Why the Ex-CEO of a $550 Million Company Did a Book Now with Erika Badan Ayers
Oct 9, 2024
auto_awesome
Erika Badan Ayers, former CEO of Barstool Sports, shares her journey from leading a $550 million company to becoming an author. She discusses why she chose this moment to write her book 'Nobody Cares About Your Career'—as a receipt of her achievements and a reflection of her bold candidness. Erika highlights the unique challenges women face in sports media and the importance of authenticity in leadership. She encourages other business women to embrace their stories and take the leap into writing, emphasizing that failures can catalyze meaningful narratives.
Erika Ayers Badan emphasizes the importance of authenticity in the workplace while advocating for individuals to take ownership of their career paths.
The Emerging Author Program provides aspiring authors with crucial resources to enhance the credibility and impact of their publishing journey.
Deep dives
Emerging Author Program Benefits
The Emerging Author Program is designed for individuals looking to create an authority-building book while still establishing their business. This program offers a significant cost advantage, providing access to proprietary methods and one-on-one coaching similar to that offered to higher-paying clients. Participants can look forward to professional publishing under a recognized imprint, which helps avoid the self-publishing stigma and enhances the perception of their work. The program is exclusive and application-based, making it an exceptional opportunity for committed writers.
Erica Ayers-Badden's Journey
Erica Ayers-Badden shares her experiences as a first-time author while managing a successful career at Food52, highlighting the challenges she faced in transitioning from a dynamic role at Barstool Sports to a corporate environment. She began writing her book during her commutes, motivated by a creative deficit she felt after the acquisition of her previous company, which had left her job role more focused on finances than creativity. This newfound outlet allowed her to address the queries she received on social media, aiming to provide guidance through her book and share her insights about navigating the corporate landscape. Her candid reflections underline the difficulty of writing while also balancing a demanding career, illustrating the steep learning curve associated with publishing.
Authenticity and Addressing Workplace Realities
In her new book, Erica emphasizes the importance of authenticity and the necessity of addressing unspoken realities in the workplace. She challenges conventional thinking by suggesting that individuals must take accountability for their career paths and not rely on others for validation or help, capturing this message with the title 'Nobody Cares About Your Career'. The book delves into common workplace frustrations and offers practical advice on when to stay in a job versus when to move on, appealing to a broad audience searching for honest perspectives. Ultimately, Erica aims to motivate readers to pursue their passions without being hindered by external opinions or societal pressures.
Erika Ayers Badan calls herself a “token CEO”, the rare female employee in the highest rank of a bro-roar sports and new media culture—specifically, at Barstool Sports, which she took from a rough-and-tumble sports and betting brand and turned it into a $550 million juggernaut with more than 5 billion monthly video views and 225 million followers.
In her book, Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure Is Good, The Great Ones Play Hurt, and Other Hard Truths, she talks about all that and more. And in this podcast episode, she discusses why she decided to do a book at this point in her career, how it serves as a “receipt” for what she’s done and how she truly doesn’t give an f what other people think.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode