Erika Ayers Badan

Erika Ayers Badan (formerly Erika Nardini) is a media executive and the CEO of Food52. She is best known for her tenure as the CEO of Barstool Sports, where she oversaw the company's explosive growth and eventual acquisition by Penn Entertainment. Badan is a rare female CEO in the male-dominated sports media landscape, known for her unapologetic leadership style and business savvy.\n\nShe is the author of Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure Is Good, the Great Ones Play Hurt, and Other Hard Truths. Badan offers a blunt, no-nonsense guide to navigating the corporate world. She challenges the modern emphasis on "bringing your whole self to work," arguing instead for grit, results, and resilience. Her advice is aimed at those who want to win, not just participate.