Eastern Insider Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 22 - Eastern Michigan University Athletics

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Energy filled the opening minutes of Episode 22 in Season 8 of the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE as hosts Greg Steiner and Elena Davis set the stage for a week packed with milestones, matchups, and momentum across Eastern Michigan University athletics.

The conversation began with Olympic history. Steiner and Davis celebrated former Eagle Jasmine Jones, who recently captured bronze in the two-woman bobsleigh event. Davis opened the show with enthusiasm. "Move over, space in that trophy case, because Jasmine Jones is coming home with an Olympic medal for Eastern Michigan," she said. "The only MAC athlete with an Olympic medal. How insane is that?"

Steiner quickly clarified the significance within the current Olympic cycle while echoing the excitement around campus. Davis reflected on the moment she shared the news during a live broadcast. "Crazy, we were in the middle of a basketball game, and I walked over to you while you're on air and showed you that graphic," she said. "Insane, I'm super proud of her." Steiner added context for listeners who might have missed the previous episode, noting, "If you missed last week's episode, go back, check it out. It's a great interview that Elena was able to do right there."

From Olympic success, the hosts shifted to a busy stretch for EMU athletics, led by a major men's basketball showdown. Steiner highlighted the stakes as the program prepared to host a nationally ranked opponent. "It's a busy week for Eastern Michigan Athletics because, well, you name it, we've got it going on," he said. "But the highlight game has to be tomorrow evening. It is a 6:30 tip against the number 21 team in the country."

The opponent, Miami RedHawks men's basketball, arrived with one of the hottest streaks in the nation. Steiner emphasized how rare the opportunity felt for fans in Ypsilanti. "Tickets are going quickly in the building," he said. "There should be a big crowd expected, and there are lots of reasons you don't want to miss history tomorrow night here at Ypsi."

Davis added a simple request for fans attending the game. "And if you're there, you have to wear green, guys. It's a green out," she said. "It's going to be such a good game. We're all talking about it in the office. It's all everybody's ever talked about this past week."

Steiner pointed to the significance of the matchup beyond rankings. "You never know with sports. That's why they play the games," he said. "It's a reason to come out, support Eastern Michigan, or if you want to see great basketball at its finest." He also referenced Miami's remarkable run, noting the team had "roared off 27 consecutive wins" entering the matchup.

The game also carried a community moment. During the second half, longtime superfan Carl Ebach would receive recognition from the E Club. Steiner explained the scale of his dedication. "I'm sure he will be enjoying his time as Eastern's favorite super fan," he said, adding that Ebach has attended "4,000 games."

The episode's opening segment continued with a rapid look around the department. Women's basketball prepared for another meeting with Miami, gymnastics readied for a senior night quad meet, and multiple programs competed across the country. Davis highlighted the atmosphere surrounding the upcoming events, especially inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, where fans would gather for several contests during the week.
Steiner summed up the stretch facing EMU teams with a hopeful outlook. "So, lots of things to try to do as Eastern tries to flip the number on the big trophy," he said.

The hosts also previewed the interviews ahead in the episode. Davis teased a conversation with freshman guard Gregory Lawson II, encouraging listeners to hear more about his story and family connection within the program. Steiner then noted a discussion with Endurium executive Andrew Sivulka about a March 6 networking event tied to the athletics partnership.

The show's opening captured the rhythm of a week when Olympic pride, national attention, and campus tradition intersected, all before the first interview even began.

Segment 1 - Gregory Lawson II
Freshman guard Gregory Lawson II speaks with calm confidence. Early nerves faded. Opportunity arrived during a season full of change for Eastern Michigan University men's basketball. His role grew. Production followed.

Lawson opened with a family story. "I'm the third Greg," he said with a smile during a conversation on the Eastern Insider Podcast powered by DTE. "So it's my dad, my granddad, so I'm the third Greg, but I'm the second Greg Lawson. My dad and I got the same last name." Laughter followed when a question turned toward a future son. "Probably not. No, no more of the stop right there. Yeah, we're done. It's over."

Inside a locker room filled with older players, Lawson faced an early learning curve. Minutes looked limited at first. Confidence needed time. Veteran teammates pushed him daily. "I mean, they're helping me get better," Lawson said. "I mean, they're pushing me to be better. Higher expectations for me when I come into the game. At first, it was kind of nervous, you know, because I'm playing with a lot of older guys, and you know, they've been doing it. So it's kind of nervous at first, but now I'm ready."

Injuries shifted rotation patterns. Coaches turned toward Lawson more often. He described a simple mindset built during practice months. "I mean, just like, yeah, stay ready," he said. "Like, you know, I got Godslove Nwabude on my team. So, like the whole season, he just told me, stay ready. Your time will come, and it came."

Growth was observed at both ends of the floor. Defense became a focus. Communication improved. Lawson embraced details once overlooked earlier in his career. "I mean, becoming more of a leader, talking more on defense, the little things," he said. "The little things, like being active on defense. If you know me, it's rare that I really play defense. So now that I'm playing defense, it makes me feel much better just being active there, not as an offensive player. Like they see me as a two-way player now."

