← Living The Red Life
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- [00:00]
A
I'm a four time world champion, a three time Olympic athlete, and also one of the few Americans that has competed in a summer and winter Olympics.
- [00:07]
B
You did end up getting a major shoe contract and contract and becoming ultra successful and arguably, you know, had an amazing performance in Beijing until you didn't.
- [00:19]
A
I hit the ninth hurdle that cost me an Olympic gold medal. I was on pace to break the Olympic record. I just fell to the track. Like, it felt like I just got gutted in the stomach. I was getting destroyed in the media. They're like, she's washed up. She took all the sponsors and then she still got fourth and like they were destroying me.
- [00:35]
B
You talk a lot about using failure and using it to motivate you. Can you talk about that for everyone listening, whether it's failure in sport, business, life?
- [00:43]
A
Well, I think a lot of people with failure, they see just the devastating impact of it. Oh, this was my goal and it got ripped away. It hurts your confidence, it hurts your, you know, your faith. It just robs you of all, like the momentum you had going into something. But for me, I like to switch and I'm like.
- [01:02]
B
My name is Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, Take the red pill. Join me in wonderland and change your life. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Living the Red Life. Joining me today, a very famous athlete you'll probably recognize. Lola, welcome to the show.
- [01:24]
A
Oh, thank you for having me. Probably because I have makeup, but maybe not like normally, I'm just well put.
- [01:29]
B
If you're watching on video, we'll overlay of the athletic highlights so they may.
- [01:35]
A
Not recognize me with hair and makeup.
- [01:37]
B
So. Well, you look great. You've been here all day filming about your life story and you know, as, as you know and most of you know, listening too. I'm from an athletic background, so I always, you know, love to interview athletes and speak to athletes about the mindset of success and how that applies to success in life and business. So if someone doesn't know who you are, do you mind just giving them the minute summary and the highlight, of course.
- [02:00]
A
I'm a four time world champion, a three time Olympic athlete, and also one of the few Americans that has competed in a summer and winter Olympics. So I have some pretty stats, but I also don't have an Olympic medal.
- [02:13]
B
Well, and we can maybe get into a bit of A bit of that story, which I know has become an iconic part of your. Your life. But let's start from the ground up, because I think something that's really cool and fascinating to me is you didn't come from money. You weren't, like, born into this, you know, family that hired, you know, these sports scientists as a kid and groomed you to become an Olympian, right?
- [02:36]
A
No.
- [02:36]
B
So do you mind telling that?
- [02:37]
A
Absolutely. Like, I grew up. My childhood was rough. We're homeless. I was in multiple schools. Like, every year, different school, different school for like eight years in a row. My dad was in and out of prison my whole childhood. So my mom, single mother of five kids, working multiple jobs. Um, so, yeah, just rough background. And sports were my stability. Like, that's where my kind of like one hour or two hour, I could just clock out, be an athlete and not worry that we didn't have food in the fridge or not worry that our electricity just got cut off. So, yeah, no, I wasn't one of these athletes that was dominant. You know, like, you look at some of these people's careers, Like Usain Bolt, he was great at every stage of his career. Like, he has world youth records. World records at a youth age. I didn't have any of that. Like, I did not become good as an athlete until, like, my third year pro. So I was definitely a late bloomer.
- [03:28]
B
Yeah. And I think it's. It's really fascinating. We just interviewed an Olympic swimmer and almost the opposite story, where she was, like, miles ahead as a kid, went to the Olympics super young, won a bunch of gold medals. Right. And it's like. And her parents would take her to all the meets and stuff and support her. And, you know, I wouldn't say she had this perfect setup, but she had a very great setup for success. So for you, how did you. You know, you're battling through all this. And a highlight that I want to touch on is you were basically an Olympian or about to be working at Home Depot and a gym too, right?
- [04:03]
A
Man, I was hot.
- [04:04]
B
Talk about that.
