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Sports Biz Mom: Jamie Wolfe, Gold’s Gym

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I’ve known Jamie Wolfe for several years, as she was one of my husband’s classmates at Ohio University.  We reconnected at the National Sports Forum this February, right after she went returned to work from maternity leave.  I thought she’d be a great candidate for an interview because not only was she navigating her new role at home, but also one in a new company.  Jamie actually interviewed for her current position while she was pregnant – something that I know I would stress over to no end if I were in a similar position.  I hope any expecting Mom and job seeker out there reads this and feels confident in their ability to take on a new challenge, no matter the timing!

Jamie Wolfe lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Garrett, six month old son, Stephen, and Goldendoodle Belle. She is the Director of Global Licensing at Gold’s Gym. Prior to her current role, Jamie spent time at Learfield Licensing, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Genesco Sports Enterprises. She holds Masters degrees in Business and Sports Administration from Ohio University. Jamie also completed her undergraduate studies in Economics at Ohio University and was a member of the Swimming and Diving team. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Do not be afraid to be honest about what you need and how you’ll get your work done.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities with Golds Gym?  My day-to-day responsibilities include management of the Gold’s Gym Licensing Portfolio and all associated programming. This could include working with our licensing agency to scout new partners, build offerings and communication strategy for current programs, approve product designs, and assist in the development of programs for partners to sell product at retail or online.

Can you describe a “typical” day in the life for you and your family?

    • 6:00 AM:  Wake up
    • 6:00 – 6:45 AM: My husband (Garrett) helps to get the dog out and Stephen ready for the day while I get ready
    • 6:45 AM:  We are out the door
    • 6:50-7:00 AM: Drop Stephen at daycare
    • 7:30 AM: Arrive at the office
    • 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM Work
    • 4:30 – 4:45 PM: Leave the office
    • 5:15 PM: Garrett picks up Stephen
    • 5:30 PM: Stephen eats dinner
    • 5:45 PM: Playtime
    • 6:30 PM: Bathtime
    • 7:00 PM: Nightime bottle and bedtime stories
    • 7:30 PM :Garrett and I eat dinner
    • 10:00 PM: Bedtime

How has being a Mom positively impacted your career? Being a mom has helped me with balance. I make it a point to really focus and be productive while I am at the office so I can do the same at home. Being a mom also pushed me to explore an opportunity outside of a traditional sports role. I am very passionate about health and wellness and this role provides me the opportunity to source great brand partners/products for a brand that helps people achieve their potential through fitness on a daily basis.  It was also a chance to rebuild the licensing program at Gold’s and develop a full-on strategy with a licensing partner.  That type of challenge motivates me to come to the office every day and to want to learn and grow professionally.

What’s something you wish you would have known about being a Mom who works before your son was born? How truly challenging it is. I know people say being a parent is one of the most challenging, but most rewarding things you will ever do in life. It is so true, but there are so many things to juggle and my baby is only 6 months old!

How has your employer helped in your transition to being a Mom who works? Have you been afforded any additional flexibility? When I got pregnant, I had to make a decision about how I wanted to balance work and family. I was in a role where I travelled almost weekly. When I interviewed for my current role, I was pregnant. So, from the very beginning Gold’s Gym was understanding of the fact that I would have to balance work and family. Specifically, I am able to get to work early and leave a bit earlier which is huge with Dallas traffic! I’m in the office every day at 7:30AM and leave by 4:30PM, so there’s a lot of flexibility there.

I told Gold’s I was pregnant when I was offered the job. They were supportive and told me we’d work everything out. Unfortunately, since I had just joined the company, I didn’t qualify for the short-term disability benefits while on maternity leave. However, I was able to work flex hours from home for almost a month once I did come back to work, and that helped tremendously with the transition.

Did your husband receive parental leave benefits when Stephen was born? Yes, his company provides fathers eight weeks paid leave. He took two weeks when Stephen was born and then an additional six weeks when I went back to the office. This helped immensely in the transition back to work for me because I wasn’t worried about who he was with and settling back in at the office.

