The Power Play Podcast

As many of you know, I worked in professional sports for 13 seasons. I stood nearly courtside, in the visiting team’s tunnel within the historic Oracle Arena and was part of a team of people that managed the entertainment experience of the game. It was an amazing vantage point. Not only did I get to see the plays that happened on the court, I was also a piece of the Power Plays that happen off the court or field.

It was a privilege to see and be a part of the lifestyle movement of sport. In particular, the entrepreneurial side of athletics is booming. Power Players are using sport to take their careers to new heights, create change, innovate and build ventures that will outlast the shine of any season. While there are Power Players making these moves every single day, their stories are seldom told…until now.

Listen to The Power Play Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher. Join 500,000 people and subscribe to The Athletic for the full casts including bonus footage of the Power Play podcast, exclusive content and in-depth coverage of all teams.

I have partnered with The Athletic to bring you the real stories of the Power Players of sport in The Power Play Podcast. Through dynamic interviews, I will show you a side of sports you have never seen before. I have an amazing lineup and I can’t wait to share it with you. As a matter of fact, I don’t have to because the first episode is here!

Derrick Robinson, aka the Golden State Warriors official DJ, D-Sharp, is the epitome of a Power Player. I could rattle off all of his amazing accomplishments but why do that when we have this amazing podcast? The debut of the official Power Play intro that was created by Derrick and Oakland artist Kev Choice is also in the episode. Clearly, there are so many reasons to press play.

Listen to Episode 1 | DJ D Sharp of The Power Play Podcast with Alicia Jay.

I am incredibly grateful to Taneka Smothers, Brian Smith and the entire team at The Athletic for giving me this incredible opportunity to share this remarkable view of sports. I would also like to give a huge thanks to all of my guests and future guests on The Power Play Podcast. Last but certainly not least, I will be forever appreciative to Marcus Thompson for bringing my name to the table, for his mentorship and his continuous belief in me. Thank you, Marcus.

And as with every single thing that I do, thank you God. Literally nothing is possible without you.

And now. The debut of The Power Play Podcast…

Photographer Ariel Nava took the amazing photos for The Power Play launch. Check out his outstanding work HERE.

Listen to the first episode of The Power Play Podcast HERE.

Falling for Amalli Talli

We have been tall style blogging together for years now and I hope you know that sponsored or not, I am always going to give you the real. If I like something, I am going to tell you. If I don’t, I will certainly tell you. So when Amalli Talli approached me about working together to bring their brand new tall line to you, I needed proof. So they sent me all the things. Almost every new piece that they had and let me tell you, it delivered.

The quality is amazing. I was incredibly pleased especailly for the price range. Pieces from moto jackets to jeans to cozy sweaters range from $44-$95. That is unheard of for a line such as this. You may or may not know this but it’s incredibly hard to hit a price point like that when you are an independent designer like Amalli Talli. It’s literally two amazing women spearheading the whole operation and they did everything they could to make the price points affordable for tall women everywhere. That in itself wins my support.

But on top of that, the clothes are specifically made for our tall bodies. It’s not a let’s add an inch to the bottom of these pants type of line. It’s crafted for our beautiful long arms, remarkable torsos and killer legs. You feel it when you put the pieces on. It’s an experience that we don’t often get and I for one appreciate the moment.

Last but certainly not least, I am super happy that they are pieces that you can mix, match and layer. You can create so many outfits. As you can see, I created 6 and I could have styled more.

So in summation, I am looking forward to the next drop (which I will obviously show you). Check out all of the pieces and let me know what you think. I can’t wait for you to experience it yourself. Report back and share because I think we should all know about stellar tall style, don’t you?

Leopard Sweater - $60/Blakely Skinny Jean - $69/Knit Moto Jacket - $95

Sweater and jeans shown in a M. Jeans shown in 30/37.

Striped Sweater - $50 (shown in M)

Black Lace Cami - $44 (shown in a M)

Favorite Tall Crew Long Sleeve (shown in a M)/Black Moto Leggings (shown in M)

Teal Swing Tank - $45 (shown in size M)

Oatmeal Duster - $69 (shown in size M)

Thank you for sponsoring this post Amalli Talli. Check out the latest line from this amazing tall retailer HERE.

The incredible photos were taken by the one and only Alina Mamlyuk

Stand Tall in Your Truth

Yes. At 6’6” I am obviously tall (shoutout to all of the strangers who think they are the first person to tell me this) but what does it mean to truly Stand Tall?

I think it’s different for everyone.