- [04:06]
A
I was a hostess job working at Home Depot. And not just like Home Depot inside with air conditioning. They put me in the outside. Gardening cashier. Like in Louisiana. Do you know how hot is in Louisiana? It's like swamps, humidity. I think it was like 105 degrees. And I'm out there just checking you out for if you want rock pavements, like, stuff like that, so. And yeah, working in a gym, that was wild. Working at a gym. And I remember one of my races Came on TV and they were like, I'm wiping the counter. And they're like, wait, isn't that you on espn? Like, bro, don't get me started. I'm not good enough for a shoe contract right now.
- [04:42]
B
But you did. You know, one thing I want to highlight is you did push for all of this, right? You maybe didn't have ideal setup, but you push through all that, and then you did end up getting a major shoe contract and contract and becoming ultra successful and arguably, you know, had an amazing performance in Beijing until you didn't. But, yeah, you know what? I would argue one of the closest athletes in history to have a gold stripped away. Right? So an amazing career, though, right? And what were some of the, you know, tips and tricks? You talk a lot about using failure and using it to motivate you. Can you talk about that for everyone listening, whether it's failure in sport, business, life?
- [05:23]
A
Well, I think a lot of people with failure, they see just the devastating impact of it. Oh, this was my goal, and it got ripped away. It hurts your confidence. It hurts your, you know, your faith. It just robs you of all, like, the momentum you had going into something. But for me, I like to switch, and I'm like, failure is your greatest motivator because, like, you can't have a Rocky movie without a comeback. You can't have. You can't have these iconic moments if there's not something that kind of trips you up. I hate saying that word just because I tripped on the hurdle that cost me a gold medal. PTSD coming in. But, like, you can't have these iconic moments if you don't have something that is, like, got you stuck. And so how to get unstuck is. It's like a. Enjoy the process of the Rubik's Cube, you know, if the Rubik's Cube is hard to figure out, but. Yeah, but when you finally do, all the colors click together, and it's just, like, amazing. So that's why I try to look at it, because, man, your motivation is everything, and you have to protect that. And the quickest way you can do that is, okay, how do I problem solve this problem, you know?
- [06:30]
B
Yeah. And one other thing, like, around, you know, the Beijing. The Beijing Olympics especially, you kind of got dubbed as this person, or at least I believe, with like, a really positive, great attitude. Like, most people, if they had gone through that, right, you got on the. I remember you got on the post race interview, which is always the worst when something like that happens, and they always grab You. Right. I see it in triathlon all the time. But you say something I'll always remember where it's like, well, with hurdles, it's your job to jump over all the hurdles, and if you don't jump over.
- [07:01]
A
All the hurdles, you're meant to be the Olympic champion. Yeah, I can't even believe I said that. Can't take those words back.
- [07:08]
B
But not everyone would have said that. Some people would have walked off and not even done an interview. So what's giving you that, like, modest, down to earth, but, like, such a positive mindset?
- [07:17]
A
But it's the truth, though. I mean, that's. Our job is to get over 10 hurdles. And at the time, I didn't think I was being ultra humble. I was. I felt like I was honoring my teammate who had won the medal. I also felt like it is the truth, by definition, we are to get over all the hurdles, no matter if it's ugly or not, you know, and so I just think you have to process those failures. And when you're bitter, it takes longer to process those failures. So to. To get over a failure, be light with it. Crack jokes. I was the first person cracking jokes about me hitting that hurdle that. So if you're not aware, like, I. I hit the ninth hurdle that cost me an Olympic gold medal. I was on pace to break the Olympic record. So I was the first one. Like, I think within, like, hours, I went back to the village. I'm like, you know what? I just think that they put my hurdle up three inches higher than everybody else's. Or, like, the next day, I was like, you know, maybe it's time for me to get my eyes checked, make light of it. Because if you. If something hurts you, if it's something traumatic, in business, a setback, it can make you tense up, make you. Makes you bitter, and it makes you not want to try again. So we just got to, like, have a little humor with it or just, you know, not, you know, just be realistic about it. Yeah, I should have got over 10 hurdles.
- [08:36]
B
And if you are. You may hate me for this, but if you are watching, definitely pause and watch this clip on YouTube because I think it is one of the most, at least because I'm from an athlete background, athletic background, in crazy, inspiring and sad moments all in 12 seconds because you. You were so far ahead.
