“I don’t subscribe to work-life balance, because it makes you try to set something up for failure versus I really try to live in gratitude,” she tells Fortune. “How fortunate am I that the fix that I would want in this life is to actually be with my kids more, work more, be with my partner more, more time in self care. If that’s my biggest problem, that’s a great problem.”

Smith’s plate has been full in her decades working in professional sports. The Valkyries made history in their inaugural season, becoming the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its debut year. Serving as president since 2024—just months after the team was first created—Smith has helped build the franchise from the ground up, overseeing everything from its business operations to the fan experience.

Before joining Golden State, the 41-year-old held roles across Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and women’s soccer, including leading revenue at Angel City FC. At the Valkyries, she helped drive record demand, with the team selling 10,000 season tickets ahead of its inaugural season.

Her schedule is booked out, but chock-full of all the things that she loves. A lot of her approach to work and life came into focus once she had her two kids and began figuring out how to balance motherhood with a demanding career. Smith loves every element of her life, and isn’t willing to sacrifice any part of her supercharged career.

“It’s been very freeing—especially in becoming a mom and having to figure this out—to just be honest like, ‘I love to work.’ And I tell my kids that I don’t apologize to them for that,” the Valkyries president says. “I tell them, ‘I love working, and someday you’re gonna love working, and it’s really fun. You get to come to the game.’ I explain it to them, but I’m not apologizing for what brings me joy.”

The Valkyries president says self-care is a non-negotiable

Smith doesn’t compartmentalize the professional and personal parts of her life. She loves a free weekend day when she can attend her kids’ soccer games, and makes the effort to carve out vacation time. And she’s extending the same mindset to her team of around 88 full-time Valkyries staffers—from the star players to the front-office employees.

“You absolutely have to take care of yourself—period, full stop,” Smith says.

It can be tricky to play the balancing act; the WNBA team is constantly traveling and playing matches both in-season and during the offseason. For Smith, making it work means being intentional about when and how she steps away.

“That means the work that needs to be done, I’m committed to, I’m going to get done,” she continues. “I’m going to be where I need to be, and I’m going to find those wins to make sure that I’m being a full human being as well for other constructs in my life.”

Smith has strategized with fellow Valkyries leaders to ensure employees get the rest and recovery they need. The president has called on people managers to remind staffers they get two work-from-home weeks; off-season months of November and December are also prime opportunities to take a breather. 

“I also expect them to take time off,” Smith explains. “But that involves planning, looking forward, so you can really make sure that you can take some real space.”

For now, Smith and her team are on the road as the Valkyries fight to take home the WNBA Championship Trophy. The San Francisco team will face off against the Atlanta Dream in game four of the Finals this afternoon. The team trails 2-1 in the series and will look to even the series before the Finals return to San Francisco for game five on Monday night.