Laney Higgins was an early adopter on NIL whose brand portfolio really took off when she was accepted into Meta’s NIL Empower 2.0 program in 2023.

While in the cohort, she landed a podcast sponsorship agreement with lululemon as well as 12 other deals. We featured Laney’s early work in a 2023 update on D3 NIL and since then she’s only continued to expand her portfolio of deals.

Laney’s D3 NIL By the Numbers

15 NIL deals in 2024 (⬆️ Up 3 from 2023)
Raised $7,000 for Charity with NIL proceeds (⬆️ Up $2000 from 2023)
2024 NIL Hustle Award Winner 👇

Laney was recognized for her D3 NIL work with the NIL Hustle Award at the 2024 NIL Summit in Atlanta, GA.

“This award recognizes the student-athlete that utilized an unrelenting determination combined with entrepreneurial savvy, to excel in their Name, Image and Likeness endeavors off the field or court.”

Laney’s win marked the second straight year a D3 athlete took home the Hustle Award, following Amherst football player Jack Betts in 2023. We’ll be curious to see if another D3 athlete wins in 2025.

Now, let’s get into our interview with Laney. Enjoy!

Interview with Laney Higgins

1. What's been your biggest takeaway from your ongoing Lululemon deal?

That dreams can become a reality with the right amount of hard work. Lululemon is an amazing company and I really appreciate how they see the value in what I do with my W4LKINGANDT4LKING IG live series. I’ve had a chance to introduce their brand, and what it stands for, to some of the top female student-athletes in the country. I do things in every episode like asking each guest their favorite quote from lululemon’s manifesto. I encourage everybody to check out their manifesto, you will be inspired. Lastly, I love how committed lululemon is to celebrating and showcasing female student-athletes and I could not be more appreciative of them believing in me.

2. What is your favorite NIL deal you’ve signed since we last spoke?

While lululemon is definitely my overall favorite NIL deal, the last year has given I also have given me a chance to work with a variety of different beauty companies on varying levels such as CeraVe, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Dyson and more. I have started to be strategic about finding the right brand partners in different business segments, so that I can learn more about that industry and beauty was big for me in 2024.

3. Any big lessons or personal growth from your NIL/brand work?

NIL has taught me so many important lifelong skills. From self confidence to sales to negotiation and so much more, NIL has given me a really strong head start on my professional career for after my playing days are over. I think it’s also taught me to be fearless. The worst a company can do is say no and while I have taken way more no’s than yeses, NIL has instilled in me a level of courage and perseverance that I didn’t know was possible.

4. What is one brand you’d love to work with on an NIL deal and why?

I am a big advocate for women’s sports so I have always wanted to work with ESPNW. I also would love to work with an investment firm or fund, so that I can help promote the importance of investing to college student-athletes.

5. How many NIL deals have you done and what is your current NIL related income?

I’ve done over 15 deals so far and have been fortunate to raise over $7k for charities while also being able to put away money in my savings to give myself a solid financial start for after college.

Thanks Laney!

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you learned something about D3 NIL today from Laney’s experiences and advice.

Have a question? Get in touch with us on X (Twitter) or email us a dthreedirect@gmail.com

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