- [08:54]
A
Yeah.
- [08:55]
B
So far ahead, too. Right? And what I want to follow up with is this all happened. You had this great positive attitude about it. And then you. Now, because of Olympics and how sport works, you have to look at the next four years. So what was your mindset going into the next four years?
- [09:13]
A
Well, I thought I would just pick up where I left off. I'm like, okay, I was the number one hurdle in the world. I made a mistake. Man, you're going to be incredible for London Olympics. Well, that's just not the reality. I actually had to have spine surgery the year before London Olympics. I barely made the team. And then when I did make the Olympic team, I got fourth. Fourth. And I was just in shambles after that. So unlike Beijing, where you said, you know, your interviews were humble. That one, I was a little bit hurt. That one I was not light with it. How I just suggested everybody be with their. I was mad, I was angry. You could see. See it in my interviews.
- [09:53]
B
Like, I'm.
- [09:53]
A
You can see the tears. And so. And that. That interview and that Olympics took me a very long time to process, so I didn't move on from it as quick because my heart was more bitter.
- [10:05]
B
One you. This was probably because it was the second time round, too. First time around. You. You referenced that you had a. An anchor backwards about four years before. You were watching it in A1. Can you tell that story?
- [10:18]
A
Yeah. So in 08, when I crossed the line after hitting the hurdle, and, like, I looked up and I was like, well, maybe you squeaked out a bronze. And then I look at the big scoreboard and the names are going down and it said I got seventh. And it was. That's when I knew. I was like, man, you hit this hurdle so bad, you could not come back from the damage. And I just fell to the track. Like, it felt like I just got gutted in the stomach. And then, like, I pounded the track. Like, tears are coming down my face. And in that moment, like, that's when I felt like, I'm a Christian. I just felt like God whispered to me, but you're here. You're on this track. And four years ago, you were mad watching the Olympics in your small apartment on tv, and you were mad that you hadn't made the Olympic team. But now you're here on this track, pounding a Track, and there's 100,000 people in the stadium cheering on. So for me, it was just like, we have to remember when we have breakthroughs, and even though it's not like the goal, goal, we still have to remember the progress we've had, because I think we forget so, so quickly, you know, the things we overcame. And then because we. Everybody does it. We want more.
- [11:23]
B
We want more.
- [11:24]
A
You Know.
- [11:24]
B
Yeah, Yeah. I think it's really hard as, like, a high performer because I battle with that a lot. So, like, I'm worth tens of millions. But in my head, I also think.
- [11:32]
A
Oh, great, can I have a loan?
- [11:34]
B
I think I should be worth hundreds of millions.
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A
Oh, see? But then when you get hundreds of millions and you're like, of course you.
- [11:41]
B
Want, but I think that's also what makes you successful, because I think a lot of successful people have to. You have to believe you can achieve those.
- [11:48]
A
It's true. But do you ever feel like, because you're still always trying to climb this mountain, that when you do have a setback, it could maybe be paralyzing, though?
- [11:56]
B
No, because what I was going to say is I use the same method as you, so I anchor back that I started in a gym at $6 an hour in England.
- [12:04]
A
Ah, see?
- [12:04]
B
So you do the tactics, do the same thing. And it helps me a lot because anytime I start to get maybe a little irritated and frustrated, I love to reflect on how far I've come. And I think that's so useful for people because you can. You know, what I was going to say is you can get so caught up in the moment. Right.
- [12:21]
A
More around you.
- [12:23]
B
Yeah. But it's always good to, like, reflect on how far you've achieved. And I think success, at least in business, is unlike athletics. Athletics, you do have a biological, you know, decade or two, but in business, it. It compounds over time. Right. And it takes longer than you often think. So I think having that anchor so, so, so important to.
- [12:43]
A
Yeah, well, I definitely needed that after just getting gutted on the track.
