412: How Playing Sports Translates Into Professional Confidence Featuring Samantha Peszek

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Heart & Hustle Podcast
Episode 412: How Playing Sports Translates Into Professional Confidence Featuring Samantha Peszek
Release Date: December 17, 2024

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Introduction

In episode 412 of The Heart & Hustle Podcast, hosts Evie McLeod and Lindsay Roman welcome Samantha Peszek, a multifaceted former Olympic gymnast turned entrepreneur. Samantha brings a wealth of experience from her athletic career to her current endeavors, offering invaluable insights into how sports can shape professional confidence and life skills.

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Samantha’s Gymnastics Journey

Samantha Peszek’s dedication to gymnastics began at the tender age of two, influenced by her parents who were both college athletes. Her commitment culminated in a silver medal with the 2008 Women’s Olympic Gymnastic Team and multiple accolades during her collegiate career at UCLA, where she became a 17-time All-American and a three-time NCAA champion (04:38).

Notable Quote:
Samantha reflects on her early aspirations, saying, “I started when I’m two… I never, I really thought a day past the Olympics… but life doesn’t stop even when you accomplish your dreams” (08:19).

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Transition to Entrepreneurship

After retiring from competitive gymnastics a decade ago, Samantha ventured into entrepreneurship. She founded Beam Queen Boot Camp, a premier clinic dedicated to empowering gymnasts through confidence-building on the balance beam. Her transition highlights the seamless integration of athletic discipline with business acumen (20:36).

Notable Quote:
Discussing her entrepreneurial journey, Samantha shares, “I just really knew that I could make a big impact… and fast forward to now, where we do 25 events in one summer and three and a half months all over the country” (42:43).

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Sports and Life Lessons

A significant theme of the episode is the profound life lessons derived from sports. Samantha emphasizes how the mindset developed through gymnastics—such as resilience, dedication, and strategic thinking—directly translates into professional confidence and business success.

Notable Quote:
“When you have that vision, as long as you're holding true to that vision, it doesn't really matter the obstacles that you're going through. You just got to figure out a way around it” (11:26).

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Confidence as a Muscle

Samantha introduces the concept of confidence as a muscle that requires consistent practice and dedication. Through Beam Queen Boot Camp, she teaches young gymnasts that confidence can be developed and strengthened over time, much like their physical skills on the beam.

Notable Quote:
“Confidence is like a muscle… you just have to practice it each and every day” (22:48).

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Impact Stories

The episode features heartfelt stories demonstrating the tangible impact of Samantha’s work. One poignant moment involves a high school girl overcoming self-harm, crediting the boot camp for giving her the confidence to seek help.

Notable Quote:
“The biggest message that we want them to know is that confidence is like a muscle… and how you can flex that muscle and practice it every single day” (25:07).

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Lessons Learned

Samantha shares critical lessons from both her gymnastics and entrepreneurial experiences. She highlights the importance of a positive environment, supportive relationships, and positive self-talk in achieving personal and professional goals.

Notable Quote:
“The power of the mind is so strong… you have to put yourself in a position to succeed if you want to be fit” (46:07).

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Conclusion

Samantha Peszek’s journey from Olympic gymnast to empowered entrepreneur serves as an inspiring testament to the cross-disciplinary benefits of sports. Her work with Beam Queen Boot Camp not only enhances athletic performance but also fosters essential life skills in young gymnasts, preparing them for success beyond the gymnasium.

Final Thought:
Samantha concludes with a powerful affirmation, “You can do anything you set your mind to… and the environment and the people and the most important thing in all of this is what you say to yourself” (46:15).

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Connect with Samantha Peszek

For listeners inspired by Samantha’s story and eager to learn more about Beam Queen Boot Camp, she can be reached on Instagram (@samanthapeszek), TikTok (@sampeszek), and through their website at BeamQueen.com. The organization also offers a variety of resources, including a digital platform and an app designed to extend their confidence-building curriculum globally.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Lindsay Roman]

You are listening to the Heart and Hustle podcast. We are your hosts, Evie McCloud and Lindsay Roman. Welcome back to the show, my friend. Today is such a fun episode. We have a unique guest on the show, one that is in a little bit different niche of life than, I guess, who we normally have on the show. But we got to welcome the incredible Samantha Peshek to the show. Now. She is a former silver medalist from the 2008 Women's Olympic Gymnastic team. She's a female entrepreneur, a sports broadcaster, a motivational speaker, and women's mental health advocate. Sixteen years after her Olympic performance, Samantha returned as the women's gymnastic analyst for NBC Primetime for the 2024 Paris Olympics, imparting her firsthand experience and knowledge of the sport throughout the Games. Now, outside of her career in sports broadcasting, she's the founder of Beam Queen, the premier clinic dedicated to empowering gymnasts through the power of confidence on the beam. And with over two decades of experience in gymnastics, Samantha's mission is simple. To help gymnasts accomplish their goals on and off the beam.

[Evie McLeod]

Yes, and that is the perfect segue to what we talked about with Samantha today. So she kind of talked to us about both her journey and experience as an Olympian from a young age through, you know, what her Olympic experience was like. So much cool backstory there that you just, you gotta know because it's so cool. But also what she has learned through the years, both as a Olympian, as a, you know, a gymnast, and as a coach of how sports tie in so well with just life, life lessons and what you can learn from sports, what it's like to transition from, you know, an Olympian to an entrepreneur, her journey there, the mindsets that she sees consistently being taught at her boot camps to, you know, these. These athletes that also apply to just life, to entrepreneurs, to business, and how all of those tie in. There were so many conversations or like, you know, little tangents within this topic of sports. The lessons learned, how it ties in with life, with entrepreneurship. Should have your kids in sports. What age? What will they learn? There's so much that we talked about with Sam today. So if you are interested at all in just a former Olympian's journey story, it is so inspirational, so powerful. There were themes throughout that I think kind of unintentionally came up, but I truly believe are impactful and life changing. So if you want to learn and tune in to a former Olympian and a gymnast who is just an incredible entrepreneur now, please do. Let's sit back, relax and hear from.

