Cheerleaders, Capitalism, & Corporate Greed
This past weekend, my wife and I binged season 2 of America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Netflix. One of the main storylines throughout the season was how grossly underpaid these elite performers are.
Many DCC members work 2-3 additional jobs around their demanding schedule. They're expected to be fit, friendly, and camera-ready at all times while juggling college, outside work, relocation, and family. They practice injured, endure nitpicking over every "flaw," and maintain full makeup and hair for rehearsals because "you never know who might be watching."
Beyond the physical demands, they're expected to memorize team trivia and history to chat with fans — perpetuating the fantasy that they're not just beautiful, but every sports fan's dream.
Here's what really bothered me though: When veteran members requested higher pay to focus fully on DCC, they were belittled, told they were ungrateful, and some even experienced retaliation — losing high-profile bookings.
It was a stark reminder to me of why I left the corporate world.
The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise on the planet — estimated at over $10 billion. And the women in the DCC were making $15/hour with many being required to work 48+ hours a week — on top of their other jobs. Many earned less than $25,000 over the year-long contract which extends well beyond the NFL season.
The takeaway is that corporations will only give you what they're absolutely forced to. It took Netflix shining a light on these women, and the public getting to know their stories, for the Dallas Cowboys organization to be publicly shamed into giving these women a raise.
For the 2025 season, they were given a 400% raise — which sounds impressive, until you realize it's only $60/hour for 36 women who are the best in the world at what they do. Women who are required to maintain weight, suffer lifelong back and hip injuries, and subject themselves to a culture that minimizes their feelings while exploiting their dream to continue dancing.
Look, I'm not anti-DCC. I don't want to shut it down. I want more corporations to do the right thing without being forced to. It's not just these women. People all over the world are being exploited every day at the expense of corporate greed. Profit margins overrule morality and human decency.
A lot of people like their jobs and that's great — but it's also when companies do their worst to take advantage.
Many people enjoy their coworkers and they conflate the company with these friends, but the company is not their friend. It will do all it can to keep those outside management in the dark when it comes to salary and equity. The less people know their worth, the more management can exploit the employees and increase their own bonuses.
I'm not saying every company is evil. I'm not saying everyone in management is either — but they're incentivized to go against their moral judgment.
I've had some good managers in my career. I've had some terrible ones too. But the good ones will tell you — much of what goes on in management is not for the benefit of the employees.
The truth is people together in a room will take care of themselves before those outside it. And if you're not in that room, guess what? You eat last.
So, rather than join in the dysfunction, I chose to walk away. I knew building something for myself would be harder and take longer, but I would be able to sleep better living my truth and speaking out against injustice.
Working for myself, no one can silence me. I'm free to speak my mind without fear of being called into a manager's office the next morning.
For the last year, I've been building across various social platforms, finding my voice, finding my people. And my students have gone on to start podcasts and launch their first online businesses — which has been incredibly rewarding.
I enjoyed watching the DCC and I was happy to learn that they received a raise this season, but it reminded me that I did the right thing walking away from the corporate world.
I'm part of a growing trend of talented free-thinkers, who know their worth, and are venturing out on their own to claim it.
If you're like me and tired of having to ask permission to take time off, or sick of justifying your worth to your employer, comment below and tell me your story. Or reach out to me directly.
I'm helping people reclaim their voice and start building leverage, in a world that seems to only respect those who have it.
The women of the DCC have taken to social media to build theirs.
Maybe it's time to start building yours.
If you want to learn more about building a personal brand, book a call.
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