Olympic Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt Reveals His Winning Mindset! | DSH #1202

Summary

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary: Olympic Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt Reveals His Winning Mindset! | DSH #1202

Release Date: February 24, 2025

Host: Sean Kelly

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Introduction

In episode #1202 of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly sits down with the illustrious Olympic gold medalist, LaShawn Merritt, to delve into the athlete’s journey, mindset, and transition from the track to the business world. This engaging conversation uncovers the principles that fueled Merritt’s success, the challenges he faced, and his dedication to inspiring the next generation through coaching.

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LaShawn Merritt’s Athletic Career

Olympic Medals and Highlights

LaShawn Merritt, a dominant force in track and field, shares insights into his Olympic achievements. He proudly discusses his gold medals from Beijing (2008) and Rio (2016).

• Beijing Gold: Merritt describes his Beijing gold medal in the individual 400 meters as the most special one, embellished with "a little bit of Chinese jade" (01:29).

• Rio Gold: He contrasts the Rio gold from the 4x400 relay as a monumental achievement, noting it's "double the size of the Beijing one" (01:48). Merritt emphasizes the extensive work and dedication that went into securing the Rio gold, highlighting the increased physical demands in his later career (01:52).

Challenges and Retirement

Merritt candidly discusses the physical toll of track and field, likening the sport to a contact sport due to the immense force exerted through each stride.

"Track and field is a contact sport. The amount of force that we apply through the foot. I mean, sometimes I leave practice and I feel like I got hit by a truck." (00:59)

Despite his resilience, persistent injuries led to his retirement. Merritt recounts the difficulties of transitioning out of a career where discipline and daily accountability were paramount.

"I was the guy who fell in love with the process. And when I was finished, I didn't have much to turn to. No wife. No kids, no daily responsibility and accountability. And it got tough." (02:54)

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Mindset and Discipline

Developing the Merit Mindset

Merritt introduces his Merit Mindset, a philosophy rooted in duty, responsibility, discipline, and integrity. This mindset not only propelled him to athletic success but also serves as the foundation for his current coaching endeavors.

"I developed the merit mindset because I knew my runway in life was going to be a lot longer than sport, and I was going to have to use what I put together here in life." (23:27)

Overcoming Pressure and Distractions

Drawing from personal tragedy—the loss of his brother—and the support of his family, Merritt explains how he navigated the pressures of high-stakes competition.

"I had a brother who passed away before I started running track. He became that inner voice and that why for me, when times got hard." (17:11)

He emphasizes the importance of positive affirmations and selective friendships in maintaining focus and minimizing distractions.

"I had a great job in choosing my friends. They understood what I was doing, what I was in. They let me focus." (17:18)

Techniques Like Visualization

Visualization plays a crucial role in Merritt’s preparation. He meticulously studies tracks, marks his spots, and mentally rehearses races to ensure peak performance.

"Visualization was very important. I would always visualize myself winning. That was part of it." (28:03)

"I knew how to execute. I knew the spots. Now I just had to go out and execute." (28:07)

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Transition to Business and Coaching

Role with Next Level Pros

Post-retirement, Merritt transitioned into the business realm, leveraging his athletic discipline into a role as a Mindset Coach with Next Level Pros. His expertise aids in scaling nine-figure companies by instilling a winning mindset among business owners.

"Next Level Pros... they're scaling companies, nine figure companies. And he brought me on board to be a mindset coach." (14:00)

Coaching Young Athletes

Beyond corporate coaching, Merritt remains connected to track and field by conducting masterclasses across the country. His sessions focus on the strategic "why" behind training and racing, blending his athletic prowess with his coaching philosophy.

"I'm doing a 400 meter masterclass all over the country. It's the why you're doing what you're doing." (15:52)

He passionately shares his methods, emphasizing gratitude and integrity as essential components of athletic and personal success.

"400 meter masterclass, the last 15 meters of that race. I push gratitude. Have to have gratitude." (25:26)

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Insights on Track and Field

Views on Respect for Track Athletes

Merritt reflects on the perception of track athletes, noting that while respect is prevalent among fellow athletes, the general public may not fully grasp the complexities and dedication required in the sport.

"I'm not sure, because you can run, you can run, you can move. Some people feel like I'm just fast. Like, it's a lot more than that." (21:16)

Favorite Tracks and Techniques

Preferring outdoor tracks due to his height and stride, Merritt shares his strategies for different lanes and the scientific breakdown of racing.

"When I started, Nike paid me to beat Jeremy Warner... Then I had another guy, Khairani James... and later Wade Van Neekert." (11:20)

He elaborates on his favorite lanes and the importance of understanding track nuances to optimize performance.

"4 or 5. Just because I would be in the middle of the track... I could feel if somebody was coming up." (26:29)

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Notable Quotes

1. On Track as a Contact Sport

   "Track and field is a contact sport. The amount of force that we apply through the foot. I mean, sometimes I leave practice and I feel like I got hit by a truck." (00:59)

2. On Developing a Winning Mindset

   "I developed the merit mindset because I knew my runway in life was going to be a lot longer than sport, and I was going to have to use what I put together here in life." (23:27)

3. On Visualization and Execution

   "Visualization was very important. I would always visualize myself winning. That was part of it." (28:03)

4. On Overcoming Pressure

   "These competitions aren't life or death. And I have parents who are gonna love me unconditionally anyway. So let's just go have fun." (19:36)

5. On Coaching and Impact

   "I'm trying to change the mindset. I'm trying to change the world almost, if you think about it, because you change yourself, you change the frequency that you put out, change others, and then ultimately have big impact to change the world." (28:49)

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Conclusion

LaShawn Merritt's journey from an Olympic champion to a mindset coach exemplifies the power of discipline, resilience, and strategic thinking. Digital Social Hour provides listeners with an intimate look into Merritt’s philosophies, emphasizing that the traits fostering athletic excellence are equally vital in personal and professional arenas. His commitment to integrity, gratitude, and continuous growth serves as an inspiring blueprint for achieving success beyond the finish line.

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For those interested in connecting with LaShawn Merritt or learning more about his coaching programs, follow him on his social media channels linked below.

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Transcript

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[LaShawn Merritt]

18/ DNC supply track and field is a contact sport. The amount of force that we apply through the foot. I mean, sometimes I leave practice and I feel like I got hit by a truck.

[Podcast Host]

Damn.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. But the lactic acid and the force application, it's a lot.

[Podcast Host]

Did you accomplish everything you wanted to in truck? All right, guys, got Lashawn Merritt here. Olympic champ. Brought the medals. Thanks for coming on, man.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes, sir. I appreciate you for having me.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. Brought the eight and the 16 gold medal. Let's go.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I did. I have the eight here from Beijing with a little bit of Chinese jade in it. And I also have the last one I got from Rio. This was my 4x4. But the Beijing was my most special one. That was my individual 400.

[Podcast Host]

Ooh, I love that.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Man.

[Podcast Host]

Man, the Rio one's huge. Yeah, it's like double the size of the Beijing one.

[LaShawn Merritt]

It is more work put into that. Also later in my career, people always say, man, this is heavy. And that was a lot of years. A lot of work put into that.

[Podcast Host]

Did you feel like you lost a step in your later years?

[LaShawn Merritt]

You know, I didn't. Well, I felt like I was more experienced, actually. But the guy actually ran faster in 16 than I ran in my 08.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, really?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. So this one, the. The. The real goal was from the 4x4.

[Podcast Host]

Got it. And you kind of retired New York, because you retired the next year after getting gold.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I retired. So after 16, 17, I ended up having a foot injury. And in 19, I ended up having toe surgery. So I was training, I was hurting. I wasn't enjoying it anymore. And then I retired. That's the only job I've ever had. I was a bagger at a grocery store in the 10th grade.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

But this has been the only thing I've ever done.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. So you were all in that transition. Must have been tough then.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Really tough.

[Podcast Host]

Because you're so used to having a coach every day, right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Oh, man. The discipline, accountability, the purpose that I live for. I was the guy who fell in love with the process. And when I was finished, I didn't have much to turn to. No wife. No. No. No kids, no daily responsibility and accountability. And it got tough.

[Podcast Host]

Right. Because you probably had to sacrifice dating while you were an athlete, right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

Because you're traveling everywhere.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. It was tough.

