Powerful Career Lessons from the GOAT: Gold Over America Tour
Inside: Career and life lessons from The Gold Over America Tour with Simone Biles.
You might say that what makes Simone Biles the GOAT of the gymnastics world are her medals and titles.
But after being in a room with her this weekend, I’m all the more convinced that the medals and titles are only one piece of the bigger picture, and we can all be a little more GOAT-like in our own lives.
The Gold Over America Tour Experience
To be clear, this room Simone and I shared was a BIG room, like an arena-sized room.
Yet from where I sat with my daughter and my parents at the Gold Over America Tour, I could clearly see what else the Greatest Of All Time brought to the party.
It was her skill, but it was also how she created space for others to shine.
It was her physical strength, but it was also her vulnerability that allowed other young athletes to feel seen.
It was her hard work, but it was also the joy she brought to the sport.
She and her team also brought a killer soundtrack, stunning choreography, some of the best gymnasts from around the world, and a metric ton of confetti. Perfect 10!
Powerful Lessons from Powerful Athletes
My kids are both athletes, and my daughter is a gymnast. Seeing Simone Biles and sharing air with her was a dream come true that brought tears to my daughter’s eyes (and mine – I was openly weeping. It’s fine. 🥹)
During this dream come true, we were expecting high-flying skills, which did not disappoint—my goodness.
But we also got powerful lessons delivered in words and actions. Like…
Leaning into fun grows your confidence.
Each of the Olympians answered a question for the audience at the Gold Over America Tour, and what I noticed most was how they each emphasized FUN. Kids and adults start activities that interest them because they are fun. Yet when competition sets in, we sometimes forget to bring fun along for the ride. Remembering to bring fun and joy to sports, to our careers, and to life in general builds confidence and resilience.
We all have fears; it’s human.
It’s easy to watch a gymnast fly through the air and imagine that they are fearless. However, they each made it clear that when they are learning a new skill they are simply doing it scared. And they are doing it scared A LOT, and taking breaks when they need to, before it becomes more natural.
Fear is human, and doing it scared is what helps us to grow.
Dreams can be scary, but they are always worth chasing.
At one point in the show, images of the gymnasts as children appeared on the big screen, and my second bout of waterworks started up. These little kids saw their big dreams come true—feelings!
This point in the show was also a reminder that it’s wonderful to dream big at any age. Going after a dream will be hard work, and there will be times when you want to throw in the towel. It happened for each of them on the stage. But the character you build and the experiences you get to have make both the process AND seeing that dream come to life worth it.
Between the beam, bars, and floor, I saw all that and more this weekend, and most importantly, my 8-year-old daughter saw it, too.
Golden Career Lessons from the GOAT
Simone, her teammates, and I will leave you with this.
Even if your career doesn’t have you doing back tucks, it can still be fun in a totally different way. Let it be!
Your dream doesn’t need to look like a gold medal to be worth chasing. Go after it!
Lifting one person up and helping them shine in your work can have a ripple effect beyond your wildest imagination. Make your mark.
We all have the power to make our younger selves so proud. Do it for her.
So, with all that in mind, we’re going to be GOAT like this week, my friends. And in doing so, we’re going to bring a whole lot of joy into the world.
(And if the Gold Over America Tour is coming to your city, run don’t walk to grab tickets. Yet, it’s that good!)
