Life lessons from Lead
Good morning. LEAD is...
Fun. Empowering. Inspiring. Motivational.
These are just a few of the words that organizers and athletes alike have used to describe the Lead Summit. This past weekend, the Lead Summit celebrated its 7th year in Springfield, Virginia.
We asked around and here are some of the lessons that the 2023 Lead organizers and athletes wanted to share after this year's Summit:
Be confident and believe in yourself no matter what.
You need to take care of all aspects of yourself to be the best version of yourself.
Don't be scared of disappointing others because you can't control what they think of you.
There is nothing wrong with setting boundaries and sticking to them.
Don't compare yourself to others.
Confidence is within you, it just can take some work for it to come out.
You can only control yourself and your swimming, not what other people are doing.
Our favorite takeaway? We are unstoppable when we elevate and empower one another.
Want to learn more about the Lead Summit? Visit www.leadsportsco.com or@leadsportsco on Instagram for more information.
-- Taylor and the CG Sports Co team
OTHER BIG NEWS THIS WEEK:
Haylie McCleney has been named to Team USA's 2023 Softball Pan Am roster!
Paige Madden has joined the pro group training at ASU!
P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.
Elizabeth Beisel joined Laura Wilkinson on the Pursuit of Gold podcast recently. Throughout the episode, Beisel and Wilkinson examined Beisel's journey in the sport of swimming, including how swimming shaped her into the leader that she is today. The episode highlights include Beisel's self-confidence and mindset shifts, triumph over challenges, authenticity and connection, Michael Phelps' Legacy and Motivation, and more.
Listen to the entire episode online now.
"Never be afraid to share your journey. It only takes one person, one story, to make a difference. You never know who you could inspire." That is the lesson at the heart of the piece McKenzie Coan penned for Team USA this past week when she shared parts of her story (and her book, Breaking Free).
Read the full excerpt online and click here to purchase your own copy ofBreaking Free.
Jack Wallace is making waves on his quest to punch his ticket to the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
USA Hockey Magazine interviewed Wallace for the August 2023 issue. In the interview, Wallace and USA Hockey discussed the possibility of representing Team USA in both the summer and winter Paralympic Games, his training regimen for Paracanoeing, and the physical benefits of competing in multiple sports.
Read the full feature in USA Hockey online.
Athletes: Find what works for you. Focus on it like crazy.
One of the cool things about 2023 is that there are more ways than ever for athletes to grow their platform. Investing in and growing your platform is the single best way to attract business opportunities.
Remember. Sponsorship deals are just one way for athletes to make money. In today’s market, sponsorship deals are often dominated by those with large social media followings. While this is not always the case, it’s important to understand the market you are playing in.
Not everyone is going to grow their IG account to 100k followers. It’s really hard. However, there are other ways you can spend your time and still get the attention of sponsors, advertisers, business partners and events.
Write a regular blog: One of our clients started a blog a few months ago detailing her journey in the WNBA. The first post received around 250 clicks with an average read time of 3 minutes. Not too bad! Her second post received over 1,000 clicks with an average read time of 6 minutes. This is incredibly valuable data to present to partners. It also plays to the athlete’s strength - which is writing. Consistent blogs open the opportunity for ad partners, sponsored content and guest writing opportunities with larger media outlets.
Newsletter: This is the age of the newsletter. More companies and content creators are starting newsletters. Newsletters are a fantastic way to promote yourself, share your voice and attract partners to your brand. Whether it’s weekly, monthly or quarterly is totally up to you. A newsletter gives you a reason to start an email list and grow it. This is another valuable marketing asset that you can bring to the negotiating table.
Get a buddy to help you with social media content: Something we’ve found is that social media posting becomes much easier when athletes enlist the help of a friend who can help them capture video content. If your friend is good and editing and can create a few IG reels for you, that’s the mecca. We have one client who came to realize that social media was a two person job. He asked for help from a close friend to help record and edit IG Reels content. They spent 1 hour filming on a weekend and this provided weeks worth of IG Reels. One of their reels has over 250k views and his IG following grew 10% in a month.
Find what works for you. Focus more of your energy on that space. Don’t give up after the first few tries, these things take time. You will be surprised at the results and stress it takes off of you. Good luck, you can do it!
McKenzie Coan and Colleen Young cheesin' with Uncle Yung at the 2023 Lead Summit!
DNA Physical Therapy
Bodies age and injuries happen. Unfortunately, many of us may need physical therapy services to navigate our aging and/or injured bodies. Thankfully, DNA Physical Therapy was created to help individuals recover from injuries and excel in their respective sports.
Dr. Nader Amer of DNA Physical Therapy is dedicated to creating a personalized plan with each individual that not only helps them to relieve them from the pain they're in, but also assists them in reaching their top performance goals. This is done by listening to your goals and analyzing your anatomical biomechanics to reduce the risk of further injuries.
Curious to learn more? DNA Physical Therapy will be hosting a live YouTube Q&A session titled "Dive Into Health: A Live YouTube Q&A on Swimming and Physical Therapy with Dr. Nader Amer" on September 15th at 6 pm PST.
Visit www.dnaphysicaltherapy.com to learn more about the services offered by Dr. Nader Amer's office.
Champion's Mojo, Episode #225: "A Second Chance at Life: Tom & Deb Stokes Riveting Story of Love, Fitness, & Organ Donation"
Picture this: a couple who left their jobs to pursue a life of fitness and travel, are running marathons in every state, and faced life-threatening health challenges. Welcome to the extraordinary life of Tom and Deb Stokes. Join us for a heartwarming and inspiring episode as we delve into their journey of love, athleticism, and resilience. The Stokes share the importance of setting goals, the role their athletic backgrounds played in overcoming health challenges, and how they balanced life, fitness, and a marriage.
Their story took an unexpected turn when Tom required a liver transplant. But this couple approaches everything as a team, turning adversity into opportunities for growth. You will be riveted as they recount how they maintained balance, continued pursuing fitness goals and transformed health challenges into inspiring victories. They firmly believe in the power of organ donation, not only for its life-saving impact but also for the second chance it offers.
Discover key insights from Tom and Deb's extraordinary journey. Their shared passion for fitness, intertwined with their relationship, is a testament to the power of support, perseverance, and love. This episode is more than just an inspiring tale of a couple's journey, it's a powerful reminder of the impact organ donation can have, and an insight into maintaining balance in relationships while pursuing individual goals. Get ready to be inspired, learn, and perhaps even reassess your own life goals.
Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.
Emmitt Smith - NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher, 3-Time Super Bowl Champion
Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22), the NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher, 3-Time Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys and the Head of Emmitt Smith Enterprises joins Sports Business Radio for a conversation. We discuss the behind the scenes of his new Pepsi and Frito Lay commercial that will debut this Sunday when the NFL regular season kicks off, whether or not he thinks anyone will ever break his all-time rushing record, Emmitt Smith Enterprises and the business projects he is working on, what it takes to be a good leader and the importance of building and placing value on a personal brand.
Catch up on EVERY episode online!