[Podcast Host]

You were locked in on work. Wow. Yeah. So how did you get through that time? Did it take some years?

[LaShawn Merritt]

It took about two years. Took about two years. And I ended up calling my chiropractor, who I took around the world with me for 17 years. He was the first guy I would see off of a plane, last guy I would see before I ran a competition. So I trusted him a lot, spent a lot of time with him, and he suggested that I go into commentating. Then I told him I don't. I'm not really an enthusiast of the sport of track and field, so I don't really know the people. But I understand chiropractic care. I understand gratitude, humility, discipline, accountability. So I started to talk and inspire chiropractors, let them know how important their work was and how the physical alignment mattered just as much to me as the holistic approach that I took, understanding that everything mattered on and off the track.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. I didn't know alignment played such a big role.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

So a lot of runners use chiropractors.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. And then the nervous system controls everything.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

And if you're not sending that signal from the brain to that spot and you have glitches and the bones are out, that's time. That's. That's delayed. Dang.

[Podcast Host]

That's so interesting. Is that a. Is that a sprinter thing that they use chiropractors or do the distance, guys?

[LaShawn Merritt]

I think distance does also. Because track and field is a contact sport, the amount of force that we apply through the foot. I mean, sometimes I leave practice and I feel like I got hit by a truck.

[Podcast Host]

Damn.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. But the lactic acid and the force application. It's a lot.

[Podcast Host]

You said you were holistic earlier, so you ate a pretty clean diet, right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

I did, I did.

[Podcast Host]

Vegetarian, or was it.

[LaShawn Merritt]

No, just the approach of understanding everything mattered. The peace, the rest and recovery. Your environment mattered outside of what you were doing in a training session.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that's something I think a lot of people take serious these days, right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

Diet part of things?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. Diet. For me, I come from a family that has pretty good DNA, so I never really counted calories. I never really had to lose that much weight. But I stayed disciplined in what I ate. I mean, there was. I knew what to eat before practice, after practice. I ate a lot of the same things, a lot, and I didn't mind.

[Podcast Host]

Did you accomplish everything you wanted to in Shrek?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Sort of. I didn't break the world record.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, that was your goal?

[LaShawn Merritt]

My approach was to bring my best self and maximize that sport. And I knew that my Runway in life was going to be a lot longer than the sport. So I wanted to get into the sport, dive in, stay in my bubble, take as much as a mental approach as possible because I knew that would translate to life.

[Podcast Host]

I love that. So I was a runner in high school, and I attribute a lot of my success in business to the mindset from running 800 meters was my event.

[LaShawn Merritt]

That's a tough one.

[Podcast Host]

It's a tough one, man.

[LaShawn Merritt]

That's a tough one.

[Podcast Host]

You ever run one of those?

[LaShawn Merritt]

I have, and at 600, my mouth went numb and my body went numb and I haven't ran it since.

[Podcast Host]

I tore my glute in the last 50 on one of them, 800.

[LaShawn Merritt]

You know, there's. People ask me all the time which event and which discipline is the hardest. I had a conversation with the 800 meter world champion at one time and he said, the eight. I mean, I respect the four and I run the four, but the eight is hard. But I asked the coach, the Coach said the 400 by far.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[LaShawn Merritt]

If you ask anybody in the sport, they may say the 400. Because you're on an island for so long. In the eight, the tempo is a little bit slower. Some people say the 400 hurdles, but the 400 hurdles, you can get into a rhythm and boom, boom, boom. Jump the hurdle, not 400. You get on that back stretch and you're on this island. Then this electrical fence hits you at 200. Then you have 200 to go. Then you're at 300. Then the gorilla jumps on your back and there's nothing in front of you to kind of pace or calculate jumping a hurdle or so now it's, it's. It's a lot. The Anna. The aerobic and anaerobic system is. It's fired up in the 400.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I wonder what Rye Benjamin would say because he does both. He does the hurdles both.

[LaShawn Merritt]

That's interesting.

[Podcast Host]

He'd be the right person to ask.

[LaShawn Merritt]

He would. And he can run a crazy 400.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Four is looking good for USA athletes, right? We just got the gold at the last one.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes, we did.

[Podcast Host]

That was the craziest 400 I've ever seen, man.