What advice do you have it for women in sports who do not yet have a family, but may someday want to? Do not be afraid to be honest about what you need and how you’ll get your work done.  People inside and outside of the industry do understand family balance. Men often do too (especially if they have kids of their own). They may not practice it, but they understand it.

Telling Your Boss You’re Pregnant – 5 Tips

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When you first find out your pregnant your mind is awash in emotions.  My first thought was somewhere along the lines of, “YAY-Ermahgerd-Holy *@%&*!-So excited-So scared”.  I also immediately started to think about how I would tell my husband (he was out of town for a wedding when I took the test), our parents, and the one I was dreading the most – my boss.

I don’t know why I was so nervous about this.  My boss at the time was an awesome person to work for.  He understood that we had a personal life outside of work and was genuinely happy/excited/sad for his employees whenever one of us experienced a major life event.  However, I was terrified, as I had been in my role for less than a year, and truly loved it.  I didn’t want my pregnancy to be seen as an indication of my commitment/non-commitment to my job and my career.  I also felt incredibly awkward in telling my male boss I was pregnant because, well, you all know how babies are made and how immodestly we enter this world…

Yes, I understand this is silly, but I’ve always been a rule follower and something about the situation made me feel like I was doing something wrong.  Which is probably a reflection of misogyny, expectations for women, etc., but that’s for another post…

Anyway, I actually told my boss I was pregnant at only 9 weeks along. This was 2-3 weeks before I told my parents, and he was only the 4th person to know behind my husband, a girlfriend and my doctor.   A situation had come up at work that required us to plan for something several months down the road, and I didn’t feel comfortable having those conversations without also letting him know I was now carrying around a very tiny co-worker. I hadn’t intended to tell him that early; but, I felt the circumstances necessitated I divulge my little secret.

So, I spent a weekend stewing over the appropriate wording; googled all the articles about telling your boss your pregnant (I recommend this one); and wrote down my talking points, so that when my voice undoubtedly started shaking, I had an anchor point.   In the end, my boss was overjoyed, immediately insisted I take the full 12 weeks of leave offered by my company, and assured me we had plenty of time to come up with a plan.  I tend to jump to worst-case scenario as I think through tricky conversations, but as per usual, my worry was much ado about nothing.  It was a pleasant conversation (although I probably sounded like I was about to cry the whole time) and I came away even more grateful for a supportive supervisor who placed such great value on family.  Regardless, it was an exchange I was THRILLED to be finished with and I know that not everyone comes away feeling better after having it.  However, with a little preparation, you can put yourself in the best position possible to walk out the door leaving your boss confident in your plan and still feeling excited about your good news.

Here’s my five tips for telling your boss your pregnant:

  1. Call your HR department and/or review your employee manual before you speak with your supervisor so you are up-to-date on your company’s family leave polices. My HR department had an anonymous line, which was a huge help.  However, if this is not possible at your place of employment, be sure to ask your HR department as soon as you’ve spoken with your boss so you can begin to develop your plan.  If have a mind for legalese and the patience to read a government website, the Department of Labor also details your FMLA rights.
  2. Schedule a specific time to talk with your boss. Don’t spring it on her/him at the end of the meeting or during a particularly stressful project.
  3. Prepare a rough outline of your plan for coverage while you are on leave. Your boss will appreciate you taking the initiative on this and coming with ideas in hand.  Some questions to consider:
    1. Will you be out during a busy time of year?
    2. Do you plan to work up until the baby arrives?
    3. Who on your team would you need to step-up in your absence?
    4. What will you need to do to hit the ground running when you return from leave?
    5. What’s your childcare plan (or when do you plan to have one), particularly for nights, weekends, etc. You do work in sports…
  4. Consider the appropriate timing. Many women choose to wait until they are in the 2nd trimester, but if your small human has you spending a lot of time w/ the doctor or in a bathroom stall, you may not have the choice but to share.  This is a personal decision, but one that needs to consider the appropriate amount of time your company will need to prepare for coverage while you are out of the office.
  5. DON’T tell your co-workers before you tell your supervisor. Your boss should hear the news and your plan directly from you, not the rumor mill.

I hope these five tips help guide you through our own conversations with your employer.  Please comment below with any other suggestions and check out my post about preparing for maternity leave and your first few weeks back at work after baby.