By Emily Spiegel, EVP @MKTG

Recently, I returned from the Sports Business Journal Game Changers awards ceremony and conference in New York City, where I had the privilege of representing MKTG as one of the 50 women honored this year – great company to be in for sure.  After spending a few days talking with and hearing from other female (and male) leaders in our industry, I spent some time thinking about what’s actually changing the game for women in sports – not just for the athletes, but also those of us who work in and around sports. There’s so much talk about the rise of women’s sports, and it’s all warranted – great things are happening and female athletes are finally starting to get paid, as well as getting the visibility and media exposure they deserve. But what doesn’t get talked about nearly as much, and what I believe is a major shift in our industry, is what’s also changing the game for those of us not talented enough to take the field or the track or the court, but who have the privilege of being women working in the historically male-dominated sports industry. And one thing in particular stood out to me. 

Fewer of us are “covering” – as said best by superstar agent Nicole Lynn during an on-stage interview. She referenced negotiating Jalen Hurts’ record-breaking contract while she was secretly seven months pregnant, having kept it a secret for fear of people questioning her ability to get the deal done. In hindsight, she wished she had been more open in the moment.  

By not covering, we’re all leading the way and clearing the path for the people behind us to be themselves too. At MKTG, we talk about making sure our employees are comfortable enough to bring their whole selves to work each day. Women leaders and athletes are becoming much more comfortable embracing who we are as women and OWNING IT – quirks and all.  (And I believe that men are too.)

If you ask Ilona Maher, I bet she’ll say that it has taken time for her to get comfortable outwardly embracing her strength and athletic build (which is badass, by the way). And it’s working for her. A few years ago, I’m not sure that Ilona refusing to “cover” would have been so rewarding for her. But this year, she has an SI Swimsuit cover (where she isn’t covering much at all – pun intended), she’s a current favorite on Dancing with the Stars, and has garnered  more than six million combined Insta and TikTok followers to boot – I can’t get enough of her content. People clearly relate to it, and it encourages them not to cover either. Simone Biles openly shared that doing therapy sessions during the Olympics was crucial to her success. If the most decorated American gymnast in history is open about the fact that she prioritizes therapy, women everywhere will be more likely to do the same.  

In the boardroom and on the sidelines, women ARE doing the same. In June of this year, FIFA announced that it was extending the reach of its family leave policy to include coaches, who now have paid maternity leave as well as paid benefits for adoption and non-biological mothers. We are making it easier for women to feel comfortable taking the time they need for their families (and themselves) without feeling like they are sacrificing their career or showing weakness by stepping away for a period of time. Acknowledging the demands of being a woman – a mother or a caregiver or a spouse or a good friend to someone in a time of need – isn’t as scary as it used to be.  Admitting it allows us not to cover, but to set ourselves up to manage all aspects of our lives – and show the women coming up in the industry behind us that they can do the same and be successful.  (The same is true of men in our industry, by the way. One example: many companies now offer paternity leave that mirrors maternity leave.  It is no longer taboo for a man to take that time to lean in to their parenting and family needs – it wasn’t as easy for a man to do that a few year ago.  As a result, men don’t have to cover.  Admitting that they need the time to adjust to the demands of being a parent, even if not the mother, is progress.  That progress impacts women too.)

For me, not covering means I’m less inclined to hide my quirks or portray myself as anything but who I really am – a diehard Swiftie who only recently started making Chiefs games appointment viewing. The real Emily has a Fantasy team named New Heights but is comfortable admitting she doesn’t actually understand how it works (good thing my colleague and teammate Tim does) and has become confident enough in her fandom that she no longer takes her friendship bracelets off for important business meetings or to appear more “professional.”   I have also been more vocal about the understanding and support I need as the primary caregiver for my mother, which means I take calls from doctor’s offices and have become quite proficient at knocking out things on my laptop while my husband graciously drives us the 90 minutes each way it takes to visit her each week. There was a time when I would have felt the need to cover that and hide the realities of the requirements on my time outside of work, afraid to bring my full self to the job. 

At Game Changers, I had the privilege of being in a room with plenty of women crushing it in the sports world.  And I realized that all of us are much more comfortable in our skin, flaws and all, than we would have been a few years ago. Less covering, more vulnerability. Less smoke and mirrors, more reality. Less filters, more transparency, even when it’s not pretty.  Dare I saw it makes us MORE successful rather than less?

Can we all agree to NO COVERING?  If we can, it will continue to change the game for women in this business. The sky’s the limit – and we’re just getting started.