July 30, 2024 • 31min

Rapid Response: How Barstool Sports’ ex-CEO cooks up attention, with Food52’s Erika Ayers Badan

Masters of Scale

Erika Ayers Badan is the new CEO of lifestyle brand Food52 and former CEO of Barstool Sports. In this episode, she discusses her dramatic career pivot from the controversial, frat house culture of Barstool to the more polished world of Food52. Erika shares insights on building passionate fan communities, leading through constant controversy, and why running Barstool felt like "a heart attack every day." She also explores lessons around cultivating personality-driven media brands and why as a leader, "no" is often a better answer than "yes."

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Key Takeaways

Community building is crucial for both Barstool Sports and Food52, despite their very different brands and audiences
Constant innovation and experimentation are necessary in today's fast-paced media landscape
Personality-driven content is key for building engaged audiences
Controversy and drama can be assets if managed properly, driving attention and growth
Transparency and "always-on" content creation helped fuel Barstool's rapid growth
Saying "no" is often better than saying "yes" as a leader - it enforces discipline and focus
Media businesses must constantly reinvent their product and business model to stay relevant
Hands-on leadership and "eating your own dog food" are crucial for understanding your business
Public perception doesn't always match internal reality - Barstool was less toxic internally than its reputation suggested
Career transitions to very different companies/industries can be valuable for gaining new perspectives and skills

Introduction

Erika Ayers Badan is the new CEO of lifestyle brand Food52 and former CEO of Barstool Sports. In this episode, she discusses her dramatic career pivot from the controversial, frat house culture of Barstool to the more polished world of Food52. Erika shares insights on building passionate fan communities, leading through constant controversy, and why running Barstool felt like "a heart attack every day." She also explores lessons around cultivating personality-driven media brands and why as a leader, "no" is often a better answer than "yes."

Topics Discussed

Transitioning from Barstool Sports to Food52 (02:53)

Erika describes the stark contrast between Barstool Sports and Food52:

Barstool was "wild, free, creative, disruptive, no holds barred"
Food52 is more polished, focused on home/food, with "grown-ups" and cleaner bathrooms
Both are centered on community and blend commerce with content
She wanted a new challenge and to learn a different industry

"I really felt like I did it. I learned a lot. I think I contributed good things. It was exhilarating. It brought me to places I never thought I would go, both good and bad. And I was eager to try and learn something new."

Building Community and Personality-Driven Content (07:06)

Erika discusses the importance of personality and community for both brands:

Barstool excelled at building community through humor and controversy
Food52 needs to add more personality and edge to its content
Finding the right balance of authority and relatability is key
Internet has changed notions of authority - anyone can be an influencer now

"I think the Internet has changed this notion of authority, and it has, for good or bad, ushered in this era of personality...I actually think we're in an era right now where there's so much fragmentation...that there's actually a very large business opportunity in the home and lifestyle space around that."

Leading Through Controversy at Barstool (19:21)

Erika addresses the charges of toxic masculinity at Barstool:

Found Barstool to be less sexist than other companies she worked for
Chose to focus on building the business rather than constantly apologizing
Had an all-female executive team for most of her tenure
Believes many judgments were based on headlines, not reality

"I found it to be the least sexist place I've ever worked. It was the least insidious place. I've worked at Microsoft, I worked at AOL, I worked at Yahoo. I've worked at a ton of ad agencies...And all of those companies had way more issues that were way more hurtful that nobody ever talked about."

The Challenges of the Media Business (23:52)

Erika discusses why she's drawn to the "insufferable" media business:

Constant need to recreate product and reinvent business model
Challenge of the "blank page" every day is fulfilling
Must jump on new platforms early before they're profitable
Personality and talent are increasingly important

"I love the media business. I feel so lucky there's not going to be people who come after us who work in the media business the way we work in the media business, mostly because the media business is so screwed up and it's so challenged. It's not sustainable the way it works now."

Putting Yourself Out There as a Leader (26:58)

Erika explains why she's creating content herself at Food52:

Helps her understand production process firsthand
Injects freshness and new perspective as an industry outsider
Demonstrates willingness to try new things to the team

"I think a lot of times at work, people don't walk the walk. Like, they don't try to figure something out firsthand, and so therefore, they can't really ever figure it out for business."

Learning to Say No as a Leader (30:18)

Erika shares why saying "no" is often better than saying "yes":

Saying yes to everything means you're doing nothing
No shows clarity on priorities and goals
Fast, firm "no" is better than prolonged indecision
Enforces discipline and focus

"I think no. If you say yes to everything, you're really doing nothing. And it's quite easy to say yes. And I think a lot of times people say yes for the wrong reasons, they want to please other people, or they don't want to offend someone. But when you say no, it...indicates that you are much more clear on who you are and what you want and what you're trying to achieve, and you're far more protective of it."

Conclusion

Erika Ayers Badan's journey from Barstool Sports to Food52 highlights the evolving nature of media and community-building in the digital age. Her experiences underscore the importance of personality-driven content, constant innovation, and decisive leadership in building successful media brands. Despite the stark differences between Barstool and Food52, Erika sees common threads in the need to cultivate passionate communities and adapt quickly to changing platforms and audience preferences.

Her insights on managing controversy, putting yourself out there as a leader, and the value of saying "no" offer valuable lessons for leaders in any industry. As media continues to fragment and evolve, Erika's practical approach to embracing change while staying true to core business principles provides a roadmap for navigating the challenges ahead. Her willingness to take risks and learn new skills in a dramatically different environment also serves as an inspiring example of career reinvention and growth.