How to Make Your Own Luck in Your Career with Erika Ayers Badan
Ambition 2.0
Navigating bad startups and learning
Erika shares early startup misfits, extracting skills and setting time-bound moves like one-month exit plans.
In this episode of Ambition 2.0, host Amanda Goetz sits down with Erika Ayers Badan, former CEO of Barstool Sports, current CEO of Food52, bestselling author of Nobody Cares About Your Career, and all-around master of building a career entirely on her own terms.
Erika shows us the real mechanics of career growth: why nobody is coming to save you, how to make your own luck, why “random” career paths are often the most powerful, and the mindset shifts that separate fulfilled professionals from stuck ones.
She also shares candid stories from her time leading one of the most controversial (and successful) media companies in the world, what she’s learned about managing men and underdogs, how to stay emotionally regulated at work, and why she advocates for not bringing your whole self to work (compartmentalization can actually enhance your authenticity).
Erika shares her thoughts on:
- Your career is only for you—not for LinkedIn, not for your resume, and not for anyone else’s approval.
- Luck is made, not given: initiative, shameless asking, and momentum matter more than pedigree in the early stages of your career.
- Every job, even the terrible or random ones, contains a skill or lesson you’ll use later.
- Emotional regulation and compartmentalization are leadership superpowers, not repression.
- You don’t have to be the “alpha” to lead; service, empowerment, and clarity are often more effective.
- A great boss can change your entire career trajectory—interview them as much as they interview you.
You’ll also hear Erika’s framework for avoiding energy vampires, deciding which “thankless” tasks are worth it, building a personal board of directors, and creating momentum at any stage of your career—from your second job to the C-suite.
00:00 Intro
03:50 The biggest misconception about career progression
09:23 Surviving bad startups and getting the most out of them
14:20 Making your own luck and the power of asking for help
16:36 Personal boards and shameless asks
20:41 How junior employees can stand out and create momentum
23:37 Leading in a male-dominated culture without being the alpha
32:33 Compartmentalization, authenticity, and emotional regulation at work
39:47 Energy vampires, thankless tasks, and protecting your focus
42:37 How to pick a boss and read interviews differently
45:53 Erika’s work at Food52 and Work Life A Girl, and the power of building community
49:15 Rapid-fire questions and Erika’s non-negotiables at work
GUEST LINKS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika/ & https://www.instagram.com/workwitherika/
Connect with Erika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanardini/
Subscribe to her Substack: https://erikaayersbadan.substack.com/
Listen to her podcast, Work: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/work-with-erika-ayers-badan/id1503065691
Join Work Like a Girl: https://www.worklikeagirl.com/
Order her book, Nobody Cares About Your Career: https://bookshop.org/a/116169/9781250320582
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Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/
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ABOUT AMBITION 2.0
Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we’ll be exploring what it really means to “have it all” in work, family, identity, and self… and if it’s actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who’ve walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have.
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