November 25, 2020 • 40 mins
We’ve spent a lot of 2020 missing people and missing connection, especially when we can’t be on campus or in the office. Sigh. Stephanie McMahon (WWE CBO & one of our fav women EVER) joins us to talk us through the ups and downs of building relationships - how your tribe can make you a better you, and what to do if you haven’t found “your people” yet.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello everyone. Hi guys, this is the final episode of
our first season. But follow Female Quotient on Instagram at
f Q next Gen while we are away to stay
updated on season two, coming in two thousand twenty one.
The Secret Syllabus is a production of The Female Quotient
and I Heart Radio and co produced by The Female
(00:22):
Quotient and Wonder Media Network. I'm Katie Tracy and I'm
Hannah Ashton. Today we are talking about communities. I love
this word so much because I've grown up online with
so many communities on YouTube, with international students, and even
in academia. Communities have helped me so much because they
make me feel less alone, more confident, and it's also
(00:44):
why I love building it these days. But first I'd
love to ask Hannah, how did you find your community
in college? Yes, so, when I was a freshman in college,
I actually wasn't too worried about finding community. I think
one reason being like you mentioned, I had spent years
building communities online and I knew how easy it was
to find friends in a new city just through Instagram
(01:05):
and YouTube, and you know, finding people who are maybe
were a blogger or a creative online and just asking
to get coffee, and so I was excited to be
in Nashville and being such a hub of creatives for
that reason. But at my school, I also wasn't too
worried because I actually went to school and roomed with
one of my friends um back home that I knew
(01:25):
in high school, and so I kind of knew I
already had one friend at least in my roommate, and
so I think that took the nerves off of meeting
new people, feeling like I was just by myself finding community,
and it actually worked out for me. I know this
doesn't work out for everyone, but we became best friends
with our suite mate, and that was really great too,
Like we all still hang out today. We're still all
(01:46):
best friends today, and I think I'm very thankful for
that experience because I also have the mindset going into
college that I didn't want to join a ton of
clubs because in high school I did everything from sports
to choired to musicals and all the extracurriculars, and I
was ready for a break. I was like, I want
to focus on YouTube and school and that's it. And
(02:07):
so I'm really glad that it worked out me being
friends with my roommates, because honestly, otherwise I don't know
if I would have found a ton of friends because
I wish just wasn't willing to join clubs and that
sort of thing. But what about you. I find that's
so funny but also really cool that we both took
super different routes. I totally relate for so all of
like high school, doing so much, and I was like, okay, yeah,
(02:28):
in college first, maybe I'm a chill a bit, but
the second semester I went hard, just joining so many
different clubs and organizations. I loaded myself even more than
in high school. I just remember feeling overwhelmed a lot,
overloading my calendar with some events. Like I would put
in three events at the exact same time on my calendar,
and my friend would be like, oh my gosh, you're
(02:49):
not actually going to all three, right, and Loki, sometimes
I did try to go to all three within the hour.
It was it was not very calm. I can see
little Katie like rushing around campus, like just trying to
make it to three places at one time. Oh my goodness,
that's literally me. But you know, over time, I found
the events that I would naturally drift towards and all
(03:11):
the events would kind of filter out, and what I
would be left with is the club's up I knew
I cared about the most. But another thing is sometimes
you don't find your community in college immediately. I think
it takes time, open mindedness. You know. One solution is
if you don't find your community is to start one.
And that's what my friends and I did when we
started Cornell Creatives, which was an organization to empower creators,
(03:32):
because that's something I didn't see a lot of in
a very pre professional school. But Hannah, how did you
know when you were in the right community. Well, first off,
I love that you created your own community. I think
that's something that I know, I forget that I can
do and I go to a small school, but I
know even if you go to a big States school,
it's it's maybe easier to find a community at a
bigger school because you have to really narrow it down.
(03:54):
You know, you obviously can't be best friends with all
thousand students in your class um, so you really have
to narrow it down. And I think building a community
finding a place where that's not really being filled in
like a club or an organization I know your school
would probably be open to hosting it, and that's so
such a cool, cool thing to do in college. So
I love that. But as for how did I know
(04:16):
I was in the right community, I think first off,
it's just feeling comfortable to be yourself like um, Like
I said, I am still best friends with my freshman
year roommates, but I also have other friends that I
found through different communities, whether we had similar interests or
it was just a study abroad trip. Um, So that's
been really cool. But I love with my group of friends.
We all have different majors, you know, not everyone's in business.
(04:38):
We have nursing, biology, pre med, and we all have
different personalities, but we each add something to the friend group.
And so yes, you can look for people that have
the same interests as you like, that's a great place
to start. But I think it's really special when you
kind of bring in some diversity and you're not all
doing the same thing, but feeling like it's a safe
place with no career pressure and you can just be
(04:58):
yourself and find people that are going to be uplifting
you and cheering you on. I think that's how you
really know you're in the right place. And I do think, like,
if you're a freshman listening to this and you're worried
that maybe you feel like you don't have the best
of friends this first year. Every freshman I've talked to
goes through that where it's like this up and down, like, oh,
are these the people I'm supposed to hang out with
for life? And it can be or it may not. Be,
(05:21):
Like you have four years to kind of find your groove,
and I love that being an upperclassman, I can kind
of look back and see how that progression has changed. Um,
but Katie, I know I'm in my college city this semester.
You are miles and miles and oceans away from your college.
So how have you kept online communities during COVID? Yeah?
My friend and I actually started another community this summer
(05:43):
called I Believe You know What's funny. My friend was like, Katie,
why do you build so many communities? And I'm like,
low keys because I can't find any And so that's
why I think a lot. But it's also so nice
because it's how I know I'm meeting people who have
exactly the same interest and passions with me. So in
this case, I believe is a global community of IBY
students and graduates. I myself am an IBY graduate, so
(06:06):
I believe is a very gen Z driven community that
has a heart for meeting people around the world and
just learning about different cultures, which I, as an international student, love,
And I also love that it's gen Z powered. You know.
I just love working with people who are also my
age because I think it's it's not just work, it's
also fun and fun. Fact is, I actually met my
(06:28):
co founder, Imagen, who is a current student at Oxford Online,
on Twitter in March because of a d M. That's
so cool. I admire all the communities you build UM
for me. I found a lot of community this summer
back when I was home and still currently through online
Bible studies. That's something I really missed because in college
(06:48):
I look for communities that are centered around either like
a church gathering or college Bible study or college worship
that just because that really resonates and like fills me
and makes me feel calm during a crazy semester. And
so when I went back home we were sent home
in March, I was really thankful that those communities I
had that second semester continued online and so I kept
(07:10):
with them up until now, you know, still doing them,
and it's been really great to just log on, have
a prayer night, have um just a place where I
feel safe and can talk about what I'm feeling, and
have college students that are in that same place. I
also have loved remote networking and using social media to
kind of build those communities. This podcast included, I mean,
(07:31):
the whole team on this production. It has been great
to work remotely and feel like I have another work
community and also get to talk to all of our
amazing guests. Plus one, I just want to say plus
one on the faith community, because that's a very big
surprise for me. I didn't expect to be that involved
in the Christian community, but it was such a strong
foundation for me, and I was also scared that I
(07:51):
would lose it when I, you know, moved like twelve
thirteen hours away in a different time zone. But you know,
the discipleship and just catching up with people in the
commun n he has continued, and I'm so grateful for that. Nowadays,
time for our last Call to Christian of this season.
I'm very interested to hear her perspective as she went
through this first semester with all of the COVID restrictions
(08:11):
and meeting new people. So let's call her up. Hey, Christian,
we are so excited to talk to you today about communities.
We would love to know. How is your semester wrapping
up and going? Yeah, I'm excited to be your talking
with you all. My semester is coming to an end,
like I've done more than I have to go, which
(08:32):
kind of is a crazy thought because like first semester
is almost over of college. But I think it's been
definitely like a bit of a learning curve with like
online learning and settling in all that stuff. But like
now I'm definitely like in the swing of things. I
feel like I kind of have like some idea of
like how college works, which is good, and I'm kind
(08:53):
of just like cruising until we get to the end.
So that's like where I'm at right now looking back.
Do you feel like you've enjoyed your first semester of
college even if classes were online, Yes, I definitely have.
I think it really helped being able to be on campus,
um so like still having the opportunity to like see
people in real life and like explore like COVID safe obviously,
(09:14):
but like being able to have kind of like an
outside of Zoom college experience I think definitely made me
enjoy this first semester a lot more than I probably
would have if I just was like solely on Zoom.
And so I think that's kind of been like my
saving grace And so those are like the fun memories
that I'm glad that I had. For sure, was it
easy for you to find your community and what did
(09:35):
you do to find it? Yeah, so I think I'm
still like trying to find my community, but I think
it was certainly easier than I expected it to be
because I was able to meet people over the summer
and meet people through like pre orientation programs, where like
I had people with similar interests with me, and so
that was really cool. And then I found that like
different affinity spaces on campus have been a really good
outlet for finding community and being like people with similar experiences,
(09:59):
even though like this online kind of world is new
to everyone in college is like something that people can
speak to, and so I think I found those different
ways helpful and finding a community on campus and also
just meeting people in your life has been cool too.
And is there anything you would have done differently this semester,
maybe more of something or even less. I think I
would have came in with probably like lower expectations, but
(10:22):
like not like in a negative way, but just like
with like the things I actually feel like accomplished this
first semester. I think I was really ambitious with like, oh,
I was going to do all these extracurriculars and also
like classes and also like social life, and like I
just had way too much that I thought I could do,
and so I would have came in with way more
realistic expectations on the front end. I feel like that
(10:43):
probably would have saved me a little bit of like
crisis like in the middle if I knew like actually
what I could realistically accomplished. So I definitely would change that.
But I guess I don't regret it, because I learned
that for like future semester, So that's a good lesson.
I was about to say, you've got plenty of time,
don't worry about rushing it. You can find all those
those clubs and things you want to do like in
(11:06):
future semesters, and hopefully it'll be a little bit more
normal than too. But what advice do you have for
students returning to campus next semester or just starting online classes.
I think the biggest piece of advice honestly would Yeah,
you'd manage expectations and also like give yourself grace, like
realize that like it is, like we're in this pandemic.
We have so much stuff going on in the world,
(11:27):
and like being super productive or like being super involved
in ways you may have been like before just may
not really be like feasible or like healthy even for
this like online world. And so just like giving yourself
like space, like be a human and like rest if
you need to rest, and not being so hyper focused
on like getting grades and like doing all these clubs
(11:49):
and like just doing a hundred million things. Um, that's
my biggest piece of advice, because we're in a very
abnormal situation, so like you shouldn't feel like you have
to act and behave normally. Well, they thank you so much,
Christian for being our on campus correspondent. We had so
much fun just joining your college experience from start to end,
well not end, but start to that of the first semester.
(12:10):
And I for sure I've been living vicariously through you
because I've been doing the whole online situation, and we
just want to say congratulations on completing your first semester
of college. You are a pioneer in this kind of education. Yeah,
thank you so much. I love talking to you all.
Oh and also, where can listeners find you if they
(12:31):
want to keep up with you? Yes, so you can
find me on Instagram and Twitter and YouTube. Add Christian
on now the same thing on all those platforms. Yeah,
go follow. Yeah, all right, well, we would keep you
waiting on our very exciting interview today. Stephanie McMahon is
(12:53):
a businesswoman and professional wrestling personality. She is the chief
brand officer of the largest rust in company in the world,
w w E, also known as World Wrestling Entertainment Stuff.
Has also been part of the w w E storyline
and is best known as an on screen authority figure, villain,
and occasional wrestler. We could not be more excited to
(13:15):
have the incredible Stephanie mcman as our final guest of
the season. So grab your popcorn and let's get ready.
First off, we would love for you to introduce yourself
to our young listeners and tell us what the w
w E community is to you. Absolutely. So. I am
Stephanie McMahon, chief brand Officer w w E, which is
World Wrestling Entertainment, and our mission is really simple. It's
(13:39):
to put smiles on people's faces, whether we do that
with our entertainment or by giving back to the community.
Giving back has actually been a part of our DNA
almost since our inception. For a long time, we didn't
talk about what we did in the community because we
didn't want people to think it was for the wrong reasons. UM.
(13:59):
But what we realized is that we had the opportunity
to really amplify our partners messages and missions and reach
a much bigger audience when we did utilize our platforms
and and talk to our audience about what we were doing. UM.
So we shifted at our strategy and now we have
actually four key pillars to giving back and they are hope, inclusion, empowerment,
(14:24):
and service. And we have partnerships with Boys and Girls
Clubs of America, AD Council, Glad Girl Up of course, UNICEF,
UM Global Citizen Beyond Sport, the National Civil Rights Museum,
Susan g Coman UM, Let's See USO, metro V Foundation,
(14:46):
Make a Wish Foundation, UM did I say special Olympics? Uh?
And and I'm sure and UNICEF and more that that.
I'm you know, I don't have any sheets in front
of me, but those are you know, some of our
key partners. That so impressive. And I love that you
talk about giving back because I think gen Z especially,
we love hearing about that. We love hearing when a
(15:07):
company or a brand is like on mission for something
bigger in the global sense. But when did you kind
of come into this w w E community? While I
was born into it, so I am a fourth generation
in our business, and you know, it was really my
mom was the CEO UM. And that's actually something I
talked about in terms of you know, gender bias, etcetera.
(15:28):
Because I never saw it because my mom was the CEO,
and I always just assumed women should be the CEO
and and it was never an issue until I got
older and had to face different things. Um. But one
of the things that my mom always taught me was
the importance of giving back. And my dad too. But
since you know, I started working in w w E
when I was you know, probably about eight eight to ten,
(15:52):
I was a childhood model and you know, all different
kinds of things. But you know, because they were building
the business, I had the chance to really be with
my mom, you know, on a number of different activities
and missions and everything else. So everything from business dinners
to you know, volunteer work, and I had the opportunity
to really work with so many different organizations, you know,
(16:14):
as a kid myself, you know, even if I wasn't
allowed technically to do certain things, I was there. And
you know, I think it's the importance of giving back
is for me, it's the most fulfilling thing that you
can do, you know, when you see a child. Like
one story I have. I was in l A. And
(16:37):
we were doing an anti bullying rally. That's that's part
of our partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
And it's called be a Star and Star stands for
Show Tolerance and Respect. And we worked with the Yale
Center of Emotional Intelligence to really help us create this
curriculum and we've done various tests, you know, et cetera
to really get it right. Um, but I remember we
(16:58):
were at a school in East l A. And they
had just started there a free lunch program, which just
basically means they don't have a lot of money. Um.
A lot of the kids there were homeless. Um. They
you know, we're you know, having a hard time in school.
Is the only community that they really had, some of them,
you know, that they really had because they just didn't
(17:20):
have a home life and they had. What they had
was each other. And when we had the chance to
go and talk to them, and I ask, you know,
our superstars on the panel, and I say, how many
of you have been bullied? Actually, first I asked the
kids and I say how many have you have been bullied?
And unfortunately, almost all of them raise their hands. And
then I turned to the superstars and I say, okay,
(17:42):
how many of you have been bullied? And we all
raise our hands and the kids it's like an audible
gasp in the audience, you know, and the messages you're
not alone, you know, and we're all in this together.
And to me, that's what community is really all about,
because if you can make a difference in just one
person's life, if one child has been impacted from all
(18:03):
of the thousands of rallies that we've done, if we've
made a difference in one person's life, even if it
was just to make their day a little bit better,
a little bit brighter, or to give them a hug
you know that they really needed. I've I felt the
arms of of kids around me that just needed a
little love and attention. And I think at the end
(18:24):
of the day, knowing that you matter, knowing that that
you are important, knowing that people value you, and you're
a part of a community, you're part of something bigger,
and being able if you can to just give that love,
you know, to me, that's that's what life is all about.
On the note of family, with your career being so
(18:44):
intertwined with your family, did you face any challenges with
keeping business and family separate or how did you unify them?
I didn't have a choice. They are unified, um from
the get go. Uh. You know, my mom did retire
from from being CEO and actually involved in in politics,
and she really wanted to give back, to continue her
(19:05):
path of giving back. But yeah, I mean my husband,
who is uh you know, wasn't a w W superstar,
still is but now has transitioned more into the business side.