- [12:47]
B
So. So let's talk about, you know, you have these two Olympics that are just, you know, these frustrating. And that's athletics for you. Right. And Olympics so close, but so far. And then you. A lot of people that would have retired probably right in that position. What. What made you go. I'm gonna go into something new now and tell everyone that doesn't know what happened.
- [13:08]
A
Yeah. So I was. I was angry. I was crushed. And then my coach gave me this stat. He goes, just so you know that fourth place was the fast. This was the fastest Olympic hurdle race in history, and it would have got you a medal in any Olympics, but this one. And when he said that, I was like, it was great. But then also, like, I was like, well, I've done all I can to get a medal here, you know? And so I went back and I was super depressed, and I was just sitting on my couch for, like, I know you lie. It was, like, about two months. I could not. Like, I was super depressed. I was getting destroyed in the media. They're like, she's washed up. She took all the sponsors, and then she still got fourth. And, like, they were destroying me. And that's when I'd remembered, you know, because I was raised. You know, I'm. I'm a. You know, I'm an 80s baby. And I was raised on this great movie, Cool Runnings. And it was about how Jamaica made their first Olympic bobsled team. And, like, obviously, we know Jamaica has no snow, so that's an incredible thing. Feats. But what they did is they recruited track and field athletes who had messed up and had come close to their Olympic. And they messed up, and I felt their pain. And I was like, I'm gonna go try Babson. I'm gonna.
- [14:15]
B
Yeah, I remember that as a kid, I watched that, and it's pretty incredible. You watch this movie. Remember this movie? And then you're like, I'm gonna do it.
- [14:23]
A
Yeah, right.
- [14:24]
B
And I always say, successful people are bored. I call myself very delusional because I think you have to be to be successful to believe in yourself. Like, to me, that's a pretty delusional thing. I'm gonna. I watched this movie, which is a comedy based on true story.
- [14:39]
A
I thought it was gonna be so easy. Yeah.
- [14:41]
B
But no, how's this next phase?
- [14:43]
A
I didn't realize how delusional it was until, like, I literally go to the Olympic Training Center. It's in Lake Placid, New York. And they're smart. They recruited other track and field Olympians. And so I'm like, they're not making this easy to make this team. Like, they had a Olympic. Two Olympic medalists from London, literally Olympic medalists. And I'm like, okay, great. So, yeah, like, it's not going to be easy. And then I just remember the first time they. They took me to the bobsled track. I mean, it's cold, you know, and they're helping me. I can't. I'm so nervous. I can't even put my helmet on. Like, they're buckling it for me, and they're putting, like, helping me put a burn vest on. What do I need a burn vest for? Because if you crash, your skin can melt with the ice. What? Your skin getting.
- [15:27]
B
They don't show that in Cool runnings.
- [15:29]
A
Oh, they don't even. They don't even tell you. They're so smart on how they recruit. They don't tell you any of this until you're at the top of the track. What they do is they get you the Olympic training center. They give you some tests. Oh, let's do. Test you in the 30. Let's test you in the power. All the stuff you're normal as a track athlete, I know how to do. So you're two weeks. I'm like, I could be a bobsledder. They're just building you up, and then they just get you to the top of that track. And then they're helping you with your helmet, putting it on, strapping on. You're shaking. And they're like, look, it's okay. After this first run, if you go straight to the airport and you don't want to go back to the Olympic training center and get your bags, that's happened before. People just go straight home. They know it's not for them. I'm like, what did I get myself into? And they're like, here's another tip. Just, you know, when you're going down the mountain or the curves, just count the curves. There's 22 curves. Just count and it will all be over. It will help keep you calm. So I'm on the block, you know, I push off the bobsled with the pilot in front. She hops in, then I hop in. And it seems pretty chill, you know, I'm like, okay. I don't know what they're talking about, you know. Corner one. I'm counting two. Well, little, you know, bobsled track starts at the top, and it gets speed as it. And it goes down. It doesn't go up, it goes down. So the more you go down, the more speed, the more vital it gets. And so, two, three. Corner three. I get a huge hit. Whack. Like, it's like. Sounds like a freaking car crash. And then from there, it's like I'm literally just back and forth getting tossed in this bobsled. I'm trying to count. Corner.
