Keeping the Blinders On; and Our Tribute to Jessi Pierce

Welcome back to Babes 'n' Sports, with your hosts, longtime sports babes and mamas Jamie Hersch and Tory Zawacki Roy.

In this week’s episode, Jamie and Tory catch up on the chaos of life lately—from travel nightmares and spring break realities to the small moments that help us slow down and reconnect as families.

The conversation then turns to a topic that resonates across every industry: how to “keep the blinders on” in a world driven by comparison. Jamie and Tory open up about the pressures of social media, the constant pull to measure yourself against others, and the practice it takes to stay focused on your own path. From mindset shifts to personal mantras, they share honest, relatable strategies for navigating ambition, motherhood, and career without losing yourself in the noise.

The episode closes with a heartfelt tribute to beloved hockey journalist Jessi Pierce, reflecting on her impact, her authenticity, and the legacy she leaves behind. Jamie shares personal memories, while both hosts honor Jessi’s passion for the game, her dedication to uplifting women in sports, and the deep love she had for her family.

To support Jessi's family, please visit their GoFundMe page here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mike-hinrichs-after-losing-jessi-pierce-children

Follow the conversation on instagram @babesnsportspodcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome to the Babes in Sports Podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

My name is Jamie Hirsch. I'm Toriesy Roy. We're two friends navigating, being mothers, wives, and successful women in the demanding, male-dominated world of sports. We just like literally before we started recording, you guys, Jamie and I just had to catch up. And it's just like, I think specifically, Jamie, because of what we do, on my mind right now, is um everyone out there who, if you're on the road right now for work, spring break, if you're flying, be safe out there. Um, give yourself the extra time that you need, be smart, make good choices. Um, because we know that things are really crazy in the airports right now. And we're kind of experiencing it and figuring things out with our families and with our jobs. And I last week had a horrendous travel experience. Um I was in, I was in Georgia. I was in Southwest Georgia. And so I had to fly into Tallahassee. And coming back, my flight from Tallahassee to Atlanta was canceled. So I had to instead drive from Tallahassee to Atlanta three hours, which was like an easy drive, but like a boring drive. Yeah. To make my flight home to Newark, which was two hours delayed anyway, and the worst turbulence, Jamie. Like I have trained myself, right, at this point. Like ourselves. Worst turbulence of my life. Like, I don't know if because I was in the back of the plane that it was the only seat I could get, but like I was clutching, and I haven't done that in a really long time. So um it I haven't felt that way in a while. And now with kind of the news of TSA and and the government funding and things like that, it's it's it's just good to be as prepared as we possibly can. But how have your travels been? Because that's on my mind right now, but what about you?

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Well, honestly, I've been really thankful that I haven't had to travel much lately, especially with the kids. Um, so I travel a little bit for work. Uh, I went to Minneapolis and Denver recently um for the PWHL, which was super exciting. Denver is really hoping to get an expansion team next year for the PWHL, and I am so rooting for that because it's a cool one-hour flight. I have so many friends and even some family members in Denver. And so um, yeah, I would just really love to go there more often. And it was a really fun time. It was a beautiful day, like everything was really great. But um, yes, in terms of travel, my kids actually just had their spring break, and I felt very fortunate that we live in a place and decided to um take a spring break trip that did not involve flying. So we we did we did a little beach town in Central California, and it was a heat wave there, which was perfect timing.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Wild.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

So we got to go in the ocean, the kids were catching sand crabs, we went fishing off the the shore, um, and just kind of chilled for four days, which was really what I think we needed as a core four of us, you know, just to kind of one place. Yeah. And it was a really it was a really great time. So, you know, I think there's a lot of pressure for parents to experience the best spring breaks ever, right? Like there's this whole saying of like you only get 10 or whatever, 12, 13 spring breaks with your kids. And it's like, okay, yes. And that doesn't mean it has to be some fancy, expensive, adventurous vacation. Sometimes even a staycation is really cool. So we did that for the first few days where I was just home with them. We had friends over, we warmed up the pool because it was nice enough here, and it was a really lovely just time to reconnect. And especially at this age, the kids don't need that much, right? They just want to be with each other. And we all discovered, mostly me, a love for puzzles. I am now an 80-year-old Jamie, Tori. I will send you a picture. You can post this. My 1,000-piece puzzle that I have been up until about midnight every night for the past three nights, completing after the kids have been down.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

What did you find so like uh honestly, because I'm curious, like uh like enthralling about this that kept you up to do it, like a thousand pieces? How did you do that?

SPEAKER_00 4:27

I think it really so I've always liked puzzles like Sudoku and like Word games, but something about like there's something so satisfying about finding pieces that fit together. And maybe this is a bigger conversation about the chaos of my life right now and how this is something that I can control and that things fit and they match and they go together, and I can feel some sort of success with that. Like, I don't know, it's kind of control.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

The one thing we can control is mom.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Yes. My husband Matt has given me like he got it for me because they had one at the beach house, they had a puzzle. Yeah, yeah. This was what we were seeing, and so and I couldn't finish it because we had to leave, right? Like it literally was up until like one in the morning, which I never am up that late. And you couldn't finish it, couldn't finish it because it was so hard, and we had to leave. And so I was like literally until the minute that we had to leave the Airbnb, I was like trying to finish. I couldn't. So he was so sweet. He went out with the kids and they picked out a puzzle, and it's of course Disney Princesses, Cadence picked it out, but it's a thousand pieces, and it took me a really long time. And I I don't know. Anyway, I'm going on and on now about puzzles. But I would say if you're looking for a new hobby and a new mindless way to waste time that doesn't involve doom scrolling, puzzles are fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

That's huge. And I wouldn't say mindless, right? Because I think it it it shifts your brain in a different focus, right? Because we're always thinking about what needs to be done, and instead we can actually focus on like something that needs to be done that doesn't have all this burden on your shoulders. But I really love that. I really do. And going back to spring break for a second, I didn't know spring break was a thing until college, by the way. So when did this become this pressure?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Why are you going on family spring break trips, Jamie? Well, because you had older, older siblings and sports.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

And yeah, I like we I didn't even get like a day at the beach. Like we would still have to practice in the morning. Like spring break was like not a thing. All of us, good for us for giving this to our children. Because I would have never known the difference, would have been like, oh, you're still you're staying home and playing a tournament. So um good for us, good for all of us. But yeah, we're um we're thinking of everyone out there that are going through any travel woes. Listen to the pod. We've got two seasons now. So just plug in the rest. If you're stuck at the airport, we're here for you. Yeah, exactly. Jane, this has been on my mind because I have been hearing a lot about it from people in our industry, and I'm sure you have as well. And I think it's something that impacts all of us, honestly, regardless of where you work, regardless of what you do. The idea of keeping the blinders on, right? Like staying focused on your own path without getting caught up in what everyone else is doing. Um, social media, it's almost impossible not to look at what everyone around you is doing. See someone else landing something, building something, posting something about, you know, an interview or where they are, things like that. Um, and you're happy for them. We're happy, but it can still pull you out of your own lane um and make you overthink things. Um, so I think we all have those moments. And I have my own little pep talk that I give to myself and to colleagues that, you know, have vetted to me about it. But what about you? How do you keep your blinders on?

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Well, I mean, you're absolutely right that it's something I think we all deal with. And I'll speak for myself. I've dealt with it for forever. And and social media is vicious. And and it's not even vicious. Like, like you said, if I see a colleague of mine posting something, I am happy for them. I am like, wow, that's a really cool experience you just got to have. But within seconds, I'm playing the comparison game of like, even if it's not, I should be doing that assignment, because it's usually not. It's usually why haven't I posted about what I've been doing? Because I hate, this is kind of a little known fact about me, I hate posting on Instagram. I I want to do it more. I know it's an important part of my personal career. And I hate it because I I put too much pressure on it. I want it to be perfect. I then immediately am like looking at how many likes or engagements or comments or whatever, like what performs better than others in terms of posting. And like, I anytime I start thinking like that, then I like hate myself for thinking that way because I'm like, this is so stupid. It's just fake. It's it's a highlight reel. It's Instagram, it's not real life. But I still think like that. Um, and I still get caught up in the nonsense of it. And so I think it's just this crazy cycle where it's like I feel pressure to post more, and then I go to post more. And if you looked at my drafts, you'd be amazed. I have probably a dozen like stories, not stories, um, reels, posts, etc., that are now like defunct, right? Like I'm I no longer three years old, four years old, yeah. My like December trip to New York, which by the way was magical, and I got to see you and I got to have amazing experiences, and I have so many amazing videos that we're gonna make a really beautiful reel. And then I just got in my own head, didn't post it, and now here we are, it's March, and I feel like I can't post Christmas. So this is what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

It's a visit cycle.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

I applaud whoever is able to post regularly on Instagram and get out of their own way and put up their content, and that I am so impressed because I really struggle with that. But back to your original question about yeah, playing the comparison game and like putting trying to put our blinders on and stay in our own lane. It's a saying that I always go back to is you are enough. And that's a very simple thing. Three words that I tell myself, and you can expand upon it however you want. You are pretty enough, you are good enough, you are talented enough, you are strong enough, whatever it is, you are enough. And for me personally, it it comes as like a faith-based thing that when I was growing up, like, you know, I went to church camp and we talked about the idea of being enough because we're children of God and whatever, but like that's where that started for me. I love that. It it really I try to tell that to any, especially women in our industry. And I remember Michelle McMahon. Um, she's one of the people actually years later came back and told me that that was something that stuck with her. That when I first told her the idea that you are enough, um, it really stuck with her. And so I I hope that that is helpful because that's what I tried to tell myself. Because that's so that's the one thing. And the second thing is that there's only really one you, right? And I'm not, no one else is gonna be a better version of me, and I'm not gonna be a better version of someone else. So I think, especially in our business, if you lean into what makes you unique and what makes you have a fun personality, like what you're really good at, versus also knowing your weaknesses and and working on those. Like try to focus on that more than what you're not.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

It's so well said and it it sounds easy, right? It sounds like an easy thing to do, like an easy concept, but it actually takes practice. Like, because I remember feeling that way. Just because I think you and I are overly ambitious people, and I I think a lot of the people that we know and surround ourselves with are as well. So you just want to do everything. And to see that maybe someone is a little bit ahead of you, it's you're asking why, right? And you're directing it at yourself, kind of like what you're saying. And it really took practice for me to be like, oh, so-and-so is getting this or so-and-so is getting that, because but there's all these factors that you don't know as well, right? That have nothing to do with you. So that's when you have to stop internalizing it, stop taking it personally and focus on what you have next. Um, and that it takes a lot of practice. So that's that's what I say as well, is just practice focusing on what you have ahead of you and what you need to do to get better, right? Um, and yeah, there's still so many other things out there that you just the context of, you know, if one person is getting more attention for another, one person likes to speak up more than others, like, okay, but like what's the context of that? Right. Um, you you don't know how the relationships outside of what you see, you know, everyone else's relationships are so different and and their their um the vibes are so different between other people, but yeah, it's just focusing inward on yourself, what you can do better and um yeah, making a happy.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

I think that's something too that you know, I always try to remember if I'm feeling like, you know, I didn't get this assignment or I didn't um yeah, there's something that I I'm bummed about. I have to always remind myself what I have. And sometimes that doesn't mean career, right? Like we, you and I, and a lot of people listening have made the choice to try to balance career and motherhood. And a lot of people don't have that choice, and so it kind of opens them up to more availability and more, you know, career opportunities. And that just is a fact. And and I, so anytime I think about that, I'm like, yeah, this person that I might be a little bit envious of for a moment is doing this, this, this, this, but they don't, they don't have kids to come home too. And that's that like I wouldn't, I wouldn't trade my life for that, for their life, you know. So I think anytime you play the comparison game, um, which is a very inevitable thing to do, just try to look at what you have and the assignments you are getting and the opportunities you are getting. And even if you're not getting them currently, you never know. Like literally a year ago, I had no idea about anything with the NWSL. And now I'm one of their main play-by-play people. So, like, that was not a thing that I I even thought was on my radar, right? And you never know, and it's such a good reminder that like if you just keep putting yourself out there and keep doing good work, um, you're gonna get notice and you're gonna get more opportunities. And then and you can add that to your your little bank in your head that you can remind yourself of when you're playing the comparison game.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

So big picture or big puzzle.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

You're trying to be a Jamie joke. I get it. Yeah, I was close. What I needed, it's like, you know, put all the pieces together to create the bigger picture, right? Yes, exactly. I know I'll take a picture of my puzzle and we can put it on the socials because, like I said, I'm terrible at posting. The secret's out. I hate posting.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Puzzles, folks. Great. We're gonna get all the puzzle community to follow us now. But um, yeah, in all seriousness. I've just been thinking about it because it has been coming up a lot where I work lately. And yeah, I just I want everyone to feel good about the things that they're doing and the things that you're doing in your personal life too. Because as we have discussed on this pod, um, you gotta get past just work, right? And life that is going to last a lot longer than work. Totally.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

