking myself that question, but it seemed like,
regardless of the answer, always came up like you're not ready,
Like financially, you're not ready. The members aren't adding up,
nobody's really co signing this. But I did it anyway
because I couldn't get rid of the feeling of this
is what.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
I need to do.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
I'm never gonna be I'm never gonna get from point
A to point B if I don't do this one thing.
And I just believed in it so much that not
getting a yes or not getting a co sign didn't
really matter.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Wh Yeah, dang god love that, like when the bet
on yourself, Like this is the epitome of what it
means to bet on yourself because that's crazy, but I
love it though, Like we have to do it. Can
you explain or share with us where the name play
a Society stems from?
Speaker 7 (23:37):
Yeah, I mean I knew that I wanted to build
some things that was about community and that was about
the players. I would love to say that it was
that easy, like it was just like play a Society,
But I can't remember like the name popping into my head.
I always say that it had to have something to
do with the scene in Loving Basketball where she's like,
I'm a ballplayer, if you know, play a Society. Before
play a Society, I was doing a little bit of
(23:59):
Lease loving Basketball T shirts and stuff like that, So
have to point and point that a little bit. But
after a while, like that was the only name that
was sticking in my and I kept going back. I
was like, oh you can, cause I'm always that person
that's like trying to elevate whatever it is out that's
right in front of me. But I couldn't like the
name just kept sticking. So I was like, stop trying
to like make it something of this is the name,
(24:20):
this is it? Yeah, And so I just went I
gave myself a deadline, and when that deadline came, I
was like, this is the name, so we're going.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
I love it. It fits the it has a ring
to it.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
So when I see you and I hear your story,
even more so now because I always had mad love
and respect for you, but even more so now just
hearing your background and your story, to me, you're a
great example of like resiliency and determination. So thinking about
(24:52):
your journey, where you started, where you are now, I
want to ask you about your latest collab with cash app.
Did you ever think something like this was gonna happen?
And here we are, So tell the folks about your
latest collab with cash app.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
I mean to answer your question, I would say yes
and no because to a certain extent, to a certain extent, I.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Just genuinely believe.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
Well, I've had to teach myself to believe this because
I'm naturally like super anxious and like you know, but
I've had to teach myself to trust the process right
in due time, is what I tell myself. Very often,
things will fall into place. I believe that when you
are pursuing what you believe in and what you're passionate about,
like that in and of itself is the right direction, right,
(25:37):
your passions will never steer you wrong.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
And so to a certain extent.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
Yes, so I believe that because I'm on this path
of purpose, things will fall into place.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
But did I was?
Speaker 7 (25:48):
I like checklist cash app, Like I had no idea.
That's like really really dope.
Speaker 5 (25:55):
I know that I feel like maybe maybe you know.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
When when my team and we can talk about what
that means, yeah, at some point. But with my team
and I, like we talk about, oh, we would love
to do this, or we would love to do that.
Sometimes I just say crazy things or things that I
think are crazy. I don't know if it's going to happen.
So like cash app, we have this idea to work
with cash app because I would always say, oh, like
(26:20):
when I started, I was literally at the basketball court
after college, after I came back from overseas, just playing
in the summer leagues and stuff, and I would have
an Ikea bag full of female athlete T shirts and
we would just sell them on the sidelines. Everybody playing
I would be cash appen. People would just be cash
rapping me for merchant. This cash out story. Yeah, and
(26:43):
that's like really the origin story, you know. When they
came to us with this idea concept they want to
invest in women's sports, I was like, already, Like, all
the stories are already there, They're already written, and so
to have the opportunity for things to align in that way,
and a lot of the collapse and projects is just
like about alignments. If it all lines and the story
is there, then I'm all in.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
When we come back, we are going to continue this
conversation with our girl Esther and just dig a little
deeper into some of the accolades and things that we've seen,
but also where what's next for players society.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
So we will be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
So I was on cash app, because I'm on cash
up all the time. I am ashamed to say that
I used the hell out of some cash app. Okay,
you can pay with cash app with a bust of shit. Now,
I was like, damn, y'all, donet really got on game. Okay,
when you use the cash app card an app, it
will ask you if you'd like to use these different offers,
(27:53):
and so I tend to sometimes just strictly pay with
my cash ap card just so I could utilize whatever
the offers are.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
They got offers at Taco Bell, Burger.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
King, all types of stuff, right, So I'm at Walmart.
I said, let me check and see if they got
offers at Walmart. And as I'm scrolling through my cash
App looking at these offers, I come across use your
cash up card and you get twenty percent off Plan Society,
and I screamed in the middle of Walmart, screamed, I'm
(28:26):
just like, oh my god, my girl is out here
really doing it. Because everyone in the world has cash App.
It's not like it's just a United States situation. Cash
app is a global phenomenon right now, and anybody who
can get a cash app card has access now to
(28:46):
purchase stuff from merchandise or whatever it is that they
want from Plan Society. And to me, it shows not
only to your point about things aligning that what is
for you, but it also just came continues to show
the investment that women are getting. And we've talked about
the investment in women's sports, but also there is an
(29:09):
investment that needs to happen as it relates to women
in business, and so I'd love to have you share
just what your experience has been with working with people
who have been willing to make an investment into your
business and just into what women are continuing to do
on both the athletic and the professional side.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 7 (29:30):
I mean nobody told me how hard it was going
to be to like, you know, like it's hard to
come up with an idea, it's hard to wake up
every day and work towards a goal.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Like those things.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
You hear about how hard you have to work, but
you don't really hear about how hard it is and
how much money you have to like how much goes
into building a business, especially like a product based business
apparel Like the first when I first got the WNBA
license and drop the first WNBA election, I was like terrified.
I was like I never seen bills like like this.
(30:04):
I never had to like spend this much money on inventory.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
Yeah, we sold out an hour and a half or something.
I was like, oh my.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
God, like.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
About were stuff.
Speaker 7 (30:14):
So it's a lot to run a business and to
fund a business.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
In play society is still bootstrapped.
Speaker 7 (30:20):
But I will say that like definitely would not have
gotten this far without the grants that I've been able
to be awarded from Vista Print and the Celtics was
the last one that was like in twenty two or
twenty three. So I've gotten at least three or four
grants that have helped, just like in little increments along
the way.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Well, extra would you? And you mentioned this earlier. I'm
going to assume when you started it was just you,
what does your team look like?
Speaker 7 (30:50):
Oh girl, I love this question because this season I
did not have a team, a full time team until October, right,
so I went through this whole like talk about the
unprecedented growth of the w NBA play somebody was really
balancing all of that with me being the only full
time person. I had someone on contract who I know
(31:11):
a lot of people met when we were doing our
events and stuff. She was like really hands on with
all the events and stuff. I was running all the operations.
I obviously all the designs, so when everybody's on Twitter
asking me for so and so's tea shirt, just know that.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
But I'm also running the whole back in operations. So
sometimes got.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Me to make it look good and you make it
look easy.