Confidence surged during a road trip late in January. Lawson scored 20 points at UMass on Jan. 31. Shots fell early. Teammates kept feeding him. "Just me making shots and my teammates trusting me and keep giving me the balls," he said. "As I seem to go through the hoop every time, I just like, okay, I'm going now."

Numbers during a recent seven-game stretch told a similar story. He credited belief. "I mean, just as me, like staying confident," he said. "That's the biggest thing, staying confident. I was just having a high confidence level when I got on the court."

Team injuries affected the locker room. Lawson felt concern first, then responsibility. "It hurt," he said. "Because you got Braelon Green, you know, he was a starter. Mehki Ellison started. It was just big for our team at the moment." Teammates stepped forward. "We had people that needed to step up, like, which is myself, Merritt, and Bai getting a little bit of playing time now."

Recruitment once brought Lawson to Ypsilanti for personal reasons as well. Family ties helped. "It was like a family," he said. "You know, I got my uncle here, and it's closer to home." Trust with coaches grew across four high school years. "Coach Stan, like he stayed recruiting me from my ninth through my senior year," Lawson said. "Building that trust with me and him as a recruitment process, it was just like I got a family here, so it's like I'm home."

Support follows him across arenas. One fan never misses. "My granddad, he's at every game," Lawson said. "My granddad, like he traveled to Boston, I mean world, to Massachusetts to play at UMass." Home games bring even larger gatherings. "My grandma be here, my granddad, two of my granddads will be here, two of my grandmas, my mom, my dad."

Segment 2 - Andrew Sivulka
For Andrew Sivulka, the path from a young athlete in Michigan to leading a growing business division began with sports and structure.

Speaking on the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE, Sivulka, president of the newly formed VIPER division at Endurium, traced a journey shaped by athletics, leadership, and a long career in industry before stepping into a role focused on helping companies change and grow.

"Growing up, I was kind of a wild kid, too small to play football," Sivulka said. "So my mom got me into gymnastics, and that naturally got me into diving as well."

The Ann Arbor native developed quickly in the sport. He trained in the region, including time practicing at Eastern Michigan, before earning a scholarship opportunity at Auburn.

"I was practicing over here at EMU with the club team here and then throughout high school and eventually made my way to Auburn on a diving scholarship," he said.

The move from Michigan to Alabama came with adjustments, though Sivulka credits athletics for smoothing the transition.

"Yes, it was," he said with a laugh when asked about the culture change. "What made it easy was being on the swimming and diving team. I had 60 friends immediately, and I had a very regimented schedule."

That experience, he explained, carried into his professional life. Sivulka spent two decades working in defense, automotive, and consulting before joining Endurium, a business transformation firm that works with organizations across industries.

"College athletics is something I'm very passionate about personally because of my experience," he said. "Most athletes aren't going professional in their sport, but it does prepare them so well for the real world."

At Endurium, Sivulka now leads the VIPER division, which stands for Vendor Intelligence Performance and Expense Reduction. The company's broader mission is to guide organizations through change and growth.

"Endurium is really a business transformation firm, which really just means we take businesses where they're at and we work with them to get to where they want to go," Sivulka said. "That involves a lot of change."

Unlike many consulting firms, Sivulka said the work goes beyond recommendations.

"Most consultants will come in and provide that kind of strategic advice and then say, I'll check back with you in a month," he said. "We're working with them week in and week out to make sure that we execute on those plans too."

That approach, he said, allows the company to operate both as an advisor and a contributor.

"We're coaches, and we're players too," Sivulka said. "We bring a full team to them where we're coaching them on what's ahead and helping them form their strategy."

A major focus involves helping companies streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies. Sivulka noted that many organizations still rely on manual processes that slow productivity.

"An early business will be heavy into spreadsheets and they'll be copying and pasting data from one system to another," he said. "We're able to map out the process from start to finish for all of that."

Automation often follows, saving time and resources.

"Rather than spend two or three hours a day having a person do it, it's done in five or 10 minutes by a qualified bot that's trained to do that," Sivulka said.

The newly created VIPER division focuses on vendor relationships and cost management. Sivulka said many companies overlook small charges and incremental increases that add up over time.

"There's price creep that comes in, and most businesses aren't even aware that the prices slowly go up if they're not watching closely," he said.

VIPER analyzes expenses across services such as telecommunications, shipping, and processing fees, and works with existing vendors to secure better terms.

"We're typically able to help our clients reduce their costs without switching vendors," Sivulka said.

The effort extends beyond negotiations. The program includes ongoing monitoring to detect billing issues and unnecessary charges.

"We're ultimately watchdogs as well and making sure that everything's being billed properly," he said.

The idea behind the division aligns with a principle Sivulka often shares with clients.

"One of our favorite sayings at Endurium is revenue is vanity, profitability is reality," he said. "It doesn't matter if you're growing the top line if you can't keep it."

Sivulka also pointed to the partnership with Eastern Michigan as a natural connection between business and athletics. Through collaborations and events, including a networking opportunity at the George Gervin GameAbove Center, Endurium hopes to strengthen ties within the region's business community.

"Endurium has always wanted to make a community impact," Sivulka said. "We want to partner with other organizations that are doing that."

For Sivulka, the connection circles back to the lessons learned through sports, teamwork, discipline, and preparation for what comes next.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Eastern Insider Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 22

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