 We had a three-part round table conversation That's some of the challenges you may be experiencing. You're no different than me. There's someone there that looks like me like representation matters Having come from a time where I was the only black person in the building till today where we've got diversity Unlike we've had in the past. It's exciting Thank you so much for being here and a part of the black history month round table I thought it was important to have the leadership team talk about the progressions We've made the value we all play and Continuing to make moves as well as kind of where we've been where we are and what we would like our vision for the future to be I think it's important that everyone Understands who's at the table and how we all got here and so I would love if each of us just talked a little bit about Our journey to get to where we are today so just tell us a little bit about who you are and and How you got to be in the position that you're currently and we'll start with you Shannon All right So I have been here with the Titans almost two two years now full two seasons and before this so I lead our finance team before this I was in public accounting here in Nashville with a company called EY and Did that for a little over ten years? And it just so happened that the Titans were one of my audit clients actually and so I got to Audit the team for a little over three seasons and really just through building relationships and building networks with the folks here Was able that when this position came up? I was considered for for the role and very excited about that sports outside of Being on this audit team sports I wasn't in the sports industry and also being a female as well It was very humbling to even be considered for this role And so I joined the team back in March of 21 and It's been a whirlwind ever since it's been a lot of fun a journey with a lot of a lot of new folks here as well and Started just on the finance side But then got to roll up and work with our people and culture and HR teams And so diversity has been a big part of all of the new initiatives that we're putting into place And it's been a fun fun ride Just kind of getting to create create new things since I've been around. So yeah, I bet you so This is my well. I just completed my third season with the team And approaching my 10th in the NFL I came to the Titans during COVID, which is a fun transition I wasn't I wasn't expecting that type of experience and let me tell you it was it was actually easy to slide in here because of how Everyone was so welcoming and everyone kind of just brought me in and you know the role that I do Not every team has it and we have this vision of of having a premium brand So I get to do what I do and then I get to be a champion of the brand and our team gets to make really great work Prior to Titans I was with the Miami Dolphins and then prior to that was an advertising for many years So I get to I joke that I have the best job in the organization I think it's interesting listening to them talk and I know Tina your journey you've been with this organization for a couple of decades now and it's okay It's it's really interesting that I think a lot of us feel this way it's it's this is a really special organization It's a really special time to be here and the the different journeys that Some of them are very traditional sports journeys others there's not at all and they're just feels like it's a sometimes There's a story that's writing itself and a lot of us are you know really lucky to be written into it my journey was Certainly non-traditional would be in a position like this. I'm an attorney by trade I grew up in the Chicagoland area and Had been working as an attorney in private practice and for some some corporations for 15 16 years I actually saw an advertisement on LinkedIn For the general counsel position with the Titans and I thought man some lucky person's gonna get a really cool job And my family encouraged me to apply and I did and was really excited to make it through the process and came down here in 2016 just a couple years after Amy had stepped in Amy Adams drunker controlling under had stepped in as controlling owner And so there was a lot of change in the organization There was a new energy that was part of the organization. We got to work on some really fun things Perhaps most fun was the NFL draft during my time as general counsel and just as cove it was starting our previous president CEO Steve Underwood who's incredibly generous man mentor friend of mine He decided You know cove it this thing seems like it's gonna have some staying power and it's hard He had already retired once and so decided to retire again and was really honored when Amy asked me to step into his position Yeah, I think we've all said very similarly how important our culture is right and and what The value that it plays into having a successful organization or this being the best job you've ever had, you know and so when we think about culture and Our effort to continue to be progressive in that space like what what comes to mind from a cultural standpoint point internally and What we present ourselves to those people in our community as well I think first and foremost our employees. I mean, I think that our employees are incredible And they're kind of the ones that are championing championing that And really I mean it starts with Amy also with our owner Amy Adam Strunk. I mean she's got this kind of family atmosphere here of Yes, we're the big NFL, but we're a privately held family-owned company And so I think it starts with kind of that Amy's tone and then really just hiring the best The best employees that are you know, they're not settling for anything They want a great great culture great purpose driven Organization to work for and we're we're building that yeah, I Hadn't been here very long and one of my favorite colleagues. I won't name him, but we had talked about Some some things that he just he wanted something different in terms of what he was seeing in his experience it was just it was all you know very Kind of work and goal related and things like that but he decided to leave for another organization and I remember asking him you know, what was ultimately the final decision and he said something about culture and I asked him to dig a little bit deeper. I'm like, what is it about the the culture at the place that you're going to? or the culture here and His answer was I don't know that there is a culture there, which I don't think was an entirely Accurate