💌 Weekly: Let’s party from 7-10pm

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: Women-only spaces are on the rise

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Nathalie Lambert, International Skating Union, Chair Short Track Technical Committee

• Inside Track: Leaders on the move

• Dear FQ: My job’s “do more with less” culture is wearing me down. How do I advocate for myself?

• Poll the Pack: The daily schedule: our lifeline and our tormentor

• TLDR 🎙️: Listen here

TELL ME MORE

Grin and bear it

“Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear?” What started as a viral social media question became something much deeper. Millions of women paused...and picked the bear. Their answer signals a sobering truth about how unsafe the world feels for women.

This wasn’t only about physical safety; it struck a nerve around psychological safety, too. Women live in a world where fear for their safety is factored into daily routines: “Don’t walk alone at night.” “Keep your location on.” “Watch your drink.”

So it’s no surprise that women-only spaces are on the rise. Take Earlybirds, a dance party that starts at 6pm and wraps by 10pm, created for women who have stuff to do in the morning. Founded by Laura Baginski and the late Susie Lee, it’s a space where women can let go, dance freely, and feel safe. What started in Chicago is now growing across the U.S., giving women a place to reclaim joy on their own terms. “Dancing is my happy place, but as a middle-aged woman, I thought my dancing days were relegated to wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs,” one woman shared. “Then Earlybirds came to town! I go by myself, find my little corner of the dance floor, and dance my butt off for hours. The vibe is friendly, the music is great, and I’m in bed before 11pm. What could be better?”  

The appeal is clear: no judgment, no pressure, no male gaze. For frequent attendee Beth Weinmann, it provides her the opportunity, “to leave my responsibilities at the door for a few hours, and go home feeling a little bit lighter and more free.” Similar spaces are emerging across Europe, too. ‘Mums Club’ nights are taking over nightclubs, offering early hours, no-pressure vibes, and no expectation to stay out late. “We’re neither drunk nor exhausted. By 11pm, I’ll be in bed, and tomorrow at 7am, I’ll be ready to make my kids’ breakfast,” shared one partygoer. Another said, “We’re not here to flirt or pick anyone up; we’re just here to have fun and party from 7pm to 10pm.” Now that’s the kind of party we can get behind.

For many women, the danger doesn’t stop at the club door. That’s why countries like Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and Germany have introduced women-only subway train cars. But not everyone agrees. Critics argue it sidesteps the real problem. Instead of isolating women, we should be fixing the system: better street lighting, visible staff, faster response times. But until these larger changes happen, the demand is growing. 

In the UK and France, petitions for women-only carriages are gaining traction. One London campaign led by 21-year-old Camille Brown has already gathered more than 14,000 signatures. Brown shared that her parents once required her to send a daily “SAS” text, meaning “Safely At School,” a routine she only understood once she recognized the risks girls face navigating the city alone.

In the UK, violent crimes against women on trains have jumped over 50% in the past two years. Sexual assault and harassment are also up more than 10%. Transport for London has stated it does not plan to introduce women-only carriages, but the growing push signals something bigger: women are asking for safer public spaces and for their voices to be taken seriously. 

Rideshare platforms are catching on. Uber and Lyft allow women and non-binary riders to request female drivers and vice versa. Over 100 million trips have been booked using this option worldwide. “It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,” said Camiel Irving, Uber’s VP of Operations and GM of North America Mobility.

The multi-trillion-dollar wellness industry is also catching on to women-only spaces. Resorts centered around women’s health and wellness are on the rise, expanding beyond beauty, yoga, and relaxation to include care that supports women through every stage of life. Canyon Ranch is opening its third women-only location in Austin, Texas, in 2026. It will offer services tailored to the physiological changes women experience through different life stages, from postpartum to menopause. Pioneers like Sha Wellness in Mexico and Spain, Ananda in the Himalayas, and Kamalaya in Koh Samui are already leading the way with programs addressing fertility, pelvic floor health, and hormone balance. In women-only spaces designed with their unique needs in mind, women can access care that feels personal and long overdue.

Creating women-only spaces isn’t about isolation. It’s about carving out places where women don’t have to shrink, apologize, or scan the room for risk. As Hannah Nathanson, Features Director at Elle magazine, writes: “Sometimes, women need to exist in their own echo chamber in order to be able to deal with an often male-dominated society. Women are sharing ideas and acting as mentors, and women-only, women-led spaces encourage this.” They aren’t the end goal, but for now, they give women room to breathe. And that’s a step worth dancing for.