Speaker 7 (31:38):
I done tricked y'all into thinking that place society has an.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Employee when we do not.
Speaker 7 (31:44):
So wow, Yes, and now now I have a full
time ops person who is oh Man. She she maybe
saved my life in October because I was like, how
are we going to get through playoffs? She came in
right in time and an executive assistant, which somebody's told me, listen,
once you get an executive assistant, your whole life's gonna change.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
She has changed my life, Like I go outside now,
the war's not going.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Outside because your schedule.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
Is in order exactly exactly, and we have just added
somebody like this week for marketing and continuing to just
build a team because the team is really essential.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
I'm going to ask about your accolades because one thing
that I have enjoyed is I love seeing people get
their flowers. I love seeing people continuing to recognize the
talent that's in front of us. And I've seen that
specifically over the last year or two with you. I've
seen you be recognized that Mohican son as of Woman
(32:41):
of Inspiration. You were also listed in inks Female Founder's
two hundred lists, like the accolades are just starting to
mount for you and well deserved when you just think
about where you started to where you are and people
recognizing the hard work that goes into Just how do
you describe the feelings and how proud? Because I don't
(33:02):
think I know you humble esther, I do, I know it.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
But this ain't a moment to be humble.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Sis, Like you've earned your place real and so I
want you to, like really just talk about how good
it feels, if it feels good at all to be
recognized by so many people who recognize your worth.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Girl, to horn to it.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
It's really exciting.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
I know just what you mentioned with the female Founder's
List that we I mean got to do a photo shoot,
but inc that was amazing and to be to go.
I remember going to the airport and picking up I
was like so excited to get the magazine.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
I think Leana Waife was like on the cover too.
I was like, oh my god, and I opened.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
I did not sold a lot of things, and especially
because I have been without a team, Like normally you'll
have somebody on your team that makes sure you know
all the information. I didn't even know that, so like
I wasn't even asking questions. I did a photo shoot
and I was like dope. And then so I didn't
know how these photos were being used anywhere.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I'm not I don't asked any questions.
Speaker 7 (33:59):
So I picked up the magazine and like the contents page,
it was like the first or second page, my face
was in the magazine, and I was just like, oh my,
I did not know that I was gonna.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Be right there in this magazine.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
That was just an amazing experience, and a lot of
these experiences are super amazing.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
But I will also say I think that because.
Speaker 7 (34:19):
Coming from a place of playing sports, playing basketball, a
lot of times you need that immediate reward or that acolyte.
You're always working towards that thing. And I've had to
learn to not dwell so much on the accolades that
I do or do not get, and to focus more
on the people, like the both of you, or like
even just like people customers that I don't even know
(34:40):
who are who love the brand and love my work,
because there are days when I don't get the recognition
and I can't let that dictate how I approach this
whole scope.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
Yeah, never too high, never too low. All those things.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Yeah, yeah, I do know.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Whether you know this or not, there are a lot
a lot of people out here for you and that
respect you, and we look up to you, and we
just appreciate you. So if no one has told you that,
we are here to tell you today that.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
You are a bad shut you old man.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
I have that.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
My last question for you maybe is you got your
cash app collab, which I know we're all excited about.
Speaker 7 (35:26):
That.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Is there someone whether that's an individual brand, if someone
came up to you and said, who do you who
would you like to do.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Your next big collab with? Is there someone in mind?
Speaker 7 (35:40):
For a lot of time it was you, and that
we did. We did it, and I will never I
will never forget that we did.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
You ha Crientses you have.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
Shut up, shut up tea.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Which is a moment are you and I for you?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And I are you.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
I have to tell you because I never told you this.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
After that, after the final four this year, I don't
even it was.
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Like Mother's Day. It was like in May.
Speaker 7 (36:10):
It was way after and I was on a flight
going home and I hadn't processed everything was moving so fast.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
I hadn't processed anything. I was on a flight and
for some reason I was thinking of it. I was like,
do you know what just happened? What you just did?
I started crying, like.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Legit, just don't do that because I will start I'll
start crying again. Though, Jordan was like the Holster MC
and then we did a little Q and A with
myself and Simone Augustus and.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
The crowd was nice.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
The event, it was just listen and that moment, I
was like, she got her shit together with her team.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
And don't know and now knowing what I know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Even more impressed.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (36:54):
Yeah, Cleveland was like that was amazing. So I admire
so many players. Skyler Diggins is somebody that I would
love to work with. She's always been super supportive too.
And I'm trying to check players off the list. We
just did something with Sidney Colson for holiday season, which
was amazing.
Speaker 5 (37:10):
She was up there on the list too.
Speaker 7 (37:11):
So I don't want to say there's some players that
I won't name because I feel like something might be honest.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Okay, Okay, that means she knows or something. That's what she.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Just came.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
And so like now I'm reminding myself, like okay, I
don't want to. I don't want to spell anything, but
there might be some opportunities this season to work with
some more players and just anticipating stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
And you know, brands that are really standing.
Speaker 7 (37:36):
On their business when it comes to women's sports, like,
those are the brands that I want to work with.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
And yeah, that's definitely what's up. And you are a
trendsetter too. I am seeing other companies and other brands
and I never take those things as and this is
just me Like when I see somebody doing something similar
to what I've done, I'm like, Okay, that means I'm
starting a trend. That means that folks realize the value
(38:01):
in what I've done and are now I've put y'all
up on game right, And they say that imitation is
the highest form of flattery. As long as y'all don't
steal my name, long as you'll still my name.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Were good.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
But I have seen very various different companies and brands
that are starting to take on the same style that
you've taken on. I just think that speaks volumes to
the way that you have revolutionized the way that people
look at apparel and merchandise, specifically in the women's sports
genre in Minnesota. I went to a bar of their.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Own and I could see.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Some of the merchandise that they had up there, and
I was just like, y'all.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
My girl, esther is just everywhere.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
And so with that, you know, I just want to
close with giving you your love and agreeing with Sheryl
that you are just continuing to be a trendsetter out here.
You deserve every bit of every love and everything and
all the acknowledgment that you get and what's next for
you or better yet, what would you say to a
young up and creator that kind of wants to get
(39:02):
into this space and maybe don't know where to start
or thinks that maybe she's not doing enough to be recognized.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
What kind of.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Advice would you give her or him of trying to
get where you are?
Speaker 5 (39:15):
I would say one. I would say maybe a few things.
Speaker 7 (39:19):
The first one, like I think the probably my one
of my worst qualities when I was growing up but
has become my biggest strength, is like not listening to
a lot of what you're being told. Like a lot
of times when you're trying to change something, everybody's going
to tell you it's a bad idea. Everybody's going to
say no, everybody's going to say, you know, what are
(39:39):
you talking about? But if you really believe in something,
because even if you do, even if it's not the
right the answer, it will steer you in the right direction. Right,
Sometimes you have to go down that path even just
to get to where to where you're meant to be.
So don't listen is number one. Don't listen to the
people who are telling you. Yeah, everybody said play side
(40:02):
was a bad idea. I didn't even get a yes
or or a hey, that's gonna work. So if I
would have listened to them, there would be no play
society right now. That and then in that same thing,
trust trust the process, like trust your instincts, because at
the end of the day, you have to stand behind
(40:22):
what it is that you're doing, and everybody else just
has to catch up to you. So I believe that,
like you know, innovators, creators, sometimes you're a few steps
ahead and you gotta like you gotta wait for people
to catch up sometimes. And so just trust your instincts
and also just start where you're at because it doesn't
(40:42):
have to look a certain way. When I first started,
I didn't know I couldn't find the right T shirt,
or I couldn't find the right production partner. I couldn't
find this and it wasn't aligned with that, and I
was like, oh, this needs more time or I need
to develop these graphics more. But I was just like, no,
just get started, because one you're gonna learn so much
just from on day one. Right, You're gonna learn so
(41:04):
much that's gonna be valuable to what you do one day,
three hundred and sixty five, right, So start somewhere. It
doesn't have to be perfect. Everything doesn't have to be
aligned when you get started. But if you never start,
then how are you gonna make any any progress?
Speaker 2 (41:20):
So yep, facts, big facts. Well, thank you, Esther. We
appreciate you joining us. I'm America's Day on my calendar,
so I will never forget the day Esther made time
for me.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
Oh well, listen to me, love Leah, see you in Connecticut.
Speaker 7 (41:41):
Aime.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Okay, I'm glad the numbers still work. You know, when
you tack somebody and you'll be like, if this bubble
turn green, I know something.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Always Esther, You're awesome.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
Thank you, listen, thank you both.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Thank you, thank you A lot of fun. Cheryl completely
enjoyed talking to Esther. She is certainly someone that is
on the rise, going.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
To continue to just make moves in this business.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
And I mean, I'm sporting my player society. I know
we already know you got players that you got your
own damn shirt.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
But anyway, I hate.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Her, yeah, and I you know, like I said, I
ain't put it on because I didn't want people to
feel some type of.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Way, but uhay, I love me some Esther.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I just I respect the hell out of her and
listening to her story about you.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
Know, in twenty twenty, she was like, I'm going for it.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
She quit her full time job and focused all of
her time and attention on players society, And like the
people say, won't he do.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
It every time? Every single time? Although when we say, God, no,
my heart, I'm glad he knew her is enough to
tell her to set down. I agree with that, But
I love Esther, respect her.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Her work is top notch and just a great soul,
a great person. Drop some good gems for us, and
hopefully what I have to give the people today will
kind of sort of be on the same line of
what Esther kind of told us today.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
For sure what you got.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Here's what I got, y'all.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
It's short and sweet.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
You know, Esther was just talking about she said so
many things, But I don't care who you are, what.
Speaker 4 (43:40):
You go through, what you do.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
We're all we're always gonna fall or fail at something right,
and we can just sit there and we can wallow
in it and feel sorry for ourselves, or we can
decide we're not going to do that. So the quote
I have for us today, it says, our greatest glory
is not in never falling, but in rising every time
(44:03):
we fall.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Period.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
That's what I got for y'all today.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Period, get up and keep trying and keep trying.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Absolutely love it.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
And so with Zach friends, we just want to continue
to thank you for listening to levels to this. We
will be back next week with more next level conversation
and when you hear from us.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Again, it will be twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
So very excited about what the new year is going
to bring.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
So enjoy your holiday.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Please be safe this New Year's Eve, but also remember
if you take some time throughout this holiday break to
listen to the show, it is not just our show,
but it is our show and.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
So we want to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Please leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, or you
can email us at Levels Too This Podcast at gmail
dot com. Tell us what your thought of this week's
show and what you might want to talk about next,
and you can also follow us on Instagram at lttpod.
Then keep your mentals ground level and we will be
back next year. See you guys, Do you see ya?
Speaker 4 (45:06):
Peace?
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Listen to Levels to This on America's number one podcast network,
iHeart open your free iHeart app and search Levels to
This with Cheryl Swoops and Treka Foster Brasbee and start
listening
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hey everybody, I'm your girl, Tarrika Foster Brass Bed and I'm.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Your girl Cheryl Swoops.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
What's up y'all? Hey? This is the Levels to This, y'all.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
A podcasts, which is the show that we talk about
the shit that women go through, and we really do
have a great show lined up for you today.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
We have an incredible guest.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And I know we say that every week, but that's
because every week we really do have a bomb ass
show and we really do have an incredible guest.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, that's all we're saying.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
We tell no lies, We tell no lies.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
But I'm excited because Christmas is yesterday. Today is the
first day of Kwansa. I celebrate I kind of celebrate Kwansa.
Do you celebrate Kuwansa?
Speaker 5 (00:55):
Like?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
My celebration of Kwansa is more like I have my tablecloth,
I have my I have my candles, and I do
try to go through the daily routine of talking about today.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
So day one, Moosja Unity there we go.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
See, I want to get into celebrating kwanza I'm not
there yet, and maybe, but maybe it's because I need
to research more, because I definitely want to do that, and.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
You're the perfect You're the perfect one to teach me.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely it is.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
It is.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The seven days for those listening, It's the immediate seven
days right after Christmas, from December twenty sixth to January first,
and each day is a different principle, and so each
principle is meant to mean something to help the African
American community become more inclusive and more together. And so
I love that we get a chance to celebrate Hanukkah
(01:59):
for our Jewish leading up to Christmas, we get Christmas
for our Christians, and then we have Quansa, which you
can celebrate regardless of what it is that you that
you practice. It's really just about collective unity and being
together as one, and so I'm excited about it.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I always I have my candles, I have my tablecloth,
I have my little my little cup on my on
my desk that you're supposed to traditionally you're supposed to
put stuff in and drink it. But if I put
something in and drinking, it's gonna be some alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
And I feel like, I feel like that.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Ain't exactly what they was asking folk, So let me
just keep it cute.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
I'm like, that's I don't think that's what they meant
by putting something in that cup.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
So I'm gonna just keep it cute and it seriously.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Want to try it?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I do. I'm yes, okay, so I'm gonna help you.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
It won't be this year, right, Yeah, we got you,
but I will tell you that since you're talking about
stuff to drink, So you know, I have my whole
little farm garden stuff, right, yes, And I'm trying to
(03:09):
get better at doing this. And so just the other day,
my husband went out and harvested like he grew I
don't know how much ginger and tumeric.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So we just I just made some ginger.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Tumeric shots the other day and so we take them
every morning, and we have a whole YouTube channel. So
we're reading some of the comments and this lady commented
and said, wow, I pay four dollars and twenty five
cents at the grocery store for a two ounce shot
of ginger and tumeric.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
She said and you guys, yours is all organic.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
She said, I don't even know if what I'm buying
and what I'm drinking is truly organic. I know that
didn't really have anything to do with clansup, but you
were talking about drinks.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But that's that's a great thing to have though, because
I will tell your tea.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We've been doing it for the last three days now
and I can already like kind of sort of feel
the effects of what the ginger and tumeric is doing
to my body.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
It's good stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I need to I need to get up on it.
