💌 Weekly: It’s just blood

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: There is no place in the game for shame

• FQ Leaders Spotlight: Laura Molen, Founder & President, Monarch Advisory Collective and Francesca Molen, Social Media Manager, Sports Sponsorships at T-Mobile

• Inside Track: Leaders on the move

• Dear FQ: Why is a promotion to leadership the main measure of success?

• Poll the Pack: The rise of the career pivot

TELL ME MORE

Game on. Period.

Athletes are praised for playing through injuries, with bloodied socks and bruised legs seen as signs of strength. But a period stain? It’s often met with shame. With leaders like Arsenal Women taking a stand, we’re one step closer to a world where athletes can focus on the game.

As Leah Williamson of Arsenal Women FC shared, “It’s just blood and blood is part of the game. But shame? There is no place in the game for shame.” Menstruation is a natural function experienced by half the earth’s population. Periods are not a weakness and should never be a source of shame. But in sports, it’s still one of the last remaining taboos.

Which is ironic, considering humans have been experiencing periods for thousands of years. Some early civilizations treated menstruation as something powerful, even mystical. Ancient Egyptian texts suggest menstrual blood was used in healing rituals. But awe quickly turned into fear, and fear turned into exclusion. Menstruating women were often pushed out of everyday life entirely.

Fast forward a few centuries, and we aren’t exactly doing much better. Sanitary napkins existed well before television, yet period product ads were banned from American TV until 1972. It took another 13 years before actress Courteney Cox became the first person to say the word “period” in a U.S. commercial.

Now layer sports on top of that history. Women have had to fight just to get onto the field in the first place. And this is recent history. Just over one hundred years ago, women were only allowed to participate in sports recreationally. Competition was considered “unladylike,” and more so, women were thought to be incapable of achieving athletic feats. In 1873, Dr. Edward Clarke published his book, Sex in Education: Or a Fair Chance for Girls, where he wrote, “Both muscular and brain labor must be reduced at the onset of menstruation.” He feared that if women participated in sports during their periods, it could negatively impact their most important feature: their reproductive organs. That was 151 years ago, and echoes of those ideas still linger.

To be fair, periods aren’t exactly a walk in the park. Symptoms include cramping, breast tenderness, bloating, fatigue, and emotional swings, basically a full-body inconvenience. Unsurprisingly, 50% of female athletes say their period significantly affects performance, and 32% experience dysmenorrhea, or painful periods.

But here’s where things get complicated: some athletes believe skipping their period entirely improves performance, while research shows losing a menstrual cycle can harm overall health. So what’s the answer? Well…we’re still figuring that out. There’s a huge research gap around female physiology in sports. For decades, training programs were built around male bodies. Says Charles Pedlar, Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at St. Mary’s University, “Historically, female athletes have been trained like men, who have different hormonal profiles, so we need to think more intelligently about training women.” 

The knowledge gap affects everyone from doctors and coaches to the athletes themselves. Scottish Olympic swimmer Hannah Miley admitted, “It was really hard to change my mindset of competing on my period because from such a young age, that was the worst thing in the world.”

That stigma has consequences, especially for younger athletes. Girls drop out of sports at alarming rates during puberty. According to Women in Sport, more than one million self-described “sporty” girls leave sports after elementary school, often around the time their periods begin. 78% say they avoid sports entirely during menstruation. As Tanya Martin, Head of Insight & Innovation at Women in Sport, explains, “Teenage years are particularly important because that’s when lifelong habits and attitudes are formed for adulthood. Even the most sporty girls are regularly dropping out, missing training and missing competitions because of their periods, and because they don’t have the right support and guidance to be able to manage it effectively.” 

The good news? Elite athletes are starting to talk about it openly. During the Rio Olympics, Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui shocked viewers when she casually mentioned her period during a post-race interview while doubled over in pain: “It’s because I just got my period yesterday, so I’m still a bit weak and really tired.” The world survived hearing that sentence.

