By Chris Cochran
With the summertime North American hardcourt portion of the pro tennis tour now in full swing, I’m getting eyeballs deep in watching live tennis matches at what are reasonable times of the day for me — no having to get up at 3 a.m. Pacific to catch a live match from Europe or Australia. But the Tennis Channel calls to me throughout the workday, so I compromise by leaving the TV on mute and just checking in when I go to refill the coffee cup.
Several weeks ago, it was announced that 7-time Grand Slam Champion Venus Williams would be competing at the Mubadala Citi DC Open this month, a tournament I attended several times during my 30-year tenure in Washington, D.C. I’ll admit that I’ve been in the “you need to retire, Venus” camp for some time. When she’s in a tournament, which isn’t that often, that’s one less slot available to a younger player who’s trying to build a career.
At 45, she’s well past what we’d generally consider competitive in professional tennis, but after watching her play this week and win the first pro singles match she’s played in almost a year and a half, I started reconsidering what she’s doing. In her on-court interview after the match, she reflected on the “why” and “how” of her victory, which above all else was an authentic reflection of who she is beyond the day-to-day grind of being a world-class tennis professional.
Here’s the money quote from her post-match interview:
“There are no limits for excellence…It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically and emotionally, then you can have the result… It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down. Doesn’t matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you.”
Wow, that is someone who knows who and where she is. The future International Tennis Hall of Famer has no illusions about her tennis career. She made her mark and is continuing to do so. Her competitiveness drives her, even in a time of diminishing returns. In just over 1.5 hours in D.C. this week, Venus showed me five great takeaways for solopreneurs, and maturing tennis professionals, about adapting your life to meet the successes that drive you.
5 Takeaways for Solopreneurs from Venus Williams’ Tour Level Victory at Age 45
- Redefine success – In the professional tennis world, there are pretty obvious signs of success: winning Grand Slam tournaments or reaching the No. 1 ranking in the world, both of which Venus accomplished. Yet very few players actually reach those pre-defined achievements. For each Top 10 player, there are 40 others on the tour working every day to make a career and a living as a pro. They have exceptional skills in the sport that drives them to keep competing. It’s what they know and do best. It’s tough and requires constant reflection, innovation, and flexibility. Venus knows she won’t win another Grand Slam, but success for her has new meanings now (see that money quote above). Each of us can redefine our success along the way, too.
- Develop emotional flexibility – Venus’ money quote above demonstrates emotional maturity and flexibility. My relatable experience: this year I enrolled in a cognitive behavioral therapy program because I wanted to change perspectives in my professional and personal lives and create flexible alternatives to my business approaches and my relationships with colleagues, clients, family and friends. I’ve received some great insights and opportunities to demonstrate that flexibility.
- Build a support network – No one can truly go it alone, from tennis pros to solopreneurs. A support network positions us for professional and personal success. I may not always want to attend my weekly online professional accountability group, but each time the session ends we’re all amazed at how a focused two hours in the company of peers compels us to be creative and productive, even when we may not believe we have it in us that day.
- Cultivate relentless self-belief – This seems obvious, yet the foils to self-belief can be strong, especially in this age of overwhelming social media that can distract and detract from our individual goals. Social comparison and “fear of missing out” (FOMO) are enemies of cultivating that self-belief.
- Stay hungry for growth – I’m a lifelong learner, so this one is kind of easy for me. I’ve risen out of a number of ash heaps to keep exploring and expanding passions and finding new ones (in case you haven’t noticed, the game of tennis is one of those passions).
So I say thank you and congratulations to Venus Williams. I hope you win your second round match in the DC Open, but even if you don’t, you really still have won.
What are some successes you’ve had when it comes to redefining your success and staying hungry for growth? Reply in the comments section below.
An Inquiring Mind 