I said that I'm gonna show you now. Y'all can't
see it on the on the podcast, but I'm gonna
show you this.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I describe it.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I am okay.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, so I well, I'm gonna tell I'm gonna tell
everyone that I said I was going to start being
more Keto friendly, and I even downloaded this app.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
It's called the Keto Diet App.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Doesn't right, it doesn't want And the reason that I
said I was going to try being more Keto friendly
is because I feel like I need to do something
that will discipline me, not even so much that it
will it won't work.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
It's just that I'm not good at this type of stuff.
I quit.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I don't quit anything in the world except a diet.
I will quit that ship heard you, I will quit.
I will quit in day two. I'll be like, you
know what, fuck it? Bring me the the hot chips
and the bread pasta and and all the pop you
can serve because I quit it.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So I'm there with you.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
And you know it's crazy because people look at me
and they're like, yeah, but you, for however long you played,
you were so disciplined, which I was when I played.
And so I told myself when I retired right that
I was going to take like a year where I
was going to eat whatever and not work out and
do whatever. Well, I've been retired for like eight years
now and I'm still eating whatever the fuck I want.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
To eat and do it.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Yet you want.
Speaker 6 (05:40):
Yeah, so it and I hate it though.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Like I'm laughing right now, But I kid you not.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I told a friend of mine the other day, I said,
I really need to become more disciplined, Like I'm not
trying to be the way I was when I was playing,
but just for help and even shopping, like I hate
shopping for clothes because I don't like my body right now.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Same, and there's no one to blame but myself.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Same.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I listen, I totally understand. So listen, I'm gonna tell
you how this I'm over. I'm gonna tell you how
this works. I'm gonna tell you how this works. How
this works is we were talking about Kwansa and for
Day three. Kwansa's Day three principle is ujima, which is
collective work and responsibility. Right, so collectively you and I
(06:33):
are gonna hold each other accountable for.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Being better in twenty five.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, we can't get out right now.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
We're gonna and twenty twenty five we're going to We're
gonna hold each other accountable for being better.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
If I don't hold you accountable after week three, don't
blame me.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
I'm trying.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I'm gonna blame you.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
That's I don't know if you and I are are
good together, because you know what, because when you're like Cheryl, shit,
I'm done with this ship instead of there like no,
t let's go, I'm gonna be like, thank you Jesus, because.
Speaker 7 (07:05):
I have a.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
We are.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I gonta find me? No te we can't do that
we can't.
Speaker 7 (07:13):
We can't.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We need it, we do, we need another accountability partner. Well,
maybe today's guest can be our accountability partner because she
is really good at making people look good and feel
good with her apparel line. We have the one and
only founder, CEO owner of play A Society, Esther Wallace,
(07:35):
joining us this week on this week's episode of Levels
to this, So let's just go ahead and get into
this next level conversation. All right, friends, I'm really excited
about today's episode because we really are bringing the fire.
Like Cheryl when I say bringing the fire, We're bringing
the fire today.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Our guest. First of all, I love New England. Yes,
so I'm.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
In New England. Our guest is from the New England area.
She's from Springfield, Mass. I think everybody has seen something
or know something about this particular brand, because if you
are anywhere in the WNBA space, you absolutely know a
play a Society fit when you see a play a
(08:23):
Society design.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
When you see one.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I don't even have to be in a WNBA space, honestly,
because sometimes I'm just walking around the airport and I
see a T shirt and I'm like, oh my god,
oh that's Esther. You need to say that's play a
Society or that's Esther, that's Esther. So yeah, I'm excited
to welcome to the show today, the founder, creator, CEO,
and every other letter you want to put in front
(08:47):
of it. Our girl, Esther Wallace.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Hey, Esther, thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
What's all fat to be here.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
I'm super excited about it too.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
I got I'm sitting here with a big kool Eate
smile long because listen, I don't know we gonna get
into it. But if you don't know about playing Society
or Esther Wallace, you about to find out.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Today for real.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I feel like I need to go change my teeth
because me because I got about a good seven to
eight different ones in the room. I really should have
grabbed one to put it on for the show. Like
I feel like I'm misrepresenting right now. Don't worry at
the break. I'm gonna change my shirt at the break
because I need to make sure my girl gets some love.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
I was gonna, okay, I'm glad you said that, because
I really was gonna put on my.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
My Sheryl Swoops playing Society.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
T shirt and I was like, no, no, that I
would be.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I didn't wear it because I didn't want to be
that one where people are like, oh, she's so vague,
But yeah, I am, first of all.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
The subtle flex of having a T shirt. I was
gonna put on my shir shirt. But for playing society though,
I'm not mad anyone to represent.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
If you change at the break, I might.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Change the break.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'm telling you, I'm changing out the break. That's what
I'm saying. Esther, We're so excited to have you. We
know that you've been incredibly busy and your name and
face and style has been everywhere. So thank you for
making some time to chat with us and kicking with
us here on levels to this. But I just kind
of want to start at the very beginning. I think
(10:26):
that I mentioned at the top that you're from Springfield,
mass Maybe not a lot of people know that. I
think with your style and your talent, folks might assume
that you're from.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
A bigger city or from New York or something like that.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But just kind of talk to us a little bit
about what it was like growing up in Springfield and
how you kind of found your your niche for fashion.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
For sure, shesh, I say, people are like, did you
know or did you see it coming? I didn't see
any of this coming, to be honest, I was I
grew up introverted, right, and I was such an art
nerd which is what you see now. You just see
the results of that artner. But when I was growing
up in Springfield, it manifested itself as like this really introverted.
(11:07):
I was this kid that walked around with my sketchbook.
I wanted to design for the major fashion houses, right.
I never even saw myself in a role of an
entrepreneur or a head designer. I was like, oh, I'm
going to work for Vera Wang or Oscar Dala Renta
or something like that. So I really never saw it coming.
So it wasn't until I started playing basketball, which I was.
(11:28):
I was pretty late too, I would say, that's what again,
I didn't know at the time, but that's what built
up that momentum for me to then become like this
leader or even have the concept of becoming an entrepreneur.
So I started hoping in high school. So a lot
of people, actually I never tell the story about how
I started high school. At this performing arts high school,
(11:50):
the nerdiest thing in the world, Like it was just
a bunch of like theater kids, and like, I went
to this performing arts high school for a week, dropped
out because all my friends went to the local high school.
I was like, oh, no, I can't I can't do
high school, which left out right, I can't.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Do high school with all my people.
Speaker 7 (12:05):
So I dropped out of Performing Arts High School and
ended up at Springfield Central High School, which happened to
have the number one girls basketball team in Massachusetts. Didn't
know anything about any of that at the time, so
I think it was just like divine intervention, whatever you
want to call it.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
It just fell into place.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I would say, at what point were you like, all right,
basketball ain't gonna be it, but this is the route,
this is the path I want to take.