[Lindsay Roman]

Samantha, you started your business for a reason. Huh? You're following your dreams because something deep, deep down inside your heart is on fire for it. And that's incredible.

[Evie McLeod]

But if you're still scratching your head on what the why behind your business really is and what keeps you going day to day, and how the heck to share your heart with your clients and customers, to connect with them and to stand out in your industry, well.

[Lindsay Roman]

We'Ve got just the thing for you. We want to help you find clarity and nail down your reasons why. And once you do this, it's a total game changer when running a business. Because once you know your why, that's when you're able to tackle your goals, actually succeed and keep that fire under your butt.

[Evie McLeod]

So if you're ready to get really honest with yourself and discover some really incredible life changing vision, snag our Determine your why and how to share it with your followers [e-mail] why.

[Samantha Peshek]

Hey hey.

[Lindsay Roman]

I'm Lindsey Roman.

[Evie McLeod]

And I'm Evie McLeod and we are family and legacy focused serial entrepreneurs and the founders of the Hart University, a business education company with a mission to help you thrive in your business and life.

[Lindsay Roman]

Welcome to our Entrepreneur Cocktail hour where business and marketing strategies meet faith, real talk and raw and life changing conversations.

[Evie McLeod]

At the end of the day, we are all in this together figuring out how to navigate the ups and downs, the messy and the beautiful and everything in between. This is a community where you can come as you are, get inspired and walk away equipped to build a legacy filled life.

[Lindsay Roman]

You're listening to the Heart and Hustle podcast.

[Evie McLeod]

Samantha, welcome to the Heart and Hustle. We are so excited to have you today.

[Samantha Peshek]

Thank you so much for having me on. I'm excited.

[Evie McLeod]

Yay. Well, we are just. You seem like you have such a wealth of information and experience that our listeners are just going to be able to glean so, so much from. So were you willing to kind of back up for anyone who is just kind of getting to know you or meeting you or a reminder overview of kind of who you are and a bit of your story and what you do?

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, of course. I mean, looking back, I have a gymnastics background. For those that don't know. I did gymnastics for probably 22 years at every single stage. Went to the Olympics in 2008 and our team was able to win a silver medal. So that was probably, you know, one of the big biggest achievements in my gymnastics career. And then I was honored to accept a full ride scholarship to UCLA and I became a 17 time all American and a three time NCAA champion. So. But it's funny because I've been, you know, retired from the Sport for about 10 years now and looking back, it almost just feels like a lifetime ago, just a separate life now. So I love looking back and reflecting and really thinking about all the memories and the things that I learned because I do feel like it's, it helps me a lot now in business.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Roman]

Oh, that's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

So cool.

[Lindsay Roman]

Okay, well, we're going to talk about it all. Obviously your history, but then obviously what you do now. But kind of diving deeper into your experience as a gymnast, what made you first fall in love with gymnastics in the first place? Like, was there a moment that you can point back to in your career or your life that you remember? Like when you were like, oh no, I want to one start gymnastics. And maybe you were so young, I'm not sure, but. And then also like, what was the decision to try out or sorry for try for the US Gymnastics team.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah. So my parents were both college athletes. My mom was a college gymnast and my dad was a college hockey player and a wrestler. And the story goes, as they were arguing about which sport to put me in and, and we have a really competitive family. My sister is also a gymn. And so the tiebreaker was, okay, well why don't we put her in both and then she can choose. And luckily for my mom, gymnastics is a sport that you can start when you're two. And so lo and behold, I start when I'm two. And it's just mommy and me classes, of course. But then I start going a little bit more, a little bit more. And then I got to do soccer. And I think by the age of six, I had to, quote, unquote, choose which sport I wanted to do. And it was such an easy decision for me because gymnastics really felt like four sports in one. So I'm like, why would I pick one sport when I can like really pick four sports? I didn't realize it was gonna be so hard to be good at four sports. You know, at the highest level. Didn't really factor that in. But that was how I chose gymnastics, if you will. But in 1996, I was just five years old and I have this vivid memory of watching the Olympic games. And that was the moment where I started telling everybody I was gonna go to the oly. I would tell the grocery store people that they were going to want my autograph one day because I was going to the Olympics. And then I remember Telling teachers and, you know, you have to write down what do you want to be when you grow up? And I always, from that moment forward, everything. My mind and my heart was set on going to the Olympics. And I didn't know what that meant at the time. And I think you can imagine a little kid brain of, like, I didn't know it was going to be hard work. They would just look like they were having fun. They got to wear sparkly leotards. They got to perform in front of a crowd. Like, I was such a hate. Like, to me, I was like, this is so fun. It wasn't fun. I mean, there was a lot of other words. It was very rewarding. But I wouldn't use the word fun as, like, elite gymnastics. But in my little kid brain, like, my parents always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. And that was from that moment forward, what I had set my mind to.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

I love that. I'd be curious, Samantha, to hear your thoughts, because you kind of mentioned, like, it was years that you kind of had this as, like, a big focus. Do you feel like that almost laser focus was a huge aspect of accomplishing that goal? Like, you just locked onto it and it seems like just worked at it for years and years. Do you feel like that's like, a big factor in your story was, like, so many years of laser focus on it?