[LaShawn Merritt]

And Quint Quincy was the first American to win gold in the 400 since I won in 08 and won by a toe. He was behind a lot coming into that last hundred and won it by a toe. That was an amazing race.

[Podcast Host]

It's hard to have a kick like that in the four.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Grit. Pure grit. Will to win.

[Podcast Host]

Was he hitting you up for advice?

[LaShawn Merritt]

He wasn't. He started as a distance runner and he ran 400 hurdles and he found that sweet spot. He stayed patient. He remained confident and he wanted it. You can tell he wanted it.

[Podcast Host]

I love that. Did you have someone in your corner before races you could text or hit up for some advice, like a mentor?

[LaShawn Merritt]

No. Coach. My first coach. First coach. I ended up going through three coaches in my career. My first coach was more of that developmental coach. So I would get with coaches and I would buy into the program. But before a world championship or a major competition, I would always go back to my first coach to just understand the basics of everything. Before competition, the night before, I would always listen to interviews of Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor, Muhammad Ali, these athletes who competed in individual sports and just took a little bit of that mindset into my competition.

[Podcast Host]

I love that. Is there any races you still think about you have nightmares over?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes. 2016, 200 meters. Damn. I was the only. I had ran three rounds of the 400 at a day off and I had three rounds of the 200 and I was the only American to make the 200 meter final. And when I got there, I had so many, so many miles already in my legs because of the 400. And my coach didn't want to train me for the two. He trained me just for the four. So when I got into the 200 meter final, I didn't know how to execute it. And I really felt like I could have meddled that race, but I wasn't like championship mindset. I didn't know how to really break it down with tired legs. And that race still haunts me a little bit because it's like, man, I could have got a medal in the Olympics in the four and the two. But life goes on. I'm here now, I'm making impact. And I had an amazing career.

[Podcast Host]

I love that. Usain Bolt won that one, right? He did, man. He had a long career.

[LaShawn Merritt]

He did. An amazing guy, too. Good friend of mine.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. What was it like in the moment, though? You probably weren't friends, like, while you were competing.

[LaShawn Merritt]

We didn't compete much in the 200 together. I was 400 meter specialist. He was 1 2. So at these A caliber meets, Diamond League, Golden League, when I started, there's a series of meets, the A caliber, B caliber, C caliber, some call it the Chipman circuit, but I've ran on that too, to collect some money. I mean, it's all competing in competition, but these A caliber meets, we would go to the same meets. And I'm talking Rome, Paris, Stockholm, Zurich, like all over the world, for all over Asia, all over Africa, all over Europe. And one season I would probably run 16 competitions and three, maybe in the U.S. so at these eight caliber meets, you and Usain would be together all the time.

[Podcast Host]

That makes sense. Did you have any rivalries, anyone you actually had beef with?

[LaShawn Merritt]

I did. When I started, Nike paid me to beat Jeremy Warner. Jeremy was the 2004 Olympic champion. His coach first, his mentor was Michael Johnson.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

The 400 meter world record holder. And his coach was Michael Johnson's coach. So I turned pro at 18. Having to crack the code of the history of the 400, it took a little time, but he was a rival that I had early on. Then I had another guy, Khairani James, who was young and then came on the scene, so I had to figure him out. And then later on in my career, it was Wade Van Neekert who ended up breaking the world record. So, wow. I went through all.

[Podcast Host]

Were you part of that race where he broke it?

[LaShawn Merritt]

I was. That was real. I got third in that.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

But we won. I anchored the 4x4 and got gold.

[Podcast Host]

Damn. That's nuts. All right, guys. Ketone iq, High performance energy shot, natural supplement. First time ever trying this. Let's see what happens. No artificial flavors or colors. 100 milligrams of natural caffeine from green tea and 5 grams of ketones and zero sugar. All right, see what we got here. Let me shake it first, actually, just in case. Wow. It actually tastes pretty good. Not gonna lie. Shout out to ketone IQ. Good stuff. You think anyone will ever break 43?

