1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm Carolyn Tish Blodgett. Welcome 2 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: back to she Pivots, the podcast where we talk with 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: women who dare to pivot out of one career and 4 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: into something new and explore how their personal lives impacts 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today we're 6 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: celebrating the start to another Gotham FC season with a 7 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: candid convo with the one and only Carolyn Tish Blodgett, 8 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: fearless leader of Gotham FC, next three vengures, mother of three, 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: and of course my sister. So we just came off 10 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: the home opener this past Sunday and it was such 11 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: a thrill to be in the stadium again one year in. 12 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to do something that we haven't done before, 13 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: bring back a she Pivots guests to give us an update. 14 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: Last season, Carolyn's episodes was one of our top performing episodes. 15 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: Maybe it's the sisterly bond, or maybe it's her ambitious 16 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: and inspiring perspective on how she plans to build Gotham 17 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: FC into a household name. Either way, it was an 18 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: incredible episode and I knew I wanted to have her 19 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: back on I've been so lucky to have a front 20 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: row seat to all the amazing accomplishments of Gotham FC 21 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: over the past year. From selling a record number of 22 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: tickets to the inaugural FanFest to becoming the first NWSL 23 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: team to visit the White House. It's safe to say 24 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: a lot has changed since we last spoke with Carolyn. 25 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: So on this episode, we talk about everything from making 26 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: Gotham FC a legacy team, to breaking through and redefining 27 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: the cultural narrative around women's sports, to how Carolyn deals 28 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: with it all personally. Plus she breaks some very exciting 29 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: news in the world of women's sports. This is an 30 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: episode you won't want to miss enjoy. Welcome back to 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: Sheep Pivots. I'm Carolyn Tish Blodgett. I am the CEO 32 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: and founder of Next three and governor of Gotham FC. 33 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Sheep Pivots. In fact, this is your 34 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: second season, your second interview on here, because your interview 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: on she Pivots is one of our most popular episodes 36 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: of all time. Oh thank you. I feel so honored. Yeah, 37 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: am I your first second back? Yes? Oh yeah, yeah, 38 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: you're the first rep. It's like nepotism at its best. 39 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: When we recorded this episode last year, you were just 40 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: going into the first season as the operating owner of 41 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: Gotham FC, and governor is essentially like the president of 42 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: the team, like the right. So governor means you represent 43 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: the team at the league. So at the ENDWSL board, 44 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: there's a board of owners and you're the lead owner there. 45 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: And what it all means a Gotham is that, yeah, 46 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: we don't have a CEO, so I'm effectively the CEO. 47 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: The story that I tell people to try to understand, 48 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: like at what level it was a surprise that you 49 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: walked in and ended up operating it and that I 50 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: ended up doing anything at all? Was that the weekend 51 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: going in like signed the deal on Wednesday, flew to 52 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: the championship that the team was in. You got there Thursday, 53 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: walked off the plane and addressed the team Like, now, 54 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: in hindsight, like what do you remember about that moment 55 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: of like literally still had your your glasses on, no contacts, 56 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: Like what do you remember at that now in hindsight? Yes, 57 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: so we flew exactly, so we flew to San Diego. 58 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, San Diego, you know, took out like 59 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: a six am flight, so I was like half awake 60 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: and basically wearing my glasses and not my contacts as 61 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: the sign to me of like my brain hasn't woken 62 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: up yet, I really can't talk until my contacts are 63 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: And so I landed. And actually that's when Tammy, who 64 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: was the woman that we were buying the team. They 65 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: were the founders or currently they're the founders. They were 66 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: the lead owners. We were doing the deal with them. 67 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Tammy had been the governor, but then she ran for office, 68 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: so that so I actually land I landed. I got 69 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: a text from her saying can you speak, called her 70 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: in the airport like from the in the uber from 71 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: the airport at the hotel, and she said, I'm running 72 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: for office, so you should come in as governor. So 73 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: that was the first like your change, I was to 74 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: be alternate governor, so becoming like the league lead, which 75 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: I don't think I appreciated the difference at that at 76 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: the time. And then walked into the Team hotel, I'm like, okay, 77 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: you know, here I am, and the woman who led 78 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: PR at the time was like, Hi, you know, I'm 79 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: nice to meet you because we hadn't met yet. Now, 80 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: no one knew you were coming in right right, because 81 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: we didn't want anyone. No one at the team knew 82 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: that we were coming in as new investor, new owners, 83 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: and except for like I guess, basically the head of 84 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: finance because she you know, worked on the deal. But 85 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: besides that, we didn't want the distraction. The GM at 86 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: you know later in knew about it. There were a 87 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: few a handful of people that knew about it. So 88 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: basically we didn't want to cause a distraction, and we 89 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: kept thinking. We had no idea we were going to 90 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: end up announcing it right before the championship. Like at 91 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: any other moment we would have announced it would have 92 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: there would have been time to have all these conversations. 93 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: It just you know, deals take a long time, like 94 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: it just ended up being the day before the championship. 95 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: So it's particularly odd that like no one even knew 96 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: this deal. It's not like the team also was actively 97 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: raising money. So for other teams, like they will see 98 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: in the press like, oh, the team is raising money, 99 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: we know there will be a new investor at some point. 