Willow Bay: Reimagining the Future of Women’s Sports

Willow Bay has spent her career telling powerful stories. Now, she’s helping reshape who gets to be at the center of them.

As a longtime journalist and now the dean of USC Annenberg, Willow has worked across nearly every major television network, building a career at the intersection of media, leadership, and storytelling. Alongside her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, she’s also the co-owner of Angel City FC, one of the most valuable teams in women’s sports.

Willow also shares her perspective on why giving athletes the tools to tell their own stories may be the most powerful shift happening in sports today.

Maria and Willow also discuss what it means to reimagine an entire sports ecosystem with women at the center, how to spot opportunity early, and the challenge of overcoming imposter syndrome at the highest levels. 

All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough.

Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA.

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00:00 – Intro: Beating Imposter Syndrome 

01:14 – Welcome Willow Bay

02:49 – The Power of Listening More & Speaking Less

03:57 – Investing in Angel City FC: Why Now? 

05:07 – Convincing Bob Iger to Buy into the NWSL 

06:53 – The Business of Storytelling in Women's Sports 

08:44 – Breaking Barriers in the Sports Boardroom 

11:09 – Early Days: NBA Inside Stuff & Athlete Storytelling

13:58 – The Rise of Athlete-Owned Media Brands 

17:16 – Closing the Gap for Women in Sports Media

18:24 – Reimagining the Sports Universe for Women 

20:00 – Traditional Media vs. Athlete-Controlled Narratives 

21:40 – The Enduring Power of Live Sports 

23:45 – Maria Sharapova on Losing Control to the Press 

26:26 – Dealing with Harsh Headlines & The "Banana" Story 

30:54 – Standing on Your Skills to Beat Imposter Syndrome 

32:45 – The Shaq & Suzy Shuster Story: Accountability in Journalism 

35:48 – Dinner at the Iger-Bay Household

41:00 – Pretty Tough Questions: Erasing Self-Doubt 

41:43 – The Morning Routine for a Resilient Mind 

42:15 – Getting "Under the Hood" of Leadership 

43:40 – Final Thoughts: What Makes Willow Bay Pretty Tough

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