Building a Business with the Founders of Honest Game
Honest Game helps high school student-athletes meet and keep track of their academic requirements to meet and maintain eligibility for NCAA athletics. Founded by Kim Michelson and Joyce Anderson, two former college athletes with deep experience in nonprofits, Honest Game looks to level the playing field for promising student-athletes from under-resourced backgrounds who might not have access to college counselors or school athletic directors to advise on core curriculum course selection or on post-secondary admissions exams. More than just a pathway to academic eligibility, Honest Game seeks to transform hope into possibilities for student-athletes everywhere.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Kim Michelson:
In my 25-year journey, I have learned the focus, storytelling, and collaborative work necessary to be a successful leader with companies like PepsiCo, Shell Oil, and philanthropic endeavors. Most recently, I served as the executive director of the Beyond Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Chicago working with underserved student-athletes. Beyond Sports recruited and hired me as a turnaround expert to support quick growth for the organization. Among other things, I developed strong corporate support from sponsors, including Fortune Brands, Walgreens, Wintrust Bank, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, RXBar, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In my capacity as executive director, I helped hundreds of student-athletes attain their dream of attending college. In my younger days, I was the first female in the state of California to play boys’ varsity basketball and baseball. My undergraduate degree is in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and I have a master’s in global strategic communications from Georgetown University.
Joyce Anderson:
Through sports, I learned early that determination and hard work breed results. I was a four-year NCAA Division-I starter for Columbia University’s women’s tennis team, where I was a two-year captain, team MVP, and All-Ivy League honoree. At Evanston Township High School, just north of Chicago, I have guided countless student-athletes through the college athletics process both as an advisor and the head girls’ tennis coach. I serve on the NCAA Eligibility Center High School Advisory Group and as President of the board of directors for Girls Play Sports, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering leadership and confidence in girls through their participation in a wide variety of sports. My experiences in education, athletics, and nonprofits inspired me to switch gears and co-found with Kim, Honest Game, a public benefit corporation, to level the playing field for all high school student-athletes. I have a bachelor’s from Columbia and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I live in Evanston with my husband and three young sons, whom I am raising to believe that girls and boys should be treated as equals.
What inspired you to start your business?
After years of helping student-athletes navigate the college academic eligibility process, and seeing how human error and lack of understanding can affect eligibility, we knew we needed to do more. Some 800,000 student-athletes every year find themselves academically ineligible for college sports. We also know that college student-athletes are nearly 30 percent more likely to graduate with their bachelor’s. With educated strategic guidance and directed motivation, students can drastically improve learning outcomes. Nonetheless, there continues to be a socioeconomic divide in youth sports. Technological support is the answer to leveling the playing field!
Where is your business based?
We’re based in Chicago, Illinois, where we met and decided to become co-founders.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
We had known each other for years through our work with high school student-athletes when we decided to meet for coffee in January 2019. Kim came with a manifesto in hand about how the collective good work we were doing on behalf of student-athletes wasn’t enough, and that we could do so much more if we scaled our work with technology. Joyce calls this Kim’s “Jerry Maguire” moment: Joyce said to Kim, “You had me at hello.”
We took the time to take stock of what was going on in our lives. We went on a double date with our spouses to get an even deeper look into our chemistry as co-founders. Joyce left two of her jobs; Kim finished her master’s, and in June 2019, we incorporated as a public benefit corporation and Honest Game was born.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
In March, announced on center court at what would turn out to the final Bulls game of the season, we won the Chicago Bulls Venture Competition, powered by LOUD Capital. This win was incredibly validating because it demonstrated that Honest Game is solving an important problem and also provided us with much-needed visibility. Through the competition, we gained valuable in-kind PR and marketing services!
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
In starting a business together, we essentially married an acquaintance. As co-founders, we spend more time together than we do with our families. As athletes, we are also incredibly competitive and driven and all this being said, we initially butted heads on small business decisions. We did personality tests and carefully read the reports to learn how to listen to one another, respect each other’s views, and compromise. Now, as Honest Game nears its one-year anniversary, we absolutely still have differences of opinion, but we now know how to communicate with each other!
