EP #20: Breaking the Ice: Why Sobriety Became My Secret Weapon in Pro Hockey | Toni Will

Breaking the Ice: Why Sobriety Became My Secret Weapon in Pro Hockey – Toni Will

Episode Information

Guest: Toni Will – General Manager, Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)

Host: Chris Hall

Runtime: ~53 minutes

Topics: Professional Sports Leadership, Sobriety Journey, Career Reinvention, Women in Hockey

About Toni Will

Toni Will is the only female General Manager in professional hockey, leading the Kalamazoo Wings in the ECHL for over 11 years. She’s also the only female Governor on the ECHL Board, breaking through to serve on the Executive Committee – a historic first for women in the league.

Professional Background:

General Manager of Kalamazoo Wings (2013-Present)
13 years in retail banking (branch management at Old Kent/Fifth Third, National City/PNC)
Chamber of Commerce leadership at Southwest Michigan First
Western Michigan University graduate (Business Management)
Professional speaker and executive coach
TEDx speaker on leadership and living alcohol-free
Author of upcoming book “Not The Norm” (2025)
Host of “Women In…” podcast
Completed two Ironman triathlons

The Accidental Hockey Executive

After leaving a toxic work environment in economic development, Toni applied for a low-stress retail job at a high-end boutique. HR called back saying she was “way too overqualified” and offered her something different: the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team.

Her Response: “You understand I don’t know shit about hockey?”

Their Reply: “We don’t want someone who knows hockey. We want someone who knows business.”

The catch? It came with a 35% pay cut. But driven by mission over money, Toni said yes to what she calls “the best job I never knew I wanted.”

What You’ll Learn

Breaking Barriers in Male-Dominated Sports: How to navigate being the only woman in the room without compromising authenticity
The Business of Minor League Hockey: Growing attendance from 2,100 to 75% capacity through community engagement
Rainbow Ice Revolution: First professional hockey team to dye their ice rainbow for inclusion
Sobriety as a Superpower: Why quitting alcohol became her competitive advantage in sports business
The Six Leadership Pillars: Framework for turning around struggling organizations
Career Reinvention at Midlife: Successfully changing careers three times in 25 years
From Tubby Tony to Ironman: Physical transformation through endurance athletics
Alternative Sobriety Paths: Why AA wasn’t the answer and finding “This Naked Mind”

The Alcohol-Free Advantage in Sports Business

“If any world is saturated in alcohol, it is the sports world”

The Journey to Sobriety

During COVID’s 2020-21 season when the team went dark, Toni faced a choice: continue fighting her relationship with alcohol or invest in herself. After trying AA in 2016-17 and finding the “powerless” framework didn’t fit her rebel spirit, she discovered Annie Grace’s “This Naked Mind” and joined a different community.

Navigating Professional Sports Sober

Board of governors meetings at bars
All-star games and Hockey Hall of Fame functions
Conferences sponsored by Anheuser-Busch
Constant networking events centered around alcohol

Her Strategies:

Reframe the language: “All drinks aren’t alcohol”
Use humor: “I cashed in all my drink tickets”
Make it about health: “I’m working out in the morning”
Keep it simple: “I’m not drinking tonight”
Remember: No one questions quitting smoking, why explain not drinking?

Key Quotes

“I am woman, hear me roar – I wasn’t coming in ripping my bra off and setting it on fire. I didn’t even notice I was the only woman until two or three years in.” – Toni Will

“I don’t mind taking arrows. I’m authentic and genuine. That’s how I am.” – Toni Will

“Tony Party Time is what my friends called me. When you take Tony Party Time out and I’m just Tony, it’s amazing.” – Toni Will

“Wild horses couldn’t drag me back. There’s no way.” – Toni Will on returning to drinking

“You were built to do hard things.” – Chris Hall

The Six Leadership Pillars

Developed when Western Michigan University asked her to explain how she turned the K-Wings around:

Initially written on a yellow Post-it note that she carried in her purse for years, these six principles guided both the team’s turnaround and her personal transformation. The same framework she used to rebuild a struggling hockey franchise became her blueprint for quitting alcohol and transforming her life.

Core Message: “Your perceived weaknesses are actually strengths”

Note: The specific six pillars are detailed in her TEDx talk and upcoming book “Not The Norm”

Business Turnaround Success

When She Started (2013):

Average attendance: 2,100 in 5,113-seat arena
Community awareness: “Are they still around?”
Team struggling financially and culturally

Results After 11 Years:

75% average capacity (nearly doubled attendance)
Multiple awards for attendance growth and revenue
First team to implement Rainbow Ice for inclusion
Sells out inclusion games every year since 2021
Part of new $500 million privately-funded arena project
Recognized leader in community relations

Key Strategies:

Mission over money: Taking 35% pay cut for the right opportunity
Authentic leadership: Being genuine even when controversial
Community focus: Making everyone feel welcome at games
Taking stands: Rainbow Ice despite backlash
Partnership model: Working in tandem with hockey operations

The Healthy Wealth Connection

This episode powerfully demonstrates how personal health choices directly impact professional success:

Sobriety = Clear Decision-Making: 5 years alcohol-free enhanced her leadership capabilities
Physical Challenges = Mental Resilience: Two Ironman completions built confidence for business challenges
Authentic Living = Professional Power: Being genuinely herself attracted the right opportunities
Health Investment = Career Advancement: Choosing wellness over social drinking opened new doors
Breaking Stigmas = Breaking Barriers: Openly discussing sobriety paralleled breaking gender barriers
Personal Transformation = Organizational Transformation: Her journey from “Tubby Tony” to Ironman athlete mirrors the K-Wings turnaround

Chris’s perspective as both a former pharmaceutical rep and current financial advisor provides unique insight into how health choices create compound returns in wealth and success.