comment. I'm not sure I agreed with it, but I think the thing that was it stood out to me about that comment It was kind of a transition moment for me of saying we have to be so intentional About what we want out of our culture if there's any employee who's not sure what our culture is or that we you know have a culture We've got to be on purpose about you know, what we stand for You know, what our values are and so I think we've had a really good journey over the last few years of asking our employees Why why do you enjoy working here? What what makes this place different? I mean, it's sports organization is a fun place to work No question, but at some point I think all of us can acknowledge I mean, it's it's there's still like stresses and strains of the job in a way that It's got to be meaningful to you right the the coolness of the business card can wear off for some of our employees If it's not a great place to work And so I'm really proud of the work that the Shannon's team and Tina you're doing to to help Define that culture be intentional about it so that it is a great place to work Yeah, I would say it's interesting because you hear culture and I've heard of organizations having cultures But it's toxic and so being very intentional to that point of making sure that it's a culture that people want to be a Part of and then are excited to say that they work for this organization But one thing you said reminded me of a question oftentimes when you're having conversations Sometimes they are difficult. How do you navigate those difficult conversations because that's what helps move the needle, right? That's when you learn what where you are and what you need to do to be better And so just how do you navigate those difficult conversations? I mean, I would I would say and any one conversation that I've had just being honest and positioning If it's a the person that You're talking to like making sure that they understand that things that we're talking about are really like we care It's in their benefit want to try to understand a little more and hopefully it doesn't make the conversation as difficult If the intention is in the right place You know, I that's usually been my my go-go to if you will just just be honest and Deeply concerned with whoever it is that you're talking to I mean I completely agree with everything surf said and one of my favorite quotes is people don't care How much you know until they know how much you care and really showing your employees or showing your co-workers that you care and having those transparent conversations You know Talking about it right away as soon as it happens, you know Because when you're more transparent about it and you care about either whether it's their development You turn it into a coaching session or you know You're working together and you're being vulnerable with them that you don't know the answer either and let's work at it together So really showing them that you care and really being transparent I think or what has helped me a lot. Yeah, and hopefully it's not that you're You're starting from flat ground in that conversation, but you've built up trust and you've you've built up a common and mutual respect you've we really try to To recruit Genuine people and humble people right you and that that's the sort of thing that really shines through so that when you you have an Honest conversation and you're talking about something hard. It feels like it's it's more easily received when when you it's comes from that That base of trust. Yeah, I had a conversation with a couple of colleagues about Diversity and what it meant to you know Everyone has their own defined meaning of what diversity may or may not mean to them and it was a really Genuine great conversation where each one of us walked away learning something and it was a difficult conversation to have but Because we because the conversation came from a place of love and trust It made it a lot easier, right? And so when we think specifically about from a diversity standpoint Where do you think we are and let's talk a little bit about some things that we are kind of implementing or putting in place so that We are growing beyond from where we are to where we would like to see ourselves in the future I mean I would say already from a hiring practices perspective from you know The employee side of just our organization as a whole has grown a lot just employee size and with that We've been able to kind of cast a broader net on new opportunities for folks Whether that be full-time roles or even internships or fellowship programs trying to do be more intentional As we're growing you know where we're casting that broader net from a hiring perspective is one that comes to mind Mm-hmm. I think you're probably gonna hear that word intentional a lot in this conversation because I think that's where it starts as you You can't just By by wanton will be effective in places that you want to grow and Diversity and inclusion is certainly one of those places where you put a good deal of intention around it recruiting is probably the easiest example of it's one thing to To to care about diversity in your workforce It's a completely other one to actually build some systems and programs to and to hold hold yourself accountable from a recruiting perspective to you know always casting a wide net and and Just having the right processes in place I think it for us as an organization in a city like Nashville being an NFL team being so Integrated into this community. I think it goes beyond our walls to Recognizing that we are leaders in this community. We have opportunities in this community to When we have projects And we're recruiting vendors to recognize the opportunity that we have to To to you know be be growing local businesses and making sure that that those businesses are representative of our community too In terms of diversity and so we are Look to your to your question about the journey like it's we're not where we ultimately want to be I don't know that this is something where you should ever really be satisfied But we are as often as possible being intentional about Adding the right programs doing the right sorts of things to make sure that we can live into it It's a value that's important to us But putting in those those those programs and those systems to to hold ourselves accountable to living out those values And I think it too as you mentioned it goes beyond these walls Some of the things we've done from a creative standpoint speak to that and that's really impactful when other people see the