[Samantha Peshek]

Yes and no. I mean, I remember having that goal of going to the Olympics, but you don't really know how hard it's going to be. And then, you know, every level of. As you know, Evie, when you're learning skills, it's scary to move up high beams and to learn new combinations. And so years and years of practice, I think it was very much in the back burner. It's not like it was a burning goal of mine. I went to the gym because my friends were there, and I enjoyed learning new skills, and I was still progressing. And so I think it wasn't until I was 10, when I made. It's called the TOPS program, the talent Opportunity Program, where you get selected as one of the top gym in the country to go to the National Team Training center and evaluate your skills. And so I just remember being at the National Team Training center and seeing all the photos of the walls of all these Olympians and thinking, wow, okay, if they trained here and they went to the Olympics and now I'm training here, that means I can go to the Olympics. And so I think I just was trying to position Myself as best as I can of like, I can do this too. If they can do it, why not me? And I think it was really my mindset throughout my career. I wasn't always the most talented gymnast. I had way more fears than everybody else. I wasn't flexible. I had so much going against me that I really think it was my mentality in my mind that was my, you know, biggest strength throughout the process.

[Evie McLeod]

That's so good. Yeah, that was one of my follow up questions was like, mentalities or mindsets, like to, to get to that place as one of the top gymnasts in the world. And now as a business owner, do you feel like that translate? Yeah, that mindset has translated or been a key part of being a business owner now.

[Samantha Peshek]

Oh my gosh, yes. I mean, there's, there's so many moments where, you know, you learn something new every day when you own your own business. And so there's so many moments where, you know, you're hitting your head against the wall or you're just frustrated. And like, I take a pause and I'm like, okay, would I rather be dealing with this or be doing a floor routine on hard ground and have to do all these conditioning sets after? And so there is not one day that goes by where I choose the gymnastics assignment because that's how tough they were growing up. So nothing in my life now, I feel like, could be as tough as, you know, that journey was. So, I mean, that's a very niche example that not everybody has to lean back on. But for me, it's, it kind of is a funny moment of like, yeah, nothing can be harder than those days.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Roman]

Oh, that's so funny. Is there any specific examples, like, or anything that you can kind of weigh in on? Okay. It takes this to obviously be a young gymnastic or I can't even talk gymnast. And also like, kind of like that same element is present in entrepreneurship. Like I would imagine just being completely on the outside, like determination or anything like that. You can, you're like, oh, yep, you need this. And you need this for both entrepreneurship and gymnastics.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah. I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is the vision. And for me, like, I had that vision when I was five and you know, sometimes it's more faded than other years when I look at my gymnastics career. And the same is true with business. It's like, I always have the vision. And sure, there's obstacles every single day that can, you know, hold you back or, you know, try to, try to tell you no or you know whatever it is that you're going through, but as long as you're holding true to that vision, it doesn't really matter matter the obstacles that you're going through. You just got to figure out a way around it. You know, maybe it's not through it, maybe it's not over it, maybe it's not under it, but like you got to figure out the way the work around to getting to your ultimate vision. And that's what really matters is keeping that faith and keeping the belief in your own vision, which I think sometimes is really hard to do, especially when you're a solopreneur or when you are a new entrepreneur or just building out startups or anything like that.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah, 100% is so true.

[Lindsay Roman]

I also. Sorry, do you have a question?

[Evie McLeod]

Well, I do, but go for it.

[Lindsay Roman]

No, you go and then I'll go again.

[Evie McLeod]

I'm kind of changing topics, so.

[Lindsay Roman]

No, I just. This is like a, like a more of a sub bar moment when you're a child and it's something like you just said the floor routine of like, I would never do all right, if I had the choice, obviously I would never want to go back there. But when you're a child in it, what makes you like want to do it or like, where does the like will come to wake up and go to practice every single day and train to become the level of an Olympic athlete? Does that make sense? Like, yeah.

[Evie McLeod]

Where does that come from?

[Samantha Peshek]

I asked. I think back on that too. That's a great question. Because I think back on that, I'm like, well, I cannot believe I did that. I mean, there were mornings where, you know, I remember the year of the Olympics. You, you really can't have a bad practice because the, the risk is too high for injury and the skills are so hard that if you don't have a clear head or your head screwed on straight is what we call it, is like you're going to hurt yourself and then you're not going to be able to compete for your chance of competing at the Olympics. And so every day just felt so much pressure. And I remember my body was so sore I would be crawling to the bathroom in the morning. I went to a real school, so I'd be at school, I'd have to go early to make up assignments that I was traveling for. Then I would go to the gym. And on good days it would probably take me five hours and on bad days it was like six and a half hours. And it was just kind of dependent on and it was just a lot of conditioning and a lot of hard work. But the thing that kept me going is, like, okay, I was so close to my Olympic dream, and there's nothing that would have gotten me to change course or to quit or anything like that, because I was so loyal, I think, to my dream of going to the Olympics, because it had just been the only thing that I had wanted my entire life. Like, I can remember every 11, 11 that I saw, every time I blew out my birthday candles. The only wish that I had my entire life was to go to the Olympic Games. So, yeah, I think you could have chopped off my arm, and I'd still try to find a way to go.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

I love it. Focus. The vision. Yeah, that's like, the vision of it, which I love.

[Samantha Peshek]

Blessing and a curse, honestly. But in that scenario, it's great.

