The CMO Podcast: Emily Silver (Dick’s Sporting Goods)

Episode Title: Sports, Leadership, and Thriving Through Change | From the Vault
Host: Jim Stengel (with vYve)
Guest: Emily Silver, SVP & Chief Marketing and Athlete Experience Officer, Dick’s Sporting Goods
Date Recorded: March 2025 (Original), Aired February 18, 2026
Setting: Live at the Adobe Summit, Las Vegas

Episode Overview

In this special re-release timed with the Olympics, Jim Stengel sits down with Emily Silver, SVP & Chief Marketing and Athlete Experience Officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, for an in-depth and inspiring conversation recorded at the 2025 Adobe Summit. The discussion centers on the power of sports to unite and empower, the evolution and culture of Dick’s Sporting Goods, and actionable leadership insights for thriving in rapidly changing times. Emily shares personal stories, strategic lessons, and her approach to leading with purpose and authenticity in both marketing and life.

Table of Contents

1. Personal Roots: The Power of Sports in Life and Family
2. Dick’s Sporting Goods: Growth, Purpose, and Vision
3. Leadership, Change, and the Role of the Modern CMO
4. Audience Q&A: Sports, Community, and Inclusive Culture
5. Actionable Lessons for Leaders
6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

1. Personal Roots: The Power of Sports in Life and Family <a name="personal-roots"></a>

• Jim shares how sports, specifically high school football in Pennsylvania, shaped his identity and lifelong friendships, crediting a coach for instilling enduring confidence.

  “Just instilled in me a confidence that I could oppose anyone and win, no matter who it was...That has totally stuck with me.” – Jim Stengel (04:39)

• Emily recounts her unique upbringing:

  • Her father was older, her mother immigrated from England, and sports provided a way for her family to connect and feel included.
  • Sports remain a powerful force in her children’s lives, helping them build confidence and social skills.

  “Sports was a commonality that we could all rally around…It made me and my family feel included.” – Emily Silver (07:04)

  She highlights her daughter's growth:

  “[Izzy] is 10 now, and sports has given her tremendous confidence and a little bit of sass...my older one, 14, Natalie, has really found her social footing through sports.” (07:38)

2. Dick’s Sporting Goods: Growth, Purpose, and Vision <a name="dicks-company"></a>

Strategic Direction and Company Purpose

• Dick’s has evolved from a single bait & tackle shop in 1948 to an $14B+ national leader with 850+ stores.
• The company’s vision: “To be the best sports company in the world, not just the best sports retailer.”
• Investments in real estate (House of Sport/Field House stores), footwear, and e-commerce are core growth drivers.

  “It’s a company that takes risks, wants to invest in driving not just the future of retail, but the future of sports.” – Emily (13:35)

Video Segment [19:11]

• Emily introduces a recent investor video underscoring Dick’s year of record growth, expanding store formats, and a passionate focus on both the athlete and teammate experience.

• The company’s Common Purpose, Vision, and Values are not just “words on paper”—they guide all decisions, investments, and culture.

  “These words…are so real throughout everything we do…Everyone believes in ‘sports change lives’ and the common purpose.” – Emily (23:36)

Social Impact

• The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation:
  • Helped over 2 million children access sports.
  • Donated over $200M to break down barriers like equipment cost and field access.

Maintaining Focus in Times of Change

• A culture built on clear purpose and values helps the company remain grounded despite retail's daily volatility.

  “This gives us a North Star that you can turn to in the moments and the days and the weeks of chaos…” – Emily (25:18)

Approach to Leadership Transition

• CEO Lauren Hobart advised Emily:

  “Don’t hurry to change anything. Take your time, get to know us, build relationships, understand the business.” (26:05)

• Emily valued learning before acting, contrasting with her previous experience at PepsiCo where she was expected to enact change immediately.

3. Leadership, Change, and the Role of the Modern CMO <a name="leadership-and-cmo"></a>

The 7 Cs of Successful CMOs [32:19]

• Derived from a previous episode’s “C Print”: Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Commitment, Confidence, Community, Commercial Success.

• Emily’s reflection:

  • Commercial success is now more central (growth, not just campaigns).
  • Her team is “on fire” creatively, launching bold campaigns and leaning into major sports events and celebrity partnerships.

  “Our creativity is on fire in a positive way…building on an incredible year last year.” (33:29)

Long-term Transformation and Courage

• Transitioning from “retailer” to “sports company” requires:
  • Courage to transform internal and external partnerships.
  • Commitment to both short- and long-term goals, especially amid economic uncertainty.

Athlete-first North Star

• The athlete, broadly defined, remains the core focus:

  “It truly is the athlete. What do they need from us…to really enable their athletic journey and make sports something that can change their lives?” (34:38)

Emily’s Key Leadership Lessons [36:16]

• Get to know yourself and be comfortable with it.
• Find your style and make it work for you, especially as an introvert leading in an extrovert’s world.
• Set high expectations, but support people to reach them.
• Maintain a continuous learning mindset.
• Don’t let work become your entire identity or drag you down.

