I really felt that when I took the barstool job, it was very motivating that most people thought I would fail,

and that most people thought that most people underestimated what I could do at that company and underestimated the company itself.

And I found that to be incredibly motivating because I knew I had no, once I did it, there was no turning back.

My only choice was to make this successful and make myself successful at it.

Believe me, no business is perfect, and every organization has issues, but how you talk about those issues with your team plays a huge role in actually solving them.

Welcome to How Leaders Lead. I'm David Novak, and every week I have conversations with the very best leaders in the world to help you become the best leader that you

can be. My guest today is Erica Ayers-Badon, the CEO of Food 52, and the former CEO of Barstool Sports.

When Erica took the job at Barstool, they didn't even have a P&L. Eight years later,

there are a media empire and a household name worth over $550 million.

And now she's got a new challenge leading Food 52.

In this conversation, I want you to pay attention to how Erica leads with honesty and directness.

She doesn't shy away from the tough stuff, and that's important if you

want to build trust, solve problems, and get people working together towards a big vision.

You'll also hear some keen insights into the world of digital media that you just can't afford

to miss. So let's dive in. Here's my conversation with my good friend and soon

to be yours, Erica Ayersbadan. I want to take you back to the beginning. What's a what's a story

from your childhood that shaped the way you show up and lead today?

Oh, I have a lot of them.

So I grew up, I was born in Colorado, and I, my, when I was about five, my family moved

back east.

So my parents were from Vermont and my mom was from Connecticut.

And we moved to New Hampshire.

...