More athletes have followed suit. At the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, figure skater Amber Glenn said, “I’m on my period right now, so it’s always really hard, especially when you have to perform in front of the whole world. It’s scary, and it makes you extra emotional. It’s something that we don’t really talk about a lot for female athletes, and I think it should be a topic of discussion.”

We couldn’t agree more. Every woman has had a period leak. For elite athletes, the problem can be even worse. Tampons and pads aren’t exactly designed for sprinting, flipping, or diving in front of millions of people. Which is why clothing policies matter so much. For decades, female athletes were expected to compete in white uniforms. At Wimbledon, beginning in 2023, women were finally permitted to wear dark colored undershorts for the first time. Soccer teams switched to darker shorts at the 2023 Women’s World Cup for the same reason. Yes, 2023 (!!).

Despite all of this, female athletes have broken records, won championships, and dominated their sports. The more openly we talk about menstruation as a biological reality instead of a whispered secret, the more we can actually address it. With better research, better education, and better equipment, athletes can work with their bodies.

Physiotherapist Michelle Lyons says, “Women have won World Cups and Olympic medals every day of their menstrual cycle, they don’t have a choice but to play on. We need to see periods as a superpower we can tap into to optimize how female athletes fuel, recover, and ultimately perform on the pitch.” After all, an athlete’s body is their most powerful tool, and understanding it is a real strength.

FQ LEADERS SPOTLIGHT

Double trouble(makers)! In honor of Mother’s Day, we sat down with mother-daughter duo, Laura and Francesca Molen.

Laura Molen is the Founder & President of Monarch Advisory Collective where she partners with leadership teams to build growth strategies at the intersection of consumer behavior, technology, and capital. She’s built a remarkable career navigating major shifts in the media and marketing landscape, from the rise of cable to the streaming era and now AI-driven transformation. Prior to founding Monarch, Laura held leadership roles including President of NBCUniversal Media and EVP of Network Sales and Marketing at Univision.

Francesca Molen is a Social Media Manager for Sports Sponsorships at T-Mobile, where she leads influencer marketing campaigns. She’s passionate about connecting brands with talent in ways that feel authentic and impactful, ensuring every partnership truly reflects the brand’s voice.

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

LM: I had left a job and while I was searching for a new one, someone told me to take any job I could find to stay in the game. Yes, that advice keeps people employed, but it can also erode your passion for the work if the job isn’t what you want. Even though the job I ultimately took was a stepping stone job, it had attributes that were important for the trajectory of my career. So, if your finances allow it, reflect on your previous job and the one you are searching for. What did you love? What did you not love? The latter can teach you a lot. Create criteria for yourself and find something that will be a great fit while also allowing you to grow.

FM: In college, I was in a club called The Association for Women in Sports Media. An industry professional came to speak and told us that women are less likely to succeed in sports media. It really surprised me to hear that, and it also terrified me because it was what I wanted to pursue. I decided to go for it anyway. I’ve found the opposite to be true. Within this industry, I'm surrounded by so many incredible, hard-working women.

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

LM: Someone once told me that the industry is small, but your career is long. It’s not just built on highlight reels. It’s important to center yourself during the hard times because how you operate in those moments is what others will remember from your leadership.

FM: Don’t take things personally. In marketing, everyone is so passionate about their work and has a specific vision of how they want to see an idea come to life. When perspectives differ, I focus on collaboration, asking questions and understanding the “why.” Taking it personally only gets in the way of the work. When you are just trying to get someone to agree with you, nothing is going to get done. The goal isn’t to win, it’s to understand and build something better together.

What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?

LM: Launching NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock. It was a defining moment for me and we had a very short timeline to get it done.

We were looking for about 10 sponsors to help us build the future of streaming. At the time, the ad experience on streaming was broken. It was playing the same ads on repeat. We knew it had to be better. Instead of following the old model, we brought marketers, consumers, and technology together to build something new. What I’ve learned is that technology moves first, consumers follow, and the companies that wait get left behind. The ones who move early set the standard. 

