Erika Ayers Badan shares secrets of her success in upcoming Gasser Lecture

After a tenure as Barstool’s first chief executive officer, Erika Ayers Badan made a surprise move in April, stepping in as interim CEO, then taking the role permanently, at Food52, a cooking and lifestyle website.

She embraces being uncomfortable.

“I think to evolve your career, you need to do things that scare you,” Ayers Badan said. “This was an opportunity to do something different, to see how far I can push my knowledge, ability and perspective. I had an amazing 10 year-run at marketing to 18 to 34-year-old men, and now I’m eager to see what else I can do.”

Ayers Badan will share insights and experiences that have shaped her executive career during the 11th annual Gasser Lecture Series at Saunders College of Business on Friday, Nov. 8. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 11:30 a.m. in Ingle Auditorium. Registration is recommended. Her speech, titled “Nobody Cares About Your Career,” is also the title of her first book, published in June.

Ayers Badan’s career has involved a series of pivots. She held C-suite roles at AOL and Bkstg, a New York-based startup, before being named Barstool’s CEO in 2016, leading the New England-based sports blog, known for its edgy content, through rapid growth. Under her leadership, the company expanded into multimedia, merchandising, streaming, and even the collegiate name, image, and likeness (NIL) space. By the time she left in January, Barstool’s revenue had grown 5,000 percent—a testament to her adaptability and willingness to explore new avenues.

“The talent [at Barstool] was impressive and we were really ambitious in creating a culture where risk and creativity had room to breathe,” Ayers Badan said. “We felt as if it was us against the world, which is motivating and unifying. It meant we embraced ideas that felt bold, sometimes outrageous—because that’s where innovation lives.”

Ayers Badan received numerous accolades during her Barstool years. Fast Company named her one of its “Most Creative People in Business” in 2018. That same year, Forbes ranked her 25th on its “Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports.” In 2019, The Big Lead included her on its list of “The 75 Most Powerful People in the Sports Media Business.” Adweek named her one of its “Most Powerful Women in Sports” in 2017 and 2020.

Her talk will cover the career lessons she has learned and offer advice to future entrepreneurs.

“You have to be willing to do the bad jobs before you get the good ones,” Ayers Badan said. “I think a lot of times, people in college right now and business school are worried about making the perfect choice, creating the perfect business. You’ve got to be hungry and scrappy. You must take chances, be non-traditional in your approach. Most of all, you must stick with it, even when everyone else is telling saying you shouldn’t.”

The William D. Gasser Distinguished Lectureship was established by Jones Chemicals Inc. of Caledonia, N.Y., in recognition of Gasser’s contributions as a teacher at RIT and as a director and financial advisor to Jones Chemicals Inc.

Gasser was an independent auditor for Jones Chemicals from 1940 to 1967. He later served as partner-in-charge of the Rochester office of Haskins & Sells and joined RIT’s College of Business faculty in 1967. Among his many honors, he was named RIT’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1971. He also served on the boards of charitable, business, and professional organizations, including the Catholic Charities of Rochester, the Hearing and Speech Center of Rochester, and the Monroe County unit of the American Cancer Society.

Past guest speakers include Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian, the NFL’s Dawn Hudson, Ben & Jerry’s Jerry Greenfield, and Shark Tank’s Daymond John.