“The greatest gift a leader can give...is giving people the confidence and the courage to do more than they think they can do, and making sure you’re building them up to achieve that.” – Emily (37:02)

Building Time for Reflection

• Emily schedules reflection into her calendar—valuing this time as essential, not a chore.

4. Audience Q&A: Sports, Community, and Inclusive Culture <a name="audience-qa"></a>

On Inclusion and Defining “Athlete” [41:23]

• Emily is challenged about making “athlete” inclusive for all, including those not traditionally athletic:

  “Being part of a team and the lessons they learn—community, support, cheering for each other. I would focus on messaging that piece, not just the strong athletic piece…” (41:23)

Lessons from Tennis Applied to Work and Life

• Both Jim and Emily agree: Tennis (and sports broadly) is 80% mental.
  • Roger Federer’s philosophy: “Never think about the last shot…keep thinking this might turn” (43:00)
  • Emily: “When people are watching, I tense up…reminding yourself to relax…such a good analogy for business and life.” (44:32)

On Marketing with Small Budgets

• Jim’s advice to entrepreneurs:

  “Embrace who you are. Get clarity on your belief and purpose...once you have that, it doesn’t often take a lot of money to build affinity.” (46:11)

On Community and Social Role of Sports

• Community is a crucial part of Dick’s strategy—sports’ non-political purity can unite divided times.

  “There is a non-political purity to sports and community…leaning in there is positive for all.” – Emily (47:03)

5. Actionable Lessons for Leaders <a name="actionable-lessons"></a>

• Relax: Don’t get consumed by work or advancement.
• Lead with a real, lived purpose—company values must permeate every function.
• Learn before enacting change: listen, absorb, build relationships.
• Support your team while setting high bars; help them exceed even their own expectations.
• Remain curious, open, and willing to learn, especially in a fast-changing world.
• Prioritization is essential—know when to stop legacy activities that no longer drive impact.
• Community and inclusion matter as business imperatives.

6. Memorable Quotes & Moments <a name="notable-quotes"></a>

• Sports as Confidence-Builder

  “That coach…instilled in me a confidence that I could oppose anyone and win...if you think it and work on it, you can do it.”
  — Jim [04:39]

• Family and Sports

  “Sports was a commonality that we could all rally around…It made me and my family feel included.”
  — Emily [07:04]

• Company Purpose Put into Action

  “Everyone believes in ‘sports change lives’ and the common purpose. You really see it coming through the teammates…and the shareholder growth.”
  — Emily [23:36]

• Transitioning from Retailer to Sports Company

  “It’s truly enabled by technology…the energy and the enthusiasm…and hopefully the purity of that excitement will really lift all of us over the next three, four, five years.”
  — Emily [21:58]

• Advice to Her Younger Self

  “Not to worry so much, and not to let work become such a part of your identity that it can drag you down…”
  — Emily [16:19]

• On Taking Time to Learn

  “Don’t hurry to change anything. Just learn, sit, understand and then figure out where you want to lean in.”
  — (CEO Lauren Hobart’s advice to Emily) [26:05]

• On Leadership

  “The greatest gift a leader can give…is giving people the confidence and the courage to do more than they think they can do, and making sure you’re building them up so they can achieve that.”
  — Emily [37:02]

• On Community and Sports

  “There is a non-political purity to sports and community that most people see as positive for all.”
  — Emily [47:03]

Episode Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sports in Personal Life/Family – 04:39–08:24
• Q&A on Wildest Career Ideas and Hobbies – 09:01–11:23
• Dick’s Sporting Goods Company Vision and Growth – 13:31–23:36
• Purpose & Values in Practice – 23:36–25:18
• Navigating Rapid Change & Leadership Entry – 25:18–28:36
• Company History & Brand Building – 28:36–29:50
• On the Role of the Modern CMO (7 Cs) – 32:19–33:29
• Leadership Lessons for Women (& Everyone) – 36:16–38:13
• Audience Q&A (Inclusion, Community, Mental Lessons from Tennis, Startup Marketing) – 41:23–47:03
• Final Takeaways from Emily – 48:37–49:15

Closing Thoughts

The conversation is rich with practical, heartfelt insights—from the role sports play in personal confidence and inclusion, to building a company where purpose and values drive every decision. Emily Silver’s candid leadership style, focus on real relationships, and openness to learning are highlighted throughout. Dick’s Sporting Goods stands out not just as a retailer but as a driver of positive societal impact, thanks to its purposeful culture and clear long-term vision.

“The world is changing fast. We have to go back to the basics on leadership: listening, enabling, staying calm, and staying focused on where all this is going…Cool under pressure and be good leaders to your team.”
— Emily Silver [48:37]