[LaShawn Merritt]

It's possible. It's possible. I feel like if I was still competing right now, knowing what I know and my toe wasn't an issue, I could put it together to try to run a fast time. When I was competing, it was all about winning. It was a business win the race. I wasn't getting paid any. I wasn't getting paid more or less if I won a race, a regular race, throughout the season. So my whole thing was this is a business. Just win the race, get to the next race, win that. So I never focused on world record.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Uh, but if I was running and I was healthy later on in my career, after I had won everything, I definitely would have trained to attack it.

[Podcast Host]

I could see that there's a lot of records being broken lately. There was just a meet last week where like six records got broken.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Mill Rose indoor, right? Right. Yeah. I mean there's, there's technology, there's the shoes, there's just over time, people get faster.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, Yeah, I agree, man. I want to talk about the transition into business now and next level pros.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

So you met a guy named Chris Lee, mutual friend of ours. Talk to me about that story.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Chris Lee. I met Chris last year and we did a podcast. I was on his podcast and I was just retired, moving in spaces of business entrepreneurs and business executives. And not too long ago, he called me and said he was putting together next level pros and he wanted me to come on as a business development mindset coach because of how I handled my career. I wasn't that run through the wall, no days off, super testosterone type of athlete. I was a guy who brought my character, discipline to the forefront, to the preparation. And my core values really guided my success. And I would talk to a lot of young people. And he respected the message. Pretty much. He respected the message. He understood how that could make an impact or have value to companies. And his with next level pros, they're scaling companies, nine figure companies. And he brought me on board to be a mindset coach.

[Podcast Host]

I love him, man. That's something every business owner needs, in my opinion.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes.

[Podcast Host]

Because the mindset is such an integral part of success.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. And I didn't. And I went into my own businesses and tried to do things after I retired and didn't have a coach. And I understand how important a coach is in business and in life.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I have all sorts of coaches.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Got a mindset 1. Got a physical one, obviously.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

Got A spiritual one. Got a business one.

[LaShawn Merritt]

It's important.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, it's just a way to save time and money, in my opinion.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes. Because you get your discipline, they hold you accountable, and I'm on board to push that winning mindset.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Would you ever want to coach some track athletes?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. Right now I do a 400 meter masterclass all over the country. It's the why you're doing what you're doing. So it's four hours. I take high school kids, I pour into them, give them pearls to string along, and then the last hour, I simulate a 400. My strategy. I take them through it. I'm not that far removed from the sport where I can't do the actual drills and show them exactly how it needs to be done. I'm still emotionally attached, so it's a big impact. The parents love it. The coaches love it. I understand. When I was in the sport, they called me the machine because of how I handled the last part of the race, the most difficult part. But now retired and moving around in spaces, I understand how important the messenger is.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I talked to these kids. It's. The coaches are telling me, no. Half the battle is keeping these kids attention. And you're doing an amazing job at that. So it's from the machine to the messenger.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Yeah. Attention is lacking these days.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

To say the least.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

I think social media played a role in that.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. And I didn't have that when I was competing. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I want to talk about how you limited distractions, I guess you didn't have technology back then. But there's still other distractions, right? Your friends asking you to party or whatever. So how did you stay so locked in?

[LaShawn Merritt]

You know what? I had a brother who passed away before I started running track. He got murdered his freshman year in college.

[Podcast Host]

Damn.

[LaShawn Merritt]

And he was the light of the family. I had a mom who was an educator. She's the. The high performer of the family. Had a dad who was a singer, musician, actor. He was a high achiever of the family. And I had a brother that passed away, so he became that inner voice and that why for me, when times got hard. Okay, Antwan, we got this. My mom always told me to have fun with what I was doing, so not a lot of pressure. My dad told me I was meant for something special. So in these moments, these high caliber moments where a lot was on the line, I would second guess myself early on, like, what am I doing here? I'm, like, in Rome and. But I can remember those positive affirmations that I've been hearing all my life, that I was meant for something special. It's bigger than me. So when I turned pro, I had friends, but I did a great job in choosing my friends. They understood what I was doing, what I was in. They let me focus. They didn't bother me a lot. And I have a lot of friends that I grew up with still to this day.