FM: I felt stagnant and I started to wonder, “Am I going to be able to find another job where other people see my value and my worth?” Finding my new job was a heartbeat moment. The team saw my skill set, what I could bring to the table, and wanted me on the team. The role jump-started the career that I’d always envisioned for myself long-term, which is to become a Chief Marketing Officer.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?

LM: I’d like to give flowers to Lisa McCarthy, co-founder of the Fast Forward Group. I’ve had the privilege of working with her across multiple companies and she’s had a lasting impact on how I show up.

Early in my career, she told me something I’ve never forgotten: your inner voice can either be your biggest limiter or your greatest accelerator. That mindset became a powerful tool for me. Whenever I doubted myself, like before a big presentation, she would reframe it: What if this is your chance to give the best presentation of your life? She taught me that feedback is a gift, not something to take personally. Once I was able to change the narrative in my head my career exploded. 

FM: I’d like to give flowers to two people. My former boss, Rebecca Karnofsky, led the sports activation team at Paramount. She was an incredible advocate for me. Even when I was applying for my current role, she helped prep me for my interview and gave me all of the tools and feedback that I needed to succeed.

My mom has been my guiding light, in life, and in my career. She is such a superstar. As an adult, I look back at what she’s accomplished: raising a family, being a daughter, sister, and friend, rising to the top of her career, and always showing up. I feel so lucky to have her as a role model and someone I can go to for advice. She always helps me see different perspectives and she has made me a stronger person.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

LM: I built my career by challenging the industry and constantly looking at how technology is reshaping consumer behavior. Early on, I pushed companies to rethink where and how audiences were engaging, urging them to invest in platforms like YouTube and social media at a time when cable still dominated the conversation.

It wasn’t always popular. It disrupted long-held beliefs about the way it’s “always been done” and required rethinking how success was measured. By shifting that mindset, we unlocked new revenue streams and drove growth. Careers are not built by following a playbook. You have to think like an F1 pit team: constantly reading the track, anticipating what’s coming, and making precise adjustments in real time so the car performs at its best. It’s about speed and also about knowing when and how to adapt.

FM: I’ve caused good trouble by advocating for myself. I’m not your average 25-year-old employee and that can sometimes be underestimated, but I know my worth, the value I bring, and what I’m capable of. I study the trends, invest deeply in my career, and give 200%. I’m always focused on improving and learning for myself, my team, and the company I represent.

Confidence is part of who I am, and it was built by the people who raised me: my mom, my grandmothers, our nanny growing up, and a dad who taught me to stand up for myself and not take anyone’s crap. When I show up, I always bring my best.

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

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

• Jenny Lewis has taken on the role of Vice President and Head of Marketing and eCommerce at Rivian

• Dana Marineau has been named North America Chief Marketing Officer at Canva

• Anshu Bhardwaj has been appointed Chief AI Transformation & Simplification Officer at PayPal

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Shelley Zalis of The Female Quotient weighs in:

For too long, we’ve treated climbing a ladder as the only proof of ambition, as if success only counts when it leads to a bigger title. That thinking is outdated and wrong. Sometimes moving sideways is still growing, developing deep expertise is the real stretch, or staying close to the work you love is the most intentional choice you can make. 

Success isn’t about how many people report to you or your title. It’s about how you show up for your work, yourself, and others. It’s about impact and mastery. Your career is yours alone. Knowing who you are and what you want to do is applause-worthy. And it’s time we celebrated that.

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

Your next big move isn’t a promotion

65% of employees say the best career move isn’t climbing the ladder, it’s pivoting. Changing roles or industries can be intimidating, but many professionals would rather take a calculated risk than stay in a role that no longer challenges or serves them.

Most people don’t start from scratch when they pivot. They bring transferable skills, new perspective, and renewed energy into the next chapter of their careers.

For organizations, this is worth paying attention to. If employees feel their only growth option is leaving, they will. The companies that retain top talent are the ones that make internal mobility feel just as dynamic as the external market.

Let’s take a cue from Cher Horowitz: “Mr. Hall, I was surfing the crimson wave.” Periods happen. Surf’s up. 🏄‍♀️

Xo,

The FQ

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