Former big brand marketing powerhouse and national gymnastics champion, Jennifer Sey, joins Sasha and Stella to dissect trans-themed ads, corporate HR's influence, and the impacts of the adjustments to Title IX. This is a bold conversation about the evolution of corporate messaging, the rise of woke capitalism, and the growing influence of HR and DEI initiatives in shaping corporate culture.
Jennifer Sey’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. With nearly 23 years at Levi Strauss & Co., she rose from an entry-level marketing assistant in 1999 to become the Global Brand President in 2020, making history as the first woman to hold this position.
Before her corporate success, Jennifer was a competitive gymnast, winning the U.S. National Gymnastics Championship in 1986, just a year after recovering from a severe injury. Her memoir, Chalked Up, published in 2008, offers a deep dive into her gymnastics career and personal struggles.
In 2020, Jennifer’s influence extended to film as an Emmy-winning producer of the documentary Athlete A, which exposed abuses within the Olympic movement. That same year, she voiced strong opinions on the detrimental effects of pandemic-related school closures on children, a stance that led her to leave her corporate career to advocate for this cause.
Jennifer’s advocacy continued with her book Levi’s Unbuttoned and her Substack newsletter Sey Everything. She is also producing and directing Generation Covid, a feature-length documentary addressing the pandemic's impact on children. Most recently, in March 2024, she launched her new brand XX-XY Athletics, dedicated to supporting female athletes and protecting women's sports.
This episode offers:
A compelling analysis of trans-themed ads exploring the portrayal of gender in media and the broader implications of corporate virtue signaling.
Insights into how corporate HR practices are influencing today's media landscape.
Jennifer Sey's personal stories of standing up for the truth in both the sports and corporate worlds.
The launch of XX-XY Athletics and its mission to support athletes who dare to speak out.
Whether you’re in marketing, leadership, athletics or simply interested in the intersection of business and social change, this conversation will challenge your perspectives and provide valuable insights into the profound shifts within corporate America, the advertising world, and female sports.
**Correction: In this episode Sasha, Stella and Jennifer discuss an ad that initially appeared to be a Calvin Klein ad. This was actually an ad produced by a company called "Both& Apparel" as an "homage to Calvin Klein." We apologize for the error. Calvin Klein has created controversial ads with trans themes, the one we showed in the episode just wasn't one of them.
Resources & Links
@JenniferSey on X
Sey Everything, Jennifer’s Substack Newsletter
Levi’s Unbuttoned - A riveting story of not only Sey’s 23-year career at Levi Strauss & Co. but of her prior experience as a world class gymnast
Generation Covid - GENERATION-COVID reveals the stark realities of post-covid America with a focus on the long term harms done to children due to ineffective and prolonged school closures, lockdowns and other restrictions that were needlessly imposed on their lives.
XX-XY Athletics - Committed to standing up for the truth and America’s highest ideals: equality of opportunity, freedom of speech, open debate and dissent and striving for excellence.
The Rise of Woke Capital: How culture war became a tool of corporate self-interest, by Ross Douthat
Levi's Wokes - SNL skit
Calvin Klein Ad - SNL skit (Justin Bieber parody)
Thanks to Title IX, I was a champion gymnast. Now it’s been corrupted, by
The International Olympic Committee does not care about female athletes, by
The Why Behind XX-XY Athletics, by
Sey Everything’s post about XX-XY being blocked from advertising on TikTok:
“For running an inspiring ad that simply encourages women and girls to stand up for fairness, privacy and safety — and paying Tik Tok good money to run it — we were told we violated their advertising policies for “offensive content.”
178 - How Brands Influence Culture (For Better or Worse) with Jennifer Sey