Speaker 7 (12:32):
It started as a break from basketball because I when
I graduated college, I was headed overseas to play basketball.
I was getting like a physical one week before I
got on my flight to go to England, and I
actually I was diagnosed with a heart condition. So again
this was all by chance. So I was diagnosed with
a heart condition. I was told that I should not
play basketball anymore, but I was like, no, you know what,
(12:54):
I'm gonna play one more year.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
I'm gonna take my chances for.
Speaker 7 (12:57):
One year, which maybe I wouldn't recommend that to anyone
else who needs right, we'll.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
See, got me all those things? Ye got me?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
I'm trying.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
No. My mom was really like.
Speaker 7 (13:08):
My mom was like, I'm not about to look at
you every day and see you moping around the house
because you're not playing basketball.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
She was like, go take your behind to England and who.
So I was like, all right, my mom ain't scared.
I guess I should be scared.
Speaker 7 (13:20):
I played one season, but because of that, I was
thinking about, Oh my goodness, like what's next. But also
it was just such a way to carry So I
think I just needed a break from basketball because it
just felt like this.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Burden at that point.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
And when I was overseas, I was getting my master's degree.
At the same time as I was playing, I was
coaching all of these things, and I was working on
my master's thesis and it was about the underrepresentation of
women in advertising, media, sports, and then that went down
this rabbit hole of apparel in the apparel marketplace and.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
All of those things.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
So it really just started as like this project that
I was just like working on to get my mind
off of basketball and all of that, and it evolved
over time.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
But you never really get your mind off basketball, right Like,
no matter how many, no matter how hard we try,
you just never there's basketball somewhere as intertwined and whatever
it is that we're doing. Because that's just how it
happens for those of us who always have a love
for a game. We just never can fully get away
from it, even if we actually aren't on the court playing.
At least you got to overseas girl. I figured that
(14:21):
out after high school. I was like, this was great,
but I'm gonna do something else. This ain't gonna work
for you. But with that being said, who and dare
I say she's on this call?
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I don't know?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
But who were some of the players that you looked
up to or that you idolized, or were some of
your favorites when you were playing.
Speaker 7 (14:41):
So I'm always like super super honest because I always
feel like I can't name it, Like I started watching basketball,
it was like, I don't know, it was like oh
eight maybe when I started watching basketball, So I.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Can't claim like that exactly right.
Speaker 7 (14:56):
So it was Canna's Parker, it was Skyler Diggins, and
it was Tina.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Charles, Sylvia Fowls.
Speaker 7 (15:02):
Those were the players of that era, and I was
watching them and I would record like a Tennessee game
Tennessee LSU, and then I'd go across the street and
I'd be practicing cannases moves and all that stuff. So
those are the players I was watching, for sure.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I love that girl, don't don't fake it. You ain't
gonna fake it. And but I love that though. Yeah,
and you name some pretty good ones. I know it
wasn't like it was chopped liver so.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
In naming those players, right, you started watching in O
eight and fast forward to where we are today. What
you're doing now? When you think about doing no, I
won't even go with collabse.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Let's just talk about all of the work you've done.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
How do you decide, like what athlete you're going to
do next?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
You know, especially in the beginning, it really it was.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
So My favorite thing is like how organic it was
when I I didn't the first player T shirts. I
think it was twenty twenty two around All Star Chicago,
and I had been working, so I had to teach
myself how to sketch on an iPad. So in high
school I used to like paint or whatever. It was
not it was like high school artists. Maybe there's some
(16:17):
really good ones out there, but I wasn't like top level.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I was good. I was all right.
Speaker 7 (16:21):
So in college I also did some fine arts, some
sketching and stuff, but never to the extent of what
I had envisioned in my head. So like, I could
envision what I wanted the product to look like, but
I didn't know how to get it there. So I
literally spent six months teaching myself how to sketch on.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
And so the first sketch was the Cannis Parker sketch,
and it took me six months to sketch that because
I had to learn how to sketch on the iPad.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
And then I had to go.
Speaker 7 (16:46):
Through some really bad route like stuff that I would
never let anybody see. I don't care no sketch, They're
so bad. And then I got to a place I
remember I was on like the what I thought was
a final sketch, and it was like probably six months
in and I threw it away and started over.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
I was like, oh.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Yeah, this is it. Like I knew it.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
I knew I needed one more level up on it,
and so I was like, let me start over one
more time. And then that's when I got it to
the point where I was like, oh, yeah, this is it.
And then I did sill because it was the year
if SO was retiring, and that was probably just it
was just an emotional connection to the work with those
first few sketches.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Wait, was this the Candace Parker sketch that I ended
up seeing on the Shy and the opening scene?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
So do you watch the Shy Shirl?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I know what it is, but I don't want yes.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
So I'm sitting at home in my basement because I
watched the shot. That's my shit, that's my show. And
it's the opening scene. And the actor in the opening
scene is walking around his kitchen and he turns around
because it's obviously based in Chicago, and he turns around
and he's got on the white shirt with the blue
because it's a Chicago sky candas so it's like the
(17:59):
light blue and the goal in the shirt.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I turn around and I'm like, wait a minute,
is that?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
How the hell did he get that?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
It's crazy to look on showtime and see your work,
and so to that effect, how first off, did you
know that he was gonna wear that shirt?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Did you know that they had that shirt anywhere? Number one?
But number two?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Just as you started to push your merchandise and people
started to really see it and crave it, was it
ever initially an instance where you'd say, Hey, I think
I'd like to get licensed by the WNBA, Or was
it more of this has become the demand and so
maybe I need to figure out what the next steps
needs to be in order to make this official.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
It was like a I don't know. I think it
was a little bit of both.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
Because so for three years from twenty eighteen twenty twenty one,
I places I was most known.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
For the female athlete T shirt.
Speaker 7 (18:51):
I was like, that was all almost exclusively all asshold,
and I was just hustling those shirts at like basketball
tournaments on the weekend.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
I was still working full time.
Speaker 7 (19:01):
I quit my full time job in twenty twenty, and
that's when I was like, Okay, let's get real real
serious about like strategically growing this business. And then in
twenty twenty one I actually had the opportunity. It was
still all because of I think the female Athlete T shirt.
I had the opportunity to have a call with some
of the I didn't.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Even know who they were.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
At the time, just someone at the WNBA. So I
was like, Okay, how do I want to prepare for
this call? And I was like, I'm just going to
go in and go all in and like I put
together this whole presentation.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
I was like, this is what I'm going to do.
And this was my first pitch ever.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
I had never I never had experience like in an
apparel company or with collaborations or anything like that. This
was just off of me designing the female athlete T
shirt and then having the opportunity to have a conversation.
So I pitched to them the concept and I thought
it was going to be practiced, if I'm being completely honest.
