Exploring Life & Business with Ongeleke Turner of NoFlagNoFoul

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ongeleke Turner.

Ongeleke, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I was born and raised in Detroit, MI and I love my city! I have always been an avid lover of sports. As an adolescent, I competed in the sport of track and field for several years which taught me a lot about being an individual who is also classified as an athlete even at an early age. Although track and field will always be considered to be my first love, the truth of the matter is that pursuing a career in running just was not in the cards for me; however, the love of sports is one of my most prized possessions. As I grew into adulthood, the universe pushed me towards a career in the helping profession of clinical mental health. I became a licensed clinician in the state of MI in 2012 after completing my master’s degree. I spent the early years in my career learning and growing in practice as well as developing my clinical skills and honing into my strengths as a clinician. It did not dawn on me until recently that the path to reconnect to what I love is to utilize the clinical skills that I have spent the last 10+ years building to serve athletes who are associated with the world of sports. I had the privilege of attending the 2nd annual Black Sports Business Symposium in April 2023, held in Atlanta, GA. As a result of this symposium, I had an awakening within myself, and my purpose was made clear. I don’t have to wait for anyone to see in me what I know is within myself! It was undeniably in my best interest to create my own space that allows me to stay connected to the two things that I love the most: helping people and sports. In May of 2023, I became the proud owner and head clinician at NoFlagNoFoul LLC. Becoming an entrepreneur was NEVER anything that was even remotely close to my radar or the plans that I thought I had for my career. Now I am here where I belong, and it feels amazing! To summarize, I’d say I arrived where I am today by believing in my abilities and betting on Myself! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh my goodness. Smooth? Absolutely not! As I stated before, I never even thought about entrepreneurship EVER. With that being said, I had to learn about starting a business and trying to build, grow, and develop not only a new business but also a name for myself as an independent clinician in the athlete mental health space. Simultaneously trying to do both while still working full time has definitely been challenging. Financially it is challenging to try to build and grow a brand; it takes money to make money! You need money to put into a business to grow and market yourself, so it is challenging to balance, especially in your early stages of business, before you really begin to see any profit. They say a new business isn’t expected to see a profit within its first 3 years or something to that effect which means you are essentially funding your business needs with your own money. I know it will all come together in due time, so I welcome and embrace the challenges at this stage. I feel that challenges help to build character and nothing worth having ever comes easy. It’s just about learning how to navigate and maneuver with what I have until I get to where I want to be. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about NoFlagNoFoul LLC?
The creation of NoFlagNoFoul LLC was very intentional. I mean even down to the name and how I chose it. NoFlagNoFoul is a professional mental health consultant who takes pride in operating from a space of integrity and confidentiality who specializes in mental health services with the unique subset of individuals known as athletes. We create life-changing game plans in an athlete curated spaced that is individualized to help our clients achieve optimal wellness of the mind. Although we cater our services towards athletes, we are a non-exclusionary professional entity that is clinically trained and willing to work with all individuals with an identifiable need for our mental health services. I wanted to make it clear, even in the name, that this is a safe space created for athletes of yesterday, today, and tomorrow to address any mental health concerns: no penalties, no judgment. Generally speaking, I believe that there is a societal misconception that there isn’t some form of heightened vulnerability with athletes, especially the ones who are considered to be quote-on-quote successful athletes. At NoFlagNoFoul, we work with athletes across all sports at the collegiate, semiprofessional, professional, and retired levels. Additionally, we work with groups of athletes at any level and also serve as a consultant to athletic organizations to prioritize and improve mental health of athletes as well as associated members of athletic groups/organizations. We are a Metro Detroit area-based organization; however, we are equipped to service non-local clients via virtual platforms. What I believe makes NoFlagNoFoul unique is that we focus on seeing the athlete as a HUMAN first and as an ATHLETE second. I am most proud of being a Black woman from Detroit who decided to go for it and create this space that offers representation in mental health for athletes of my community and beyond. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Whoa. Now I really have to think about this one. What comes to mind is earning the opportunity to compete in track and field in the Junior Olympics. This was literally so long ago, but it’s an experience that I will never forget. That stage was so big, and there were so many talented competitors, even as kids. I’ll never forget that experience. The Junior Olympics were held in Charlotte, NC. I won’t tell the year, then I’d be dating myself. 

Contact Info:

• Website: NoFlagNoFoul.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/noflagnofoul_llc

Image Credits
Ebonie Davis