Episode 21 of The TOP Lessons Podcast features Teri Schindler, Co-founder and CEO of Herzog & Schindler, who takes us through her remarkable journey from working in live television at The Big East Conference to becoming a pioneering force in women’s sports media. Throughout the episode, she breaks down why simplicity fuels disruption, why “help me understand” is her communication mantra, and how curiosity, critical thinking, and pattern recognition remain essential even in the era of AI. Teri closes with insights on embracing uncertainty, navigating change, leading with intention, and the advice she’d give her 18-year-old self as she continues to challenge norms and build what’s next.
About Today’s Guest
Teri Schindler is the CEO and co-founder of Herzog & Schindler, a global brand innovation and digital communications consultancy. A multi-Emmy Award–winning producer, writer, and director, she has developed and distributed award-winning content for NBC, CBS, ESPN, HBO, and major sports organizations, including the NBA and WNBA. Schindler made history as the first woman to produce live NCAA March Madness games for CBS and to lead Olympic venue coverage for NBC Sports. Before founding H&S, she helped pioneer digital and brand strategies for broadcast networks, the NBA/WNBA, and agencies like DARPA. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she began her career with the Big East Conference and continues to bridge storytelling, strategy, and innovation across sports, industry, health, and consumer sectors.
Key Points from this Episode:
0:00 Welcome to The TOP Lessons Podcast!
0:23 Introducing today’s guest, Teri Schindler, Co-founder and CEO of Herzog & Schindler
1:43 How Teri Schindler started her firm and became CEO of Herzog & Schindler, following a passion for being in live television
2:30 Starting at The Big East Conference, learning to spot opportunities, and launching the first women’s televised package for women’s basketball
9:54 Working with the WNBA because she was the only person doing women’s basketball on television, rethinking sponsorship
13:37 Teri’s lessons learned through the networking world and deciding factors in starting her own company
16:53 Transitioning to entrepreneurship, fears in unfamiliar fields outside of sports, pivoting to work with DARPA, and impact as a driving force
19:52 Catering to communities with content and extending knowledge of sports to other fields, embracing being a disruptor by explaining with simplicity
24:30 “Help me understand” as a modern mantra and basis for building trust and communication across industries
27:13 Not abdicating curiosity, strategy, and ideation when using AI to help with the execution of ideas, and the power of curiosity, critical thinking, and pattern recognition
39:20 On being open to the uncertainty of the future, being willing to be dynamic, and managing change
44:02 On being a disruptor and selling the disruption vs. imposing it on others
51:57 Advice Teri would give her 18-year-old self
Mentioned on the Show:
Recommend a Guest for The TOP Lessons Podcast: kathy@kgroupventures.com
Connect with The TOP Lessons on Instagram: @thetoplessons
Connect with Teri Schindler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terischindler/
Follow Teri Schindler on Twitter/X: https://x.com/Teri_ktm
Learn about Herzog & Schindler: https://herzogschindler.com/
Thank You
Thank you for tuning in to The TOP Lessons Podcast! If you love what you heard here, take a moment to leave a review or comment and subscribe to be notified when new episodes drop. This helps the podcast grow and reach more listeners like you! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for bonus content from this episode and more TOP lessons!
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.