- [17:10]
B
I'm.
- [17:10]
A
I can't count anymore. I don't know where the hell I'm at. I start praying, lord Jesus, please help us get through this bobsled. Please don't let us cry. I mean, it feels like we're literally about to crash. It felt like I was in a metal tin trash can and they threw me down a mountain. Like, there's no seat belts in a bobsled. You hold on. There's like a rail like this, and that's how you hold on. That's how you stay in the bobsled. With. With your grip strength. Grip strength. So I can't even open a pickle jar. So I'm just fighting for my life. So we get to the bottom of the track. The pilot, she. You know, we. The bobsled slows down, and then she pats me on the back, and she gets me out of the bobs, and she's like. Because I didn't know where we were. We were done. Like, I literally. She's cruising to the bottom, and then she goes, how was it? And I'm like. I got tears streaming down my face. They're freezing in my face because, like, it's cold outside. It's snowing. And I was like, oh, my gosh. I said, I am just so glad. I was like, we almost crashed so many times, and you saved it. I was like, thank you for not crashing. And she goes, what are you talking about? That was the most smoothest trip I've ever had on this track. And I was like, wow. She was nowhere near clashing. That's just how vital it is. Like, we experience G forces in the bobsled more so than some of the aerodynamic planes. And, you know, even F1 races, like, we have gnarly G forces that just slam you down. A bobsa can go up to 90 miles an hour, and there's curves. There's like. It's insane.
- [18:40]
B
Yeah. So. So you. And then you go back and race.
- [18:43]
A
Yeah, they were like, well, yeah, they were like, you got to go up again because there's two runs in a practice. I was like, I thought I was gonna quit.
- [18:51]
B
So again, I, you know, I want to dive into the mindset of people listening. What. What. What made you even believe you could go into another Olympic sport, which has only happened a handful of times in history? Right. It's pretty amazing. There's got to be something in your brain, whether it's the delusional thing I mentioned. What makes you believe in this?
- [19:11]
A
I just. I really have always loved a challenge. Like, if it's more odd stacked against me or someone tells me I can't do it, or, like I said, if I experience a setback or a failure for some reason, those things fire me up. Like, I mean, raise the hurdle height. Cool. Let's see if I get, like, a most kind of, like, a dare. Like, not a daredevil, but, like, kinda. Because you enjoy a challenge. I really enjoy a challenge. And there's no greater adrenaline you'll have than, like, standing on the top of a bobsled track. Like, you don't know the condition of your pilot, she might have just broken up with her boyfriend. You're trusting your life in this person's hand, you know, So I, I enjoy a good adrenaline rush for sure.
- [19:52]
B
What, and what's the, what's the feeling like start of the track, waiting for the gun versus top of the bottle track?
- [20:01]
A
There's more control with track. So you do have high adrenaline in both. Like, trust me.
- [20:08]
B
And in the Olympics, you're in a stadium tens of thousands, hundred percent.
- [20:13]
A
So like it's crazy. That's more, you know, I would say eye of the storm because there's a million things swirling around you. Like the crowd is going crazy. You got long jumpers, you got pole vaulters. But like I'm so in my zone, I feel like kind of protected in my bubble. As we're on the start line for bobsled, it's, you know, I mean, you just never know.
- [20:38]
B
Like being a normal person, I imagine they could. Maybe a roller coaster is the closest thing to imagine.
- [20:43]
A
Yeah, no, it's not. It's like a vital. It's like a vital car crash and you're not even crashing. So it's just like they. Sometimes they will hit a wall purposely just so that it can set them up for a different angle for just to have the right angle so they're hitting it. So your body's going this way. Yeah. So it's, I mean to feel breeze down your back knowing that you're only wearing spandex and if that thing tips over like you could fly out of the bobsled. You know, I've had times where I'm in the bobsled and it's been so cold. The frame we have is steel. So even holding it, I had times where I got out and honestly I could not feel my hand. It felt like ice burn on my hands. And I'm in tears trying to get my hands to get warmed up. From just a minute of holding on to just this. It'd be like you go tell someone in Canada or Russia and there's a blizzard outside and like, hey, so take your hand and hold onto this for a minute. You know, like, it's just, it's a really, just blue collar sport.
