Guest Interview: Stacy Dales

Our very special guest today is Stacy Dales!

Stacy has an impressive sports resume, playing for the Canadian National Team in the Olympics and earning All-American status at Oklahoma. Collecting all the awards along the way, she was drafted 3rd into the WNBA and went on to expand her repertoire as a reporter for ESPN. This all-around powerhouse is currently killing it as a reporter for the NFL network.

In addition to her iconic career in sports, Stacy leads with humor and kindness (I’ll give her a pass for a little game-time trash-talk). Although we met as opponents, I have always looked up to Stacy. She’s had her eye on the prize since I’ve known her and bleeds integrity into everything she does, making her an inspiration to myself and so many others. As a prominent sports reporter, this woman is paving the way for future generations of female game players and reporters, and I truly can’t think of a better role model. 

From start to finish, Stacy’s interview is full of tough-love nuggets of wisdom, honest reflections, and refreshing humility. To have the opportunity to turn the tables on an expert interviewer and put her in the hot seat was an absolute pleasure.

You can follow Stacy on IG @stacydales and watch her kick butt as a reporter for the NFL Network! 

Here’s a glance at this episode:

[0:28] Lindsey introduces Stacy Dales, former Olympian and current sideline reporter for the NFL

[6:04] “I believe that champions are made when nobody’s watching” and “confidence comes from demonstrated ability”. Stacy shares what both of these phrases mean to her and how her mindset training as an athlete informs her career today. 

[8:18] Stacy describes how she’s learned to embrace fear and shares her process for preparing her mind for high-pressure assignments.

[11:30] What’s an NFL reporter’s mental training routine like? From physical workouts, to memory hacks, and an intricate storytelling ritual, Stacy lets us in on her secrets to success.

[14:25] We all self-sabotage. It’s human nature. But once you have awareness around all the ways you self-sabotage, you reclaim your power. 

[16:30] You can both expect greatness and expect that failure will happen. Learning to live with human imperfections and high expectations isn’t always easy, but learning to see your imperfections with grace can fuel greatness. 

[20:25] Stacy makes a case for simplicity; i.e. creating guidelines and routines that reflect your natural strengths and support the success you want to see in your life. 

[22:53] What are the most joyful moments of Stacy’s job? Her vulnerable answer includes the very real responsibility of telling other people’s stories and the pride she feels for being a woman in sports today.

[25:40] Lindsey and Stacy chat about kindness, putting in the work, and always delivering early. And wrap up their episode by discussing Stacy’s next steps in work and life and the importance of self-grace.