Kaila Olin has been selected to head the redevelopment of RealDawg.com. Perhaps best known as the host of Sports Illustrated’s Husky Maven channel’s Husky Pregame Show the past two seasons, Olin will become the site’s Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. For 22 years, RealDawg.com has been the proven leader in UW insider news and recruiting.
Prior to joining Husky Maven, Olin has been the play-by-play announcer for Friday Harbor High School basketball for 3 years, with another season as the station’s color commentator. She joined Husky Maven in 2019 and was an integral part of the site’s success as it became a top 10 destination among the SI affiliate network.
At Friday Harbor Tiny Radio, Olin helped with the transition from being an internet-based radio station to Friday Harbor Tiny TV being a YouTube/Facebook channel.
“We have experienced tremendous growth during her time with us,” Martin said. “Year to year for the past three years our audience has grown over 30 percent each year.”
“She is a master of preparation,” Martin said. “In front of the camera, her delivery seems so natural because she studies both teams a ton.” Olin has also served as the marketing director for the upcoming movie, “The DawgFather: The Legacy of Don James.”
“She crafted a social media distribution plan of our trailer that netted us over 100,000 views over the span of 3 days,” Martin said.
Olin will step into the well-worn RealDawg.com shoes of recruiting pioneer, Ruth Robbins. After being one of the first female recruiting analysts in the 1990s Robbins set out on her own to start Real Dawg in 2000.
“I saw what I thought ought to be there,” Robbins said of the original intent when she founded the website. “I wanted to foster a community.”
It wasn’t always easy facing a male-dominated field but Robbins carved out a niche with insider scoops and exclusive recruiting stories behind a paywall. After twenty-two years with arthritis curtailing her ability to churn out content, and relishing the role of a grandmother, Robbins decided to pass the torch. “Not only is Ruth a grandmother now, but I would also bet that some of the recruits who she’s covered in the early days are grandparents, as well,” Olin said. “Her longevity in this industry is a testament to her dedication to her craft and her passion for all things purple and gold.”
It isn’t lost on Olin Robbins’ role in giving other women the courage to follow in her footsteps.
“Thanks to Ruth, the world of sports journalism is very different because she endured a lot of doubt being one of the first females in a male-dominated field,” Olin said. “There was nobody to show her the way, going at it alone for a very long time.”
Both RealDawg.com owners, Martin and Kyle Waltos said gender was never a factor in considering Olin for the CEO position.
“Kaila checks the boxes that we were looking for to lead this company,” co-owner Kyle Waltos said. “She has a track record of success wherever she has gone.”
Martin added, “She has tremendous instincts, vision, and judgment–and an unbelievable work ethic.
A trailblazer in her own right, last season became the state’s first female football official in a high school state championship game in the state of Washington, Olin will now lead an all-male staff of writers.
“Roman Tomashoff, Kyle, and I will do what we do best and that’s write compelling stories,” Martin said.
This is one of the final personnel moves for Martin who purchased RealDawg.com, on April 12th.
“I couldn’t be more proud to hire Kaila–again,” Martin said. “It’s crazy to think that I just got passed over. When I originally hired her she worked for me, then she worked with me at Husky Maven and the DawgFather movie, now she’s going to be my boss. Whatever she touches turns to gold.”
Now it’s turned purple and gold.
