Podcast Summary: Living The Red Life

Episode: Serena Williams’ Winning Formula: From World Champion to Elite Business Leader

Host: Rudy Mawer
Guest: Serena Williams
Date: December 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Rudy Mawer sits down with tennis legend Serena Williams to explore her journey from groundbreaking athlete to venture capitalist and business leader. The conversation centers on Serena’s sources of self-belief, her approach to leadership, team building, entrepreneurship lessons, and the crossover between athletic and business mindsets. Serena also reflects on her relationship with her sister Venus and the power of resilience, discipline, and positive affirmations in achieving world-class success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Self-Belief and Family Influence

• Serena credits her self-belief to her parents, especially her father, who filled her environment with positive messages and confidence boosters.
  • Quote: “My parents really instilled, you're good, you're going to be great, you're great. Even down to having signs around, positive affirmations, telling us all the time how good we are.” (03:05)
• Her sister Venus played a pivotal role at a critical time, reinforcing Serena’s sense of worth and pushing her forward.
  • Quote: “I think my sister saw that I was going through it at that moment and she said these words that I will never forget, which is why I wanted it in the movie, in the script. I think she saw something in me that no one saw, not even my parents.” (04:16)

2. Sibling Dynamics: Tag Team and Rivalry

• On Doubles Success and Sisterhood:
  • Playing together as sisters was a joyful experience, making their doubles victories and shared time particularly meaningful.
    • Quote: “My fondest memories are definitely on the Doubles Court...The best times is winning gold medals with her or winning Grand Slams with her.” (04:54)
• On Competing Against Venus:
  • Serena is candid about the challenge and discomfort of playing against her sister, emphasizing their resolve to put family before rivalry.
    • Quote: “It was something I never really enjoyed playing against my sister, but...at the end of the day, tennis would only last so long and we would be sisters forever.” (05:29)

3. Life After Tennis: Parenting & Serena Ventures

• Transition to Business:
  • Serena divides her focus between being a mother, running Serena Ventures, and other media projects. She shares her passion for investing in underrepresented founders.
    • Quote: “We invest in women, we invest in underrepresented founders and ideas and products that are helping underrepresented people through technology, fintech, AI, B2B, SaaS stuff…I try to think that [being a mom] is my number one job right now.” (06:26)
• Building and Leading Teams:
  • Serena draws parallels between managing tennis teams and leading business ventures, stressing the importance of learning to hire, manage, and inspire others.

4. Leadership, Team Building & Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Leadership Lessons from Sport:
  • “It became a completely team sport, whereas you needed a team…leading that team really helped me as an entrepreneur and understanding like, who to hire, how to hire, how to be.” (07:24)
• Entrepreneurs Need a Strong Team:
  • Rudy notes that like pro athletes, entrepreneurs need a robust team, not just go it alone.
  • Serena’s Practical Tips:
    • Trust your gut.
    • Hire slow, fire fast:
      • Quote: “If it's not working, it's not going to work next year, next month, it's never going to work.” (09:00)
    • Don’t take hiring or firing personally—uplift and respect people, but don’t force fit.

5. Mindset and Transferable Skills Between Sport and Business

• Entrepreneurs & Athletes: Shared DNA:
  • Both require resilience, discipline, belief, and learning from setbacks.
    • Quote: “I always feel like athletes make great business people and you can see nowadays that they really are.” (10:55)
• Belief Is More Than Words:
  • Actions must back up ambitions. Serena stresses that conviction is what separates those who reach their goals from those who don’t.
    • Quote: “Words are words, but words are followed by actions…they make you act harder, they make you work harder, they make you dream more.” (11:47)
• Self-Affirmation:
  • If support or affirmation isn’t coming from others, build it yourself.
    • Quote: “You don't have to have. And you can give them to yourself.” (12:47)

6. Final Advice and Takeaways

• “Work Hard and Try a Lot”
  • Serena notes the reality that overnight success is rare; persistence and ongoing effort are crucial.
    • Quote: “It's cliché. It's not going to happen overnight. And for every story that it does happen overnight, there's billions that it doesn't. So you have to work hard.” (13:38)
  • She prefers “try a lot” over “fail a lot,” reframing setbacks as lessons and reminders to keep trying.
    • Quote: “I like to say try a lot because it might not work out, but just keep trying. Don't stop trying.” (14:02)
• Be the Best Version of Yourself:
  • Serena hopes listeners will draw inspiration to become their best selves and to seek inward success as much as outward achievement.
    • Quote: “Being the best version of yourself. A little inspiration on inside success.” (14:24)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Positive Affirmation:
  • “My parents really instilled, you're going to be great…positive affirmations, telling us all the time how good we are.” — Serena Williams (03:05)
• On Difficulties Playing Venus:
  • “It was something I never really enjoyed playing against my sister…but we would be sisters forever.” — Serena Williams (05:29)
• On Team and Hiring:
  • “Trust your gut. Hire slow, fire fast.” — Serena Williams (09:00)
  • “It could be someone that you really respect…but if it's not working out, don’t feel guilty.” — Serena Williams (09:43)
• On Mindset:
  • “Words are words, but words are followed by actions…they make you act harder, …work harder, …dream more.” — Serena Williams (11:47)
• On Trying vs. Failing:
  • “I like to say try a lot because it might not work out, but just keep trying. Don't stop trying.” — Serena Williams (14:02)

Key Timestamps

• 03:05: Self-belief and positive affirmations from family
• 04:16: Venus’s pivotal encouragement
• 04:54: Joys of playing doubles with Venus
• 05:29: Emotional challenge of playing against her sister
• 06:26: Serena’s ventures and balancing motherhood
• 07:24: Leadership lessons from tennis applied to business
• 09:00: Advice on hiring and firing in business
• 11:47: Actions over words; authentic belief
• 14:02: Reframing "failure" as ongoing effort and learning
• 14:24: Encouragement to pursue inner and outer success

Memorable Moments

• Serena clarifies a semi-fictional moment from the "King Richard" movie: It was really Venus who first told Serena she’d be the greatest of all time, which was pivotal for Serena’s self-confidence. (04:00–04:44)
• Candid talk about firing in business, equating personnel decisions with dating: if it’s not a fit, keep searching, don’t take it personally. (09:00–09:43)
• Distinction between merely saying and believing your ambitions, and how daily repetition and discipline cement conviction. (11:47)

Conclusion

This episode offers a rare, candid look into Serena Williams’ mindset both on and off the court: the value of belief, leadership evolution, team building, and learning from experience are woven throughout her advice. Serena’s humility and practical wisdom stand out, providing actionable insights for entrepreneurs, athletes, and anyone pursuing major goals. Her journey from tennis stardom to business is both inspirational and instructive—urging listeners to persist, uplift others, and never stop striving for their best selves.