So and it was forbidden loved by the way, I
was not allowed to date one of the wrestlers. So
that's like a whole another story, and we were married
and divorced on screen before we actually got together, So
(19:25):
lots of layers there. Um. But then you know, my
dad is the CEO and chairman, and it is it
is definitely intertwined. I mean we're on screen and off
screen and in the office and out of the office,
and you know, I really I didn't have a choice.
My my life is completely intertwined in my family business.
But I love it. I don't know any other way. Yeah,
(19:48):
So you grew up in this community at w w E,
and then you went to college in Boston away from family.
What was it like to enter a new world that
was different than the one you grew up in and
how did you adapt to maybe the new community at college.
So I don't you know, I've always been a bit
of a loner. I've never totally fit in. And you know,
our business is very polarizing. So when I was growing up,
(20:10):
you know, people either loved me because of of who
my father was in our family business, or they quite
the opposite, And it was very polarizing and it used
to really bother me. You know, that people would treat
me a certain way without knowing who I was, and
my dad taught me. He said, Steph, look, not everybody's
going to like you. They're just not no matter what.
(20:33):
But as long as you can look yourself in the
eyes and know that you're a good person, that's all
that matters. And that's something that I've just tried to
live by. And when I went to college, I didn't
want people to know who I was, you know. I
wanted to have that freedom of just being me and
just wearing sneakers every day that my mom like. I
(20:54):
think it's the same pair of sneakers my mom threw
away one year because they were falling apart um. But
just wearing my T shirts and jeans and sneakers and
just being me um. So for me, college was fairly liberating.
But I will say my goal was always to get
into the family business. So this was a step I
(21:15):
knew I had to take to get into the business.
And that's which is where my mind was all the time.
Because even still getting back to this notion of community
and family, what I always wanted to do was give
back to my family because they were always so busy
building the business. I wanted to be involved so that
I could actually just be with them. So that was
(21:36):
always my my focus, and I would say I did
a I taught a master class at my alma mater
at BEU, and it was on building your own brand.
It was so incredible. Talking to college students is probably
one of the most intimidating audiences I think I've ever
been in front of UM. And you know, one of
(21:56):
the things I talked about is what I wish I
had taken advantage of in school. Like I love the
fact you guys are doing this podcast. I think that's
so awesome. I think you need to take advantage of
the opportunities around you. Don't let fear get in your way,
don't let anything stand in your way, you know, identify
those opportunities. Right now is COVID right, So it's a
(22:17):
completely different situation, but assume there was no quarantine at
the moment. You know, take advantage of studying abroad. UM.
Build networks and relationships with your professors, with your with
your friends. You really never know who someone is going
to know in and those relationships are really really important. UM.
(22:37):
Take advantage of internships, do as many things as you
possibly can. UM. You know, take a course in business.
If your degree is not in business, you know, it's
it's really important. Those skills, they're applicable everywhere. UM, learn
another language. You know, there's so many things that that
I wish I did and that I didn't do. So
now I'm I'm like, you know, trying to to share
(22:59):
that message for for whoever. You know, it matters too.
I really relate to a lot of that because I'm
actually an international student in the Philippines right now. I'm
definitely trying to learn new languages, trying to make the
most of it because I haven't left my home. So
that was, like, you're speaking to me. So the world
of wrestling is traditionally a male dominated field. How did
you navigate the space as a woman and find your
(23:20):
identity through it, especially with the pressure of the family business. Well,
you know, like I said, my mom was the CEO,
so I, you know, wanted to follow in her footsteps,
not necessarily to become CEO, UM, but you know, definitely
to make my mark, right. I never saw gender as
a barrier, even in an all male you know, I
(23:41):
grew up with I grew up that way, so it
was kind of my norm. Um. And I have an
older brother and you know, he is seven years older,
so I was often left in the care of him
and his friends, which was you know, a whole another
follow acts in terms of those stories. Um, but I've
always found being a woman in in any male dominated
(24:03):
field is actually an advantage. You know, men are often
intimidated by women, which is part of the reason why
I think there's you know, barriers and if you can
find common ground right away, Uh, it's really helpful, you know,
And don't be afraid to be who you are. You know.
I think one of the greatest lessons that I've learned
along the way is that you have to play to
(24:25):
your strengths. You know, so many of us try to
shore up our our weaknesses right or where we have
areas of opportunity if you don't want to call them weaknesses,
but you know, all of us have that. We all
have strengths, we all have weaknesses. But if you play
to your strengths, that is where you find your superpower
because no one else has the same strengths as you.
(24:46):
So work on those, build those and have the confidence
to know that you do it better than anybody else,
and continue to work on that because that's where you're
going to get better and better. And when you come
into a room, have a presence. You know, people say
fake it till you make it. If you have to
fake it, okay, but it's better if you believe in it,
you know, and stand tall with your headheld high and
(25:08):
your shoulders back, look people in the eye, shake their hands.
Of course not right now during COVID, but you know,
shake their hands and have a firm handshake and and
you know, show up. That's it's really really important. You
have to believe in yourself. I love that, such such
great advice there. But I'd love to talk about w
w E during COVID, a sport that's all about being
(25:30):
in a ring, contact and being in a crowd. How
is w w E continuing to contribute a sense of
community to their fans during this pandemic. So that is
actually the one of the core reasons why we never
stopped producing content was because we wanted to give our
fans a little bit of relief, a little bit of
entertainment and hopefully put a smile on their face. Um.
(25:52):
So we never stopped producing our content, and we learned
a lot along the way, um, you know, helping safety
of our performers and employees, and crew was paramount. Um.
We knew we couldn't have fans and attendance obviously, so
you know, we we put in all kinds of testing protocols,
learned so much about what you need to do during
(26:15):
a global pandemic UM pandemic level cleaning with this different
type of lighting and these um these uh ionic sprays
that I'm not you know, technically savvy enough to understand
or to explain, um, but that essentially prevent the virus
from making contact with whatever the surfaces, so therefore it
doesn't transmit. Uh. You know, the the testing of course,
(26:39):
you know, the monitoring when you entered the building, the questionnaires,
you know all of that stuff. UM. But how we've
kept our community strong is is by continuing to produce
our content UM. And in cases you know, like what
happened during this year, right with George Floyd and you know,
all of the unrest in our society, we had that
(27:00):
because we were still on the air, we had the
opportunity to really amplify those messages of love and not
of hate, of love and what we can do to
support one another. And our superstars themselves have never stopped,
you know, there they remain very active on social media. UM.
They reach out to their community all the time. And
(27:21):
in addition to that, we've continued to work with all
of our community partners that I named at the beginning
in a virtual way. So we've been doing virtual hospital
visits or UM virtual meeting grades, UM virtual panels you know,
like one of our partners as Higher Heroes, where we
are doing our best to help servicemen and women and
their families get back to work. UM. So we we
(27:44):
did virtual panels. So, you know, with Special Olympics, were
part of a again it's all prerecorded, you know, but
a health and wellness initiative both mentally and physically for
the athletes of Special Olympics. UM. So there's you know,
any number of things that we've continued to do and
it's something that you know, I really believe in obviously,
(28:04):
but you know, just being human, our ability to adapt
is unparalleled, right and and look at how we have
all adapted in this space. Not that it's where we
want to be, UM, but we have to continue to
to be with each other because at the end of
the day, that's all we have. And at the end
of the day, our planet isn't very big you know,
(28:25):
and and all we have is each other and we
have to be there for each other. So I'm I'm
grateful to technology that that really has allowed us to
continue to to stay connected. Me too. So fun fact,
I told my brothers. I have three brothers, and I
told them that I was going to call Stephanie a
fan today, and they were huge w W fans. So
we have a lot of figurines and belots actually in
(28:47):
their room. And I think it's really interesting because they're
like ten years older than me. So one thing I
wanted to ask is what has it been like to
see the w W E community transform over the years.
Do you see any different inces between the generations. It's
a great question. Foundationally, it's it's the same in terms
of we're still a generational brand. Um. And when I
(29:10):
was growing up, people would come up to my dad
on the street. There's no such thing as cell phone,
so no selfies, but they would ask for autographs and
they would always say thank you, and they'd say, you know,
thank you for the generations of entertainment. I watched with
my grandmother, father, brothers, whatever it is, and now I'm
watching with my kids, and now I have people saying
(29:32):
that to me and my husband, And it's such a
privilege to be a part of a brand that connects
with people that helps them but just because we're on
right and it helps them get through really tough times sometimes, UM,
And I think it's important that we're there, you know,
people know that that we're there and they can rely
(29:55):
on us, UM, And and that that really matters, UM.
