Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikayla Banks-crockett
Hi Mikayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am Mikayla Banks-Crockett a Boxing Manager & Rising Sports Agent based out of Houston, Texas. My sports journey blossomed from childhood and excelled through my educational years being spearheaded by my dominance in Track & Field. Throughout my journey I fell in love with the business aspect of the sport world after obtaining my undergrad degree in Broadcast Journalism from Tennessee State University. While pursuing my masters degree in Sports Administration from Tennessee State University, I brought a little angel baby boy into this world & began my journey of motherhood. After leaving Tennessee and moving back to Houston, I became involved with guiding the youth in my community. All of the children began to use my home as a safe place where they could be themselves. This led me to notice each and every one of them had amazing individual talents. As I began to see their talents I started highlighting them on tiktok. Just so happened that one of my viral videos grabbed the attention of a businessman named Pat who was located in Chicago, Illinois. Pat expressed to me that he was in search of a strong black woman, with an eye for talent, to be the face of his sports management department. I was invited out to Las Vegas to attend the Spence Jr Vs. Crawford boxing event. While in Vegas I met with Pat & his team where we solidified my position on his prestigious sports management team. Since the inception of my career I have participated in a countless number of sporting events, summits, & podcasts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The main obstacle and challenge I have faced professionally is being a woman in a male dominated industry. Some men tend to not take women seriously in my field, & this causes us to work 10 x harder than our male counterparts to prove our worth in the industry. Men often see me walk into a room and immediately underestimate my knowledge, drive, and passion. Considering that I am the primary caregiver of my toddler (who had lead poisoning), it caused a halt in my career as I had to focus primarily on his recovery and well being. The stress of motherhood caused me to be diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy while pursuing my dream of becoming a NBPA Certified Agent. To my surprise I suddenly was left paralyzed on the left side of my face and was unable to see from my eye.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a boxing manager and rising sports agent based in Houston Texas. I am known for my unique analysis on sporting events, bubbly personality via social media, and possess a people centric nature. I am most proud of accomplishing the goal of taking my son to experience all of Houston’s major sporting events before the age of 2. My career has allowed me the opportunity to do what I love, with the little angel that I love. What sets me apart from others is my drive, my ability to continue my growth, and my persistence to push forward through adversity. This keeps me competitive in the sports and fashion world, as I am also a published model.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to own a sports agent firm, and to become a household name within the sports and fashion industry. I want to be the success story that motivates other women/mothers to pursue their dreams & always keep pushing forward. Alongside my mother, Dr.Jones-Banks (who holds her Masters in counseling and PHD in special education), I would like to create a non profit organization centralized around athletes and their families. If I can give any advice it is you don’t just have to be married to the game, and don’t have to put on a facade to compete with men in the industry. You can show up as you are. Knowledge is power in this game and I am here to stay!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesportsdynast and https://www.instagram.com/slimderellaa
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@slimderellaa
Image Credits
Kenneth Grissom
Dr.Kathy Jones-Banks
