{"id":656725,"date":"2026-05-08T20:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T20:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/656725\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T20:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T20:47:10","slug":"why-you-should-embrace-your-executive-athlete-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/656725\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Embrace Your \u2018Executive Athlete\u2019 Era"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is this week\u2019s ForbesWomen newsletter, which every Thursday brings news about the world\u2019s top female entrepreneurs, leaders and investors straight to your inbox. Click here to get on the newsletter list!<\/a><\/p>\n

Mother\u2019s Day is this Sunday, May 10, and I write these words knowing that they could bring up complicated feelings for many of us. Maybe you\u2019re navigating a loss (of a mother, of a pregnancy, of a child); maybe there\u2019s an illness in the picture; maybe you\u2019re emerging from a stretch of caretaking and feeling unable to trust in the remission or recovery\u2026 As I look across my groups of friends and colleagues, I know there are myriad life situations that can color how you approach the second Sunday in May. If this describes you, skip ahead to our story on the most valuable WNBA teams<\/a>, below my signature.<\/p>\n

But for those who are interested in some data and also some news you can use, I offer three recent ForbesWomen stories. The first is a deep dive into what new research says about mothers\u2019 careers and pay<\/a>. Senior contributor Kim Elsesser looked at several recent studies, one of which found that timing may be an important factor in how motherhood impacts pay. Specifically, she writes, \u201cWomen who delayed motherhood until at least their thirties had lifetime earnings between $495,000 and $556,000 more than women who became mothers earlier.\u201d That\u2019s potentially good news. The bad news? \u201cEven after controlling for age, race, marital status, education and working hours, early motherhood was associated with the lowest long-term earnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere on ForbesWomen, contributor Christine Michel Carter offers this guide to mothers\u2019 legal rights at work and how to file a discrimination claim<\/a> if you feel like your performance reviews, pay, and\/or advancement opportunities have been adversely affected by your status as a parent. Among the good advice within that piece: \u201cMothers should proactively document company messaging, performance history, and any shifts in treatment, because patterns tied to timing can strengthen a legal claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our third story goes out to all the daughters who have become caretakers for elderly relatives, including moms: Contributor Geri Stengel has a look at a relatively unknown Medicare benefit\u2014and billing code\u2014that can help families navigate the fact that Medicare does not pay for geriatric care managers but does cover chronic care management, and understanding this difference could potentially save you time and money.<\/a><\/p>\n

Take care of yourselves,<\/p>\n

Exclusive Forbes List: The WNBA\u2019s Most Valuable Teams 2026<\/p>\n

(Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

The WNBA tips off its 30th season on Friday, but across those three decades, it has never experienced anything like the Golden State Valkyries, on the court or off it. Last year, the Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in league history to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season and sold out all 22 of their home games to set a league record with average attendance of 18,064. The Valkyries are not the only ones on a financial fast break, however. Seven franchises outrank the most valuable clubs from every other women\u2019s league<\/a> in the world\u2014including Angel City FC, No. 1 in the NWSL at $340 million\u2014and the WNBA\u2019s 13 existing teams (excluding the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, who begin play this season) are collectively worth nearly $5.4 billion.<\/a><\/p>\n

To put that big number a different way, WNBA teams are now valued at an average of $414 million, up 52% from 2025\u2019s $272 million<\/a>. In the 29 years that Forbes has valued professional sports teams, only one published ranking has ever featured better year-over-year growth: the NBA\u2019s 74% during the 2014-15 season, after Steve Ballmer\u2019s $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers reset the market for clubs.<\/p>\n

ICYMI: News Of The Week<\/p>\n

(Photo by Michael Reaves\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Thoroughbred trainer Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday when horse Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby: DeVaux is the first female trainer in the Derby\u2019s 152-year history to win the race<\/a>. \u201cThe racetrack is a tough place and it doesn\u2019t care if you are a man or a woman,\u201d DeVaux said, before going on to note, \u201cIt is an honor for me to be that person other women and little girls can look up to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite its name, Janitor AI isn\u2019t selling productivity agents or enterprise copilots; it\u2019s serving up interactive erotic content, where romantasy fans are turning chatbot roleplay into a 2.5 million-daily-user business. Some 70- to 80% of Janitor AI\u2019s users are women, the company says, but the founders behind what has become the internet\u2019s 10th most popular consumer AI app happen to be three dudes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the most recent episode of C-Suite Unscripted, ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath sat down with Katie Jacobs Stanton, founder of Moxxie Ventures and former executive at Google, Twitter, Yahoo and the White House. Stanton talked about the biggest question she\u2019s getting from founders and executives about incorporating AI into their business, and she also reflected on what she\u2019d tell the male peer who told her\u2014when they both were 49 years old\u2014that Stanton was \u201ctoo old\u201d to start her own venture firm.<\/a><\/p>\n

Forty-five percent of female journalists are now choosing the safety of silence over the risk of a byline: According to a new report, self-censorship among women in media has doubled in just five years<\/a> as perpetrators utilize deepfakes, AI-driven misinformation, or stalking methods to commit virtual violence or dismantle a reporter\u2019s authority with just a few clicks.<\/p>\n

And continuing on the theme of how AI is affecting society and work\u2026 As companies like Coinbase, Meta and Oracle axe thousands of jobs in the name of AI, some tech CEOs and experts have said they think businesses are hiding behind the excuse. \u201cIt’s entirely possible that underperforming companies are throwing AI under the bus\u2026 looking to escape accountability,\u201d said Apollo\u2019s chief economist.<\/a> (Ed. note: This is obviously not a women-specific story but we\u2019ve heard from a lot of you that you appreciate these types of AI updates, so into the mix it goes!)<\/p>\n

Following a 5th Circuit Court ruling seeking to prevent telemedicine prescriptions of the abortion pill mifepristone and a subsequent Supreme Court order for a one-week administrative stay on that decision, Arizona state senator Analise Ortiz joined ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to talk about what the legal back and forth means for her constituents<\/a>. “Arizona voters overwhelmingly approved a proposition to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution,” Senator Ortiz said. “Now, with all of this happening in the Fifth Circuit, it now puts things into further chaos and confusion for Arizonans when the voters have already spoken on this issue.”<\/p>\n

The Checklist<\/p>\n

1. Embrace what you don\u2019t know. As new graduates enter an uncertain job market defined by hiring slowdowns, ongoing layoffs, and AI fears, Spanx\u2019s billionaire founder Sara Blakely is offering a different kind of career playbook for young professionals today. \u201cWhat you don\u2019t know can become your greatest asset because it will ensure that you\u2019re going to do it differently,\u201d Blakely told the 2026 graduating class at Florida State University this week. \u201cReal innovation and real change only happens when you do it differently,\u201d she said.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Figure out whether to quit or stick it out. You\u2019ve started a new job, but your excitement has turned into anxiety and dread. What should you do? The first step is knowing that there\u2019s a difference between the discomfort of growth and the struggle of a bad fit. Here\u2019s how to discern between the two.<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Enter your \u201cexecutive athlete\u201d era. Elite leaders have long understood a secret: high-level leadership requires a physical release for mental intensity. They don’t train in spite of their demanding schedules; they train because their schedules demand a level of cognitive clarity that only physical exertion can provide. <\/a><\/p>\n

The Quiz<\/p>\n

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is fending off criticism this week for how she spread awareness about nonconsensual AI deepfakes. Meloni posted an AI-generated image depicting which of the following? <\/p>\n

Trump administration officials shirtless in a poolHerself wearing lingerie in a bedroomPope Leo defeating President Donald Trump in a boxing matchAll of the above<\/p>\n

Check your answer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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