I’m a SPACE-EATER.

While preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft — yes, I’m a lifelong Bills fan — I became obsessed with scouting 400+ lb defensive linemen. In the process, I stumbled across a term I can’t stop thinking about: “space-eater.”

In football, a space-eater is a massive, disruptive force on the defensive line.
They take up space.
They occupy blockers.
They blow up plays.

And in doing so, they free others to move, make plays, and win.

And it hit me:
I am a space-eater too. A Female Executive Space-Eater — a FESE.

Here’s what that means:

• I command rooms.
  My preparation, perspective, and experience force people to make space — or try (and often fail) to talk over me.

• I block bias.
  I call it out. I challenge it. I make it impossible to ignore — and I don’t let it slide without data and accountability.

• I clear lanes for other women.
  I build the table if there isn’t a seat. I make the intros, amplify the names, and sponsor the future.

Like my football counterparts, I know that progress doesn’t just happen — it gets won at the line of scrimmage. And sometimes, the greatest thing you can do is hold your ground so others can fly.

Want to become a FESE? Start here:

• Do the homework. Know your numbers. Know the room. Be the most prepared person in it.

• Take up space. Speak up. Don’t shrink. Sit at the table and bring someone with you.

• Spot the blockers. Bias hides in plain sight. Call it out with courage and data.

• Clear the lane. Sponsor someone. Advocate behind closed doors. Say their name in rooms they haven’t entered yet.

• Repeat. Progress isn’t a one-time play. It’s a long game. Suit up every day.

FESEs don’t wait to be invited — we walk on the field and change the game.