I was like, Okay, I'll get some feedback from them
and then I'll keep working towards this goal of working
(19:56):
with the WNBA. And they came back like a week
later or something. They were like, yeah, let's go oh wow.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
And your reaction was.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
I really I was like, oh am I ready for this.
Speaker 7 (20:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
It's one of those moments we're like oh wow, yeah,
you just asked for something.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Now you got to be you got to be ready
to play when the coach caused your name. Yeah, that's
how it felt. It was like, oh, like time for
me to be ready. I don't have time to get ready.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah, well so Esther, because like, we keep it real
on this show, and you just said you'd like to
be real and honest for our listeners. You said you
quit your full time job in twenty twenty. Yes, And
I know there are probably a lot of people right
now who are debating, right if I quit right now,
what's next? So when you made that decision, what were
(20:43):
you thinking? What were your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Were you? And I know you were all in?
Speaker 4 (20:47):
But were you scared?
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Were you nervous?
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Were you And then I'm sorry, I'm gonna add one
more part to that, and then you in this space
as a black woman, like what challenges have you faced?
And how did you feel at that time when you
were like all right, I'm going all.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
In child, Listen.
Speaker 7 (21:04):
It was the hardest, scariest decision I've ever made, but
it was also the most critical and pivotal decision. So
I was working full time in marketing in Boston at
MIT I No, no, shade, no shade to anybody.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
But I did not love my job. It was like
waking up in the morning.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
It was like waking up in the morning, and I
was just like, man, I really got to go do
this when really all I want to do is design some.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
T shirts and ship them out to people.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
So it was it was harder to go to that
job than it was to like really go all in.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
I remember I spent a year debating this.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
So one of the things that happened was I had
actually gone to an event. And anywhere we go black
people we find each other. So I had gone to
this event and it was like a conference, and so
a group of black women we all started connecting and
all of that stuff, and I was talking to them
about play society and oh all the things I want
to do. I was like, I want to quit my
job at some point and just go all in. And
(22:04):
someone in the group a woman who produces her own
TV shows and movies, and she was like, let me
see your phone.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
So she actually put in my calendar this date.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
She was like, you're gonna quit your job in February. No,
So I actually spent like a year going like having
conversations with people I'm thinking about quitting my job. Like
I remember having a conversation with my dentists, and I
was like, because I would ask everybody, I would.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Be like, do you think this sounds like a good idea?
He was like, you're crazy, that's a terrible idea.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Okay, that's different.
Speaker 7 (22:34):
I would ask everybody, because that's how scared.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
I just needed one person. I was looking for one
person to be like, oh.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
That's a great idea, but nobody was saying that. And
then I ran all like the spreadsheets, all the financial data,
none of it was adding up. I was like, man,
when am I gonna When am I gonna get to.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
Quit my job?
Speaker 7 (22:51):
And I kept asking myself that question, but it seemed like,
regardless of the answer, always came up like you're not ready,
Like financially, you're not ready. The members aren't adding up,
nobody's really co signing this. But I did it anyway
because I couldn't get rid of the feeling of this
is what.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
I need to do.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
I'm never gonna be I'm never gonna get from point
A to point B if I don't do this one thing.
And I just believed in it so much that not
getting a yes or not getting a co sign didn't
really matter.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Wh Yeah, dang god love that, like when the bet
on yourself, Like this is the epitome of what it
means to bet on yourself because that's crazy, but I
love it though, Like we have to do it. Can
you explain or share with us where the name play
a Society stems from?
Speaker 7 (23:37):
Yeah, I mean I knew that I wanted to build
some things that was about community and that was about
the players. I would love to say that it was
that easy, like it was just like play a Society,
But I can't remember like the name popping into my head.
I always say that it had to have something to
do with the scene in Loving Basketball where she's like,
I'm a ballplayer, if you know, play a Society. Before
play a Society, I was doing a little bit of
(23:59):
Lease loving Basketball T shirts and stuff like that, So
have to point and point that a little bit. But
after a while, like that was the only name that
was sticking in my and I kept going back. I
was like, oh you can, cause I'm always that person
that's like trying to elevate whatever it is out that's
right in front of me. But I couldn't like the
name just kept sticking. So I was like, stop trying
to like make it something of this is the name,
(24:20):
this is it? Yeah, And so I just went I
gave myself a deadline, and when that deadline came, I
was like, this is the name, so we're going.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
I love it. It fits the it has a ring
to it.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
So when I see you and I hear your story,
even more so now because I always had mad love
and respect for you, but even more so now just
hearing your background and your story, to me, you're a
great example of like resiliency and determination. So thinking about
(24:52):
your journey, where you started, where you are now, I
want to ask you about your latest collab with cash app.
Did you ever think something like this was gonna happen?
And here we are, So tell the folks about your
latest collab with cash app.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
I mean to answer your question, I would say yes
and no because to a certain extent, to a certain extent, I.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Just genuinely believe.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
Well, I've had to teach myself to believe this because
I'm naturally like super anxious and like you know, but
I've had to teach myself to trust the process right
in due time, is what I tell myself. Very often,
things will fall into place. I believe that when you
are pursuing what you believe in and what you're passionate about,
like that in and of itself is the right direction, right,
(25:37):
your passions will never steer you wrong.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
And so to a certain extent.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
Yes, so I believe that because I'm on this path
of purpose, things will fall into place.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
But did I was?
Speaker 7 (25:48):
I like checklist cash app, Like I had no idea.
That's like really really dope.
Speaker 5 (25:55):
I know that I feel like maybe maybe you know.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
When when my team and we can talk about what
that means, yeah, at some point. But with my team
and I, like we talk about, oh, we would love
to do this, or we would love to do that.
Sometimes I just say crazy things or things that I
think are crazy. I don't know if it's going to happen.
So like cash app, we have this idea to work
with cash app because I would always say, oh, like
(26:20):
when I started, I was literally at the basketball court
after college, after I came back from overseas, just playing
in the summer leagues and stuff, and I would have
an Ikea bag full of female athlete T shirts and
we would just sell them on the sidelines. Everybody playing
I would be cash appen. People would just be cash
rapping me for merchant. This cash out story. Yeah, and
(26:43):
that's like really the origin story, you know. When they
came to us with this idea concept they want to
invest in women's sports, I was like, already, Like, all
the stories are already there, They're already written, and so
to have the opportunity for things to align in that way,
and a lot of the collapse and projects is just
like about alignments. If it all lines and the story
is there, then I'm all in.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
When we come back, we are going to continue this
conversation with our girl Esther and just dig a little
deeper into some of the accolades and things that we've seen,
but also where what's next for players society.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
So we will be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
So I was on cash app, because I'm on cash
up all the time. I am ashamed to say that
I used the hell out of some cash app. Okay,
you can pay with cash app with a bust of shit. Now,
I was like, damn, y'all, donet really got on game. Okay,
when you use the cash app card an app, it
will ask you if you'd like to use these different offers,
(27:53):
and so I tend to sometimes just strictly pay with
my cash ap card just so I could utilize whatever
the offers are.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
They got offers at Taco Bell, Burger.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
King, all types of stuff, right, So I'm at Walmart.