[Podcast Host]

I love that man. How did your relationship with pressure change over time? Did you used to fold to it when you were younger?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Never did. I never did. I was a middle child, Was always good, never demanded attention, Was always the patient one, the guy who was always more interested in things rather than wanting to be interesting. So I was the one to get into a room and listen. So the pressure for me. When I started running track, I didn't understand how important it was or how my life in music played a part. I played the trumpet for eight years.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, yeah.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Hit a lot of solos. Had to be on the moment. Had to hit that note.

[Podcast Host]

Trumpet's no joke, man. I used to play and it was hard.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. So when I got into the sport of track and field, I was used to that stuff. Spotlight and just handling something for a certain amount of time. And I understood how important the preparation was when I was a musician. So I took that same approach to the sport and. And pressure. You would get butterflies.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[LaShawn Merritt]

But I mean, I had a million dollar contract. Plus I had the nerves of. Of butterflies, like everybody say. But I would line those butterflies up and I would be the head butterfly.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

The butterflies flying around. I would always remind myself I was present and intentional with my preparation. And these competitions aren't life or death. And I have parents who are gonna love me unconditionally anyway. So let's just go have fun. I brought my shine to the grind. So let's just dim the lights when they are on and execute.

[Podcast Host]

I love that, man. See, I've seen the opposite. Where parents put too much pressure on their kids and then they hate the sport.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I hate that. I've seen that. I've seen it. I hate it. I had a girl. I was at a track meet not long ago. A girl walked off the track. She was probably 12 years old and was crying. But she won the race.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

And I just couldn't understand it. She said she didn't run as fast as her dad wanted her to run and she didn't even want to go back to the bleachers.

[Podcast Host]

Damn.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Said, man, it can't be like that. It can't be like that. You're in that sport to have fun. There's a lot of things that you learn in a sport of track and field because it's an individual sport, that translates to life. And that's what I'm all about. And I'm seeing that firsthand. And it's not life or death. You're just running in a circle. I used to have a coach that said, man, y'all ain't doing nothing. All y'all do is strip down and run in a circle. I said, come on, man. I put a lot of time in for this. But, yeah, yeah. The pressure when you're young and the amount of pressure I see on some of these athletes, I don't like it at all.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I agree. Do you feel like track athletes get the respect they deserve?

[LaShawn Merritt]

No, I feel like track athletes get the respect from other athletes because they've ran track probably in their life and understand how hard it is.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[LaShawn Merritt]

But just the general population, I'm not sure. I'm not sure, because you can run, you can run, you can move. Some people feel like I'm just fast. Like, it's a lot more than that. I am blessed with the DNA to move fast, but there's a lot that goes into it. I'm like a machine. I'm a like a car. The bolts and screws have to be tightened up. I have to understand the body and the 400. You use different muscle groups throughout the race.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah. Like on the. On the back stretch, you're not using as much as your arms that you are on the final 100. And energy systems are different. It's about how to distribute 100% of energy throughout that whole race.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

And it's difficult. I had a dad. Well, I have a dad. My dad, I love him to death. Shout out to my pops. He would say things when I was competing, like, man, I don't know what I did if I was. I don't know what I would have done if I was blessed with that speed and this and that. And when I used to hear that, I didn't say anything to him because I appreciated the DNA that he blessed me with. But me knowing it was so much more than that that I had to put together from ear to ear. I knew I had to put it together here. And I ended up developing the merit mindset because, like I said, I knew my Runway in life was going to be a lot longer than sport, and I was going to have to use what I put together here in life. So throughout my years of training, I paid attention to what was going on here because I. I knew I would have to use it again one day to become a champion in life.

[Podcast Host]

Right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

That's smart. You were thinking that far ahead, actually, because a lot of athletes, I don't think they think ahead like that.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I don't think so either.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I love, I love how you break down the race scientifically too.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah, it's. It's a lot. I was, I was the most consistent in my years. You know, I ran fast, but I was known for being consistent.

