Liz Dolan '75 Stays Noisy and Makes an Impact

What does female friendship sound like? It may sound a lot like the talk between “The Satellite Sisters,” popular and award-winning podcast hosts who believe that the conversations between women can be transformative. Part pep talk and part weekly check-in, The Satellite Sisters aim to provide their audience with smart advice, positive support, and entertaining conversation, designed to feel like coffee with a friend. 

The voices behind the microphones belong to Liz Dolan ’75, Lian Dolan, and Julie Dolan ’73, three sisters living in far-flung locations. On March 8, Liz Zoomed into the Alumnae Media Network’s Lunch N’ Learn from her home in Santa Monica, California. 

In addition to being a podcast pioneer, Liz Dolan has built an impressive career in marketing that includes positions as Chief Marketing Officer at Oprah, Nike, and National Geographic. Liz is also the founder of Mixed Zone Media, a sports marketing agency, and she has been named in the Top 100 Most Important People in Sports. And for the last twenty-three years, Liz has accomplished much of this work while also producing The Satellite Sisters. 

In a conversation moderated by Tessie Filicetti '26 and Grace Villar '26, Liz spoke about everything from how to start a podcast to the experience of working as a woman in a male dominated industry. 

“I loved it,” shared Liz, “But there were times when it was hard. I’d go to a lot of meetings where I was the only woman in the room. Thank goodness that happens much less now. However, there were many times when I felt super happy to make decisions that could change sports culture, inside and outside of Nike. I learned that you cannot be afraid to put yourself out there.” 

One of Liz’s proudest accomplishments was the 1995 launch of Nike’s groundbreaking commercial, “If You Let Me Play.” The commercial features a series of young girls explaining how their participation in sports will lead to healthier and more positive futures. At the time, this message and its bold, forthright delivery was completely new. 

“The message about girls and sports, well, it seems incredibly obvious now,” Liz said, “But back then, it needed to be said. The commercial had a huge impact. I remember receiving a voicemail from a woman who had seen the commercial on television and she was crying, leaving me a message about how much it meant to her daughter to see that and how much she wished she had seen something like this as a child.” 

Later, while interviewing for the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Oprah, Liz discovered the commercial was an all-time favorite of Oprah herself! “Maybe that’s why I got the job,” Liz joked. 

In reflecting back to this time, Liz observed, “There was something unique about the 90’s when it came to sports culture and girls and women. First, I understood that this was a moment when we could change things forever. We now had a whole generation of girls raised under Title IX, which started in the mid-seventies. In 1996, I was running marketing at Nike. For the ‘96 Olympics, we put all of our marketing efforts behind women’s team sports. This had never been done before. We funded, supported, and marketed the women’s national teams in soccer, basketball, and softball, and not for nothing, they all won gold medals. I had a feeling this was a cultural turning point for sports and women, if we could just make it happen.”

Towards the end of the conversation, Liz offered advice to current students, “In general, when I think about my career, I wish I had learned earlier to say what was really on my mind, to speak up. I spent too much time early in my career assuming that the people talking were smarter than me. It wasn’t true. Now I have a personal motto: stay noisy! I’ve learned to be thoughtful, be creative, and say what you really think.” 

We’re grateful to Liz and her Satellite Sisters for staying noisy and believing in the power of women to transform the world.