- [21:51]
B
And what, you know, just to talk about is the last few minutes setting goals, right. And then also building up to the goals. Because I mean a lot of people that watch athletics or watch sport, they see you on the track, right? Or playing the NBA games and whatever, but most success in sport is the boring stuff all day, every day. Getting up at 6am then sleeping in the afternoon, training again.
- [22:16]
A
What?
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B
Tell, tell us about that boring stuff and how you set goals and stay consistent.
- [22:20]
A
Tell us about the boring stuff. You have no life. Yeah, just, just none. I mean, what was my boring last line like? Making sure. So like right now the boring things for me is I'm trying to gain weight for bobsled. Because in bobsled weight is a thing. The two athletes and the bobsled have to weigh a certain amount. You don't want to be too heavy or you're disqualified. And you don't want to be too light because it's a disadvantage. Just like a heavy bowling ball could help you. You just want that perfect right size. So I'm trying to gain weight. Boring thing right now is, okay, do I have enough protein in my system? Have I had enough protein shakes, Supplements. So I'm taking this supplement, this supplement at this time. You know, also like sleep, like checking my stupid fitness tracker all the time. Oh my gosh, my sleep was not enough. Rem like what? It's, it's like psycho little things about your body. Like even the other day someone was like, hey, do you want to go out? And I'm like, okay, you guys are going out to dinner. It's going to be like way too late for me to have proper amount of sleep. So it's just like diligency and attention to details.
- [23:20]
B
You know, it's been like that for the last 20 years. Right? Like that's professional.
- [23:25]
A
Why? I have like three friends.
- [23:28]
B
But other times when you're getting up to the gym at 5am, 6am, whatever, or you know, traits doing all this boring stuff, do you ever question if it's worth it, how do you stay consistent?
- [23:39]
A
Well, I think that's a misconception. I don't. I really wake up for 5 or 6am Most of the land, those are the swimmers. I am 11, I rolled at the gym at 11. No bobsled competitions are at 5 or 6 though in the morning. So that sucks. But yeah, what makes it worth it is when you have those victories or when you can help your teammates out or you can have like these massive performance. So like last year, for example, I came in because I'd come. I, I went back to track and field, broke history, was the first person in their 40s to qualify for the sprint hurdle events. It had never been done. And then someone texts me and they go, dot, dot, dot, bobsled. Basically saying, we know you said you were done with bobsled, but you clearly still have speed because you qualify for the Olympic trials, come back to bobsled. So I did. And seven months later, because I went in as the lowest ranked breakman, seven months later I was USA1, I was the fastest breakman in America and I broke history again being the oldest person to qualify for world championships for the female for bobsled. So why do I do to have moments like that? Not just for my like own vanity, but it sets the bar higher for other generations. Because I remember when I used to be an athlete in my 20s and they're like, your career is over at 28, hold on for dear life at 32. Now you have athletes who have examples of other athletes. Tom Brady went to, he's 45. Serena Williams, she was at a U.S. open in her 40s. So like we're helping raise the standard so these athletes can have, you know, better careers, longer careers. But also I like to show people on Instagram, regular people that you can do great things in their 40s. Because I have so many DMs from people that are like, Lola, you have no clue. Like I was waking up with back pain. People were telling me this is just normal for like 40 year olds. And then I watch your stories and I'm like, if she can compete against 20 year olds and be top drink in the US like what is my excuse? So like just trying to change the narrative on expectations of older expectations, you know, Good.
- [25:41]
B
So last couple of questions. Someone's listening. They're inspired by your story, your journey, your resilience, your mindset to success. What are some tips you'd give them if they're trying to have success in business or their own life?
- [25:53]
A
Well, I guess the first one I mentioned earlier that like a failure can be your greatest motivator if you use it. If not, it's going to break you.
- [26:01]
B
How do you do that if they're listening and they're like, yeah, failures always get me down and I question myself and take months off and it derails me. Do you have any tips for them?