I think Jenn rationally, how things have changed. Of course,
how we communicate has changed, right. Digital and social media
obviously transformed the world and made the world a much
smaller place in a great way, I think, UM. And
I think also the connection is even deeper, if that's possible,
(30:21):
you know. I think that, Um. When you consider WrestleMania,
which is like our super Bowl or our World Cup.
We have people from over sixty different countries, all fifty states,
all different socio economic backgrounds, political beliefs, religious beliefs, you
name it, right, but they all come together like a
big family and you can feel it. You can feel
(30:43):
it from from everybody around. It's like this giant family
coming together to enjoy this passion that we share. And
I just can't think of anything more rewarding than that.
UM and to and to feel that you know, since
community from our fans. So I think, if anything, generationally,
(31:03):
it's actually strengthened UM over the years. And I think
probably technology has a lot to do with that. That's amazing.
Going into some maybe advice for students high school and college,
how can you tell if you're in the right community.
I know in college it can be easy to join
friend groups out of peer pressure or just wanting to belong,
even convenience because of proximity maybe, But how do you
(31:26):
look beyond these? So I was reading a book and um,
it's about octogenarians, right, so eighty year olds and older.
And one of the key themes that I took from
this book it was asking about marriage, like what's the
secret to marriage? But I think this applies to all relationships,
friend groups, et cetera included, And the most successful relationships
(31:49):
are based on shared values. So I think whatever friend
group you have, whatever you know relationship, you ultimately wind
up in the key to say excess are those shared values.
I would also say it's really important to be with
people who make you feel good about yourself. If you're
(32:09):
with people who tear you down or make you feel
less than for whatever reason, even if it's not intentional.
That's not the right group for you. You have to
trust your gut, go with the people that make you
feel good about yourself and who share values. That would
be my advice anyway. Agree And for our final question,
(32:31):
do you have any advice or encouragement for our listeners
who are trying to find themselves during these new times? Yes,
I think that we're all. I mean, this is just
my my experience, right, um, personally, so I think we're
all trying to find ourselves and find our ways, um,
no matter what we're going through. Right, the global pandemic
(32:52):
has just added an extra layer of challenge to it
because you know, especially for young kids right like, and
I mean college in high school. I'm a little older now, Um,
but you know it's hard for you guys, really hard
for you guys. My oldest daughter just started high school
her freshman year, and it's a new school. It's high school,
which are hard enough, but now everyone's wearing masks. No
(33:14):
one knows who you are, there's no social activities, like,
it's very different. Um, and you know, I'm really curious.
I think this generation though, I think all of you
who are going through this right, all of us are
going through it together at different stages, but I really
have faith that we're going to come out better on
the other side of it. UM. And I think what
(33:35):
it does is it's stripping us down to help us
remember what matters most. And what matters most to me
is always love. I think that's really what life is
all about, the people you love in your life, UM,
and giving as much love as you possibly can. But
I think, you know, in terms of advice, I think
(33:57):
reach out, you know, as much as you can to
the people that do you know matter to you UM.
Or if you think of friends having a hard time
or someone you know in your family, reach out, just
let them know you're there. UM. Don't back away from
FaceTime or zoom or you know, whatever video technology you have,
because even though it's not the same as being in
(34:17):
the same room, seeing people's faces is really important. Looking
people in the eye, even virtually you don't get the
same feeling as if you're in person, but it's it's
really important to stay connected. I think that that's UM,
that's I think that's a really important piece of advice
during this time, is to stay connected, you know, and
know that it's okay to have ups and downs, know
(34:40):
that it's okay to feel depressed. You know it's it's
all right. And and know that people are here for
you to help you get through. And that you're not alone.
Even though you may feel very much alone, you're not alone.
You are not alone. Um that that those would be
my my key pieces of advice. Absolutely, And I'm thankful
(35:02):
for virtual settings like this where we can see your
face even though you know it's not in person. We're
all in different states and even countries, and we're still
able to have these meaningful conversations. I just I'm so
grateful for that. But thank you Stephanie for being on
our show and joining us for our last episode of
the season. I know our listeners have learned so much
(35:22):
from your story and advice, and of course everyone go
keep up with steph on. I g at Stephanie McMahon,
thank you again. I am star struck. Stuff is so
kind and humble. Hena, what was your takeaway? I totally
agree she was so nice um to us during the
(35:42):
interview and after and before and all of that. But
my takeaway would be to lean into the communities you
have around you. You know, Steph, she was brought into
this community of w w E with her family, and
instead of like completely turning away and trying to do
her own thing, she really did into it. And I
can say she's thrived in that as well. I think
(36:04):
too often we hear about cutting, you know, toxic people
out of our life, and except for certain like truly
hurtful and abusive situations, I think overall we need to
be kinder to those around us and not just cut
people off the moment we disagree or there's tension, because
something I've learned is that friendships take time and work
to grow. And if you're not willing to put in
the time and effort, I feel like you're missing a
(36:25):
big part of what's beautiful about friendships and like growing
through struggles and and I think if you're too quick
to cut someone off, you miss what's so beautiful about
long term friendships, which is going through struggles and going
through disagreements and really building that friendship off of something
stronger than just oh, we like to hang out on weekends.
But what was your takeaway, Katie? First of all, I
(36:46):
totally agree. I think people's first instincts these days is
to just run, maybe when they see someone who's treating
them well, who's saying not so great things. But I
think there really is something great that can be unraveled
if you stay longer, if you actually dig deeper into
why someone is projecting their insecurities onto you or seeing something.
You know, maybe they're having a bad day and maybe
(37:07):
they just need some support right now, And I think
we are all in a great situation to reach out
check on them instead of you know, reacting like, oh,
she's so toxic, I'm gonna cut her off right now.
But yeah, it's been a lesson to learn for sure.
And another takeaway I had is also to observe yourself
and check in on how you feel after socializing. So
(37:29):
do you feel drained or energized, tense or relax. Listening
to my emotions has helped me realize what I subconsciously
feel and help me focus on the people and the
events that really make me laugh, that really make me happy.
So since this is our final episode, I thought it
(37:50):
could be fun if we also did some podcast takeaways.
This at least was my first time hosting a podcast,
and it's been a wild experience. But and I know
this is your second time because you have posted your
own before. So how has this been? I love that
I love that we're doing overall podcast takeaways. I was
brought on this show back in early April, I believe,
and the process, I'll just say, has been such a blessing.
(38:13):
It's been amazing this time around with a podcast, having
a team, and I just want to thank all the
people behind the show, at Female Quotation, at Wonder Media,
at I Heart Radio. It's been amazing that we get
to have these conversations with such experts in the industry,
and I'm just, yeah, so grateful. I I talked about
the podcast all the time, like offline, and the things
(38:34):
that I learned in the episodes I definitely keep with me.
So it's not just we're here to like bring this
knowledge to you. It's Katie and I are learning through
these episodes just as you guys hopefully are yes and
sending so much love to Anna and Heather from Female
Quotient team, Cynthia, Louisa and Liz from Wonder Media Network
are Lovely on Campus correspondent Christian and of course I
(38:56):
Heart Radio. This experience has been unlike anything I've ever done.
I was really surprised that they gave me this amazing
opportunity to co host it. I was like, what me,
Yeah you sure? I know. We've enjoyed the process so
much and I would love to be back for a
season two and you guys can help us with that.
If you haven't yet, please go to our show on
iTunes and rate plus. Leave a review that seriously helps
(39:17):
so much, and Katie and I will be truly grateful
if you d m us a picture of your review.
Will make sure to respond back and chat with you guys.
We would absolutely love it. Yeah, we are so grateful.
We see all the Instagram stories you guys tag us
on and all the positivity and support, and we also
read all the reviews. So thank you so much to
all of you who have tuned in every week, who
(39:38):
have listened for one last time. We are your host. Katie.
You can find me at Aloha Katie x on Instagram,
and I'm Hannah. You can find me at Miss Hannah
Ashton on Instagram. Make sure to follow with the Female
Quotient and at FQ next Gen on Instagram. Her details
on season two coming in two thousand twenty one. The
(39:58):
Secret Syllabus is a production of The Female Quotient and
I Heart Radio and co produced by the Female Quotient
and wonder Obedia Network. Have an amazing rest of your year, guys.
