If you’re creating content for your personal brand, especially as an athlete, check out Edits, Instagram’s new built-in app designed for editing Reels. 🎥 With Edits, you can do more than just trim clips. You can adjust the speed (slow down or speed up your footage), add music or your own voiceovers, and even view performance stats for each Reel you post. These insights help you understand what connects best with your audience and strengthen your NIL strategy. It’s an all-in-one tool for athletes and creators who want to produce professional-quality content without leaving the Instagram ecosystem. If you want more specific tips or a quick walkthrough on how to get the most out of the Edits app, comment below and I’ll share some step-by-step advice.I’ll be posting more tips soon on other editing platforms to help take your NIL content to the next level! 🚀

Do you feel your school or coaches have provided enough resources to help you with NIL? What more could they be doing to support you in your NIL journey? Let us know here 👇

Most athletes are chasing national brands like Nike and Gatorade, but the truth is, 87% of NIL deals come from local businesses. That means you don’t need a huge following. You just need to know how to connect with people right in your city. Here’s a quick 30-minute system to find NIL opportunities near you 👇🏽 Step 1: Use Instagram Search (5 Minutes) Go to Instagram’s search bar and type: 🔎 “Your City + Small Business” 🔎 “Your City + Boutique / Gym / Cafe / Studio / Salon” Look for brands that: ✅ Are active (posting within the last month) ✅ Have under 10K followers (they’re easier to reach) ✅ Tag your city in their content 📍 Example: “Atlanta Small Business” or “Dallas Fitness Studio” These are your first NIL prospects. Step 2: Check Who Already Supports Local Sports (10 Minutes) Visit your school or team’s Instagram page. Look for: 🏀 Local business logos on uniforms ⚾ Sponsors tagged in posts 📣 Companies that donate or advertise at games Those are your warmest leads. They’ve already shown they believe in athletes, you just need to start a conversation. Step 3: Start Building Relationships (10 Minutes) Follow these local brands. Like a few of their posts. Comment something genuine. Then DM them using this message 👇🏽 “Hey [Brand Name], I’m a [Sport] athlete at [School Name]. I love what you’re doing for our community! I’d love to collaborate and help highlight your business through my platform.” ✅ Keep it short ✅ Keep it personal ✅ Keep it about how you can help them Step 4: Create a Local Content Idea (5 Minutes) Think about what kind of content you could make for them: 📸 Wearing their merch 🥤 Reviewing a local product 🏋🏾 Filming a short workout in their gym 🍽️ Grabbing a post-practice meal at their restaurant Brands love when you come with ideas, not just requests. Step 5: Follow Up Professionally If they respond, thank them. If they don’t, wait 3–5 days and follow up once: “Just wanted to follow up in case my last message got buried — I’d still love to collaborate!”

Get ready to be inspired! 🤩 This Thursday, October 30th, at 7:30 PM EST, tune in to the "Winning Her Way" show for an exclusive interview with track superstar Sage Abdullah. 🏃‍♀️💨 Discover the secrets behind his incredible success, the challenges he’s overcome, and what drives him to be the best. Don't miss out on this motivational conversation! Watch the interview on @winningherway Instagram live! #WinningHerWay #SageAbdullah #TrackAndField #Inspiration #AthleteInterview

Hi everyone, I am Olivia a D1 bowler at Morgan State University. A history maker and trailblazer for young women in the sport of bowling!