Overview

Erika Nardini is the CEO of Barstool Sports, a hardcore New England sports fan (Go Coach Belichick...also a podcast guest), and one of the trailblazers of the internet. I'm lucky to call her a friend and mentor.

Quick Erika snapshot: after changing her career trajectory out of school from legal to advertising (opting to take a $35K pay cut), she immediately became fascinated by the connections that people and brands could make online. With each creative campaign and team of workers (she talks about the value of "managing around" vs. "managing up"), she continued to climb the executive ladder, pushing branded content and internet advertising into a multi-billion dollar industry. With executive positions at MSN and Yahoo, she was then named the CMO of AOL, and in 2016 was brought over to Barstool Sports via her friends at Chernin Group. She's taken Barstool from 2 shows and 3 podcasts to one of the largest media companies in the modern era, attacking revenue at a clip that's unmatched -- featuring branded content, unique merchandise strategies, and PPV events.

On the show, we discuss her road to CEO, management tips, predictions in media, and her stint as a college lacrosse net-minder.

Suiting Up is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.

Erika Nardini

Erika Nardini

CEO, Barstool Sports

Show Notes

3:00 Erika's Early Career
5:50 Where Erika's Work Ethic Comes From
7:50 Why Team Sports Matter
9:20 The Importance of Culture
11:00 Managing People At 23
15:25 Developing Soft Skills in Younger People
19:50 The Importance of Grinding
21:30 Interviewing for CEO
25:45 The Importance of Understanding Your Audience
28:00 Launching Chicks In The Office
30:00 The Built-In Loyalty of Barstool
35:30 How Barstool Capitalizes on Not Knowing What is Going to Happen
39:00 The 90 - 10 Rule For Creators