You deserve time after class. Yes, Happy holidays. Bye, see
you
Hello everyone. Hi guys, this is the final episode of
our first season. But follow Female Quotient on Instagram at
f Q next Gen while we are away to stay
updated on season two, coming in two thousand twenty one.
The Secret Syllabus is a production of The Female Quotient
and I Heart Radio and co produced by The Female
(00:22):
Quotient and Wonder Media Network. I'm Katie Tracy and I'm
Hannah Ashton. Today we are talking about communities. I love
this word so much because I've grown up online with
so many communities on YouTube, with international students, and even
in academia. Communities have helped me so much because they
make me feel less alone, more confident, and it's also
(00:44):
why I love building it these days. But first I'd
love to ask Hannah, how did you find your community
in college? Yes, so, when I was a freshman in college,
I actually wasn't too worried about finding community. I think
one reason being like you mentioned, I had spent years
building communities online and I knew how easy it was
to find friends in a new city just through Instagram
(01:05):
and YouTube, and you know, finding people who are maybe
were a blogger or a creative online and just asking
to get coffee, and so I was excited to be
in Nashville and being such a hub of creatives for
that reason. But at my school, I also wasn't too
worried because I actually went to school and roomed with
one of my friends um back home that I knew
(01:25):
in high school, and so I kind of knew I
already had one friend at least in my roommate, and
so I think that took the nerves off of meeting
new people, feeling like I was just by myself finding community,
and it actually worked out for me. I know this
doesn't work out for everyone, but we became best friends
with our suite mate, and that was really great too,
Like we all still hang out today. We're still all
(01:46):
best friends today, and I think I'm very thankful for
that experience because I also have the mindset going into
college that I didn't want to join a ton of
clubs because in high school I did everything from sports
to choired to musicals and all the extracurriculars, and I
was ready for a break. I was like, I want
to focus on YouTube and school and that's it. And
(02:07):
so I'm really glad that it worked out me being
friends with my roommates, because honestly, otherwise I don't know
if I would have found a ton of friends because
I wish just wasn't willing to join clubs and that
sort of thing. But what about you. I find that's
so funny but also really cool that we both took
super different routes. I totally relate for so all of
like high school, doing so much, and I was like, okay, yeah,
(02:28):
in college first, maybe I'm a chill a bit, but
the second semester I went hard, just joining so many
different clubs and organizations. I loaded myself even more than
in high school. I just remember feeling overwhelmed a lot,
overloading my calendar with some events. Like I would put
in three events at the exact same time on my calendar,
and my friend would be like, oh my gosh, you're
(02:49):
not actually going to all three, right, and Loki, sometimes
I did try to go to all three within the hour.
It was it was not very calm. I can see
little Katie like rushing around campus, like just trying to
make it to three places at one time. Oh my goodness,
that's literally me. But you know, over time, I found
the events that I would naturally drift towards and all
(03:11):
the events would kind of filter out, and what I
would be left with is the club's up I knew
I cared about the most. But another thing is sometimes
you don't find your community in college immediately. I think
it takes time, open mindedness. You know. One solution is
if you don't find your community is to start one.
And that's what my friends and I did when we
started Cornell Creatives, which was an organization to empower creators,
(03:32):
because that's something I didn't see a lot of in
a very pre professional school. But Hannah, how did you
know when you were in the right community. Well, first off,
I love that you created your own community. I think
that's something that I know, I forget that I can
do and I go to a small school, but I
know even if you go to a big States school,
it's it's maybe easier to find a community at a
bigger school because you have to really narrow it down.
(03:54):
You know, you obviously can't be best friends with all
thousand students in your class um, so you really have
to narrow it down. And I think building a community
finding a place where that's not really being filled in
like a club or an organization I know your school
would probably be open to hosting it, and that's so
such a cool, cool thing to do in college. So
I love that. But as for how did I know
(04:16):
I was in the right community, I think first off,
it's just feeling comfortable to be yourself like um, Like
I said, I am still best friends with my freshman
year roommates, but I also have other friends that I
found through different communities, whether we had similar interests or
it was just a study abroad trip. Um, So that's
been really cool. But I love with my group of friends.
We all have different majors, you know, not everyone's in business.
(04:38):
We have nursing, biology, pre med, and we all have
different personalities, but we each add something to the friend group.
And so yes, you can look for people that have
the same interests as you like, that's a great place
to start. But I think it's really special when you
kind of bring in some diversity and you're not all
doing the same thing, but feeling like it's a safe
place with no career pressure and you can just be
(04:58):
yourself and find people that are going to be uplifting
you and cheering you on. I think that's how you
really know you're in the right place. And I do think, like,
if you're a freshman listening to this and you're worried
that maybe you feel like you don't have the best
of friends this first year. Every freshman I've talked to
goes through that where it's like this up and down, like, oh,
are these the people I'm supposed to hang out with
for life? And it can be or it may not. Be,
(05:21):
Like you have four years to kind of find your groove,
and I love that being an upperclassman, I can kind
of look back and see how that progression has changed. Um,
but Katie, I know I'm in my college city this semester.
You are miles and miles and oceans away from your college.
So how have you kept online communities during COVID? Yeah?
My friend and I actually started another community this summer
(05:43):
called I Believe You know What's funny. My friend was like, Katie,
why do you build so many communities? And I'm like,
low keys because I can't find any And so that's
why I think a lot. But it's also so nice
because it's how I know I'm meeting people who have
exactly the same interest and passions with me. So in
this case, I believe is a global community of IBY
students and graduates. I myself am an IBY graduate, so
(06:06):
I believe is a very gen Z driven community that
has a heart for meeting people around the world and
just learning about different cultures, which I, as an international student, love,
And I also love that it's gen Z powered. You know.
I just love working with people who are also my
age because I think it's it's not just work, it's
also fun and fun. Fact is, I actually met my
(06:28):
co founder, Imagen, who is a current student at Oxford Online,
on Twitter in March because of a d M. That's
so cool. I admire all the communities you build UM
for me. I found a lot of community this summer
back when I was home and still currently through online
Bible studies. That's something I really missed because in college
(06:48):
I look for communities that are centered around either like
a church gathering or college Bible study or college worship
that just because that really resonates and like fills me
and makes me feel calm during a crazy semester. And
so when I went back home we were sent home
in March, I was really thankful that those communities I
had that second semester continued online and so I kept
(07:10):
with them up until now, you know, still doing them,
and it's been really great to just log on, have
a prayer night, have um just a place where I
feel safe and can talk about what I'm feeling, and
have college students that are in that same place. I
also have loved remote networking and using social media to
kind of build those communities. This podcast included, I mean,
(07:31):
the whole team on this production. It has been great
to work remotely and feel like I have another work
community and also get to talk to all of our
amazing guests. Plus one, I just want to say plus
one on the faith community, because that's a very big
surprise for me. I didn't expect to be that involved
in the Christian community, but it was such a strong
foundation for me, and I was also scared that I
(07:51):
would lose it when I, you know, moved like twelve
thirteen hours away in a different time zone. But you know,
the discipleship and just catching up with people in the
commun n he has continued, and I'm so grateful for that. Nowadays,
time for our last Call to Christian of this season.
I'm very interested to hear her perspective as she went
through this first semester with all of the COVID restrictions
(08:11):
and meeting new people. So let's call her up. Hey, Christian,
we are so excited to talk to you today about communities.
We would love to know. How is your semester wrapping
up and going? Yeah, I'm excited to be your talking
with you all. My semester is coming to an end,
like I've done more than I have to go, which
(08:32):
kind of is a crazy thought because like first semester
is almost over of college. But I think it's been
definitely like a bit of a learning curve with like
online learning and settling in all that stuff. But like
now I'm definitely like in the swing of things. I
feel like I kind of have like some idea of
like how college works, which is good, and I'm kind
(08:53):
of just like cruising until we get to the end.
So that's like where I'm at right now looking back.
Do you feel like you've enjoyed your first semester of
college even if classes were online, Yes, I definitely have.
I think it really helped being able to be on campus,
um so like still having the opportunity to like see
people in real life and like explore like COVID safe obviously,
(09:14):
but like being able to have kind of like an
outside of Zoom college experience I think definitely made me
enjoy this first semester a lot more than I probably
would have if I just was like solely on Zoom.