[Evie McLeod]

I love it. Okay, well, speaking of that, like, that vision and how long that was, like, such a forefront. I'm curious, and you don't have to answer this, because I wonder if you get this question a lot, but I'm really curious of what your experience was, like, stepping away from that season and kind of, like, Olympics are completed, like.

[Lindsay Roman]

After you've accomplished that. Yeah.

[Evie McLeod]

Like, was there a letdown and what was that like? And I wonder, did that translate into, like, starting Bean Queen Boot camp? Like, was that a season where you were, you know, determining what was next? Like, I guess just kind of that season, if you're willing to talk about it. Because I've heard Olympians say that that is, like, such an incredibly difficult season because you spent so much of your life just laser focused on something, and then it's just over in a day, basically. Well, obviously not a day, but, like, overnight it happens, it's happening, and then it's just done. So what are your. What was your experience there, and how did that kind of, like, lead into the next phase of what you're doing now?

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, great question. I mean, I would consider myself a pretty emotionally stable. Um, my highs are not super high. My lows are not low. Especially, like, in a sport like gymnastics, you're really just. You gotta be even keel. Um, and so when I made the Olympic team, we were training for a week before we went to China, and during that week, I actually tore my meniscus. And I didn't tell anybody that I hurt my knee. And the next morning, I woke up and my knee was so swollen, I burst into tears. And they took me and got X rays, and they were like, okay, well, the good news is. Or the bad news is you have you tore your meniscus. And the good news is, you can either decide to train on the pain and try to go to the Olympics, or we can send you home and bring in the alternate. And absolutely not, like, there was no pain that would stop me from trying to do this. And so I had to heal my knee, and then when I touched down in China, be able to do all my skills like I was able to do before. And so it was a really tough comeback. And then, you know, a couple. Couple weeks later, when we're getting ready to compete, five minutes before the meet starts, I actually landed sideways on my ankle and tore every ligament in my ankle, like, five minutes before my gosh, meet started. Yeah. And so I had personally, like, the worst Olympic experience that anyone could possibly have. I mean, I had the best experience with my team, and I'm so grateful that we were able to win a silver medal, and I still was able to do my bar routine that day. But in terms of, like, being able to have that fulfilling moment, I didn't get that. And so, to top it off, you know, we couldn't talk to our parents because our parents were there, and the cell phones didn't work in China to other phones in China, and we didn't have WI fi in our hotels, and we weren't allowed out of our rooms. And then the coaches told me that I wasn't allowed to talk to my teammates about it because I wasn't supposed to make them sad or feel bad for me. And so it was a really, like. Like, deep, personal terrible thing that I had to feel like I was going through alone. Yeah. And so then when I got home, I think I just was, like, so numb to any emotion. And I learned later that it's called, you know, post Olympic depression. And so for me, it was just figuring out how to get myself out of that rut of, like, here I am. I accomplished something that I'd been training for for years. I got a silver med. Like, it was the coolest experience that I was 16 years old. I was in real high school. They threw me a pep rally. I got to go to the White House. I got to meet Oprah and all these celebrities, and I was just like, a shell of myself. And so, yeah, it was a really tough thing to figure out. Like, okay, you know, you beat the video game. Like, what's next? In a way. And so for me, that was committing to UCLA and knowing that, okay, I have more gymnastics left, and there's more left to give. And there's like, you know, I can have a career because the reality is, because of how focused I am, the con of that was I never really thought a day past the Olympics, and, like, I don't know what I thought was going to happen. Like, I just was going to immediately, like, get $3 million and never, you know, now $10 million, whatever the girls are getting these days. But. So maybe it's kind of true now, but it was certainly not the case for our Olympics. But, yeah, I mean, the reality is life doesn't stop even when you accomplish your dreams, and you have to keep setting those goals. And so I think that was a really good life lesson for me to come out of that, of figuring out, okay, like, you can achieve something, and then guess what? You get to achieve other things. And for me, it was always just that one big thing that I ever wanted to do. And so figuring out new goals was really tough. But I'm grateful that I went through that at a young age because I think a lot of people, a lot of athletes deal with that when they're finished college or they retire later or change careers. And so I can really understand when someone has to pivot because you've had a one track mind for so long.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah, totally. 100%.

[Lindsay Roman]

Well, so then walk us through the journey of how you decided to start Beam Queen Boot Camp. Like, where was that a long time after? Or was it recently after the Olympics? Like, what was that journey?

[Evie McLeod]

Like?

[Samantha Peshek]

It was quite a bit of time after the Olympics. I was only. I was going to my junior year of high school after the Olympics, so I would say six years after seven. Seven years after is when I started being Queen Boot Camp, like, pretty quickly out of college. And I was coaching a bunch of different camps in the summer just to make money to live in la. And I was thinking, gosh, like, I could have a bigger impact if I, you know, broke down the event balance beam. And then when I was doing that, I'm like, you know what? This is very, like, synonymous to life. And I was in a lot of leadership courses, and I was really, like, interested in business and entrepreneurship and female leaders. And I did an independent study, and I was studying all these, like, badass women. And I was like, oh, my gosh. Everything that they're saying is what we're teaching these gymnasts when they're 10 years old on balance beam. And so for me, it how can we use sport to teach young girls life lessons? And I don't know if you Guys have heard of the book the Confidence Code by. Okay, yeah, so I love that book. And one of the chapters is basically like, you know, the only place that girls have to learn the same skills that men have in the workplace is through sport. But most. Most high schoolers quit sports. And so there's just a really big disconnect on how we're helping girls get confidence for life beyond sports. So for me, it's more about that life skills. But of course, it's, you know, we're teaching them beam and we're still helping them with their skills. And it's gymnastics focused, too.