For me, I try my best to Stand Tall in every single thing that I do. Standing up for yourself in all areas of your life can be difficult. Do I fall short? Yes. But I have more wins than losses and I use my losses as knowledge to fuel my future wins. Standing Tall has saved me from making bad decisions, from believing lies that people tell me about myself, from lies that I tell myself and it has certainly saved my back from the terrors of slouching. Standing Tall is not just a physical occurrence, it is an act of pure self love.

I wanted to wear my badge of honor, so I created a shirt for myself and thought…what if others want to wear their truth too? No matter what your height is, we all Stand Tall for something. What is it for you?

Your declaration is coming soon. Sign up below to stay connected for all of the details.

I can’t wait for us to Stand Tall together! Coming soon…

Click HERE (or any photo above) to subscribe for all of the Stand Tall updates.

Photos by Lakeela Smith

Celebrating a Year of Failure

As you may or may not know, I took a leap of faith last year. I would tell you all about it but it’s probably better just to listen. Cheers to a year of failure!

Full Circle

Graduation season is in full swing and recently I had the absolute honor to be the commencement speaker for my Alma Maters Black Graduation. It was a full circle moment for so many reasons. At University of the Pacific, I found my voice. It was where I discovered my confidence and realized that being Black was a privilege. I could explain it further but I thought there was no better way to show my sheer amazement for the day but to post my actual speech. 

I am incredibly grateful for Marshea Pratt and her entire staff for asking me to speak and congratulations to the 2019 University of the Pacific Black Graduates!

Good evening! How is everyone doing today? Greetings friends, faculty, staff, alumni and the illustrious class of 2019! Yes, you better make some noise for yourself! You did that!

My name is Alicia Jay. I received my Bachelors in broadcasting in 2002 and my Masters in Public Relations in 2003 right here at Pacific. I see you sitting there trying to do the math and let me just do it for you...I am 38 years old and looking great I might add. Now the burning question, did I play a sport at Pacific? Yes. I was the captain of the soccer team. The tallest goalie Pacific has ever had. Y’all actually believed me?

Really, I played basketball for 5 years because I redshirted for a season. For those of you who don’t know what that is, I was granted an extra year of eligibility because I needed to get stronger. When I walked on this campus I was a very skinny girl, with absolutely no muscle, who didn’t know who she was, with zero confidence. I came all the way down from Beaverton, Oregon where I was one of a few black kids in the school district. Not the school...the entire district. I would walk home from elementary school with my little brother and someone would yell nigger out the window. I had a teacher that would bring me up in front of the class on a regular basis and tell everyone how poor my spelling scores were and what a terrible student I was. Later when I began my career in basketball, my Father pulled me off of the court during a game because he could see that I was visibly shaken due to the other teams racial remarks against me. On top of that, I was bullied on a regular basis for being exceptionally tall. Now, I know that they were making fun of me because they wanted my gift and couldn’t have it but at the time every comment felt like a knife to my side. So by the time I arrived at UOP, I was depleted. I was low. I was suicidal.

During the first week, my teammate and I got a knock on our door and when we opened it, we were greeted by every black person on campus. The entire black student union came to make sure that we knew that they were there and more importantly that they had our back. After they left, my roommate and teammate who was from Oakland (shout out to Ahshalic) was shocked that the group were ALL of the black people in the student union, but for me, I was juiced! I finally had MY community with me. The 15 people at my door made me feel seen. They are my best friends to this day. They are the people who brought me back from hating who I was and more importantly taught me what a privilege it is to be black. They are my Sorors who I crossed with in 2001 when we reinitiated Delta Sigma Theta Sorority incorporated right here on this campus. They are my community that reminds me every day that I do in fact belong in the rooms that I am in and have the strength of every single black person who paved the way before me.

Look around you right now. No matter where you go, you will always have a thread of being in this graduating class with each other. This moment is the starting point to the rest of your lives. Now, I’m gonna take it church. I need you to greet your graduating class right now. Hug your neighbor to the left and the right. Congratulate them. Really. Do it right now. Don’t make me come down there and hug each and every one of you because I will...

Now, why am I up here? Sure. I have accomplished some things. I could talk about how after graduating from Pacific, I commenced a 13 year career in corporate America with the Golden State Warriors in Game operations and marketing. I won awards, produced championship games, I was in parades and I have three rings which of course I am wearing tonight because I earned these bad boys and paid the taxes on them so please believe I wear them whenever I get the chance.

I could talk about creating a successful lifestyle platform called TallSWAG that helps people to stand tall every day, in every way, that has brought me to many stages just like this one, enabled me to change lives and even star in a number one hit television show on TLC that was watched by millions of viewers. BTW I’m @TallSWAG on all social channels.

Click the photo for more about why I decided to go on a show with the word GIANT in the title.

I could also talk about meeting Michelle Obama. I have proof y’all. Look. She is hugging me like I’m family. That’s not photoshopped. I still can’t believe that.