And so I think that's kind of been like my
saving grace And so those are like the fun memories
that I'm glad that I had. For sure, was it
easy for you to find your community and what did
(09:35):
you do to find it? Yeah, so I think I'm
still like trying to find my community, but I think
it was certainly easier than I expected it to be
because I was able to meet people over the summer
and meet people through like pre orientation programs, where like
I had people with similar interests with me, and so
that was really cool. And then I found that like
different affinity spaces on campus have been a really good
outlet for finding community and being like people with similar experiences,
(09:59):
even though like this online kind of world is new
to everyone in college is like something that people can
speak to, and so I think I found those different
ways helpful and finding a community on campus and also
just meeting people in your life has been cool too.
And is there anything you would have done differently this semester,
maybe more of something or even less. I think I
would have came in with probably like lower expectations, but
(10:22):
like not like in a negative way, but just like
with like the things I actually feel like accomplished this
first semester. I think I was really ambitious with like, oh,
I was going to do all these extracurriculars and also
like classes and also like social life, and like I
just had way too much that I thought I could do,
and so I would have came in with way more
realistic expectations on the front end. I feel like that
(10:43):
probably would have saved me a little bit of like
crisis like in the middle if I knew like actually
what I could realistically accomplished. So I definitely would change that.
But I guess I don't regret it, because I learned
that for like future semester, So that's a good lesson.
I was about to say, you've got plenty of time,
don't worry about rushing it. You can find all those
those clubs and things you want to do like in
(11:06):
future semesters, and hopefully it'll be a little bit more
normal than too. But what advice do you have for
students returning to campus next semester or just starting online classes.
I think the biggest piece of advice honestly would Yeah,
you'd manage expectations and also like give yourself grace, like
realize that like it is, like we're in this pandemic.
We have so much stuff going on in the world,
(11:27):
and like being super productive or like being super involved
in ways you may have been like before just may
not really be like feasible or like healthy even for
this like online world. And so just like giving yourself
like space, like be a human and like rest if
you need to rest, and not being so hyper focused
on like getting grades and like doing all these clubs
(11:49):
and like just doing a hundred million things. Um, that's
my biggest piece of advice, because we're in a very
abnormal situation, so like you shouldn't feel like you have
to act and behave normally. Well, they thank you so much,
Christian for being our on campus correspondent. We had so
much fun just joining your college experience from start to end,
well not end, but start to that of the first semester.
(12:10):
And I for sure I've been living vicariously through you
because I've been doing the whole online situation, and we
just want to say congratulations on completing your first semester
of college. You are a pioneer in this kind of education. Yeah,
thank you so much. I love talking to you all.
Oh and also, where can listeners find you if they
(12:31):
want to keep up with you? Yes, so you can
find me on Instagram and Twitter and YouTube. Add Christian
on now the same thing on all those platforms. Yeah,
go follow. Yeah, all right, well, we would keep you
waiting on our very exciting interview today. Stephanie McMahon is
(12:53):
a businesswoman and professional wrestling personality. She is the chief
brand officer of the largest rust in company in the world,
w w E, also known as World Wrestling Entertainment Stuff.
Has also been part of the w w E storyline
and is best known as an on screen authority figure, villain,
and occasional wrestler. We could not be more excited to
(13:15):
have the incredible Stephanie mcman as our final guest of
the season. So grab your popcorn and let's get ready.
First off, we would love for you to introduce yourself
to our young listeners and tell us what the w
w E community is to you. Absolutely. So. I am
Stephanie McMahon, chief brand Officer w w E, which is
World Wrestling Entertainment, and our mission is really simple. It's
(13:39):
to put smiles on people's faces, whether we do that
with our entertainment or by giving back to the community.
Giving back has actually been a part of our DNA
almost since our inception. For a long time, we didn't
talk about what we did in the community because we
didn't want people to think it was for the wrong reasons. UM.
(13:59):
But what we realized is that we had the opportunity
to really amplify our partners messages and missions and reach
a much bigger audience when we did utilize our platforms
and and talk to our audience about what we were doing. UM.
So we shifted at our strategy and now we have
actually four key pillars to giving back and they are hope, inclusion, empowerment,
(14:24):
and service. And we have partnerships with Boys and Girls
Clubs of America, AD Council, Glad Girl Up of course, UNICEF,
UM Global Citizen Beyond Sport, the National Civil Rights Museum,
Susan g Coman UM, Let's See USO, metro V Foundation,
(14:46):
Make a Wish Foundation, UM did I say special Olympics? Uh?
And and I'm sure and UNICEF and more that that.
I'm you know, I don't have any sheets in front
of me, but those are you know, some of our
key partners. That so impressive. And I love that you
talk about giving back because I think gen Z especially,
we love hearing about that. We love hearing when a
(15:07):
company or a brand is like on mission for something
bigger in the global sense. But when did you kind
of come into this w w E community? While I
was born into it, so I am a fourth generation
in our business, and you know, it was really my
mom was the CEO UM. And that's actually something I
talked about in terms of you know, gender bias, etcetera.
(15:28):
Because I never saw it because my mom was the CEO,
and I always just assumed women should be the CEO
and and it was never an issue until I got
older and had to face different things. Um. But one
of the things that my mom always taught me was
the importance of giving back. And my dad too. But
since you know, I started working in w w E
when I was you know, probably about eight eight to ten,
(15:52):
I was a childhood model and you know, all different
kinds of things. But you know, because they were building
the business, I had the chance to really be with
my mom, you know, on a number of different activities
and missions and everything else. So everything from business dinners
to you know, volunteer work, and I had the opportunity
to really work with so many different organizations, you know,
(16:14):
as a kid myself, you know, even if I wasn't
allowed technically to do certain things, I was there. And
you know, I think it's the importance of giving back
is for me, it's the most fulfilling thing that you
can do, you know, when you see a child. Like
one story I have. I was in l A. And
(16:37):
we were doing an anti bullying rally. That's that's part
of our partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
And it's called be a Star and Star stands for
Show Tolerance and Respect. And we worked with the Yale
Center of Emotional Intelligence to really help us create this
curriculum and we've done various tests, you know, et cetera
to really get it right. Um, but I remember we
(16:58):
were at a school in East l A. And they
had just started there a free lunch program, which just
basically means they don't have a lot of money. Um.
A lot of the kids there were homeless. Um. They
you know, we're you know, having a hard time in school.
Is the only community that they really had, some of them,
you know, that they really had because they just didn't
(17:20):
have a home life and they had. What they had
was each other. And when we had the chance to
go and talk to them, and I ask, you know,
our superstars on the panel, and I say, how many
of you have been bullied? Actually, first I asked the
kids and I say how many have you have been bullied?
And unfortunately, almost all of them raise their hands. And
then I turned to the superstars and I say, okay,
(17:42):
how many of you have been bullied? And we all
raise our hands and the kids it's like an audible
gasp in the audience, you know, and the messages you're
not alone, you know, and we're all in this together.
And to me, that's what community is really all about,
because if you can make a difference in just one
person's life, if one child has been impacted from all
(18:03):
of the thousands of rallies that we've done, if we've
made a difference in one person's life, even if it
was just to make their day a little bit better,
a little bit brighter, or to give them a hug
you know that they really needed. I've I felt the
arms of of kids around me that just needed a
little love and attention. And I think at the end
(18:24):
of the day, knowing that you matter, knowing that that
you are important, knowing that people value you, and you're
a part of a community, you're part of something bigger,
and being able if you can to just give that love,
you know, to me, that's that's what life is all about.
On the note of family, with your career being so
(18:44):
intertwined with your family, did you face any challenges with
keeping business and family separate or how did you unify them?
I didn't have a choice. They are unified, um from
the get go. Uh. You know, my mom did retire
from from being CEO and actually involved in in politics,
and she really wanted to give back, to continue her
(19:05):
path of giving back. But yeah, I mean my husband,
who is uh you know, wasn't a w W superstar,
still is but now has transitioned more into the business side.
So and it was forbidden loved by the way, I
was not allowed to date one of the wrestlers. So
that's like a whole another story, and we were married
and divorced on screen before we actually got together, So
(19:25):
lots of layers there. Um. But then you know, my
dad is the CEO and chairman, and it is it
is definitely intertwined. I mean we're on screen and off
screen and in the office and out of the office,
and you know, I really I didn't have a choice.
