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NFL agent Caitlin Aoki has been a sports lover for as long as she can remember. Growing up, she did it all: swimming, gymnastics, basketball, and golf, before ultimately choosing to play soccer and softball through high school. As Aoki recalls, “It was always practices, games, tournaments, or something sports-related going on in my family.” When it became apparent a career as an athlete wasn’t in the cards, sports management was a natural choice for Aoki–one that has taken her to the NFL draft with first-round picks two years in a row (ahem, flips hair). But in a male-dominated industry, building a career as a female sports agent has not come without challenges.

“I’ve faced every obstacle you can imagine: fighting stereotypes and perceptions, for one,” she notes. Despite networking her way through the industry, from a freshman-year internship with her college’s Director of Athletics Marketing (“I cold-called Sean Briner and asked for an internship” she recalls. “He granted me an interview and hired me on the spot.”) to eventually landing a role as Managing Partner, NFL Agent & Director of Football Administration at Alliance Management Group, Aoki still faces skepticism regarding her sports acumen.

“Women can’t possibly know anything about football, right?” she says sarcastically. “Or as a woman showing up with a male athlete, then I must be the wife or girlfriend. Just a few months ago, I had a man say to my face he didn’t know women could be (sports) agents–and he was dead serious.” 

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“Earning a seat at the table is also way more challenging than it should be for women,” Aoki adds. “No one questions the man in the room. Even when the woman has the same–or better–resume and qualifications, we still have to qualify ourselves and validate our presence. And then everything we say and do is analyzed and scrutinized to the tiniest detail, just waiting for us to make a mistake.” After 15 years in the industry,  the challenges persist, she says, “As much progress has been made with women breaking barriers in the football world, it’s still just that constant battle of justifying my presence. The ‘boys club’ mentality is tired–but very real.”

Obstacles aside, Aoki made her mark at her first draft as an officially certified NFL Agent when her client, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, was selected in the first round. “I can’t even claim any credit for it because he did all the hard work,” she insists. “But I have to admit it was a pretty dope way to start off this chapter of my journey.”

Aoki believes female sports agents bring their own unique skills to the table, despite being outnumbered. “Excuse my mouth, but we get shit done–period,” she says. “The same reasons we are doubted are also the same reasons why we are so good. We have to be extra on point in our negotiations, presentations, work, everything!” She credits other trailblazing women in the industry for showing her the way, including Jen Cohen, (now) Athletic Director at the University of Washington.

“It was never a formal mentoring relationship, but we had some really incredible conversations,” remembers Aoki. “She was honest about her experiences and was equally interested in hearing about mine. Aside from her career success, I respected how she carried herself. She was unapologetically herself. I wanted to be exactly the same way.”

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Aoki hopes to inspire other women similarly. “I do try to share my experiences and help young women who are trying to come up in this business, in any way I can,” she shares. “I really didn’t have many women to look up to or ask for advice as I was finding my way in the industry, but I hope women today and in the future won’t have that same struggle.” She also creates opportunities wherever possible, making it a point to hire female and/or minority interns and assistants whenever she can. “Even if they ultimately choose a different path than becoming an agent, there is power in opportunity,” she says. “Giving women more opportunities is such a simple move that can have a huge impact.”

Another simple, impactful move, according to Aoki? Owning your style–even at work. “I definitely went thru a phase where I thought dressing “professional” meant a certain look,” she admits. “For the most part now, I just go for whatever ‘fit I’m comfortable in. I’m never going to dress in a way that doesn’t feel like *me* and I feel like what I’m wearing is a reflection of my personality. So even when I’m meeting new clients or potential business partners, it’s important for me to feel like I’m presenting my authentic self.”

On her off time, Aoki says you can find her in comfortable, sporty staples like jeans, leggings, t-shirts, and hoodies. “And some fresh kicks, of course!” she adds, “I’ll throw on a cute top if I want to dress it up a little. I wear lots of denim shorts and sandals when it gets warm in the summer.”

Whether it’s in her wardrobe or her work, Aoki believes it’s ultimately all about being confident in yourself. “It took some time and a lot of moving around to figure out that this is where I’m meant to be,” she says. “I know I’m really good at what I do and I deserve to be here. If someone else has a problem with me being around, that’s on them.”

Are you navigating being a female in a male-dominated field? Tell us about it or nominate an empowered woman for a feature in the comments!

Images via Caitlin Aoki