Owning the Narrative: Whitney Bell (CMO, Toronto Tempo)

About this episode

Whitney Bell discusses her role as CMO of Toronto Tempo and the challenges of balancing motherhood with a high-pressure career in sports marketing.

In Episode 50 of It’s Not a Straight Line , I sit down with a longtime friend: Whitney Bell, Chief Marketing Officer of the Toronto Tempo — Canada’s first WNBA franchise, tipping off in May 2026. We talk about motherhood, building Canada’s first WNBA team, and why women’s sports is a movement — not just a moment . Whitney takes us behind the scenes of launching a brand-new franchise, including the moment the Tempo name leaked early and the team had to pivot fast to truly “own the narrative.” We explore what it’s like to market a startup sports brand in a world that moves at full speed and how you build real brand love, not just awareness, while staying rooted in values and community. Beyond the job title, Whitney opens up about her career journey through her experiences at Lyft, Unilever, and startups, and how those experiences shaped her resilience and leadership under pressure. She also shares candidly about IVF, miscarriage, postpartum, and the reality of balancing an executive role with two young children while building a “village” in Toronto without family nearby. This conversation is a reminder that careers don’t move in straight lines and neither does life. Whitney is…

People in this episode

Host: Jordan Harding

Guest: Whitney Bell

Topics covered

• women's sports
• marketing
• career journey
• motherhood
• startup
• resilience
• community

Keywords

• WNBA
• Toronto Tempo
• sports marketing
• motherhood
• career resilience
• IVF
• postpartum
• community building

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Toronto Tempo, Lyft, Unilever

Places: Canada