- [26:09]
A
Yeah, I usually like if I have a bad race or a competition, I try to write out three things that went good, three things that went bad, so that I can encourage myself. Okay, these are three things I did right. And then what are the three things that I could have fixed? And then that kind of gives you your power back, you know.
- [26:23]
B
So if in business, for example, if their business sucks right now, it's not working, they could write three things that are still good about their business or Great about their entrepreneur journey because I think it's true for entrepreneurs too. Their business might suck, but they're probably still earning. You know, suck to them, but they're probably still earning double or triple. They were in a job they hated six years ago. Right, Exactly.
- [26:44]
A
For example, like an Olympian might not get an Olympic medal, but they're still an Olympian and they're still one of the best athletes in the world. Does that mean that they give up just because they didn't get an Olympic medal? Yeah. Yeah. That's good. And then the second one I would tell them is discipline. I feel like discipline has helped me beat people that are more talented than me more have genetic. Better genetics or just have a better, like, opportunity. So when I first went pro, I didn't get a coveted Nike Asics or Adidas contract. And other people had resources so they could get better coaches, they could get better massages and treatments because they had the resources. And I feel like sometimes our excuses, oh, I don't have access, I don't have this. And like for me, what I just had was discipline with what I had. So. So in the workouts, I was never lazy on the little things. So one of the things most athletes hate doing is a cool down. It's a five to ten minute thing after a very long workout. So no one wants to do another workout after a five hour workout. So they usually just walk to their car, go home. Doing cool downs helped me become more flexible and those things helped with becoming a better athlete for the next practice. So like, the little things you can do to improve usually turn into huge gains. But a lot of people overlook the little things, which is diligency. Like what are the areas I'm being lazy on? Like if you're talking about businesses, like what is it like keeping an eye on your emails, your DMs, your opportunities are your. Maybe you're doing bad job at your relationships, following up on relationships, like what are the little things that you can improve on? And just you don't have to be massively better, just diligent.
- [28:21]
B
That's great. And my last question, and you actually led into it, what are the parallels or, you know, similarities between success in sport and business?
- [28:30]
A
I don't know, I don't have business.
- [28:31]
B
Now, but like from a mind. Okay, success, success, you know, success in sport. Yeah, success in sport and success in life or business.
- [28:40]
A
I was just messing with you. No, success in life and success in business. The reason why there are, they are parallel is because a business person is just so Heavily invested, not only just with their finances, is also emotional. It's also like taking a task on their family. There's very few things in life that do like the whole ramification of if this fails, I lose everything. And that happens a lot to business people and it happens a lot to athletes where they are constantly having to face failure, rebuild, have confidence, regather the resources, you know, instead of taking the easy comfort nine to eight, you know, nine to five, work for someone else. It's a risk. That is what we have in common with business people and athletes is they will take a risk. And that's the hardest part is, you know, like right now it's just like I'm having to decide right now. I'm in a pretty tricky situation. I'm fighting for my spot on the last Olympic team. I'm trying to be the oldest person to ever make a Winter Olympics for bobsled. And it's like, but I have to risk it. I have to put myself out there. I have to put myself out there to criticism. So do business people. Oh, this business, it sounds stupid. This ideal seems crazy. Like, why would you do this? Like stop, give up? Same thing athletes go through. We have to enjoy a risk. And we also have to make sure that we're counting and hedging our bets against it and properly working hard with work ethic and working more hours than a normal job just for it will pay off later. It's just there's a lot of parallels. But yeah, I think the main thing is just not giving up with failure or finding a different way after failure. And again, like not being afraid of risk. Because if someone would have told me on day one that I forget, I think you looked it up. What were the chances of being an Olympian? Was it less than 5%?
- [30:28]
B
No, no. One in half a million, one and.
- [30:31]
A
A half a million chances. If you tell that to a business person, hey, you have this business, it has one chance out of half a million of succeeding. Are you the business person that's gonna be like throw up their hand and just not try or are you the person that's gonna be like, you know what? But if I do succeed, then I've now cornered the market.