[Evie McLeod]

I love that.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's awesome.

[Evie McLeod]

Okay, so sports teaching you life lessons. Are you willing to kind of share maybe some of the biggest life lessons that you consistently see being taught in sports or that you're teaching some of those girls in the Bean Queen boot camp? Like, what comes up over and over again that you're like, this one. This is a big one, I see.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, of course. I think the biggest one is confidence. To be a good beam worker, you have to have confidence. It's. It's quote, unquote, the easiest on your body, and it's the event that you usually, you have done those skills the longest, so it should be the easiest, but it's really based on your confidence. And you can tell good be more just by the way that they are working the beam, whether they're confident or not. And so the same is for life. And so when we do confidence sessions with these young girls, we talk to them about, like, what is confidence? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do you get it? And so a lot of these girls, you know, it is hard to put words to a word like confidence, right? A definition to something that you can't necessarily feel or touch, especially with young girls. But the biggest message that we want them to know is that confidence is like a muscle. So you see some people and it makes it. Maybe you think that, like, oh, they were just born with confidence and, okay, maybe they're born with a little bit more adventurous spirit. Right. But, like, the way you get confident is that you just have to practice it each and every day. And so we relate it in the terms of gymnastics of, like, okay, if you were learning a new skill and then you went on vacation for two months, when you came back, do you think you'd be at the same level as when you left? No, because you weren't practicing, you know, and so that's the same thing with confidence is like, even if you start getting good at it, you still have to keep practicing it, and then it's going to become easy, and it's going to become second nature, and you're going to do it a lot more easily. And when you're having bad days, you're going to lean on that ease of being able to practice confidence. But until you develop that muscle, you don't really know how to use it. And so we really work with them on, like, how. How to flex that muscle and then how to practice that every single day.

[Evie McLeod]

I love that, man.

[Lindsay Roman]

Is there any. I don't want to put you on spot, but is there any story of any of your girls? Of just, like, I don't know, any story that you've seen, like, going through the boot camp with you guys? Of just like, how, like, a. A single girl was, like, revolutionized or just anything that kind of, like, impact. Yeah, impact from your experience that you've seen.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah. And I'm not emotional, but this, like, one story, like, kind of makes me emotional.

[Evie McLeod]

We.

[Samantha Peshek]

It was our very last event of the summer, I think two years ago. We were in New York City, and I was, you know, administering the confidence session. That's my favorite one to do, is kind of, like, connecting with the girls. And we had a group that was high school or girls, and one of the girls was just kind of looking off and just not paying attention. And I kind of kept trying, asking her name, like, what do you think about this? And she'd kind of just have a little spicy attitude. And, you know, you're not going to connect with everybody, but maybe it'll resonate one day. Right? Is kind of my thought process. And so, you know, I was like, all right, didn't connect with that one. Like, hopefully she sleeps on it and thinks about this. So the end of the boot camp, she calls me over. She's like, hey, Sam, can I talk to you? I'm like, yeah. And she's like. Just starts bawling. And she's like, I scratched myself. That's what she called cutting. And she was like, I scratched myself. And I have never felt more confident than I have here today going through the boot camp. And I just wanted to say thank you so much. You gave me the confidence to tell my parents and to get help. And I was like, this is way beyond gymnastics. And you never know what people are going through and what little girls or how high school girls are going through. And even if they're not paying attention or you think that they're not paying attention, you don't know what's, you know, how you're affecting them. And so if we can be a positive voice for these girls that are struggling, like these girls aren't going to, I'm sure most of these girls aren't going to go to the Olympics. And I'm sure most people don't do sports because they want to go to the Olympics. I'm a very unique case study on that. But if they have the, the life lessons and skills to be successful in whatever their dream job is or whatever their goals in life are beyond gymnastics. Like I had to create goals outside of the gymnastics, which was tough for me. That's normal. Everyone has to create, you know, career goals and personal goals. And so to be able to have an effect on these girls outside of the gymnastics world is like the thing that touches me the most because that's when you know they're going to carry with them all of those thoughts and messages and techniques and tools that we talked to them about for just two days.

[Evie McLeod]

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[Lindsay Roman]

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[Evie McLeod]

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[Lindsay Roman]

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[Evie McLeod]

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[Lindsay Roman]

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[Evie McLeod]

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[Lindsay Roman]

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[Evie McLeod]

Today I teared up.

[Samantha Peshek]

I know.

[Lindsay Roman]

Same. Yeah, we're over here just, like, wiping our tears as you're talking.

[Evie McLeod]

Oh, it's so good. And it's so true, too, to recognize, like, in anything, even with us, in business or photography or entrepreneurship or gymnastics, it's like it's so much bigger than that. Like, that's one thing that we do as humans, but it's when you make an impact as like, to the human soul or heart, it's like the biggest.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, that's.

[Evie McLeod]

That's what it's all about. And that's so, so powerful.

[Samantha Peshek]

I agree. And I feel like too, one thing that my parents did really well, I think they did a lot of things well, but one of the main things that I think they did really well is always saying, you can do anything you set your mind to. Like, they would respond that way whenever I said, oh, I really want to do this, or I really want to do this. And like, I'm sure in their head, they're like, this girl is crazy. She's not that good at gymnastics. And like, she wants to go to the Olympics. But, like, they're messy to me was always, you can do anything you set your mind to. And at that age, you know, when you're a young kid, you don't know how hard it's going to be. You don't know. You don't think about, oh, I'm insecure or I'm embarrassed or what if so and so makes you know, you're so young, you don't really have those thoughts yet. And so that backbone and foundation of when you do get into that stage of life and you start having insecurities, that backbone is still. Well, yeah, that's true, but also So I can do anything I set my mind to. Yeah. And so having that as like a really strong foundation is, is also what I'm hoping to pass along to these young girls.