But I am not going to talk about any of those things. Today, I am going to talk about painting your own picture.

The other day, I went to one of those paint and sip classes for the first time. If you haven’t been, it’s a class that teaches you how to paint the template of a picture while you sip the drink of your choice.
This was the one that we were going to paint.

So, I get there. Find my easel. And I see the outline that is drawn. I make sure all of the colors are there and I am ready to paint it exactly how they told me too and something just clicked...why? There’s nothing wrong with it but I don’t put flowers in my hair and these colors don’t really go with my apartment...why did I have to stay in these lines? The answer is...you don’t.

As you walk into the rest of your lives there are many people that are going to try and box you in and up. They will put parameters around you and give you parameters to stick to.

They will tell you your hair is too natural,
that you can’t deviate from the plan,
that you are intimidating,
that you don’t deserve the promotion, a seat at the table or can create your own table.

That is their version of the painting. Those are their lines. Don’t let those lies incarcerate your truth. You are bold. You are dynamic. You are a game changer and a history maker. You are everything that many people don’t want you to be

and they will do things to make you believe that their version is better. Do not let them.

8 months ago I listened to myself say this and walked away from a guided portrait to pursue my own work of art. I am now a full time entrepreneur. It has been challenging, it is taking prayer, patience and persistence but any great feat does. In your path you will encounter many lessons and it is your job to live through them, learn from them and pass them on, so today that is what I am going to do for you. These are lessons I learned for someone in this room today and you better appreciate them because they were not pleasant but like all lessons completely necessary...

Starting over is essential. You will do it many times throughout your life. They will all be scary. They will all be worth it. You arrive at every new start with the necessary lessons for that level of your life. Nothing is wasted. Use the levels, don’t let the levels use you.

You belong in the room. Whether it be a room that you created or one that you are helping to create, you deserve to be there. Your path led you to this place.

God makes no mistakes. Embrace it and thrive in it.

You are the only one with your gifts. No two people are the same. We are created to accomplish things that only we can do. Stop comparing your gifts to someone else’s. There is no comparison. Create your lane and thrive in your purpose.

Congratulate and Collaborate. We are here to build with our community. We achieve together. Our gifts are to be shared and celebrated. Contribute to and gain from your community.

Hard work always pays off. You must move your feet or someone else will. Purpose cannot be achieved without movement.

Never stand at closed doors. Closed doors are a blessing. They carve our path just like open ones do. Do not stare at them. They are there to create movement. Thank them for the experience and move forward.

The bear is scared of you. Your gifts will scare people into forming weapons against you. They will not prosper. Move past their noise and towards the achievement of your goals.

Ignore the clock. Shed the worlds timeline of success. Work hard. Follow your path and let your purpose unfold in the way that it was meant to. Don’t rush your story. Live it.

Get out of your own way. Your feelings will stop you from doing what it takes to accomplish your purpose. Choose faith over feelings always.

Leave it here. You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. You are here to leave a positive mark on the world. Get out there and use your gifts to do it. Use your influence to the fullest.

Now, these are very important points but really it all comes down to this very moment. You have accomplished something amazing and I am very proud of you but if you don’t do anything with it, you just paid a lot of money for a cap and gown. Use your gifts, your black privilege and the knowledge that you have gained right here at UOP to change the world in the most humble way possible. There is nobody that can do it in the way that you can except for you.

It has truly been an honor. Thank you for having me and congratulations to OUR new class of 2019!

Congratulations to the 2019 University of the Pacific Black graduating class!

Sweat Equity

We have all been there. You are straight chillin on the couch, when your friend calls last minute with something fun that you just can’t pass up. You only have moments to get ready and are currently in sweat mode. What to do? Remix those sweats boo!

You can add some very small things that will make a big impact on a chic athleisure look. In this case, I added a simple faux leather jacket, hoops and some nude pumps. Seriously, thats it. I guarantee you already have accessories that you can add. No purchase necessary. Just go in that closet and mix it up.

ASOS DESIGN Tall Hoodie & Jogger Set (shown in size L)/Faux Leather Jacket - ASOS (similar here)/Glasses and Hoops - Forever 21/Pumps - Calvin Klein (shown in size 12)

Photos by Alina Mamlyuk

If you are looking for sweats, I highly recommend the ASOS loungewear line but if you already have them, there are simple, easy and free ways to pump them up 20 notches. Try some things out. The worst thing that can happen is you have to buy a new pair of sweats and the best is unlocking new looks you didn’t even know you had in your closet. That doesn’t sound like much of a risk to me. Besides, you need that emergency look on hand for that one last minute friend that we all have, know and love. Stay ready so you wont have to get ready. Period.