meet austin
Co-Founder, Next Level Athlete
Austin Smith is a leadership coach and organizational development strategist with over a decade of experience developing people and building culture—from corporate teams to collegiate and professional athletes. Since 2013, he has been a trusted voice in personal transformation, mentoring athletes and leaders through faith, identity, and character.
His specialty is holistic development, grounded in his core belief that who you are shapes how you lead. Through his coaching framework, Austin equips athletes to cultivate purpose, discipline, and spiritual growth—empowering them to lead well in every arena of life, not just sports. His approach bridges the gap between performance and personal clarity, helping individuals thrive beyond the game.
As co-founder of Next Level Athlete, Austin leads the peak performance pillar—developing leaders from the inside out through character formation, leadership intensives, and spiritual development systems. His work helps athletes and organizations build a foundation that lasts—rooted in integrity, identity, and impact.
meet allen
Co-Founder, Next Level Athlete
Allen Williams is a brand consultant and strategic marketing leader with over 15 years of experience, beginning in corporate marketing and expanding into high-impact athlete development. Since 2010, he has worked with athletes across the NFL, NBA, and NCAA—guiding them through branding that reaches beyond visibility and into purpose.
His specialty is athlete storytelling, built on his proprietary framework: purpose-driven branding. This approach helps athletes uncover and communicate who they are—not just what they do—positioning them for long-term success in the game and in business. Allen’s work closes critical gaps in identity, NIL readiness, and marketability, allowing athletes and organizations to seize opportunity with clarity and confidence.
As co-founder of Next Level Athlete, Allen leads the brand development pillar—helping athletes build influence rooted in integrity, and helping programs elevate performance through strategy, creative leadership, and brand systems that scale.
your needs, our services
athlete development & leadership
Build stronger players by developing stronger people.
Our performance coaching framework equips athletes with tools for leadership, mindset, and personal growth—on and off the field.
→ Powered by our PlayMaker™ Curriculum
evaluation & intelligence
Measure what truly matters in an athlete.
We assess performance, purpose, and marketability using a proprietary scoring model built for recruiting, NIL, and long-term success.
→ Powered by our BoxScore™ System
brand strategy & media
Position athletes for visibility, impact, and opportunity.
We provide brand development, content creation, and NIL-ready storytelling through our internal creative agency, NLA Media.
→ Led by our Brand Strategy & Media Team
why do we exist?
our vision
We exist to embody integrity in sports, redefine athlete performance, and transform highlights into the new storytelling.
our mission
Through peak performance training and purpose-driven branding, we empower athletes to go to their next level-thriving in character, leadership, and life beyond the game.