How do you stay focused?
We focus on chasing our purpose, not our passion. Passion is important but can lead to burnout when work gets hard and/or tedious. Purpose, on the other hand, requires a longer-term lens and leads to resilience.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Honest Game was born out of passion and driven by real need. Honest Game is the first automated product to help student-athletes keep track of their college eligibility. With our experience as both student-athletes and as advocates for them, we know our solution is tailor-fit for the market and will make a direct impact on millions of human lives.
Our College Athletic Report on Eligibility (CARE)™ provides an individualized road map for every student based on data we collect from the school. Clear and simple academic mapping, plus individualized strategic guidance provides all members of a student-athlete’s circle with a clear path to success. Our product can be purchased by high schools, private club teams, and individual student-athletes. Our product is simple and requires little for onboarding; we know our customers do not have extra time to spare!
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
We did many customer interviews before we launched our technology. This strategy enabled us to understand our customers better and develop technology to better meet their needs. Additionally, we don’t try to do everything, but instead, have a laser focus on a few initiatives we can do really well. That last point of advice is from Chicago-area entrepreneurship expert, blogger, and talk show host Suzanne Muchin, who calls it the “pointy point of view.”
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Kim Michelson: “Entrepreneurship is much harder and less glamorous than it looks. That being said, if you are passionate about solving a problem and have the relevant sector experience to solve it, nothing is more rewarding than taking your idea and making it a reality.”
Joyce Anderson: “Finding a community of entrepreneurs is invaluable. We found an amazing community at [Chicago entrepreneurship incubator] 1871 through the WiSTEM program for female entrepreneurs and Pyros accelerator program. It was priceless to be able to bounce ideas and get advice from peers and mentors going through the same challenges.”
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Our favorite app for work is Expensify, because it provides an easy way to keep track of all business receipts. As for fun and relaxation, we recommend the meditation app Insight Timer. In terms of books, Joyce recommends Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz: In what’s often a rat-race climate of college admissions, young people need to do some self-exploration.
What's your favorite business tool or resource?
Canva is an amazing tool because it allows everyone, regardless of skill, to become a graphic designer. For resources, 1871 here in Chicago provides access to mentors, peers, and seminars. We have learned so much in a short amount of time and have been able to avoid a lot of missteps in the early stages of our business, thanks to their help.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of sportswear company Patagonia, led the mission for his company to be the first California B-corp. Doing well by doing good makes him a great role entrepreneurship role model—and especially for us as co-founders of a public benefit corporation.
What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?
Kim: I’m a fan of sea buckthorn oil, an omega-7 oil for fresh and hydrated skin.
Joyce: I use Neutrogena grapefruit face wash and Neutrogena moisturizer.
How do you balance work and life?
For us, it’s about balancing work and family. Kim says, “as entrepreneurs, there is always work to be done. One key to achieving balance is to be disciplined about the evenings and turn your attention towards the family”.
As for Joyce, “with young children, they demand so much time and energy and they deserve my attention when we are together. At the same time, they also understand that the universe doesn’t revolve around them, and sometimes Mom and Dad need time to themselves.”
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Kim: I do meditation and pilates, and relax with movies with my husband and children.
Joyce: I do outdoor sports, including hiking, camping, and skiing; traveling and sampling new cuisine; and of course, with my best friend — my husband.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
The first 60 days after we launched our product, we had 12 customers and 7,500 users on our platform. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Schools, our primary customer, went to e-learning. In some respect, this hiatus has given us more access to school administrators because they are all still working, albeit virtually. Additionally, it has given us the needed time and space to further refine our technology and focus on partnerships.
Over the next six months, we will hire two or three employees and start to scale!
How can our readers connect with you?
https://www.facebook.com/HonestGameNCAA