My my life is completely intertwined in my family business.
But I love it. I don't know any other way. Yeah,
(19:48):
So you grew up in this community at w w E,
and then you went to college in Boston away from family.
What was it like to enter a new world that
was different than the one you grew up in and
how did you adapt to maybe the new community at college.
So I don't you know, I've always been a bit
of a loner. I've never totally fit in. And you know,
our business is very polarizing. So when I was growing up,
(20:10):
you know, people either loved me because of of who
my father was in our family business, or they quite
the opposite, And it was very polarizing and it used
to really bother me. You know, that people would treat
me a certain way without knowing who I was, and
my dad taught me. He said, Steph, look, not everybody's
going to like you. They're just not no matter what.
(20:33):
But as long as you can look yourself in the
eyes and know that you're a good person, that's all
that matters. And that's something that I've just tried to
live by. And when I went to college, I didn't
want people to know who I was, you know. I
wanted to have that freedom of just being me and
just wearing sneakers every day that my mom like. I
(20:54):
think it's the same pair of sneakers my mom threw
away one year because they were falling apart um. But
just wearing my T shirts and jeans and sneakers and
just being me um. So for me, college was fairly liberating.
But I will say my goal was always to get
into the family business. So this was a step I
(21:15):
knew I had to take to get into the business.
And that's which is where my mind was all the time.
Because even still getting back to this notion of community
and family, what I always wanted to do was give
back to my family because they were always so busy
building the business. I wanted to be involved so that
I could actually just be with them. So that was
(21:36):
always my my focus, and I would say I did
a I taught a master class at my alma mater
at BEU, and it was on building your own brand.
It was so incredible. Talking to college students is probably
one of the most intimidating audiences I think I've ever
been in front of UM. And you know, one of
(21:56):
the things I talked about is what I wish I
had taken advantage of in school. Like I love the
fact you guys are doing this podcast. I think that's
so awesome. I think you need to take advantage of
the opportunities around you. Don't let fear get in your way,
don't let anything stand in your way, you know, identify
those opportunities. Right now is COVID right, So it's a
(22:17):
completely different situation, but assume there was no quarantine at
the moment. You know, take advantage of studying abroad. UM.
Build networks and relationships with your professors, with your with
your friends. You really never know who someone is going
to know in and those relationships are really really important. UM.
(22:37):
Take advantage of internships, do as many things as you
possibly can. UM. You know, take a course in business.
If your degree is not in business, you know, it's
it's really important. Those skills, they're applicable everywhere. UM, learn
another language. You know, there's so many things that that
I wish I did and that I didn't do. So
now I'm I'm like, you know, trying to to share
(22:59):
that message for for whoever. You know, it matters too.
I really relate to a lot of that because I'm
actually an international student in the Philippines right now. I'm
definitely trying to learn new languages, trying to make the
most of it because I haven't left my home. So
that was, like, you're speaking to me. So the world
of wrestling is traditionally a male dominated field. How did
you navigate the space as a woman and find your
(23:20):
identity through it, especially with the pressure of the family business. Well,
you know, like I said, my mom was the CEO,
so I, you know, wanted to follow in her footsteps,
not necessarily to become CEO, UM, but you know, definitely
to make my mark, right. I never saw gender as
a barrier, even in an all male you know, I
(23:41):
grew up with I grew up that way, so it
was kind of my norm. Um. And I have an
older brother and you know, he is seven years older,
so I was often left in the care of him
and his friends, which was you know, a whole another
follow acts in terms of those stories. Um, but I've
always found being a woman in in any male dominated
(24:03):
field is actually an advantage. You know, men are often
intimidated by women, which is part of the reason why
I think there's you know, barriers and if you can
find common ground right away, Uh, it's really helpful, you know,
And don't be afraid to be who you are. You know.
I think one of the greatest lessons that I've learned
along the way is that you have to play to
(24:25):
your strengths. You know, so many of us try to
shore up our our weaknesses right or where we have
areas of opportunity if you don't want to call them weaknesses,
but you know, all of us have that. We all
have strengths, we all have weaknesses. But if you play
to your strengths, that is where you find your superpower
because no one else has the same strengths as you.
(24:46):
So work on those, build those and have the confidence
to know that you do it better than anybody else,
and continue to work on that because that's where you're
going to get better and better. And when you come
into a room, have a presence. You know, people say
fake it till you make it. If you have to
fake it, okay, but it's better if you believe in it,
you know, and stand tall with your headheld high and
(25:08):
your shoulders back, look people in the eye, shake their hands.
Of course not right now during COVID, but you know,
shake their hands and have a firm handshake and and
you know, show up. That's it's really really important. You
have to believe in yourself. I love that, such such
great advice there. But I'd love to talk about w
w E during COVID, a sport that's all about being
(25:30):
in a ring, contact and being in a crowd. How
is w w E continuing to contribute a sense of
community to their fans during this pandemic. So that is
actually the one of the core reasons why we never
stopped producing content was because we wanted to give our
fans a little bit of relief, a little bit of
entertainment and hopefully put a smile on their face. Um.
(25:52):
So we never stopped producing our content, and we learned
a lot along the way, um, you know, helping safety
of our performers and employees, and crew was paramount. Um.
We knew we couldn't have fans and attendance obviously, so
you know, we we put in all kinds of testing protocols,
learned so much about what you need to do during
(26:15):
a global pandemic UM pandemic level cleaning with this different
type of lighting and these um these uh ionic sprays
that I'm not you know, technically savvy enough to understand
or to explain, um, but that essentially prevent the virus
from making contact with whatever the surfaces, so therefore it
doesn't transmit. Uh. You know, the the testing of course,
(26:39):
you know, the monitoring when you entered the building, the questionnaires,
you know all of that stuff. UM. But how we've
kept our community strong is is by continuing to produce
our content UM. And in cases you know, like what
happened during this year, right with George Floyd and you know,
all of the unrest in our society, we had that
(27:00):
because we were still on the air, we had the
opportunity to really amplify those messages of love and not
of hate, of love and what we can do to
support one another. And our superstars themselves have never stopped,
you know, there they remain very active on social media. UM.
They reach out to their community all the time. And
(27:21):
in addition to that, we've continued to work with all
of our community partners that I named at the beginning
in a virtual way. So we've been doing virtual hospital
visits or UM virtual meeting grades, UM virtual panels you know,
like one of our partners as Higher Heroes, where we
are doing our best to help servicemen and women and
their families get back to work. UM. So we we
(27:44):
did virtual panels. So, you know, with Special Olympics, were
part of a again it's all prerecorded, you know, but
a health and wellness initiative both mentally and physically for
the athletes of Special Olympics. UM. So there's you know,
any number of things that we've continued to do and
it's something that you know, I really believe in obviously,
(28:04):
but you know, just being human, our ability to adapt
is unparalleled, right and and look at how we have
all adapted in this space. Not that it's where we
want to be, UM, but we have to continue to
to be with each other because at the end of
the day, that's all we have. And at the end
of the day, our planet isn't very big you know,
(28:25):
and and all we have is each other and we
have to be there for each other. So I'm I'm
grateful to technology that that really has allowed us to
continue to to stay connected. Me too. So fun fact,
I told my brothers. I have three brothers, and I
told them that I was going to call Stephanie a
fan today, and they were huge w W fans. So
we have a lot of figurines and belots actually in
(28:47):
their room. And I think it's really interesting because they're
like ten years older than me. So one thing I
wanted to ask is what has it been like to
see the w W E community transform over the years.
Do you see any different inces between the generations. It's
a great question. Foundationally, it's it's the same in terms
of we're still a generational brand. Um. And when I
(29:10):
was growing up, people would come up to my dad
on the street. There's no such thing as cell phone,
so no selfies, but they would ask for autographs and
they would always say thank you, and they'd say, you know,
thank you for the generations of entertainment. I watched with
my grandmother, father, brothers, whatever it is, and now I'm
watching with my kids, and now I have people saying
(29:32):
that to me and my husband, And it's such a
privilege to be a part of a brand that connects
with people that helps them but just because we're on
right and it helps them get through really tough times sometimes, UM,
And I think it's important that we're there, you know,
people know that that we're there and they can rely
(29:55):
on us, UM, And and that that really matters, UM.
