Pretty Tough with Maria Sharapova

Willow Bay has spent her career telling powerful stories. Now, she’s helping reshape who gets to be at the center of them. As a longtime journalist and now the dean of USC Annenberg, Willow has worked across nearly every major television network, building a career at the intersection of media, leadership, and storytelling. Alongside her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, she’s also the co-owner of Angel City FC, one of the most valuable teams in women’s sports. Willow also shares her perspective on why giving athletes the tools to tell their own stories may be the most powerful shift happening in sports today. Maria and Willow also discuss what it means to reimagine an entire sports ecosystem with women at the center, how to spot opportunity early, and the challenge of overcoming imposter syndrome at the highest levels.  All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform Follow Maria on Instagram  Follow Maria on X Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack 00:00 – Intro: Beating Imposter Syndrome  01:14 – Welcome Willow Bay 02:49 – The Power of Listening More & Speaking Less 03:57 – Investing in Angel City FC: Why Now?  05:07 – Convincing Bob Iger to Buy into the NWSL  06:53 – The Business of Storytelling in Women's Sports  08:44 – Breaking Barriers in the Sports Boardroom  11:09 – Early Days: NBA Inside Stuff & Athlete Storytelling 13:58 – The Rise of Athlete-Owned Media Brands  17:16 – Closing the Gap for Women in Sports Media 18:24 – Reimagining the Sports Universe for Women  20:00 – Traditional Media vs. Athlete-Controlled Narratives  21:40 – The Enduring Power of Live Sports  23:45 – Maria Sharapova on Losing Control to the Press  26:26 – Dealing with Harsh Headlines & The "Banana" Story  30:54 – Standing on Your Skills to Beat Imposter Syndrome  32:45 – The Shaq & Suzy Shuster Story: Accountability in Journalism  35:48 – Dinner at the Iger-Bay Household 41:00 – Pretty Tough Questions: Erasing Self-Doubt  41:43 – The Morning Routine for a Resilient Mind  42:15 – Getting "Under the Hood" of Leadership  43:40 – Final Thoughts: What Makes Willow Bay Pretty Tough Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gabriela Hearst is one of the most purpose-driven designers in fashion. She’s built her career slowly, intentionally, and entirely on her own terms. You may know her for dressing icons like Laura Dern, Jodie Foster, and Zoë Kravitz, or for redefining luxury through sustainability, from the first carbon-neutral runway show to creating a line made from 100% recycled cotton. But her story begins on a cattle ranch in Uruguay, where quality, durability, and respect for the land shaped everything she does today. In this conversation, Maria and Gabriela discuss the reality of the creative journey, why success rarely comes fast, how a chance elevator encounter with a design legend changed her life, and what it takes to stay grounded in an industry built on hype. She also shares how she approaches biohacking to maintain her mind and body in one of the most demanding industries in the world. All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform Follow Maria on Instagram  Follow Maria on X Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeanie Buss is the most powerful woman in the NBA. As Governor and longtime controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, she has protected one of the most valuable brands in sports through tragedy and transition. Now, she explains why, after all these years, her family decided to sell 85% of the team for $10 billion. On this episode of Pretty Tough, Jeanie sits down with Maria for one of her most candid conversations yet. She takes Maria behind the scenes of the secret Luka Dončić trade — kept hidden from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Mark Cuban, and even Luka himself.  Jeanie also opens up about the people she's lost — her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, Kobe Bryant, and the 15-year relationship with Phil Jackson that shaped how she leads today.  All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform Follow Maria on Instagram  Follow Maria on X Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:46 - Jeanie’s opening quote on why being underestimated is an advantage 05:04 - Becoming the GM of a pro sports team at 19 years old 09:50 - What the legendary Dr. Jerry Buss saw in her 13:16 - The Lakers as a luxury brand or "beachfront property" 14:46 - Sports as entertainment and evolving with viewers 19:07 - Why she still sits with the fans 20:42 - What she learned from Phil Jackson 24:26 - How the Luka Doncic trade came together in secret 28:40 - Realizing Luka “left his heart in Dallas,” helping him acclimate to Lakers nation, and the Kobe/Gigi connection 32:50 - Selling 85% of the Lakers for $10 billion 36:51 - Working with family and firing her own brother 40:59 - The pain of selling the team 42:13 - Jeanie’s interests outside of the Lakers - Women of Wrestling, Running Point, and what's next 48:56 - What Kobe meant to Jeanie 51:06 - Maria’s little-known story about meeting with Kobe 54:40 - Jeanie Buss answers some Pretty Tough questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the very first episode of Pretty Tough with Maria Sharapova! For her debut interview, Maria sits down with Hollywood’s highest-grossing actor of all time, Academy Award winner Zoe Saldaña.  You probably know Zoe from starring in some of the most iconic movie franchises of our lifetimes — Avatar, Star Trek, and Guardians of the Galaxy. But she’s also taken on roles in indie films and different genres. Just last year, she won an Oscar for Emilia Pérez, becoming the first Dominican-American to do so. Maria and Zoe get into how she went from a little girl in Queens doing ballet to reaching Hollywood's greatest heights. All that and more on the inaugural episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. You can watch Pretty Tough every week on YouTube at ⁠youtube.com/@mariasharapova⁠ or listen in your favorite podcast app. Follow us on Instagram @⁠prettytough⁠ and TikTok @⁠prettytough⁠ Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack at ⁠prettytough.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why can't unapologetic ambition coexist with elegance and femininity? Maria Sharapova is ready to flip the script. On her new podcast, Pretty Tough with Maria Sharapova, the tennis champion and entrepreneur hosts conversations with high-achieving women like Zoe Saldana, Jeanie Buss, and Chelsea Handler about what it means to pursue excellence on their own terms.Pretty Tough drops Wednesday 4/22. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices