AUSTIN, Texas — Being outnumbered isn’t always easy, especially when it involves your job and industry. Taking the stage at South by Southwest Monday were WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini, who touched upon what it means to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry.

“It’s a luxury. Working in the content industry [as a woman], it’s a luxury,” said Nardini.

She added that ironically, Barstool Sports is the least sexist place she has worked at. When Nardini goes to work, she doesn’t think about her gender, but instead about the opportunities she has to make products, contents and systems that shape today’s culture.

However, she understands the weight she carries as a female leader in the sports industry.

“What’s hard for women right now is when you’re forced into a system or buy into a thought system. That’s when women get really stuck and limited. And bring life pressures into that, it’s hard to rise to the top,” said Nardini. “We have that we have the responsibility to show that you can do it. Hopefully, there will be young women who say, maybe I can have that dream, too.”

When Nardini first joined Barstool Sports, she immediately faced backlash for being a woman. Audiences of the trending media company said she only got the job to make Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy look good.

Instead of letting the public’s opinion get to her, Nardini used it as a stepping stool to create her own platform, her podcast “Token CEO.”

“[I] took that and made it my own. Something that started as a criticism of me has become my brand platform,” said Nardini.

As for WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, she is no stranger to being the only female in the room. McMahon is the daughter of Vince McMahon, the current chairman and CEO of WWE sports.

“I grew up with my mom as the CEO, so I never saw gender as an issue growing up. I’ve been the lone female in a lot of rooms and it’s never intimidated me. I don’t know why. That’s how I grew up,” said McMahon.

Echoing the thoughts of Nardini, McMahon emphasized the importance of having women at the table where conversations are held for the sports industry as a whole.

“I think diversity of thought is important in any major decision you are making. I think women bring a different life perspective,” said McMahon. “The women evolution that’s happened has really helped bring better storytelling. Women love the stories and it’s made our product better.”

McMahon says she is inspired by her three daughters daily, with the confidence and self-assurance they exude as they approach opportunities in life as teens and pre-teens. As they strive to be citizens of the world, they have so far avoided the insecurities associated with growing up as traditional societal roles set in.