I said, let me check and see if they got
offers at Walmart. And as I'm scrolling through my cash
App looking at these offers, I come across use your
cash up card and you get twenty percent off Plan Society,
and I screamed in the middle of Walmart, screamed, I'm
(28:26):
just like, oh my god, my girl is out here
really doing it. Because everyone in the world has cash App.
It's not like it's just a United States situation. Cash
app is a global phenomenon right now, and anybody who
can get a cash app card has access now to
(28:46):
purchase stuff from merchandise or whatever it is that they
want from Plan Society. And to me, it shows not
only to your point about things aligning that what is
for you, but it also just came continues to show
the investment that women are getting. And we've talked about
the investment in women's sports, but also there is an
(29:09):
investment that needs to happen as it relates to women
in business, and so I'd love to have you share
just what your experience has been with working with people
who have been willing to make an investment into your
business and just into what women are continuing to do
on both the athletic and the professional side.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 7 (29:30):
I mean nobody told me how hard it was going
to be to like, you know, like it's hard to
come up with an idea, it's hard to wake up
every day and work towards a goal.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Like those things.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
You hear about how hard you have to work, but
you don't really hear about how hard it is and
how much money you have to like how much goes
into building a business, especially like a product based business
apparel Like the first when I first got the WNBA
license and drop the first WNBA election, I was like terrified.
I was like I never seen bills like like this.
(30:04):
I never had to like spend this much money on inventory.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
Yeah, we sold out an hour and a half or something.
I was like, oh my.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
God, like.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
About were stuff.
Speaker 7 (30:14):
So it's a lot to run a business and to
fund a business.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
In play society is still bootstrapped.
Speaker 7 (30:20):
But I will say that like definitely would not have
gotten this far without the grants that I've been able
to be awarded from Vista Print and the Celtics was
the last one that was like in twenty two or
twenty three. So I've gotten at least three or four
grants that have helped, just like in little increments along
the way.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Well, extra would you? And you mentioned this earlier. I'm
going to assume when you started it was just you,
what does your team look like?
Speaker 7 (30:50):
Oh girl, I love this question because this season I
did not have a team, a full time team until October, right,
so I went through this whole like talk about the
unprecedented growth of the w NBA play somebody was really
balancing all of that with me being the only full
time person. I had someone on contract who I know
(31:11):
a lot of people met when we were doing our
events and stuff. She was like really hands on with
all the events and stuff. I was running all the operations.
I obviously all the designs, so when everybody's on Twitter
asking me for so and so's tea shirt, just know that.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
But I'm also running the whole back in operations. So
sometimes got.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Me to make it look good and you make it
look easy.
Speaker 7 (31:38):
I done tricked y'all into thinking that place society has an.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Employee when we do not.
Speaker 7 (31:44):
So wow, Yes, and now now I have a full
time ops person who is oh Man. She she maybe
saved my life in October because I was like, how
are we going to get through playoffs? She came in
right in time and an executive assistant, which somebody's told me, listen,
once you get an executive assistant, your whole life's gonna change.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
She has changed my life, Like I go outside now,
the war's not going.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Outside because your schedule.
Speaker 7 (32:09):
Is in order exactly exactly, and we have just added
somebody like this week for marketing and continuing to just
build a team because the team is really essential.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
I'm going to ask about your accolades because one thing
that I have enjoyed is I love seeing people get
their flowers. I love seeing people continuing to recognize the
talent that's in front of us. And I've seen that
specifically over the last year or two with you. I've
seen you be recognized that Mohican son as of Woman
(32:41):
of Inspiration. You were also listed in inks Female Founder's
two hundred lists, like the accolades are just starting to
mount for you and well deserved when you just think
about where you started to where you are and people
recognizing the hard work that goes into Just how do
you describe the feelings and how proud? Because I don't
(33:02):
think I know you humble esther, I do, I know it.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
But this ain't a moment to be humble.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Sis, Like you've earned your place real and so I
want you to, like really just talk about how good
it feels, if it feels good at all to be
recognized by so many people who recognize your worth.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Girl, to horn to it.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
It's really exciting.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
I know just what you mentioned with the female Founder's
List that we I mean got to do a photo shoot,
but inc that was amazing and to be to go.
I remember going to the airport and picking up I
was like so excited to get the magazine.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
I think Leana Waife was like on the cover too.
I was like, oh my god, and I opened.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
I did not sold a lot of things, and especially
because I have been without a team, Like normally you'll
have somebody on your team that makes sure you know
all the information. I didn't even know that, so like
I wasn't even asking questions. I did a photo shoot
and I was like dope. And then so I didn't
know how these photos were being used anywhere.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I'm not I don't asked any questions.
Speaker 7 (33:59):
So I picked up the magazine and like the contents page,
it was like the first or second page, my face
was in the magazine, and I was just like, oh my,
I did not know that I was gonna.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Be right there in this magazine.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
That was just an amazing experience, and a lot of
these experiences are super amazing.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
But I will also say I think that because.
Speaker 7 (34:19):
Coming from a place of playing sports, playing basketball, a
lot of times you need that immediate reward or that acolyte.
You're always working towards that thing. And I've had to
learn to not dwell so much on the accolades that
I do or do not get, and to focus more
on the people, like the both of you, or like
even just like people customers that I don't even know
(34:40):
who are who love the brand and love my work,
because there are days when I don't get the recognition
and I can't let that dictate how I approach this
whole scope.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
Yeah, never too high, never too low. All those things.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
Yeah, yeah, I do know.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Whether you know this or not, there are a lot
a lot of people out here for you and that
respect you, and we look up to you, and we
just appreciate you. So if no one has told you that,
we are here to tell you today that.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
You are a bad shut you old man.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
I have that.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
My last question for you maybe is you got your
cash app collab, which I know we're all excited about.
Speaker 7 (35:26):
That.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Is there someone whether that's an individual brand, if someone
came up to you and said, who do you who
would you like to do.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Your next big collab with? Is there someone in mind?
Speaker 7 (35:40):
For a lot of time it was you, and that
we did. We did it, and I will never I
will never forget that we did.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
You ha Crientses you have.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
Shut up, shut up tea.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Which is a moment are you and I for you?
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And I are you.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
I have to tell you because I never told you this.
Speaker 7 (36:05):
After that, after the final four this year, I don't
even it was.
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Like Mother's Day. It was like in May.
Speaker 7 (36:10):
It was way after and I was on a flight
going home and I hadn't processed everything was moving so fast.
Speaker 5 (36:16):
I hadn't processed anything. I was on a flight and
for some reason I was thinking of it. I was like,
do you know what just happened? What you just did?
I started crying, like.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Legit, just don't do that because I will start I'll
start crying again. Though, Jordan was like the Holster MC
and then we did a little Q and A with
myself and Simone Augustus and.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
The crowd was nice.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
The event, it was just listen and that moment, I
was like, she got her shit together with her team.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
And don't know and now knowing what I know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Even more impressed.