recognition that we're providing Beyond just the walls of the organization sir. She should talk about and maybe I think we all know what we're talking about here But maybe even going back to the inspiration for that project so You know we have a tremendous opportunity with the platform that we have to shine a light in our community in places that normally They just don't have that type of exposure So it's a responsibility that we we enjoy having quite honestly when our hearts in the right place And so every year, you know the the schedule the NFL schedule is announced and it's a big secret It's a big to do and it's it's become a kind of a creative flex for all the teams with each other's competition This last season instead of using the moment to just Try to be the most creative we can be in and and that was an end it there We decided to use the moment knowing that everyone's gonna be looking at us to shine the light on local businesses It's specifically in the Jefferson Street area because we wanted to celebrate These local businesses that just normally don't have a voice with a platform like ours, right? And if we are going to be real stewards of our community like why not right? And so that became an ongoing thing and we were able to create a program where I mean I mean, you know that where we were highlighting these businesses every week at our home games and I don't I just find that It's it's such a tremendous Joy when you have these Quote-unquote mom-and-pop shops people who are just really building their their business and then all of a sudden You know you have this NFL team that turns around and say no, no, you're you're here You're with us too come on come on this journey with us Absolutely, and so so it's just it was a great idea from the crew And hopefully it becomes something bigger than even the first idea. Do you remember the inspiration for the project here? That's I always thought that was a cool part of the story. Well, yeah, we had we had the we had councilmember Sharon Hurt Come speak to we have we have a concept we sometimes call ten talks another part of this intentional culture creation where It can be about anything right and we've had we've had somebody from the military come talk about military experience We've had people that come talk about it. It doesn't have to be work-related It's just something that's it's an intersection with smart people, right? And and councilmember Sharon Hurt came in and she she told our organization about the history of Jefferson Street and and What I heard from members of your team was that that ten talk from Sharon was was inspirational to them And it was about the time that you were thinking about the the schedule release and I just again it comes back to that that intentionality of You know delivering this this this information from councilmember Hurt to the organization that ultimately led to what was I mean Just a really really cool project. Yeah, we were fired up We were so fired up just to hear about that extra layer and story and narrative of Our community over the backyard that truly is leadership to me when I think about leadership you're Showing the value and using the brand in a way. That's non-traditional, right? But you're educating your staff in the process about things that they may not ordinarily know otherwise And so if if there are leaders with other organizations or companies looking at this Right now and thinking about how can I use? My platform and the organization that I work for to lead the space and the charge in the DEI like what advice Would you give to leaders in the community that are interested in doing that? I think some of it I've already said But it's worth repeating. I do you think it starts with you know Defining that it's a value Right and but then building the intention around it and and having some some processes and systems to make sure that You're holding yourself accountable I I think I Would I would say to to leaders to also look to your unique business and your unique opportunities and platforms What's interesting is a lot of the people from our organization that have joined recently Did not work in sports did not work in in the NFL and so We I think bring this unique perspective of oh my gosh the power of this organization and the of our platform and And and our our influence in this community when people look to us as leaders in this community and they want us to lead this community And so we have really powerful creative team and social media channels We we have you know a powerful network in this community That's our story right for leaders of other businesses their story is going to be something different Their opportunities are going to be different But you know if every business were to take a look at where they can have that influence What their platform, you know how it can be used this could be really Wonderful and inspiring community And I would say listening to your employees or your fans or customers in that sense too because when you find things that are Aligned then you get those passion projects and everybody is wrong in the same direction and a lot of you know We're doing employee pull surveys or we're doing things where we're trying to find You know what is that makes our employees tick and then you know when we're connecting those passions together It just makes for something that's really special those 10 talks that Burt talked about our tagline is employees worth inspiring So we bring in Motivational speakers that are here just to inspire our employees and it's really you know Really fun thing to see when we can align our company's values with the things that our employees are most passionate about and special things happen Yeah, and when I think about the purpose of this round table is black history month round table, right and the location of our facility sits and Smacked up in the middle of some of the most historic HBCUs in the country And I know there are a lot of students there with aspirations to work in sports Specifically their hometown team the Tennessee Titans like what advice would you give those students who have an interest in being in this building? I mean we're trying to do more outreach like Burke said we're on a journey And so really we're starting you know internship program a more robust one this year or again We're trying to be more intentional and also a fellowship program as well of just again using our platform to help Help students and cast that wider net. So that's one that We're really excited to roll out a bit a more robust program this year