[Evie McLeod]

I love that.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

I can tag onto that. My parents did the exact same thing growing up. And consistent messaging of like you can do anything you set your mind to was life changing, like truly life changing. I'm curious for you as a, as a coach, as a former like Olympic gymnastics, what are your thoughts? Do you think every kid should be in sports? And if so, are you like start them really young and consit. Continue it all the way through high school or you like it? Just case by case.

[Lindsay Roman]

I have a five year old, a three year old and a one year old.

[Evie McLeod]

I'm very interested in this question.

[Lindsay Roman]

No, well, obviously, literally we just put Eloise, my 5 year old, in dance class and Andrew was like, you realize that now is the age, it's probably actually two to have the age of putting them in something that would be a lifelong like skill at the top level. And I was like, that's overwhelming.

[Evie McLeod]

We missed. We missed.

[Lindsay Roman]

Yeah, you were like 2 years old. And I'm like, okay, well she's out for a gymnast.

[Evie McLeod]

I love it.

[Samantha Peshek]

Well, that's not true. Gymnastics is a niche sport. And one of my teammates, Alicia Sacramento, she didn't start until she was seven. So.

[Evie McLeod]

Okay, not too late. All right, not too late.

[Samantha Peshek]

I think sports are really important. And do I think that all kids should be in sports? Yes, for the health benefits in addition to what they learn, being part of a team and learning a new skill and the resilience factor, all the positive aspects of sport. But there's other things like being part of the band or being in theater or there's other things that are technically not sports that I think check that box of learning a new skill and learning resilience and learning how to work with others, I think all of that happens, but then it really doesn't have the health fitness side of things. And I think that encouraging young kids to have a healthy lifestyle at a young age, that it becomes part of their habit when they become an adult, I think is really important. Important. So I think if, if they don't latch on to the, to the sport aspect of it, I think somehow figuring out a way that they can get, that they can get their active.

[Evie McLeod]

Right.

[Samantha Peshek]

Their physical activity is an active, their healthy lifestyle and running around and just being a fit person for health purposes, I think is really important.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah, it's actually true. When I think of it because I did theater. I did gymnastics when I was young. I did volleyball and then cross country when I was in, like, high school. And I'm like, I. I started gymnastics when I was, like, 4 or 5, and I was in that for, like, 10 years. And then I, like, switched to something. But I'm like, I think I did a sport of some kind from, like, five all the way through.

[Lindsay Roman]

I think I always did cheerleading, which is obviously a sport, but.

[Evie McLeod]

But it's, like, long periods.

[Lindsay Roman]

Remember, I did gymnastics for, like, I can't even remember. My mom would know better than I am. But, like, I tried to do a backhand spring for, like, literally seven years, and I couldn't. And then I was like, I'm done.

[Evie McLeod]

You didn't have the vision of the Olympics.

[Samantha Peshek]

I did not have a vision. That's okay. You probably had an easier high school experience than I.

[Evie McLeod]

That's probably.

[Lindsay Roman]

I was a theater and band kid and a cheerleader, so I did other things. It's fine.

[Samantha Peshek]

But it's.

[Evie McLeod]

It's funny, though, when you think, like, as you were talking, I was like, that is so true. And at least for me, I know some people's experience with sports and depending on, you know, coaches or teammates, like, you can have the opposite experience. But I. All of those things, for me, taught me to really, like, love and honor my body, to be able to have a really healthy view of the functionality of my body and staying fit for the purpose of function. And it, like, I personally experienced positive body image from all of the sports that I was in. But I know some people's experience is different, but I could see if you're just as a. Like, a parent, very, like, aware of what the environment and culture is teaching them, that could also be so powerful. Like, I am still very passionate about staying healthy, staying fit, working out for the purpose of function and health. And I, like, I think that was probably probably built in a lot from. Yeah, literally most of my life in some form of active pursuit. That really does show you, like, hey, you know, treat your body well and nourish it and, you know, train and all of that. And it impacts your life in a beautiful, positive way, too. So is that, like, something that you've seen? I guess you've seen way more of sports and. And the environment that sports, like, can come around, like, body image and stuff? Is that something that you see positive body image coming out of or negative? Like, for parents listening specifically, should they be, like, alert to the pros or cons of that? I Know, that's like such a niche question, but that just popped in my head.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, it's a good question. I mean, I'm not a dietician starting there. I have friends that are who speak to our gymnasts a lot. And I think focusing on food as fuel, not as good or bad, is a really healthy way to, you know, talk about it with your athletes. I'm from Indiana, and I didn't know anything about, you know, nutrition good or bad until I started going to the National Team camp. And then, you know, other girls started, you know, chirping in my ear of, like, not being able to eat certain things or needing to be smaller. And then, you know, you start developing these like, oh, I didn't know that I was supposed to do that. And then, you know, the National Team coordinator one time told me, I think about was like 14. She was like, there's people like us. And she was like, 60, 70. She was like, there's people like us that can never eat bread again in our life. And. And I was like, huh, you know, and so it's like, I was one, I think, never had an eating disorder, but I was in a lot of scenarios where I'm like, I really, really could have gone down a dark path here, but I was so lucky that my personal coach was not hyper focused on it. And actually, if I had a good practice, he'd be like, what did you eat for lunch? You need to eat the exact same thing every single day.

