#12 - Auni Mirabrishami - Lessons in Leadership, on and off the Field

From discovering cricket through a Netflix documentary and playing in her San Francisco backyard to co-founding a nonprofit that is building women’s sports pathways and now pursuing an MBA in Switzerland, this is the story of Auni Mirabrishami.In this episode, John and Konsti sit down with Auni to explore how her multicultural upbringing and move from Silicon Valley to Lausanne fueled her love of new challenges, the moment she caught “cricket fever” mid-COVID, how she built Aspire Cricket, the real-time leadership lessons she learned captaining cricket teams, and her vision for the future of women’s sports.Key Takeaways and Highlights:* Late Discovery, Rapid Mastery: Auni first encountered cricket after watching Netflix’s Cricket Fever, then taught herself the rules through YouTube, built a batting cage in her backyard, trained for hours each day, and within three years found herself playing alongside players from the U.S. women’s national team.* Building Aspire Cricket: Inspired one evening over a glass of Pinot Noir, Auni and three co-founders, ranging from grassroots enthusiasts to former World Cup winners, launched Aspire Cricket to establish comprehensive development pathways for girls and women looking to play cricket, from school outreach to high-performance camps.* Coaching Mindset on and off the Field: Drawing on coaching principles, Auni treats both teammates and colleagues as capable decision-makers. “If I can provide them the environment to feel safe, comfortable, happy — because sport is supposed to be enjoyable — then I know that they will perform to the best of their ability with what they have at that time.”* Embracing Discomfort for Growth: From moving across continents to managing a Deloitte career, an MBA, non-profit leadership, and weekend training, she intentionally creates challenging environments, believing that discomfort speeds up learning and uncovers core strengths.* Vision for Women’s Sports: Auni outlines how media and broadcasting rights, ticketing, merchandise, and private-equity investment can transform women’s leagues into viable business ventures, arguing that greater media equity and role-model visibility will drive both social impact and financial returns.* Core Belief: Auni’s unique perspective? “You can be successful by being kind. I know people say ‘good guys finish last’ — I disagree. When you choose to live with goodness and pure intentions, there’s a different kind of success that follows.”Enjoy the show! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit careersandcharacter.substack.com