Let's talk about the seismic shift happening in college sports that's making old-school athletic directors clutch their pearls: NIL (Name Image and Likeness, otherwise known as Brand) deals are here, and they're revolutionizing how student-athletes build their BRAND empires.

The Old Playbook Is Dead (And Good Riddance)

For decades, colleges have been running a masterclass in exploitation:

Universities raking in *billions* from TV deals
Coaches landing $10M+ contracts
Athletic departments building facilities that would make pro teams blush
Meanwhile, athletes got... what exactly? A "free education" while working a full-time job as unpaid entertainment?

The Numbers Don't Lie

Let's get real about what we're talking about:

The NCAA pulled in $1.14B in revenue in 2022
The average Division I school makes $32.8M annually from athletics
Top football programs generate $100M+ in revenue EACH
Before NIL? Athletes couldn't earn a dime from their own name

The Power Shift Is Here and it’s BRAND

Enter NIL, and suddenly the game's changing:

College athletes earned $917M in NIL deals in year two
Women's sports athletes securing 38% of total NIL compensation (take that, naysayers)
The average Division I athlete earning $3,438 per NIL deal
Female basketball players landing deals worth more than their WNBA counterparts

Why This Matters: The Simone Walker Story

Let's talk about our girl Simone. Through our Clairity Workshop, she didn't just build a brand – she laid the foundation for her empire before even hitting college. This isn't just about slapping a logo on an Instagram post. It's about:

1. Owning Your Narrative

Standing out in a sea of recruits
No more letting colleges control your story
Building a brand that transcends your sport
Creating value that lives beyond your playing days

2. Strategic Power Moves

Positioning yourself as a business, not just an athlete
Creating multiple revenue streams while still in school
Building a foundation for long-term wealth creation

The New Rules of The Game

For all the young athletes out there, here's your playbook:

1. Start Early

Your brand building starts NOW, not when you hit the big leagues
Every social post, every interview, every appearance is brand currency
Knowing who you are is key to crafting an authentic story

2. Think Beyond the Game

Your sport is your platform, not your ceiling
Build a brand that can outlast your playing career

3. Own Your Worth

No more "grateful just to be here" mentality
You're not just an athlete – you're a business

The Bottom Line

Let's be crystal clear: NIL isn't just leveling the playing field – it's rewriting the rules of the game.

Your Move

Ready to build your athletic empire? Here's what's next:

Get clear on your brand (hint: our Clairity Workshop is your secret weapon)
Start building your platform NOW
Remember: Your name, your image, your rules

Because at the end of the day, it's not just about getting your piece of the pie – it's about baking your own damn bakery.

Remember: They don't get to profit off your dream anymore. It's your turn to build the empire.

Want to learn more about how we're helping athletes like Simone build their brands?

Let's talk about your game plan.

P.S. Share this with a young athlete who needs to hear it. Because when athletes rise, we all rise – just with better sponsorship deals this time.

Artwork by Nya McClain, article by Senior Art Director, Bri Thomas

A Letter to Designers in the Dark

Dear fellow designer,

It's 4:30 PM, and I'm staring at my screen, trying to choose between two slightly different shades of blue. The office is dark except for my monitor's glow, and somehow, both colors look completely wrong. Sound familiar?

I've been thinking about us lately – all of us creatives huddled over our screens in the darkness, squinting at color swatches and second-guessing our choices. As creatives, we're intimately connected to light. It affects our color perception, influences our mood, and impacts our creative energy. When darkness creeps in before we've even had our afternoon coffee, it doesn't just change our environment – it transforms our entire creative process.

Remember summer? When inspiration seemed to pour through the windows with the sunlight, and every color choice felt confident under that perfect natural light? Now we're here, in the heart of winter, where stepping away from our desks at 5 PM means emerging into what feels like midnight.

The thing is, this seasonal shift doesn't just affect our screens – it seeps into our creative souls. The darkness has a way of making us question everything. That logo that looked perfect at noon? It's somehow different now. The website color scheme you confidently approved? It's playing tricks on you in the monitor's glow.

We're not just designing in the dark; we're navigating a completely different creative landscape.

But here's what I've been realizing: maybe this seasonal creative shift isn't entirely a bad thing. There's something almost poetic about how the darkness forces us to trust our instincts more than our eyes. It's pushing us to think differently about contrast, about visibility, about the way our designs live in different lights and environments.

I've started to find a strange comfort in these dark afternoons. They remind me that design isn't just about what we see on our screens – it's about how our work lives in the real world, where lighting isn't always perfect and conditions aren't always ideal. Every time I question a color choice in the 4:30 PM darkness, I'm actually considering my design in yet another context, another environment where it needs to work. And isn't that what we're really here for? To create designs that work in all lights, all seasons, all contexts?

So to you, my fellow designer sitting in the dark, squinting at your screen and wondering if you should wait until tomorrow's daylight to make that final color decision – I see you. Well, metaphorically at least. It's too dark to actually see much of anything right now.

Remember, we're all in this together, creating in the darkness until spring finds us again.

In solidarity and darkness,
Bri

P.S. If you're reading this during daylight hours, please, for the love of god, make those critical color choices now.

Parliament | Brand is Name and Likeness