Speaker 5 (36:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (36:54):
Yeah, Cleveland was like that was amazing. So I admire
so many players. Skyler Diggins is somebody that I would
love to work with. She's always been super supportive too.
And I'm trying to check players off the list. We
just did something with Sidney Colson for holiday season, which
was amazing.
Speaker 5 (37:10):
She was up there on the list too.
Speaker 7 (37:11):
So I don't want to say there's some players that
I won't name because I feel like something might be honest.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Okay, Okay, that means she knows or something. That's what she.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Just came.
Speaker 7 (37:23):
And so like now I'm reminding myself, like okay, I
don't want to. I don't want to spell anything, but
there might be some opportunities this season to work with
some more players and just anticipating stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
And you know, brands that are really standing.
Speaker 7 (37:36):
On their business when it comes to women's sports, like,
those are the brands that I want to work with.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
And yeah, that's definitely what's up. And you are a
trendsetter too. I am seeing other companies and other brands
and I never take those things as and this is
just me Like when I see somebody doing something similar
to what I've done, I'm like, Okay, that means I'm
starting a trend. That means that folks realize the value
(38:01):
in what I've done and are now I've put y'all
up on game right, And they say that imitation is
the highest form of flattery. As long as y'all don't
steal my name, long as you'll still my name.
Speaker 5 (38:13):
Were good.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
But I have seen very various different companies and brands
that are starting to take on the same style that
you've taken on. I just think that speaks volumes to
the way that you have revolutionized the way that people
look at apparel and merchandise, specifically in the women's sports
genre in Minnesota. I went to a bar of their.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Own and I could see.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Some of the merchandise that they had up there, and
I was just like, y'all.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
My girl, esther is just everywhere.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
And so with that, you know, I just want to
close with giving you your love and agreeing with Sheryl
that you are just continuing to be a trendsetter out here.
You deserve every bit of every love and everything and
all the acknowledgment that you get and what's next for
you or better yet, what would you say to a
young up and creator that kind of wants to get
(39:02):
into this space and maybe don't know where to start
or thinks that maybe she's not doing enough to be recognized.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
What kind of.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Advice would you give her or him of trying to
get where you are?
Speaker 5 (39:15):
I would say one. I would say maybe a few things.
Speaker 7 (39:19):
The first one, like I think the probably my one
of my worst qualities when I was growing up but
has become my biggest strength, is like not listening to
a lot of what you're being told. Like a lot
of times when you're trying to change something, everybody's going
to tell you it's a bad idea. Everybody's going to
say no, everybody's going to say, you know, what are
(39:39):
you talking about? But if you really believe in something,
because even if you do, even if it's not the
right the answer, it will steer you in the right direction. Right,
Sometimes you have to go down that path even just
to get to where to where you're meant to be.
So don't listen is number one. Don't listen to the
people who are telling you. Yeah, everybody said play side
(40:02):
was a bad idea. I didn't even get a yes
or or a hey, that's gonna work. So if I
would have listened to them, there would be no play
society right now. That and then in that same thing,
trust trust the process, like trust your instincts, because at
the end of the day, you have to stand behind
(40:22):
what it is that you're doing, and everybody else just
has to catch up to you. So I believe that,
like you know, innovators, creators, sometimes you're a few steps
ahead and you gotta like you gotta wait for people
to catch up sometimes. And so just trust your instincts
and also just start where you're at because it doesn't
(40:42):
have to look a certain way. When I first started,
I didn't know I couldn't find the right T shirt,
or I couldn't find the right production partner. I couldn't
find this and it wasn't aligned with that, and I
was like, oh, this needs more time or I need
to develop these graphics more. But I was just like, no,
just get started, because one you're gonna learn so much
just from on day one. Right, You're gonna learn so
(41:04):
much that's gonna be valuable to what you do one day,
three hundred and sixty five, right, So start somewhere. It
doesn't have to be perfect. Everything doesn't have to be
aligned when you get started. But if you never start,
then how are you gonna make any any progress?
Speaker 2 (41:20):
So yep, facts, big facts. Well, thank you, Esther. We
appreciate you joining us. I'm America's Day on my calendar,
so I will never forget the day Esther made time
for me.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
Oh well, listen to me, love Leah, see you in Connecticut.
Speaker 7 (41:41):
Aime.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Okay, I'm glad the numbers still work. You know, when
you tack somebody and you'll be like, if this bubble
turn green, I know something.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Always Esther, You're awesome.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
Thank you, listen, thank you both.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Thank you, thank you A lot of fun. Cheryl completely
enjoyed talking to Esther. She is certainly someone that is
on the rise, going.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
To continue to just make moves in this business.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
And I mean, I'm sporting my player society. I know
we already know you got players that you got your
own damn shirt.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
But anyway, I hate.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Her, yeah, and I you know, like I said, I
ain't put it on because I didn't want people to
feel some type of.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Way, but uhay, I love me some Esther.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I just I respect the hell out of her and
listening to her story about you.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
Know, in twenty twenty, she was like, I'm going for it.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
She quit her full time job and focused all of
her time and attention on players society, And like the
people say, won't he do.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
It every time? Every single time? Although when we say, God, no,
my heart, I'm glad he knew her is enough to
tell her to set down. I agree with that, But
I love Esther, respect her.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Her work is top notch and just a great soul,
a great person. Drop some good gems for us, and
hopefully what I have to give the people today will
kind of sort of be on the same line of
what Esther kind of told us today.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
For sure what you got.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Here's what I got, y'all.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
It's short and sweet.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
You know, Esther was just talking about she said so
many things, But I don't care who you are, what.
Speaker 4 (43:40):
You go through, what you do.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
We're all we're always gonna fall or fail at something right,
and we can just sit there and we can wallow
in it and feel sorry for ourselves, or we can
decide we're not going to do that. So the quote
I have for us today, it says, our greatest glory
is not in never falling, but in rising every time
(44:03):
we fall.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Period.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
That's what I got for y'all today.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Period, get up and keep trying and keep trying.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Absolutely love it.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
And so with Zach friends, we just want to continue
to thank you for listening to levels to this. We
will be back next week with more next level conversation
and when you hear from us.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Again, it will be twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
So very excited about what the new year is going
to bring.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
So enjoy your holiday.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Please be safe this New Year's Eve, but also remember
if you take some time throughout this holiday break to
listen to the show, it is not just our show,
but it is our show and.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
So we want to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Please leave us a review in Apple Podcasts, or you
can email us at Levels Too This Podcast at gmail
dot com. Tell us what your thought of this week's
show and what you might want to talk about next,
and you can also follow us on Instagram at lttpod.
Then keep your mentals ground level and we will be
back next year. See you guys, Do you see ya?
Speaker 4 (45:06):
Peace?
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Listen to Levels to This on America's number one podcast network,
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Hosts And Creators
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Sheryl Swoopes
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