- [30:51]
B
Yeah, well, good news for you is we did discover earlier that there was less chance of being an astronaut. But I have a better fact for you. So there's 5% of businesses make a million. So it's much harder to be an Olympian than it is to become a million dollar business owner. 5%.
- [31:08]
A
Wow.
- [31:09]
B
5 in 100 versus 1 in 5. So then you're saying much easier to be.
- [31:14]
A
So they say business people have no excuse then.
- [31:15]
B
Much easier than an Olympian. 100%.
- [31:17]
A
Still hard though.
- [31:18]
B
Still hard. But you know, I know a lot of Olympians because of my background and with business you can at least you fail and you next day you try again.
- [31:27]
A
Not always though, because sometimes people invest their whole life savings into stuff and.
- [31:32]
B
Then, but, but Olympians hard because, you know, obviously there's, every year there's events, but like it's so focused on a four year thing, right? So I do admire you and your mindset and all my other Olympian friends because everything's going on this four year anchor point and then your sponsorships are linked to everything. Right.
- [31:52]
A
Turn the question on you. If you're asking what the parallels between athletes and business, what would you tell, I mean, you have a successful athlete over here, what would you say you're a successful business person, what would you tell the athletes, the Olympians, those on the other side that you've learned from business that could help other people, not just athletes, achieve whatever goals?
- [32:11]
B
Yeah, it's great question. I think the thing with athletes, I know a lot of ultra successful athletes, but to be good in business, you have to switch. When you're an athlete, everything's on you, right? Your training's on you and you're the one. Whereas to get really good in business, especially past the first couple of million, you have to basically trust everyone else to do everything.
- [32:30]
A
So you have to hire the right team.
- [32:31]
B
That can be very hard because an athlete, you're doing your own training, right? And sure, you might have a nutritionist and a masseuse, but it's still all you, you know, you show up. Whereas in business, like it, it almost flips the coin where it's like now all my, you know, you've seen this today, right? I've just been floating around, my staff run every day.
- [32:48]
A
It doesn't work.
- [32:49]
B
I don't really, I don't work as much, you know, you do, but it's in it. But it's because I, and I used to struggle with this and my business wouldn't grow because I wanted to do everything. But eventually you have to learn to empower other people and hire other people and, and you have to, I think like with athletes, you, you have to learn to like, I lost that race. It is a race, whatever, I'll move on. You have to do the same with money. So like now I lose money all the time. Failed projects, 20 grand. Here 50 grand. You have to get just. Okay, I just lost money, but I can make lots more money. Like, you can always go into another race. I can win the next race.
- [33:22]
A
Well, they say that kind of about the best coaches. They say the best head coaches usually aren't the best as a coach. They're the best at hiring a team because most head coaches have, like three assistant coaches, a strength coach, and if that head coach were to try to do it all micro. No, it breaks them. So they have to, like, they have to learn how to micromanage and allow those coaches to step in and build up the team because they don't have enough capability to do it on their own.
- [33:49]
B
Yeah, my. One of my. Just to finish. One of my friends was in, I think, pro mlb and he said the head coach actually did very little. It was the assistant coach that ran the whole team.
- [34:00]
A
That's the same thing for business. Yeah.
- [34:02]
B
Okay. Well, guys, that's a wrap right there. I hope you got a lot of amazing mindset lessons and just found that as fascinating as I did where if people, you know, the book, I think is a great starting point. Right. They want to dive more into your mindset in life. Where can they learn more about you?
- [34:16]
A
Oh, yeah. My book is available everywhere. And actually I recommend people the audiobook is quite. I think it's better because I personally read it and I add extra chapters in it, bonus chapters, but it's. It's whatever. It's not even that expensive either. So.
- [34:30]
B
Yeah, we'll put the link in the show notes. Just tell them the book name and your Instagram if they want to follow you too.
- [34:36]
A
Lolo Jones. The book is called Over It. And I hope you guys get over whatever is really hard for you because we all have setbacks.
- [34:44]
B
Love it, guys. That's a wrap. Take care. Keep living the red life. I'll see you soon.