And to hit those those folks that they're they're passionate and they're right in our backyard We don't even we don't have to go across country. They're right here. Yeah, we We've got a really long history with Tennessee State University in particular We actually share a stadium for a few games a year at Tennessee State Place home games at Nissan Stadium and We have had conversations with the administration leadership over at Tennessee State or last couple years about what is a next generation of Of a partnership look like with Tennessee State University far beyond just sharing a facility You know, we're passionate about again understanding the power of our platform and The opportunities that we can provide and we've got some really really exciting things in mind with with internships We've talked about actually sending some of our executives over to Tennessee State University to be adjunct professors There's there's there's really neat things that we have in mind. Meharry Medical College We're actually hosting annually a medical school school student To have internships in our sports medicine department hoping hoping to increase the the representation among Trainers and medical staff in the NFL. So we it's we're really really blessed to have Three great HBCUs in our city and we're paying attention to how we can through that intentionality again Ultimately just increase the the level and effectiveness of those partnerships You spoke you said representation and that stuck out a little to me because whenever I'm out in the community And I see young African-American students and they're always so excited to see me in the position with the sports team and most recently, you know, we hired our First black general manager and I've heard and I've heard from so many people how excited they are to see that And so, you know, I think inclusion and belonging is very important and that shows or that sheds some light and gives some hope To students that have a desire to one day be here They now can see themselves and that representation piece is very important When we think about our staff and we talk a lot about our culture and how important it is for people to feel that sense of Belonging, I know we talked about the 10 talks and let's just talk a little bit about some other ways that we're encouraging our staff to To feel like the family, you know environment that we so desire for everyone to have Yeah, the other one is employee resource groups, which I know you're you're helping a spearhead as well, Tina So right now we've got a professional women's network and we have a black professionals network And hoping again to continue to expand that this coming year just to not only have Resources for those groups but also then allies can attend those meetings and kind of figure out how together we can support each other It's just important to see other people that that look like you or have experiences like you in the organization Because then you can bounce ideas off of each other or help each other when times are difficult or celebrate the joys with each other So we've got those two networks this year, but hoping to expand that already Very soon. Yeah, you know, we also support our staff When they reach out and look for conferences or some external resources like we Encourage them like like crazy to to make sure that You know, they actually are looking And and that there isn't really a you know financial burden, you know to them So they can actually gain education gain exposure network with others So that's that's another way in which we would you support them there very beneficial to me and my development Was a lot of the professional development opportunities. I was able I don't know that I would otherwise have had access to and the Organization supported those and so I think that that's what's kind of helped and propelled me in my career personally That's really cool. I think that speaks to again everything that we've said thus far at the table the importance of Hiring the right people then fitting into the culture and creating a culture where there's inclusion and everybody feels like There's a sense of belonging if there was Just in wrapping up like if there was something or advice you could give to young individuals that are wanting to be a part of the Organization especially from a diverse community what what advice or what words would you give them Part of the advice that I give to everyone who's who's asking about how they can get into sports again with the Titans is You know just really really commit to being the best version of yourself and winning the day every day I think the very practical thing though is to be on the lookout for some of these programs that we're going to start to roll out with respect to internships and We're gonna have we're gonna have some really broad ones that are That are entry level kind of game day related where we've got lots of opportunities for people to get into the organization Get to meet people The reason why we're putting all these programs in place is because we want to meet the next generation of potential Titans employees In really meaningful ways and so I'd look out for those programs and and and try to get in the mix Yeah, I would just say networking and relationships. They matter so much the smallest relationships Even if you're going and listening to somebody speak or stay after and talk to them or if you're you know Game day getting it getting your foot in the door any kind of relationship that you can kind of begin to Show folks that you're a hard worker and your character and your genuine Everything else can be coached, you know But trying to plant those seeds in those relationships early and just as again as many people as you can That's how I got here I built a relationship with the folks on the Titans team at that time and you know Never would have thought that I would be in the role that I am here today But it's because of hard work and building relationships Yeah, I'd say just get started. Don't be afraid to reach out a lot of times Especially students. They're very apprehensive about reaching out to a team. I don't know anyone But I mean with LinkedIn and things like that. There's so many tools out there but just getting over that initial fear of just reaching out and Having a conversation and just being curious That opens doors and it's very non-committal and honestly we we were looking for them Well, thank you all so much for being a part of the Black History Month round table and I appreciate your time today Thanks, Hannah. Thank you