Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlene Holmes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My entire experience goes back to my journey as a college student-athlete. In high school, I didn’t really think about playing college volleyball, based on the skill level of some of my teammates, until a coach told me that I actually could. That was great, but she advanced in her coaching career, and that left my mom and me with no idea of how to pursue college athletics. This was so complex because, at the time, my family was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, so being recruited meant you had to be as skilled as Danielle Scott or Sheryl Swoopes in their respective sports. To make a long story short, I was committed and focused on attending HBCUs, but honest coaches said I needed a little more time. So, several HBCU coaches explained the process and recommended that I attend a junior college to build up my volleyball skills. I did just that and ultimately accomplished my goals by completing my junior and senior year at the great Bethune-Cookman University, which is an HBCU and Division I athletic program! Reality set in as I honestly wasn’t prepared for life after sports, but my academic advisor recommended that I pursue social work based on my personality, desire to help others, and high-level observation skills, to say the least. My experiences as a Black woman in corporate America, graduate school, and my doctoral program have equipped me with the knowledge and expertise to support and prepare all athletes for the next chapter of their lives.
So, with all that said, the journey to, though, and life after was the motivation behind launching my business, The BFCA Experience LLC. The acronym “BFCA” stands for “Black female collegiate athlete” because my journey established the platform to allow me to mentor, collaborate and guide athletes from all walks of life, especially Black female collegiate athletes. Our motto states, “Support the athlete beneath the jersey,” because we believe that supporting the identity underneath the jersey is critical to mental and emotional health that supports and prepares for a healthy life after sports.
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?
We launched January 2020, which we now call the pre-pandemic life. For many new businesses, this was an epic failure, but it was a game changer for us. By the summer, we were hosting workshops that educated parents, coaches, athletes, athletes considering retirement, and mental health professionals. We also interviewed and hosted online events with professional athletes. One thing was learned was to know your audience. It’s hard to host a volleyball workshop when it’s in season! Regarding workshops, we focused on content that provided insight into what athletes were experiencing and how to support them. I mean, every workshop was a hit! Some workshops were small groups, and some were huge, but we averaged 1-2 referrals for new opportunities from every seminar. Of course, with the need for workshops and education, the ability to manage 1 on 1 client was minimized, but that’s an area we had to sort out as a new business.
Even though the success was terrific, we realized that our business plan should’ve been more substantial, but we pushed through. I brought on team members to delegate tasks like website management, editing workshop content, and managing marketing content. The overflow was honestly unexpected, but it was just confirmation that I was in alignment. We also learned that saying “no” is okay and that if it doesn’t feel right, and after prayer, the answer is still “no,” then go with no. We quickly realized that everyone who wants to collaborate isn’t always on your team. We had at least two companies utilize our concepts discussed in consultations. So a huge lesson was learned on how much to share and who to share it with.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
This is a question that I’m always most excited about! So I decided to leave Florida after 14 years and move to Dallas. I knew I needed to expand my reach and be in a highly populated area with my client focus: athletes and Black female athletes. Our primary focus is to collaborate with groups and teams seeking support in preparing their athletes for their transition from sports. Transition education includes mental health, emotional health, and career launch. Our niche is that we can blend athletics and mental health through a lens that any population and learn from. We’re not reinventing the wheel, but every item carried by the wheel is authentic and impactful. Not many companies can say that. We actually care and have lived or know someone who has lived what we educate others about. Services can be provided virtually or in person with groups or individual sessions. Who does emphasize that we do not offer therapy but will always refer clients if needed? Additionally, we offer Instructional Design and content development for companies that focus on supporting and enhancing athletes’ experience. This includes but is not limited to training videos, worksheets, workshop content, etc. Even though The BFCA Experience is a powerful entity alone, we are proud of our collaborations and partnerships since 2020. They have genuinely allowed our business to excel and elevate business!
As the Founder and face of The BFCA Experience, I am known for my ability to speak, teach, and uplift any age group ranging from 4th grade to well-seasoned adults. I’ve been blessed with the opportunities to do this as a keynote speaker and published author, and I’m excited to see what the future holds. Something extraordinarily personal and most rewarding is the scholarship we recently launched in honor of my aunt, Ms. Debra Holmes, The Debra J. Holmes Scholarship. The scholarship started out at $500 that our business put forth, but as of today, it’s at $1,350! Since the announcement, friends, family, and people I’ve never met have donated money! Even though I much rather have my aunt here, I know how proud she would be! I’m like her in so many ways, and the scholarship recipient will allow her legacy to live on.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I won’t say that it’s surprising, but it’s often an assumption. The assumption is that we only work with Black athletes. We are an all-inclusive organization, but our specialty is the marginalized group of Black athletes and Black female athletes. But a fun fact is that I was also a walk-on tennis player at my junior college and was a national qualifier! That opportunity and lens as a tennis player allowed me to understand the lived experience of Black tennis players and shed light on the historical background that paved the way and the magnitude of current professional Black tennis players. I say all that to say that you never know what experience is laying the platform for you to touch the lives of others and I’m excited to connect with more athletes in Dallas and surrounding areas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marleneholmes.com
- Instagram: the_bfca_experience
- Scholarship: www.marleneholmes.com/applyforscholarship
- Email: bfcateam@gmail.com