[Evie McLeod]

Y.

[Samantha Peshek]

And he made us eat breakfast, otherwise we weren't allowed to practice. And so it was. He had a really healthy view on. On food and fuel. And so I think it's a case by case and really the culture, to your point, of the gym and the environment and the team and the families that you're around.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah, I think that's so cool and something to be aware of as, Yeah. A parent or a coach or a friend, like, paying attention to how positive, positive, like sports or the positive impact sports can have on life and the mindsets that we, you know, carry through our lives and recognizing like, hey, body image, like, our perception of food is all something that also is probably taught and trained in, like, sports as well, which is really powerful when you actually think about it. I don't know if I've ever actually, like, taken time to be like, oh, yeah, that taught, like, trained a lot beyond, like, know, like, dedication and staying consistent and, you know, team effort. Like, I've thought of that as like, sports. Yes. But like, actual body image and recognizing, like, Fueling your body, nurturing your body and health of your body. All of that, at least for me, was a big part of coming from sports, which is really cool.

[Lindsay Roman]

Yeah.

[Samantha Peshek]

And I think now there's so many really positive role models that are amazing. Female athletes on social media and celebrities that you can look to that are like, wow, they're, they're incredible. And, and they're not, you know, model looking girls. They're strong. And I remember being in high school and I think I looked like a prepubescent boy because I, you know, was short and I had, I was very muscular and all my friends, they had like boobs and they had like long beautiful hair and they like, I looked like their like little brother, like walking around with them, you know, like looking at photos. And I just remember being so embarrassed of, you know, my body. And I remember, you know, my like, not being able to fit in jeans because my waist was so tiny, but my legs were more muscular and like, it would just going shopping would be in tears and, you know, I would try to rethink like, you know, my body can do something that everybody else can't and that's cool. And it's cool until you, until you're like feeling sad that, you know, you don't look like everybody else. So I think that was like my biggest hurdle in terms of body image, of coming to terms with. It's cool that, you know, being unique is cool and you're getting to do all these other experiences.

[Evie McLeod]

That's so cool.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's amazing.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Roman]

I would love, kind of, as we're, we're getting close to wrapping up here, I would love to know, when you decided to start Beam Clean Boot Camp, what was it that, that I guess like, because that's a huge dream. And I think whenever we have a dream as an entrepreneur, there's like the dream, but then there's a, like, oh, no, I'm going to actually take action and go for it. What was like the, the like heart posture, I guess behind that of like, no, I need to do this. That made you actually take action to do it.

[Samantha Peshek]

I just really knew that I could make a big impact. I didn't really see the life skills component as clearly as I see it today. So it was more focused on helping these athletes be the best they can on beam and loving it at a younger age than I did. And I remember I had the idea for about a year and I told some of my mentors and they're in the gymnastics world and they were like, I Don't get it. Like, why would a parent pay for a gymnastics camp with just one event? And there's four events. And I'm like, well, that's the whole thing. Thing. It's, it's like a special thing because it's extra training with just this one event. And they're like, I don't, I don't see it. And so I was like, okay, that's all right. Good to know. And then one of my other mentors is one of the smartest guys you'll ever meet at the Anderson School of Business. And he's a big gymnastics fan, knows the gymnastics world, been very successful in business. And, you know, I brought it to him and he's like, show me your business model. Show me. And he was like, I don't get it. I don't see it. I don't see how you're going to make money. I don't see how this is going to be successful. Like. And so I feel like there was not one person that was like. And as supportive as my parents are, I think they really just wanted me to get a normal job and have health insurance and like, just stability and like, there was no part of that in this scenario. And so they were like, they were supportive but like, ah, like I could just tell what they weren't like gung ho about it. And so I really didn't have that much like, so outside support, I feel like. And I was like, you know what? I believe in this. We're just going to try one. I'm going to give it my all. I put every single dollar I had into making this first one successful. And then we did one. And after that first event, I got emails from gyms in 23 states in three different countries being like, this is so cool. Can you bring this to our gym? And I was like, I knew it. I knew it was going to be successful. I knew people were going to like it, you know, and fast forward to now, where we do 25 events in, in one summer and like three and a half months all over the country. So.

[Lindsay Roman]

Wow, that's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah, that's so cool. I love that. I think that also ties into your, your vision. You had the vision and you stuck by it. And I feel like, I don't think you maybe meant that to be the theme of the episode, but that was the theme of the episode. It's like, have the vision and like, stand by it and be willing to put in the work and make it happen. Yeah. Like stick by it. I love it. So much.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Roman]

Like, think of how many lives you've impacted of, like, girls whose lives you've impacted just from that one action. Like, just, like the one thing. And I just think that's so cool.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah. And I hope. Thank you. First of all. But for me, it's just like, okay, how can I impact more? Like, where can we go with this? And we created a digital platform, and we have an app now so girls that are in other countries can get the tips and the advice from. On confidence from Olympians and other NCAA athletes and things like that. And so our whole goal is, like, how do we not lose the quality and the magic of our events, but also, at the same time, be able to impact more gymnasts. And not just gymnasts, but we hope to get beyond gymnastics and more that girls of any age.

[Lindsay Roman]

That's amazing.

[Evie McLeod]

I love it. So the vision has shifted bigger and broader, and now we get to watch and see what Sam does with her new bigger and broader vision that she will stick by and work hard at.