I think Jenn rationally, how things have changed. Of course,
how we communicate has changed, right. Digital and social media
obviously transformed the world and made the world a much
smaller place in a great way, I think, UM. And
I think also the connection is even deeper, if that's possible,
(30:21):
you know. I think that, Um. When you consider WrestleMania,
which is like our super Bowl or our World Cup.
We have people from over sixty different countries, all fifty states,
all different socio economic backgrounds, political beliefs, religious beliefs, you
name it, right, but they all come together like a
big family and you can feel it. You can feel
(30:43):
it from from everybody around. It's like this giant family
coming together to enjoy this passion that we share. And
I just can't think of anything more rewarding than that.
UM and to and to feel that you know, since
community from our fans. So I think, if anything, generationally,
(31:03):
it's actually strengthened UM over the years. And I think
probably technology has a lot to do with that. That's amazing.
Going into some maybe advice for students high school and college,
how can you tell if you're in the right community.
I know in college it can be easy to join
friend groups out of peer pressure or just wanting to belong,
even convenience because of proximity maybe, But how do you
(31:26):
look beyond these? So I was reading a book and um,
it's about octogenarians, right, so eighty year olds and older.
And one of the key themes that I took from
this book it was asking about marriage, like what's the
secret to marriage? But I think this applies to all relationships,
friend groups, et cetera included, And the most successful relationships
(31:49):
are based on shared values. So I think whatever friend
group you have, whatever you know relationship, you ultimately wind
up in the key to say excess are those shared values.
I would also say it's really important to be with
people who make you feel good about yourself. If you're
(32:09):
with people who tear you down or make you feel
less than for whatever reason, even if it's not intentional.
That's not the right group for you. You have to
trust your gut, go with the people that make you
feel good about yourself and who share values. That would
be my advice anyway. Agree And for our final question,
(32:31):
do you have any advice or encouragement for our listeners
who are trying to find themselves during these new times? Yes,
I think that we're all. I mean, this is just
my my experience, right, um, personally, so I think we're
all trying to find ourselves and find our ways, um,
no matter what we're going through. Right, the global pandemic
(32:52):
has just added an extra layer of challenge to it
because you know, especially for young kids right like, and
I mean college in high school. I'm a little older now, Um,
but you know it's hard for you guys, really hard
for you guys. My oldest daughter just started high school
her freshman year, and it's a new school. It's high school,
which are hard enough, but now everyone's wearing masks. No
(33:14):
one knows who you are, there's no social activities, like,
it's very different. Um, and you know, I'm really curious.
I think this generation though, I think all of you
who are going through this right, all of us are
going through it together at different stages, but I really
have faith that we're going to come out better on
the other side of it. UM. And I think what
(33:35):
it does is it's stripping us down to help us
remember what matters most. And what matters most to me
is always love. I think that's really what life is
all about, the people you love in your life, UM,
and giving as much love as you possibly can. But
I think, you know, in terms of advice, I think
(33:57):
reach out, you know, as much as you can to
the people that do you know matter to you UM.
Or if you think of friends having a hard time
or someone you know in your family, reach out, just
let them know you're there. UM. Don't back away from
FaceTime or zoom or you know, whatever video technology you have,
because even though it's not the same as being in
(34:17):
the same room, seeing people's faces is really important. Looking
people in the eye, even virtually you don't get the
same feeling as if you're in person, but it's it's
really important to stay connected. I think that that's UM,
that's I think that's a really important piece of advice
during this time, is to stay connected, you know, and
know that it's okay to have ups and downs, know
(34:40):
that it's okay to feel depressed. You know it's it's
all right. And and know that people are here for
you to help you get through. And that you're not alone.
Even though you may feel very much alone, you're not alone.
You are not alone. Um that that those would be
my my key pieces of advice. Absolutely, And I'm thankful
(35:02):
for virtual settings like this where we can see your
face even though you know it's not in person. We're
all in different states and even countries, and we're still
able to have these meaningful conversations. I just I'm so
grateful for that. But thank you Stephanie for being on
our show and joining us for our last episode of
the season. I know our listeners have learned so much
(35:22):
from your story and advice, and of course everyone go
keep up with steph on. I g at Stephanie McMahon,
thank you again. I am star struck. Stuff is so
kind and humble. Hena, what was your takeaway? I totally
agree she was so nice um to us during the
(35:42):
interview and after and before and all of that. But
my takeaway would be to lean into the communities you
have around you. You know, Steph, she was brought into
this community of w w E with her family, and
instead of like completely turning away and trying to do
her own thing, she really did into it. And I
can say she's thrived in that as well. I think
(36:04):
too often we hear about cutting, you know, toxic people
out of our life, and except for certain like truly
hurtful and abusive situations, I think overall we need to
be kinder to those around us and not just cut
people off the moment we disagree or there's tension, because
something I've learned is that friendships take time and work
to grow. And if you're not willing to put in
the time and effort, I feel like you're missing a
(36:25):
big part of what's beautiful about friendships and like growing
through struggles and and I think if you're too quick
to cut someone off, you miss what's so beautiful about
long term friendships, which is going through struggles and going
through disagreements and really building that friendship off of something
stronger than just oh, we like to hang out on weekends.
But what was your takeaway, Katie? First of all, I
(36:46):
totally agree. I think people's first instincts these days is
to just run, maybe when they see someone who's treating
them well, who's saying not so great things. But I
think there really is something great that can be unraveled
if you stay longer, if you actually dig deeper into
why someone is projecting their insecurities onto you or seeing something.
You know, maybe they're having a bad day and maybe
(37:07):
they just need some support right now, And I think
we are all in a great situation to reach out
check on them instead of you know, reacting like, oh,
she's so toxic, I'm gonna cut her off right now.
But yeah, it's been a lesson to learn for sure.
And another takeaway I had is also to observe yourself
and check in on how you feel after socializing. So
(37:29):
do you feel drained or energized, tense or relax. Listening
to my emotions has helped me realize what I subconsciously
feel and help me focus on the people and the
events that really make me laugh, that really make me happy.
So since this is our final episode, I thought it
(37:50):
could be fun if we also did some podcast takeaways.
This at least was my first time hosting a podcast,
and it's been a wild experience. But and I know
this is your second time because you have posted your
own before. So how has this been? I love that
I love that we're doing overall podcast takeaways. I was
brought on this show back in early April, I believe,
and the process, I'll just say, has been such a blessing.
(38:13):
It's been amazing this time around with a podcast, having
a team, and I just want to thank all the
people behind the show, at Female Quotation, at Wonder Media,
at I Heart Radio. It's been amazing that we get
to have these conversations with such experts in the industry,
and I'm just, yeah, so grateful. I I talked about
the podcast all the time, like offline, and the things
(38:34):
that I learned in the episodes I definitely keep with me.
So it's not just we're here to like bring this
knowledge to you. It's Katie and I are learning through
these episodes just as you guys hopefully are yes and
sending so much love to Anna and Heather from Female
Quotient team, Cynthia, Louisa and Liz from Wonder Media Network
are Lovely on Campus correspondent Christian and of course I
(38:56):
Heart Radio. This experience has been unlike anything I've ever done.
I was really surprised that they gave me this amazing
opportunity to co host it. I was like, what me,
Yeah you sure? I know. We've enjoyed the process so
much and I would love to be back for a
season two and you guys can help us with that.
If you haven't yet, please go to our show on
iTunes and rate plus. Leave a review that seriously helps
(39:17):
so much, and Katie and I will be truly grateful
if you d m us a picture of your review.
Will make sure to respond back and chat with you guys.
We would absolutely love it. Yeah, we are so grateful.
We see all the Instagram stories you guys tag us
on and all the positivity and support, and we also
read all the reviews. So thank you so much to
all of you who have tuned in every week, who
(39:38):
have listened for one last time. We are your host. Katie.
You can find me at Aloha Katie x on Instagram,
and I'm Hannah. You can find me at Miss Hannah
Ashton on Instagram. Make sure to follow with the Female
Quotient and at FQ next Gen on Instagram. Her details
on season two coming in two thousand twenty one. The
(39:58):
Secret Syllabus is a production of The Female Quotient and
I Heart Radio and co produced by the Female Quotient
and wonder Obedia Network. Have an amazing rest of your year, guys.
You deserve time after class. Yes, Happy holidays. Bye, see
you
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