00:00What do you say to people that say women should not be playing tackle football?
00:03That's not what they should be doing.
00:05I say the idea that football isn't for women is as crazy as the idea that football isn't for kids.
00:13Football isn't for, you know what I mean?
00:15The idea that you can quantify who a sport is for defeats the whole purpose of sports.
00:22Visionary. Businesswoman. Leader.
00:25Those are just a few words that come to mind when I think about Odessa OJ Jenkins.
00:30She's a successful tech sports executive, CEO of Bonfire, and the founder of the Women's National Football Conference.
00:36We recently sat down to chat about all things women's football and much more,
00:40and how the Women's National Football Conference is redefining what black women in sports should and will look like in the future.
00:47So, fun story.
00:49When I first met OJ, it was on IG Live.
00:52I was doing my podcast, and I had just started, and I was doing it on IG Live during the pandemic,
00:57and I wasn't familiar with you or what you do at the time, and I was running late.
01:00I think I got caught in traffic, and I talked to you from my car, and you were so gracious, so incredibly kind,
01:07and we've crossed paths several times after that, and you've remained the same.
01:11So, I want to first just salute you for your temperament, for your kindness, for your courage in entering into a space
01:18that a lot of other people would say, eh, not so much.
01:22For you, what has this journey, you know, incorporating women into professional football been like for you?
01:29It's a dream, you know.
01:31I think it's hard to tell at what stage you are of the journey.
01:36Yeah.
01:36So, in some ways, it's scary, but it is absolutely my purpose, and I'm having a blast.
01:44You know, Sonny was telling me the other day, like, you look like you're having a really good time.
01:48Yeah, you don't have bags under your eyes or anything.
01:50You look incredible.
01:50No, but I am.
01:52I'm having a blast.
01:54Like, I get to, every day I wake up, and I think about how to put women in position to win,
02:01how to put women, how to accelerate equity, and make sure that there's an opportunity for her in every space.
02:08And so, doing that for women in football is personal.
02:12Yeah, absolutely.
02:12I play tackle football.
02:14I coach tackle football.
02:15Doing that for the women that are here and that are coming behind is personal.
02:19But, honestly, it's also exciting because it's a business opportunity.
02:24Yeah.
02:24When you talk about building a national football league for women, what's the biggest barrier to entry that you encountered?
02:33And what's the biggest level of success that you feel you've experienced so far?
02:37Sure.
02:38You know, most people would think the barrier is the girls, the women themselves, trying to find women who play football where hundreds and thousands of women are there.
02:45So, the women and girls are there, which is nice.
02:47The biggest barrier is resources.
02:49I think there's limited awareness and limited storytelling.
02:54But that comes because the dollars aren't there yet.
02:57Yeah.
02:57Right?
02:58Where there's dollars, there are cameras.
03:01Where there are cameras, there are brands.
03:03Where there are brands, right?
03:04Begets, begets, begets.
03:05And so, I think the biggest hurdle is going to be how to continue to be strategic, to have brands latch on to the idea of women playing tackle and flag football.
03:21And then finding investors, right?
03:23Finding investors that see women's sports as a smart investment.
03:27Yeah.
03:27And continue to grab at that.
03:29Yeah.
03:29What would you like to see from the NFL specifically in partnering and or supporting the work that you're doing in the league itself?
03:37Yeah.
03:37I'd like to see the NFL completely and explicitly support women playing football, whether it be flag or tackle.
03:48I know the NFL is really focused on youth girls right now, which makes sense.
03:53Yeah.
03:54But I think that there is a space for the NFL to clearly come in and say, we support with their dollar.
04:02Yeah.
04:02With their resources.
04:03We support the WNFC.
04:06We support women playing tackle football.
04:08Yeah.
04:08And I think when that does happen, it will create a legitimacy for women playing football, similar to how all of a sudden girls have been playing flag football forever.
04:21Yeah.
04:21Now it's in the Olympics.
04:22They finally caught on.
04:23Yes.
04:24Yes.
04:24So, yeah, I think that's what I'd like to see.
04:27I'd like to see the NFL say, you know what?
04:30We are turning our time, our attention, our dollars to women's football to ensure that not only does it keep existing, but it exists in an affluent way.
04:40Yeah.
04:40What do you say to people?
04:42And I'm sure you've gotten this question before, but I've never been able to ask you.
04:44What do you say to people that say women should not be playing tackle football?
04:48That's not what they should be doing.
04:49Well, this might not be for them.
04:52I think that's the first thing I'm starting to realize is like everything isn't for everybody.
04:59Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:59There is an audience for everything, right?
05:02And I think us as women's sports need to stop apologizing.
05:07Of course, we have to be marketable.
05:09Of course, we have to be all those things.
05:10But I say the idea that football isn't for women is as crazy as the idea that football isn't for kids.
05:19Football isn't for, you know what I mean?
05:21The idea that you can quantify who a sport is for defeats the whole purpose of sports.
05:27Because sport is supposed to be irregardless of gender, where you're from, what language you speak.
05:33It's a universal language of team, of fun, especially this sport.
05:37Yeah.
05:38So, the other thing I would say that is really, really important for me is that we are past the time of anyone defining what women are capable of.
05:49I love that.
05:50We need to start defining what we're capable of and what we should and shouldn't do.
05:55And it's time for the world to realize that we're done with that.
05:58I love that.
05:59Yeah.
05:59What is one major way that being a black woman in sports has enriched your life?
06:06Adversity.
06:07I know how to handle adversity.
06:09I know how to get it done with not a lot.
06:11Right?
06:11I said that like it was a wrap.
06:12You were setting bars right here.
06:14I was going to let you go.
06:15I was about to drop some bars.
06:16No, because I know how to do it.
06:19I know how to get it done.
06:20And it's like people find it miraculous some of the things that we're doing in the league, whether it be marketing or social media or finding brand partnerships where there were none before.
06:30And I think as a black woman, I've gotten that because I know how to go get it without a lot of resources as a young girl from South Central L.A.
06:38Like I know how to make it happen and be a 10Xer.
06:41So, that's helped me as a woman in sports.
06:43And then the other thing is like I was born this way.
06:46I was born into a world, into a society that doesn't always make a space for me.
06:51So, I have to know how to use my voice and my presence as a black woman to make a space for others.
06:57And you've certainly done that.
06:58And speaking of making a space, you got some advice that you're leaving to us on the playbook.
07:06Can you share your secret to success that you left on the playbook?
07:09So, I put here embrace the power of choice.
07:13Because I know that everyone's path is going to be different.
07:19Everyone's journey is different.
07:21And I think when you're going through it, sometimes you forget, especially as women, sometimes we forget that you always have a choice.
07:29Don't let the world, don't let society, don't let expectations take away your number one opportunity.
07:35And that is to choose whether or not I want to do this or not.
07:39I'm going to step forward, step backward, deal with the consequences.
07:42But it is always your choice.
07:44So, embrace the power of choice.
07:46I love that.
07:46Well, thank you for choosing to be a trailblazer.
07:48I'm always pulling for you.
07:49Yes.
07:50Enjoy yourself in this week.
07:51And all the best when your season kicks off.
07:52Thank you, sister.
07:53I appreciate you.
07:54Thank you, sister.
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