A professional league of their own ⚾

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: The 2026 Women’s Baseball League

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient

• Dear FQ: My Coworker Earns More Than Me... What Can I Do?

• Poll the Pack: Communication. Communication. Communication. 

TELL ME MORE

For the first time in over 70 years, a women’s professional baseball league will launch in 2026

Justine Siegal was just 13 years old the first time someone told her she shouldn’t play baseball because she was a girl. 

Fortunately, she didn’t listen. “The day my coach told me to quit was the day that I decided to play baseball forever,” she says. 

There's no crying in baseball, after all—just determination, grit, and the courage to swing for the fences.

Now, Siegal is bringing an entire league with her. A decade after breaking barriers as the first female coach in men's professional baseball, she’s the co-founder of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), launching with six teams in 2026. 

The league has been praised by trailblazing pro baseball player—and A League of Their Own double—Julie Croteau. Last season, around 1,300 high school girls across America played baseball on boys’ teams. This league could change things for them. 

“The girls who are out there playing on their own…they’re strong willed. They’re willing to buck the system and make it happen. This helps them get seen,” says Croteau. “It’s about time.” 

The last professional women’s baseball league existed from 1943–1954. However, decreased attendance and revenue, a lack of promotion, and post-war economic conditions brought the league to a halt. 

70+ years later and we’re back. 

The launch of the WPBL comes at a time when women’s sports are experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity. Today, 70% of people watch women's sports, with over half of them joining the stands in just the last two years. Global revenue for women's sports will reach $2.35 billion in 2025, up from $1.88 billion in 2024.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect:

• Unrivaled, the brand-new 3v3 women's basketball league, knocked it out of the park by exceeding financial projections leading up to its 2025 opening season.

• Sponsors of the Ladies Professional Golf Association 2022–2023 season saw up to a 400% return on their media investments.

• Last year, WPP-owned GroupM, one of the world’s largest media agencies, publicly stated they’d be doubling the amount of ad dollars their clients invest with women’s sports.

• For every $1 a corporate sponsor invests in women's sports, they see an average return of $7.29 in customer value.

The WPBL isn't just filling a gap in the market—it's correcting a century-old error in the scorebook. Women's sports represent a blue ocean in athletics: untapped markets, untold stories, and unprecedented potential.

Bottom line: The women grabbing their gloves in 2026 are flipping the script of generations left out of America’s pastime. Play ball! 

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient

As CEO, Founder, and “Chief Troublemaker” of The Female Quotient, Shelley Zalis is a trailblazing entrepreneur, three-time movement maker, and global advocate for building workplaces that work for everyone. Shelley has united more than 6 million professionals across 30 industries in more than 100 countries, and is committed to fostering inclusive spaces at global industry conferences and events, creating opportunities for everyone to succeed. 

Before The Female Quotient, Shelley transformed the market research industry by founding Online Testing Exchange (OTX), which she later sold to Ipsos. Have you ever taken an online survey? You can thank Shelley. She revolutionized online research. Now, Shelley is one of LinkedIn’s Top 20 Most Influential Voices and a contributor to TIME, Forbes, and IMD. In 2024, The Female Quotient was named one of Fast Company’s Brands That Matter. 

FQ: What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

SZ: The worst advice I ever received was to follow the rules. The truth is, when you follow the rules, you’re perpetuating the status quo. I actually have a 6-page typewritten review somewhere, where I was told to be an order taker, answer the phone, and follow the rules. Even though the review stung at the time, today I’m thankful. It propelled me to create a career that has been all about breaking the rules that don’t make sense, and advancing women in leadership positions across industries. 

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

It’s a quote from Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in “I Don’t Know How She Does It”. I live and breathe by this: “Trying to be a man is a waste of a woman.” 

Bring your feminine qualities to the table. Collaboration, compassion, empathy, team-building, passion, and communication—those qualities, in my opinion, are the greatest qualities of leadership today.

What was a “heartbeat moment” for you in your career?

Going to the World Economic Forum in 2016 was a heartbeat moment. We were invited to Davos and the invitation said: "We want you to come, but you might not feel welcome." My head said, "Who wants to go to a place where you don't feel welcome?" But my heart said, "You have to go."

We decided to go and took a tiny space, planting our seeds. We didn't think anyone would show up. We called it the place for the 17%, because at the time, only 17% of white badges (conference attendees) were women. It was a really amazing moment when all of our girlfriends came to support us. Two years later we doubled the space. Three years later we quadrupled it. Today, we’re a mainstay during the World Economic Forum. I couldn't be more proud of our evolution and grateful for our community that has supported us along the way. We truly are better together!

Imagine you just received a prestigious leadership award. Who are you thanking that aren’t at your current gig?

The boss who gave me my first (aforementioned) review. I later asked him, “Do you regret that review?” And he still says, “No. Because if I gave you a good review, you would not be where you are today.”

Gerry Lukeman was a role model for me. He has passed away, but my memories are the family pictures hanging on the wall in his office. Over the years, I saw his kids grow up through those pictures. He was a leader who walked the talk and showed how important his family was in his life. He inspired me to create the “uncorporate” rules—rules that work for a working parent.

My mom, who instilled confidence in me from day one. She actually started the first conference for women in the State of California for the former Governor of California, Pete Wilson. That was over 30 years ago. Like mother, like daughter.

And I want to thank all of the women connecting with one another in The Female Quotient community. We are over 6 million strong across 30 industries and 100 countries. The power of women supporting women is the greatest gift I could ever receive.  

Where have you caused trouble?

Everywhere. 

Early in my career, I was trying to bring online research into the world and I decided to start in movie entertainment research, of which I had zero experience. 

I went directly to the Chief Research Officer of Warner Brothers, and I said, “Are you perfectly satisfied with how you do research today?” There was only one provider of research in the movie business at the time. He looked at me and he said, “Of course not. How can anyone be perfectly satisfied?”

And that was my opening. There's always a solution, you just have to find it. So go out and cause some trouble of your own!

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Shelley Zalis of The Female Quotient weighs in:

The moment you discover a coworker earns more than you, it’s natural to feel frustrated—even undervalued. But before jumping to conclusions, pause and gather the facts. Is this colleague truly in the same role, with the same level of experience, tenure, and responsibilities? Compensation is rarely just about titles; factors like specialized skills, prior experience, and additional contributions often play a role.

This isn’t about demanding more just because someone else is making more. Instead, it’s about ensuring you are being paid fairly for the value you bring. 

When you’re ready to have the conversation with your boss, here are a few things to consider:

• Do your research—look at industry benchmarks, assess your impact within the company, and be clear on how your skills contribute to business success.

• Frame the conversation around your worth, not someone else’s paycheck.

• Instead of saying, “Why am I being paid less?” try this: “I’d love to discuss how my compensation aligns with my skills, experience, and market standards.” 

• Keep the conversation professional and rooted in business, not your personal feelings.

A great leader will appreciate the conversation and see it as a sign of confidence and awareness. But, if your concerns are dismissed, that tells you everything you need to know about your future with that company. No matter the outcome, you’re in power—so own it.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Organizations can improve their communication around long-term vision and goals

Communication. Communication. Communication. 

If employees don’t see the vision, how can they drive it? This comes back to leadership, as it’s up to leaders and managers at every company to make sure the vision is clear, so employees are motivated to contribute and advance the mission, together. 

Where do most organizations fall short?

Consistency

Repetition is key. One presentation isn’t enough for employees to grasp the big picture. Make sure you’re repeating your vision and values consistently, so your team starts to get familiar with the language and purpose of your organization. 

Collaboration

One of the best ways to help employees embody the ethos of a company is to involve them in the process. Ask for input ahead of strategic shifts, like IBM’s “Innovation Jams,” to make change an exciting and collaborative part of your organization, instead of a few lines in an all-hands meeting. 

Context

As companies grow, it’s easy for individuals to lose sight of how they’re contributing in a meaningful way. As a leader, talk with everyone on your team about how they play a unique part in your organization's growth and success. Can you contextualize how their day-to-day work contributes to the company’s vision? 

A sense of purpose is a key driver for long-term employee retention, so it’s worth putting in the time to make sure the vision is clear. 

“It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.” - A League of Their Own

Xo,

The FQ