Happy New Year, WISE Community!
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In the spirit of the new year and the fresh start it brings, I'm thrilled to share the relaunch of the WISE newsletter. Starting today, you will find us regularly in your inboxes, delivering industry and leadership insights, spotlighting incredible women, and sharing job leads and career-advancing tips — everything you need to carve your own path forward.
We're kicking off our 31st year as the foremost career and leadership development organization for women in the business of sports. And we're doing it by hosting an array of national events in the first quarter of 2024. So mark your calendars for:
We're also happy to be able to contribute to, and lead you through, this particularly exciting period for professional and elite women's sports — in all the ways we have in the past, and all the ways we have planned for the future.
Here's to another year of support and opportunity.
Warmly,
Kathleen Francis
Chair & President
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WISE Events for National Mentoring Month
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Photo: WISE LA Chapter 2023 Speed Mentoring Roundtable Event
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At the National Speed Mentoring Roundtables on January 31, connect with peers and industry veterans, build new relationships, and gain valuable insights that will catapult your career (register here for the virtual event). And, throughout the month, be on the lookout for local WISE chapter mentoring events.
CALLING ALL WISE WOMEN: MENTORS NEEDED
We need you as mentors in the WISE Within mentor program and for the upcoming Speed Mentoring Roundtables. This powerful program launches mutually beneficial relationships that accelerate the professional development of fellow WISE women, while allowing you to share your wisdom and pay it forward. Learn more here and discover other exciting programs below.
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1-Question Quiz: Apparel Edition
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As you're suiting up for your newly resolved (or long-established) workout, ponder this puzzler: One of the best known logos in the world was created for soon-to-be-renamed Blue Ribbon Sports by Carolyn Davidson, a student at Portland State University. What did that company change its name to? (Extra credit if you know the year or how much Davidson was paid.) Answer at the bottom.
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The WISE Interview: PWHL SVP Amy Scheer
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Photo Credit: Heather Pollock
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2024 started with a bang — okay, a faceoff — at the sold-out first game of the PWHL's inaugural season on January 1. Sports industry veteran Amy Scheer, who's been a leader at the NBA, WNBA, MLS, and NFL, joined the startup women's hockey league late last year as the SVP of Business Operations. WISE asked her for advice on tackling new challenges.
Hear ye, hear ye. "It's the most core advice but so important. I try to really listen to what people above and below me on the food chain have to say. Everybody has valuable information about the way an organization runs. And I mean everybody."
Call for reinforcements early. "If I can't solve a problem, I involve other people as fast as I can and make a team decision. There's no need to be a hero. You've already got the job."
Forward march! "Keep doing the next thing. We're creating an entire league. The amount of decisions that have to be made as fast as you have to make them — it's crazy. And we've got six team directors with completely different skill sets. How do you position them for success in their markets? Find venues? Figure out broadcasting? Create websites, social, merchandise? The clock is not our friend. So you prioritize and check things off the list. And try to sleep somewhere in there."
Decide to decide. "If it's a good decision, great. If not, wrong decisions are one of the most powerful ways to learn. We say out loud, 'It's okay to make a mistake.'"
Don't just delegate — empower. "People need to have a sense of ownership. Someone asked me a question about hiring and I said, 'Listen, this is your team. Hire who you think is best for the position. Unless I really feel you're making an egregious mistake, I'm not going to get in your way. I'm happy to provide input, but ultimately you're building your team.' I want people to live with the consequences."
Find your muses. "I love the work by the Sports Innovation Lab so I read what they have to say often — especially the reports on how to grow women's sports and fluid fans as it's very relevant to my work."
Choose a North Star. "Our key word is 'professionalism.' We want to ensure that across the business everybody is treated at the highest professional level: sponsors, media, fans, and — of course — players."
Edited for clarity and conciseness.
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Trend Tracking: Women's Sports Boom
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Women's sports revenues will hit $1.28 billion in 2024, which is more than 300% higher than the firm's 2021 prediction. Read the full report at Deloitte. Media coverage of women's sports has nearly tripled in five years; women's sports now comprises 15% of sports media coverage across broadcast, streaming, social media, and digital publications. See coverage of the Wasserman Collective report on Forbes. Call us conspiracy theorists, but there seems to be a connection between increased media attention and growth. Go figure.
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NHL: Manager, Event Communications and Player Development, New York, New York (On-Site)
Make your next #WISEmove and become part of a Big 4 communications team. You'll oversee media relations and operations, and player requests. Other responsibilities: writing press releases and media advisories, and developing communications plans.
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Mark Your Calendar: National Events
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3rd Annual WISE Multiplier Summit — Feb 29, 2024 (Boston)
Learn the latest best practices in data-driven leadership from some of the brightest minds in sports, the day before the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference begins. This unique small group setting of executive-level women is by invitation only. Request one via the link above.
10th Annual WISE/R Symposium — Mar 18, 2024 (NYC)
A one-of-a-kind day of learning, networking, and inspiration, focused exclusively on personal and professional development of women in the business of sports. Get your ticket before it sells out!
28th Annual WISE Women of the Year Awards Luncheon — Mar 19, 2024 (NYC)
Registration is open! Our marquee annual event will take place at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. Meet the honorees and get your tickets now.
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1-Question Quiz Answer
Nike. Davidson, who designed the iconic "Swoosh" logo in 1971, was paid $35 for her efforts by company co-founder Phil Knight.
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