[Podcast Host]

You're like a LeBron of.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah, because I knew what I was doing. I wasn't a guy who just depended on reps for confidence. And I was dialing it in the muscle memory, being present in the preparation to be able to execute. And that made a big difference.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And I love that merit mindset. Is that something you coach merit mindset?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yeah, it's something I developed. The big question I was asked after my career was what made me me. And I had to do some deep diving, some reflection on how I handled things. And it came down to the duty, the responsibility, the discipline. I was a guy who brought my best self. I was focusing on bringing my best self to training into life every day, understanding the rest and recovery, being present, but also just having merit, having integrity, doing things with integrity. And that's important. That's important for me to become a champion in life. It's important for humanity and society and to continue to have gratitude and those core values. And my dad, when I was younger, people would ask him his name. He would say, Owen Merit, but he would spell it M E R R. No, he would say M E double R, I double T. Then when I retired, I. I understand how things aligned, that I had a double dose of merit and I really embodied that and, and had integrity and. And stayed the course and. And was able to shine.

[Podcast Host]

That's cool, man. Sounds like your dad really played a big role in your life.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I love him.

[Podcast Host]

I love that man.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Yes.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Gratitude and integrity, that's so important for me.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

I have a gratitude journal every single morning. Non negotiable.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Beautiful.

[Podcast Host]

And integrity, like that's everything in that.

[LaShawn Merritt]

400 meter masterclass, the last 15 meters of that race. I push gratitude.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Have to have gratitude. Just being grateful for being able to be in that moment and taking it all the way through the line. Not slowing up, not overthinking it, just dropping everything, having gratitude and running past the line. So that's important.

[Podcast Host]

Love it. Did you like the outdoor tracks more or the indoor?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Outdoor. Outdoor, indoor. I'm a little tall. First time I made a world indoor team was 2005, when I first turned pro and I was in Russia and got disqualified. Stepped on the line twice and got disqualified. My first international race as a professional, I got disqualified. It was heartbreaking. My dad was there too. I flew him all the way to Russia. And I didn't do too much indoor after that. I have a long stride. I'm tall, indoors, a little tight. So outdoor was my thing.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it's hard to get quicker times indoors, right?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

Because there's more turns. So those turns really impact the time they.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Do they? Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

What was your favorite lane to run in?

[LaShawn Merritt]

4 or 5. Just because I would be in the middle of the track. One was a tighter curve eight. You couldn't see anybody. Although back in the day, you couldn't run a world record out of lane eight because it was less of a curve and you were running straight more. You didn't have to deal with so much of the centrifugal force on the curve. But in my years, 4 and 5 are the preferred lanes. You get to see who's outside of you. You get to see or feel if they're coming up. But it was all about executing.

[Podcast Host]

How much attention did you pay to other runners during the race?

[LaShawn Merritt]

Oh, I was able to run and think and feel my surroundings. That. That was one thing that. That made me great. I knew who was in which lane. I studied the. My competitors. Before. Before I would compete, I would walk around the track. Tracks are built different. Some have longer straightaways, some have longer curves. So I would mark the track the day before.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[LaShawn Merritt]

We wouldn't just be running. I knew my spots, but I could feel if somebody was getting too far. But that was just through experience.

[Podcast Host]

Wow, that's impressive. Sounds like you were like visualizing and manifesting the race.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Absolutely. Visualization. I could cut that.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, we'll add it.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Okay. So visualization was very important. And I would always visualize myself winning. That was part of it. I would. I knew how to execute. I knew the spots. Now I just had to go out and execute. And I've always had that will to win.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And now you can do that in business, too. I can't wait to see your business career, man. I think you're going to crush it now.

[LaShawn Merritt]

I appreciate it. I definitely appreciate it. I have a couple of things going on with next level pros. We're building. They're going to help Me scale. They see the value in me. And I'm going to hold these business owners accountable.

[Podcast Host]

Let's go.

[LaShawn Merritt]

What I'm here for the integrity, going to have that winning mindset, that merit mindset.

[Podcast Host]

Let's go. Anything else you want to close off with? Man, that was fun.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Oh, man, no. Right now I'm retired. I'm doing inspirational speaking. I like to say inspirational more than motivational because I never had to be hyped. I'm trying to change the mindset. I'm trying to change the world almost, if you think about it, because you change yourself, you change the frequency that you put out, change others, and then ultimately have big impact to change the world.

[Podcast Host]

I love it. Well, if anyone's interested in hiring you, we'll link your your social media channels so they could get in touch with you, man.

[LaShawn Merritt]

Sean, thank you, brother.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. Thanks for watching, guys. Check them out. I'll see you next time.

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