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Nathalie Lambert, International Skating Union, Chair Short Track Technical Committee

Nathalie Lambert is one of the greatest short track speed skaters of all time, with 4 Olympic medals, 20 World Championship medals, 3 All-Around World Championships, and 4 world records to prove it. She has been a leader on and off the ice, as evidenced by her being selected as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She is a passionate advocate for health and fitness and, since her retirement from skating, has served as the Director of Communications and Marketing at Montreal’s Club Sportif MAA. In 2010, she was the first woman appointed to the International Skating Union Short Track Technical Committee. She has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the top civilian honors, and was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Quebec’s Sports Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

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

I’m not sure it was a single piece of advice, but more a mindset we accepted at the time. In the 1980s and 1990s, the belief was that pushing harder was always better; that more training, more strain, more sacrifice was the price of greatness. Doctors warned me there would be consequences, but when you’re young and driven, you don’t fully understand what that cost will be. For me, that “invoice” came in the form of two knee replacements and ongoing back issues at a young age.

I don’t live with regrets. But I do believe we now know better. High performance shouldn’t mean long-term damage.

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

“As a team, you will never be stronger than your weakest link, so you have to take care of your weakest link.” That came from Dr. Jean Grenier, one of the builders of short track when I was a skater. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what he meant. 

But in 1994, during the Olympic relay, our rookie teammate fell. She was overwhelmed and nervous. We were each so focused on our own performance that we didn’t see her struggling. We lost the gold medal because of it. Suddenly, his words made perfect sense.

Teams don’t fail because one person isn’t good enough. The real strength of a team comes from support, awareness, and making sure everyone feels steady before the race begins.

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?

My former coach, Yves Nadeau. I was lucky to have a coach who valued effort and discipline just as much as raw talent. Early on, some of my teammates picked things up more quickly, and it would have been easy to label me as “less promising,” but he never did.

He never made me feel less than or unimportant. And most importantly, he never made the destination I dreamed of feel out of reach. He convinced me that I could become great, even during moments when I’m not sure he fully believed it himself. That belief changed everything. From him, I learned to take pride in the journey. Progress isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it’s quiet, steady work. And the right leader sees that before you do.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

As a builder within Short Track and a member of the Technical Committee, I’ve pushed for changes that weren’t always immediately welcomed. In sport, like in many industries, “It’s always been done this way” can be the most common response to new ideas.

But progress requires challenging that mindset. Some of the initiatives our committee introduced, including the Mixed Team Relay, the Crystal Globe, and zero false start tolerance, took real perseverance. They required difficult conversations, patience, and a willingness to withstand skepticism.

Good trouble, to me, is about moving the sport forward, even when change feels uncomfortable. I’m proud of the role I’ve played in helping Short Track evolve.

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

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

• Andrea Perez has been appointed the first Global President of FP Movement. Stepping into this role on the heels of record-setting Q4 earnings is a powerful testament to Andrea’s leadership and vision.. During nearly two decades at Nike, she scaled Jordan Women’s into a billion-dollar business, building one of the most influential platforms for women in sport.

• Michelle St Jacques has stepped into a new role as President of the Consumer Goods Division at MrBeast (Feastables). Michelle has built an extraordinary career shaping iconic brands at Unilever and Kraft Heinz, and driving growth as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Commercial Officer at Molson Coors, where she helped lead an $8B+ portfolio across the Americas.

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Maggie Russo of The Female Quotient weighs in:

The classic corporate magic trick: turning one person into an entire department. I feel for you. Not only is this overwhelming, but it’s frustrating. It’s completely understandable that it’s leading to a feeling of burnout. 

When your team is understaffed and expectations keep piling on, it’s easy to feel like you need to quietly power through. But advocating for realistic expectations isn’t about pushing back; it’s being honest about what is actually feasible for you and the size of your team.

Instead of framing it as, “I’m overwhelmed,” try grounding the conversation in capacity. Clearly outline what you’re working on, how long things realistically take, and what may need to shift if new priorities are added. You can also ask, “What should I prioritize?” This opens the door to a more constructive conversation.

At the end of the day, you’re not complaining; you’re setting expectations that help protect both the quality of your work and your well-being.

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

Time-blocking wins the day

Ah, the daily schedule, our lifeline and our tormentor. It keeps us organized, sure, but it also serves as a not‑so‑gentle reminder of just how much we have to do. So what actually helps people get things done? When we asked employees which calendar strategy works best, most pointed to time‑blocking, carving out specific chunks of time for focused work. This method helps you stay organized, reduce context‑switching, and protect blocks for deep thought, instead of letting your day get eaten by reactive tasks. Think of it like making appointments with yourself for the work that matters. Studies show that scheduling focused time helps cut through noise and makes your day feel less chaotic.

Then there’s the idea of a no‑meeting day; a designated pause where you can breathe, think, and actually *do work*. Meetings are necessary, but they also fragment our time. A day without meetings gives you uninterrupted windows to focus, plan, and actually move the needle without jumping from call to call.

The takeaway? Take time (yes, schedule it) to reflect on your own work style and experiment with what helps you produce your best work.

Now go dance it out 💃

Xo,

The FQ

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