[Samantha Peshek]

Totally. I mean, I. You know, this is probably saying too much, but last year I had a call with the Saudi Arabian government. Wow. Who reached out and are wanting to help their young girls become more confident and have more leadership qualities because they want to change from a culture standpoint. And so they wanted to bring the curriculum there. And so just like, things like that of, like, wow. Like, this is. It's not brain surgery, but at the same time, it's like, in schools and in sports, like, we didn't really think about teaching from this philosophy and life skills first before the skill, before the technical skills or sport.

[Evie McLeod]

Yeah.

[Samantha Peshek]

Wow.

[Evie McLeod]

That is so cool.

[Lindsay Roman]

That is really cool.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, I love it.

[Lindsay Roman]

Well, it's like, you. I just. Your story is so inspiring because it's like, hey, you had a. A dream and a vision from little age, and then you hit it. You went to the Olympics and, like, amazing. And then it's like, okay, well, now what? And then it's like just showing the process of, like, okay, your life continues. You have new dreams and new visions, and you get to chase after them and change people's lives in doing that. And I think that's just so cool, just hearing testimonies of girls and women that have done that. And so I know you're inspiring lots, lots of people out there.

[Samantha Peshek]

Thank you so much.

[Lindsay Roman]

Absolutely.

[Evie McLeod]

Oh, I love it.

[Lindsay Roman]

I have a question that we ask every guest this, and I. You can take this however you want in any aspect you want, but what is the biggest lesson that you've learned, we usually say in business. Business, you could say in business and gymnastics, you could do a two for one. However you want to answer that.

[Samantha Peshek]

Yeah, okay. That, that. What's, what's the biggest lesson?

[Lindsay Roman]

Yeah, yeah. In that you've learned in business and. Or gymnastics. You can tag that on if you want to.

[Samantha Peshek]

Trying to think of.

[Lindsay Roman]

I know it's, I threw you like such the biggest question.

[Evie McLeod]

Take your time, too.

[Samantha Peshek]

I think, I think I'm gonna go back to something we talked about earlier and just that the power of the mind is so strong. And I think, you know that you can do anything you set your mind to. I think a deeper version of that saying is you control your surroundings. And, you know, there's the saying that you're the sum of the people that you hang around. And so I think that is true for every aspect of your life and the people that you follow on social media and the music that you listen to, the friends you hang out with. If you're constantly leaving and you feel bad, then maybe you should think about getting more friends that are uplifting and you enjoy. You leave feeling elated. And so I think that you can do anything you set your mind to. Yes. But you have to put yourself in a position to succeed if you want to be fit. Maybe hang around other people that are fit, that have great routines that you can just very easily follow into their habit. And guess what? You're most likely going to become more fit because of the people that you're around. So I think the environment and the people and the most important thing in all of this is what you say to yourself, because no one knows what your self talk is. And that's a really, you know, separate part of being queen Boot camp that we didn't touch on is the importance of positive self talk. Do you wake up every day and say you're a bad gymnast and that you're fat and that you're ugly and that you're bad at this and is that what you feed yourself or do you say, hey, you know, I'm working hard today if it's not going your way, or hey, I'm going to be a great teammate today, or hey, I was having a bad day, but I'm proud of the way that I, you know, worked hard. And so one of the, one of the routines that I had when I was training for the Olympics is I would always end each practice by saying, you know, what was one thing that I want to improve tomorrow? And what's one thing I'm proud of. And then my coach would also give his answer of those two things, too. And so it's something that I try to continue now in business, too, because I think being an entrepreneur, you don't. You don't get a lot of feedback, positive. And sometimes you're so hard on yourself, you only hear the negative feedback you're giving yourself. And so I try to, you know, take a deep breath every once in a while and be like, you know what? I'm going to give myself grace. I really liked how I responded to that email, even though it was hard. You know, I'm really proud of myself that even though I didn't want to do this, I did it anyway. And so I think, as silly as it sounds, you don't have to tell people you're doing this is, you know, take a pause throughout the day and just say something that you're proud of yourself for and just feel how that, like, lifts your mood and you sit up taller and guess what? You're going to be a kinder person to the person next to you because you're telling yourself lots of positive things and lots of uplifting things, or even give a compliment to a stranger. And that helps you give a compliment to yourself, as silly as that sounds. So I think that's, that's the biggest lesson is just be picky on the things that are entering your environment and most importantly, what you're telling yourself of day.

[Evie McLeod]

Oh, my gosh.

[Lindsay Roman]

Mike drops.

[Evie McLeod]

So good.

[Lindsay Roman]

Oh, my goodness, I love it. That was so good.

[Evie McLeod]

Samantha, for everyone who is like, I want to follow along with this journey with this new vision with Beam Queen Boot Camp, with all of the things, where can everyone connect with you, learn from you, be inspired by you, all the things.

[Samantha Peshek]

Thank you. I am pretty active on Instagram, amantha p e s z e k. I'm also on TikTok at SAM p e s Z E K. And then if anyone's listening that has a daughter in gymnastics or know any young gymnasts that want to check out our events, all of our socials and website is. Our socials are EAM Queen Boot Camp and then our website is EAMQueen. So we have a shop, lots of cute Christmas holiday items and most importantly, the. The curriculum we have on our app and of course the. The bread and butter of our events are in the summer.

[Evie McLeod]

Oh, I love it.

[Lindsay Roman]

Amazing. Samantha, thank you so much for being on the Heart and Hustle podcast. We are honored to have you and it was such a good conversation. I just know our listeners are going to get so much out of it.

[Samantha Peshek]

Oh, well, thank you so much for having me. This is so fun.