The Ironman Journey

From “Tubby Tony” to Endurance Athlete:

Started at age 29 with sprint triathlons after post-pregnancy weight gain
Worked up through Olympic and Half Ironman distances over a decade
First Ironman (2014): Louisville, Kentucky – 100°F heat – 13:56:56
Second Ironman (2017): Chattanooga, Tennessee – 90°F+ heat – 15:20:00
Retired from triathlon at 39 knowing that chapter was complete

Philosophy: “I love to stand at the bottom of a proverbial mountain and look up at the top and say, how do I get there?”

Breaking Gender Barriers

Historic Achievements:

Only female General Manager in professional hockey
Only female Governor (not alternate governor) in ECHL
First woman on ECHL Executive Committee (achieved 4 years ago)
Leading new arena development project committee

Approach to Diversity:

Didn’t initially focus on being “the only woman”
Realized responsibility 2-3 years into role
Champions diversity through action, not rhetoric
Rainbow Ice initiative for LGBTQ+ and all-inclusive welcome
Takes arrows but stays authentic to mission

Reinvention Framework

Three Successful Career Changes:

Banking (13 years): Branch manager through two bank mergers
Economic Development/Chamber: Community leadership role
Professional Sports (11+ years): Hockey team general manager

Key Principles:

Hold goals loosely – opportunities find you when not forcing
Mission over money in decision-making
Build confidence through incremental challenges
Set one-year vision worksheets annually
Start small, achieve, build confidence, increase difficulty

Action Items for Listeners

For Career Change: Don’t be afraid to take a pay cut for the right mission
For Sobriety-Curious: Explore frameworks beyond AA – find what fits your personality
For Leadership: Write down what you’re already doing well unconsciously
For Confidence: Set incremental goals and build through achievement
For Networking Sober: Remember “let’s have a drink” doesn’t mean alcohol
For Health Goals: Consider programs like Couch to 5K for incremental progress
For Taking Stands: Authenticity attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones

Resources Mentioned

Toni’s Resources:

Website: TonyWill.com
Podcast: “Women In…” (available on all platforms)
TEDx Talk: Available on her website
Book: “Not The Norm” (launching March 2025)
Sober October Program: $99 boutique group coaching (October annually)
Empower Her Conference: March 2025 in Kalamazoo
Coaching Services: Substance removal and professional development

Books Mentioned:

“This Naked Mind” by Annie Grace
“The 30 Day Alcohol Experiment” by Annie Grace
“Outlive” by Peter Attia
“4,000 Weeks” (time management/mortality awareness)

Organizations & Teams:

Kalamazoo Wings: ECHL professional hockey team
Western Michigan University: Partner in new arena
Vancouver Canucks: NHL affiliate
Abbotsford Canucks: AHL affiliate

Concepts & Programs:

Couch to 5K running program
Health span vs. lifespan (Peter Attia concept)
Death calendar/4,000 weeks visualization
Quit Lit genre (sobriety literature)

Why This Episode Matters

Toni Will’s journey from banking to becoming the only female GM in professional hockey while simultaneously conquering alcohol dependency and completing Ironman triathlons represents the ultimate healthy wealth experience. Her story proves that perceived weaknesses can become strengths, and that choosing health over social conformity can accelerate rather than hinder professional success.

For professionals navigating male-dominated industries, those questioning their relationship with alcohol, or anyone considering a midlife career change, Toni’s framework offers a practical roadmap. Her willingness to take arrows for causes she believes in – from Rainbow Ice to sobriety in the alcohol-soaked sports world – demonstrates that authentic leadership creates lasting change.

The episode’s power lies in its intersection of personal and professional transformation, showing that the same principles that turn around a struggling hockey franchise can rebuild a person’s life. In a world where “networking drinks” are standard and conformity is rewarded, Toni proves that breaking the mold can be your greatest competitive advantage.

Episode Highlights & Timeline

[00:00] – Introduction and Toni’s unique position as only female GM in pro hockey
[01:29] – Growing up in Kalamazoo and early career in banking
[03:32] – The unexpected transition from banking to hockey management
[07:31] – “I don’t know shit about hockey” – Landing the GM role
[09:06] – Team structure and working with coaching staff
[10:22] – Breaking barriers as the only female governor
[12:17] – Rainbow Ice controversy and standing for inclusion
[15:41] – Business turnaround: From 2,100 to 75% capacity
[19:14] – The COVID catalyst for sobriety journey
[21:16] – Finding “This Naked Mind” after AA didn’t fit
[24:08] – “Tony Party Time” and being the instigator
[26:19] – Navigating business networking without alcohol
[32:06] – TEDx talk on leadership and living alcohol-free
[33:33] – Developing the Six Leadership Pillars
[36:41] – Writing “Not The Norm” with a ghostwriter
[38:33] – Health span vs. lifespan philosophy
[40:15] – “Women In…” podcast mission
[41:17] – Sober October program details
[44:53] – Ironman journey from “Tubby Tony”
[48:16] – “You were built to do hard things”
[50:47] – Empower Her conference and future plans