100 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: We just don't know when this was. We didn't know 101 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: we were going to have a new investor and like, surprise, 102 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: here you are. So I yeah, So I walked into 103 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: the hotel. I met this lovely person who said, you know, 104 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: now time to address the team, and I literally said 105 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: to her, can I go put my contacts in? But they're like, 106 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: you don't know me, but I really need my contacts 107 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: and I'm going to speak. And I was still wearing, 108 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: you know, the one Gotham sweatshirt I had that I 109 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: had been wearing on the plane. Was wearing that and 110 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: it was so intimidating. And I actually now, I feel 111 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: like I've addressed the team so many times, but I 112 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 1: still get so intimidated every time. I don't know why 113 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: I'm talking about this now, but every time I do, 114 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: I still like get kind of butterflies in my stomach 115 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: of like, okay, better say something good. The thing that 116 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: you were afterwards, like you texted me and Mom and 117 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: you're like, okay, I can't believe I just spoke to 118 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: the team. I totally blacked out. I hope they liked it. 119 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: I can think of ten more things I would have said, 120 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: but it's with some version of like great job, like yeah, 121 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: just so happy to be here, right, and they were 122 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: probably all shocked. Yes, I think so. I mean, I 123 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: still have no idea. I think they were at number 124 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: one of just a yeah, we didn't know this was happening. 125 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: Number two, I don't remember I talked to this last time, 126 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: but there was god knows what I said. I'm sure 127 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: it was not particularly articulate. But so many of the 128 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: players came over who now that I didn't know who 129 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: they were. I knew who they their names were. I 130 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: worked very hard. I'm memorizing the roster on the way there, 131 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: but I didn't have the contact of like the contributions 132 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: many of them had made to the league, like Mana 133 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: Shim and mccaus or Boni, and so so many of 134 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: them came over to me and you know, gave me 135 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: a hug and said, we're so HAPPI you're here. And 136 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: that was really the first time I registered. I don't 137 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: think I registered the real magnitude of, you know, the work, 138 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: but I registered the magnitude of what it meant for 139 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: us to come in as new owners. And you know, 140 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: when we looked at the investment opportunity to begin with, 141 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: and we looked at a couple other teams in the 142 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: end of herself first, and it was really through the 143 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: lens of an investment. It was really, you know, we 144 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: we do see the tailwinds, you know, towards women's sports. 145 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: We think this is going to end up. We are, 146 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: you know, legacy New York owners. There's a lot we 147 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: could we could add, but I didn't really appreciate. Like 148 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: our family, our grandfather bought into the Giants thirty I 149 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: really always say I should know what the year is. 150 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, thirty some odd years ago, and he 151 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: brought like New York business to the NFL. We now 152 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: for thirty somewhad years have not made another investment into 153 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: another team. And the team we chose as a family 154 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: to invest in was the women's soccer team here. It 155 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: wasn't men's basketball, it wasn't men's baseball, you know, fill 156 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: in the blank and all those things. And that was 157 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: such a statement to the team, the players, the league 158 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: in general that I don't think I appreciated like the 159 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: ramifications of that. Yeah, when you walked in to sit 160 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 1: in the studio today, we had to move the tissue 161 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: box out of the way and we were joking about 162 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: how guests often cry on this show, but you describing 163 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: having Monashim come over, having the calls or Bony come over, 164 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: like now I'm going to cry because now I also 165 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: have the context for how much they mean, like to 166 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 1: the league, to women's sports in general, and have also 167 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: now become friends. They are such incredible people. Like I 168 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: think we've just gotten to know so much more about 169 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: how strong they are, how their positivity has kept them 170 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: moving forward, like how much they've done to make a difference. 171 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: Like when I think about the fact that they came 172 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: over to you, like that mattered a lot, Like that 173 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: really mattered. So when we first came in, and I 174 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: think probably last year when I sat here, I talked 175 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: about why that the importance of treating this as an investment, 176 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: and you know, again, I could share all the reasons 177 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: why on a piece of paper this made sense. And 178 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: I still continually talk about it as investment because it's 179 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: critical for people to understand that women's sports is a 180 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: good investment and that brands should be part of it, 181 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: and media partners should be a part of it, fans 182 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: should be a part of it. But what I was 183 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: speaking to the player leadership council for this year's team 184 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: a week or so ago, and one of the things 185 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: I said to them is I think they didn't tell 186 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: me this, but this is what I think that when 187 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: I say that for players like that, they don't like it, 188 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: may lose the human the human piece of it, which 189 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: to your point is so important and so one hundred percent. 190 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: We run this as a business. We will continue to 191 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: run this as a business, and it's critical for the 192 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: growth of women's sports to run it as a business. 193 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: We also, I think that you know, a year and 194 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,319 Speaker 1: a half in really, I think have a deeper all 195 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: of us have a deeper understanding of the human piece 196 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: of it too. Of like, these women have given so 197 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: much to this league. You hear these stories of like 198 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: it was, you know, when Lynn Williams talks about making 199 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: ten thousand dollars as a professional athlete and changing in 200 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: the bathrooms and not having a locker room to change, 201 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: and like these women have been that have been a 202 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: part of this league for a long time, have been 203 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: through so much and the league is still has so 204 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: much more room to go to be what it should be. 205 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: But it's really the league has been built on their backs. 206 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: And I'm so indebted to everyone that has like been 207 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: on this journey before we got there, so that it 208 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: was even interesting to us or even like on our 209 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: radar screen to come in as new owners, right, you know, 210 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 1: I think about in this week, I also interviewed Michelle Betos. 211 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: We're going to have an episode with her, who was 212 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: our goalkeeper and is now one of our goalkeeping coaches, 213 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: and she was talking about the same thing of the 214 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 1: growth of the league. That what she said is that 215 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: Mandy Freeman, who's been on our team since before it 216 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: was Gotham. She said that Mandy didn't have showers at 217 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: the training facility, and now this week we're taking Mandy 218 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: in to meet the editor and cheap of book. Amazing. 219 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: I love that to think about that growth and someone 220 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: like Mandy. I'm so glad you brought her up because 221 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: so she's now on our leadership council and it's just 222 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: incredible to have her perspective as exactly like she has 223 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: seen the league at the bottom, you know, at the beginning, 224 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: and has been with this and to stayed devoted to 225 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: a team through what I can't imagine the lows are 226 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: to now be sitting here saying like you flew us 227 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: to Spain as the first NWSL team who has ever 228 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: done preseason internationally like that, Like what an incredible experience, 229 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: and like these are the great things about it, and 230 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 1: these are the things that could be better next year. 231 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: And so to have that perspective is in valuable to 232 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: us as as still relatively new owners in the league. 233 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: This is a perfect segue into what is your perspective 234 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: now a year in? Like what worked? What are you 235 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: thinking about differently? What had you potentially thought as like 236 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: a big growth place that now maybe you'll put energy 237 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: into a different place, Like what surprised you about places 238 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: of growth? So one of the things I often talk 239 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: about with our team is we want to be the 240 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 1: an iconic global sports franchise. And the thinking behind that 241 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: actually came from work at the Giants. So when I 242 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: was working with the Giants, my team and ext three 243 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: and I were working with the Giants about potentially launching 244 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: in Germany and taking having NFL marketing rights in Germany, 245 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: and so we were talking about doing some research on 246 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: what does it mean to be a global brand and 247 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: who are the you know, who are the big global brands, 248 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: what do they look like, what do they how do 249 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: they act? And that was I think we hadn't even 250 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: looked at the Gotham investment yet. I think of I'm 251 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: getting my timing right. But what we saw there was 252 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: that was our first moment to realize there's no women's 253 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: team on that list, and it was just it was 254 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: just this we again, we don't have a thesis around 255 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: women's sports, but it was this moment to say, like, 256 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: wait a second, we're talking about at Manchester United, A 257 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Giants. There's no 258 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: women's team on that list, and it's going it's going 259 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: to happen, Like there's enough tailwinds to say there is 260 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: going to it is inevitable that there will be a 261 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: women's team on that list. And when you think about, okay, 262 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: so who would be the right one to be on 263 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: the list, Well, the number one sport globally is soccer. 264 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: The number one, like fean market is the US. So 265 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: then you're talking about basically New York or LA, and 266 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: you know, decide if you're from New York or LA, 267 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: which you think is going to be the market, so 268 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: that you know fast forward to Gotham, we set our 269 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 1: vision on we want to be an iconic global sports 270 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: franchise and if that's the goal, so then you back 271 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: into okay, so what are the what does it look 272 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,719 Speaker 1: like to be an iconic global sports franchise? What do 273 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: those teams do? And number one, they win and they 274 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: win a lot, and so our goals on the business 275 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: on the soccer side were about winning, and so we 276 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: you know, and as to think about the last year, 277 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: So we came off the twenty three championship, we added 278 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: a ton of new free agents to that roster, and 279 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: we succeeded. We we were I think we were the top. 280 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: We had the most points we'd ever had as a 281 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: as a team. We had the top finish in terms 282 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: of standings of any of the teams that have been 283 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: in the playoffs. The year before, our goalkeeper won goal 284 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: Keeper of the Year. We had a bunch of players 285 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: I think six that won Olympic gold medals. So we 286 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: had an incredibly successful season on the soccer side. As 287 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: we thought about, so then what does that look like, 288 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: you know, year two? How do we build on that? 289 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: One thing that was clear to us is that we 290 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: were so focused on we never want you never want 291 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: to be a team that wins like trades. Winning this 292 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: year like gambles your future to win this year. And 293 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: so we've talked about what does it mean to be 294 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: a winner every year and like what are the things 295 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: you need to do to be to be a sustainable winner? 296 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: And so one of the things we thought about is 297 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: how do you bring in new talent? And the NWSL 298 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: is the first league in the US to get rid 299 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: of their college draft, and so how do you bring 300 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: in young new talent if you don't have a draft? 301 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: And right now, so we have I want to say, 302 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: five rookies on our team, and if there had been 303 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: a college draft, probably all five would have been first 304 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: round picks. And so our GM, our soccer team, did 305 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: an incredible job building those relationships, recruiting those new players 306 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: in to say like, okay, how do you win? You 307 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: bring in top talent, We're going to go like there's 308 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: a new system in place, there's no rules, We're going 309 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: to go figure out how to do it. So I'd 310 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: point to that. The other piece on the soccer side 311 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: I would focus. I would think about is we spent 312 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: a lot of time talking about it kind of internally, 313 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: what our mission is, what our values that we want 314 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: to live by, what our vision is, for the team. 315 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: And that work has come about because when you think about, 316 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: you know, do you to go back to the Giants 317 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: for a second? When a player you know gets drafted 318 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: and says like I always dreamed of being a New 319 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: York Giant, or I just I want to be a 320 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: part of the Giants, what are they really saying? There's 321 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: no you know, coaches come, coaches go, gms come, gms go. 322 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: What they're really there's something about like the identity of 323 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: the team that they want to be a part of. 324 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: And Gotham is new, so we didn't really know what 325 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: that identity was. So a lot of the work we've 326 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: been doing in the off season is to say, like 327 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: what is our identity? You know, when some new player 328 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: is saying like do I want to come to Gotham? 329 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: Do I not question maybe around you know, do I 330 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: like the coach, do like the GM door like they're 331 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: playing style, but also like do I want to be 332 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: a part of that identity? And that's been a lot 333 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: of the work we've been doing in the off season. 334 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: So what is the identity? Well, it's still working progress, 335 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: it's still working on it. I'd say one of the 336 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: kind of key pieces that we've been kind of a 337 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: shift in how we've been thinking. Is you know, as 338 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: I said before, this kind of iconic global sports franchise idea. 339 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: Our original mission was about being the best some version 340 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: of like being the best women's soccer team. And the 341 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: more we kind of noodled on the language, the more 342 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: we realize, like we actually don't want to be the 343 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: best women's soccer team. You know, as I said before, 344 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:11,679 Speaker 1: we want to be the best. We want to be 345 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: the one of the best brands period. We want people 346 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: to walk down the street in Paris, London, Beijing, you 347 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: name it, wearing a Gotham shirt and like if you 348 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: ask them who are you know, starting eleven, they would say, 349 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? Like they have an association 350 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: just like the Yankees, just like the Knicks, all these 351 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: great brands do with just you're a great brand you 352 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: want to be a part of. And so I think 353 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: a lot of our work around our mission vision was 354 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: actually just like setting the ambition higher and saying, again, 355 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: it's not enough to be the best NWSL team, but 356 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 1: you know we should that is on the road to it, 357 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: but we want to be one of the best in 358 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: the world. After a quick break, we talk about just 359 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: how one becomes the best team in the world and 360 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: the savvy plans Carolyn has to make it happen more soon. 361 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: When we left off, Carolyn was laying out Gotham FC's 362 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: ambitious plans to become the best in the world. But 363 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: what does that mean and more importantly, how do we 364 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: make it happen? So, as I said, you know, when 365 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: you look at the best brands in the world, they 366 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: win and because they win, so that's kind of the 367 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: core product on the field. Then you think about what 368 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 1: is the rest of the product. And they have a great, 369 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 1: really strong fan base, partly because the fan experience is 370 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: so good. And so last year we were really focused 371 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: on saying, okay, we know the ninety minutes of soccer 372 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: is going to be good because we have a great team, 373 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: what is the rest of the fan in game experience? 374 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: What is the rest of the fan in game experience like? 375 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,439 Speaker 1: And so we implement We created a fan fest, so 376 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 1: it's no longer ninety minutes of soccer, it's two hours 377 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: of soccer. You come early, you get your face painted, 378 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,959 Speaker 1: you listen to live music, have a drink. So that 379 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: was sort of, you know, idea one, But most importantly, 380 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: what we needed to do was to understand what was good, 381 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: what was bad, you know, what would we need to keep, 382 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: what we need to throw away. And so this is 383 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: where my tech background and my team's tech background is helpful, 384 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: because we implemented something that is pervasive in the tech 385 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: world and no one's ever heard of in the sports world, 386 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: which is a net promoter score. And when you say 387 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 1: that your team, it's because you brought a lot of 388 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: your top talent over from Peloton and they built out 389 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: from there. Yes, exactly. So our chief business officer at 390 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: Gotham is someone named Ryan Dillon who was worked with 391 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: me at Pelton. Laura Petro runs marketing at Gotham, also 392 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: worked with me at Pelton. So we have a sort of, 393 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,719 Speaker 1: you know, best of Peloton influence at Gotham, which has 394 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: actually been really helpful because we also have a ton 395 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: of great people on our staff that come from the 396 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: sports world, and so we've tried to you know, I 397 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: think overall, there is no path that we're following, and 398 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,479 Speaker 1: so we're trying to kind of take the best of 399 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: the sports world, take what works well at other teams, 400 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: and also take the best of the tech World and 401 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: kind of bring the two together. So net promoter score, 402 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: what it's basically saying is did you like it? Would 403 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: you come back? Is the idea, and what we saw 404 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: good news. People really like it and really want to 405 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: come back. So our net promoter score has been in 406 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: the eighties the whole season, which just to be to 407 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: take a step back. If you don't know net promoter score, 408 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: it's a score of one hundred to negative one hundred. 409 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: So having a score of a zero is actually not 410 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,159 Speaker 1: a bad score. It means people are neutral, some people 411 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 1: really liked it, some people didn't. To have a score 412 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 1: of eighty means it's almost unheard of. I mean, these 413 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: are like the best brands in the world have like sixty, 414 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: you did seventy? What was the context of Like Apple's 415 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 1: is like sixty or something around this. I didn't look 416 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: at it before, so I can't remember exactly, but it's like, yeah, 417 00:20:55,840 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: like sixty. Probably Starbucks also probably around there are like 418 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,239 Speaker 1: beloved brands. If you ask any ten year old who 419 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: have spent a lot of time with they will tell 420 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: you these are beloved brands and they're at a sixty. 421 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: I mean, so what we're seeing is almost universally, people 422 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: come to a game, you know, they they may have 423 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: heard of it, not heard of it before, and they 424 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: are having a fantastic experience and they want to come back. 425 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: And more importantly, I think for us, because we are 426 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: not you know, resting our laurels and saying we're done here, 427 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: is when they don't have a great experience, we can 428 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: point to exactly what it was about it that wasn't great. 429 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: So we often hear you know, transportation issues where our 430 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: STATEI where we play is on the path, and the 431 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: path is great when it comes, but sometimes it'll be late, 432 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: doesn't always run that often on a weekend. So we 433 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: know very clearly, you know, we want to go talk 434 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: to New Jersey Transit. We want to talk about adding 435 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: more trains so that they come more frequently. Like we 436 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: know exactly what it is that people are that is 437 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: detracting from their experience and we can work on that. 438 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,360 Speaker 1: Can you talk about you said, you know, like you 439 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 1: pull from tech and you can pull from all these 440 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: different backgrounds. One of the interesting places that you've seen this, 441 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: as you say, you know, we're forging a new path 442 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: is at the league level in the NWSL that you 443 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: are now one of the more tenured owners, which must 444 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 1: be a wild experience. I mean, these are people who 445 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: are coming in with like massive backgrounds and portfolios and 446 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: ownerships in other leagues, yet is wild to think about. So, yeah, 447 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: we came in in November twenty three, so a year 448 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: and change ago, and we're definitely one of the most 449 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: tenured owners at this point. So there has just been 450 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: tremendous change and kind of turnover of ownership throughout the league. 451 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: So and everyone coming in, I don't want to speak 452 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,640 Speaker 1: for everyone, but I think I can generalize it. Anyone 453 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 1: coming in now I think is eyes wide open to 454 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,919 Speaker 1: both the investment level that is required for us to 455 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: do what we need to do as a league, but 456 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: also what the opportunity is. I think, you know, I'd 457 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: love to Seity and say our vision for Gotham is 458 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: unique to be one of the best brands in the world. 459 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: I think most owners are probably sitting there saying we 460 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: want to be one of the best brands in the world. 461 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: And that's a real change for the league. So that 462 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 1: is raising the bar for everyone across the league, which 463 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: which I think is great and needed in terms of 464 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: the different experiences that As I think about the other 465 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: owners that have joined recently, it really is kind of 466 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: best in class at what they do all bringing those 467 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 1: experiences to the league, so that so we can really 468 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: create the best league in the world because we can say, 469 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: you know, Mark Wilf, owner of Minnesota Vikings, how do 470 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 1: you do things? You know, as we're talking about whatever topic, 471 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: how do they do things at the NFL. David Blitzer, 472 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: you own in the NBA, how do they do things 473 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: in the NBA? Lisa bethal who just they own the 474 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: Portland team. They just became the expansion franchise for the WNBA. 475 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: So we now have the front row seat there where 476 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: you know, as we think about our next media deal, 477 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: is there anyone you would rather have on your board 478 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: than will Obey who's incredible and happens to be married 479 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 1: to Bob Eiger. I mean there we just have this 480 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: Melody Hobson, who just we met with, who just came 481 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: in at Denver. Every new owner that has come in 482 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: brings such an interesting and different perspective that it really 483 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: feels like, you know, we all feel very comfortable saying 484 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: this is how it's done. It, you know, fill in 485 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,959 Speaker 1: the blank, league or company that I've been a part of. 486 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: But you know, there's no roadmap. We can do it 487 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: however we want to do it, and that's allowed us, 488 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,239 Speaker 1: i think, to make decisions that are potentially different than 489 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: other leagues would make. And you have some news to 490 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: break about the NWSL board. There's been a real vote 491 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: of confidence in you. Yes, So I just became the 492 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the NWSL. Congratulations, What 493 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: does that mean? That's a good question. So the Executive 494 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: Committee of the league is it's kind of like the 495 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: Commissioner's first phone call, so you know, when it sets 496 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: the direction of the league. It deals with issues like 497 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: governance and you know, what do we want to be 498 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: focused on? What are our priorities? Reviews the commissioner. So 499 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: that's kind of the Executive Committee in general. It's like, 500 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: you know, when something goes wrong, who do I call? 501 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: It's the executive Committee. Now we whit hold that down 502 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: to the chairperson of the Executive Committee. So I would say, 503 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: kind of first and foremost, it's that it's like, you know, 504 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: if Jessica Berman, the Commissioner, needs something, she calls me. 505 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: It's it's the sort of like go between between the 506 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: board and the commissioner, so owner, other owners and other 507 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 1: teams if they're dealing with an issue with the league 508 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: or have questions about something, they will call me kind 509 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: of as a first line of defense. And then what 510 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: I found the most interest, So that all kind of happens, 511 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: it's a lot of time. But then what I found 512 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: most interesting is there's a committee called the Strategic Committee, 513 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,919 Speaker 1: which is the chairperson of each of the other committees. 514 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: So it's the person who runs the Finance committee, the 515 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: person who runs the commercial committee, expansion, sporting, and myself, 516 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,679 Speaker 1: And so that's the sort of through between Like we 517 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: may sit the Sporting committee may sit and talk about 518 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 1: you know what, or the commercial committee may sit and say, 519 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: what do we want the next media deal to look like? 520 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: But then the Sporting Committee may say, like, oh, that 521 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 1: actually impacts us in a way that you may not 522 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: be thinking about, so let me tell you what I 523 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: think about it. The expansion committee may say, oh, wait, 524 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: as we're thinking about new teams, like this is what 525 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: we should be thinking about. So it's sort of kind 526 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: of you're getting each aspect. The league is so multifaceted, 527 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,239 Speaker 1: you're getting each aspect of the league all together in 528 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: one room, and that's been really interesting. Definitely a lot 529 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 1: of work. I think when Jessica and I had a 530 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: lot of conversations about it before I accepted it, and 531 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: I think ultimately what made it feel like the right 532 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: use of my time is I think at this point, 533 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: you know, year two, season two into Gotham, I think 534 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 1: we understand what it's going to take for us to 535 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: be successful, and we are, you know, a long way 536 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: away from doing that. But I think we we know, 537 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: you know, to your question, before we know what's working, 538 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: we know it's not we know where we want to go, 539 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: but every team is only going to be as successful 540 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: as the league is, and so spending you know, more 541 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: time thinking about what do we want this league to 542 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: be and how will this league continue to compete for 543 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: talent and continue to compete for eyeballs? And are we 544 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: telling the right stories as a league, Like that's really 545 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: what's going to make all of us successful. And so 546 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: that's why it felt like a good use of time. 547 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: When we come back, we chat about the new Amazon 548 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: docu series For the Win, which features Gotham FC and 549 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: a behind the scenes look at their visit to the 550 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: White House. Stay tuned. Okay, let's talk about sports and culture. 551 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: So it's funny when you do interviews and you talk about, 552 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: like why you looked at Gotham as the growth opportunity, 553 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: like the biggest growth opportunity to end up as the 554 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: biggest growth opportunity, it's that women's sports hadn't really hit culture, 555 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: which now seems a year and a half later like 556 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,959 Speaker 1: a dinosaur idea. But how do we fully enter culture, 557 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: Like how do we how do we make I mean, 558 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: you did that so well at Peloton, how do we 559 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: do that now so that the NWSL even hits WNBA 560 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: status or bigger. So I do feel like we are 561 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: in step one of this right now with this documentary outright, 562 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,680 Speaker 1: in our docuseries out right now. So you know, if 563 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: you think about why people watch sports, obviously there's you know, 564 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: the live element, there's the you know, you don't know 565 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: what's going to happen element in a world of like 566 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: everything being scripted. But the other piece of why you 567 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,919 Speaker 1: watch is the stories. It's the storylines, and so this 568 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: docu so maybe I should take a step back that 569 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: there is a docuseries right now on Amazon Prime which 570 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: follows the final four teams in the playoffs last year 571 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: and kind of through the championship, and hopefully everyone will 572 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: watch it. It's called for the win, It's called for 573 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: the win. Thank you on Amazon Prime. Everyone gets it. 574 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: Everyone gets it. You could watch it. It's great. So 575 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: but I think what you see in that is so 576 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: you'll see in it that Gotham loses in penalty kicks 577 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: in the semi finals, just trud It was gut wrenching, 578 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: truly gut wrenching. But you know, you can imagine if 579 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: you're a sports fan, losing in penalty gigs in a 580 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: semi finals is gut wrenching, period. Losing in a semifinals 581 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: in penalty kicks. Once you've gotten to know the players 582 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: and you understand what's on the line for them, and 583 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: you understand the dynamics between the team and you know 584 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: who's playing for what, it's just you're so much more 585 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: invested in it. And so storylines are kind of the 586 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: reason people show up for sports. But we as you know, 587 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: owners and as teams need to go tell those stories. 588 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: And so something like having a docuseries on Prime right 589 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 1: now is kind of step one, I would say to 590 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: being a part of culture. It's obviously, you know, not 591 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: the end, but but very much step one. Another piece, 592 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: you know, let's say, kind of borrowed from the pelts 593 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: On playbook has been the focus on stars and helping 594 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: players turn into We very much saw that at Peloton 595 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: that when people said that they were a fan of 596 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: they would say like, oh my god, I love Peloton 597 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: and then they jump right to like I love Ali 598 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: or I love Robin or Cody. And so with Gotham, 599 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: we very much see that, you know, I love Gotham 600 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: like I would go anywhere for Rose Level or you know, 601 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: I can't wait for Midge to get back on the 602 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: pitch because she tore a cel last year. So it 603 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: is on us to tell those stories of our players 604 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: and to really elevate them. And there's so many interesting 605 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: stories to tell, and I think we've we've done a 606 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: good job of that. We were going to continue to 607 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: do more of that. So part of this, in this 608 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: last year of you leading the team in many more 609 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: ways that you thought you were going to, is that 610 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: you have also become much more public than you ever 611 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: intended to be, which you're handling very well. Thank you, 612 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for working on it. But what has that 613 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: been like for you. So again, when we first came 614 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: into this, the opportunity to invest in Gotham, it was 615 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 1: very much as an investment, and I didn't really appreciate Again, 616 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 1: we looked at a vestment, we decided it was a 617 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: good investment. We made it, you know, the end, or 618 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: so we thought, I guess the end. I didn't really 619 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: appreciate what it would mean for me to become one 620 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: of the faces of women's sports. And I was actually 621 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: just speaking at a sports conference last weekend at MIT, 622 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 1: and after my panel, there were a bunch of people 623 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: waiting to talk to me after and I start talking 624 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: to people and there's like fifteen of them young women 625 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: saying like, oh my god, I've always wanted to They 626 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: would go to MIT Sloan, they go to Harvard Business Foe, 627 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 1: where I went like, I've always dreamed of working in 628 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: women's sports. And I was like, you did. Like when 629 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: I didn't go to HBS that long ago, there was 630 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: no I don't know, there was no conversations around whose 631 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: path is women's sports? And so one of the things 632 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: that you know, again has been sort of an unintended consequence, 633 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: but a positive one has been this this feeling that 634 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: I think I can help represent what does it mean 635 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: to work in women's sports and you can actually dream 636 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: about working in a place like women's sports. So that part, 637 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: I think, I feel like I have been able to 638 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: kind of elevate the entire business of it. But I 639 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: would say the kind of that adds pressure. I think 640 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: for me it adds part like I feel like, you know, 641 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: I'm an over prepare anyway, but I feel particularly like 642 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: if I'm going to be on this panel with a 643 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: bunch of people talking about their investment in F one 644 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: and their investment in you know, LAFC and all these 645 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: other men's sports, and like if I'm there representing women's sports, 646 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: I better do a great job and have people realize 647 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: like this is something you can invest in. Yeah, people, 648 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: I mean ask me all the time while you're like, 649 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: why isn't you know one? I want I want to 650 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: learn what Carolyn's doing and she's such a role model, 651 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: like I want to see more of it. Can I 652 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: talk to her? And I'm like just very busy. And 653 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: then last week when we were relaunching this season of 654 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,719 Speaker 1: the podcast in DC, a bunch of people came up 655 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: to me and They're like, well, I assume that Carolin's 656 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: headlining Forbes next week for as Women conference next week, 657 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: And I was like the one in Abu Dhabi. First all, 658 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't invited. Second of all, I'm intimidated by the idea. 659 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: But the follow up was that Carolyn should be headlining 660 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: every conference right now, like every like you should be 661 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: speaking everywhere, Like why isn't she And my answer was, well, 662 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: she's really busy. Yeah, like you're really a worker. And 663 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 1: then also still trying to protect your kids are still young, 664 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: like still trying to protect some of that time. So like, 665 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: how have you been thinking about I mean knowing you 666 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: like you don't really think about how to become the 667 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: face of it, like you just work, But do you 668 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: think about trying to make that more of the way 669 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: you spend your time or it's not that phase right now. No, 670 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: I do feel like I'm still there. I am. I'm 671 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: a worker, like I am in it. We don't have 672 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: a CEO like that is I spend a lot of 673 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: time with our general manager. I spend a lot of 674 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: time with our CBO Ryan, So I'm and now at 675 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: the league, so I'm very much in it. So I 676 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: would say number one, I just you know that is 677 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: my number one focus is the work. Number two, well, 678 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to put in that order. Let me 679 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 1: start with my number one rarity is my kids and 680 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: protecting that time. I do feel like as they've gotten older, 681 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: it's funny like I'll travel for work. I try not 682 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: do that much, but I'll go through like leaps and 683 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: bounds to get home so that I'm only gone like 684 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,360 Speaker 1: one night, not two nights, or two nights not three nights, 685 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: and pinelpe my daughter who's about to be ten, like 686 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: when I'll say like, okay, I'm getting on like the 687 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: four thirty flight tomorrow morning and then like the eleven 688 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: pm flight home, and she was like, why do just 689 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: stay over? I'm like, oh, I'm trying to get home 690 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: for bedtime and she's like, We're good. Like I think 691 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:40,760 Speaker 1: as they've gotten older, I think they appreciate not only 692 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,759 Speaker 1: you know that I work, but also like that what 693 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: I am building and that they see. You know, they 694 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: might not understand like this is a unique moment in 695 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:51,959 Speaker 1: time and this is not forever, but I think they 696 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 1: do start to understand, like even they have memories at 697 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: this point, so like the idea of what they saw, 698 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: what Gotham looked like. They were actually the first time 699 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: I went to a game, I brought THEO, my middle 700 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: one to see, like, you know, do we want to 701 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: do this? Do we not want to do it? And 702 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: so that was you know, two years ago probably and 703 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: like for what the stands looked like and the experience 704 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,320 Speaker 1: was like from then to now, they feel the difference, 705 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: They see the difference, and so I think they as 706 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: much as I am mostly saying no to things like 707 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:21,959 Speaker 1: going Abu Dhabi because I want to be with my kids, 708 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: they also do appreciate that I'm really building something. What 709 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:29,919 Speaker 1: do you hear back from your kids? Like I can 710 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: see how proud they are of you, Like they stand 711 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: on the sidelines when you do post game announcements, like 712 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: they're so proud, But like, how do you feel that 713 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: reflected back to you? That's a really good question. I 714 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: think they So I do feel like, you know, I 715 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: feel like, you know, kids don't say that much, so 716 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: like they're not giving me like a whole you know, 717 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: poem on like what you've done. But I do I 718 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 1: feel it. I feel like I watch I think I 719 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 1: watched them watch me and see like this is something 720 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: I'm proud of, and I've tried really hard to not 721 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: make it feel like a burden. Like, you know, anytime 722 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: there's a Gotham game, a'll you know, I'll say to 723 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 1: my kids, like you don't go to your friend's birthday party, 724 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: go to your soccer game, Like this is not this 725 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: is how I've chosen to spend my time, but it 726 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 1: doesn't need to be how you've chosen to spend your time. 727 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,720 Speaker 1: And I think the biggest way I, you know, feel 728 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,359 Speaker 1: their support is that nine times out of ten they 729 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 1: choose the Gotham game and they do want to be 730 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,240 Speaker 1: a part of it. And you know, I took Pinelpe 731 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: to the opening of the docu saries the other night, 732 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,799 Speaker 1: and you know, I said, like, you don't have to go, 733 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: you know, this is just this is meant to be 734 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: a treat, but like if you want to come with 735 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: me to work for the afternoon and go be a 736 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,839 Speaker 1: part of it, you know, come, And obviously she wanted to. 737 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: And so maybe that was about example because that was fun. 738 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 1: But you know, I think they want to be a 739 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: part of it. And that's the biggest sign that I 740 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,800 Speaker 1: see that they recognize that this is something bigger because 741 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: they have a choice, they can do something else, and 742 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: like this is where they want to spend their time. 743 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: But I think that's ultimately what sports are about, is 744 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: that it's about family traditions, it's about I also that 745 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: it's say funny you were saying about like the people 746 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: love it for the storylines. Like I will often say, 747 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: like I'm like as a shorthand, I'm like, hey, yes, 748 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: sports is men's gossip. It is totally. Yes, sports is 749 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: what brings people together. I think in our family, you know, 750 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: the Giants was the thing that brought us to people together. 751 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: I wrote my college essay about our three generations of 752 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: women bonding over football and moms like popcorn, you know, 753 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: dropping behind her. And I think for our kids, obviously 754 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 1: they have the Giants and you know that's a part 755 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:31,520 Speaker 1: of their family connection. And so is Gotham. And you know, 756 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: when I my little one, Alexander will his like favorite 757 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: if I've gone to one of the New Jersey offices 758 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,319 Speaker 1: that I go to either the Giants or Gotham, and 759 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:41,799 Speaker 1: I come home, he'll always say, like, you're wearing your 760 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 1: fancy clothes today. But then he'll say, you know which 761 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: office did you go to? And I'll say, and then 762 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: he always asks, like who's your favorite team? The Giants 763 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 1: or Gotham, And it's his like go to bedtime, Like 764 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,240 Speaker 1: I can't go to bed until you answer the question, 765 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: you know, is it the Giants or is it Gotham? 766 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,839 Speaker 1: And obviously don't as because no child is better than 767 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: the other, But I would say the idea that you know, 768 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: in his mind they're equivalent, and like, of course, you know, 769 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: half a dozen of one, six of the other. You know, 770 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 1: some days I like Gotham, some days I like the Giants. 771 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 1: And so I think for their generation, they are growing 772 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: up with a lot of sports games to go to 773 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,760 Speaker 1: number one, but number two, they're really seeing them as 774 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: the same and equal or maybe equal not the same, 775 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: And I think that is I'm hoping part of what 776 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 1: we're building in this ambition to take it back to 777 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 1: the beginning, like the ambition around creating one of the 778 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,800 Speaker 1: best brands in the world and not kind of putting 779 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: ourselves in the box of women's sports. Is in this 780 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 1: next generation. I the hope and I see it playing 781 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: out it with our kids is that they're just seen 782 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 1: as the same, Like I like Gotham, you like, maybe LAFC, 783 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: I like the Giants, you like this women the Spirit, 784 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: and maybe those brands don't mean I think, but basically 785 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,359 Speaker 1: like alternating between men's brands and women's brands and not 786 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: seeing it as it's like, oh, this is my women's 787 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 1: team that I like, and this is my men's team 788 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:06,760 Speaker 1: that I like. Yeah, at my kids' school, they wear uniforms, 789 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,359 Speaker 1: but Friday is dressed down day, and I'd say, you know, 790 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: a third of the boys wear Gotham like every Friday 791 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: dress down day because they all wear jerseys and so 792 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: they all wear their teams and they like they just 793 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 1: love it, like they love to be able to follow it. 794 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: And again like with this generation, like they don't know 795 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: that they're not supposed to be as dedicated, Like they 796 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: are just as dedicated because the competition is there, the 797 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:30,319 Speaker 1: athletes are there, the storylines are there, like it has 798 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: it all you'll see it all in for the wom exactly. 799 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 1: You know, the early kind of days of women's sports, 800 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: people talked about it as a charity and it was 801 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:40,760 Speaker 1: sort of like, oh, you should go to a women's 802 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 1: sports team because like you have a daughter, and that's 803 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: what's good for the women, like let's support them, But 804 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,160 Speaker 1: it wasn't to your point around like, no, these are 805 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,399 Speaker 1: professional athletes. These are the best athletes in the world 806 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,879 Speaker 1: at what they do. There's an intense game to watch. Sports. 807 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: Sports brings people together, there are traditions there, it's a 808 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 1: great fan experience. That's why you're going, not because you 809 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,440 Speaker 1: like feel sorry for the women. And I think in 810 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 1: a younger generation they're not coming with that baggage. So 811 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 1: they can just show up because it's a great game. Okay, 812 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 1: Now that our listeners are so hyped up and so 813 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: excited to see the rest of this season, what can 814 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,439 Speaker 1: they do? How can they engage? Okay, well, number one, 815 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: watch if I have not sold you on the docu series, 816 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:22,359 Speaker 1: I don't know what will download for the win on 817 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: Amazon Prime. Show up to our games. You know, as 818 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:28,040 Speaker 1: I said, this is we are still in the building phase. 819 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: I think you know we are making a commitment to 820 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: be a part of it because we think we know 821 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: that this can be something great. We want everyone to 822 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:37,840 Speaker 1: be a part of it. So home opener March twenty third, 823 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:39,680 Speaker 1: and then a long list of games after that. You 824 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,360 Speaker 1: can find the schedule online and follow us on social 825 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: You know, however, it is that you want to engage 826 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 1: with it. We want you to engage in it because 827 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: it's such a great product and brand. Okay, thank you, Kat, 828 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:51,279 Speaker 1: thanks for coming on again. This is fine for your 829 00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: swan song of she Pivots exactly your final and She's out. 830 00:40:54,920 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 1: I'm done. Carolyn is still championing GOTHAMFC and women's sports 831 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: as a whole. Gotham plays nearly every weekend, so be 832 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,359 Speaker 1: sure to follow them on Instagram at GOTHAMFC to stay 833 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 1: up to date on how to watch the games, and 834 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 1: if you're in the New York area, grab your friends 835 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,640 Speaker 1: and come see us at a game. I can't say 836 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 1: enough good things. The soccer is good, the merch is good, 837 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: the vibes are great. So get your tickets and I'll 838 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 1: see you there. Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening to 839 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,080 Speaker 1: this episode of she Pivots. I hope you enjoyed it, 840 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,480 Speaker 1: and if you did, leave us a rating and tell 841 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:40,760 Speaker 1: your friends about us. To learn more about our guests, 842 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:44,840 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram at she Pivots the Podcast, or 843 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,640 Speaker 1: sign up for our newsletter where you can get exclusive 844 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: behind the scenes content. On our website at she Pivots 845 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:58,359 Speaker 1: thepodcast dot Com special thanks to the She Pivots team, 846 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 1: Executive producer only Eda Vlosk, Associate producer and social media 847 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:08,400 Speaker 1: connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics 848 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: coordinator Madeline Snovac, and audio editor and mixer Nina pollock 849 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: I endorse Cheap Pisits