Blogs

By WISE National

Beginning in 2010, WISE NYC Metro has convened one impressive lineup of professional women after another in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Now a WISE national signature event, Power Play panels bring together senior to executive-level women from the same organization or sector of sports business for honest conversations about finding success in the industry. Not surprisingly, these women have shared invaluable insights over the years.

Here are seven tips to reaching power-player status — from the power players themselves:

1. “Fake it until you make it. Don’t let your hesitation stop you from going after your dream job.”
   — Elle Duncan, SportsCenter anchor
2. “Develop mentors and build relationships with people who are different from you. That will help you grow.”
   — Stacey Fitch, VP of production operations, ESPN
3. “Give yourself permission to be who you are. That builds diversity in the room.”
   — Maria Soares, senior coordinating producer, ESPN International and ESPN Deportes
4. “A setback is just a setup for a comeback.”
   — Terri Hines, EVP of communications, Fox Sports
5. “Everyone is important. Don’t get full of yourself, because it will come back to bite you.”
   — Carol Stiff, VP of programming and acquisitions, ESPN, and 2013 WISE Women of the Year honoree
6. “Every time I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone, it was an opportunity to learn, and it’s made me better.”
   — Deidra Maddock, VP of sports marketing, ESPN
7. “I was told I come off a little strong, and I said, ‘Thank you.’”
   — Catherine Aker, VP of communications and community, Oakland Athletics

Check out our event calendar and your chapter’s site for more information. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t see a Power Play panel slated for your area in March. Some chapters host them later in the spring.

Titles and company affiliations were accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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Content and the contributor’s title, company and other biographical information were accurate at the time of publication and may have since changed.