So we'd be remiss if we um did not mention what's been heavy on our hearts this week. And that certainly is um the shock and the sadness and the heartbreak um following the devastating news this weekend that one of my friends and colleagues and fellow sports mama, who by the way, would have been so good on this podcast, and she's talked to me about this podcast in the past, um Jesse Pierce, she died in a house fire, along with her three young children, Caden, Hudson, Avery. And I'm going to do my best to keep it together. Um, because I really do want to uh talk about how great she was and not just focus on the the sadness. Um but we are all in not just so I'm from Minnesota. Everyone who listens to this probably knows that. She was a Minnesota girl too, loved hockey, worked for the Minnesota Wild for about 10 years doing NHL.com writing, and also had a podcast that I was so uh proud to be the first guest on. Um it's called Bar Down Beauties, and it was two women who she and a co-host who um were basically ahead of their time. This was probably 2019. I think I had Brooks. It was either 2019 or 2020 when we first started. Um and they invited me to be their first guest because they wanted to talk about hockey and specifically from a woman's perspective, which is so awesome. That that is who she was. She was just such a pioneer in terms of continuing to pave the way for women to be um so knowledgeable about hockey. She always asked great questions, but in a really fair way. I don't know a single person that didn't like her. And that's saying something, right? Especially we talked about the comparison game. We talk about um this industry and women sometimes having to pit themselves against each other. She never had an ounce of that. And um, and she was truly authentically herself. She would, you know, get into it with, you know, meaning people on Twitter sometimes, or she, but she would always stand up for herself. And and the only thing that she loved more than hockey and her job was her kids. And we talked about being a mom a lot. And um, and I will really miss those conversations because she was always at the rink, whether it was the wild or certainly the PWHL, as that has grown in the past few years. Um, she was a true rink rat and loved hockey, loved talking about it, and um, and I'll really miss her.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Thank you so much for sharing that, Jane. I know it hasn't been an easy couple days, um, but um, we're here for you, we're here with you. And I mean, it really is so rare to see headline after headline about how beloved she was, right? Not just in the hockey community, not just in the Minnesota community, but the sports world in general. And that's what I I wish I could have gotten to know her. I wish I could have had these discussions with her because it it it sounds like she would have been phenomenal. And I guess how would you describe her personality?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

I think just unapologetically herself, which is something we could all strive to be more like. Um, she had so many strong opinions and shared them, but in a really kind way. Um, you know, she stood up for herself and she stood up for the idea of of equality in terms of women working in sports, but never in an abrasive way, which is such a hard line to balance. And she did that with such grace. Um and just like it's been so uh inspiring and amazing to see uh the reach that this story uh has gotten. I mean, like obviously I knew everyone in the hockey community was touched by her and you know, NHL, the NHL releases statement, the wild releases statement, the PWHL, like everyone in the hockey community was aware of this, but it has gone so far outside the hockey world. Um, I saw People magazine had something on it, like, which I think part of it is just the shocking nature of it all and just the the devastating fact that she's 37 and um this vibrant young woman with three young kids and their family dog that all just died in the fire. And I think um I think the hardest thing is just like wondering how this possibly could have happened, you know. You start wondering, like, it's 2026, we have fire alarms and all this. And I know they're doing their due diligence and trying to figure it out, but that's been the scariest thing for me is is trying to like figure out like do we need to do we need to have a fire safety plan in our house? You know, like there's whatever that that's all secondary, but um, but it's been yeah, it's been a really challenging week. And the best part for sure has been just the incredible outpouring of pictures and stories and memories. And I I hope that that gives her husband and her family some sort of solace because everyone truly loved Jessie and um and I hope that that the fact that this reaction has been to this magnitude um helps the people who are grieving.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

And we're certainly thinking of of her family and and her husband Mike. Um Jamie, do you know like how can we support her family through this time? Is there a GoFundMe or um any sort of link that we can share?

SPEAKER_00 20:25

There is, and I gotta say, I've been blown away. Um there's a GoFundMe that I think a family friend set up. Um, and as of yesterday, I saw it was over 150,000 raised already, which is gonna go toward funeral costs, obviously, for her and the three kids, and um and probably also just toward using any sort of burden that her husband Mike might have, because I I mean I just can't imagine, right? He was out of town on a work trip, and I I literally like we talk about mom guilt being gone, like there's nothing else that compares to like being gone when um something like this happens. And so my heart just goes out to him and I've been, you know, praying for him a lot. And so, yes, there is a GoFundMe. And if you uh are listening and find it in your heart to go support that, um, we'll definitely try to post that link and um and keep the the thoughts and memorials coming out. And I'm sure, you know, the the thing is when something like this happens, like I'm sure they're reeling right now, her family. But at some point, they're gonna sit down and say, okay, how can we keep her memory alive? And how can we keep the kids' memory alive? And I'm sure it's gonna have something to do with women in sports. I'm sure it's gonna have something to do with hockey. And that is so beautiful. So I'm I, you know, I'd like to think that any donations, if they're not used for necessary things, might eventually go towards starting maybe a Jesse Pierce foundation or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

Oh, I really hope so. And it's a reminder for us too, right? Just in in their personal lives, in our work lives, like keep showing up, keep showing up. Showing up for yourself, keep showing up for your family, do what you're passionate about, right? Because that is what Jesse was doing and never lose sight of why you started. So, Jamie, thanks again for sharing that. Um, just so our listeners can learn a little bit about her. And again, guys, we'll we'll have that GoFundMe link in our page and on our Instagram. Take care of yourselves. We appreciate you all being here with us today.