Have you been to The Sports Bra?

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: Women’s sports bars are expanding to meet demand

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Christie Sclater, SVP of Global Marketing at Clinique

• Dear FQ: How can I prove that I’m ready to lead?

• Poll the Pack: What makes a good company culture?

TELL ME MORE

The Sports Bra, the first U.S. bar dedicated to women’s sports, sparked a movement

Ask anyone in a sports bar what’s on and they’ll tell you: Men’s football. Men’s basketball. Men’s baseball. Men’s hockey. And on and on. Ever heard of The Sports Bra? Founded by, Jenny Nguyen, The Sports Bra is a bar fully dedicated to women's sports. 

Is the idea catching on? The numbers say absolutely. Women's sports bars are projected to quadruple across the U.S. in 2025, creating spaces where fans can cheer on women's sports with the same atmosphere that men’s sports fans have enjoyed for decades. 

The bars and screens are changing, and so are the crowds.

• The 2024 WNBA season was the most-watched regular season in 24 years and set records for viewership and merchandise sales.

• Gen Z men and women, 18-to-24-year-olds, are even more interested in watching or attending women’s sporting events (52%).

• 56% of Americans, men and women, say they enjoy watching women’s professional or collegiate sports, and 38% say their interest has increased over the past year.

All of this culminates in major economic power. Women’s sports are expected to exceed $2 billion in global revenue in 2025, up from $1.88 billion just last year. Despite this surge in popularity, there are still very few dedicated spaces to watch female athletes. This might explain why The Sports Bra has sparked a movement, creating community spaces where women athletes are the main attraction. But being the first is rarely easy. 

“The most difficult part was trying to learn everything on the fly. I had no business experience. There were about 2,000 things I needed to know right away, so I was asking anyone who would listen, trying to figure out solutions in real time. The term that was most fitting for the first year or so of starting the business was, “Build the plane while it’s flying,” says owner and CEO Jenny Nguyen.

14 women’s sports bars are projected to open in the coming months, and The Sports Bra recently announced a major investment from Alexis Ohanian, opening the doors to expansion.

Jenny shared, “Literally, the sky is the limit for women’s sports bars. The Sports Bra unearthed an entire market segment of the hospitality world and not just one that is niche, but one that is universal in its demand, its impact, and its potential for growth. We are on the precipice of seeing unprecedented growth in women’s sports fandom, accessibility, representation, and content.” 

Here's where you can find a few women's sports bars across North America:

• The Sports Bra – Portland, OR

• Fulton Hall – Brooklyn, NY

• A Bar of Their Own – Minneapolis, MN

• Watch Me! – Long Beach, CA

• Rough and Tumble Pub – Seattle, WA

• The 99ers – Denver, CO

• Whiskey Girl Tavern – Chicago, IL

• Drawdown Brewery – Boston, MA

Bars dedicated to women’s sports aren't just showing games and keeping score; they're building communities, challenging norms, and often supporting women-owned businesses in their supply chains. The expansion represents more than just business growth—it's creating physical spaces that normalize women's athletics as must-see entertainment. 

And as Jenny says, “Women’s sports bars are the now and are the future. This movement has helped power the growth of women’s sports globally, and we see this as just the beginning.” 

The screens are changing. The crowds are growing. And this cultural shift is just getting started.

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Christie Sclater, SVP of Global Marketing at Clinique

Christie Sclater has built a career by asking "What if?" at companies like Apple, Estée Lauder, and, most recently, Clinique. Now, she's reimagining the brand's 55-year dermatological heritage with fresh energy, strategic vision, and a lot of “what ifs.” With degrees from Georgetown and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Christie says her education taught her the importance of caring for the person as a whole. 

As a Fellow with The HOW Institute for Society and a supporter of early-stage start-ups and entrepreneurs, Christie’s energy is contagious—and her teams and organizations are better for it.

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

CS: Someone told me I needed to use more exclamation marks because I wasn't coming through as positive in my emails.

So I did. And then I got some advice from a senior person in the organization. Thank goodness I had this person step in and tell me, “Stop worrying about your punctuation. Just be who you are.”

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

Go slow to go fast. I like to throw myself into work. I love what I do, and it doesn't feel like work. I was actually given this advice by a few different people in a few different moments, most importantly, in the context of taking my full maternity leave. At first, I thought, “Okay, I'm ready to come back—here we go!” But then I realized, no, take the time.

You'll be able to run faster if you take the time for yourself and for your family right now, which also served me really well.

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

A year ago, when Clinique launched on the Amazon U.S. Premium Beauty store. I’ll never forget that moment seeing Clinique—it was really special, because we'd been on this journey as a brand to come back to our story and to our DNA as dermatologists. 

We've been really tightening the story and we were working hard behind the scenes, updating the messaging and the photography. And then one day, to click the website and see it all come to life—it was a big moment for us.  

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey?

Poppy MacDonald is the president of USA Facts. Early on in my career we spent a lot of time on the road together and I think one of the things that Poppy helped me with is the idea that work can be fun. With Poppy, you can't help but laugh, and at the same time, do some really amazing work that everyone is proud of. She's an amazing woman, an amazing leader, and I'm grateful she's a friend.

Where have you caused trouble?

I think that's what I do. Part of what I love to do is build a team of people who like to think that way, too. I like to empower and bring together people who all see things from a different perspective, and are all willing to say, “Hey, you know what, we've never tried this before, but let's give it a go.” 

It always begins with, “What if we tried it this way, or thought about this a little bit differently, or had a dream that looked like this?” It always starts with that dream.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Hunter Lewis of The Female Quotient weighs in:

To move from being seen as supportive to being recognized as strategic, it’s important that you step up, especially in moments when others stay silent. 

Leadership often requires doing the extra work—this could be anything from conducting deeper research on a topic to reorganizing neglected processes. Can you find ways to take the initiative for additional responsibilities that contribute to larger goals? 

Also, use your offline or LinkedIn network to connect with individuals who hold the job title you aspire to have in 5-10 years. Set up time with them to chat, learn about their career journeys, take notes, and use these insights to help shape your own growth.

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

Employees believe culture drives company success

Culture sets the tone for how people show up—and stay. The fact that over a third of people prioritize culture above all else confirms what research has been telling us: Purpose-driven environments improve retention, innovation, and long-term performance.

Company culture affects how people show up, contribute, and ultimately, whether they stay. When a company's values and behaviors are aligned and clearly communicated, the benefits ripple through every aspect of the business.

So how can leaders build that culture intentionally? For starters, communication. Culture must be defined and communicated clearly—not just in mission statements, but through consistent everyday actions, like flexible work policies and paid leave. 

Culture thrives in spaces where connection is encouraged and facilitated. Creating opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and facilitating meaningful team interactions build the camaraderie so many people have identified as crucial to their company’s success.

The organizations that intentionally build environments where people feel valued, connected, and respected gain more than engaged employees—they create a sustainable competitive advantage.

See you at The Sports Bra.

Xo,

The FQ

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